Vixen--Reviewed by Stephanie Best

Vixen by Jillian Larkin
Reviewed by Stephanie Best

                                Three girls, three lives, one amazing era. Vixen is the story of three girl’s struggles through the crazy Jazz Age. Gloria, a beautiful young women and the envy of those around her, wants nothing but to be immersed in the flapper lifestyle. The only problem is that she is engaged to Sebastian, the closest thing Chicago has to aristocracy. Her cousin, Clara, has lived the lifestyle Gloria wants, and now has to pay the price. She is forced by her parents from her life in New York City, to plan Gloria’s wedding. If not, she would be sent to a girls’ reform school. Lorraine, Gloria’s best friend, has always been in the shadows behind perfect Gloria. She is in love with Marcus, Gloria’s like-a-brother friend, who hardly knows Lorraine exists. Will Gloria have her family’s happily ever after, or her version? Will Clara’s past come back to bite her even more than it already has? Will Lorraine find the spotlight she so badly longs for? Will each girl get what she wants, or will everything go horrible wrong?

                Vixen is the first novel in the Flappers series. The others in the series are Ingenue, and Diva. I rate Vixen four out of five stars. I love, love, love, reading about the time period. I think the 1920s were very interesting and I personally love books set in past eras. I like the characters, but the plot was just ok. I thought it was slow at times. It also reminded me too much of both of Anna Godbersen’s series the Luxe series and the Bright Young Things series, especially the latter because it too took place in Roaring Twenties. However, if you do like either of those series, or enjoy period piece novels, then I highly recommend this book.

Teen Summer Reading Program

Go Beneath the Surface with the 2013 Teen Summer Reading Program

Things to do this summer:

1. Read Stuff and Write Reviews
2. Earn Teen Bucks
   and Collect Prizes
3. Download Free Music
4. Learn Something New
   at the Library
5. Celebrate the Summer!

You'll have a chance to earn great books and bucks each time you complete a review.

Guidelines for Teens 6th through 12th grade

Write a short book review (25 words or more) online to earn Teen Bucks that can be redeemed for Library services and prizes. Pay off Library fines, make copies, get a replacement card, or choose from a variety of prizes including books, messenger bags, hats, and more! Each review will enter you into a grand prize drawing for a Kindle Fire HD!
Prizes can be redeemed until Aug. 3, services can be used until the end of 2013.
*Library fines for lost items, damaged items, or collection fees cannot be paid using Teen Bucks.

http://www.mymcpl.org/teens/tsrp

Sign up using the link above. Cross post your reviews on this blog --  Celtic Librarian -- as well to earn other prizes from OHS!  Have a great reading summer.  

Ms C

May Teen Book Club Book

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

by Ransom Riggs

From amazon.com:

A mysterious island.



An abandoned orphanage.



A strange collection of very curious photographs.



It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive. 

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

After you have read the book, please comment to share your opinion or thoughts about it.
Of note, there is slated to be a sequel released some time next year!

Ms C.  

Sam Morrison
Crawford
5/6/13
The Naked Truth
Lakita Garth
                                                 

        Lakita Garth nailed the nail on the head in her book, “The Naked Truth”.  The book was published in 2007 and was directed towards the young adult audience, in hopes of of grasping there not always attentive minds and disburse the truth of sex and its true meaning. Her writing style is very unique, she can suck in young readers by relating herself and opening up her personal life. If you have the unsecured feeling of guilt towards your sex life and hate being reminded of the poor decisions you’ve made regarding sex, she doesn’t attack you in any shape or form.

        So let’s hop into the specifics and my own personal reaction of the novel!
She opens up the first 3 chapters of the book with insightful descriptions of her childhood. Her dad passed way to cancer early in her life, leaving her mother to raise five children (brothers:Kevin,David,Leon, and Mark-and her) on her own in Money magazine’s “most dangerous places to live” and “worst places to raise children” in America. She writes of how her mother saved their lives by being as strict and displenend of a parent immaginable. Her mom believed that children needed to be taught and not raised, because she raised chickens, goats, and cattle on her Southern farm; and all that is is providing food and shelter, but not showing them how to live and live to the fullest potential. Lakita and her brothers knew to be home when the street lights came on, or their Mother would drive around looking for them and that’s the last thing they wanted! Lakita pays most of if not all of her today’s success of being owner and CEO of her own company, former model, Miss Black California,and now author, to her moms parenting. She writes, “it was her ability to keep an eye on the present and an eye on the future” that really made her mom distinctly different from other parents.

