The Clique

Lembeck, M. (2008). The Clique. DVD, Warner Home Video.

ASIN: B001H1I8KK
$27.98

Viewer's Annotation: Claire and Massie struggle to share the same house, school and friends.

Summary: Following the same basic plot as the first book of the Clique series by Lisi Harrison, the DVD begins with Claire moving into Massie's parent's guest house. Massie is the leader of the most popular clique at her school and Claire lacks the popularity prowess to keep up. Massie treats Claire badly and Claire eventually stoops pretty low to get her back. By the end, each has been kinder to the other than they might have thought possible.

Genre: movie, popularity, friends, new school, family, fiction,

Series : So far, only the first book of the series has been made into a movie.

Evaluation: An enjoyable flick, but not as good as the book.

Why it belongs in a Tween Collection: The Clique books are huge and though their content isn't enlightening or redeeming, a tween librarian will want to have them on the shelves. The same can be said of the movie version.

Watchalikes :

• Mean Girls
  
• High School Musical
  

Other Useful Info:

• Clique Movie Website
• Trailer:

Reviews:
from Amazon:

Amazon.com
Based on the popular The Clique Book series by Lisi Harrison, The Clique is an entertaining, if somewhat familiar film about a 12-year-old girl whose need to fit in threatens to overshadow her inherent sense of self. Massie (Elizabeth McLaughlin) is the undisputed leader of a clique dubbed "The Pretty Committee" and she and her fellow clique-mates Alicia, Dylan, and Kristen are completely obsessed by high fashion and being the most popular girls in the exclusive Octavian Country Day School for girls. Florida transplant Claire Lyons (Ellen Marlow) is the ultimate in fashion don'ts and when she moves into Massie's guest house and enrolls in her school, it quickly becomes apparent that Massie will stop at nothing to prove her own superiority and make Claire's life miserable. Claire wants nothing more than to fit in and be accepted at her new school, so when befriending Massie doesn't work, she turns to scheming and playing the four friends against one another in an effort to supersede Massie as the queen of popularity. The problem is, Claire's efforts to displace Massie have some very negative effects on Alicia, Dylan, Kristen, her relationship with her mother, and even Claire's ability to like herself. In the end, Claire realizes the importance of being true to oneself and there's the slightest glimmer of hope that even Massie might just consider changing her ways--or not. Something of a The Devil Wears Prada for kids meets Mean Girls, The Clique is a surprisingly likeable film that features a scrumptious palate of tween-sized high couture; healthy doses of insecurity, attitude, and angst; good acting; and an important message about believing in oneself. Bonus features include a featurette on casting the movie with executive producer Tyra Banks and director Michael Lembeck, interviews with the main characters and author Lisi Harrison, a 9-minute exploration of tween couture with Tyra Banks, casting contest winners, gag reel, and Clique Girlz in the studio recording "Here With Me Now." (Ages 7 to 14) --

So Totally Emily Ebbers by Lisa Yee

Yee, L. (2007). So Totally Emily Ebers. (p. 304). Arthur A. Levine Books.

ISBN:0439838479

Price :$16.99 hardback

Reader's Annotation: Emily makes friends at her new school, some of whom are worth keeping, and others that aren't so great.

Summary: Everything is new in Emily's life. She and her mom have moved across country, without her dad. She's started volleyball, which she wasn't at all interested in. Her dad sent her a credit card, for "emergency uses." With her new-found spending power, Emily's making new friends at her school, but she's also getting into trouble with her card. There is a girl on her volleyball team, Millicent, who also doesn't want to be there, and she might be a good friend, but she sure has some secrets. And then there is Stanford Wong, a cute boy who catches Emily's eye. All in all, life is turned around for Emily, but maybe, maybe something good will come out of it.

Genre: book, family, friends, fiction, identity, new school, popularity, series

Series : This book is part of a trilogy. The other two books are Millicent Min Girl Genius and Stanford Wong Flunks Big Time. All three stories retell the same events from the perspectives of each character, so they can be read in any order.

Evaluation: This is a great choice for tweens. Emily is a perfect example of tweendom, sometimes shockingly wise, and other times glaringly dense.

Why it belongs in a Tween Collection: New school drama, popularity concerns, crushes, and plenty of fashion talk make this a tween staple. Two things I liked about Emily: 1) everyone admits she has a great sense of style, but she's not instantly popular for it. 2) She talks about wearing a double digit dress size, and she's fine with it. Great role model.

Readalikes :

• A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban
  
• Allie Finkel's Rules for Girls books by Meg Cabot
  

Other Useful Info:

• Lisa Yee's Website

Reviews:
From School Library Journal
Grade 5–7—It's Emily Ebers's turn to tell about the summer she meets Millicent Min and Stanford Wong, each of whom has charmed readers in earlier books. Emily, who is effervescent and enthusiastic, has her own story to tell. She's just moved to Rancho Rosetta, CA, from New Jersey after her parents' divorce. She directs a lot of anger and unhappiness against her mom, who is also reeling from the change. She writes down her thoughts and feelings in a journal for her dad, who is on the road with a revival tour of his old rock band and has sent the 12-year-old a credit card for her birthday. Emily befriends Millicent at a girls' summer volleyball league where they're the worst players. The rapport between the girls is delightful, as Millie shares her idiosyncratic take on her hometown. Emily meets Stanford and assumes that he is tutoring Millie. When she finds out that her new friends have misled her about the situation, her disappointment is palpable. As in Millicent Min, Girl Genius (2003) and Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time (2005, both Scholastic), family is vitally important. In the end, Emily patches things up with her mom and realizes that some changes can be good, even though they may not work out as expected. It's a good message for preteens, as is Emily's insistence on treating others with kindness. Although this book stands on its own, kids will get more pleasure if they read the other two first. With a baby sister on the way for Millicent Min, dare we hope for another sequel?—Tina Zubak, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA

The Arrival by Shaun Tan

Tan, S. (2007). The Arrival. (p. 128). Arthur A. Levine Books.

