Celebrity Readers – June is Audiobook month

 

Star Readers | Wyatt’s World

June is audiobook month—the perfect prompt to celebrate the sublime pleasures of being read a story. As the narrator is the key to enjoying an audiobook, this week consider some that have trained to become characters, learned to deftly switch voices, and mastered how to deliver a line. These five actors are but a sampling of the many, including Meryl Streep, Sissy Spacek, Annette Bening, Laura Linney, and Judi Dench, who have taken time off from starring in TV and movies to literally read a book.

• The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, read by Bryan Cranston (Brilliance Audio).
  The deep, rumbling and mesmerizing voice of Cranston (most lately heard selling drugs on the TV drama series Breaking Bad) does great justice to O’Brien’s amalgam of stories about the Vietnam War. Cranston’s carefully measured and deliberate reading will provide new access to this modern classic.

• The Snow Queen by Michael Cunningham, read by Claire Danes (Macmillan Audio).Homeland star Danes reads Cunningham’s elegant, lyrical, and finely observed story of mystery and everyday life with subtle inflections, a warm tone, and a rhythm that makes slipping into the story very easy and deeply rewarding.

• Authority by Jeff VanderMeer, read by Bronson Pinchot (Blackstone Audio).
  Pinchot is a newly minted audiobook superstar but was once better known for an 1980s sitcom and small parts in movies such as Beverly Hills Cop. He reads the second in the “Southern Reach” trilogy with verve, creating distinct voices for the characters and fully capturing the mystery of the series.

• To Rise Again at a Decent Hour by Joshua Ferris, read by Campbell Scott (Little, Brown).
  The moody, smooth, and subtle voice of Scott (perhaps best known as Peter Parker’s father in The Amazing Spider-Man movies) is a perfect match to Ferris’s questing, comic, and smart novel of belief, doubt, and the Internet.

• My Dear I Wanted to Tell You by Louisa Young, read by Dan Stevens (Harper Audio).
  Perhaps many came to know Stevens through his role of Matthew Crawley on Downton Abbey, but audiobook fans also know him as a reader with an exquisite sense of pacing, strong characterizations, and a lovely, resonant voice. He puts all to great use in Young’s richly detailed novel of love, class, and war.

 

http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2014/05/readers-advisory/wyatts-world/star-readers-wyatts-world/

‘The Giver’ Director Admits Color In First Trailer Was ‘An Error’

When the first trailer for “The Giver” arrived in March, fans of Lois Lowry’s 1993 young-adult dystopian novel were confounded by its lack of black and white. In the book, members of the Community — a sanitized society that doesn’t experience emotions or pain — see no color. But the trailer came with every hue you’d expect from today’s dystopian-happy movie landscape.

“That first teaser trailer was put out by the publicity department without real consultation with us,” director Phillip Noyce (“Patriot Games,” “Salt”) told HuffPost Entertainment. “Even if they had consulted with us, without thinking as a filmmaker, I might have said, ‘Oh, that’s in color, okay. I guess that’s the best way to sell the movie, even though it’s not entirely in color.’ It was an error. It doesn’t reflect our interpretation of the novel. It doesn’t reflect the movie.”

As Noyce’s comments indicate, fans’ fears have been allayed. The second trailer, which premiered earlier this month, featured the black and white that was previously missing. Those few months in between, however, were patchy for “Giver” purists, who cried out in anguish at the thought of the middle-school staple not satisfying their recollections.

“It was an oversight,” Noyce said. “I don’t think anyone realized quite how protective fans of the book might be to that concept of restricted perception. I was amused by all the controversy in a way because I knew that wasn’t how the film was shot or how it would be released. So it didn’t really worry me, I suppose, on the basis that I knew eventually the right trailer would come out. And I guess all publicity, to a certain extent, is good publicity. It quick-started a lot of chatter. In [the studio’s] defense, they were thinking, ‘Oh, well, if the movie’s coming out in summer, then if the expectation is that it’s in black and white, there will be all sort of pre-judgments about what kind of movie it is.”

“The Giver” stars Australian actor Brenton Thwaites as Jonas, who is selected as the sole recipient of knowledge the rest of the Community isn’t privy to. The Giver, played by Jeff Bridges, is who feeds him such information. The movie fits squarely with the abundance of dystopian flicks to hit theaters in recent years. “Twilight,” “The Hunger Games” and “Divergent” have led the YA charge, all three basking in monstrous box-office grosses. On the more adult-oriented front, everything from “Cloud Atlas” and “Elysium” to “Never Let Me Go” and even this month’s “The Rover” are just some of the titles that have embraced the end of civilization as we know it.

