Smart Girls at the Party

Title: Smart Girls at the Party

Format: TV show/online

Review/Summary: Smart Girls at the Party is an Internet series created by Amy Poehler, Meredith Walker and Amy Miles. In each episode, Amy Poehler interviews a tween girl about her particular forte. The first episode, for example, features 10-year-old Cameron, who writes supernatural stories. Amy asks Cameron all about her writing techniques, writers' block, and future writing goals. It was funny to me, but only because I sounded exactly like Cameron when I was 10! Another episode features Anna, who is in 3rd grade and loves yoga. She takes the show creators outside to do some yoga, and works with each of them on their poses.

The show might turn off older tweens, if only because it features girls 9-12. Someone who is just getting out of that age group--who is perhaps 14 or 15--might not necessarily enjoy this. They might, but they might not identify with these girls anymore. For younger tweens, though--the 10 year olds and the 5th graders--would probably get a lot of encouragement out of Amy Poehler's interviews. If nothing else, they'll feel better about themselves and their own interests. Smart Girls at the Party's tagline reads: "Celebrating extraordinary individuals who are changing the world by being themselves." Poehler might be trying to turn girls on to new things, but I think she's more interested in reassuring tween girls that being themselves is completely okay.

The Secret Science Alliance

Title: The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook

Author: Eleanor Davis

ISBN: 1599903962

Summary/Review: Julian gets a second chance when he moves to a new school. No longer will he have to be Brainiac or Geek or Super Nerd! He tries really hard to be "normal" on his first few days, hoping to avoid getting stuffed into lockers or teased for being smart. But when he lets his guard down and begins babbling about aerodynamics during science class, the truth is revealed. Luckily for Julian, this turns out to be a good thing. Ben, whom Julian had written off as "dumb jock," and Greta, who seemed to be a scary troublemaker, recruit Julian into their science club. The three of them rename themselves The Secret Science Alliance and spend the whole school year creating new gadgets, gizmos and scientific pranks. But when a thieving scientist steals their invention notebook, The Secret Science Alliance must get serious. How do they stop the perpetrator from putting their projects to evil uses? Can Julian stop a crime, or just create witty "Kick Me" signs? Their skills get put to the test in this brilliant graphic novel. I'd recommend the book to anyone 8 and up who loves science, graphic novels, humor, and entertaining adventure stories.

Books for Boys

I like to avoid separating things by gender. Perhaps this is because I've always resented having pink everything. Perhaps it's because I know as many boys as girls who read; as many girls as boys who play sports; as many girls as boys who play videogames; and as many boys and girls who love being artistic and creative. Regardless, I avoid it whenever possible. Still... there's some truth to the idea that more girls read than boys--particularly during elementary and middle school, which trickles on into high school. I've also been told that girls will read books (and watch movies, etc.) with male or female main characters. Boys, though, really really prefer male protagonists. This week in class we were discussing "outliers." Part of the discussion revolved around, "Where are the boy readers?" As a girl, I'm guilty of reading books that appeal to girls. That's not to say that I don't like "boy books," but it's not my inclination to take gender into consideration when picking out a book. I'm going to take a moment here to sort out my past reads by their boy-ness, and try to make a list of books that I think would be fun for tween boys.

*Ender's Game series, and Ender's Shadow series. Orson Scott Card. Fantastic sci-fi for readers 13 and up.

*Little Brother. Cory Doctorow. A crazy take on technology and terrorism. Adventure, thrills, and X-box hacking for readers 13 and up.

*Alex Rider series. Anthony Horowitz. Far-fetched but fun spy adventures for readers 10 and up.

*Marley: A Dog Like No Other. John Grogan. A hilarious book for dog lovers. 9 and up.

*The House With a Clock in its Walls. And other books by John Bellairs. I read them in elementary school, but I'd imagine these books would be spooky enough and entertaining all the way through high school. Bellairs always uses boys as main characters.

*Redwall series. Brian Jacques. I began these in 4th grade, and they were a hit with all the girls and the boys. They're on the easy side, but would be great for younger tweens.