        Her main focus or theme of the book, is abstinence. Which is saving yourself and virginity for marriage. Lakita’s use of stautistics and personal experiences really open up the eyes of readers, especially me. I learned many things that I didn’t know about sex and why adults preach to wait until you are married. I never really realized how many teen pregnancies there really were in the U.S. or the amount of different strains of STDs that exist.

       While this book can come off as scary to others, I found it a great and friendly explanation of sex. I would highly reccomend this novel to any teenager and young adult wanting to know if waiting is truly worth it when all of their peers are doing the exact opposite....it. I give this novel a 5/5 star rating and would even go as far as making my children read it when I have them, after marriage rest assured! However, I’m sure most adults would find this a good read regardless of not being the directed audience.

Myles Cason

Mrs. Crawford

Book Report

05/01/2013

The title of the book I will be reviewing today is:”The Naked Truth” by Lakita Garth, which was written in 2007 and nationally published by Regal Books in Ventura California, U.S.A.

            This book explains it all from the do’s and don’ts  to the what ifs and maybes Lakita Garth explains it all in 160 pages.  She breaks down the importance of practicing abstinence until you are married which will be very beneficial in the long run.  In the Naked truth she teaches you self-discipline, self-control and self-confidence in a serious but humorous way.  She also gives tips for healthy dating and ways to establish boundaries that your mate has no choice but to respect for you and them in the long run.

Personally I felt like reading this book would teach me nothing new, because I was being simple minded and thought it was only going to be about sex, and thought I knew everything there was to know about intimacy between man and women.  It was about that along with so much more that you would have to read the book for yourself to truly understand, yes I recommend this book to every young adult out there curious on why you should wait before sex this is the book for you, from me it gets a perfect rating 5 out of 5.

            This wonderful book can be checked out in the O’Hara library or ordered online through Borders and Barnes an Nobel.

Joshua Austin

Advanced Health

Non-fiction book review

May 2013

Changing Bodies, Changing Lives explains the way change can affect the young and the simple-minded. The change that is the main focus in the book is the change of the body during adolescence and how it affects you and the world around you.

This large and extremely thorough text has no barriers or fears, and will leave a noticeable mark in your mind. It covers everything from sex and what happens in both partners’ bodies, to everything that leads up to sex, like dating, marriage, peer pressure, coming out of the closet, drug abuse, to everything post-coitus, such as pregnancy and STD’s. The book doubles as both a self-help book for youth going through physical and emotional change and as a miniature medical book for people lacking proper sexual education.

While reading Changing Bodies, Changing Lives, I felt myself gaining more insight in not only both male and female sexuality, but in drug abuse and abusive relationships. I can say that this book would not be suited for an afternoon read, but as a school textbook. The text does not attempt to spin itself to appear more pleasant to a very young audience. The pictures are also making no attempt to show censorship. These facts show that this book can only be truly read and understood by a mature audience.

One issue I had with the book was the section on homosexuality. I am sure Ruth Bell wrote this book with best intentions, but this section came off as slightly ignorant. In this section, she talks about how “gay teens meet in organization set up for gays, like gay clubs”. It implies that homosexual teens should hang out with other homosexuals, as opposed to just being friends with whomever. Many times in the book, AIDS is treated like a death sentence. This section also discusses chat rooms quite a bit, as it does throughout the whole book, but that may be due to the fact that this book was published in 1998.

Despite that issue, Changing Bodies, Changing Lives is completely unbiased. The section on homosexuality tries its best to be completely tolerant. The section on pregnancy talks in detail about abortion and how to make the decision to get one. A person with a more conservative perspective on health and sexuality should read this book with a grain of salt.