Noyce says the onslaught of alternative-society stories owes a debt of gratitude to Lowry, who offered a more philosophical approach to similar tales now being told on the big screen. Regardless, he wasn’t fixated on avoiding any particular tropes that have emerged among the genre’s staples.

“We were following a book which is very much an encyclopedia of ideas,” Noyce said. “In sticking to the book but also in consulting Lois Lowry in all stages of scripting, planning, designing and even editing — even in post-production, Lois has been a couple of times to see the film and give her comments — we felt that we had as the basis for our movie something that everyone else copied, but they could never get to the essence of what Lois was doing … It will provide a different sort of entertainment for people who have already seen all those that copied her.”

It’ll also provide entertainment for anyone anxious to see Taylor Swift. The 24-year-old singer, who appeared in 2010’s “Valentine’s Day” and voiced Audrey in 2012’s “The Lorax,” portrays Rosemary, The Giver’s daughter. Longstanding “Giver” fans may recall that Rosemary does not actually appear in the book (instead, The Giver talks about her during Jonas’ training), so the exact nature of Swift’s casting has been enigmatic. She popped up in the first trailer, in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shot, and received her own character poster alongside stars Thwaites, Bridges and Meryl Streep, but that’s essentially all we’ve known of her role.

“The book where Rosemary is talked about and the film are pretty much the same,” Noyce explained. “It’s just that we flash back to what [The Giver is] talking about. She doesn’t have a part in the present-day story. The Giver takes us back to his relationship and what happened to her through a short flashback scene, so Rosemary is not an ongoing character in the film. But she has an ongoing presence because the road that she went down is the road we hope our new Receiver doesn’t follow, where pain became too great and what she was being exposed to led to her demise. She was one of the people that The Giver lost because of the way he trained her, so now he has a new Receiver he’s training. Will he take him down the same path? She’s constantly being referred to and is a constant presence throughout the movie, but as in the novel, it’s from the past.”

“The Giver” opens Aug. 15.

Text to Text connection

The Fault in Our Stars connection to The Diary of Anne Frank 

 

Text to Text connection: Hazel and Gus  (TFiOS) go to the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam.

Note: If you haven’t read this book, you should. I avoided reading TFiOS but it was very good–very poignant and honest.

Link to author John Green’s website: The Fault in Our Stars

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

If you’ve read the book and are completely prepared for spoilers, visit a The Fault in Our Stars Q&A.

http://johngreenbooks.com/the-fault-in-our-stars/

Text to World Connections – The Hunger Games/The Diary of Anne Frank

The Hunger Games influence on modern society

‘Hunger Games’ Salute Emerges as Symbol of Resistance in Thailand

Thailand’s military rulers are monitoring a new form of silent resistance to the coup — a three-fingered salute borrowed from “The Hunger Games.

BANGKOK — Thailand’s military rulers said Tuesday they are monitoring a new form of silent resistance to the coup — a three-fingered salute borrowed from “The Hunger Games” films — and will arrest those in large groups who ignore warnings to lower their arms.

Since staging its bloodless coup, the military has prohibited political gatherings of more than five people and tried to enforce a ban on criticism of the coup by closing politically affiliated television stations and blocking websites.

On Sunday, authorities deployed nearly 6,000 soldiers and police in Bangkok to prevent planned protests against the coup. Amid the heavy security, creative forms of protest emerged. Some people wore masks as they walked through a central shopping district. Others joined small flash mobs, or stood alone, and flashed three fingers in the air.

Protesters have varying explanations for what the symbol means. Some say it stands for the French Revolution’s trinity of values: liberty, equality, fraternity. Others say it means freedom, election and democracy. A photo montage circulating online paired a picture from the science-fiction blockbuster “The Hunger Games” with a graphic of three fingers labeled, 1. No Coup, 2. Liberty, 3. Democracy.

In the movie series and the book trilogy it is based on, the salute is a symbol of rebellion against totalitarian rule and stands for: Thank you, Admiration and Goodbye to someone you love.

Despite the warning to protesters, the junta offered a reprieve to the country’s vital tourism industry. It lifted the military’s curfew at three popular beach resorts — Phuket, Koh Samui and Pattaya — to ease the impact of the May 22 coup on tourists.

A midnight-to-4 a.m. curfew remained in effect for the rest of the country, including Bangkok, where the raised arm salute was unveiled over the weekend.

“At this point we are monitoring the movement,” Col. Weerachon Sukhondhapatipak, a spokesman for the junta, said. “If it is an obvious form of resistance, then we have to control it so it doesn’t cause any disorder in the country.”

