Charlotte's Web

White, E. B. (1952). Charlotte's Web. HarperCollins Publishers.

Plot: Wilbur is the runt of his litter of piglets, and when Mr. Arable the farmer decides to kill Wilbur, his daughter Fern begs him not to. It works, and it was love at first for Wilbur and Fern. When Wilbur gets older he is sold to Mr. Zuckerman and goes to live on his farm. Fern visits him as often as she can, but Wilbur is miserable and lonely, and then he hears a warm voice that belongs to Charlotte, a spider. They become good friends, but when Wilbur learns that the farmer plans to kill him to have him for dinner, he retirns to being miserable. Charlotte comes up witha plan to show Wilbur off as special, hoping this would save his life. She wrote "Some Pig" in her web, and an astonished Zuckerman did not kill Wilbur. She continued to write messages about Wilbur, and he soon became famous.

Genre: Fantasy, friendship

Suggested Reading Level: Grades 4-6

Subjects/themes: Friendship, farm life, death, animals, pigs, growing up, spiders.

Awards:

• Newbery Honor Book
• American Library Association Notable Book
• Horn Book Fanfare
• Massachusetts Children's Book Award
• Lewis Carroll Shelf Award

Also by E. B. White:

• Stuart Little
• The Trumpet of the Swan

Twilight (Film)

(2008). Twilight. Summit Entertainment.

Based on the book Twilight, written by Stephanie Meyer.

Directed by: Catherine Hardwicke

Starring:

Robert Pattinson
Kristen Stuart
Billy Burke
Peter Facinelli
Taylor Lautner
Cam Gigandet

Plot: Bella Swan has come to live with her father in Forks, a dreary cold, rainy town in Washington. She meets handsome Edward Cullen, who she is intrigued by and soon finds herself falling in love with him. The only problem is he is a vampire and the scent of her blood is like a drug to him. His love for her is stronger and he decides that staying away from her is not an option. Edward and his family have chosen not to drink the blood of humans, instead drinking the blood of animals to survive. One day Bella and Edward join his family for a game of baseball and a trio of vampires interrupt the game. The vampires smell Bella and a stand off begins between the two clans, so Edward takes Bella away to safety, knowing that the vampires won't give up until they get her.

Genre: Fantasy

Interest level: Ages 8 & up

Other movies in this series:

• Twilight Saga: New Moon
• Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Awards:

• 2009 MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance - Kristen Stewart
• 2009 MTV Movie Award for Best Fight - Cam Gigandet and Robert Pattinson
• 2009 MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss - Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart
• 2009 MTV Movie Award for Best Movie
• 2009 MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Male Performance - Robert Pattinson
• 2009 Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor Drama- Robert Pattinson
• 2009 Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress Drama - Kristin Stewart
• 2009 Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Villain - Cam Gigandet
• 2009 Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Album Soundtrack

Mr. Popper's Penguins

Atwater, F. & Atwater, R. (1938). New York, NY: Little Brown and Company.

Plot: Mr. Popper is a house painter who regrets not ever traveling, especially to the North and South Poles. He idolizes an explorer named Admiral Drake, whom he had written to. While listening to a broadcast from the Antarctic, Admiral Drake mentions Mr. Popper from Stillwater and says to expect a surprise. Soon a box arrives and inside is a penguin! Mr. Popper names him Captain Cook after another explorer. To keep Captain Cook cool, Mr. Popper keeps him in the fridge and has holes drilled for ventilation and a handle installed on the inside so Captain Cook can come in and out whenever he wants. Mrs. Popper makes sure to buy shrimp for him to eat, though sea food gets expensive and they don't have much money. As it is, the family will have to live off of beans till Spring. Captain Cook gets ill, and Mr. popper writes to a curator of an aquarium wwho writes back that it might be loneliness, so he sends a female penguin named Greta to Mr. Popper. Captain Cook and Greta get along fine and have 10 baby penguins. Now Mr. Popper has 12 penguins, and to deal with the cost he and Mrs. Popper decide to create an act with the penguins because they are so funny and cute and they'll call them Popper's Performing Penguins.

Genre: Humor

Suggested reading level: Grades 4-6

Subjects/themes: penguins, explorations, follow your dreams, daydreaming, humor.

Awards:

• Newbery Honor 1939
• Young Reader's Choice Award 1941

Claudia and Mean Janine

Martin, A. M., & Telgemeier, R. (2008). New York, NY: Scholastic.

Plot: Claudia feels like her genius older sister Janine is the favorite. She always gets good grades and Claudia is a "C" student. Her parents think that Janine's studies are more important than Claudia being a part of the Baby-Sitter's Club, and are always asking her to do things that interfere with her baby-sitting duties instead of asking Janine. When Mimi, Claudia's grandmother, has a stroke after an argument with Claudia about fighting with Janine, Claudia feels like it was her fault. Claudia volunteers her time to help Mimi recuperate, while the rest of the baby-sitter's begin a new summer platgroup for their children that they baby-sit for. Will Claudia and Janine ever see eye to eye and get along?

Genre: Graphic novel

Suggested reading level: Grades 4-6

Subjects/themes: sibling rivalry, friendship, clubs, baby-sitting, summer, education.

Other books in this series:

• The Truth About Stacey
• Mary Anne Saves the Day
• Kristy's Great Idea

Twilight

Meyer, S. (2008). Twilight. Thorndike Press.

Plot: Bella Swan has just moved to Forks, Washington to live with her dad. She meets the handsome Edward Cullen, who at first seems repulsed by her, but later can't seem to stay away from her. Bella's friend Jacob tells her the stories of the Cold Ones and she puts the clues together. Edward is a vampire. After Edward saves her life in Port Angeles, the two decide not to fight it anymore and that they are going to be together. They are falling in love, passionately. Edward and his family of vampires don't drink human blood, but other vampires do and once they catch Bella's scent she is in serious danger!

Genre: Fantasy

Suggested reading level: Grades 6 & up

Subjects/themes: Vampires, love, family, Washington, school, death, revenge.

Awards:

• School Library Journal Best Books of the Year 2005
• Bluegrass Award 2007
• Garden State Children's Books Award 2008
• Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award 2008
• Garden State Teen Book Award 2008

www.kidsreads.com (Website)

http://www.kidsreads.com/

Genre: Informational Website

Interest level: Ages 8 & up

Content: I found this website when I was searching for books that had been turned into films for the media group project. It was very useful because this site has a section dedicated to listing these films, with film information and the plot of the movie. If you are interested in finding out what books will be coming out soon, Kidsreads has you covered. Want to test your knowledge of Harry Potter? How about the Mostly Ghostly series? Take the Kidsreads Trivia Challenge and see how you do! There is a list of books recommended for boys, which is a good way to start a reluctant reader out. Looking for book reviews by a credible source? Look no further! Love a good series, check the Kidsreads section on series books. There is so much to check out on this website that a book lover would enjoy. Now get going!

Subjects: Books, trivia, authors, reviews, movies, new in paperbacks, podcasts.

