Long Story Game

50. LongStory Game Review

Type: Game Review
Title: Long Story Game
Link: http://www.longstorygame.com/
Ages: 14 and up
Genre: School, Romance, 1st person

Summary: This LongStory game is a first person player that explores the life and dating habits of a teenage girl you name yourself, who has just returned to her old school after spending the year in Gay Paris.  

Critical Evaluation: Although it may seem odd to the casual gamer, this type of virtual world of playing a simple premise (dating in a virtual game), is not that far fetched as other similar games that give you the option of making your own avatar.  These types of games put teenagers in control of their own dating habits, which can have absolutely no consequences on your own real life.  That is the point of playing games, to have fun, push the limits of appropriateness, and make mistakes in this virtual world.

This is kind of a weird, "smartly written, funny and empathetic story, supported by a dating element that lets you romance boys, girls, or turkeyhawk (someone in costume)" (PC Gamer).  It's considered very amusing, and gives players the ability to make mistakes without having to worry about what will happen in real life.  

Challenge Issues:

• Game about dating
• Promotes dating and sexual behavior among teenagers.
• Teenagers should be dating in real life not in make-believe land.

Challenge Defense Ideas:

• This dating game lets you choose your own dating lifestyle without actual consequences.
• 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.  

References

PC Gamer Magazine.  The best free games of the week.  Retrieved from http://www.pcgamer.com/2014/05/10/the-best-free-games-of-the-week-25/

Rolling Stone Magazine

48. Rolling Stone Magazine

Type: Magazine Review

Title: Rolling Stone

Publisher: Jann Wenner
Link: http://www.rollingstone.com
ISSN: 0035-791X
Genre: Music

Reader's Annotation: Politics and Music. They go hand in hand.

Summary: Rolling Stone magazine is a bi-monthly magazine that focuses on all types of popular music, politics, and popular culture.

Critical Evaluation: This magazine, which was first published in 1971, was once considered a very popular and controversial magazine because of its' ideals and content. This adult magazine can appeal to young adults because of its' focus on popular artists today. Not only will they be able to read about their favorite music artist, but learn about financial and banking issues, and political issues that are important today.

However, now, the magazine is considered by many to be not as influential as it once did. With the increase in technology and instant news articles, this magazine had to change it's content to good story pieces to try and keep people interested. At the same time the magazine "has resumed its traditional mix of content, including in-depth political stories, financial and banking issues" (Wikipedia Rolling Stone). It's circulation has increased because of this change and mix of content in the magazine.

Challenge Issues:

• Magazine promotes the use of drugs and romanticizes it
• Students should aspire to become educated adults and not musicians.
• The library should not support this lifestyle.

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.  

Thrasher Magazine

47.  Thrasher Magazine

Type: Magazine
Title: Thrasher Magazine
Publisher: High Speed Productions
Ages: 14 and up

Summary: This magazine subscription is a monthly subscription that deals with everything skateboarding: the culture, the arts, the clothing, the music, and other information.  The magazine itself is about 75 pages long and has a lot of pictures of skateboarders, along with advertising of different products.  It is geared towards teenagers, mostly males.

Critical Evaluation: The magazine is broken up to 12 monthly issues, with an average subscription price of $17.95, but cheaper for libraries.  Although people may be against the whole idea of skateboarding in general, this magazine content does not promote the act of 'tagging' but uses skateboarding as a form of expression, and a type of physical art.  

This particular skateboarding magazine is very popular in the United States and the sport itself is popular among teenagers around the world.  Other public libraries have subscribed to this magazine, in an attempt to buy materials that teenagers would check-out.  This magazine has various articles about the sport, famous skateboarders, and events where people can skateboard across the country. What's popular in this magazine is the advertisement of skateboard videos, which are becoming more and more popular. These videos showcase different skaters and their tricks.  

Challenge Issues:

• Skateboarding promotes illegal activities.
• Fantasizes the act of trespassing and damaging public property.
• Libraries should not promote this type of lifestyle for teens.

Challenge Defense Ideas:

• The library should subscribe to magazine content that is popular among teenagers.
• 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.  

Amazing Spider-Man 2 Movie

11.  The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Movie Review

Type: Movie Review
Title: The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Director: Marc Webb
Company: Marvel Enterprises, Columbia Pictures
Year: 2014
Genre: Adventure, Superhero, Science Fiction
Ages: 14 and up

Reader's Annotation: His greatest adventure begins!