—The Associated Press

First published June 3rd 2014, 11:28 am

 

Link to article: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/hunger-games-salute-emerges-symbol-resistance-thailand-n121381

 

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Text: The Diary of Anne Frank  – World War II/Nazi connection:

89-year-old Philadelphia man accused of war crimes as Nazi death-camp guard

By Julia Talanova and Ray Sanchez, CNN

updated 1:27 PM EDT, Thu June 19, 2014

CNN) — For decades, prosecutors say, Johann (John) Breyer had successfully eluded a dark past.

In his twilight years, the 89-year-old Philadelphia man was forced to defend himself against accusations that he was more than a mere perimeter guard at the notorious Auschwitz camp, where more than 1 million people, most of them Jews, were killed during World War II. He maintained that he never persecuted anyone.

In 2003, a U.S. court ruled that he was not responsible for joining a Nazi unit because he was only 17 years old at the time.

But new evidence has emerged, U.S. and German prosecutors say, that shows Breyer had to have been involved in the crimes that occurred in that place.

Breyer, who has lived in the United States since the 1950s, is facing possible extradition to Germany following his arrest Tuesday in Philadelphia, authorities said.

Federal Magistrate Judge Timothy R. Rice on Wednesday ordered him held without bail, pending an extradition hearing in late August.

“Extradition is traditionally a very long and complicated process,” CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin said. “It’s always possible to fight extradition. It just often takes a long time.”

German authorities alleged that Breyer served in the Nazi “Death’s Head Guard Battalion” from 1943 to 1945 at the Auschwitz II-Birkenau concentration camp and at another location, according to court papers.

German authorities have charged Breyer with complicity in the murder of more than 216,000 European Jews from Hungary, Germany, and Czechoslovakia, who were forcibly deported to Auschwitz, in southern Poland, on 158 trains between May and October 1944, according to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Little is known about Breyer’s life in the United States, where he most recently lived with family in a redbrick row house in northeast Philadelphia. In court this week, Breyer’s lawyer described his client as old, frail, sick and weak, according to CNN affiliate KYW.

“One of the core issues, how can the German government or any government charge someone with a crime so long after the actual crime?” Toobin said. “How can you have the evidence? How can you put on witnesses? How can you prove what happened in the 1940s?”

The U.S. case against Breyer dates to the 1990s, when federal authorities sought to strip him of his U.S. citizenship, arguing that Nazis were not eligible.

At the time, Breyer admitted to the U.S. Department of Justice that he served as an armed guard at the Buchenwald concentration camp, in Germany, and was later transferred to Auschwitz.

According to the current complaint, Breyer told U.S. authorities in 1991 that he was a perimeter guard and may have fired into the air occasionally. He also stated that on three or four occasions he marched prisoners to construction sites outside the camp complex.

He told authorities he heard that people would be cremated and saw smoke but did not know how the prisoners had died, the complaint said.

He is quoted in court papers as saying Auschwitz was “a terrible camp” where “something is going on there.” He allegedly said he knew people were being cremated and saw smoke.

The new complaint states that Breyer was promoted at least once while stationed at the Auschwitz II-Birkenau, and granted leave to visit his German hometown twice, once in April 1944 and another time in January 1945. The complaint explains that such benefits were not afforded to guards who had refused to perform the full range of duties of an SS “Death’s Head Battalion” guard.

It was common knowledge among guards that prisoners unfit for labor were gassed and their bodies burned, according to the documents.

Breyer got his original claim to U.S. citizenship from his mother, who was born in Manayunk, Pennsylvania, and who returned with her family to Germany before World War I. After World War II, Breyer migrated to the United States in 1952 and claimed citizenship as a displaced person.

In the court documents submitted to the federal magistrate this week, Breyer is said to have made statements since 1951 that are “highly inconsistent with each other and are contrary to existing historical records and other credible evidence.” Authorities allege that he deliberately made false statements to minimize his role in the Holocaust.

A spokesman for the Anti-Defamation League who is also a Holocaust survivor praised the long-running efforts that led to Breyer’s arrest.

“We applaud the German and American governments for their commitment to ensuring that, while justice may be delayed, perpetrators of the Holocaust will be pursued to the end, no matter how long it takes,” Abraham H. Foxman, the Anti-Defamation League National Director, said in a statement.

“We are especially grateful for the tireless efforts of the U.S. Department of Justice, which has long sought an order of deportation against Breyer, who served in the Nazi SS as a guard at two notorious concentration camps during World War II,” said Foxman.

Breyer’s extradition hearing is scheduled for August 21.