Similar sites:
http://www.teenreads.com/

The View From Saturday

Konigsburg, E. L. (1996). The View From Saturday. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Plot: Sixth graders from Epiphany Middle School in New York have never beaten the seventh and eighth graders during the Academic Bowl, but Mrs. Olinsky's team did it. They took it all the way to the championships and won that too. But the question remains: How did she choose her team? This book takes you on each journey that Noah, Nadia, Ethan and Julian went through before they became The Souls and the closest of friends, and a tea party that changed everything.

Genre: Realistic fiction

Suggested Reading Level: Grades 5-8

Subjects/themes: Academic competition, prejudice, confidence, friendship, bullying, divorce, marriage, family.

Other books by E. L. Konigsburg:

• From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
• Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and me, Elizabeth

Awards

• Newbery Medal

NBA Jam (Video Game)

Released: October 2010

Console: Wii

Also available for these consoles: Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Interest level: Ages 8 & up

Genre: Sports - Basketball

Contents: For basketball fans, this game is a ton of fun. Choose your favorite players from any basketball team, from the Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant or Pau Gasol or the Miami Heats LeBron James. There are many teams to choose from, but there are only some players to choose from, not the whole team. Some cool features are are you can choose to give your players big heads, which look funny, or you can choose to leave them regular. The Campaign Mode is hilarious: you can choose to play the Clintons, Bush or Sarah Palin. There are many classic players and codes that you can unlock, so play and have some fun. Dunking in this game is great, as well as pushing other players down to get them out of your way ( yeah, don't worry about fouls).

What you need: Wii controls and Nunchuks.

Mario Kart (Video Game)

Released: April 2008

Game Console: Nintendo Wii

Interest level: Ages 7 & up

Genre: Video game - Racing

Contents: For fans of previous Mario Karts, like the one for Nintendo 64 or Mario Kart Double dash for Gamecube, this version has better graphics and a lot of extras. Race on brand new tracks or race familiar old tracks from previous versions. As always you can choose your favorite character like Princess Peach, Mario, Luigi, Bowser, Yoshi, Toad, etc. Then your choose your car, which for me is always the fun part, and if you don't want to drive a car choose a motorcycle! Those are kind of hard for me, but I'm still getting used to them. Another fun feature is of course all the items you can pick up to deter other drivers from winning, like the blue shell with wings, which will blow up the driver in first place and anyone around them, or the bullet that takes you flying through the track past opponents for a short time. This is a really fun game!

What you need: Wii controls, Nunchuks.

Optional: Racing wheel

When You Reach Me

Stead, R. (2009). When You Reach Me. New York, NY: Random House Publishing.

Plot: It is 1979 in New York City and Miranda has lost her best friend Sal after he got punched in the stomach and decided that he didn't want to be friends anymore. Miranda is helping her mom study up because she is going to be a contestant on The $20,000 Pyramid. The spare key is missing after Miranda received a strange note asking about the key and telling her that they are going to save the life of her friend. How does this person seem to know things about Miranda's life, things that haven't happened yet even? Miranda goes on to receive more creepy notes, even when working at Jimmy's Sandwich Shop while counting bread rolls during lunch time. Miranda makes many references in the story about her favorite book, A Wrinkle in Time, which she reads time and again.

Genre: Mystery

Suggested reading level: Grades 6-8

Subjects/themes: friendship, growing up, family, mystery, sci-fi

Awards:

• Newbery Medal 2010
• Publisher's Weekly Best Children's Books 2010
• Book Sense Book of the Year 2010
• Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards 2010

Speak Now (Song)

Album: Speak Now

Song titled: Speak Now

Artist: Taylor Swift

Released: Oct. 25, 2010

Run Time: 4:01

Label: Big Machine Records

Genre: Country/Pop



Partial Lyrics:

I am not the kind of girl

Who should be rudely barging in

On a white veil occasion

But you are not the kind of boy

Who should be marrying the wrong girl

I sneak in and see your friends

And her snotty little family

All dressed in pastel

And she is yelling at a bridesmaid

Somewhere back inside a room

Wearing a gown shaped like a pastry

This is surely not

What you thought it would be

I lose myself in a daydream

Where I stand and say

Don't say yes, run away now

I'll meet you when you're out

Of the church at the back door

Don't wait or say a single vow

You need to hear me out

And they said speak now

Other songs on the album: Mine; Sparks Fly; Back to December; Dear John; Mean; The Story of Us; Never grow Up; Enchanted; Better Than Revenge; Innocent; Haunted; Last Kiss; Long Live.

Personal thoughts: Taylor Swift's lyrics are always so honest and are famously written about guys she's dated in the past. She is a true romantic and I admit that I like her music very much.



Camp Rock (Film)

(2008). Camp Rock. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.

Run time: 98 minutes

Disney Channel Original Movie

Directed by: Matthew Diamond

Starring:
Demi Lavato
Joe Jonas
Nick Jonas
Kevin Jonas

Plot: Mitchie is an aspiring singer and wants to go to Camp Rock, but it is too expensive, so to go her mom has to be the caterer for the camp and Mitchie has to help out in the kitchen. Scandalous Shane Gray, lead singer of Connect 3, is at the camp trying to repair his image and hears a girl singing with a beautiful voice, but she takes off before he can see her. Mitchie tries to keep the fact that she helps out in the kitchen secret and Shane befriends her while still searching for the girl with the voice.

Genre: Musical

Interest level: ages 8-12

Subjects/themes: music, singing, dancing, be true to yourself, romance.

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (Film)

(2009). Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Sony Pictures.

Run time: 90 minutes

Directed by: Phil Lord & Christopher Miller

Starring:

Bill Hader
Neil Patrick Harris
Anna Faris
James Caan
Bruce Campbell
Mr. T
Andy Sandberg

Plot: Wannabe scientist Flint Lockwood has been trying all his life to create something amazing but never succeeded, like his spray-on shoes that don't come off. He isn't very popular in his hometown of Swallow Falls, until he finally creates something that does work. He creates the Diatonic Super Mutating Dynamic Food Replicator, which turns water molecules into food. The first time the device works it rains burgers all over the town. The mayor of Swallow Falls sees dollar signs and wants Flint to make it rain food three times a day, and to get tourists to come they rename the town Chewandswallow. He doesn't realize it yet, but Flint might have bitten off more than he can chew. Pun intended. =)

Genre: Fantasy

Interest level: ages 8 & up

Subjects/themes: family, growing up, science, food, romance.

Weekend

Pike, C. (1986). Weekend. New York, NY: Point.

Plot: Shani and her friends are going down to Mexico for a fun weekend at Lena and Robin's beachside house. Robin is ill and has to be on dialysis because her kidneys are failing. Someone has something other than fun planned and terrible things start to happen. Robin was poisoned at a party, which is the cause of her illness, and this person is going to find out who did it, no matter what.

Genre: Horror, thriller

Suggested reading level: Grades 6-9

Subjects/themes: Jealousy, revenge, friendship, family, kidney failure.