ISBN: 0439895294

$19.99 Hardback

Reader's Annotation: A father leaves his family for a foreign land in hopes of creating a better life.

Summary: The Arrival is an immigration story. The protagonist leaves his family behind to forge a better life for them in a strange, downright fantastical, new land. There are no words in this story, only a foreign alphabet, which gives the reader an idea of what it would be like to struggle in a place where you didn't speak the language. The protagonist finds a job in a massive factory and begins to make new friends, though he obviously misses his family very much. Though the sepia toned pictures that seem to come from an old family album, the reader understands how much struggling goes into setting up a life in a new place.

Genre: adventure, family, fantasy, fiction, graphic novel, friends, identity

Series : This graphic novel is not part of a series.

Evaluation: This is a lovely example of a compelling story with absolutely no words. Beautifully executed, and this book will make readers cry.

Why it belongs in a Tween Collection: This immigration story is one that will be familiar to most readers but it is told in a way that is unlike any other book. Tan's graphic novel is a stunning example of visual storytelling, and thus a fantastic choice for reluctant readers. There is nothing "easy" about this rich and complex story, but the lack of words makes it perfect for those who struggle with reading.

Readalikes :

• The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
  
• The Absolutely True Diaries of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
  

Other Useful Info:
Shaun Tan's Webpage

Reviews:

from Booklist
*Starred Review* Recipient of numerous awards and nominations in Australia, The Arrival proves a beautiful, compelling piece of art, in both content and form. Tan (The Lost Thing, 2004) has previously produced a small body of off-kilter, frequently haunting stories of children trapped in surreal industrial landscapes. Here, he has distilled his themes and aesthetic into a silent, fantastical masterpiece. A lone immigrant leaves his family and journeys to a new world, both bizarre and awesome, finding struggle and dehumanizing industry but also friendship and a new life. Tan infuses this simple, universal narrative with vibrant, resonating life through confident mastery of sequential art forms and conventions. Strong visual metaphors convey personal longing, political suppression, and totalitarian control; imaginative use of panel size and shape powerfully depicts sensations and ideas as diverse as interminable waiting, awe-inspiring majesty, and forlorn memories; delicate alterations in light and color saturate the pages with a sense of time and place. Soft brushstrokes and grand Art Deco–style architecture evoke a time long ago, but the story's immediacy and fantasy elements will appeal even to readers younger than the target audience, though they may miss many of the complexities. Filled with subtlety and grandeur, the book is a unique work that not only fulfills but also expands the potential of its form. Karp, Jesse

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Alexie, S. (2007). The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (p. 240). Little, Brown Young Readers.

ISBN:0316013684

Price :$16.99 hardback

Reader's Annotation: Arnold Spirit decides to attend the white school instead of the reservation school and has to live with the reactions of his friends and family.

Summary: Life on the rez was pretty straightforward for Arnold Spirit. He played basketball with his good friend Rowdy, drew cartoons, went to school, and dealt with his family. When a teacher at his school encouraged him to dream bigger, to try harder, Arnold decided to change schools, and to travel long distances every day to attend the white kid school outside the reservations boundaries. Now, at school, he's an outcast, because he's the only Indian there. Worse, at home, he's also sort of an outcast, because it seems like he betrayed his people to go to the white school. Things get even more complicated with his family situtation, but ultimately, Arnold has to find a way to balance his Indian heritage with the desire to have a better life.

Genre: book, coming of age, family, fiction, friends, identity, new school

Series : This book is not part of a series.

Evaluation: This book is heartbreaking at times but impossible to put down.

Why it belongs in a Tween Collection: Being a tween is about being stuck between two worlds, and Arnold's story will speak to that. The drawings make the book more appealing to struggling readers, and the humor makes the pathos more palatable.

Readalikes :

• The Arrival by Shaun Tan
  
• The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt
  

Other Useful Info:

• Sherman Alexi's Website

Reviews:
From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 7–10—Exploring Indian identity, both self and tribal, Alexie's first young adult novel is a semiautobiographical chronicle of Arnold Spirit, aka Junior, a Spokane Indian from Wellpinit, WA. The bright 14-year-old was born with water on the brain, is regularly the target of bullies, and loves to draw. He says, "I think the world is a series of broken dams and floods, and my cartoons are tiny little lifeboats." He expects disaster when he transfers from the reservation school to the rich, white school in Reardan, but soon finds himself making friends with both geeky and popular students and starting on the basketball team. Meeting his old classmates on the court, Junior grapples with questions about what constitutes one's community, identity, and tribe. The daily struggles of reservation life and the tragic deaths of the protagonist's grandmother, dog, and older sister would be all but unbearable without the humor and resilience of spirit with which Junior faces the world. The many characters, on and off the rez, with whom he has dealings are portrayed with compassion and verve, particularly the adults in his extended family. Forney's simple pencil cartoons fit perfectly within the story and reflect the burgeoning artist within Junior. Reluctant readers can even skim the pictures and construct their own story based exclusively on Forney's illustrations. The teen's determination to both improve himself and overcome poverty, despite the handicaps of birth, circumstances, and race, delivers a positive message in a low-key manner. Alexie's tale of self-discovery is a first purchase for all libraries.—Chris Shoemaker, New York Public Library

Discovery Girls

Discovery Girls. Discovery Girls Inc.

ISSN:1535-3230

Price :$27.00 for 6 issues/year

Reader's Annotation: Discovery Girls is created by and for girls ages 7-12.

Summary: Discovery Girls has articles about middle school, friends, celebrities, hairstyles, contests, quizzes and advice columns. Much of the content is informative and education, but there are also some articles about fashion trends and celebrities. Each issue features "Discovery Girls" from a particular state. This is a diverse group of girls that have been selected to help develop the content of the issue and have a photo shoot adventure with the magazine's adult staff.

Genre: magazine, friends, family, identity, siblings, popularity

Series : This magazine is published by the Discovery group folks.

Evaluation: A solid choice for tween readers, I actually enjoyed it more than American Girl, just because when I sit down with a magazine, I do like a few hairstyling tips. They could put hairstyling tips in National Geographic, and I'd think the magazine was better for it.

