grl2grl

By Julie Anne Peters
Review by Brynn Haley, grade 10

grl2grl is a collection of short stories told by teen girls about love, life and relationships.  The girls in the stories range from lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning, and all have a unique story to tell.

The short stories in this book cover topics such as first-romance, long distance relationships, and bad break-ups, to more difficult subjects such as abuse, rape, hate-crimes, and many other problems that queer youth face today.

I recommend this book to any girl, no matter her sexual orientation.  Any girl can relate to some of the characters and issues they are facing in this book, which makes it a great read.

Big Rothesay Read 2011

Jerk, California tells the story of a teenage boy on a road trip to California to try to understand his Tourette's Syndome, the girl who's messing with his mind, and his father's death.  Sounds awesome!  I will order a copy (or two) as soon as the new budget gets released.  But until then, order it from NBPLS. http://www.gnb.ca/0003/index-e.asp   All you need is your NB Library card.  Sweet!

~Ms. Carson
HHS Librarian

David Adams Richards!!!!!

Guess who is coming to Hampton High on March 31st!?!?!

That's right, famous NB author David Adams Richards is giving a talk during Period 4 & 5.  If you'd like to attend please see Mrs. Donovan.

Richards is well known for such awesome books as Mercy Among the Children, The Lost Highway, The Bay of Love and Sorrows, and God, is.

Come check out one of his award-winning novels at the HHS Library.  Remember to look in the Can Fic section.

~Ms Carson

HHS Librarian

Angels & Demons

by Dan Brown
Review by Amber Morehouse, grade 11

This book is very fast-paced and is set over 24 hours.  Robert Langdon is a Professor from Harvard who was asked to go to CERN (Center of European Nuclear Research) to look at a symbol.  The symbol is that of the Illuminati and is carved into a dead man's chest.  Vittoria Vetra is a Physicist at CERN.  She and her father (the dead man) have been working with anti-matter.  When a specimen of anti-matter is stolen, Vittoria and Langdon go to Rome to find the anti-matter that the Illuminati has stolen.

I would recommend this book if you like fast-paced murder mysteries.

Rage

by Julie Anne Peters
Review by Brynn Haley, grade 10

Rage is a novel that does a great job of giving the reader a glimpse into dating violence and domestic abuse, and how it can affect anyone.

Reeve Hartt always has girls chasing her: she's beautiful and desirable, but she has a dark side.  Reeve is cold-hearted and mean, she doesn't allow anyone to get too close and emotionally intimate with her.  Anyone who manages to get too involved with her is in for trouble.

Johanna is drawn to Reeve and wants to know her, love her, even.  She'll do anything to be with Reeve.  But when Johanna finally gets her wish and gets with Reeve, she doesn't know what she's in for; that to be with Reeve means risking her friendships, her job, and things she holds dear to herself.  What Johanna so strongly believes is love could be the opposite when it comes to loving Reeve Hartt.

I definitely recommend this book to any teen.  It's a beautiful, frustrating story that teaches important lessons about love, relationships, and how dating abuse can take control of someone's life so easily.

The Chosen - Night World Series

by L.J. Smith
Review by Amber Morehouse, grade 11

This book is about Rashel.  She is a vampire hunter.  She hates vampires because one killed her mother and brother.  She is a very famous hunter called "Cat."  When Rashel's hunter friends catch a vampire she is set to guard him but instead she lets him (John Quinn) free.  When Rashel saves a girl from being a blood slave she tells her hunter group.  Since she let Quinn go they don't trust her anymore.  So with the help of Daphne (the girl she saved) she sets out to destroy the enclave.  The enclave is going to have a blood feast so she needs to stop it.  She meets up with Quinn again and they find out they are soulmates.  Quinn helps Rashel destroy the blood feast abd saves her little brother, who was actually turned into a vampire.
I would recommend this book if you like vampires and light romance.

33 Things Every Girl Should Know About Women's History

Edited by Tonya Bolden
Review by Brynn Haley, grade 10

This very informative book does a wonderful job of introducing such an important topic that isn't talked about as much as it should be: women's history.