Summary: The second movie of the second installment of Spider-Man, this Amazing Spider-Man focuses on Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy, and their relationship.  It also deals with Harry Osborne and Peter Parker.  This movie features two villains, Electro and the Green Goblin.

Critical Evaluation: I loved this movie better than the first one because it wasn't as cheesy, had more fighting scenes and the chemistry between Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) and Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) seem believable.  The movie is entertaining because it has a lot of action scenes, gives the audience something to root against (devastation of New York City), and is empathetic to Peter Parker's situation that he cannot live his own life (only Spider-Man's).  

However, considering all of the positives from this movie, there were plenty of negative points that certainly could have improved.  The movie, at times, seemed fragmented together without much thought. There were too many story lines that just seemed placed together.  Although I liked the idea of two villains in the same movie, trying to develop both of the villains meant that one of them, specifically Electro felt short.  Jamie Foxx gave an excellent performance as the nerdy worker at Osborn Industries, but his character as Electro was too cheesy and lacked heart.  

Challenge Issues:

• Science Fiction Movie a bad influence on teenagers.
• Too much 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.  

Frozen Sountrack Review

43.  Disney's Frozen Soundtrack Review

Type: Music CD
Title: Frozen
Company: Disney
By: Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
Musical Score: Christophe Beck
Ages: 12 and up
Link: http://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200

Reader's Annotation: Become inspired by Frozen's motion pictures soundtrack presented by Disney.  Best-selling and Billboard top chart album featuring various artist, such as Kristen Bell, Idina Mendel, Demi Lovato, and many more will taken into a magical world.

Summary: This musical soundtrack for the film, Frozen exhibits 10 original songs that has left an impressive mark in the soundtrack records. Frozen soundtrack was the fifth-best selling soundtrack in the United States in 2013.

Critical Evaluation: Popular songs like, "Let it Go," and "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" have not only captured the hearts of children, but also young adults. The lyrics and music beautifully accompany the film as each musical scene is insync. "Let it Go," brought "chills" to the viewers as we could feel the main character's ice power and struggle.  This musical CD includes catchy phrases and is strongly driven by the film's theme. The voices that bring these lyrics to life inevitable also bring the characters to life.

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.

Beyonce Music CD

18. Beyonce Music CD

Type: Music CD

Title: Beyonce by Beyonce

Record Label: Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records
Year: 2014

Ages: 15 and up

Reader's Annotation: Listen to her new hit singles, Drunk In Love featuring Jay-Z, Haunted and Pretty Hurts. #BEYGOOD.

Summary: Beyonce’s self-titled album defies the norms for CD Albums,  and her surprise release immediately reached its multitude. Special features from other artists, directors, and Nigerian feminist author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie make this “visual album” unique.

Critical Evaluation: Her “visual album” demonstrates the power of visual language with lyrics, as she collaborates with various artist to depict the different Beyonce personas, such as Yonce. Her hit songs, such as “Flawless” and “Pretty Hurts,” shed light in the society’s gender stereotypes. In particular, she shares personal experiences and attempts to defy these gender stereotypes through  even defining what it means to be a feminist.   

At the same time, Beyonce's #BEYGOOD (pronounced Be Good), is a partnership that she created as part of her Tour. She inspires people to donate clothing, donate their time in organizations, and just be good to others. These are the type of themes and mindset that Beyonce has not only in her music, but in a way of life. Perfect for teens to look up to.

Challenge Issues: Too sexually explicit for young adults, and may contain inappropriate images that convey a message of women as sexual objects. Excessive use of inappropriate references and profanity throughout entire CD.

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.  

Lana Del Rey Music CD

46. Lana Del Rey - Born to Die CD

Type: Music CD
Artist: Lana Del Rey
Title: Born to Die
Year: 2012

Reader's Annotation:

Summary: Lana Del Rey’s CD Born to Die,  alternative and pop infused with a modern twist created a strong presence in the music industry when it was released in 2012. This instrumental CD captures the essence of ambience music.

Critical Evaluation:  Known for her singing abilities, she distinguishes herself among other artist for her classical rock influences, which allow multiple generations to relate to her music. Her varying themes from relationships to being free, demonstrate her ability to create deep and complex lyrics. “Summer Time Sadness” became an instant hit that truly became a summer hit for young adults.

Challenge Issues: Lana Del Rey’s underlying social-emotional lyrics might create a bleak tone. The depressing undertone might convey an overall unsatisfactory perspective on life.

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.