Why it belongs in a Tween Collection: This is a magazine that tweens enjoy reading. It has some info on Miley Cyrus mixed in with book reviews and suggestions on volunteering in your community. It's a good compromise for parents and tween girls.

Readalikes :

• New Moon
  
• American Girls
  

Other Useful Info:

• Discovery Girs Website

Reviews:

--

American Girl Magazine

American Girl. Pleasant Company.

ISSN:1062-7812

Price :$27.00 for 6 issues

Reader's Annotation: Created just for tweens, American Girl is an age-appropriate alternative to teen magazines.

Summary: American Girl magazine has all the same stuff teen magazines have, but with the content dialed down to be appropriate for tween readers. There are feature stories, quizzes, advice columns, games and crafts, and content developed by readers. Each issue is organized around a central theme, such as "pets" or "save the Earth," and has 40-70 pages of ad-free content. The articles are upbeat and focus on girls developing their self-esteem, without being overly preachy.

Genre: magazine, friends, family, identity, siblings

Series : This magazine is published by the American Girl folks, but it doesn't connect with their historical fiction series in any way.

Evaluation: A solid choice for tween readers, and I don't mind flipping through one on my lunch hour either.

Why it belongs in a Tween Collection: This is a magazine that tweens enjoy reading (all the issues at my library are falling apart they've been read so often) and the most parents will get behind as a reading option. The articles are smart and positive.

Readalikes :

• New Moon
  
• Discovery Girls
  

Other Useful Info:

• American Girl Website

Reviews:

--

Fly Away Home

Ballard, C. (2001). Fly Away Home. DVD, Sony Pictures.

ASIN: B00005LK94
$14.94

Viewer's Annotation: Fourteen year old Amy Alden and her dad lead a flock of geese on their annual migration using ultralight planes.

Summary: When Amy's mom dies in a car accident, she moves from New Zealand to Canada to live with her dad. She has a hard time adjusting to life at her dad's house. He is an inventor and sculptor and a pilot of ultralight planes. He also has a girlfriend he failed to mention. When developers knock down part of the woodland nearby, Amy finds several goose eggs that have been abandoned by their mother. She collects and incubates them until they hatch. When her dad, Thomas, discovers the hatchlings, he asks a local game warden for advice. The warden points out that the geese, raised without geese parents, will not know how to migrate. They will have the urge to fly, but will become disoriented and lost when they take off. Amy and Thomas decide they will lead the geese on their annual migration in ultralight planes.

Genre: movie, environment, adventure, family

Series : This movie is not part of a series.

Evaluation: One of the best movies I watched for this project.

Why it belongs in a Tween Collection: Amy is a daring and likable heroine and tweens will probably find her inspiring. The environmental message will also speak to a tween audience. If neither of those two things call out to tween viewers, there is also about an hour of cute gosling footage, sure to win anyone over. This is another great family movie.

Watchalikes :

• Flicka
• Moondance Alexander
  

Other Useful Info:

• Fly Away Home IMDB page
  

Reviews:
From Common Sense Media

FLY AWAY HOME is a thrilling adventure, exquisitely told, by the same director and photographer who made The Black Stallion. Ballard has the patience to let the story tell itself, and the quiet moments are breathtakingly beautiful and heartbreakingly touching.

Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

Lowry, L. (2006). Gathering Blue. (p. 240). Delacorte Books for Young Readers.

ISBN:0385732562

Price :$8.95 paperback

Reader's Annotation: Kira is alone after her mother dies and must survive among the villagers who would normally leave a crippled girl to die in the forest.

Summary: Kira's mother has just died, and her father died long ago, attacked by beasts. Kira, who has a deformed leg, would normally be left to die in the forest. When she returns from burying her mother, her neighbors are fighting over her possessions. A council of the Guardians is called to determine the fate of Kira and her land. At the Council, a man named Jamison speaks of Kira's talent with needlepoint. She is offered the chance to live in the Edifice and work on a great task, repairing the Singer's robe. She is pleased at first. She has a comfortable place to live, plenty to eat, and friends to talk to. As she learns more about the Guardians, however, she begins to question everything about the way Village has been run. When she meets Christopher, a blind man living on the other side of Forest, she discovers the secret of her own past.

Genre: family, fantasy, fiction, friends, identity, mystery, series

Series : Though this book can be read as a stand alone, it is part of trilogy that also includes The Giver and The Messenger.

Evaluation: All three of the books in this series are simply written, but powerful in their message.

Why it belongs in a Tween Collection: Lois Lowry is a well known tween author with a variety of styles and characters. Readers who loved her Anastasia Krumpnik books when they were younger will enjoy reading some of her works for older readers. Also, these are good choices for readers with a capacity to understand a complex plot and big ideas but who might have some trouble reading. The prose is simple, the ideas are huge.

Readalikes :

• Skellig by David Almond
  
• Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit
  

Other Useful Info:

• Lois Lowry's Website

Reviews:
From School Library Journal
Grade 5-9-In Kira's community, people's cotts, or homes, are burned after an illness. After her mother dies suddenly, homeless Kira finds her former neighbors coveting the land where her cott once stood. They also resent that Kira, who was born with a deformed leg, wasn't abandoned at birth, in accordance with the society's rules. The Council of Guardians recognizes her skill at embroidery and lets her live in the Council Edifice, the one large old building left after the Ruin. Her job is to repair and restore the robe that the Singer wears during the annual Gathering that recounts the history of her community and to complete a blank section, which is to depict the future. When her young friend Matt journeys "yonder" and returns with the plants Kira needs to create blue dye and knowledge of a wider world, she pieces together the truth. The power-hungry Guardians have lied and manipulated the villagers in order to maintain their status. Kira is united with her father, whom she had believed was dead, but decides to stay at the Edifice until she embroiders a peaceful future on the robe. As in Lowry's The Giver (Houghton, 1993), the young protagonist is chosen by powerful adults to carry out an important task; through the exploration of this responsibility, knowledge grows, and a life-altering choice must be made. Lowry has once again created a fully realized world full of drama, suspense, and even humor. Readers won't forget these memorable characters or their struggles in an inhospitable world.-Ellen Fader, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR MCNICOLL, Sylvia. Bringing Up Beauty. 204p. CIP. Stoddart. 2000. pap. $5.95. ISBN 0-7736-7479-9. LC C99-930791-6. Grade 4-6-A story of love, responsibility, growing up, and letting go. Elizabeth and her family have signed up as puppy trainers for Canine Vision Canada. It is their duty to teach an ungainly black Lab some of the elementary commands and behaviors she will need in order to become a guide dog, and most of the responsibility has fallen on Elizabeth. While she trains Beauty, the dog teaches her some useful lessons that help her deal with turning 13, finding and going beyond her first crush, and coping with loss. Elizabeth's voice is often too mature for a 12-year-old, and the story is sometimes overwritten. The real strength here is the bond that McNicoll develops between Beauty and Elizabeth. It is strong and heartwarming, resulting in an emotionally satisfying read.
Randi Hacker, Montgomery Elementary School, VT

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

Hale, S. (2008). Book of a Thousand Days (Unabridged, 6 discs). Full Cast Audio.

ISBN:1599900513

Price :$17.95 hardback

Reader's Annotation: The Lady Saren and her maid Dashti are locked in a tower for seven years, because Saren wouldn't marry the man her father chose for her.

Summary: On her first day as a lady's maid, Dashti chooses to endure confinement with the Lady Saren. Saren is to be locked in a tower for seven years, as punishment for refusing the man her father has chosen for her to marry. Though they are locked away from the world, Dashti and the Lady Saren have food and supplies enough to last. Dashti tries to keep Lady Saren's spirits up, and she keeps a journal of their time in the tower. Then the girls get two visitors. One is the man Saren would like to marry, and the other is the man her father had chosen. In both cases, Saren makes Dashti pretend to be her, to speak to the men through the small opening in the wall of the tower. Saren and Dashti eventually break free of the tower, but the land they knew is gone, replaced by scorched fields of war. Dashti leads Saren on a quest for answers.

Genre: audiobook, action, book, fairy tale, family, fantasy, fiction, friends, love story, identity, royalty, war

Series : This book is not part of a series.

Evaluation: Another fantastic adaptation of a lesser-known fairy tale by Shannon Hale.

Why it belongs in a Tween Collection: Shannon Hale already has a strong following of tween readers, for her books The Goose Girl and The Princess Academy, among others. Her fans will be anxious to get her hands on this books as well.

Readalikes :

• Princess Ben by Catherine Murdock
• Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
  

Other Useful Info:

• Shannon Hale's Website

Reviews:
from Booklist

The author of the Newbery Honor Book Princess Academy (2005) offers another captivating fantasy filled with romance, magic, and strong female characters. The story, based on a little-known fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm, takes place in an imagined ancient Central Asia. Orphaned Dashti is a hardworking, pragmatic girl, who grew up in the open, windswept steppes. She finds work in the city with a young noblewoman, Lady Saren. Then Lady Saren refuses an advantageous marriage, and as punishment, she and Dashti are sentenced to seven years in a sealed tower. A tiny window is the tower’s only connection to the outside world, and it’s there that Saren’s two suitors, the terrifying Khasar and the handsome Tegus, come calling. Written in diary form in Dashti’s voice, the gripping tale follows the two young women through their imprisonment and their escape into a grim world of warring societies. Readers will quickly embrace Dashti, an invincible storybook heroine with a healer’s touch, who accomplishes battlefield heroics while nurturing a powerful, secret love for a lord. Fans of Gail Carson Levin’s Fairest (2006) will embrace this similar mix of exotic, fully realized setting; thrilling, enchanted adventure; and heart-melting romance.

— Gillian Engberg

Princess Ben by Catherine Murdock

Murdock, C. (2008). Princess Ben. (p. 344). Houghton Mifflin.

ISBN:0618959718

Price :$16.00 hardback

Reader's Annotation: Benevolence never wanted to be a princess, but when her parents were killed she became the unwilling heir to the throne.

Summary: Princess Benevolence led a fairly quiet life. She and her parents lived in town, rather than at the castle, and she stayed out of the way of the court. Until the day her parents and the king were all killed by assassins. Ben moved into the castle and under the watchful eye of her Aunt Sophia, who is determined to turn the grieving Ben into a "proper" princess, and a puppet monarch. Sophia has ideas about Ben's demeanor and her figure, and her methods are harsh. Then Ben discovers a secret room off behind her own tower prison. Inside there is a spell book, and Ben begins to study magic. Ultimately, Ben will have to use all her royal skills, and her unroyal skills, to save her kingdom.

Genre: book, fairy tale, fantasy, fiction, family, love story, magic, war

Series : This book is not part of a series.

Evaluation: This is a good modern fairy tale with a spunky heroine. I was slightly disappointed that I didn't end up loving this book as much as I loved Dairy Queen and The Off Season, but it was still a good read.

Why it belongs in a Tween Collection: A new generation of princess stories, with smart girls and magic, has been a hit with tween readers. This one will be no exception.

Readalikes :

• Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
• The Goose Girl or The Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
• The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley (for older readers)
  

Other Useful Info:

• Catherine Murdock's Website

Reviews:

from Young Adults Books Central

A Bewitching Tale
a review by Ed Goldberg

In this fairytale, fifteen-year-old Princess Ben’s mother and her uncle, the King, are killed while on their annual trip to visit her grandfather’s tomb. Her father disappears and his whereabouts are unknown. It was assumed that Drachensbett, the neighboring country, is involved in the attack as they have been trying to annex Montagne for centuries. Ben is immediately moved from her small home into the castle and, under the tutelage of the Queen Regent Sophia, she begins to learn what it takes to be a queen…or rather what it takes to attract a potential husband who would make a good strategic alliance for Montagne. This involves comportment, dancing, table manners befitting royalty (i.e. eating very little and carrying on meaningless conversation). Unfortunately, her round figure and rebellious attitude frighten away most promising suitors.

