The Golden Compass

The Golden Compass

New Line Cinema

2007

Rated PG-13

Summary: Lyra is an orphan that has lived her whole life amongst the scholars in Oxford.  She is intrigued when her uncle, Lord Asriel, announces his plans to travel to the north to investigate and prove the existence of a mythical particle known only in whispers as Dust.  She wants to accompany him in his travels, but is left behind until a mysterious woman, Mrs. Coulter, invites Lyra to travel to the north as her personal assistant.  Before leaving Oxford Lyra is given something by one of the scholars, an alethiometer, or golden compass, which helps her detect truth.  The adventure then begins in earnest when Lyra must learn who is telling the truth, the Magisterium (who rule the world), or the people she meets along her path.       

Similar Movies: Chronicles of Narnia, Spiderwick, Inkheart, and Stardust.

Personal Thoughts: I liked Philip Pullman’s Sally Lockhart book series, but had some reservations about reading or watching The Golden Compass because of the elements within the story that have caused great controversy.  I chose to watch rather than read, and was pleasantly surprised by the creative manner in which the movie was done.  It had a good plot, engaging, with good actors.  I sometimes did get the feeling that there was supposed to be something I should understand but didn’t, but overall the movie was fun and worth watching.  Very imaginative for young kids as well as tweens.

Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites

Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites

Author: Chris Heimerdinger

ISBN: 1555031315

Publisher: Covenant Communications, 1989

Age: 10-14

Genre: Fantasy

Summary: Jim Hawkins has a bad attitude about everything, including church.  Garth Plimpton is the exact opposite, he’s spent so much time studying scripture and books on archeology that he can’t even carry on a normal conversation with other kids.  Through an unusual chain of events these two boys becomes the best of friends and embark on a remarkable journey into a time and place beyond their imagination.  Join Jim, Garth and Jim’s sister Jenny as they travel into a world where danger and suspense are a way of life. 

Read A-Likes: Fablehaven, Tennis Shoes Series, and the Hunger Games series.

Personal Thoughts: This book is written by an LDS author, with LDS elements and is very popular among tweens, teens and even adults.  It is a fun, engaging adventure for anyone, which will capture you from the very beginning and not let go.  This book is the first in a series of 11 books.

Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Green Gables

Author: Lucy Maud Montgomery

ISBN: 0553152149

Publisher: Bantam Skylark, 1983

Age: 9 and up

Interest Level: 6-8

Genre: Classics, Historical Fiction

Summary: Anne Shirley, an orphan taken in by Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, is spunky, precocious and very much not the boy they were expecting.  They cannot resist her enthusiasm and soon she is a permanent fixture at Green Gables.  She makes a bosom friend in Diana and hates Gilbert because he calls her “Carrots”; she wishes she had dark brown hair and was named Cordelia.  Her adventures are crazy and unexpected, but will capture your heart. 

Read A-likes: Little Women, A Little Princess, Anne of Avonlea, and Little House in the Big Woods series.

Personal Thoughts: A very precocious and almost clumsy and yet lovable character, Anne Shirley will capture your interest and heart from the very beginning.  She is endearingly awkward and unbelievably self confident.  She dreams big and attacks life with gusto and joy.  An absolutely wonderful “coming of age” book for girls of any age.  Book one of a series of eight books.

Little Women

Little Women

Author: Louisa May Alcott

ISBN: 0140380221

Publisher: Puffin, 1997

Ages: 9-12

Interest Level: 9-12

Genre: Historical, Classics

Summary: This is the story of four sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy; who live in Concord, Massachusetts during the Civil War.  In these pages you read about Meg’s calmness, Jo’s love of writing and desire to become a well known writer, Amy’s painting and dislike of her nose, and Beth’s love of music.  They make friends with the boy next door, Laurie, and you follow them through their adventures over years. 

Read A-likes: A Secret Garden, Eight Cousins, Anne of Green Gables, Black Beauty and A Little Princess.

Personal Thoughts: This book is a well loved favorite amongst me and my sisters.  We have always related with the sisters in this story.  This book brings back so many wonderful memories of my relationship with my sisters.  This story is a fabulous one to give girls during those difficult in-between years, as it shows independence, the love and bond of family, friendship and self reliance.  A very engaging read!

A Little Princess

A Little Princess

Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett

ISBN: 0064401871

Publisher: Harper Trophy, 1963

Ages: 9 and up

Interest Level: 4-7

Genre: Classics

Summary: Ten year old Sara Crewe was not a princess, but her father had always called her his “little princess”.  Her father, a soldier stationed in India, sent Sarah to Miss Minchin’s boarding school in London.  Before leaving to return to India her father gives her all sorts of beautiful clothes, a pony, a doll named Emily and even a French maid.  After a terrible and sudden misfortune, Sarah is left penniless, forced to work for Miss Minchin for room and board, she thinks she’s been completely forgotten, but then mysterious things begin to happen.

Read A-likes: A Secret Garden, Little Women, Charlotte’s Web and Swiss Family Robinson

Personal Thoughts: This book remains one of my favorites, which I have re-read numerous times and recommended to many people that have loved it as well.  The story is one of courage, self reliance, and friendship.

Ethical Behavior?

