Avalon: The Warlock Diaries, Book 1

Avalon: The Warlock Diaries, Book 1
by Rachel Roberts
Seven Seas Entertainment, 2009

Genre: Fantasy, Graphic Novel

Honors: unknown

Review: This is Rachel Roberts' first comic book series and it center around three middle school girls who have unique magical gifts and each are protected by a "bonded," similar to the idea of a familiar. Like many other mages, Emily, Kara, and Adriane are on a mission to find a mythical city, Avalon. It is known as the source of all types of magic in the world, and it is only accessible through a particular sequence of portals. As the mages try to figure out the sequence, and unexpected visitor arrives, one who the girls and their familiars thought no longer existed. While the new warlock in town has magic and animals in tow, his quest to find Avalon has different motivations from Emily, Kara, and Adriane, and the actions of his servants are highly suspect. This action series comes complete with drama, cute boys, and lots of butt kicking.

Opinion: This series comes across as a sort of a tame version of Sailor Moon. It also reminds me of the W.I.T.C.H. series. Very girly and cute, so I'm doubting boys would be interested in it, but it may click with both younger and older tween girls.

Ideas: This one goes on the list of comic character heroes youth can dress up as for a super hero day at the library.

Daniel X: Alien Hunter

Daniel X: Alien Hunter
by James Patterson & Leopoldo Gout
Little, Brown, & Co., 2008

Genre: Action, Drama, Science Fiction, Graphic Novel

Honors:

• Booklist 10/01/08
• Kirkus Reviews 11/01/08
• School Library Journal 11/01/08
• Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) 06/01/08

Review: After his family is killed by criminal aliens, Daniel X, son of an alien race, assumes his father's place and takes on a list of baddies from across the universe. He faces evil alone, using the power of his mind to create his sidekicks and imagine whatever weapon he needs to get the job done. Daniel's most dangerous mission yet is to take on Number 7, one of the strongest aliens on his father's list--and also one of the least-known species, an alien poacher who is responsible for the extinction of several innocent races. But with the help of an unlikely ally, Daniel may just find a way to prevent Number 7 from carrying out his latest plan. With vividly colored drawings and corny jokes, this cartoon version of James Patterson's science fiction novel is exciting, almost impossible to put down from cover to cover.

Opinion: Some violence, though not graphic, and very mild language form the backbone of this novel. It has more mature character drawings than most mangas and cartoons, and the reading level may be on the higher side, but the overall feel of the novel is fun and little bit goofy. Vengeance and protecting others are overarching theme that many tweens can identify with.

Ideas: I'd put this one out on display during a graphic artists' workshop, or in a series of displays for novels and movies that have been adapted for graphic novels.

Professor Layton and the Curious Village

Professor Layton and the Curious Village (handheld video game, ESRB Rated E for Everyone)
Nintendo, 2008

Genre: Brain Teaser, Puzzle, Mystery, Adventure


Honors:

• Spike Video Games, best handheld game, 2008
• Gamespy, best Nintendo DS game 2008
• British Academy Video Games Awards, best handheld award, 2009
• Nominated for best puzzle game for Nintendo DS, IGN video game awards, 2008
• Children's BAFTA Best Video Game Award, 2008
• GiantBomb, best DS game, 2008
• Nintendo Power Magazine, best puzzle game of the year
• AdventureGamers, "Aggie," best console/handheld adventure, 2009
• Nominated for best handheld game, G4's G-phoria, 2008

Review: One in a highly popular handheld mystery game series, Professor Layton and his apprentice, Luke, are much like Sherlock Holmes and his assistant, Dr. Watson, piecing together unusual clues in order to solve a mystery that no one else can fathom. In this installment, the professor and his apprentice receive a letter from a recently widowed baron, claiming that the amazing fortune of the late baron will be awarded to the person who can solve a mystery: where is the Golden Apple? As the two enter Mystere, the curious village of the game's title, they encounter puzzles and brain teasers, which are worth points to solve. The game advancement is based on solving the brain teasers, which range in difficulty, and gaining information from the townsfolk of Mystere.

Opinion: The rating and design of this game are very deceptive. While gameplay in Professor Layton appears to be very simple and cute, the puzzles are extremely challenging and require some deep thought. I found myself jumping to the most logical answer many times and then failing to correctly solve many puzzles, and having to retry a puzzle means winning fewer than the max points originally offered for solving it. There are some that appear to be easy (such as, name the number of times in a 24-hour period three or more of the same number appear in a row on a digital clock), some are optical illusions, and some require specific knowledge (such as knowing in which direction the sun rises) in order to solve. As a grown adult who enjoyed being stumped by the puzzles in this game, I would say it is great for any age, really!

Ideas: One thought I had was to put on a mystery event and reenact some of the puzzles in Professor Layton, making useful reference materials available in the general area of the puzzles to assist the guest "detectives" in solving them. There are 120 in all, plenty to work with!

Mirrormask

Mirrormask (Motion picture)
Sony Pictures, 2005

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Drama

Honors:

• Herald Angel Award, The Scottish Herald
• Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival, Black Tulip Award, 2006
• Locarno Film Festival, Nominated for Golden Leopard, Won Youth Jury Award, 2005
• Sarasota Film Festival, Audience Award, 2005
• Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival, Nominated for Best Film, Won Best Art Direction and Best Makeup, 2005

Review: From the imagination of Neil Gaiman and the Producers of Jim Hensen Productions comes a story that blends reality with a dream world. When Helena, a teenage circus performer, finds out her mother is in the hospital and needs surgery, her dreams take her to another world, one in which her mother is a white queen, and she is trapped in a deep slumber by magic. The daughter of a dark queen has escaped using a magical item called a "mirrormask" and has switched herself with Helena, putting Helena in the dreamworld. Without the dark princess, the dreamworld is coming apart, and Helena becomes the enchanted slave of the dark queen. The only way to return to reality and awaken her mother is to find the mirrormask, along with a window into the waking world, so she can switch herself back and return balance to the dreamworld.