I would recommend Changing Bodies, Changing Lives as a textbook, despite being slightly outdated. I give this book four out of five stars. It is also a great method book for giving kids “the talk” when a parent really does not want to.

Ruth Bell

Three Rivers Press, 1998

Elizabeth Robb
Mrs. Crawford
Advanced Health
5 May 2013

Girl Wars: 12 Strategies That Will End Female Bullying

            The book, Girl Wars: 12 Strategies That Will End Female Bullying by Cheryl Dellasega and Charisse Nixon, is a practical handbook designed to help eliminate bullying and other hurtful actions among  teenage girls, it is also a great parenting book for mothers, who are trying to prevent their daughters from going through bullying. The book explores the evolution of relational aggression (bullying) among girls, why it happens, the dangers of such behavior, and gives suggestions and solutions to problems girls may be facing.
            Girl Wars gives a lot of research, and details about what goes on in a girl's mind when she is bullied. It also gives the causes and effects of things that occur during bullying. I personally believe that the major reason girls bully each other, is because from a young age we are taught the idea of competition. Whether we are competitive in school or sports or how we look, this is what all of us learned to do and we constantly judge each other because of it. Though, the book doesn’t touch on the idea of competition as much as I thought it would, it is still an information and inspiring book.

 What do I mean when I say “inspiring”? Well, there are at least a hundred stories of personal encounters from girls who have been bullied. All of the stories have multiple solutions and ways to put an end to the problem before it gets really bad. Unfortunately, sometimes it does get worse because girls are afraid to tell someone that they are being bullied, and in severe cases it can result in “Bullycide”, a term used to describe suicide as the result of bullying. Bullying statistics from 2013, are reporting that there is a strong connection between bullying, being bullied, and suicide. According to a new study from the Yale School of Medicine, suicide rates are continuing to grow among adolescents, and have grown more than 50 percent in the past 30 years.

So, what is a good way to stop bullying before it gets worse? Girl Wars has many strategies, but the ones that stand out to me the most are: Get an adult involved. This might be the most crucial step to take, because a trustworthy adult can help! They can act as a positive role model and will have the ability to call attention to the issue and in some cases, if someone calls attention to the issue the bullying will start to decrease because the bully may fear getting in trouble. The next strategy is to teach the victim conflict resolution skills, and by this I mean it is better to speak up and get help rather than resort to fighting or taking matters into her own hands. Another good way to stop bullying is to offer her other outlets and opportunities. You could suggest that she can be positive and focus on all the good things she has going for her, or she can start an anti- relational aggression campaign. Though it may seem hard to be positive in situations like this, it is possible to get through them and it is important to reassure her that life can and will get better.

 In conclusion, if you’re looking for the best ways to put an end to girl bullying, Girl Wars, is the best book to read. However I wouldn't recommend this book to girls under the age of 14 or 15, because the text in this book is quite challenging. Although, I did enjoy reading about the personal experiences of other girls who went through relational aggression (bullying), as it taught me a lot about how horrific bullying can get and it gave me a new understanding of how serious this issue is and how it affects almost every girl. I would rate this book with 4 stars out of 5, and I would definitely recommend this book to mothers whose daughters have experienced bullying, and want it to never occur with their children

Taking charge of my mind & Body - Amy Hyun

Taking charge of my Mind and Body
Reviewed by Amy Hyun

Taking Charge of my Mind & Body

            The most significant for people in their life would be taking care of their body and live longer and healthier lives. I read a great book that can help you understand more about your body and make an informed decision. It gives guideline for girls about the alcohol, drug, smoking, and eating problems. The title of this book is “Taking charge of my mind & body” which published by Gladys Folkers and Jeanne Engelmann in 1947. As a teenager, it’s important to have all of your wits about you in order to understand yourself and your surroundings, choose actions that will help you to be successful in any situation, and take step to meet your goals. Girls sometimes more struggle with shame and self-esteem than boys such ad social and cultural trends - ideas made by television and movies. So, how we can overcome these problems? The author suggested that increase your ability to think yourself, make good decisions, and take positive action to protect yourself and your future.