Ben was used to running free while her parents were alive; used to a very loving family. The castle and its inhabitants are cold, bossy, clammy and totally uninviting. She doesn’t want a husband. She wants to do something important. After a particularly rebellious dinner, Queen Sophia has enough and decides to teach Ben a lesson. Ben is removed from her luxurious bedroom suite, moved to a tiny room at the top of a long, round stairway of stone and forced to sleep on a bed of straw. She is at the uppermost point of the highest tower in Chateau de Montagne. Hopefully her bleak surroundings will cause some introspection.

The walls in Chateau de Montagne are made of thick stone and each room has an antechamber two to three feet wide. Unintentionally, Ben finds that these thick walls hide secret stairwells, one of which leads to a room equipped for a witch, complete with a book of spells. Ben becomes intrigued and begins studying witchcraft every chance she gets. It is with this magic that Ben will fulfill her goal of doing something important.

Murdock, author of Dairy Queen and The Off Season, two excellent books, has written another winner in Princess Ben. The characters are marvelous. The story is exciting. The action is captivating. The writing is superb and descriptive. Readers will love Princess Ben and root for her to triumph and become the queen she is destined to be. Catherine Gilbert Murdock is one of my favorite writers and Princess Ben reminds me of another of my favorite writers, Shannon Hale, author of Princess Academy, Goose Girl, and Book of a Thousand Days. You will want to read Princess Ben in one sitting, it’s that good.

Peeled by Joan Bauer

Bauer, J. (2008). Peeled. (1st ed., p. 256). Putnam Juvenile.

ISBN: 0399234756

Price :$16.99 hardcover

Reader's Annotation: Hildy Biddle is a teenage investigative journalist who is determined to get to the bottom of the mysterious haunted house in her small town.

Summary: Hildy lives in Banesville, a community of apple farmers. The last few years have seen bad crops, and the growers are nervous. Not to mention, there are strange things happening at the Old Ludlow House. The rumors say the place is haunted. Hildy, who is an investigative reporter isn't buying this story. She begins asking questions that upset some people in her town. A big company wants to buy some of the local apple farms and redevelop. Hildy's school newspaper is shut down. As Hildy continues to search for answers about the Ludlow house and the company seeking to buy orchards, the community becomes more and more divided. With the help of her family and some good friends, though, Hildy continues her quest for the truth.

Genre: mystery, environment, family, fiction, friends, love story

Series : This book is not part of a series, though it will certainly feel familiar to fans of Joan Bauer.

Evaluation: I'm a huge Joan Bauer fan, and love that her books are populated with hard working teen girls and solid family relationships. This one wasn't one of my favorite Joan Bauer books, but it's still a great read.

Why it belongs in a Tween Collection: This book has a mystery at its heart, so fans of Nancy Drew and other tween slueths will find it a good fit. Also, Bauer always creates a great main character and supporting cast that will appeal to tween readers.


Readalikes :

• Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass
  
• Hoot by Carl Hiassen
  

Other Useful Info:

• Joan Bauer's Website

Reviews:
from Teenreads.com

Rumors of a haunted house ignite the curiosity of teen reporter Hildy Biddle. She starts investigating the story only to have her school newspaper shut down. What Hildy uncovers and how she overcomes the obstacles that would have her silenced are at the core of Joan Bauer's new book, PEELED.

Bauer regularly writes about adolescents who work. Her Newbery Honor book HOPE WAS HERE is about a teen waitress. RULES OF THE ROAD features a young shoe salesperson. PEELED ambitiously takes on the subject of investigative reporting and responsible journalism.

The book is set in the community of Banesville, which has an economy almost entirely dependent on apple growers. Several bad harvests have the farmers and the town struggling. The mayor keeps promising a community redevelopment project without providing any details. The ensuing conflict --- pitting town farmers against the forces of commerce with an inevitable showdown against a bulldozer --- has a hint of melodrama some readers may have encountered before.

The story's villains --- a turban-wearing psychic, a muckraking journalist who goes by the name of Pen Piedmont, and an unscrupulous mayor --- are also stock characters from melodrama, as is the mysterious “haunted” house at the center of the controversy.

It is the other characters in the novel --- the “good guys” --- who make PEELED worth reading. Hildy's plucky heroism puts her in the company of other teenage sleuths. What makes her unique is her methods of investigation and reporting. Her extensive research and interviewing techniques provide excellent models for effective and responsible investigative journalism. Her journalism teacher --- a man who is clearly far more experienced and talented than his work as an advisor for a school newspaper would indicate --- is also an intriguing, original character.

But Hildy's biggest supporter is Minska, a Polish immigrant who grew up under Poland's repressive Communist regime. Minska tells her about Poland's solidarity movement and the prominent role female journalists played in the underground press:

"'They called the women in the underground press the Dark Circles,' she said. 'because they didn't get enough sleep; they wrote night and day. When you have something so important, something that you'll stay awake for, something you know that you were designed to do, well, it's worth getting a few dark circles, don't you think?'"

Drawing inspiration from Minska's stories about Poland's solidarity movement, Hildy and the rest of her school newspaper's staff run their underground newspaper from the back room of Minska's restaurant. Together they provide the momentum to get other members of the community to stand up for themselves.

PEELED works best as a fable about a community facing a campaign of fear-mongering to influence their behavior to the advantage of those who would control them. The book takes the often tedious work of investigative reporting and makes it interesting and relevant to the experience of young people. It is also a reminder that teens are an important part of every community and that the work they do matters.

Molly: An American Girl on the Homefront

Chopra, J. (2006). Molly - An American Girl on the Home Front. DVD, Warner Home Video.

ASIN: B000HEWEFS
$19.98

Viewer's Annotation: Molly wants to help the soldiers fighting oversees any way she can, but mostly by dancing Miss Victory in the school show.