33 Things takes the reader through history and teaches about important women and what they did, big events that affected women, the history of feminism and women's rights, and even interesting topics such as women in music, sports, and literature, and how women's clothing fashions changed over the years.

The aim of this book is not only to empower girls, but to show them where women's empowerment began, and all of the reasons why.  This book helped me to appreciate the rights and status I have as a girl, and the women (and men!) who fought for them.

33 Things presents facts and information in interesting ways, with poems, stories, illustrations, and quotes.  It's the perfect book for a girl to start learning about "her-story."

Welcome back from March Break!

I have to say, with the news of the terrible floods, earthquake and nuclear explosions in Japan, I spent a lot of time on the break thinking about the apocalypse (it didn't help I was sick with the flu and reading Derrick Jensen's Endgame).

What would the world, and libraries, look like without humans?

~Ms. Carson
HHS Librarian

p.s The photograph is from Lori Nix, she designs these awesome dioramas and then takes pictures of them.

Test your knowledge...with this game

Think you can tell a good, valuable online resource for projects just by looking?

Test your knowledge:

http://cdl-prod.bcit.ca/library/weg/

Have a great March Break

Harvey

Harvey by Herve Bouchard and Janice Nadeau (Illustrator)
Review by Ms. Carson, HHS Librarian

One spring (the first of two springs of the year, specifies Harvey), his father dies of a heart attack and he subsequently feels like he is disappearing, like his hero, Scott Carey.

First-ever winner of the Governor General's Award for both story and illustration, Harvey is a perfectly encapsulated snapshot of a childhood moment of trauma and loss, one with far-reaching effects.  Harvey's descriptions of his parents and family, and the drawings of him playing in the streets with his friends, will bring even the most forgetful adult back to memory lane.  The real pain of isolation Harvey experiences even before his father's death is only magnified with this most terrible loss.  Nadeau's simple but perfectly detailed renderings make it obvious why this was the Governor General's top choice.

Highly recommended for both teens and adults.

bullying...it's bigger than you think.

onusnetwork.ning.com

Are you being bullied?  Are you picking on others and not sure how to stop?  Are you watching other people be teased and hurt and don't know what to do?

Like many students, I was subjected to bullying and know first hand it's long-lasting effects.  I also know how easy it is to lash out at others when people are picking on you.  It's a terrible cycle and you have the power to stop it.  Tell a teacher, principal, TA, librarian, parent or good friend.  If they don't help you, tell someone else.  Keep talking about it until someone listens.  You don't deserve to be treated like you are worthless, no matter what you may have done or said in the past.

Go to onusnetwork.ning.com to find others who are going through the same thing and know you are not alone.

Peace.

Ms. Carson
HHS Librarian

Promiscuities

by Naomi Wolf
Review by Brynn Haley, grade 10

Promiscuities is a book about what it's like to grow from inexperienced girls to sexually mature women in our western culture.  The pressures and problems we run into, the experiences we have, and the feelings and confusions we encounter along the way are all in the stories in this book.

Promiscuities is filled with real-life stories from women about their experiences growing from girls into women, and everything they went through.  As a teen girl, I can easily relate to the stories, and this book gives a lot of insight from women who have been where I, and all teenage girls, are at one point.

I found Promiscuities to be a very interesting read.  I enjoyed it a lot and learned from it too.  If you're a teenage girl, there is no doubt you can relate to these women in Promiscuities and can learn from them too.

Shiver

by Maggie Siefvater
Review by Amber Morehouse, grade 11

This is book one of a triology (3 in a series).  The main characters are a werewolf, Sam, and the wolf-obsessed, Grace.  Sam saved Grace when she was a child from a wolf attack and they have been in love with each other ever since.  Grace didn't know that it was Sam who saved her, so she was just a person with a favourite wolf.  Grace meets Sam for the first time in high school at a bookstore.  Everything elevates from there.  There are rogue wolf attacks and Grace cures Sam of his werewolfism by injecting him with a meningitis infection.

I would recommend this book if you like a teenage romance that often changes perspective.

Packaging Girlhood: Rescuing our Daughters from Marketer's Schemes

by Sharon Lamb and Lyn Mikel Brown
Review by Brynn Haley, grade 10

Packaging Girlhood is a non-fiction book about the images the media sells to girls, and the categories that it squeezes girls into at such a young age.