 

Link to article: http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/18/us/nazi-charge-philadelphia-man/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

YA books for the Downton Abbey set

After Downton Abbey. Cooper, Ilene (author). FEATURE. First published March 20, 2014 (Booklist Online). I think we can all agree that the recently concluded season of Downton Abbey was not the best. And by that, I mean it was the worst. When the most exciting thing to happen is Lady Mary wrestling pigs (and not in a jolly way, but in a the-estate-is-going-under sort of way), perhaps it is time to put down the remote and pick up one of these recent YA novels, which have all the upstairs/downstairs shenanigans and none of the pigs. A Brief History of Montmaray. By Michelle Cooper. 2009. Knopf, $16.99 (9780375858642). Gr. 7–10. Sixteen-year-old Sophie is waiting impatiently for her introduction into English society, but it’s 1936 and the rumblings from the continent may affect her island monarchy. Still, there’s always time for romance to flourish, even in harsh circumstances. Inviting historical details wrap around a story that goes headlong into a breathless finale. Cinders & Sapphires. By Leila Rashaad. 2013. Disney/Hyperion, $17.99 (9781243171171) Gr. 9–12. On a ship back from India, Lady Ada kisses Oxford-bound Ravi, which is wrong in so many ways. Once at home, she must try not to notice how much her new lady’s maid resembles her father. Had someone upstairs been downstairs? Oh dear. Keeping the Castle. By Patrice Kindl. 2012. Viking, $16.99 (9780670014385). Gr. 7–11. Althea Crowley would love to choose a husband with no thought of money or position. But that’s not happening, since she must marry rich to secure the family’s only inheritance: a dilapidated castle. Can dashing Lord Boring (happily not boring Lord Dashing) save the day? Manor of Secrets. By Katherine Longshore. 2014. Scholastic/Point, $17.99 (9780545567589). Gr. 9–12. The Lady Sybil lookalike on the cover is our heroine, Lady Charlotte, whose mother has her eyes on Lord Andrew as a potential husband for her daughter. (Charlotte finds the footman more attractive.) Then there’s downstairs Janie, who wants a life with more opportunities. Is there a connection between the girls? You bet. Surprises and romance? Indeed.   http://www.booklistonline.com/ProductInfo.aspx?pid=6731355&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

D-Day books

Remembering D-Day

For all the latest SLJ Reviews, check out  

Seventy years ago, on June 6, 1944, Allied troops launched an audacious assault on a 50-mile expanse of heavily defended coastline in Normandy, France. Led by General Dwight D. Eisenhower and planned down to the smallest detail, the massive amphibious attack assembled and mobilized mind-staggering numbers of Allied troops and resources—156,000 soldiers, 13,000 parachutists, 5,000 ships, and 11,000 planes. Though many lives were lost, the Normandy invasion enabled the Allies to establish a foothold in France, created a crack in Nazi Germany’s stalwart “Fortress Europe,” and ultimately turned the tide of World War II. Introduce your students to this watershed moment in history with fact-packed resources loaded with primary quotes, archival photographs, and helpful maps.

Skillfully adapting The Guns at Last Light (2013) for a younger audience, Rick Atkinson provides an engrossing, informative, and stunningly written account of D-Day (2014, both Holt; Gr 6 Up). Easy-to-digest chapters describe the elaborate planning and preparation for the campaign, from training soldiers and stockpiling matériel to inflatable decoys and other top-secret red herrings. Each aspect of the multi-pronged invasion is covered individually, delving into paratrooper and glider missions as well as events at the five landing sites. A brief epilogue is followed by additional background and statistics.

The book offers a thorough overview, but it’s the vividly conveyed details that bring history to life. Unforgettable are the merchant marine captains who huddled in a London basement to map out efficient cargo-loading plans with blueprints and “wooden blocks scaled to every jeep, cannon, and shipping container,” and the war-weary Tommies who tossed objects out of transport planes hoping to “bop a sleeping German” with “bricks inscribed with vulgar words, a soccer ball painted to resemble Hitler’s face, [or] a stuffed moose head.” Atkinson’s writing is gripping and often lyrical, describing how American paratroopers boarded their aircraft “holding their knives aloft in homicidal resolve,” or “German shells soared over the [Normandy] bay in crimson curves.”

Plentiful quotes provide dramatic eyewitness perspectives and allow readers to follow individual soldiers through the harrowing events, underscoring their quick-thinking adaptability, astounding courage, and deep-seated commitment. Captioned archival photos and reproductions of war posters and documents add a visual element to the cache of primary resources, and clear battle maps buttress the text.

Invitingly written, Ronald J. Drez’s Remember D-Day (National Geographic, 2004; Gr 5-10) begins with a brief look at World War II, followed by quick-reading chapters that cover the campaign’s planning stages, fascinating facts about the various deceptions deployed to keep the landing site secret, the made-difficult-by-weather decision to go forward and initial airborne attacks, and actual invasion. Nestled within the epic-scale action are glimpses at the heart-rending experiences of particular soldiers, told through archival photos and primary quotes. For example, readers meet Private Ken Russell, a 17-year-old paratrooper jumping into the burning French countryside on the very night of his Tennessee high school’s senior prom, who was pinned down when his parachute caught on a church belfry and saved from a fatal bullet by the heroic last act of a dying comrade.