Summary: Molly McIntire from the series of books by American Girl has come to the big screen. Molly is a typical tween living during the second World War. She and her friends go to school, watch movies, roller skate, and dream about their favorite teacher's wedding. They also practice black out drills, roll bandages, skip tea parties because there are no rations, and help sell war bonds. Molly's father is a doctor who ships out to England. Then her mother goes to work on an airplane assembly line. Then, her family takes in Emily, a refugee from England. Through it all, Molly is generous, but real and familiar. What she wants most is to star as Miss Victory in the school concert, to use her tap dance skills to show support for the soldiers fighting overseas.

Genre: family, friends, historical fiction, movie

Series : This movie is not part of a series, but it based on the Molly books which are part of the prolific American Girl series.

Evaluation: A great film--it took me four tissues to finish it.

Why it belongs in a Tween Collection: Like Kit Kittredge, this movie has a great mix of story and history, which will get tweens interested in life during World War II. Molly is so familiar, it's impossible not to sympathize with her situation, and tweens will wonder what their lives would have been like in 1943.

Watchalikes :

• Kit Kittredge
  
• Nim's Island
  

Other Useful Info:

• Official Molly movie page
  

Reviews:
New York Times TV review
Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front
A Girl, a War and a Bunch of Gentle Lessons

By ANITA GATES
Published: November 24, 2006

“Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front” is to sincere as “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is to camp. So it’s both odd and satisfying, while watching this sweet holiday television movie (Sunday night on the Disney Channel), to come upon a “Mommie Dearest” moment.

When little Molly McIntire (Maya Ritter) refuses to eat the turnips served at dinner, the neighbor looking after her and her siblings orders her to sit at the table until she has cleaned her plate. “Which means I’ll be here until I die,” Molly announces woefully.

But unlike Christina Crawford, Molly has a mother (played by Molly Ringwald) who is willing to compromise. When Mom comes home from her job at the airplane factory, she warms up the turnips, mixing in a little butter and sugar (to heck with the rations!), and Molly happily finishes her meal.

It is wartime — 1944 to be exact — and Molly is learning about sacrifice, hardship, doing her part and the preciousness of family. As she does, viewers may be concerned about manipulation on more than one front.

First there’s Molly’s provenance. She is one of the dolls-with-historically-significant-back-stories that make up the lucrative American Girl empire. (The Fifth Avenue store has its own restaurant and its own on-site theater production, as well as floors of dolls, doll clothing, doll books and other accessories.) Clearly, at least one of the reasons the movie exists is to sell merchandise.

Then there’s the war. Granted, this is World War II, the one that even protesters in the Vietnam era could see as “the good war,” totally justified and noble. But it may seem to some viewers that Molly’s lessons in the necessity of the ultimate sacrifice are meant to persuade young viewers to see the current war in Iraq as equally noble.

Parents can talk to their children about that issue and then safely allow them to enjoy “Molly” for what it mostly is, a heartwarming, dreamlike vision of American small-town life six decades ago, with universal lessons around every corner.

In addition to loving her parents and tolerating her brother and sister, Molly has a rich life. She and her best friends go to the movies and learn about the world from the newsreels (in which young Princess Elizabeth of Britain makes a reassuring speech to children around the globe). They idolize a pretty young teacher, Miss Campbell (Sarah Manninen), and fantasize about her romance with and coming marriage to a handsome young soldier.

Molly desperately wants to win the lead in the big tap-dancing finale of the school’s Christmas show. She acknowledges that she isn’t a very good dancer but is willing to do whatever it takes to become one.

“I’ll practice day and night,” she announces, although she hates to practice. Her father (David Aaron Baker) supports her completely. “Once my girl makes up her mind, there’s no stopping her,” he tells her with an approving smile.

Molly’s trials include dealing with a wartime shortage of ice cream, saying a tearful goodbye to her father as he leaves for Britain, watching her mother take a job (horrors!) and, most intrusive of all, being forced to share her bedroom with a total stranger.

That stranger is Emily Bennett (Tory Green), a young refugee from London who modestly talks about living in a manor house and having the royal family to tea. (“It was only once.”) Not surprisingly, Molly’s resentment of Emily diminishes, and they become friends, even before Emily apologetically reveals her terrible secret.

“Molly: An American Girl” is poignant but carefully avoids difficult choices and long-term disappointment. A spelling bee that pits two major characters against each other is interrupted and declared a tie. Telegrams from the War Department arrive regularly, but really bad things happen only to minor characters. Hard work and sacrifice always pay off in victory. (Molly isn’t that great a tap dancer, but what are the odds of her winning the starring role in the show?) That, come to think of it, may be the most subversive message of all.

Nim's Island

Flackett, J., & Levin, M. (2008). Nim's Island. DVD, 20th Century Fox.

ASIN: B001APZMJI
$29.99

Viewer's Annotation: Nim must protect the secret island home she and her father inhabit from invaders while her father is stranded at sea.

Summary: Nim and her dad live on their own tropical island in the South Pacific. Nim's mom died when she was a baby, and her dad works a lot, so her friends are a seal, a lizard, and a pelican. When Nim's dad goes on a research expedition and gets shipwrecked, Nim is on her own. She writes to the author of her favorite novels, Alex Rover, asking for help from the great adventurer. What she doesn't realize is that the author, Alexandra Rover, doesn't even like to leave her apartment, let alone rescue kids stranded on remote islands. Then, Nim spots invaders headed towards her beach. She must keep the island secret and safe!

Genre: movie, adventure, family, fantasy,

Series : This movie is not part of a series, but it is based on the book by Wendy Orr.

Evaluation: Plenty of adventure, a good choice for families with tweens.

Why it belongs in a Tween Collection: This is another Abigail Breslin movie, so tweens who enjoyed Kit Kittredge may be interested in this film. Also, this is a great adventure title, with plenty of fantasy mixed in, so it's a good choice for thrill seekers or would be Swiss Family Robinsons.

