Along for the Ride Review

4Q 4P MS

As an avid Sarah Dessen reader in high school that is now trying to catch up on the books I missed since then, this book was like a flashback.

Though all vaguely similar in style, Sarah Dessen creates real characters that one can relate to. Reading Along for the Ride brought back the same feelings I had when I was younger and reading The Truth About Forever, and This Lullaby, or any of her other books.

This title follows Auden during the summer between high school and college. A girl that was treated like an adult since she was a small child, she missed out on having fun during the summer her entire life. So it makes sense that this summer she buys all the textbooks for her first semester of college and plans to read through them to get a jump start on the coming semester. However, the one thing that changes is her location - opting to visit her father, step mother, and new baby sister Thisbe at their beach town home (the very same beach town that many other of Sarah Dessen's books take place in - various characters from all her novels make quick appearances in others, though never mentioned by name fans of Dessen will easily spot them). While here she ends up working in her step mother's very girly boutique, and slowly becoming friends with the other girls that work there. Additionally she learns to ride a bike with the help of some of her new friends, though initially it may have been to impress a boy that she pushed away out of habit, it ends up being what finally allows her to realize that she doesn't have to follow the path expected of her, that she can make her own decisions.

Formulaic? Yes. A girl that learns something about her self to overcome a problem? Yes. That describes Dessen's novels quite well. However, fans of Dessen will not care, as this is what we expect from her books - a well thought out story that is never exactly the same as the previous, that we can relate to, or learn something from in the form of how to be ourselves.

Fans of Sarah Dessen will enjoy Along for the Ride.

Board Games

Coinciding well with last week's guest speaker, Buzzfeed has published an article about the board games. Calling the article (well list) 26 Board Games you Have to Play before you die. A few on the list were mentioned in class. 

Buzzfeed - Board Games

Along for the Ride Read Alikes

Along For the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Sarah Dessen's Along for the Ride is a teen fiction novel that is typically categorized under romance or "chick lit." Following her senior year of high school, the typically studious Auden goes to stay with her father, step mother, and new baby sister at their home in a beach side town. While there she learns to let go and have fun, how to have friends that care about her, and how to ride a bike. Those that enjoyed this book may also enjoy some of the following.

(Click on the titles to see more).

For More of the Small Town Life:

Any Other Girl by Rebecca Phillips

Having two gay parents has caused Kat to lose some friends,

those that stay are distracted by the other ways in which she

draws attention to herself. Spending one final summer at the

lake with her cousin Harper, they meet the new guy. For once

Kat doesn''t have to work to prove she's no different from

everyone else, and she begins to realize this new boy could be

what she was looking for - if only Harper hadn't seen him first.

(New York,, Kensington Publishing, 2016).

What I Thought Was True by Huntly Fitzpatrick

Gwen was content with her life on a small island, coming from

a family that cleans up after the wealthy summer inhabitants.

She has always wanted more but never as much as she does

now, when a rich kid suddenly takes a job on the island.

Throwing her plans for a loop, she must now spend her

summer learning about herself and what she thought about

those around her, re-imagining her future plans. (New York. Dial

Books, 2014)

For More of the Small Town Life but With an Edge:

Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston

Being a cheerleader is a big deal in Hermione's home town. So

being named head cheerleader is an even bigger deal. That is

until she goes to a party at cheer camp and someone slips

something into her drink. This was not how her senior was

supposed to happen. She was the most popular girl in school,

and now she is labelled things she never imagined possible -

outcast, pregnant, rape victim. How on earth can she handle

this in such a small town? (New York, Dutton Books, 2016).

For That Smart Chick Lit Feel:

Wanderlost by Jen Malone

When Aubree agrees to take over her sister's summer job of

leading a group of seniors around Europe, she thinks she had

the plan down - including pretending to be her sister Elizabeth

What could possibly go wrong? How about everything? Left

without her phone and a surprise guest - Sam, the son of the

tour group's owner. Now she must try to continue on, even

though she starts to fall for Sam, despite the fact that he thinks

she's Elizabeth .How can she get through this without ruining her

relationship with her sister? (New York, Harper Collins, 2016).

Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty

After her best friend Hope moves away, Jessica Darling is is

devastated and feels completely out of place in her own life.

She has no idea how to deal with her remaining boy crazy

friends and if they really are friends, or her dad's over

zealous interest in her track meets. Enter Marcus Flutie, an

outcast who isn't really an outcast. When Jessica begins to

develop feelings for him (both positive and negative) she has

no idea what to do. Can Jessica make it through high school

without Hope? (New York, Three Rivers Press, 2001).

Get Your Sarah Dessen Fix:

Just Listen

After the events of a party she wishes she could forget, Annabel
is withdrawn from her former group of friends who now assume
all the rumors are true. When she meets Owen, a music lover that
has spent some time in Anger Management, she finds herself. By
using one of Owen's anger management techniques of always telling
the truth, will she finally be able to come to terms of what happened
that night at the party? (New York,, Penguin Young Readers Group, 2008).

