Smile (graphic novel)- by Raina Telgemeier

Telgemeier, R. (2010). Smile. California: Scolastic/Graphix
Summary
This graphic novel covers the first five years following the author's accident that resulted in the loss of her two front teeth. She has to go through tortuous oral surgeries, embarrassing implants, false teeth, and headgear. To make matters worse, Raina is going through the equally painful adolescence full of body changes, first crushes, and major awkwardness.
Review
Never before have I read such an eerily similar version of my tween years! I was awkward, needed braces and headgear and middle school was horrible! It wasn't until I grew out of the awkward phase did I realize that I was actually not that cool, which could have fooled me because I had great friends who treated me the way I treated them! This book is a great graphic novel that sums up the painful adolescent stage perfectly.
Genre
Graphic Novel
Reading Age/Interest Level
9-13 years/Tween
Similar Books
Amelia Rules series- Jeff Gownley
Dork Diaries- Rachel Renee Russel
The Popularity Papers- Amy Ignatow
Awards
Nominated for the Eisner Award for Best Published Books for Tweens- 2011
Boston Globe Horn Book Awards for Excellence in Children's Literature- 2011
Author Information
Raina Telgemeier grew up in San Francisco, and moved to New York City to study illustration at the School of Visual Arts. Her comics have been nominated for the Ignatz, Cybil, and Eisner Awards, and have appeared on the web, in magazines, and in various anthologies. She is the adaptor and illustrator of the Baby-sitters Club graphic novels, which were selected by YALSA for their Great Graphic Novels for Teens list in 2006, as well as ALA's Top 10 Graphic Novels for Youth list.
Readers Annotation
Middle School is already full of changing bodies, first crushes, and major awkwardness, add embarrassing head gear and false teeth and you have a story that beats all.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Spinelli, J. (2002). Stargirl. New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers.
Summary
Susan is an eccentric and bizarre new classmate at Area High School, a school that prides itself on popularity and conformity. She wears costumes to school, drops change on the sidewalk for those who need it more than her, and she cheers for both teams because she doesn't like winning. Nicknamed Stargirl, she is nothing like anyone has ever experienced and everything that Leo has ever wanted. Throughout the school year Leo tries to get others to accept Stargirl for who she is but when that fails, he begins to look at her the same way others do and finds himself trying to change her, and himself.
Review
I love anything by Spinelli and this book does not disappoint. Tweens need books like this that show them that being different is ok. This book shows that individuality is a hard thing to hold onto during a time where everyone wants to be like everyone else and Stargirl shows them that middle school is a great place to express themselves.
Genre
Contemporary Realistic Fiction
Reading Age/Interest Level
9-12 years/Tween
Similar  Books
Love, Stargirl- Jerry Spinelli
The Great Gilly Hopkins- Katherine Paterson
Loser- Jerry Spinelli
Awards
New York Time Bestseller
Parents Choice Gold Award Winner
ALA Top 10 Books Award
Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
Characters
Leo Borlock- The narrator of the book. Fell in love with Stargirl.
Susan "Stargirl" Caraway - a new face to Mica Area High School. Stargirl is different from everyone else at MAHS. She captures Leo Borlock's heart by just one smile. She brings the idea of individuality to MAHS, something that the school has never encountered before, and the student body is not always sure how to grasp it.
Cinnamon- a friendly rat that is Stargirl's most cherished companion and sidekick. He listens to Stargirl and does what she says.
Barney - an ancient, 60 million year-old, Paleocene era rodent skull that Archie keeps around to prove a point throughout the book, until the end, when Barney is buried.
Mr. McShane - Mica High's faculty representative to the state contest. He drives Stargirl and Leo to Phoenix, Arizona where the state competition is held.
Hillari Kimble - the girlfriend of Wayne Parr. She cannot stand Stargirl, hating her for the attention she gets .
Dori Dilson - the best friend of Stargirl Caraway. At first, she is very shy, but Stargirl helps her to open up more towards others.
Wayne Parr - the boyfriend of Hillari Kimble. In terms of achievement, he is a nobody. When asked by Kevin on Hot Seat what his inspiration is, Wayne answers that it is the magazine GQ.
Archie Brubaker - a teacher who works on Saturdays. He is a retired paleontology professor whose home, full of bones, is open to the students each Saturday. An old man who knows his stuff. Archie can be confusing since he is a man of riddles.
Kevin Quinlan - the best friend of Leo Borlock. He is the host of Hot Seat. Kevin is one of the few who continue to acknowledge Leo while he is dating Stargirl.
Peter Sinkowitz - the boy who lives across the street from Stargirl. Peter is a little boy that Stargirl keeps an eye on. She takes random pictures and notes about him for a scrapbook she will give him when he comes to an age at which he can appreciate it.
Señor Saguaro - the giant cactus that grows in Archie's backyard. When Leo and Kevin go to Archie for answers to their problems, Archie turns to Senor Saguaro for help and advice.
Mallory Stillwell - the captain of the MAHS cheerleading squad. She invites Stargirl to be a cheerleader after Stargirl wows her classmates with stunts at football games.
Readers Annotation
Would you change who you are in order to fit it? Even if that meant losing everything you believed in, including yourself?

