Eco-Friendly YA Novels August 31, 2009

In Earthgirl by Jennifer Cowan, 16-year-old Sabine (known as Bean to her friends) is riding her bicycle in downtown Toronto when the remains of someone’s McHappy meal get tossed out the window of an SUV and land right in her face. The plum sauce slowly dribbles down the front of her shirt. Outraged, Bean gets off her bike, chucks the bag right back at the car and unleashes her fury at the driver. The result of her outburst winds up on a video posted on YouTube, and an environmental activist is born. Bean records her journey to greater environmental consciousness on a blog, gains a following, loses a friend, finds romance, and questions ideas and events at every turn. Included are wonderful links to further information.

 

 

In Destroy All Cars by Blake Nelson, seventeen-year-old cynic James rants against our consumerist culture and thinks there’s not much that can be done to save the sorry state of the environment.  That’s before he and Sadie break up. Sadie, on the other hand, is an optimist/activist who is busy actually working for social change. Maybe there’s something to Sadie’s political views and philosphy, but James is too busy inflicting his particular brand of nihilism on his junior year AP English teacher by exploring his emergent philosophy in his English essays to notice… yet. Essay #1: Destroy All Cars!!

 

 

 

Take Life as We Knew it, change the setting to London, add a sassy punk rock protagonist, and you’ve got  The Carbon Diaries: 2015  by Saci Lloyd.  The year is 2015, and furious storms have devastated much of Europe. London takes the lead on instituting government-backed ‘carbon rationing.’ Rock musician Laura Brown desperately needs her band to survive, but that, of course, requires energy as in electricity, and she’s already used up her meager allowance of that. Meanwhile, her family is falling apart and she keeps a diary of it all. And even though times are really tough, Laura’s wit keeps you hooked and her music keeps you rocking. 

 

(Christie, The Loft)

  

 

 

 

 

) ) ) ) ECHO ECHO ECHO ) ) ) )  FRIENDLY FRIENDLY FRIENDLY

YA BOOKS!!

Catching Fire August 27, 2009

What will happen to Katniss? Will she fall in love? What will the fallout be? Is there a rebellion against the Capitol?

Are you counting the days till the release of the sequel to The Hunger Games? Does September 1st seem like it will never come? Have no fear. We’re looking out for you.

Here’s a sneak peek of Catching Fire.

Hopefully, this will tide you over. Make sure to put your copy on hold today!

Pride of Baghdad August 26, 2009

What is  it about telling a story through the eyes of an animal? Why does it grip us, and erase our preconceived notions? Somehow despite being bipeds, we can easliy put ourselves in their place.

The Pride of Baghdad  is based on the true story of four lions who escaped from the Baghdad Zoo in 2003 during the bombing of Iraq.  Safa, Zill, Noor, and little cub Ali find themselves outside the walls of their former home. All four feel very differently about where they are: Noor, exhilarated, Zill, ambivalent, little cub Ali confused, and wizened Safa reluctant.

  As you turn the pages, you can feel the heat and desolation, the sand and dust coats your skin. Niko Henrichon’s drawings are amazing. The colors are both muted and vibrant. You feel as though you’ve been transported thousands of miles to the Middle East.

 Henrichon’s art is matched in skill by Brian K. Vaughan’s storytelling. It was Vaughan that was inspired to write the story of these four lions. He talks about it in an interview he gave to NPR.  

Through the eyes of these lions we are able to glimpse the horror and reality of war. Some of the images and words are difficult to process. They stay with you long after you’ve turned the page.

 It’s on the list of nominees for the Abraham Lincoln High School Book Awards and deserves to be.  You can check it out as well as the other nominees here.  (Bridget)

Vote For The Teens’ Top Ten! August 26, 2009

Voting for the TEENS’ TOP TEN sponsored by the American Library Association is now open!  Vote for your three favorite books out of an awesome list of 2009 nominees picked by teens from all across the country.  This is your chance to help shape a 2009 booklist that will be used by teens, YA librarians, and others for years.  So, what were your favorite books of the year?  The Hunger Games?  Graceling?  Wake?  Identical?  Truancy?  Paper Towns?  There are some amazing choices to sort through.  So, get over to ALA’s website and start voting while you still can – polls are open until September 18th. 

(Haven’t read many of the nominees on the list?  The Loft’s staff can help you find any of these excellent books.  If the one you’re looking for isn’t on the shelf we can get it for you from another library fairly quickly.  Come on in!)

A FEW OF THE NOMINEES:

Pyros, Aces, Mutants and Punks: 5 Great New Reads For Guys August 23, 2009

Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle by Jim Butcher.  Harry Dresden, the only professional wizard listed in the Chicago phone book, returns to take on new supernatural villains out to turn the world upside down, in an original graphic novel adventure based on the best-selling fantasy series.