Other books by Christopher Pike:

• Remember Me
• Chain Letter
• Bury Me Deep
• Slumber Party
• Spellbound

Personal thoughts: Christopher Pike is one of my favorite authors alongside R. L. Stine because he writes amazing books for tweens and teens. They are always great reads, especially for mystery/thriller fans, though he has written awesome fantasy/sci-fi books as well. His books are classic and I highly recommend them.

The New Year's Party

Stine, R.L. (1995). The New Year's Party. New York, NY: Simon Pulse.

*Fear Street Super Chiller series

Plot: A cruel joke was played on the new guy, P.J., at Reenie's party. Now P.J. has disappeared and his sister Liz is frantic to find him. Now people from the party are turning up dead, with their necks broken. Liz has invited kids from the last party to her New Year's Party. She has a secret, and doesn't plan on anyone leaving her party... alive.

Genre: Horror, thriller

Suggested reading level: Grades 6-9

Subjects/themes: Ghosts, revenge, death, school.

Other Fear Street Books:

• The Wrong Number
• Broken Hearts
• Silent Night
• The Stepsister
• Secret Admirer
• Halloween Party
• Bad Dreams

Personal thoughts: The Fear Street series were my favorite books to read when I was in middle school. My sister gave me the ultimate gift one year for Christmas: Fear Street books. I was so psyched! Rereading this one brought back so many memories, and I can't wait to start reading them all over again.

Hannah Montana (Television)

Episode titled: He Ain't a Hottie, He's My Brother

Season 3, episode 1.

Disney Channel original series.

Starring:
Miley Cyrus, Emily Osment, Mitchel Musso, Jason Earles, Billy Ray Cyrus.

Plot: Miley has a dream that her brother Jackson is about to kiss her friend Lily. When she wakes up she decides that she had the dream because she ate her dad's Pork Rinds before bed. Well Liliy comes over and really does like Jackson. Miley is creeped out by how smitten Lily is. Lily asks Miley to find out if Jackson likes her back and he says he does. Miley tells Lily that He doesn't and Lily cries. Jackson comes out to find Llily and Miley tells him that Lily meant she likes President Andrew Jacks on, not him. He is upset and runs off crying. On the Mack & Mickey Morning Show Miley is performing as Hannah Montana when Jackson and Lily start arguing. During the interview Jackson and Lily say great things about Miley/Hannah, like how she is honest and always there for them. She fesses up about how she lied to them and they get mad at her. Later Lily explains to Miley that it is her business who she dates and Miley will just have to live with it. Miley agrees. Turns out the whole thing was a dream, Lily does not like Jackson and all is sane in Miley's world.

Genre: Musical, humor

Interest level: ages 8-12

Subjects/themes: pop stars, music, friendship, family.

Awards:

• 2007 Kids Choice Award for Favorite Television Actress - Miley Cyrus
• 2007 Teen Choice Award for Favorite Television Actress - Miley Cyrus
• 2007 Teen Choice for TV Show Comedy - Hannah Montana cast and crew
• 2008 Kids Choice for Favorite Television Actress - Miley Cyrus
• 2008 Teen Choice for Favorite Television Actress - Miley Cyrus
• 2008 Teen Choice for TV Show Comedy- Hannah Montana cast and crew

Wizards of Waverly Place (Television)

Episode titled: Smarty Pants

Season 2, episode 1.

Disney Channel original series.

Starring:
Selena Gomez, David Henrie, Jake T. Austin, Jennifer Stone, Maria Canals Barrera, David Deluise.

Plot: The episode opens with the wizards getting a lesson on Wizard Wear. Smarty pants give the person wearing them super knowledge on everything, but there are side effects if you wear them too long. At school Alex agrees to help set up for the Quiz Bowl so that she can talk to Dean. Her friend Harper is on the girl's team of the Quiz Bowl, and after one of her team members gets shocked by electicity, thanks to Alex for setting up the wiring to the buzzers wrong, Alex joins to help her friend out. Only problem is Alex isn't book smart. She decides to wear the Smarty Pants and ansers all the questions during the first round at the Quiz Bowl. Harper gets upset, so Alex takes the pants off, but she left them on too long and now she has skeleton legs. She leaves embarrassed and Harper goes on to win for the girl's side. Luckily everyone will think Alex was only wearing skeleton tights.

Genre: Fantasy

Interest level: ages 8-12

Subjects/themes: wizards, magic, friendship, family.

Awards:

• 2009 Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards for Favorite TV Actress - Selena Gomez
• 2009 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Children's Programming
• 2009 Alma Award for Special Achievement Comedy Television Actress- Selena Gomez
• 2010 Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards for Favorite TV Actress- Selena Gomez
• 2010 Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actress Comedy- Selena Gomez

The Vampire Diaries (Television)

Based on the Vampire Diaries series by L.J. Smith.

Episode titled: Pilot

Starring:
Nina Dobrev as Elena Gilbert
Paul Wesley as Stefan Salvatore
Ian Somerhalder as Damon Salvatore

Originally aired September 10, 2009 on the CW television network.

Timeslot: Thursday at 8 pm.

Plot: Nina begins the new school year in the town of Mystic Falls, trying to come to terms with the death of her parents. She and her younger brother Jeremy are living with their aunt. She is immediately attracted to the mysterious new guy at school, Stefan, who she doesn't know is a vampire. They are in many of the same classes together and she invites him to a party. The two of them have a few things in common, like writing in journals and that both their parents are dead. Elena's brother is having a difficult time coping and is messing with drugs. The girl he likes, Vicky, isn't interested in him, and gets bitten by a vampire and taken to a hospital. Stefan's brother Damon, also a vampire, is the one who bit Vicky. After a fight between the two brothers we learn that Stefan doesn't want to live as a vampire and refuses to feed on humans, while Damon continues to hunt. It is revealed that they can live in the sunlight by wearing special rings.
*Due to references about sex, drugs and alcohol, I would recommend this show to older tweens.

Genre: Horror, fantasy

Interest level: Ages 13 & up

Subjects: Vampires, romance, loss, school, growing up.

Awards:

• Teen Choice 2010- Choice for Fantasy/Sci-fi TV Show
• Teen Choice 2010- Choice for Fantasy/Sci-fi Actor -Paul Wesley
• Teen Choice 2010- Choice for Fantasy/Sci-fi Actress -Nina Dobrev
• Teen Choice 2010- Choice TV Villain -Ian Somerhalder
• Teen Choice 2010- Choice for Breakout Show

The Witches (Film)

(1990). The Witches. Warner Bros.

Based on the book The Witches by Roald Dahl.