*Harry Potter. JK Rowling. No explanation needed...

*The Lord of the Rings series. JRR Tolkien. Older tweens (or very good readers).

*Holes. Louis Sachar. My non-sci-fi pick!

...Hm. That's a shorter list than I'd like, but that's all I've got off the top of my head. Anyone have any other picks?

The Sarah Jane Adventures

Title: The Sarah Jane Adventures

Format: DVD

Year: 2008

Summary/Review: Let's make a parallel to John Grogan's Marley & Me. There was the original version, with all the human drama thrown in. That one was for grown-ups. Then there was Marley: A Dog Like No Other, which was geared towards 9-12 year-olds and had the adult material cut out. There are even younger versions: picture books and chapter books and Marley Christmas books. Well, in the world of Doctor Who, there's the original show, which is completely family friendly. Then there's Torchwood, which has adult materials. And there's The Sarah Jane Adventures, which is more like the Marley chapter books. It's not that younger audiences can't enjoy Doctor Who, but the show centers on older characters. Sarah Jane used to travel with the Doctor, and is a grown up, and has all kinds of crazy alien gadgets. But her companions--the stars of the show--are younger teenagers. While tweens could certainly watch Doctor Who (and I'd happily recommend it), I think the Sarah Jane Adventures would be even more enjoyable.

Thirty years ago, Sarah Jane Smith traveled through time and space with The Doctor. After returning to Earth, Sarah Jane became an investigative journalist. Thanks to the Doctor (and other aliens she's met), Sarah Jane is also the owner of some weird and useful alien technology. Using her gadgets and her investigative prowess, Sarah Jane uncovers alien plots throughout London. Throughout the show, she enlists the help of her son, Luke, and his friends Clyde and Maria, to save London and the world from alien invasion. It's a great show for kids and younger tweens, and anyone looking for a less-adult Doctor Who.

Doctor Who

Title: Doctor Who: The Complete First Series

Format: DVD
Year: 2006

Summary/Review: Doctor Who has been on and off the air since the 1960s. The Doctor is an alien who can travel through time and space. Although there used to be others like him, the Doctor is now the last of the Time Lords. He claims to be a simple traveler; but on nearly every pit stop, he winds up saving the city/town/planet/universe. He rarely travles alone. In this series, his companion is a 19-year-old girl named Rose Tyler who has almost never been outside of London.

This would be a great show for tweens who love sci-fi. I grew up watching shows like Sliders and Quantum Leap. This would have been right up my alley! I think Rose is a great character for a tween audience, particularly after watching her grow up through the series. She begins pretty directionless, and winds up learning her strengths and skills, helping to save people's lives. Doctor Who might not be the perfect show for tweens who avoid sci-fi and fantasy; but I'd highly recommend it to tweens with big imaginations and a penchant for special effects.

Green Angel

Title: Green Angel

Author: Alice Hoffman

ISBN: 0545204119

Summary/Review: Green, a shy 15-year-old girl, lives in a village with her mother, her father, and her perfect sister Aurora. They grow vegetables and sell them in the city. One day, when her family goes to the city, Green must stay behind to tend the garden and the house. On that day, of all days, disaster strikes the city. The buildings burn. The people burn. The vegetables burn. Green's family burns. "Green Angel" follows her transformation from Green to Ash--a tough-shelled, tattooed girl with cropped hair. While learning to protect herself, she also seems to lose herself.

Alice Hoffman's books are always poetic. "Green Angel," though, sometimes becomes supersaturated with flowery language. Hoffman's penchant for metaphor definitely fits the story. It's told from Green's foggy, grief-stricken perspective, and the vague, poetic language creates the right mood. But there are times when Hoffman repeats herself solely to insert a new simile. If I could edit this book, I would make it even shorter than it already is. However, 13-year-old readers might not be quite as picky as I am about Hoffman's writing... "Green Angel" should definitely appeal to Francesca Lia Block fans, as well as Hoffman fans. I'd also recommend it to tween readers looking for a higher-level, but short, book.

