Teen Book Club - March - Recap!

The TBC got together a little late this time to discuss March's pick, but they did!  Here is what we read & discussed:

Paul Fleischman offers teens an environmental wake-up call and a tool kit for decoding the barrage of conflicting information confronting them. We're living in an Ah-Ha moment. Take 250 years of human ingenuity. Add abundant fossil fuels. The result: a population and lifestyle never before seen. The downsides weren't visible for centuries, but now they are. Suddenly everything needs rethinking - suburbs, cars, fast food, cheap prices. It's a changed world. This book explains it. Not with isolated facts, but the principles driving attitudes and events, from vested interests to denial to big-country syndrome. Because money is as important as molecules in the environment, science is joined with politics, history, and psychology to provide the briefing needed to comprehend the 21st century. Extensive back matter, including a glossary, bibliography, and index, as well as numerous references to websites, provides further resources.

Here are the discussion questions we used:

1.  General thoughts.  What did you think of the book?
2.  How readable was the book to you?  Did you enjoy the writing?
3.  How much had you thought about the portrayal of the environment in media before reading this book?
4.  Were there any facts in this book you were surprised to read?  Anything you thought was true, that this book proved false?
5.  What was the most interesting thing you learned from this book?
6.  Will you be changing anything in your lifestyle after reading this book?  Why or why not?
7.  What do you think was the main message the author was trying to convey?  Do you think he succeeded?
8.  How has reading this book changed the way you will read news on the environment in the future?
9.  Will you be checking out any of the resources mentioned in the book?
10.  Ratings and final thoughts!

Ratings

Melanie - 7/10 - Good short book to get to know better the troubles going on with the environment.
Catherine - 6/10 - Interesting, but a little bit hard to read.
Librarian Karyn - 6/10 - Tons of information about an important subject and great resources, but writing a little bit dry and slow.

If you enjoyed this book, there are MANY resources mentioned in the book and in the source descriptions in the back of the book.  However, if you would like to read a fiction book, why not try one on environmental disasters?

Carbon Diaries 2015 by Saci Lloyd - In 2015, when England becomes the first nation to introduce carbon dioxide rationing in a drastic bid to combat climate change, sixteen-year-old Laura documents the first year of rationing as her family spirals out of control.

Hurricane Song by Paul Volponi - Twelve-year-old Miles Shaw goes to live with his father, a jazz musician, in New Orleans, and together they survive the horrors of Hurricane Katrina in the Superdome, learning about each other and growing closer through their painful experiences.

The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher - In a world where water has become a precious resource, Vera and her brother befriend a boy who seems to have unlimited access to water and who suspiciously disappears, prompting a dangerous search challenged by pirates, a paramilitary group, and corporations.


For April we are reading The List by Siobhan Vivian – Discussion April 29th

Every year at Mount Washington High School somebody posts a list of the prettiest and ugliest girls from each grade--this is the story of eight girls, freshman to senior, and how they are affected by the list.

My gift to you...New Books for December! (part 9)

Stitching Snow by R. C. Lewis

A futuristic retelling of Snow White in which seventeen-year-old Essie, a master at repairing robots and drones on the frozen mining planet Thanda, is pulled into a war by handsome and mysterious Dane after his shuttle crash-lands near her home.

Stray by Elissa Sussman

Princess Aislynn's magical ability is powerful and uncontrollable, so she is "redirected" into the order of Fairy Godmothers, where her heart is removed and stored in a hidden cabinet, and she must spend the rest of her life devoted to serving another royal family--but her growing friendship with a palace gardener causes Aislynn to question the vows she has taken, and the motives of those who would prevent her from "straying" from the path.

They All Fall Down by Roxanne St. Claire

Kenzie's life is transformed when she's voted one of the prettiest girls at Vienna High, but when the girls on the list start to die, she's determined to uncover the deadly secrets of the list before her number's up.

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

Discover a terrifying world in the woods in this collection of five hauntingly beautiful graphic stories that includes the online webcomic sensation "His Face All Red," in print for the first time. Journey through the woods in this sinister, compellingly spooky collection that features four brand-new stories and one phenomenally popular tale in print for the first time. These are fairy tales gone seriously wrong, where you can travel to "Our Neighbor's House"-though coming back might be a problem. Or find yourself a young bride in a house that holds a terrible secret in "A Lady's Hands Are Cold." You might try to figure out what is haunting "My Friend Janna," or discover that your brother's fiancée may not be what she seems in "The Nesting Place." And of course you must revisit the horror of "His Face All Red," the breakout webcomic hit that has been gorgeously translated to the printed page. Already revered for her work online, award-winning comic creator Emily Carroll's stunning visual style and impeccable pacing is on grand display in this entrancing anthology, her print debut.

Talon by Julie Kagawa

Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they're positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser. Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George. Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon's newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey--and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember's bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him--and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons.

New books to spend the holidays with~ (Part 5)

Lauren Conrad Beauty by Lauren Conrad

Whether she's in front of the camera or behind the scenes, style icon Lauren Conrad has spent years learning from the pros and perfecting her look, and now she's sharing all her beauty secrets. In her first guide dedicated exclusively to beauty, Lauren covers everything you need to know to maximize your own beauty potential. From tips for creating a strong foundation and maintaining healthy skin and hair through diet, exercise, and all-around wellness to everyday makeup techniques and tricks of the trade for special-occasion looks, Lauren Conrad Beauty provides the advice you've been waiting for. Lauren's personal anecdotes and illustrated step-by-step lessons for makeup, hair, and nails will have you looking great for day or night.