The book’s large-size format showcases the crisply reproduced photos, illustrations, and maps, making these images particularly riveting. Though not quite as in-depth as Atkinson’s work, Remember D-Day provides an accessible and illuminating look at the invasion.

Written by British military historian Charles Messenger and recently updated with a new introduction, The D-Day Atlas (Thames & Hudson, 2014; Gr 10 Up) is a visually rich and fact-dense resource. The book begins by tracing the trial-by-fire evolution of amphibious attacks through the war’s earlier years, indicating how lessons learned influenced the Normandy invasion. Other chapters detail the German defenses in France, D-Day preparation and planning, the invasion and “Beachhead Battles,” and the Allied expansion through France.

More than 70 maps depict the location of specific military units and resources, objectives, attacks and counterattacks, and the always-shifting front line, providing insight into the developing events. Archival photos are scattered throughout, along with line drawings of ships, aircraft, tanks, and weaponry. With a more challenging vocabulary, this volume is most appropriate for advanced readers looking for detailed information, and educators.

Combining visually enticing formats, dynamic writing, and elucidating primary materials, these titles can expand classroom studies, satisfy history buffs, and draw in general readers. Taken individually or as a grouping, they can also be used to touch upon Common Core Standards such as analyzing how an author unfolds a series of events (RI 9-10.3), integrating visual information with other information in print and digital texts (RH 6-8.7), and comparing the point of view of two or more authors treating the same topic (RH 9-10.6).

 

http://www.slj.com/2014/06/standards/curriculum-connections/remembering-d-day/#_

Graphic Novel selections

A “What to Read While You’re Waiting for Faith and Rainbow’s Book to Come Out” Reading List

FEBRUARY 5, 2014 BY EVA VOLIN 1 COMMENT

Last Thursday, First Second sent out a press release announcing that Rainbow Rowell (Eleanor and Park, Landline) and Faith Erin Hicks (Friends With Boys, Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong) are teaming up to create a graphic novel together. But, because they are both currently working on other projects, it’ll be quite some time before said book is released.

Both Faith and Rainbow are active participants on Twitter, sharing current obsessions, interacting with fans, and geeking out in general, so I wasn’t surprised when Twitter went wild at the news. I tried to stay out of the congratulatory frenzy, I really did! But when I spotted a text from Faith that said, “To those lovely people saying this will be their first graphic novel, I hope you enjoy our book so much that you’ll keep reading comics!” I knew the Good Comics for Kids group could help.

“How about we put together a quick “What to Read While You’re Waiting for Faith and Rainbow’s Book to Come Out” list?” I asked. “One that could give Rainbow’s non-comics reading fans an opportunity to get comfortable with the format and introduce Faith’s readers to some really good read-alikes while they wait, and wait, and possibly wait for the new book to be released?”

With the help of Super Librarian Barbara Moon, we have done just that. Below are a list of books that we feel are both great read-alikes for Rainbow and/or Faith’s books and are a good introduction to comics for those readers new to the format. Please feel free to suggest more titles in the comments. We love your feedback!

To read a fun, geek-out filled interview with Rainbow and Faith, visit http://www.firstsecondbooks.com/01-author-on-author-interviews/rainbow-rowell-faith-erin-hicks-qa/

American Born Chinese (Gene Luen Yang): Danny, a “normal white”, struggles to come of age while facing questions about family vs. stereotype vs. identity. –Barbara Moon ***Great book!****

Blankets (Craig Thompson): As snow falls heavy and thick during a cold Wisconsin winter, a young man comes of age as he questions his faith, defines his relationships with his family, and falls in love for the first time. –Eva Volin

Brain Camp (Susan Kim, Lawrence Klaven, and Faith Erin Hicks): Things at this summer camp may be far more creepy than anyone realizes. –Barbara Moon

Breaking Up (Aimee Friedman and  Christine Norrie): “There’s a fine line between a friend and an enemy. One minute there’s all this trust, and laughter, and love. And the next minute . . . there’s hurt. And cruelty. And betrayal.” –Barbara Moon

Friends With Boys (Faith Erin Hicks): It’s one thing to start your freshman year with no friends, no mom at home, and a pack of wild brothers watching your back. It’s another to do all those things while being haunted by a ghost. –Robin Brenner ***good read***