Planet B-Boy

Title: Planet B-Boy
Format: DVD
Director: Benson Lee
Year: 2007

Summary/Review: The documentary "Planet B-Boy" begins with a brief history of b-boying, or breakdancing, around the world. It follows with interviews of B-Boy pioneers and current b-boys, and ends with footage from 2007's Battle of the Year. The bulk of the documentary focuses on a handful of International b-boy crews as they practice for, and compete in, the Battle of the Year in Germany.

I'm very white and very Midwestern (if labels mean anything), so my boyfriend thought it was odd when he came home to find me watching Planet B-Boy. But, regardless of culture/etc., how can someone not be fascinated by these dancers? Their stories are interesting and their moves are amazing. The muscles on these people! And their ability to spin, jump, flip around! Beyond that, too--the way all these people relate to breakdancing despite their very different backgrounds and lifestyles. The team from South Korea was made up of teenagers from the country who lived pretty impoverished lives. The team from France used breakdance to reach out to youth in a community center. And the team from the USA competed with full support from their parents--something pretty unimaginable to the Korean and Japanese teams.

Planet B-Boy could be an excellent documentary choice for tweens. I'd recommend it to viewers on the older end of the tween spectrum, simply for the subtitles, some of the subject matter, and the language (they're b-boys; don't expect them to have super-clean vocabularies!). But anyone 13 and up should be able to read the subtitles fast enough, enjoy the subject matter, and be entranced by the crazy moves.

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Title: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Format: TV (Nickelodeon)
2005-2008

Summary/Review: Once upon a time, the world was split into four nations of people who all lived together in balance. The air, fire, water and earth people embraced their own cultural identities, but also traded with, worked with, and made friends with people from the other nations. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the fire nation made a deadly attack on the rest of the world. Ever since--for over 100 years--the world has been at war. Legend says that the Avatar will return with his mastery of all four elements, and will bring peace with him.

This show is not quite anime, but it's definitely anime-inspired. The excellent visuals combine with interesting plot, good writing, humor and character-development to form a truly amazing show. Viewers watch Aang as he comes into his own as the Avatar. He and his friends have to learn teamwork, as well as hone their individual talents. They're very defined characters, through their actions and through their dialogue (the writing is incredibly strong for a cartoon). The show also tackles moral and social issues without getting bogged down by conscience. I'd recommend Avatar: The Last Airbender to anyone ages 8 and up. It could definitely be enjoyed by kids, but there's plenty of stuff to chew on for older viewers. Avatar's an excellent choice for fans of anime, and people who want to get into anime but aren't quite sure where to start.

The Omnivore's Dilemma for Young Readers

Title: The Omnivore's Dilemma: The secrets behind what you eat (Young Reader's Edition)

Author: Michael Pollan

ISBN: 0803735006

Summary: This is Michael Pollan's best-seller, adapted for readers aged 9 and up. The font is larger and the vocabulary is not as difficult. I also have a feeling Pollan doesn't get quite as detailed as he does in the "regular" version (I've never read it). The book is separated into four sections: Industrial Farming, Industrial Organics, Local, and Do-it-Yourself. Pollan writes about corn, and how the crop has essentially taken over the American food system. He follows a calf from birth to the slaughterhouse. He works with a "beyond organic" farmer who uses completely natural methods to produce meat and eggs. And he shows you how to live off your own land, picking mushrooms and gardening.

I think young readers can get as much out of Pollan's research as adults. Clearly, he and his publishers think so, too! Personally, I found the book depressing. I'm already aware of most of these issues, and reading the book was just a reminder of the sad state of American food. But for people who don't know anything about this, Pollan's work can be an important wake up call. This edition is written in such a way that younger audiences can understand it, but the information definitely hasn't been dumbed down. 9-year-olds might be overwhelmed by all the information packed into the book. It also took me quite awhile to get through, so it could be a slow read for child and tween readers. I'd recommend it to strong readers, kids interested in farming or agriculture or cooking, and any younger readers with a penchant for non-fiction.