Post Secret Compiled by Frank Warren

Genre: Contemporary, Art

Honors: None Found

Review: Frank Warren decided to start a project called "Postsecret" in which he handed out postcards in places all around the city and asked people to send them back with a secret.  He then took the postcards that came back highly decorated with art and with revealing secrets and created an art display.  In addition to the art display there are several books and a website in which people can create their own postsecrets.  The postsecrets in this book are intriguing and fascinating.  Some are funny, some are heartfelt, while others are really quite sad, but all of the secrets are sure to engage the reader.  While reading Postsecret it is likely that one will find more than one secret of their own written by another person and it is through this connection that Postscret is a captivating book about human nature. 

Opinion:  I was instantly intrigued by this book and as soon as I started to flip through the first few pages I decided to sit down and read the whole book.  After finishing the book I immediately went online and checked out the website and also looked at other books like it.  In other words, this book is highly engaging and interesting and as the author said, I found more than one secret I shared in common with others.  Young adults are sure to love this book as there is nothing more intriguing to a teen than a secret.  There are many postsecrets that seem as if they have been written by teens or about that time period in a person's life.  Young adults will find this book to be something they can relate to and perhaps something they will participate in by writing their own Postsecret.

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Ideas: In the library display some of the postsecrets from the book and from the website.  Have students write their own anonymous secrets.  If appropriate post these secrets in a place to be viewed, if this will be too revealing, have students put them in envelopes and put them in a clear jar for others to see.  They will not be able to read the secrets but will be able to see how many were written and will be able to experience the liberation that comes with letting go of a secret. 

Children of the Sea Vol. 2 by Daisuke Igarashi

Genre: Graphic Novel

Honors: None Found

Review: In the second volume of Children of the Sea, the reader learns more about Sora, Umi, and Jim's past.  When Jim was a young man he was fishing with a native tribe where he speared a large whale as a rite-of-passage.  A human-like creature appears from the ocean and watches the tribe to be sure they treat the whales' large body with respect.  Jim befriends the being and takes him fishing where he is
accidentley killed.  In remorse Jim swears to help future sea children and the story transports to the modern day where Jim is watching over Sora and Umi.  Science and fantasy mix as more is explained about the origins of the sea children and Ruka learns more about herself and her connection to the ocean.  Eventually Sora and Umi undergo a transformation and the reader is left wondering what other strange occurrences will come from the sea. 

Opinion: As I learned more about the story and the origin of Sora and Umi I became more intrigued and involved in this story.  The author has done a great job of developing Ruka form an immature schoolgirl to a young woman with a special gift and connection to the sea. 

Ideas: Display this book with books about sea creatures, typhoons, and books with geography of Japan.  This will give readers factual information to connect with the fiction story. 

Children of the Sea Vol. 1 by Daisuke Igarashi

Genre: Manga

Honors: None Found

Review: The first volume of Children of the Sea, introduces the reader to Ruka, Umi, and Sora.  Umi, a teen schoolgirl has a strange connection to the ocean but does not understand why.  When she was a child she saw what she believes to be a ghost fish that glowed in the fish tank.  Umi and Sora are teen boys that were born in the sea and feel most comfortable when in saltwater.  Ruka's father works at an experimental aquarium where Ruka meets Umi and Sora. There she also meets Jim, a man that has become a guardian to the two sea children.   Through the fantastic illustrations and dialogue this first book in the series introduces the unusual characters and draws the reader into a mysterious and beautiful underwater world.

Opinion: This is a great introduction to a very intriguing and creative story.  The illustrations are creative and expressive, and a special feature are the full color watercolors of a fantastical underwater world in the introduction.

Ideas: This is a great graphic novel for both males and females and may be a good introduction to graphic novels for reluctant readers. 

Bayou Vol. 1 by Jeremy Love

Genre: Graphic Novel

Honors: None Found

Review:The murky, eerie, yet beautiful illustrations in Bayou foretell of the somber and unusual story to follow.  Lee, a sharecropper's daughter in 1930's Mississippi, spends time with her white friend Lily.  Lily and Lee go to the bog one day based on Lily's insistence but against Lee's wishes.  Right in front of Lee's eyes Lily is gobbled up by "Bog", a large supernatural being that lives in the bayou.  Lee's father is accused of being responsible for Lily's disappearance and Lee fears he will be lynched like other black men and women in the past.  Lee knows the only way to save her father is to find Lily. She travels down to the creepy bog by herself and enters a murky world of supernatural beings and unusual dangers. 

Opinion: The illustrations are a great match to the story.  They add atmosphere and put the reader in the right mood for the somber tale being told.   I like that the story is a mix of historical fiction and fantasy. Bayou realistically portrays the plight of African-Americans in the south during this time era and adds both wonder and horror to this history through the supernatural characters and the eerie situations occurring around the bayou.   Volume One ends abruptly and I am looking forward to Volume 2, which is scheduled to be released in January.
Ideas: It would be very interesting to have students in Social Studies classes create a comic strip portraying a historical situation being studied in class. I have had my students make autobiographical comic strips using Microsoft Word and it is quite easy; no need for extra technology skills.  Students doing this project can be very true to facts or if the teacher is willing, have students add their fantastical twist to the historical event.

Stuff on My Cat: The Book by Chronicle Books

Genre: Humor

Honors: None Found

Review: Think of the most silly and absurd things you can put on your cat and then take a picture.  Now you will understand this book's motto, "Stuff + Cats= Awesome".  Originally this idea started out as a hilarious website where people would post random pictures of the stuff they like to pile on their cats, and it was some pretty random and weird stuff.  This wordless book is the more refined version of the website and it includes a lot of cats dressed up in silly outfits and cats posed in human-like situations. 

Opinion:  As a fan of the silly website, this book was disappointing.  It felt very posed and edited.  The book loses the raw and just plain randomness of the website.  I didn't find it that funny, though, a few were great, no "laugh-out-louds" in this book. 

Ideas: Display this book with I Can Haz Cheezburger, another silly cat book for people that like cats and have a weird sense of humor like me. 

17 Again (Written by Jason Filardi, 2009)

Genre: Contemporary

Honors: Teen Choice Award

Review: If you could do it over, would you? Mike O’Donnell, a middle-aged man unhappy with his life, gets the chance to make a life-changing decision all over again. Instead of taking a college basketball scholarship in his senior year of high school he chose to marry his high school sweetheart due to her unexpected pregnancy. When their children become teenagers Mike realizes he does not really know or understand them and that he is unhappy in his marriage and family life.  He believes his defining choice back in high school has destroyed his life and that he would be happy if only he could do it differently. Poof! He wakes one morning and is 17 again!  Now Mike must actually go back to high school as a student and share classes with his own daughter and son.  Will he choose to leave his family and pursue his dreams as a basketball hero or will he gain a new understanding of what defines true happiness?  

Opinion:  This is a fun movie that teenagers are bound to enjoy.  While the story line is not very original, this situation in some form has been played out in several movies, the characters and interesting high school situations make it a pretty good movie.  Zack Efron (Mike O'Donnell) is the highlight of the movie, his good looks and sensitive acting is sure to attract teenagers to this film. 

Ideas: This movie is based on a young adult novel, this novel and movie can be checked out together.