Directed by: Nicolas Roeg

Starring:

Anjelica Huston as the Grand High Witch
Jasen Fisher as Luke
Mai Zetterling as Grandma
Charles Potter as Bruno

Running time: 91 minutes

Plot: After the death of his parents, Luke and his grandmother move to England and she explains to him all about witches and how to spot them. She tells him of all the children she knows of who have mysteriously disappeared because of witches. Witches hate children. Look for purple eyes, gloved hands, itchy scalps, square feet with no toes. When Luke's grandma falls ill, she is advised to spend some time by the sea, so the two go stay at a fancy hotel. It just so happens that the annual witch convention is being held at the same htoel. Luke finds out too late and gets turned into a mouse, along with another boy named Bruno. Before he was turned into a mouse, Luke overheard the Grand High Witches plans for the witches of England to turn all the children into mice by putting a potion into chocolates. Luke must find his grandma and stop the witches!

Genre: Fantasy

Interest level: Ages 9 & up

Subjects/themes: witches, loss, family, England, fantasy. 

Esperanza Rising

Ryan, P. M. (2002). Esperanza Rising. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Plot: On the eve of her 13th birthday Esperanza's father is killed by bandits, and her mother makes the difficult decision to take Esperanza to California with their trusted friends and servants. They leave after their home in  Mexico is burnt down by her father's brothers because her mother wouldn't marry one of them. It is difficult for Esperanza to get used to her new environment and living in a shack while her mother and the others pick vegetables and fruit, since she is used to being waited on and wearing the finest dresses. She overcomes many difficult obstacles, and proves herself to be a strong individual.

Genre: Historical fiction

Suggested reading level: Grades 5-8

Subjects/themes: Mexico, loss, family, prejudice, immigration, civil rights.

Other Books by Pam Munoz Ryan:

• The Dreamer
• Becoming Naomi Leon
• Paint the Wind

Awards:

• Pura Belpre Award

A Year Down Yonder

Peck, R. (2000). A Year Down Yonder. New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers.

*Sequel to Newbery Honor book A Long Way From Chicago.

Plot: It is 1937 and a recession has hit the nation hard, so Mary Alice is going to stay with her Grandma Dowdel in a small town in Illinois while her parents try to find work in Chicago. Grandma Dowdel is a feisty old woman who is well known in town to be trigger happy. She likes to pull fast ones, like when the bully in Mary Alice's class tries to get a dollar out of her, Grandma sets the girl's stolen horse loose with her shoes laced around it's neck so she'd have to walk home barefoot. When Mary Alice invites the boy she likes over to study, a sickening scream comes from upstairs and a naked lady comes running down from the attic with a snake holding on to her. Apparently Grandma hadn't mentioned anything about the snake living in the attic when their lodger had set up his art supplies there. That definitely had the town talking.

Genre: Historical fiction

Suggested reading level: Grades 5-8

Subjects/themes: Recession, Great Depression, Illinois, family, rural living.

Other Books by Richard Peck:

• A Season of Gifts
• On the Wings of Heroes
• The River Between Us
• The Teacher's Funeral
• Here Lies the Librarian
• A Long Way From Chicago

Awards:

• Newbery Medal Winner
• School Library Journal Best Books of the Year
• American Library Association Notable Books for Children

Welcome to Dead House

Stine, R.L. (1992). Welcome to Dead House. New York, NY: Scholastic.

*Goosebumps series #1

Plot: Josh and Amanda are moving to a new house with their parents and dog Petey. They both are unhappy about the move to the creepy old house and quiet town of Dark Falls. Who is this "Uncle" that left them the house and why does Petey keep barking at everyone from this town, when he's never done that before? Strange things keep happening to Amanda, like footsteps in her room, strange giggling in the night and the curtains in her room keep fluttering, even when the windows are closed. She could have sworn she saw a boy staring out her bedroom window and a girl standing at the foot of the stairs, but no one believes her. Is it her, or is their something weird going on in their new house?

Genre: Horror, mystery

Suggested reading level: Grades 3-6

Subjects/themes: ghosts, moving, friendship, family, haunting, death.

Other Goosebumps books:

• Beware, The Snowman
• Ghost Beach
• Night of the Living Dummy
• The Werewolf of Fever Swamp
• The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb

Say Cheese and Die (DVD)

(1996). Goosebumps: Say Cheese and Die. 20th Century Fox.

This episode originally aired as part of the Goosebumps television series in the 1990's.

Starring: Ryan Gosling as Greg

Plot: Greg and his friends Shari and Bird go into the basement of an abondoned building where this creepy guy, Spidey, hangs out. Greg finds an old camera and takes a picture of Bird. Right after Bird falls down the stairs. When Greg looks at the picture he took he can't believe it! The picture shows Bird falling, even though Greg took the picture before Bird fell. Strange things keep happening after Greg takes pictures with the camera, like his dad's new car showed up totaled in the picture and the his dad gets in a car accident. Is the camera cursed and causing these terrible things to happen?

Interest level: Ages 8-12

Genre: Horror

Subjects/themes: horror, fantasy, series, curses, fortune telling.

Kiss & Tell (Song)

Artist: Selena Gomez

Song Title: Kiss & Tell

Album: Kiss & Tell

Label: Hollywood Records

Time: 03:17

Genre: Pop Music

Interest Level: Ages 10 & up

Partial Lyrics:

When you walk, you don't leave tracks

When you talk, they don't talk back

Believing every word you say

But they don't know, they don't know

Secrets that you just can't keep

Promises that you made me

You twisted it to suit you

But now I know, I know

Ooooooooooo

Everything that I told you

Ooooooooooo

You just smile and then you

Kiss and tell everything I say

Stuck inside your little web

Everybody wants to know, yeah

Lips that lie, caught in your trap

Sold me out and you just laugh

Say we're friends until the end, yeah

But you don't mean it, don't mean it.

Personal thoughts: When I heard this song it made me think of girl bands like Veruca Salt and the Go Go's. Selena Gomez has a bit of an edge to her music, which I can appreciate. This is pop, but with a bit of edginess and a bit of alternative rock. 

Awards:

• Teen Choice 2010- Choice Music Breakout Artist
• Teen Choice 2010- Choice Music Group

Party in the U.S.A (Song)

Artist: Miley Cyrus

Song Title: Party in the U.S.A

Album: The Time of Our Lives

Time: 03:22

Label: Hollywood records

Genre: Pop music

Interest level: Ages 10 & up



Partial Lyrics:

I hopped off the plane at LAX

with a dream and my cardigan

Welcome to the land of fame

excess, whoa am I gonna fit in?

Jumped in the cab here I am for the first time

Look to my right, I see the Hollywood sign

This is all so crazy, everybody seems so famous

My tummy's turning and I'm feeling kind of homesick

Too much pressure and I'm nervous

That's when the taxi man turned on the radio

And the Jay-Z song was on

And the Jaz-Z song was on

And the Jay-Z song was on

So I put my hands up, they're playin my song

The butterflies fly away

I'm nodding my head like yeah

Moving my hips like yeah

Got my hands up, they're playing my song

And now I'm going to be okay

Yeah, it's a party in the USA

Yeah, it's a party in the USA

Personal thoughts: I heard this song while I was at a Disney Maltshop in Hollywood with my boyfriend, and I can say we aren't into this type of music, but I can understand why younger kids like tweens enjoy it. It is light, poppy music that they can have fun to. Listening to the lyrics, which I tend to do with all music, and there isn't much depth to this song. It is catchy and fun to dance around to.