Watchalikes :

• Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
  
• Swiss Family Robinson
  

Other Useful Info:

• Nim's Island on IMDB
• Trailer:
  
  

Reviews:
from The New York Times

If “Nim’s Island” were anything but a children’s movie, the casting genius who suggested Jodie Foster as a potential love interest for Gerard Butler would be looking for a new occupation. But miscasting isn’t the only problem with this sweet but ho-hum adaptation of Wendy Orr’s novel, a comedy-adventure that never quite finds its tone.

The island in question lies deep in the South Pacific (beautifully played by the Gold Coast of Australia) and is home to Nim (Abigail Breslin) and her father, Jack (Mr. Butler). Motherless and near-fatherless (Jack spends his days studying plankton), Nim amuses herself with a stable of performing pets and the literary adventures of an Indiana Jones-style hero named Alex Rover. When Jack is trapped by a storm at sea, and Nim sends an e-mail message to Rover for help, she’s unaware that the recipient is his agoraphobic creator, Alexandra (Ms. Foster).

Playing yet another tightly wound woman, Ms. Foster makes a slapstick meal of rushing to Nim’s aid. Yet this is a story about hiding from the world — whether on a remote island or inside your head — and the film’s sensitive notes are too often jarred by its attempts to score cheap comic points from sea lion flatulence and obese Australian tourists. The message that lifelong connections can be forged through books is a lovely one; too bad it’s obscured by flying lizards.

Kit Kittredge: An American Girl

Rozema, P. (2008). Kit Kittredge - An American Girl. DVD, New Line Cinema.

ASIN: B000WGVEAC
$28.98

Viewer's Annotation: Kit uses her ace reporting skills to help two friends who have been unfairly accused of stealing.

Summary: Kit Kittredge is nine years old during the Great Depression, and determined to be a reporter. There is plenty of news in her world. She and her friends have a treehouse club. Her mom has given work to two hobo children in exchange for food. Her dad has gone to Chicago to look for work. They have boarders living in their house now. Kit still finds time, after her chores to write to her father and to write articles for the Cincinnati newspaper. Then, two of her friends are accused of stealing, and Kit is sure they are innocent. Can she use her reporting skills to help her friends?

Genre: adventure, family, friends, historical fiction, movie

Series : This movie is not part of a series, but it based on the Kit Kittredge books which are part of the prolific American Girl series.

Evaluation: A sweet film with an amazing cast -- even my husband enjoyed it!

Why it belongs in a Tween Collection: Kit is nine years old, so this film may appeal more to younger tweens. Girls fresh from their American Girls years will want to see this film adaptation. It's a great choice for families, and a good way to get a glimpse of life during the Great Depression.

Watchalikes :

• Nim's Island
  
• Molly : An American Girl on the Homefront
  

Other Useful Info:

• Official Kit Kittredge movie page
  

Reviews:
from Newsweek

Three TV movies have been spun off the popular American Girl book series (and the dolls, outfits, accessories and furniture that accompany them). Now we have the first feature film, "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl," aimed squarely—in all senses of that word—at the female demographic that's too young for "Sex and the City" (3-to-12 is the American Girl target audience). The movie, like the books, is both history lesson and inspirational tale, filled with commendable life lessons.

Kit's story is set during the Great Depression, and comes complete with bank foreclosures, soup kitchens, hobos and photos of Eleanor Roosevelt. When the producers (who include Julia Roberts) dreamed up the project, they couldn't have predicted that it would reach the screens amidst the home mortgage crisis, soaring gas prices and NEWSWEEK cover stories on recession, all of which give director Patricia ("Mansfield Park") Rozema's film added resonance—at least for the parents in the audience, some of whom may have to explain to their daughters that the American Doll ensembles are a luxury few in the Depression could have afforded.

Kit, the plucky 9-year-old heroine, is played by "Little Miss Sunshine"'s Abigail Breslin in a blond wig (read an interview with Breslin here). Kit wants to be a reporter: her dream is to convince the cranky editor (Wallace Shawn) of the Cincinnati Register to publish her child's-eye view of the Depression. Over the course of the movie, she gets an eyeful. Her dad (Chris O'Donnell) loses his car dealership and heads to Chicago to search for work, while her mom (Julia Ormond) is forced to take in boarders (and sell eggs) to hang on to their home. The colorful boarders liven up Kit's life (and the movie) considerably: Stanley Tucci's traveling magician; Jane Krakowski's husband-hunting dance instructor; Glenn Headley's prim, censorious mom accompanied by her sensitive, big-eared son (Zach Mills), and Joan Cusack's ditsy librarian. There is also a cute stray basset hound Kit takes in, along with two young hobos (Max Theriot and Willow Smith), who will figure in the tale's mystery. A rash of robberies has been plaguing the neighborhood, and the finger of suspicion--fueled by anti-hobo hysteria—points to the two boys, at which point Kit merges her reportorial expertise with a touch of Nancy Drew to uncover the true villains.

Rozema has a soft, unhurried touch (even the bad guys are more clownish than truly threatening), and Ann Peacock's screenplay, based on the Valerie Tripp stories, takes its sweet, didactic time getting its mystery plot in gear. Whether young girls, used to jazzier movie editing, will find this pokey, is beyond my expertise, but I like that Rozema doesn't condescend to her target audience, and there are only a few moments when the cuteness gets out of hand. Breslin, so pitch perfect in "Little Miss Sunshine," was a little too much the professional kid actress in "Definitely, Maybe": with her wide, laser-beam eyes, she can turn on spunk like a spigot and has to be carefully directed. Here, surrounded by a formidable cast, her go-get-'em energy works well. As role models go, an aspiring journalist with a dawning social conscience beats Barbie any day.

Aquamarine

Allen, E. (2006). Aquamarine. DVD, 20th Century Fox.

ASIN: B000FCW15A
$14.98

Viewer's Annotation: Claire and Hailey agree to help a mermaid find someone to fall in love with her in just three days.