I found a link to a presentation given by Carrie James at the Social Good Summit 2010 on Professor Harlan’s Twitter account that made me stop and reflect on what the presenter was talking about.  I have seen many issues with Internet use among teens and tweens, but I have never really thought about it in ethical terms.  The study that was done though Harvard covered many aspects of social media usage and how the users view their time and contributions.  One girl pointed out that, “I do what I want online…I don’t feel like it’s anyone’s business to tell me what I shouldn’t do…I don’t feel responsible to anyone…it’s for me.”  The thought that teens and tweens might think this way is incredibly shocking to me, but not completely unexpected.  I have heard the same thing from numerous adults.  What worries me the most is that if the youth are seeing that lack of ethical thinking or personal responsibility in adults, then how can we expect them to cultivate it?  This idea that whatever chosen social media, whether it be Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, video games, etc, is a free-for-all, or just for fun is rather alarming to me.  One of the suggestions the author makes is to encourage youth to think beyond themselves to the public spaces they are contributing to, and what kind of an effect their contribution could be making.  She uses the phrase from Spiderman, “With great power comes great responsibility”, and when we think about the power that the Internet, specifically, has it brings to my attention the great need we have to encourage ethical thinking and usage of the social media sites the teens/tweens around us might be using.  There are many ways we might go about that, but I believe that the most efficient is example and teaching.  If we articulate our choice to be circumspect or thoughtful about how a comment or action online might affect others they will see that and it might spark a thought in their head the next time they are encouraged or offered the opportunity to participate in something questionable.  My closing question turns the tables back on us, as the adults…how are we in our behavior online?  Are we as ethical as we should be?  Do we think beyond ourselves and our small group of associates to how our comments, actions or shared thoughts are being taken and processed?   

James, C. (2010).  Harvard study finds teens online lack ethics. Retrieved on September 20, 2010 from http://mashable.com/2010/09/21/ethical-consideration-online/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29

The Witches

The Witches

Author: Roald Dahl

ISBN: 0590032496

Publisher: Puffin Books, 2007

Ages: 8 and up

Genre: Fantasy

Summary: This is a book about real witches…not the ones that wear silly black pointy hats and ride of broomsticks, but the REAL ones that wear regular clothes and live among us every day.  A young goes to live with his grandmamma and she tells him about witches and how to recognize one.  They have telltale signs such as abnormal nostrils, their baldness and that they have no toes.  He ends up stumbling across a meeting of witches and ends up meeting the head witch, and from there all kinds of magical, horrible things happen!

Read A-likes: The BFG, James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, and Fablehaven series.

Personal Thoughts: This book is incredibly imaginative.  It takes all the preconceived norms of what people imagine witches to be and completely blows them apart.  Such a creatively written tale that will keep the reader absorbed right up until the end.  This is a book that I, as a child, read religiously several times a year and have never lost interest in.  A quick, fun “fluff” book for any age to enjoy.

Island of the Blue Dolphins

Island of the Blue Dolphins

Author: Scott O’Dell

ISBN: 0440940001

Publisher: Laurel Leaf Books, 1996

Ages: 9 and up

Genre: Classics, Adventure, Historical

Summary: Karana is an Indian girl living on an island in the Pacific that is shaped like a dolphin.  Her people live in harmony with the animals and had for generations.  Then one day a strange boat belonging to a Russian man comes to their island and because of differing views on the way things are her entire family is destroyed, and then soon her entire community leaving only her, alone on the island.  She lives for years on her own, learning all the skills she needs to survive.  She has to find the courage and smarts to fight off her enemies, the wild dogs.  This story shows the journey of self discovery and survival of one young girl. 

Awards: Newbery Medal Winner, Hans Christian Andersen Medal, Nene Award. 

Read A-likes: Venus Among the Fishes, Alexandra, Sarah Bishop, and The Castle in the Sea.

Personal Thoughts: This is another of those books that was frequent re-read and an influence on my further reading.  I was fascinated by the idea of a young girl being left behind by her people and having to survive on her own.  I was inspired by her maturity and self sufficiency as a young teen.

Ella Enchanted

Ella Enchanted

Author: Gail Carson Levine

ISBN: 9780064407052

Publisher: Harper Trophy, 1998

Ages: 8 and up

Interest Level: 3-5

Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale

Summary: Ella of Frell was given a gift by a Lucinda, foolish fairy – the “gift” of obedience.   She must obey every instruction given her by anyone.  After her mom dies her father remarries and she gets two new treacherous stepsisters that create strife in her home.  She is not one to just let things ride and sets out to find Lucinda and get the gift revoked.  Along the way she befriends elves, fights off ogres, and falls in love with a prince.  This version of Cinderella is sure to be a favorite. 

Awards: Newbery Honor Book, ALA Notable Children’s Book, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, ALA Quick Pick of Reluctant Young Adult Readers, School Library Journal Best Book, and Publishers Weekly Best Book.

Read A-likes: Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast, The Hobbit, and the Frog Princess.

Personal Thoughts:  This book is a treasure!  I’ve loved it since I was a kid and have given it to so many people to read.  This is a wonderful book to give to young girls because it shows independence and capability in tough situations.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Author: C.S. Lewis

ISBN: 0060764899

Publisher: Harper Collins, 2005

Interest Level: 4-6

Ages: Grades 3-6

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Classics

Summary: During World War II children were sent to houses in the country to get them away from the bombing taking place in London.  This is the story of Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, four siblings sent to live with an eccentric professor.  They make a marvelous discovery in the upstairs wardrobe, the land of Narnia.  Then follows the story of their adventures, betrayals, heroic deeds and friendships with Mr. Tumnus, Aslan, the Beavers as they fight to win against the White Witch and save Narnia. 

Series: First published book in the Chronicles of Narnia series, but chronologically considered the second book. 

Evaluation: This book begins with a serious topic, World War II, and then morphs into the ultimate magical adventure.  This book appeals to kids because of the level of imagination and adventure involved. 

Personal Thoughts: This book has long been a favorite of mine.  My father read this series to me at a very young age and inspired a love to reading that has yet to diminish.  A marvelous adventure for most any age.