Opinion: I had to watch this more than once to get into it: it has a very art house-y feel to it, and Gaiman's twisted artwork takes over the entire film, from costume design to scenery. Something about the tone and direction of the film make it very slow at first, and I felt like I had to be either an intellectual observer or a big Gaiman fan to appreciate the style present in Mirrormask. The film was rated highly by young adults and teens, judging by the film festival awards and nominations it has received, so my guess is it would be more appropriate for older tweens than younger ones.

Ideas: I like the idea of having multiple displays for fantasy authors that have transitioned to the big screen. We have seen many, such as C.S. Lewis and J.K. Rowing, have their works adapted to film. This is going a step beyond, in a way, as Gaiman and Jim Hensen were working together to create this film, which is pretty neat.

Eureka!

Eureka!: Poems About Inventors
by Joyce Sidman; illustrated by K. Bennett Chavez
Millbrook Press, 2002

Genre: Poetry, Technology Non-fiction

Honors:

• Book Links 11/01/03
• Booklist 10/15/02
• Horn Book 04/01/03
• Riverbank Review 01/01/03
• School Library Journal 01/01/03
• Wilson's Children 10/01/10

Review: Ever wonder what Leonardo da Vinci was thinking? Who was the "Real McCoy"? Want to know what "graham" is? The answers to these questions and more are the makeup of sixteen poems written about famous inventors and inventions of the pre-past, the age of invention, and the present age of the Internet. Some of the poems take on a life of their own as Sidman brings the voices of some past inventors to life to speak their own account of what they've accomplished. Her rhymes are often silly and nonsensical, and sometimes, as in the case of Marie Curie, they are very serious.

Opinion: A sixth-through-eighth-grade teacher I used to work with would have appreciated this book immensely. She was always looking for unique poetry books to share with her students.

Ideas: A good example of how poetry can be used for more than conveying emotions. I would base a fun poetry workshop on books like Sidman's, putting it on display for a reference for young poets who attend.

Genetically Modified Food

Saving Our World: Genetically Modified Food
by Nigel Hawkes
Copper Beech Books, 2000

Genre: Biology Non-fiction

Honors: unknown

Review: Nigel Hawkes attempts to offer young readers a balanced look at the issue of genetic engineering of animals and food, which is becoming more relevant in the decade following the turn of the millennium. This book is part of Saving Our World series, which explores new ways in which science is involved in environmental protection agenda. Topics such as the uses of genetically modified food and its impact for farmers and the environment are covered from both the pro and the con side of the coin, making this a good introductory, unbiased resource for readers new to this issue.

Opinion: Aside from being very general, this book is more than ten years old and a lot of the information is out-of-date now. It has some good basic information, which is nice because I don't think very many books exist for youth on the subject of genetic engineering--and more adult books will have a for/against skew. A good book for tweens of any age looking to do some general research.

Ideas: For a lecture on using resources that non-biased, this book would be very useful. There is also a useful-though-brief glossary and index in the back.

Disturbia

Disturbia (motion picture)
Dreamworks, 2007 (MPAA Rated PG-13 for terror, violence, and sexual content)

Genre: Suspense, Thriller


Honors:

• ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards, 2008
• Nominated for Empire Awards, Best Thriller, 2008
• Nominated for Kids' Choice Awards, Australia, Blimp Award, 2007
• Nominated for MTV Movie Awards, Best Kiss, 2008
• Nominated for People's Choice Awards, USA, Choice Actor (Shia LeBeouf) and Choice Horror Movie, 2008
• Teen Choice Awards, Choice Actor (Shia LeBeouf) and Choice Movie, 2007

Review: From Dreamworks comes a creepy thriller that takes the idea of being a part of the neighborhood
watch to the extremes. In the months following the death of his father in a fatal car accident, Kale (Shia LeBeouf) becomes overtly defiant, even violent, to the point that he socks his Spanish professor, lands himself in juvenile court, and is sentenced to three months of house arrest. What to do with all of that free time? Without access to the physical world beyond his front lawn, Kale turns to the only logical form of entertainment: spying on his neighbors. Only, what starts as innocent observations transforms into a technological stakeout when Kale begins to suspect that his neighbor is a serial killer and is responsible for countless unsolved missing women cases. As Kale and two of his friends gather more and more footage and test theories, the line between spying and creating evidence is crossed, and viewers will be frightened at how easy it is for an innocent person to be framed and a killer to go free. The suspenseful investigation scenes,, gory imagery, and chilling soundtrack to the movie make it a horror film with deep psychological thriller undertones.

Opinion: I was enjoying the comical breaks in this movie a lot, as some of the suspenseful scenes were very chilling and had my nerves on edge. By the time the mystery was resolved and the movie concluded, I wasn't sure whether I liked the film or not. The acting was superb, the directing amazing, and the plot had you doubting the evidence left and right, but when Kale and the killer face off toward the conclusion of the movie, the gore and music was so intense I felt like I couldn't watch anymore! I would definitely NOT recommend this movie to a younger tween. I think many older tweens like this kind of scary movie and will enjoy some of the erotic moments and heroicism displayed by Kale, but I have a hard time feeling like it is a good movie for young people of any age to watch. My personal feeling is that it over-glorifies the uses of technology to spy and the use of weapons to solve conflict.

Ideas: This movie would fit in well in a horror movie display; perfect for a Halloween theme for young adults and up.