Watching Baseball Smarter by Zack Hample.  This “professional fan’s guide for beginners, semi-experts, and deeply serious geeks” is written in a quick, light style by a guy who seems to know everything about the national pastime.  Hample takes you through the little-known (and well-known) rules, history, and oddities of baseball in short, informative segments.  You’ll learn how catchers complicate their signals to protect against sign-stealing, how many Cy Young awards Cy Young would have won, why a batter’s probably not getting on base when the count is 0-2, how to keep score and calculate batting average, and why ballplayers hate playing in Minnesota’s Metrodome.  Also included is a glossary of terminology and slang that will have you talking about the game like the most seasoned announcer.  Whether you’re an old pro or just getting into the game Smarter has something for everyone.

Burn by Suzanne Phillips.  Bullied constantly during his freshman year in high school, Cameron’s anger and isolation grows, leading to deadly consequences.  Intense, urgent, and shocking, this brutal novel furiously races across the page as fast as Cameron’s tortured thoughts.  You’ll never feel safe in a locker room again after reading this portrait of a boy going up in flames.

X-Men: Magneto Testament by Greg Pak. Today, the whole world knows him as Magneto, the most radical champion of mutant rights that mankind has ever seen. But in 1935, he was just another schoolboy – who happened to be Jewish in Nazi Germany. The definitive origin story of one of Marvel’s greatest icons begins with a silver chain and a crush on a girl – and quickly turns into a harrowing struggle for survival against the inexorable machinery of Hitler’s Final Solution.

Punkzilla by Adam Rapp.  “Punkzilla” is on a mission to see his older brother “P”, before “P” dies of cancer. Still buzzing from his last hit of meth, he embarks on a days-long trip from Portland, Ore. to Memphis, Tenn., writing letters to his family and friends. Along the way, he sees a sketchier side of America and gets wasted on the worry that he won’t make it to his brother in time.

Where Will You Hide From The Zombies? August 19, 2009

This image was used with permission from the artist, Billy Tackett. Check out his website for more original zombie artwork - www.billytackett.com

The BBC reported yesterday that Canadian researchers have determined through precise mathematical analysis that in the event of a zombie attack humanity can only survive if we strike back early and often “with increasing force.” But what sort of zombies are we talking about here??? “To give the living a fighting chance, the researchers chose ‘classic’ slow-moving zombies as our opponents rather than the nimble, intelligent creatures portrayed in some recent films.” (Oh, great, what happens if we get quick zombies? This will need to be addressed.) But what sort of method must we use to vanquish the undead??? “My understanding of zombie biology is that if you manage to decapitate a zombie then it’s dead forever,” said Professor Ferguson, who is central to the UK’s efforts to control swine flu.  Only problem is, those doing the head chopping must kill more zombies than there are zombies out there biting people (which creates more zombies).  The rest of us need a sweet hiding spot.

Which brings me to the question burning at the forefront a’ me brain: Where would you take cover from the zombies? This is the question that Chicagoist.com asked yesterday and it’s a pressing one, probably the only meaningful question you’ll ever have to answer. Chicagoist chose a low, squat, brick sewage treatment plant on Lawrence Avenue in Chicago. But, where do you think would be the best place to hide from the zombies in Evanston? Remember: You’ll need to survey the zombie-invasion from multiple angles, maintain several open escape routes if your beating heart is sniffed out, and a location with a cache of blades. The Roof of ETHS? Dawes House? The future of our city depends on your proposals.

Do you know your enemy? Get prepared! Check out other zombie-related reads like Christie’s review of The Forest of Hands and Teeth or you can choose a book from our booklist, Horror: Spine-Tingling Tales. Also, for the zombie-lovin’ Jane Austen fan in you there’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. And, don’t miss the zombie-survival-and-defense wiki! Read in order to save your souls!!! AUUUUGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!! Bite! Bite! Bite!

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan August 14, 2009

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan.

Reminiscent of Chris Wooding’s The Storm Thief, Lois Lowry’s The Giver, and the horror movie Night of the Living Dead, this zombie tale combines a high creep factor with romance and a feisty protagonist who constantly questions the limited world and belief system of her village. Flesh-eating zombies, known as the Unconsecrated, eagerly await the chance to sink their teeth into the human beings that dare venture too close to the fence that surrounds Mary’s entire village. Human life beyond the fence is believed to be nonexistent, and few have memories of any kind of life before the Unconsecrated, before  — if there is such a before — rampant fear pervaded the villagers’ lives 24/7. At any moment a breach in the fence puts all the villagers in harm’s way. Just one bite from the Unconsecrated is enough to kill.

