Welcome!

This is Julian Zamora's YA Blog for LIBR 265: Materials for Young Adults, Ages 15-18. The links on the right tab include Tags for the different materials that I added to my YA Collection.

Please post if you have any comments.

Enjoy!

Julian Zamora

julian.v.zamora@gmail.com

Vladimir Tod Book Review

28. Eight Grade Bites by Heather Brewer

Type: Book Review
Title: Eight Grade Bites (The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod #1)
Author: Heather Brewer
Publisher: Dutton Children's Books
Pages: 182 pages
ISBN: 978-0142411872
Year: 2007
Genre: Vampire, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery

Reader's Annotation: For Vampires like Vladimir Tod, eight grade bites... literally.

Summary: Vladimir Tod hates middle school. Nothing is going right.  However, he is a vampire. Vladimir must learn how to handle his vampire qualities. Vlad has to hide blood in his school lunches, slather on the sunscreen, and keep his fangs under control.  He also learns that he is being hunted by a vampire killer.

Critical Evaluation: Although this book is geared for students in grades 5-8, the content itself is entertaining enough for teenagers who are 15, especially young boys.  The characters needed to be developed a bit further, in order to add depth to their lives.  However, there is suspense and mystery at many times throughout the book, as Vladimir seeks to find the truth about his own life.  

This ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, will inspire those readers who may not want to read even when presented with an interesting book.  Even though this novel discusses the made-believe life of vampires, this book does have positive role models of his close knit friends and his surrogate family.  What's interesting about Vlad is his un-coolness and unpopularity, even though he is a vampire.    

Challenge Issues:

• Vampire content
• References to blood sucking
• Violence through killing of characters. 

Challenge Ideas:

• Be familiar with the themes in the material and how they relate to young adults today.
• Stay calm and remember to not be personally offended by their comments or concerns.
• Libraries provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues.  Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
• Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
• LISTEN to what they have to say and reiterate our freedom to read and be without censorship.
• All material for young adults are under the review of the branch manager and even further up, the Library Director and even City Council members.

Author: Heather Brewer 

Akira Manga Review

32. Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo Manga Review

Type: Manga
Title: Akira #1
Author: Katsuhiro Otomo
Publisher: Dark Horse

ISBN: 978-1569714980
Ages: 15 and up
Pages: 364 pages
Year: 2000
Genre: Manga, Sci-Fi

Reader's Annotation: Tokyo is dead but the power of Akira cannot be stopped.

BookTalk Ideas: Ideas about the post-apocalyptic world of Tokyo and the survival of Tetsuo and Kaneda.

Summary: This manga comic has two main characters, Tetsuo and Kaneda, set is a post-apocalypse Tokyo in the year 2019.  Their world changes as "paranormal abilities begin to waken in Tetsuo, making him a target for a shadowy agency that will stop at nothing to prevent another catastrophe like the one that leveled Tokyo. At the core of the agency’s motivation is a raw, all-consuming fear of an unthinkable, monstrous power known only as Akira". - Amazon

Critical Evaluation: This monthly reprint of the original is a very popular series.  On Amazon.com it received a full 5/5 stars from customer reviews and 4.34/5 starts on Goodreads.com website.  It is considered as being the best graphic novel manga series ever because of its narration and imagery.

Challenge Issues:

• Comic books
• Too graphic in violence

Challenge Defense Ideas:

• Be familiar with the themes in the material and how they relate to young adults today.
• Stay calm and remember to not be personally offended by their comments or concerns.
• Libraries provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues.  Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
• Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
• LISTEN to what they have to say and reiterate our freedom to read and be without censorship.
• All material for young adults are under the review of the branch manager and even further up, the Library Director and even City Council members.  

Nana Manga Review

26. Nana by Ai Yazawa

Type: Manga
Title: Nana

Author: Ai Yazawa

Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
ISBN: 978-1421501086
Pages: 192

Reader's Annotation: Nana and Nana are friends. Nothing can stop their need for adventure and success in Tokyo.

Summary: Nana Komatsu is a young woman who's endured an unending string of boyfriend problems. Moving to Tokyo, she's hoping to take control of her life and put all those messy misadventures behind her. She's looking for love and she's hoping to find it in the big city. Nana Osaki, on the other hand, is cool, confident and focused. She swaggers into town and proceeds to kick down the doors to Tokyo's underground punk scene. She's got a dream and won't give up until she becomes Japan's No. 1 rock'n'roll superstar. This is the story of two 20-year-old women who share the same name. Even though they come from completely different backgrounds, they somehow meet and become best friends (Amazon). 

Critical Evaluation: The world of Nana is a world exploding with sex, music, fashion, gossip and all-night parties.  What's interesting is how the imagery and the text reflects that world she is discovering for the first time.   

Challenge Issues:

• Comic books and not books.
• Literature not challenging enough.
• References to sex and parties.

Challenge Ideas:

• Be familiar with the themes in the material and how they relate to young adults today.
• Stay calm and remember to not be personally offended by their comments or concerns.
• Libraries provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues.  Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
• Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
• LISTEN to what they have to say and reiterate our freedom to read and be without censorship.
• All material for young adults are under the review of the branch manager and even further up, the Library Director and even City Council members.  