Small Town on the Small Screen:

Gilmore Girls

Life in the small town of Stars Hollow can be both wonderful
and difficult for single mother Lorelai and her teenage daughter
Rory. The neighbors are quirky and nosy, the town itself is charming.
And Lorelai and Rory are the reigning Queens and Princess, loved
by all. Overachieving Rory excels in her private school, dreaming
to one day go to Harvard, while Lorelai runs an inn with dreams to
one day open her own. Watch the Gilmore Girls dreams come true.
[Video recording (DVD)], Burbank, CA: Warner Bros, 2004).






To see these suggestions in handout form please click here: Along for the Ride

Raven Boy Read Alikes

If you enjoyed The Raven Boys (or just the Raven Cycle in general) you may enjoy these other titles! An urban fantasy, readers of the Raven Boys have a variety of other books, television shows, and even music to enjoy.

Click here to view: 

Raven Boys Read Alikes

Youtube for Teens

Ingrid Nilson is a YouTube personality (formerly going by the moniker MissGlamorazzi) with over 4 million subscribers to her channel. Her videos though not specifically geared towards teens is a good channel for teen girls. Her videos are mainly marketed to young women. She covers topics such as make up (including tutorials on how to do a certain look and what are known as haul videos which is a video showing of recent purchases), style, food, travel, and life. Every so often there is a video that may not be suitable for teens (most recently her video of how to deal with a hangover), but for the most part her videos are G rated.

Ingrid has a bubbly upbeat personality that does not come across as fake in her videos. She appears genuine and authentic, and teens could easily relate to her. Some of her videos are more serious than others. This year she was able to participate in YouTube interviews of President Obama. She, along with several other YouTube personalities, were given the opportunity to visit the White House and speak with the President regarding issues they were concerned about. Ingrid took this time to discuss cancer treatments,  why 40 states tax feminine hygiene products, and LGBT issues. This last one is particularly close to her, as she took the opportunity to come out in one of her videos, several years after creating her channel. This video has almost 15 million views.

As far as YouTube personalities are concerned, Ingrid Nilson seems more down to earth and relatable than some. She is not overly pushy regarding products she may be sponsored by, she expresses the importance of being ones self, and she has concerns about issues just like any other person. Teens could do a lot worse on YouTube than watching Ingrid Nilson. 

Watch Ingrid Nilson here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/missglamorazzi/videos

Reign - A CW show

When I was i high school, if a show was on the WB channel it was almost guaranteed that I would watch it -Gilmore Girls, Dawson's Creek, One Tree Hill, Buffy, the list goes on and on. It has since become the CW but the premise is the same - the shows are generally targeted to teens. Many of the teens in the department of my library mention this channel and the shows it airs frequently. At a recent Teen Advisory Board meeting I held we discussed shows that they like. Several of them mentioned Reign.

Premiering in 2013, Reign is a fictionalized history of the early years of Mary Queen of Scots. Beginning prior to her marriage to Prince Francis, and continuing through until (thus far) we meet Queen Elizabeth of England. Teens can learn a bit of history as they watch Mary leave Scotland for France with a group of girlfriends to be her ladies in waiting, to her and Francis learning how to balance ruling a kingdom with their marriage (and a potential love triangle with Francis' illegitimate half brother) during the time of fighting amongst Catholics and Protestants, all while dealing with rival houses wanting to take their power. Later seasons see the arrival of Queen Elizabeth of England as a rival for Mary.

Teens may be attracted to a show such as this for the drama, as it is not the best depiction of history. Though those interested in the time period will appreciate the dialogue and the costumes. Differing from typical teen dramas that are recycled year after year - only changing scenery and character names for the same tired (yet proven successful to gain an audience) story lines, this is a teen drama that portrays a time period not often seen in teen dramas. Using characters that have existed in real life, but giving them a somewhat fictionalized story can both teach teens a bit of history and lead them to research the real story on their own, and entertain them simultaneously.

The two teens that mentioned this show like this show primarily because of the drama and love stories. Though they did also enjoy the time period it takes place in, one of them specifically stating that she was "over dramatic shows set on the beach in California," citing several teens dramas of the past (The O.C. and Beverly Hills 90210 to name a couple).

Having only watched trailers and clips of this show, I can say that while it would not be something that draws me in now, I would have definitely watched this show religiously if I were still in high school and of the target age range.

Intellectual Freedom Letter

This week were were tasked with writing a letter response to a challenged book. I wrote from the perspective of a librarian responding the Drama by Raina Telgemeier, using the library in which I work. The purpose was to ensure we have a background to be able to defend any materials that may bring about an issue with a patron in the future.

To those interested my letter:

Intellectual Freedom Letter