Kiki's Delivery Service (Film)

(1989). Kiki's Delivery Service. Studio Ghibli and Disney.

Directed by : Hayao Miyazaki.

Starring:
Kirsten Dunst as Kiki
Phil Hartman as Jiji
Janeane Garofalo as Ursula
Tress MacNeille as Osono
Matthew Lawrence as Tombo

Plot: 13 year old Kiki is a witch in training. It is customary for witches to go off on their own for a year when they are 13 years old, so Kiki takes her black cat, Jiji, with her on her journey. They settle in a little seaside town, but people aren't so friendly. Kiki befriends a baker's wife named Osono after she delivers a baby's pacifier to one of her customers on her broomstick. Osono lets Kiki and Jiji stay in her attic and helps her start her delivery service. A boy named Tombo likes Kiki and thinks she is a cool witch, making many attempts at friendship with her. Kiki experiences some setbacks, like when she starts to lose her flying ability. In the end Kiki regains her abilities when she believes in herself and saves the life of her friend Tombo.

Genre: Anime Film

Interest level: Ages 9 & up

Subjects/themes: witches, growing up, believe in yourself, friendship.

Awards:

• 1990 Kinemi Junpo Awards- Readers Choice for Best Japanese Film Director- Hayoa Miyazaki
• 1990 Mainichi Film Concours - Best Animated Film

Rodrick Rules

Kinney, J. (2008). Rodrick Rules. New York, NY: Amulet Books.

Plot: It is September, Greg Heffley has a new diary and he is about to start a new year of middle school. He didn't have the best summer like his friend Rowley, who went to South America and bragged about it. Greg's dad made him join the swim team, and his mom made his older brother Rodrick pick him up in his van after practice. She thought this would help them bond since they had been fighting a lot lately. Rodrick made him sit in the back with his drum set. Greg starts school and everyone remembers that he has the cheese touch, so he gives it to a new student who doesn't know about it yet. Greg is going to go through some interesting things this time, like playing a trick on his friend Chirag, watching while Ridrick throws a party while his parents are away, refusing to tape Rodrick's band at the talent show, and having Rodrick spill Greg's summer secret when he gets mad at him about the talent show.

Genre: Humor

Suggested reading level: Grades 5-8

Subjects/themes: school, family, siblings, journals.

Other books in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series:

• The Ugly Truth
• Dog Days
• The Last Straw
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Mad (Magazine)

(December 2010). Mad Magazine, no. 506.

Content: Mad has long been making fun of everything possible, especially stuff in the headlines. This issue is no different. The Fundalini Pages is a section devoted to making fun of Lindsay Lohan, Mel Gibson, The Tea Party, LeBron James, and Levi Johnston. If you see the cover you will know that they will definitely be making fun of Glee, which they do very well. The fake ads are always great for laughs. Mad is witty and smart, with great artwork. They turn things in the media into humor, which we need because it is usually just frustrating information.

Genre: Humor magazine

Interest level: Ages 10 & up

Subjects/themes: humor, media, headlines.

Seventeen (Magazine)

(August 2009). Seventeen. Vol. 68, no.8.

Content: This was the Back-to-School edition, full of Fall fashion ideas, a jeans shopping guide and top beauty buys. This is definitely a girl's magazine, especially since you can read up on how to find the right pair of jeans for your shape, whether it is curvy, athletic, petite, etc. There is an article on how to love your body the way it is at any size, so they comment on body issues, which affect many tween and teen girls. I used to read Seventeen when I was in middle school and always liked the section where readers send in their humiliating moments, and I was happy to see that they still have that. Horoscopes in the back are nice if you believe in that kind of stuff, which I used to always read mine even though it never came true!

Genre: Fashion/ Informative Magazine

Interest level: Ages 10 & up

Subjects/themes: fashion, body issues, boys, makeup, hair, articles.

The Dodgeball Chronicles

Cammuso, F. (2008). The Dodgeball Chronicles. New York, NY: Graphix.

Plot: A hilarious take on King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, this graphic novel's hero is Artie King, who is new to Camelot Middle School. He quickly becomes friends with Percy after meeting him and his tarantula Hannibal on the way to school. He soon learns about a locker with a legend attched to it. Locker #001XCL hasn't been opened in years and is said to only open to a person of true heart and if the rightful owner of the locker comes along he will rule the school. Artie is assigned the locker, opens it but then gets challenged by the school bullies named The Horde. They challenge Artie to a game of dodgeball, if the Horde wins they have to leave Artie and his friends alone. If they lose Artie has to show the leader of the Horde how to open the locker so he can rule the school. One big problem stands in Artie's way... he stinks at dodgeball.

Genre: Graphic novel

Suggested reading level: Grades 4-7

Subjects/themes: sports, dodgeball, bullies, friendship, school.

Other books in the Knights of the Lunch Table series:

• The Dragon Players

Nintendo Power (Magazine)

(December 2010). Nintendo Power.

Contents: This magazine is for lovers of the Nintendo gaming consoles like Wii and Nintendo DS. It gives the reader previews of new games that haven't come out yet and reviews of games so you can decide if a game will be worth your while. There are lots of pictures or screen shots of the actual game so you can see what the characters look like. This is a good feature because gamers like awesome graphics. I am a huge Nintendo fan, so I found this magazine fun and interesting. I have a Wii at home and like to play Mario Bros. games. The magazine also features ads for upcoming games in different formats.

Interest Level: 10 & up

Genre: Gaming Magazine

Subjects/themes: video games, nintendo, reviews, previews.

Skateboarder (Magazine)

(August 2010). Skateboarder Magazine. Vol. 19, no. 12.

Content: This is a magazine that attracts tweens and teens that enjoy skateboarding or other X Games sports. Inside there are several skateboarding stories by different people where they share how they have bitten their tongue while riding , had to have surgery and got to miss school, etc. There are ads in the magazine for shoes like Nike and Icon, and ads for skate parks and different skateboards. There are a lot of images of people skateboarding, doing different moves and stunts. There are some articles on a couple of people in the industry, but there is much more in ads and images.

Interest level: 12 & up

Genre: Sports magazine

Subjects/themes: sports, shoes, skateboarding.

The Legend of Old Salty

Loux, M. (2008). The Legend of Old Salty. Portland, OR: Oni Press.

Plot: Brothers Jack and Benny are spending their vacation with their parents in Chowder Bay, Maine. Jack isn't too thrilled and wants to play his Gameboy the whole time. Once there the boys discover saltwater taffy candy and love it. While in the candy store Benny gets his hand pinched by a lobster, but before he can show anyone the lobster disappears. The candy store begs robbed of all it's saltwater taffy and the boys, with the help of an old fisherman named Angus, plan to find out who robbed the store. Angus has a hunch it was Old Salty, the legendary seamonster of Chowder Bay.