“Be sure that if you drink or use drugs you know why you’re doing it. If you’re doing it to feel better, don’t it. Just look at people who are using and what losers they are.” (Yvonne, 16) The reason of people’s common problems over drinking, drugs, smoking, and eating disorders are from feeling and mistaken beliefs. Feelings are often confusing people and it lead them to start drinking and drugs because those kinds of things are temporally make you feel better.  According to Alfred Adler, a famous psychiatrist who lived from 1870- 1937, and whose ideas are still changing lives today, mistaken beliefs often play a role in leading people of all ages into problem behavior.(5) This book gave you some tips to say no towards  drinking, drugs, and  smoking and how to stay back with it.

Another thing what we should know about is eating disorders. Many people don't notice the important of food and how it can possibly be a problem. For many girls and young women are struggle with overreacting, dieting, bingeing and purging, or starving themselves. But the good news about eating disorders is that more you know about what eating disorders are and how someone acts when they having a problem with eating, the more likely you'll be prevent this from happing in your life. (86) "If you don't het massed up with eating problems, you can stay healthy and feel good." (Brit, 15)

Lastly, this book gives you some places that you can get some helps from a clinic or other agency and how to make a healthy relationship with other people. Sometimes doing something that unfamiliar to you can be scary and make you feel angry. But one good change can effects on your whole life and as you are young, you can change yourself more easily and faster than adults. I think this book is one of the best I’ve ever read and I learned how I can say no to drinks, drugs, and smoking. I would give 4.5 stars by rating system. I strongly recommend teenagers to read this book!!

Mean Chicks, Cliques, and Dirty Tricks

Mary Pat Brage

Advanced Health

Ms. Crawford

5/6/2013

Mean Chicks, Cliques, and Dirty Tricks

Erika V. Shearin Karres, Ed. D. 

Published by Adams Media 2004

          Mean Chicks, Cliques, and Dirty Tricks by Erika V. Shearin Karres Ed.D. is a book to serve the purpose of showing girls how to get through a day in a positive manner despite the malicious acts that get in their way.  It is “A real girls guide to getting through the day with Smarts and Style” according to the front cover of the book.  This book is filled with helpful tools for any girl to get past that mean girl who is standing in her way.  The language of the book is uplifting and inspiring for all the girls out there that need a little motivation.  For the purpose to inspire girls to get off their feet and stop accepting the negative atmosphere I would give this book a five star.

Throughout the book there are helpful tools to really understand the situations being presented.  There are quizzes, quotes of personal experiences, and fab fixes.  The book is broken down into sections of types of mean girls and exactly how to overcome the type. Some examples include the snob, the gossip, the traitor, and the clique chick.  The personal stories show a more serious side of the book, and the quizzes show a fun interactive side.  The quizzes are to see where you relate such as “Are you the victim?”.  The fab fixes tell what you can do to defuse the situation in a cool calm manner.

          This book is great for any girl that could use a pick me up.  It is witty and inspiring at the same time.  While the book is great for the anti-bullying concept, it is not one to teach about girls’ health issues.  Just focusing on Girls’ attitudes this book would be recommended.

Sex if You're Scared of the Truth Don't Read This - Mary Roberts

Book: Sex if You’re Scared of the Truth Don’t Read This!

Author: U.S. Marine Carl Sommer

Publisher: Advance Publishing - published in 2009

Reviewed by: Mary Roberts 

 - 5 out of 5 stars 

       Carl Sommer addresses in this book a teenage audience. He uses statistics as well as testimonies to get across the idea that sex before marriage is not a healthy lifestyle choice. He discusses the emotional and physical damage that “casual sex” can inflict on an adolescent’s body. Sommer promotes the reader to look at their own life and experiences to see the benefits of abstinence. He also uses stories from his own life to highlight the benefits of waiting until marriage. The book is written with very easy to understand language. It is also written with a sense of seriousness and bluntness. This made the book seem more like a discussion than a lecture and made it a more enjoyable read.