I Kill Giants (Joe Kelly and K. M.Ken Niiamura):  Barbara Thorson battles monsters and faces her greatest fear. Easy-follow manga style art which reads from left to right. –Barbara Moon

Mercury (Hope Larson): Two girls separated by 150 years. How can one man change both girls’ lives forever? –Robin Brenner

The old Minx line is accessible to those new to comics. Although the line is no longer in print, most of these books are easy to find at your local library. Titles in the line include Plain Janes(Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg); Good As Lily (Derek Kirk Kim); Re-Gifters (Mike Carey);Emiko Superstar (Mariko Tamaki). –Barbara Moon

Page by Paige (Laura Lee Gulledge): Moving to a new city in the middle of high school and mid-year is a challenge for any teen.  For Paige Turner it’s an opportunity to discover herself. –Esther Keller  ***good read***

Skim (Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki):  Love, crushes, heartache. –Barbara Moon

Translucent, vols 1-3 (Kazuhiro Okamoto): Every middle schooler feels invisible at times, but what do you do when a medical condition slowly turns you translucent? –Esther Keller

Wandering Son, vols 1-6 (Shimura Takako): A sensitive, perceptive story of two transgender children coming to terms with their places in the world. –Eva Volin

War at Ellsmere (Faith Erin Hicks): Unlike most “new girl faces school bully” books, this one rings true on all fronts. The new girl at the boarding school isn’t a milquetoast, the bully isn’t the popular girl, and the twist that comes out of nowhere is so out of this world that it grounds the rest of the story. –Eva Volin

Year of the Beasts (Cecil Castellucci and Nate Powell):  Two sisters, one guy, one summer, one nightmare. Told through interwoven comics and prose.–Barbara Moon

****UPDATE****

Plain Janes (Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg) has been reprinted by Vertigo and is very much still available. Woohoo! ***good read***

http://blogs.slj.com/goodcomicsforkids/2014/02/05/a-what-to-read-while-youre-waiting-for-faith-and-rainbows-book-to-come-out-reading-list/

Benefits of Reading Books

http://ebookfriendly.com/benefits-of-reading-books-infographic/

Stanley Kubrick’s Annotated Copy of Stephen King’s The Shining

The web site Overlook Hotel has posted pictures of Stanley Kubrick’spersonal copy of Stephen King’s novel The Shining, which is normally kept at the Stanley Kubrick Archive, but has been making the rounds in a traveling exhibition. The book is filled with highlighted passages and largely illegible notes in the margin—tantalizing clues to Kubrick’s intentions for the movie.

The site features a picture of the book’s careworn cover along with two spreads from the book’s interior —pages 8-9, where Jack Torrance is being interviewed by hotel manager Mr. Ullman, and pages 86-87 where hotel cook Dick Hallorann talks to Jack’s son Danny about the telepathic ability called “shining.” (Click on the images to enlarge.)

To use as an example to students…famous director annotates the book to be able to create a screenplay/direct the movie!

http://www.openculture.com/2014/01/stanley-kubricks-annotated-copy-of-stephen-kings-the-shining.html

Frankenstein – reinvented

‘I, Frankenstein’: A New Creature Feature and a Selection of Monstrously Good Reads for Teens

By Joy Fleishhacker on January 7, 2014 Leave a Comment

Opening in theaters on January 24, 2014, I, Frankenstein (PG-13) provides a fresh take on a classic character set in an alternate modern-day world. Two centuries after his legendary beginnings, Victor Frankenstein’s protégé, Adam (Aaron Eckhart), is not only alive and well, but also in possession of phenomenal physical abilities and apparent immortality. However, other bizarre beings concealed by human guise also walk the Earth: ferocious demons bent on absolute domination and benevolent gargoyle warriors sworn to protect mankind. Finding himself at the center of a heated battle between these supernatural races, Adam is destined to play a vital role in the fate of humanity. Bill Nighy, Yvonne Strahovski, and Miranda Otto round out the cast.

The movie is based on a screen story by Kevin Grevioux, co-writer/creator of the “Underworld” series and author of a not-yet-published graphic novel (Darkstorm Studios), who also plays a role in the film. Teens can visit the official website to check out the super-charged action, and follow a link to view a motion comic prequel.

“It’s alive!”: Re-animating Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

Help teens make a connection between movie incarnations of this fearsome protagonist and the tale’s early 19th-century literary inspiration with a spine-tingling selection of graphic novels and reimaginings. Filled with gothic atmosphere, eerie and irreverent goings-on, and thought-provoking themes, these page-turners will mystify and satisfy fans of horror, romance, and adventure. Use them in a group or classroom setting to discuss points raised by Shelley’s classic work—vengeance, humanity, hubris, scientific ethics, parental responsibility, alienation, intolerance, and more—and to examine how a modern author “draws on and transforms source material” (Common Core State Standards RL. 9-10.9) and breathes new life into literary characters.