Genre: Graphic novel

Suggested reading level: Grades 3-6

Subjects/themes: candy, legends, sea monsters, family, mystery, series 

Other books in the Salt Water Taffy series:

• A Climb up Mt. Barnabus
• The Truth About Dr. True

The Lightning Thief

Riordan, R. (2005). The Lightning Thief. Hyperion Books for Children.

Plot: 12 year old Percy Jackson gets into trouble a lot and doesn't do too well in school due to his dyslexia and ADHD. He just got kicked out of another school, Yancy Academy, during which a strange event occurred while on a school field trip with the math teacher, Ms. Dodds. Well, no one else remembers her, so Percy is confused. After school lets out, Percy returns home and goes on a trip with his mom Sally. They get an unexpected visit from Percy's best friend, Grover, who tells them they are in danger and they need to get to Camp Half-Blood right away. Percy finds out he is the son of Poseidon and that Zeus thinks he is the one who stole his master bolt. Everyone believes it was Hades who stole it, so Percy goes on a quest to find Zeus' master bolt, rescue his mother, and return the bolt to Zeus to stop the gods from waging war on one another.

Genre: Fantasy, adventure

Suggested reading level: Grades 5-8

Subjects/themes: greek mythology, destiny, family, friendship

Awards:

• School Library Journal Best Books of the Year
• American Library Association Notable Books for Children
• Mark Twain Award

Other Books in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series:

• The Sea of Monsters - Book2
• The Titan's Curse - Book 3
• The Battle of the Labyrinth - Book 4
• The Last Olympian - Book 5

The Fairy-Tale Detectives

Buckley, M. (2005). The Fairy-Tale Detectives. Abrams Books for Young Readers.

Plot: Sabrina and Daphne Grimm are orphan sisters since they lost their parents a year and a half ago, literally. Their parents just disappeared one day. They have gone to live with their so-called grandmother, the one their father told them died a long time ago. Relda Grimm is her name, and she lives with Mr. Canis and a huge dog named Elvis. They live in a strange town called Ferry Port Landing, which houses the Everafters, fairty-tale creatures and characters. Sabrina and Daphne soon learn their true family history and what lies for them in the future, but first there is a mystery to solve involving giants, Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk and many more fantastical creatures!

Genre: Mystery, Fantasy, Adventure

Suggested reading level: Grades 5-8

Subjects/themes: detectives, fairty-tales, family, mystery, legacy

Other books in The Sister's Grimm series:

• The Unusual Suspects
• The Problem Child
• Once Upon a Crime
• Magic and Other Misdemeanors
• Tales From the Hood
• The Everafter War
• The Inside Story

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

Angleberger, T. (2010). The Strange Case of Origami Yoda. New York, NY: Amulet Books.

Plot: Sixth grader Tommy, and his friends all think Dwight is weird and very strange. He does do things like sit in holes or pick his nose and say weird things. He makes an origami Yoda puppet and keeps it on his finger all the time. He starts telling people to ask Origami Yoda a question and he'll answer it. The strange thing is that Origami Yoda gives good advice, not that Dwight takes his own puppet's advice because he is still lame. So Tommy and his friend put together a case file of the accounts with Origami Yoda to figure out if he is real, because Dwight seems clueless so how could he be the one giving the advice?

Genre: Humor

Suggested reading level: Grades 4-7

Subjects/themes: origami, friendship, school

Similar books:

• Diary of a Wimpy Kid series

The Baby-sitter's Club: The Truth About Stacey

Martin, A. M. & Telgemeier, R. (2006). The Baby-sitter's Club: The Truth About Stacey. New York, NY: Graphix.

Plot: Stacey McGill is fairly new to Stoneybrook, Connecticut and the Baby-sitter's Club. Her friends Claudia, Kristy and Mary Anne are all in the club. Stacey has diabetes and her parents are always checking to see if she is ok, if she is eating because she has lost weight, etc. More trouble comes along when a new baby-sitting agency sets up camp in their small town and starts taking away their clients. How will Stacey and the BSC save their jobs, and can Stacey handle the pressure caused by her disease and her overprotective parents?

Genre: Graphic Novel

Suggested reading level: Grades 3-7

Subjects/themes: friendship, diabetes, family, community

Other books in the series:

• Kristy's Great Idea
• Mary Anne Saves the Day
• Claudia and Mean Janine

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (Film)

(2010). Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. 20th Century Fox.

Directed by: Chris Columbus

Based on the book The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan.

Starring:
Logan Lerman as Percy Jackson
Pierce Brosnan as Mr. Brunner
Kevin McKidd as Poseidon
Sean Bean as Zeus
Brandon T. Jackson as Grove
Uma Thurman as Medusa


Plot: Percy Jackson is the son of Poseidon, which makes him a half-blood or demi-god, he just doesn't know it. He is thought to have stolen Zues' lightning bolt, so is in grave danger. His teacher, Mr. Brunner and best friend, Grover, are actually a centaur and a satyr and take him to a training camp for children of gods to become fighters and heroes. On the way to the camp Percy's mother, Sally, gets turned to dust and sent to Hades by a minotaur. Percy must get his mother back, find the lightning bolt and return it to Zeus by the summer solstice to avoid a war between the gods.

Genre: Fantasy, Film

Interest level: ages 10 & up

Subjects/themes: destiny, greek mythology, adventure, family

Personal thoughts: I really liked the book, so I was a little disappointed by some of the things they left out. The story was a bit different, especially with the way the gods are portrayed as caring parents that are forbidden to see their children, when in the book it was because they were considered "deadbeat parents" who are too consumed with themselves. Miss. Dodd's character was minimal and the scene in the museum was downplayed. The movie is ok, but the book is way better.

Baby (Song)

Artist: Justin Bieber

Song title: Baby

Album: My World 2.0

Label: Island

Album Released: March 23, 2010

Tracks: Baby; Somebody to Love; Stuck in the Moment; U Smile; Runaway Love; Never Let You Go; Overboard; Eenie Meenie; Up; That Should be Me.




Awards:

• MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist for "Baby"

Baby Partial Lyrics:

You know you love, I know you care
Just shout whenever, and I'll be there
You want my love, you want my heart
And we will never ever be apart

Are we an item? Girl quit playin'
We're just friends, what are you sayin'
Said there's another, look right in my eyes

My first love broke my heart for the first time
And I was like
Baby, baby, baby, ohhh
Like baby, baby, baby, noooo
Like baby, baby, baby, ohhh
I thought you'd always be mine, mine

Baby, baby, baby, ohhh
Like baby, baby, baby, nooo
Like baby, baby, baby, ohhh
I thought you'd always be mine, mine

For you I would have done whatever
And I can't believe we ain't together
And I wanna play it cool, but I'm losing you
I'll buy you anything, I'll buy you any ring
And I'm in pieces, baby fix me
And just shake till you wake me from this bad dream

Personal Thoughts:
I had only heard this song once, when Justin Bieber performed it on Saturday Night Live. Listening to the lyrics I can understand why so many young girls are into this song. It calls to young girls and feelings when you like someone, maybe even think you're in love for the first time, as he puts it. Many young people think they will be with their first loves forever, and this song talks about those feelings.

Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life

Russell, R. R. (2009). Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life. New York, NY: Aladdin.

Plot: Nikki Maxwell is starting a new private middle school because her dad was given a scholarship with his extemination contract with the school. She is in 8th grade and really wants a cell phone so she can fit in with the popular kids. Her mom gives her a diary instead. She is a budding artist and draws many scenes from school, especially of Mackenzie, the most popular girl at school, who isn't very friendly and talks about people behind their backs. She also has a huge crush on Brandon, who Mackenzie likes too. Nikki doesn't feel her parents get her at all, especially since they won't buy her an iPhone. Nikki makes a couple of friends, Chloe and Zooey, and enters an art contest at school. She is up against Mackenzie, so will she win the contest and get the guy?

Genre: Humor

Suggested Reading Level: Grades 5-8

Subjects/themes: school, growing up, parents/family, art.

Other Book in this series:

• Dork Diaries 2: Tales from a Not-So-Popular Party Girl

Similar Books:

• Diary of a Wimpy Kid series
• Dear Dumb Diary series

Up (Film)

Title: Disney/Pixar's Up 

Released on dvd and blu ray: Nov. 10th, 2009

Director: Pete Docter

Music by: Michael Giacchino

Running Time: 96 min.



Starring:
Ed Asner- As the voice of Carl Fredrickson
Christopher Plummer- As the voice of Charles Muntz
 Jordan Nagai- As the voice of Russell
 Bob Peterson- As the voice of Dug

Plot: Carl is a widow who is being pressured to sell his house. He is forced to move to a retirement community when he hits a construction worker over the head when his mailbox gets broken. He makes his house into a kind of flying blimp by attaching thousands of helium filled ballons to it. He plans to go to South America to live in Paradise Falls, which is what he and his wife had planned on doing before she passed away. Carl meets Russell, a Wilderness Explorer, who wants to assist Carl in some way so he can get a badge for helping the elderly. Carl sends him on a wild goose chase, and releases the balloons to set out for South America. What he doesn't plan on is Russell still being on his front porch while they are flying in the air! Not being able to stop now, Carl and Russell get to Paradise Falls, but adventure awaits them when they get there.

Genre: Film, Adventure

Interest Level: Ages 7 & up

Subjects/themes: Adventure, loss, friendship, love, travel

Awards:

• Academy Award for Best Animated Feature 2010
• Academy Award for Best Original Score 2010
• Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film 2010
• Golden Globe for Best Original Score 2010
• Nominated for Academy Award for Best Picture 2010*

*Only other animated film to be nominated for Best Picture was Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

Tiger Beat (Magazine)

Tiger Beat. (October 2010). Laufer Media, Inc. Glendale, CA.

Inside: Lots of pictures of famous teens like Taylor Lautner, Taylor Swift, Nick Jonas, Selena Gomez, and many more. There's inside scoops of things like the new Camp Rock 2 movie on set, an interview with Justin Beiber, and don't forget gossiping with your favorite stars! Tons of other fun stuff for tweens, like quizzes and posters of teen heart throbs like Robert Pattinson from Twilight.

Genre: Entertainment, teen

Interest level: Ages 9-18

Subject/themes: Movie stars, television, gossip, fashion.

Personal thoughts: This is the kind of tween magazine that is read only because of all the pictures and posters, and girls will definitely put these posters all over their walls. The posters are of the "it" guys of right now, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner, the Jonas Brothers. There wasn't much of anything with a lot of depth, nothing about teen issues or problems.

Glee (Television)

Episode Titled: The Rocky Horror Glee Show

Originally aired on October 27, 2010 on Fox at 8 pm.

Season 2

Plot: The students in the Glee Club are performing The Rocky Horror Picture Show for the school musical, which came about because club director, Will Schuster, wanted to impress guidance couselor Emma. This episode touches on ethical issues, due to the content of Rocky Horror and that high school kids will be performing it. It also deals with insecurities that the student have with their bodies, since some of the scenes are done in their underwear.


Starring:
Matthew Morrison as Will Schuster
Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester
Lea Michele as Rachel Berry
Jayma Mays as Emma Pillsbury
Cory Monteith as Finn Hudson

Genre: Musical comedy/drama

Interest level: Ages 10 & up

Subjects/themes: high school, insecurities, relationships, music, singing.

Awards:

• Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series 2010
• Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series 2010
• Golden Globe for Best Television Series- Musical or Comedy 2010
• Screen Actor's Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series 2010

Personal thoughts: I really love this show, and I think it covers a lot of issues teens and tweens go through, like budding relationships, self expression, family drama, etc. And they support the arts, which gives kids an outlet for self expression and a way to display their talents.

More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Schwartz, A. (2010). More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishing.
Illustrations by Brett Helquist.

Plot: A collection of scary stories about ghosts, vampires, and other strange events. Many will probably sound familiar, like when a girl and boy meet at a dance, the boy drops her off close to her house, and goes back to ask her something and finds out she died in a car accident earlier that night! How about 3 men in a nursing home with only one window, and when one dies the next one gets to be by the window. There are two left, one man describes the view as beautiful. He dies and finally the last man gets to see the beautiful outside world, only to find himself staring at a brick wall! There are many more stories to send chills down your back in this collection.

Genre: Horror

Recommended reading level: Grades 5-7

Subjects/themes: ghost stories, scary stories, death, hauntings, thrills and chills.

Other Books in this series:

• Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
• Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones

Annotation: Ever wonder what gives you those creepy feelings when you are all alone? Alvin Schwartz has come up with the answer with his collection of scary stories... read them, with the lights on!

Nancy Drew: The Mistletoe Mystery

Keene, C. (2002).  The Mistletoe Mystery. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.

Plot: It is the holiday season in River Heights, and Nancy Drew's friend Bess is working for a company called Special Effects, which is designing decorations for Albemarle's Department store. Bess has a good friend, Ali, who is working in the Wave department of Albemarle's and there was a huge theft of expensive dresses from there, and she is suspected of taking them. There has been some expensive equipment missing from the electronics department too. Bess knows her friend wouldn't do a thing like that, so she asks Nancy to investigate and find out who is stealing from Albemarle's and clear Ali's name.

Genre: Mystery

Recommended Reading Level: Grades 4-6

Subjects/themes: Detective work, Christmas, friendship, sleuthing

Other Books in this Series:

• The E-Mail Mystery
• Whispers in the Fog
• The Curse of the Black Cat
• The Secret in the Stars
• Mystery on the Menu

Annotation: Have you ever known in your gut that your friend was innocent of a crime they didn't commit? Well, Nancy Drew's friend Bess knows that Ali didn't steal the dresses from Albemarle's Department store, right? Find out who Nancy catches red-handed in this edition of the popular series by Carolyn Keene.