The House of Night Book Review

23. Marked (House of Night, Book 1) by P.C. Cast

Type: Book Review
Title: Marked (House of Night, Book 1)

Author: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
ISBN: 978-0312360269

Pages: 306 pages
Year: 2007

Genre: Vampire

Reader's Annotation: You can't leave the House of Night.

Summary: This book is part of the House of Night series, which follows Zoey Redbird while she attends the school, House of Night.  Here, she trains to become a vampyre.  She soon finds out that the leader of the Dark Daughters club is misusing her own Goddess-given gift. Zoey must figure out what she will do with her own powers in order to survive the House of Night.

Critical Evaluation: With an average rating of 3.79 our of 5 stars on Goodreads, this book is very popular among readers of vampires.  In this magical world of the House of Night, everyone is training to become a vampyre.  What's different about this series than some of the other vampire ones, is that you discover Zoey's own powers and how she learns to control it.  This type of writing makes it more exciting and suspenseful for the reader, one where teenagers will surely wish they were vampyre.

Challenge Issues:

• Vampires

Challenges Ideas:

• Be familiar with the themes in the material and how they relate to young adults today.
• Stay calm and remember to not be personally offended by their comments or concerns.
• Libraries provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues.  Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
• Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
• LISTEN to what they have to say and reiterate our freedom to read and be without censorship.
• All material for young adults are under the review of the branch manager and even further up, the Library Director and even City Council members.  

Crank Book Review

10. Crank by Ellen Hopkins Book Review

Type: Website Review

Title: Crank 

Author: Ellen Hopkins
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
ISBN: 978-1442471818
Year: 2013
Pages: 576 pages
Ages: 15 and up

Reader's Annotation: There is only one thing in life, and that's crystal meth, known as CRANK.

BookTalk Ideas: Idea about how drugs can take over someone's life and never let go.

Summary: Kristina Georgia Snow is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. But on a trip to visit her absentee father, Kristina disappears and Bree takes her place. Bree is the exact opposite of Kristina -- she's fearless. Through a boy, Bree meets the monster: crank. And what begins as a wild, ecstatic ride turns into a struggle through hell for her mind, her soul -- her life. (Amazon)

Critical Evaluation: Crank is a fast paced story about how drugs can mess up and consume a person's life. In this case, it is the drug choice of crystal meth.              

Challenge Issues:

• Drugs and Violence
• References to sexual behaviors

Challenge Defense Ideas: 

• Be familiar with the themes in the material and how they relate to young adults today.
• Stay calm and remember to not be personally offended by their comments or concerns.
• Libraries provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues.  Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
• Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
• LISTEN to what they have to say and reiterate our freedom to read and be without censorship.
• All material for young adults are under the review of the branch manager and even further up, the Library Director and even City Council members.

Author: Hopkins has written several verse novels exposing teenage struggles such as drug addiction, mental illness,and prostitution, including Crank, Burned, Impulse, Identical, Glass, Tricks, Tilt, and Fallout. Glass is the sequel to Crank, and Fallout, the third and final book in the series, was released on September 14, 2010. Perfect was released on September 13, 2011, and is a companion novel to Impulse. Ellen Hopkins's most recent book, Tilt, was released September 11, 2012, and is a companion from the point of view of the teens mentioned in Triangles. Hopkins explained she feels they needed their own story after the release of Triangles. Hopkins also plans on releasing a sequel to Burned, Smoke, in 2013 (Wikipedia)

College Scholarships Subscription Database

6.  College Scholarships Subscription Database Review

Type: Subscription Database Review (Scholarships)
Link: http://www.collegescholarships.org/
Ages: 15+

Overview: This website is good for high school aged teenagers who want to find scholarships that will pay for college based on various merits. This organization lists thousands of scholarships for high school students applying for college. They are scholarships from all over the nation.

Critical Evaluation: The library should add this to the online collection, as part of a link on the public library site for Young Adults.  The website is easy to use, however, students should be aware of the ads that can be deceptive and also have links for scholarships.  . These are sometimes located at the bottom or right side of the page and have scholarship links in blue block shapes.  Be careful and wary of these links because half are legitimate sites, but the other half want you to buy their 'information' for scholarships.

The useful portion of the website has some good links and information regarding scholarships.  No matter what your criteria, the user is able to look for scholarships based on Subject, by State or by Type.  Most of the useful links are located on the left side of the website so they are easy to locate.  

Booktalking Ideas: An idea for a book talk would be to highlight free money that students can receive if they spend some time applying for these scholarships.

Challenge Issues:

• None

Challenge Defense Ideas:

• Be familiar with the themes in the material and how they relate to young adults today.
• Stay calm and remember to not be personally offended by their comments or concerns.
• Libraries provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues.  Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
• Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
• LISTEN to what they have to say and reiterate our freedom to read and be without censorship.
• All material for young adults are under the review of the branch manager and even further up, the Library Director and even City Council members.