Graphic novels

Gris Grimly’s Frankenstein (HarperCollins/Balzer & Bray, 2013; Gr 7 Up) pairs an abridged version of Shelley’s 1818 text with artwork that is haunting and gloriously grotesque. Historical settings, costumes, and locales are souped up with contemporary touches and a steampunk sensibility. Victor, with his side-shaved coiffure and sharply tailored suit coats, is rock-star cool as he excavates raw materials from a graveyard, tools around in a steam-powered tin “chaise,” or wallows in despair over the fatal results of his actions. His beloved Elizabeth sports flowing ink-black locks with a white streak à la Elsa Lanchester’s Bride of Frankenstein. All of the characters have angular and elongated forms, and while the monster is unmistakably stitched together (and occasionally flashes an exposed scar), his appearance is not much more outlandish than that of the humans, underscoring the parallels between Victor and his creation and the true meaning of monster. The finely detailed artwork brilliantly utilizes wordless sequences to convey deep emotion and reflect characters’ motivations and revelations. This edgy, startling, and unforgettable interpretation pays innovative homage to Shelley’s masterpiece.

Frankenstein (Classical Comics, 2008; Gr 7 Up), adapted by Jason Cobley, presents a vividly illustrated retelling. Incorporating excerpts from Shelley’s narrative, the “Original Text” version is abridged to keep the action moving swiftly but still provides a heady dose of her descriptive language and dark tone. The “Quick” text uses modern English to embroil teens in the events while showcasing the same important themes. The dramatic illustrations adeptly present details of time and place, soul-revealing characterizations, and volatile encounters. Hanging by chains in Victor’s shadowy lab, the creature looks almost majestic until brought to life, a moment poignantly conveyed with a sequence that focuses on the being’s empty yellow eyes, tear-moistened face, chain-smashing liberation, and then menacing stance as he looms above his creator. Throughout, contrasts between shadowy silhouettes and luminous hues highlight instances of great contentment, tragedy, and terror. Back matter includes a biography of Shelley and summary of her character’s iterations through the years. A Teaching Resource Pack for students (ages 10-17) is available from Classical Comics (2009).

Part of the “Dark Graphic Novels” series, Frankenstein (Enslow, 2013; Gr 6-10) features a streamlined retelling, updated language, and atmospheric black-and-white artwork. Looking as though they have been carved from wood with etched lines and sharp angles, the statuesque characters each command a strong sense of presence. Darkness lurks everywhere, and the lack of color greatly enhances the eerie and ominous tone of the narrative. Moments of intense violence are included but not over-emphasized (there are no blood spatters here), keeping the focus on the characters’ motivations and interactions. Whether admiring a butterfly that has landed on his fingertip, fleeing from a club-wielding human, or fiercely confronting his creator, the monster manages to come across as both naïve and nascent. Well-paced, beautifully illustrated, and pleasingly chilling, this accessible version is appropriate for younger and/or reluctant readers.

Reimagined novels: Then

When his twin brother Konrad becomes gravely ill, 16-year-old Victor Frankenstein is determined to search out the ingredients for the forbidden Elixir of Life, even if This Dark Endeavor (2011; Gr 7-10) means dabbling in dangerous alchemy, pushing the very limits of human knowledge, and making startling personal sacrifices. Plumbing the depths of Shelley’s well-known characters, Kenneth Oppel provides a credible and compelling portrait of a young man driven by arrogance and ambition, filial love, and a headstrong determination to “unlock… every secret law of this earth.” Victor is aided in his quest by his good friend Henry Clerval and his cousin Elizabeth, and the teens’ interactions—including a fermenting love triangle—bring the emotional brew to a boil. Fast-paced and intoxicating, this tale is permeated with brooding atmosphere and events that grow ever more sinister. The thrills and chills continue with Such Wicked Intent (2012, both S & S), and both books are available in audio format from Brilliance Audio.

On the cusp of their 17^th birthday, identical twin sisters raised by their maternal grandfather discover that they are Dr. Frankenstein’s Daughters(Scholastic, 2013; Gr 7 Up). With their “lunatic” father’s death in the Arctic confirmed, the girls have come into their inheritance, and immediately set out to claim Victor’s holdings in the remote Orkney Islands. Charismatic and socially ambitious Giselle can’t wait to refurbish Castle Frankenstein and host an extravagant party for Europe’s elite, while the studious Ingrid is elated to have found their enigmatic father’s journals and becomes mesmerized by detailed accounts of his experiments (and the possibility of curing the man with whom she has fallen in love). As dead bodies, hidden secrets, and uncanny occurrences begin to pile up, the girls wonder if they are being stalked by the same mysterious villain who hounded their father. All is revealed during the climatic soiree in a shocking and heart-pounding conclusion. Suzanne Weyn tells this riveting tale through alternating journal entries penned by the two protagonists, effectively limning each girl’s personality, romantic passions, and perils. A gothic treat for a full-moon night.