The Haunting Hour: Chills in the Dead of Night

Stine, R. L. (2001). The Haunting Hour: Chills in the Dead of Night. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Plot: 10 creepy stories ranging from two friends who go out on Halloween, get invited to a party for dead people, only to find they are dead too! How about a young kid who plays a trick on his friend, making him into a snowman. He thinks he left him as a snowman too long and is frozen when the friend jumps out and scares him to death! Stories to check out in this collection are: The Halloween Dance; The Bad Baby-sitter; Revenge of the Snowman; How to Bargain with a Dragon; The Mummy's Dream; Are We There Yet?; Take Me with You; My Imaginary Friend; Losers; Can You Draw Me?

Note: This book isn't very scary at all, so I wouldn't recommend it for older tweens.

Genre: Horror

Suggested reading level: Grades 3-5

Subjects/themes: Ghosts, horror, voodoo, death, scary stories.

Other Books by R.L. Stine:

• Goosebumps series
• Fear Street series
• The Nightmare Room series

Annotation: R. L. Stine brings you a collection of 10 scary stories for young children that will keep you up till late at night. Read this book at your own risk!

No Talking

Clements, A. (2007). No Talking. New York, NY: Atheneum Children's Publishing. Illustrations by Mark Elliot.

Plot: Dave Packer researched information on India for his social studies report and found Ghandi very influential. He is the kind of kid who likes to talk, a lot. Actually, his whole 5th grade class is like that. They are the loudest 5th grade class that Laketon Elementary has ever seen. Dave comes up with the idea of a contest among 5th graders, girls versus boys, to see who can go the longest without talking for 2 whole days. They can talk to adults at school, ofcourse, but only three words at a time. Lynsey is keeping score for the girls and Dave for the boys. Humorous antics arise when the principal and the teachers catch wind of what is going on, especially when they hear nothing but quiet during the first 5th grade lunch period.

Genre: Humor

Suggested reading level: Grades 4-6

Subject/themes: School, life lessons, teachers, humor, friendship.

Awards:

• California Young Reader Medal
• Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award

Other Books by Andrew Clements:

• Frindle
• Lunch Money
• Lost and Found
• The Report Card

Annotation: Ever thought "Gee, girls talk too much!" Well, Dave Packer thinks that Linsey talks about nonsense and tells her so, and not nicely either. he comes up with a contest to see who talks more, boys or girls. When the school principal and teachers find out what's going on, the 5th grade class is on for some talking to. Read what Dave, Linsey and the rest of their 5th grade class learn from this experiment gone funny!

Nancy Drew: The Baby-Sitter Burglaries

Keene, C. (1996). The Baby-Sitter Burglaries. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Publishers.

Plot: Nancy Drew is on to a new mystery. There have been a string of burglaries in River Heights and each one is connected to a girl named Juanita Puentes, who has baby-sat for each family. What is more serious is that Juanita's boyfriend used to work for an alarm company, the same one used for each home burglarized. Nancy knows Juanita is innocent, so she is going solve this mystery and clear her name.

Genre: Mystery

Suggested reading level: Grades 4-6

Subjects/themes: Mystery, sleuthing, friendship, magic, burglary, theft.

Other Nancy Drew Books by Carolyn Keene:

• The Vanishing Veil
• The Nutcracker Ballet Mystery
• The Wedding Day Mystery
• Mystery on Maui
• The Ghost of the Lantern Lady
• The Mistletoe Mystery

Annotation: Nancy Drew is onto a new mystery! Can she find out who has been burglarizing the people of River Heights before the police arrest her friend Juanita Puentes because she is connected to all the families? Read the book and find out!

A Long Way From Chicago

Peck, R. (1998). A Long Way From Chicago. New York, NY: Puffin Books.

Plot: Joey and his sister Mary Alice visit their Grandma in a small town in Illinois for a week every summer from 1929 to 1935, and hilarity ensues every time. Grandma Dowdel is like no other grandmother you know. She is feisty, and takes no nonsense from anyone, plus she is kind of mischievous. Every summer something amazing happens, like Joey and Alice see their first dead body, which is odd because they live in Chicago in the time of Al Capone! Grandma Dowdel also wittingly got Joey a ride on an airplane when only Blue Ribbon winners at the fair were supposed to get them and she came in second place. What other shennanigans will she and kids get into?

Genre: Historical fiction, humor

Suggested reading level: Grades 5-8

Subjects/themes: The Great Depression, small towns, family, history, growing up.

Awards:

• Newbery Honor Book
• National Book Award Finalist
• ALA Notable Book

Sequel to this book:

• A Year Down Yonder

Other Books by Richard Peck:

• Ghosts I Have Been
• The Teacher's Funeral
• On the Wings of Heroes
• The River Between Us

Annotation:  Have you ever had a family member who is big, tough as nails and can wield a rifle like nothing? Was it your grandma? Well Joey and Mary Alice's Grandma Dowdel is like that and sneaky too. They visit her in her small Illinois town for a week every summer from 1929 to 1935, and every time funny events take place that you will not want to miss, so read this book!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

Kinney, J. (2009). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days. Amulet Books.

Plot: Greg Heffley wants only to stay inside, play video games and sleep in late. His mother has better ideas. She wants him to read, go outside, check out the community pool. Jeff doesn't like to read, he'd much rather stay inside in the air conditioning and he is scarred by the images of hairy men in the showers of the community pool locker rooms! Follow Greg's summer days as he gets into trouble, fights with his best friend Rowley and tries to spend "quality" father-son time with his dad.

Genre: Humor

Suggested reading level: Grades 4-7

Subjects/themes: family, summer, vacation, friendships, humor

Other Books in this Series:

• Diary of a Wimpy Kid
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth

Annotation: What do you like to do on your summer vacation? Greg Heffley likes to stay in and play video games, but his mom wants him to go outside and hang out with his friends. The thing is, when Greg gets out of the house is when he starts to get in trouble. Find out what happens in the fourth book of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series!

The Witches

Dahl, R. (1999). The Witches. Turtleback Books. Illustrated by Quentin Blake.

Plot: A young boy who has recently lost his parents is living in England with his Norwegian grandmother. She is an expert on witches, and teaches him how to look out for them. On a vacation at a hotel they find themselves among hundreds of witches, for they are having their annual convention at the same hotel! The young boy finds himself locked in the same room with these witches, they turn him into a mouse and he must get to his grandmother because the witches are plotting to turn all the children in England into mice!

Genre: Humor, Fantasy

Subjects/themes: witches, death, magic, family

Suggested reading level: Grades 4-6

Other Books by Roald Dahl:

• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
• The BFG
• Matilda
• Fantastic Mr. Fox

Annotation: Do you know how to spot a witch? They aren't easily recognizable. They could be any woman, your next door neighbor, the woman walking across the street, your teacher even. There are witches everywhere, and if you want to be prepared (and I think you should be) then you will want to read this book!