Back Before Dark by Tim Shoemaker

When Gordy is abducted in the park, his cousin Cooper will do anything to rescue him and although Hiro and Lunk fear that Cooper will get himself in trouble, too, they join the race against the clock to save their friend. Includes author's notes about friendship, discussion questions, and tips for avoiding abduction.

Picture Me Gone by Meg Rosoff

Mila has an exceptional talent for reading a room; sensing hidden facts and unspoken emotions from clues that others overlook. So when her father's best friend, Matthew, goes missing from his upstate New York home, Mila and her beloved father travel from London to find him. She collects information about Matthew from his belongings, from his wife and baby, from the dog he left behind and from the ghosts of his past; slowly piecing together the story everyone else has missed. But just when she's closest to solving the mystery, a shocking betrayal calls into question her trust in the one person she thought she could read best.

 The Eye of Minds by James Dashner

The Eye of Minds is the first book in The Mortality Doctrine, a series set in a world of hyperadvanced technology, cyberterrorists, and gaming beyond your wildest dreams . . . and your worst nightmares. Michael is a gamer. And like most gamers, he almost spends more time on the VirtNet than in the actual world. The VirtNet offers total mind and body immersion, and it's addictive. Thanks to technology, anyone with enough money can experience fantasy worlds, risk their life without the chance of death, or just hang around with Virt-friends. And the more hacking skills you have, the more fun. Why bother following the rules when most of them are dumb, anyway? But some rules were made for a reason. Some technology is too dangerous to fool with. And recent reports claim that one gamer is going beyond what any gamer has done before: he's holding players hostage inside the VirtNet. The effects are horrific--the hostages have all been declared brain-dead. Yet the gamer's motives are a mystery. The government knows that to catch a hacker, you need a hacker. And they've been watching Michael. They want him on their team. But the risk is enormous. If he accepts their challenge, Michael will need to go off the VirtNet grid. There are back alleys and corners in the system human eyes have never seen and predators he can't even fathom--and there's the possibility that the line between game and reality will be blurred forever. 

 Dare Me by Eric Devine

When Ben Candido and his friends, Ricky and John, decide to post a YouTube video of themselves surfing on top of a car, they finally feel like the somebodies they are meant to be instead of the social nobodies that they are. Overnight, the video becomes the talk of the school, and the boys are sure that their self-appointed senior year of dares will live in infamy. Every dare brings an increased risk of bodily harm, but Ben cannot deny the thrill and sense of swagger that come with it. The stakes become even more complex when a mysterious donor bankrolls their dares in exchange for a cut in the online revenue the videos generate. But at what point do the risk and the reward come at too high of a price? What does it take to stay true to one's self in the face of relentless pressure?

New November Books~ Part 2

Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

Check the catalog

In the aftermath of a cataclysmic event, sixteen-year-old Evie, from a well-to-do Louisiana family, learns that her terrible visions are actually prophecies and that there are others like herself--embodiments of Tarot cards destined to engage in an epic battle.

 Survive by Alex Morel

Check the Catalog

A troubled girl is stranded in an arctic winter terrain after a plane crash and must fight for survival with the only other boy left alive.

The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano by Sonia Manzano

Check the Catalog

It is 1969 in Spanish Harlem, and fourteen-year-old Evelyn Serrano is trying hard to break free from her conservative Puerto Rican surroundings, but when her activist grandmother comes to stay and the neighborhood protests start, things get a lot more complicated--and dangerous.

Burning Blue by Paul Griffin

Check the Catalog

When beautiful, smart Nicole, disfigured by acid thrown in her face, and computer hacker Jay meet in the school psychologist's office, they become friends and Jay resolves to find her attacker.

34 Pieces of You by Carmen Rodrigues

Check the Catalog

After Ellie dies of a drug overdose, her brother, her best friend, and her best friend's sister face painful secrets of their own when they try to uncover the truth about Ellie's death.

Here she is...Miss America...

Today the Miss America Pageant will be broadcast live on ABC tonight at 9:00 on ABC. 

What are your thoughts on beauty pageants?  Does it make a difference that the girls are being awarded scholarships?

Competitors are judged in 5 areas:
Personal Interview - 25%
Talent - 35%
Swimsuit - 15%
Evening Wear - 20%
Onstage Question - 5%

What do you think?  Would you judge women you meet by these areas?  To be accurate, in the swimsuit competition the judges are looking at the physical fitness, poise, and posture of the girls and in the evening wear portion, they are judged on poise and bearing.

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.  Are you going to watch?

Teresa Scanlan, Miss America 2011, signs photographs at Langley Air Force Base, Va., March 21, 2011.

Also, here are some YA books involving pageants.  Enjoy =)

When sixteen-year-old rebel Bliss Cavendar, who is miserable living in a small Texas town with her beauty pageant-obsessed mother, secretly joins a roller derby team under the name "Babe Ruthless," her life gets better, although infinitely more confusing.

 

 

 

Dara Cohen, a junior pageant princess turned chubby teenager, reconnects with an estranged older sister whom her parents have disowned for mysterious reasons.

 

 

Back in Orlando for the summer, twelve-year-old Claire has difficulty connecting with her former best friends, but decides to prove her loyalty by entering Kissimmee's Miss Kiss beauty pageant.

 

 

When a plane crash strands thirteen teen beauty contestants on a mysterious island, they struggle to survive, to get along with one another, to combat the island's other diabolical occupants, and to learn their dance numbers in case they are rescued in time for the competition.

 

 

The Miss Universe Pageant : then and now -- Beauty behind the scenes -- The body beautiful -- Flawless skin -- The mane event -- The eyes have it -- Lip service -- Nailing it -- The smile that beguiles -- Traveling right -- Teen beauty -- Your crowning moment -- Beyond the crown.