A pickpocket and petty thief, 15-year-old Billy has long survived the streets of Victorian London, but it looks like his luck has finally run out. Just as he is about to meet his fate at the hands of an evil thug, a terrifying stranger steps in to save him. He and Mister Creecher (Bloomsbury, 2011; Gr 6-9) work out a deal: the gruesome-looking giant will provide protection for Billy, while the boy will keep tabs on the actions and whereabouts of Victor Frankenstein (who has promised Creecher a bride). The uneasy alliance of these two loners gradually deepens into a true bond, one that will be tested in harrowing ways as they follow their quarry north. Though there is unexpected compassion and joy in their relationship, the world they inhabit continues to be a violent and unforgiving place, and readers witness the effects of traumatic experiences on both characters (in one of many cultural and literary allusions, Billy is ultimately revealed as a younger version of Bill Sikes, the brutal criminal from Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist). A true work of horror, Chris Priestley’s novel is darkly fascinating, unflinchingly gritty, and surprisingly compelling.

Reimagined novels: Now

Teen angst goes high voltage in Man Made Boy (Viking, 2013; Gr 7 Up). At 17, the lovingly stitched-together offspring of Frankenstein’s Monster and the Bride has led a sheltered existence at the Broadway theater cum secret enclave where his family and other monsters have long sequestered themselves from humans. Tech-savvy Boy feels out of place among the magical creatures, who mistrust his predilection for science. Fed up with his home life, he decides to strike out on his own and go live with his audacious computer hacker project, a Viral Intelligence (VI) with the amazing ability to adapt and make choices. However, like Victor Frankenstein before him, Boy is not ready to shoulder the unforeseen responsibilities of being a creator, and VI is soon on the loose and on the rampage network wide. The terrified Boy embarks on a cross-country jaunt that has him sampling the finer points of human culture, traveling with (and falling for) the granddaughter(s) of Jekyll and Hyde, and finally discovering that he must man up to the consequences of his actions and expectations of his family. Laugh-out-loud funny, this coming-of-age adventure is jam-packed with well-fleshed-out fantastical characters and sparks with lively, often off-color dialogue. Boy is a likable hero, and while his narrative voice, sensibilities, and girl worries are solidly 21st-century, the dilemmas and moral issues he faces hark right back to Shelley’s novel. Jon Skovron’s take on the Frankenstein mythos is wildly entertaining, subtly thought-provoking, and unexpectedly beguiling.

Publication Information

SHELLEY, Mary. Gris Grimly’s Frankenstein. adapt. and illus. by Gris Grimly. HarperCollins/Balzer & Bray. 2013. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-0-06-186297-7; ebook $11.99. ISBN 978006223922-8.

SHELLEY, Mary. Frankenstein: The Graphic Novel. adapt. by Jason Cobley. illus. by Declan Shalvey et al. Classical Comics, dist. by Publishers Group West. 2009.

Original Text: PLB $24.95. ISBN 9781907127397; pap. $16.95. ISBN 9781906332495.

Quick Text: pap. $16.95. ISBN 9781906332501.

Classical Comics Study Guide: Frankenstein. by Neil Bowen. Classical Comics, dist. by Publishers Group West. 2009. spiral $22.95. ISBN 9781906332563.

SHELLEY, Mary. Frankenstein. “Dark Graphic Novels.”  adapt. by Sergio A. Sierra. illus. by Meritxell Ribas. Enslow. 2013. lib. ed. $30.60 ISBN 9780766040847; pap. $9.95. ISBN 9781464401046.

OPPEL, Kenneth. This Dark Endeavor. The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein Series #1. S & S. 2011. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781442403154; pap. $9.99. ISBN 9781442403161; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978144240317-8.

WEYN, Suzanne. Dr. Frankenstein’s Daughters. Scholastic. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780545425339.

PRIESTLEY, Chris. Mister Creecher. Bloomsbury. 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781599907031; ebook $13.99. ISBN 9781599907338.

SKOVRON, Jon. Man Made Boy. Viking. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780670786206; ebook $10.99. ISBN 9781101612903.

http://www.slj.com/2014/01/collection-development/read-watch-alikes/i-frankenstein-a-new-creature-feature-and-a-selection-of-monstrously-good-reads-for-teens/