Summary: Best friends Claire and Hailey are crushed, as Hailey is scheduled to move to Australia in five days. They make a wish for a miracle to keep them together. What they get is a mermaid tossed into their swimming pool by a freak storm. Aquamarine, the mermaid, has struck a deal with her father. If she can prove the existence of love in three days, she doesn't have to marry them merman her father has chosen for her. Aquamarine offers Claire and Hailey a wish, if they will help her find someone to fall in love with her over the next three days.

Genre: movie, fairy tale, family, fantasy, friends, love story

Series : This movie is not part of a series, but it is loosely based on a novel by Alice Hoffman with the same title.

Evaluation: A lighthearted movie that will provide entertainment, if not enlightenment.

Why it belongs in a Tween Collection: All three of the actresses in this movie will be familiar to tweens, and that alone would be a draw. Combine the big names with a fairy tale love story, and you've got a winning combination. Probably bound to be a slumber party classic.

Watchalikes :

• Nancy Drew
• The Prince and Me
  

Other Useful Info:

• IMDB page for Aquamarine
  

Reviews:
from the Boston Globe
She lives in the sea, but still needs a hunk
By Wesley Morris 03/03/2006

I'm not a lust-ridden 'tween-age girl, but if I were and a mermaid happened to find her way into my swimming pool, the last thing I'd do is take her shopping and let her steal the boy of my dreams. But I'm catty and shallow. The two best friends in "Aquamarine" are sweet and fair. So when the bubbly Aquamarine (Sara Paxton) winds up in a Florida beach town after a storm, Claire (Emma Roberts, who's Eric's daughter and Julia's niece) and Hailey (the pop singer known as JoJo) try to give her what she wants. Love. Of course, at sundown Aqua's legs turn back into a tail, which means she doesn't have much time to find it.

According to Aqua, her father plans to marry her off to a merman she doesn't love. Dad doesn't believe love exists. She insists it does, and daddy gives her three days to prove it. The boy she picks is Raymond (Jake McDorman), the same permanently shirtless lifeguard Hailey and Claire have been wanting all summer. But if they help a mermaid, they get a wish, and since Hailey is about to move to Australia, they enlist in Project Love and plan to use their wish to stay together.

If I were these two I'd be wishing for filmmaking better than the ABC Family Channel stuff they've got. But 12-year-old girls won't care that some of the overdubbed dialogue in "Aquamarine" makes it seem like a lesser work of Italian neorealism. (The ones who do should write me. I might know some 13-year-old nerds who'd love to watch "Open City" with you.)

Most girls will just be pleased that Alice Hoffman's book has been faithfully adapted, that Roberts has inherited the family's good dental work, that Paxton is like Reese Witherspoon with a tail, and that JoJo is playing someone other than the underage vixen she does in her PG music videos. The town vamp is Cecilia (Arielle Kebbel), the dangerously tan, Mandy Moore-monster who is also in pursuit of Raymond. (He's the only boy in town worth wanting.) Girls will hate her, but if the intended audience is anything like Claire and Hailey, they will come to feel sorry for her, too.

"Aquamarine" is part "Splash" and part "Clueless" (when that dressing-room montage comes hurtling toward you, duck). But girls will know "Aquamarine" is unique because it's the rare movie that fiercely respects the altruistic loyalty that bonds girls to one another. Cute boys Hasselhoffing in slow motion on the sand come and go, but a best friend is forever.

Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass

Mass, W. (2008). Every Soul A Star (p. 336). Little, Brown Young Readers.

ISBN: 0316002569

Price : $15.99 hardcover

Reader's Annotation: Three fifteen year old strangers share two weeks and one life-altering experience at Moon Shadow Campground.

Summary: Ally has lived most of her life at the Moon Shadow Campground, which her parents bought when she was young because it would be in the path of a solar eclipse a decade or so after they bought it. Bree's parents are taking over the campground after the eclipse. This means Bree, who is beautiful and wants to be a model, will be living in the middle of nowhere and going to homeschool, while Ally, who doesn't remember to brush her hair most days will be moving to a public school in Chicago. Also, there's Jack, who is helping out on an eclipse tour to get out of going to summer school. He's a pudgy recluse who ends up in the middle of Ally and Bree's drama.

Genre: book, coming of age, family, fiction, friends, identity, love story, siblings

Series : This book is not part of a series.

Evaluation: I loved this book. I found the characters to be well realized, even beautiful Bree, and though the circumstances were unusual, I was willing to go along with the plot. I've already recommended this book to several tweens.

Why it belongs in a Tween Collection: I think multiple POV books are good choices for tweens, because it's good to understand a situation or story from different viewpoints, and what better way to do that than to have several people telling the same story. The characters in this book feel familiar, and readers will find themselves in Ally, Bree and Jack.


Readalikes :

• My One Hundred Adventures by Polly Horvath
  
• The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
  

Other Useful Info:

• Wendy Mass' Website

Reviews:

excerpt of School Library Journal Review, found in full here

I always enjoy a kid's book that works against my natural expectations of what's going to happen next. I mean, look at this equation: Popular girl meets unpopular girl at campground. There are only a couple of different ways you can go with a storyline like that, so Mass gets points for taking the road less traveled. For one thing, the kids in this book get along. I sort of expected this to be a novel where people fought, bickered, and came to learn about themselves through conflict. But this is a little different. The kids have essentially been tossed out onto their own by the adults in their lives, or have left those adults voluntarily for the first time. Adrift they end up clinging to people in similar situations. And Mass toys with her canny readers, TOYS I say! You simply cannot have a boy reading the Ray Bradbury story All Summer in a Day (it's never named but you know that's what it is) in the first act without implying that something similar is going to happen to him in the third. I won't give anything away, but it's nerve wracking to say the last.

Ally is one of the few homeschooled heroines I've found in middle grade fiction lately. That's neat. It's nice to have a detail like that interwoven with a tale about the death of the sun and that equally awesome event, our entrance into teenagerhood. And I really do think that you could sell this book equally well to the kid who loves books about science and realism as to the kid who'll only touch titles that contain fashion forward females. I could be wrong, but I think it's worth trying. Give it a look yourself. It's a pretty neat juggling act.