            Personally I completely agree with the author’s ideals. His thesis statement throughout the book is that sex before marriage is both emotionally and physically unhealthy. One of the first things he discusses are STDs and “safe sex” both of these topics are often either accepted or just completely ignored. He states that “19 million people are infected each year with some kind of STD.” (pg. 37).  This is a striking statistic that he uses to successfully combat the mindset that an STD can’t happen to you. He discusses the ABC’s of “safe sex”: abstinence, be faithful, use a condom (pg. 36). He also discusses the flaws inthe rules. Another major point he brings up is the mixed signals teens receive in their education. “Many health providers mention abstinence as being 100% effective  for the prevention of STDs and pregnancies, but then go into great detail about how to have safe sex” (pg. 37). This is a valid point that really brought up the question what are we really being taught to do? Sommer later combats the ideas of pornography. He explains that the images are unhealthy for the function of both men and women. For men he argues that it gives them a view of women as objects. It also increases their chances of violent behavior. According to Sommer “In a study of convicted child molesters 77% of those who molested boys and 87% of those who molested girls admitted to habitual use of pornography”( pg. 62). Sommer covers many of the emotional reasons not to have Sex. One major effect he covers is depression. “When compared to teens who are not sexually active, teenage boys and girls who are sexually active are significantly less likely to be happy and more likely to be depressed.”(pg. 65). This is important because the damage done emotionally by have premarital sex can be just as devastating as the diseases one can gain. Sommer does a great job of bringing up the different scenarios that surround the ideas of premarital sex. He creates fake dialogues of people being pressured into intimacy. He also gets testimonies of people who have stood up against this idea of casual sex, such as Miss America winner Erika Harold who was determined to share her view of abstinence in her platform, and Miriam Grossman M.D. who wrote an over under an alias informing the public of the emotional trauma caused by premarital sex. In this novel Sommer informs the reader about the risks they’re facing when they say yes before marriage, while still giving them hope that abstinence is possible. Even for those who have already failed. This book was a quick and very insightful read that I completely recommend to anyone who wants to find out the truth about sex.

Nightshade -- Alexandra Lopez

 

Nightshade

by Andrea Cremer

Reveiwed by Alexandra Lopez

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she would be mated to the alpha wolf, Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything- including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice.

I loved the lore they used for werewolves; however I was too keen on our Heroine Calla. She was clichéd, falling for a human at one of the worst times. She falls for a human she saved, which was a big no-no. But overall I loved the side characters; they seemed better developed than Calla. Maybe because I’m not too fond of romance, but it didn’t seem believable. From what I tool was that Calla loved him. She said it was meant to be. The romance was forced and the book would have done better without it.

 I liked Ren better than Shay. Ren was a jerk, but he knew what was important. His views were twisted, but he had conviction and that’s what I liked most about him. He was just boring; there was nothing interesting about him. Then now that I think about it, maybe that’s why she loved him. Shay was different, he was human after all. He was normal, something Calla would never be, or at least experience. Still, Shay was boring, nothing would change that.

Reconstructing Amelia -- Reviewed by Stephanie Best

Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight
Reviewed by Stephanie Best

Fifteen year old, Amelia, and her mother, Kate, were all each other had. Amelia shared everything with Kate. That is, until the day she was “tapped” by the Magpies, an exclusive club only the select few were admitted into. Reluctantly, Amelia agrees to join, and her life is changed forever. Within weeks, she is found dead. According to the police, she jumped off her school’s roof committing suicide. In her clouded grief, Kate accepts this, until one day getting an anonymous text saying that Amelia didn't jump. Kate begins to realize that perhaps this text isn't just a cruel joke. Through the process Kate find out shocking things about her daughter and the people she knew. But with everyone telling Kate different stories, and continually gaining more questions than answers, will she be able to find out what really happened to Amelia?

I rated Reconstructing Amelia four stars because I thought the story was interesting, and I enjoyed trying to figure out how it was going to end as the story went along. I did not, however, like the fact that the story changed between characters, as well as time periods. More than once I was confused and would have to go back and figure out when it was happening. I do think that multiple views help give dramatic irony for the readers, but I thought sometimes it could add to the confusion. Overall I enjoyed the book. The genre is quite common so I think anyone that enjoys murder mysteries would enjoy this book.