Jumped by Rita Williams-Garcia

This is the story of a day in the life of three very self-absorbed but typical teenagers. Leticia, Dominque and Trina come to life in alternating chapters that tell us everything we need to know about them in very few words. The story of how Leticia overhears Dominque threaten to "jump" Trina after school becomes almost secondary to the inner lives and concerns of these three girls.

Will Leticia listen to her friend, Bea, and warn Trina or should she just hope or assume that she misunderstood Dominque? Is it possible to feel sympathy for someone who is as smug and clueless as Trina?

This was a sparsely written yet very revealing book. Williams-Garcia doesn't really give anything outright but she is able to paint a picture of high school, the pressures that teens face and the self-centeredness of even the nicest teenager. I wasn't really sure how I felt about this book at first, but by the time I finished it I loved it. I can see why it was a finalist for The National Book Award. The characters are spot-on without being stereotypical and the expression of their inner selves is lyrical and brillant.

This would be a great novel for a literature circle or book discussion, but it's not one that many teens will be able to understand on their own. It has been my experience that when things are not overtly obvious the average teen gets lost, confused and loses interest. They really like things to be in black and white.

Cheat Codes for College Entrance Exams

Let's face it, currently the primary method that most colleges and universities use for deciding your fate is your SAT or ACT score. You can be captain of the debate team, student council president or Mother Teresa, but if you don't have a stellar test score, they have a tendency to "misplace" or overlook your application.

Most financial aid is also awarded based on the scores of these tests. On one hand it is probably one of the only fair ways to decide these things, but on the other hand some people who have been very successful in college have not had super high scores. So what's a poor but motivated student supposed to do?

Well, you can always pay someone to take the test for you. Just kidding, I don't think this works very well. You can also pay someone at a learning center lots of money to force you to study and pound the informatin into your head. Or, you can admit defeat and actually spend some time studying for these tests.

These days there are countless websites and databases that make studying for these exams fun. OK, well as fun as studying can be. Here is a list of web places that I have found that will help you prepare in the least painless way possible.

http://teens.arapahoelibraries.org/go2.cfm?pid=11232

quizlet.com

number2.com

collegeboard.com

http://www.4tests.com/exams/exams.asp


http://www.sparknotes.com/testprep/

John Green in Columbus

THIS JUST IN.....John Green, author of "An Abundance of Katherines" (one of my all time favorite books!) and "Looking for Alaska" will be appearing at the Columbus, OH Metro library.
Wow, not only is he going to be at the Main branch at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday October 20, 2009, but he will also be spreading his wit and charm throughout the Metro library branches earlier on Tuesday and also Wednesday 10/21/2009.
Green is funny, inspiring and just silly enough to make it worth the drive to Columbus to see him. Look at this picture, what an orator! Don't miss this opportunity to be amused and possibly enlightened.

(photo courtesy of annethelibrarian (ironically) at creative commons--thank you!)

Best Test Prep Site ---EVER!!

I just found a really great website that will help any student with just about any type of test or class. If you need to study for Spanish, Geometry, PSAT or just about any AP test, this is the place to go.

It's called Quizlet and it is a free database that allows students to make flashcards or just use the flashcards made by someone else. After you have studied the words or formulas, you can play games and time yourself or compete against someone else. You can even create groups so that you and your friends can share your work with each other.

How many times have you taken home test books with every intention of studying for the ACT, SAT or whatever? Then how many times did the books just there collecting dust or serving as a coaster while you just couldn't get motivated to open them? Quizlet gives you the opportunity to jump on, look at some flashcards or play a game and study painlessly. It couldn't be any easier except to have someone else take the test for you.

Do yourself a favor and check out Quizlet. What do you have to lose except your failing grade in Spanish?

(photo courtesy of Eyes of the World Media--thank you!)

Look Who's Here

It's long been a goal of mine to create a blog that publicizes all of the famous and maybe not so famous people who are appearing in the North Central Ohio area. I envision myself being the virtual calendar girl for those who like to go to see authors, politicians, musicians, comedians, etc. So, although this is not that blog, I just had to alert everyone to an upcoming author visit. If I wait until I have time to create that blog, this announcement will be irrelevant.

Jeannette Walls will be speaking in Columbus on October 15, 2009. Walls is the author of "The Glass Castle" a memoir about her childhood with two parents who were less than ordinary. Her father was an alcoholic and her mother was a very unusual and nonconforming artist. She and her family spent lots of time homeless and searching for food. The book is amazing and now Walls has published another one. This time it's a story loosely based on her maternal grandmother and it's called "Half Broke Horses."

Walls will be appearing at 7:30 p.m. at the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts, 100 Granville St. , New Albany, OH. For those like me who don't know where New Albany is, if you click on the link to the Center it should point you to directions and other info. It looks to me like New Albany is west of downtown near Dublin, but don't take my word for it. Tickets are $15-$25 and should be well worth the price.

If you can't make it that night, Walls will also be appearing at 11:00 a.m. Thursday 10/15 at the Barnes & Noble at Easton.

Xtranormal Booktrailer Experiment

Here is a really cool new website that I just discovered called Xtranormal. Aside from loving the name, I also really love what you can do with it. You can create these short videos using cartoonish characters and your own witty dialogue. It's super easy, in fact, their slogan is--"If you can type you can make movies." It only took me a few minutes to figure out how to use it and I made the following little book trailer in less than an hour.

I can think of lots of uses for these short movies. You could make a presentation for a class, do a little "thank you" video for someone or even just send a quirky, cheery movie to a friend. I don't really consider myself a techno geek, but I might have to rethink that. I love this kind of stuff, especially when I can use it and not want to slam my computer on the ground.

Who Wants to Live Forever?!

In a cruel, futuristic world, 14 year old "surplus" Anna is trying her best to survive Grange Hall and become a valuable asset to society. As a valuable asset she will become an invisible helper in someone's home, blending into the background and doing whatever is needed. Anna's crime was...being born!

Her parents have taken longevity drugs and have the ability to live forever. But in order to obtain the drugs, they had to sign "The Declaration" and promise that they would not have children. Anna's parents decide to sneak and have a child, but unfortunately Anna is snatched by the vicious "catchers" and taken to Grange Hall.

Depsite her parents' efforts, Anna cannot be returned. She will be forced to live out her days like the other surpluses, obeying the rules and repenting for the sins of their parents. But what about Peter, the new surplus who refuses to accept his situation? Could there really be an underground movement that could help Anna and the other surpluses?

I listened to this book on tape and exercising became a joy. The time on the treadmill flew by while I listened to the reader describe the dismal conditions at Grange Hall and the frightening life outside for those who dared defy the Declaration. The reader is excellent and her British accent makes the story that much more believable.

Whether you read it or listen to it, The Declaration will leave you wondering if you really would like to live forever.