17 Again: Movie

Steers, B. & Shankman, A. (2009). 17 again. United States: New Line Cinema. 

Summary

 At 17, Mike has his whole future to look forward to. He has a great girlfriend, and is the star of the basketball team; and a sure scholarship in the works at tonight’s big game. Everything changes when Scarlett, his girlfriend, tells him that she is pregnant. Twenty years, later Mike regrets his decision to blow the scholarship ride, and he blames Scarlett for his life. As Mike is wallowing in his own self pity, he is met by a strange janitor who mysteriously gives him the chance to re-do his choice; by making him 17 again at the same school where his teenage son and daughter attend. 

Review

Zac Efron is great at playing a quirky heartthrob teens as well as a believable adult. Other characters move this movie along in a hilarious manner and you can't help but wish that maybe you were given another chance to relive high school. It is a heartwarming movie that surprised viewers with its honesty and hilarity. 

Genre

Movie

Interest Level

Tween-Adults

Similar Movies

Charlie St. Cloud

High School Musical

Big

Annotation

Mike O'Donnell blames his current sucky life on a crucial decision that he made when he was 17 and he wishes he could turn back time. Now he has a chance, but all he wants is his old life. 

Sorcerer's Apprentice: The Movie

Bruckheimer, J. & Turteltaub, J. (2010). The sorcerer's apprentice [Motion Picture]. United States: Walt Disney Studios. 

Summary

In 740 A.D Maxim Horvath is an apprentice of Merlin but betrays him along with the evil sorcerer Morgana. As Morgana delivers a fatal blow to Merlin, Merlin's other apprentices, Balthazar and Veronica try to save Merlin and defeat Morgana and Maxim. Phew. Oh yeah, Veronica's body is overtaken by Morgana's soul and in order to save the real Veronica, Balthazar imprisons the two in a Grimhold, which is in the form of a nesting doll. It is up to Balthazar to find the next Prime Sorcerer. Got it? It gets easier to understand. 

Jump to present day and Balthazar has located Dave who is the next Prime Sorcerer, the only problem is that Dave wants nothing to do with his destiny. Will Balthazar be able to convince Dave to take on this task, or will humanity be destroyed by Morgana and Maxim?

Review

How could this not be entertaining? This movie has adventure, mystery, mythology, and even romance. Fans of the book will be pleased to see that this movie follows closely and does not leave out important parts like so many other movies from books do. Tweens can relate to Dave who is a quirky, impressionable, and genuine human being who is just trying to survive the typical drama of growing up. 

Genre

Movie

Interest Level

Tweens-Adults

Similar Movies

Cirque du Freak

Harry Potter movies

Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief

Annotation

Dave Stuler is just trying to grow up in a world that for whatever reason, doesn't cut him a break. Now, he is up against a whole new battle when it is discovered that he is not only a sorcerer, but thee Prime sorcerer that is chosen to save the world. 

Speak Now- Taylor Swift

Swift, T. (2010). Speak Now. [CD]. Nashville, TN: Big Machine Records. ASIN: B003WTE886

Summary

  This is a deluxe two CD collection with fourteen songs and eight bonus tracks. This album is Taylor Swift's thirds album. The singer and songwriter wrote the entire album on her own and co produced it with her long time friend and collaborator Nathan Chapman. Included is a beautiful embossed booklet filled with beautiful photographs, lyrics and hand written notes by Taylor Swift.

Review

  I am a fan by proxy. My 7 year old daughter loves Taylor Swift and we purchased this album on the day it was released. Listeners cannot help but sing along with these catchy tunes and beautiful lyrics. It is hard to believe that she is so young but has been through so much.