Packaging Girlhood explores the effects that the messages of gender roles in the media have on young girls, and those effects aren't good.  They range from low self-esteem and self-worth to underachieving and setting low standards for themselves.

According to Packaging Girlhood, girls are categorized into narrow groups such a "diva, shopper, boy-crazy, mean-girl, cute, hot, or pretty."  These concepts don't take into account the girl's entire personality, therefore they disregard girls as entire persons with unique traits and quirks.

These messages are found all over the place in our media, from movies to books to advertisements to music, sometimes in the most unexpected places.  Packaging Girlhood shows us how to recognize these hidden messages.

I really enjoyed this book and agree with its message.  I recommend this book to anyone concerned with children's wellbeing and messages in the media.

We're on CanLit!

http://www.canlitforkids.com/article;story,13;School-Library-Blogs-–-wonderful-resource-for-school-library-staff-and-students

CanLit, the go-to distributor of Canadian books for school libraries has featured our Blog on their mainpage!!

Go nerds go!!!!

Luna

by Julie Anne Peters
Review by Brynn Haley, grade 10

Luna is about a transgendered teen struggling to come out as what he really is- a girl.  Liam was born with a male body, but all his life has felt he is a girl, born with the wrong body.

Luna is Liam's true identity.  She only shows herself in the safety of her sister's room at night, hidden from the outside world and the rest of her family.  The story is told through Luna/Liam's sister's point of view, because she is Luna's confidante. 

This book is a beautiful, heartwrenching story of a person trying to break free and find acceptance.  It's a story not only of Liam/Luna's transformation as a person, but her sister's growth and learning to accept Luna for who she is as well.

Luna is an inspiring story for anyone who's ever felt they don't fit in, and shows that it's possible to find acceptance and to let their true self show through.

Witchlight - Night World Series

by L.J. Smith
Review by Amber Morehouse, grade 11

This is the story of Raksha Keller, Iliona Sominick and Galen Drachco.  Keller is a shifter, Iliona is the lost witch child and wild power and Galen is a royal shifter.  According to a prophecy, Iliona has to marry into shifter blood so that shifters will work with the witches in the millenium.  Iliona is to marry Galen but Galen's soulmate is Keller.  Eventually all this works out but it is a harrowng journey to the teenagers.
I would recommend this book if you like paranormal romances.

Mysterious Skin

by Scott Heim
Review by Brynn Haley, grade 10

Brian Lackey's past is a complete mystery to him.  Pieces of his childhood are blanked out from his memory, erased as if those entire passages of time never even happened.  Brian needs to learn the truth about why-and what-his mind won't allow him to remember, and he can't move on until he does.

Neil McCormick remembers his childhood like it was yesterday.  He especially remembers secret meetings with his former baseball coach when he was only eight years old.  Today, Neil is a criminal and a hustler, exploring his sexuality with the older men he hooks up with each night.  Almost nothing fazes Neil after the things he's seen as a child.

Mysterious Skin is a story of two very different boys who share a very similar childhood, who come together to learn from each other.  This is a story of growing up and discovering oneself.

Mysterious Skin has also been adapted for film.  Check out the movie after you read the book!

Fat! So?

by Marilyn Wann
Review by Brynn Haley, grade 10

Fat! So? is a non-fiction book about self-acceptance, no matter your body size.  This book is a body-positive and very fun guide to loving yourself and to stop putting your life on hold until you lose your extra pounds.
Fat! So? is filled with trivia, pictures, quizzes, rhymes, and real-life stories of people struggling to accept their bodies.  And because this book is such a breeze to read, I recommend it for reluctant readers and book-lovers alike.
This book is definitely a self-esteem booster, but more than that it will change your mind on how you view your body altogether.  What it brings is a very welcome concept that there's nothing wrong with you, in a society that tells us to look a certain way.
So, no matter your size, take a big step towards loving yourself and pick up this book!

Library Guild Meeting

We will resume building our Medieval Castle at our meeting on Tuesday Feb 15th at 12:50pm.

Be there or be square(r).