 

In addition to Mary’s life being restricted by the fences, she is “spoken for” by Harry. But it’s really his brother Travis with whom Mary is desperately in love. In a village governed by the religious Sisterhood, few if any options exist for Mary to defy the Sisters and the carefully circumscribed life in the village. Mary chafes at these limitations. Still, when she tries to look beyond the fence, the Unconsecrated wail and flail their arms through the fences — and betrothals are not meant to be broken.

 

Mary vividly remembers her mother’s stories of the ocean. Could it be? Memory is a rare commodity, and no one else speaks of an ocean. Yet Mary is determined to find a way out of the village and to the ocean of her dreams. She is willing to defy all for love, knowledge, and hope in even the faintest glimmer of life beyond the forest of hands and teeth. This grim story is not for the faint of heart, and it does make you think hard about what happens when terror and a strict belief system take over a village. (Christie, The Loft)

Also available on CD . Check out our bibliography, The Living Dead.

The Meaning of Ichiro by Robert Whiting August 13, 2009

“Americans liked Ichiro because, for one thing, he was a throwback to another time.  He had reintroduced them to a style of offense that many MLB fans, accustomed to andro-induced sluggers and tape-measure home runs, had forgotten – an attack based on the single, the hit and run, and intrepid baserunning that had once defined the game.” – Robert Whiting, The Meaning of Ichiro

Robert Whiting’s book, The Meaning of Ichiro: The New Wave From Japan and the Transformation of Our National Pastime is a fascinating look at Japanese baseball – its history, its teams, its roots in martial arts, the tight grip that nationalism and corporate culture hold on players (and coaches), and how the pursuits of physical discipline, athletic perfection, and the “submergence of ego” destroy countless young players, as well as produce stars like Ichiro. You’ll read about Japanese managers who push their players in practice until they bleed, vomit, and collapse.  You’ll read about how umpires in Japan are intimidated to change calls (offering insight into why the American rules protecting umps also protect the integrity of the game itself), as well as the details of a tortuous practice routine called “the 1,000 Fungo Drill.”

For those who enjoy reading stories about the clashes between players, agents and the front office, Ichiro has them in spades. Whiting’s book captures the inside negotiations, loopholes, crafty maneuvering, and bitter fights that finally cleared the way for Japanese players like Hideo Nomo and Ichiro to try their hands in America, (where before they were all but bound to Japan for life).

It’s also got stories about Americans in Japan, too. Pick up the book just to read the outrageous chapter in which former Mets manager, Bobby Valentine, leads one of the worst teams in Japan to second place and then gets sacked for it.   

The book can get kind of dense, and it only covers the history of Japanese players in America up until 2003 (so you won’t find a mention of Cubs favorite, Kosuke Fukodome), but Whiting’s book is a portrait of how one sport and its fans can represent the nuances, peculiarities, intricacies, and damning as well as beautiful aspects to a nation’s character. If you’re a baseball fan (or interested in Japanese culture) and you want to learn about Japan’s role in transforming MLB baseball into an international pastime, this one covers a lot of bases.  Gr 10 and up. (Jarrett, The Loft)

 

Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith August 11, 2009

Flygirl is a historical fiction novel that takes place during World War II about Ida Mae Jones (nickname Jonsey), a young African-American woman who wants to fly airplanes more than anything else. But two things are stopping her: her race and her gender. But when she hears about WASP, Women Airforce Service Pilots, she is determined to join the program. She is light skinned enough to pass for white, but to keep up the charade she has to pretend not to know her own family and lie to her friends in WASP to keep them from being punished in case she is found out.

“‘I’m not allowed to dance with a–’ I stop myself from saying ‘white man.’ Jenkins raises an eyebrow.

‘With an instructor?’ Jenkins asks. I blush and remember Deatie Deaton’s bylaws. Something about fraternizing with the instructors…I hesitate. The rules of the South don’t apply to Jonesy, I remind myself, but Mrs. Deaton’s bylaws do.

‘Don’t worry, Miss Jones, I’m off duty.’

I don’t move. He might be an off-duty instuctor, but am I off duty as a colored girl? His hand is still outstreached, reaching for mine. I think of my mother’s warnings–is this the line she told me I might cross?”

As Ida Mae tries to stay true to her dreams of flying, she also tries to figure out what staying true to herself means. She isn’t sure if she wants to “pass for white” for the rest of her life or go back to an unsatisfying life of being a maid after the war. Flygirl is very engaging and well-written. Even if you normally don’t like historical fiction you will find yourself caught up in Ida Mae’s story.

(Loft Zoë)

Do it Yourself! August 11, 2009

Looking for something to do to while away the last weeks of summer vacation? Try these inJEANious ideas for jazzing up your denim, filmmaking tips, terrific techniques for subversive sewing, secrets of comics drawing, patterns for hip handbags, wacky ideas for altering a digital photo, and tantalizing ways to transform a t-shirt. Check out one of these books and Do It Yourself!