Genre

Music- CD

Interest Level

Tween-Adult

Similar Artists

Selena Gomez

Demi Lovato

 Miley Cyrus
Awards
Wow. Way too many to even go through! Here is a link to each and every one. These include those that are nominated, pending, and won. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Taylor_Swift

Readers Annotation

Finally, someone all ages can relate too.

Here's to you Rachel Robinson by Judy Blume

Blume, J. (1993). Here's to you rachel robinson. New York: Delacourt Books.

Plot

This is the sequel to Blume's book, Just as Long as We're Together, and it features the same trio of friends, Stephanie, Rachel, and Alison as they try and make heads and tales of their changing world. In this book, Rachel's perfect world is thrown upside down as her brother is kicked out of boarding school forces his volatile behavior on his sister and parents. During this time, Rachel is also trying to balance the pressure of school, awakening sexuality, and changing personalities.

Review

This is a simple and direct way of telling the story of a tween growing up in a world that throws curve ball after curve ball. Although the character of Rachel is far from ordinary, middle school girls will be able to relate to the common obstacles teen girls go through. I remember reading this book thinking that their had never been a character that I could relate to, until I found Rachele Robinson. We had the same name, we both played the flute, we were both over achievers, and we both were going through so much at such a young age. Even though this book has been challenged for its references to sexuality and topics that some think too risque for tweens, I think that tweens are already made aware of them and need to read about others going through the same thing. 

Genre

Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Reading Level/Interest Age

5th-8th grade/ Tween

Similar Books

Forever- Judy Blume

P.S Longer Letter Later- Paula Dazinger

Someone Like You- Sarah Dessen

Characters

Rachel Robinson- Female protagonist who is a perfectionist and overachiever. Her life is turned upside down when her brother is forced to come after being kicked out from his boarding school.

Stephanie Hirsch- Rachel's best friend since the third grade. 

Charles Robinson- Rachel's brother who is a problem maker and takes the attention away from Rachel. 

Paul Mediros- Rachel brother's older tutor who Rachel develops a crush on. 

Jeremy "The Dragon" Kravitz- Rachel, Alison, and Stephanie's crush of middle school. To the surprise of the girls, he develops his own crush on Rachel. 

Readers Annotation

Rachel Robinson has everything that she has worked so hard for, a great family, true friends, and her middle school crush is crushing back, but despite all of this, Rachel is as lost as ever. Will she be able to achieve her goals without losing herself?

Just as Long as We are Together by Judy Blume

Blume, J. (1991). Just as long as we're together. New York: Laurel Leaf.

Plot

Stephanie has always had Rachel as her best friend and she was someone she told everything to and did everything with, that was until Alison moves in. Now, secrets are kept from another during a time when Stephanie needs her best friend the most. This book touches on middle school angst such as, divorce, friendships, first crushes, and body changes such as weight gain and menstration. Stephanie and her friends are trying to keep with the never ending changes of their bodies, minds, and hearts and they know they will be fine as long as they are together.

Review

Awww..memories. This has to be one of my favorite books of all my tween years (and a guilty pleasure now). This book taught me and will teach other tweens all about body image, friendship, crushes, drama, and sexuality in a tween friendsly type of way. This book is poignant, hilarious, and truthful. Let's face it, drama always happens with friends and this is a great book that tweens can relate to and learn from. There are true friends out there and this books proves just that. There have been challenges to this book because of the references to sex and kissing, but I truly believe that this is an appropriate book for tweens.

Genre

Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Reading Level/Interest Age

5th-8th grade/ Tweens

Similar Books

Are You There God, It's Me Maragret- Judy Blume

Here's to you Rachel Robinson- Judy Blume

Beacon Street Girls series- Annie Bryant

Characters

Stephanie Hirsch- The protagonist who is best friends with Rachel Robsinon. She finds out that her parents are separating and her father has a girlfriend, she is starting middle school, has put on ten pounds and started menstruating.

Rachel Robinson- Stephanie's best friend who is great at anything. She is an overachiever who like Stephanie, has started changing in more ways than one and she is hoping their friendship can last through it all.

Alison Monceau- The new girl who moves into the condos where both Rachel and Stephanie live. She is a free spirit who attracts both boys and girls. She doesn't mean to get in the middle of their friendship and will try anything to save it.

Readers Annotation

This book will tug at your heart strings as it teaches you about love and loss and the way that true friendship mends all holes.