Ms. Carson
HHS Librarian

S.E.X.

by Heather Corinna

Review by Brynn Haley, grade 10

S.E.X. is a complete, comprehensive sexual education guide that covers every topic you could ever think of, and answers just about every question you could (or have been too afraid to) ask.  From in-depth anatomy lessons to relationship advice, self-esteem to contraceptives, this book has left absolutely nothing out.

S.E.X. is inclusive of all genders, sexual identities, and sexual orientations; it leaves no one out.  And since this book is directed toward a young adult audience, it's fresh and welcoming in its design and language.  Everything is easy to understand, and it isn't clinical in nature like some sex ed. books seem to be.

Heather Corinna, the author of S.E.X., is the founder of one of the internet's most popular sex ed. websites: http://www.scarleteen.com/

S.E.X. is basically the entire website jammed into one book.  Check out the website, it is full of important info and advice.

I recommend S.E.X. to anyone, regardless of age, gender, or sexual orientation.

Being Sixteen

by Allyson Braithwaite Condie
Review by Chaya Pattison, grade 11

This book is about a girl who was excited about turning 16.  She expected that her 16th year would be the best year of her life up until that point.  She was wrong.  She spent most of her year watching out for her little sister who had an eating disorder.  It was the year she played on the varsity team in her favourite sport, basketball.  It was the year she made a new friend.  It was her year of change.  It was also the year she almost lost her best friend.
Read the book to find out what challenges she went through and what she accomplished.  Read to find out how Juliet survived being 16.
I would recommend this book because it teaches you about the struggles people go through when they have an eating disorder.  It is also a good story.

Dark Angel: Night World Series

by L.J. Smith
Review by Amber Morehouse, grade 11

This book is about the "lost witch" Gillian.  Gillian hears a child crying in the woods and drowns.  Her "Guardian Angel" lets her go back and she is rescued by her crush David Blackburn.  David is going out with Tanya, a two-faced girl who is sweet to your face but horrible anywhere else.
Gillian is a shy girl but with Angel's help she becomes really popular.  Angel helps Gillian get David as a boyfriend, but when she tries to put a stop to the rumors by casting a spell everything goes downhill fast.  Gillian's Guardian Angel is actually a ghost named Gery and he wants he wants her to be included in the "Night World" (which is a world of vampires, shifters, witches, etc...).  Gillian just wants a normal life with David who turns out to be her Soulmate. 
(Spoiler Alert!)  In the end, Gery gets forgiven and David and Gillian live happily ever after with "Circle Daybreak."  I would recommend this book if you like a light romance and the supernatural.

No Impact Man

by Colin Beavan
Review by Ms. Carson, HHS Librarian

I admit I was skeptical picking up this book.  "No impact" seemed kind of, well, inflated and egotistical.  I'm not the only one who had reservations.  The New York Times initially saw Beavan's blog as a sensationalistic marketing device for his book.  And what's a historian living in a NYC apartment know about environmentalism anyway?  How often does he dig around in the dirt?

I watched the documentary, and while I found it emotionally moving (and an interesting study on modern marriage), it wasn't particularly shocking or inspiring.

But then I actually sat down and read the book and I got it.  Beavan is terrified.  Not just of water running out and global warming and asthma and pollution.  He totally sees the fragility of life.  He knows it first hand.

Some of us experence death, sickness and loss at such an early age that it imprints on us the dreaded knowledge that everything we know and love can be taken from us at any minute and there is nothing we can do about it.  So we must learn to live with uncertainty.  And often that results in an obsessive-compulsive drive to control the world around us in an attempt to ward off our despair.  But all this running around trying to make all these rules (no electricity or else I am guilty of contributing to the deaths of children in Africa!) without examining the horror that underlies our "magical thinking" will drive us (and everyone around us) insane.  And Beavan, thankfully, took the time to climb onto his meditation cushion and ask, "How shall I live?", "How shall I serve?" and "Why the heck am I driven to try so hard when everyone else is sitting in grid-lock traffic eating fast food with the AC blasting?",

The book becomes an interesting exploration of these questions and the answers Beavan self-consciously arrives at.  It is not a manifesto about how to live without toilet paper.   Read it and ask yourself, "How shall I live?"