In recent weeks, Laurie Halse Anderson received notice of three attempts to ban two of her books, Twisted, and Speak.  Luckily, both Speak and Twisted survived these attempts and are still allowed to be taught in classrooms in Temecula, CA (Speak)  and Mt. Sterling, KY (Twisted).  However, these attempted bans never fail to remind us how valuable literature is to our nation’s teens.

As a high school teacher in rural Tennessee, I understand parental concerns regarding the appropriateness of language and other content in books. However, what parents sometimes fail to realize  is that life has changed since they were in school.  Rather than shelter their children from the evils of the world, in my opinion, it would be better to be blatantly honest with their children, in order to prepare them for the potential situations they might face–rape, suicide, eating disorders–situations like those found in Halse Anderson’s books.

Speak, one of my favorite books due to its literary quality and presentation of raw truth, is critical for teens to read in that it deals with sexual assault. Halse Anderson beautifully illustrates the physical, mental, and even verbal results of date rape–a very real and prominent issue in teens’ lives. What parents, teachers, and school administrators must realize is that Melinda Sordino’s story does not differ much from those of many girls  in their schools. …» more

If you crave mystery, suspense, horror, tragedy and beautifully written prose, then Michelle Zink’s Prophecy of the Sisters is the perfect book for all fans of Gothic literature.

At the heart of this story are twins Lia and Alice Milthorpe, who find themselves on opposing sides of a prophecy that predicts the potential end of mankind and the reign of darkness.  Ultimately, Lia, the Gate,  must choose whether to allow the dark Souls to pass into the world or destroy the darkness altogether, while Alice, the Guardian, must fight to keep the evil at bay.  However, when Lia makes her choice, her twin sister Alice chooses the opposing side, vowing to work against her, which results in a dark, edge-of-your-seat thriller that pits sister against sister, blood against blood.

Filled with dark hallways, haunted rooms, and whispering voices, the setting, mood, and tone Zink creates is reminiscent of Poe’s “Fall of the House of Usher.” One the other hand, the apocalyptic, otherworldly elements tend to remind me of Libba Bray’s Gemma Doyle Trilogy, another one of my favorite series. However, regardless of what other tales Prophecy of the Sisters brings to mind, Zinc’s beautifully crafted prose, three-dimensional characters and tension-building conflict are most certainly all her own. …» more

If you were hoping the vampire craze was beginning to die down, be prepared for disappointment.

In fact, The Vampire Diaries, based on the young adult series written by L.J. Smith, saw around five million viewers during its premier on the CW last week.  Starring Nina Dobrev and Paul Wesley, The Vampire Diaries is the story of Elena Gilbert, a melancholy girl who has recently lost her parents, and Stefan Salvatore, a vampire trying to live a normal life without taking blood from humans.

Though the television series differs from the series of books a bit, the heart of the story is still true. Can Stefan and Elena’s love for each other survive the twisted plots of Damon Salvatore, Stefan’s jealous and malicious brother. Already, in only two episodes, Damon has managed to make Stefan’s life a living hell–first, by biting Vicky Donovan and nearly draining her of blood, and second, by inviting Elena into the Salvatore’s house and filling her in on the details of Stefan’s previous relationship.

The actors and actresses selected for the roles in The Vampire Diaries were well-chosen, especially Ian Somerhalder in the role of Damon Salvatore. His voice, his tone, and even his very presence on camera is a flawless representation of the manipulative jealous brother who loves to play mind games. I must also compliment the writers on the dialogue exchanged between Damon and Stefan. Damon’s sarcastic, condescending words contrast perfectly with Stefan’s honest, heart-filled pleading so that viewers are unable to ignore the deep tension that has been building between the two for hundreds of years.

With action, mystery, and impossible romance, The Vampire Diaries has quashed any fears or hopes of the vampire craze losing steam. Indeed, the CW has landed yet another hit in the wake of shows like The OC, One Tree Hill, and Paranormal, as they bring to life L.J. Smith’s popular series of books.

If easy-to-read, action-packed, paranormal romance is your cup of tea, then Dark of the Moon, the final installment in Rachel Hawthorne’s Dark Guardian’s trilogy, will be a tasty treat.

Picking up where Full Moon left off, Dark of the Moon is told from the point-of-view of Brittany, a tough gal who has been training to be a Dark Guardian her entire life. Unfortunately for Brittany, no one has claimed her as his own, and she will have to go through the excruciating transformation from girl to wolf alone. Even more tragically, when Brittany sets off on her own to face the moon, nothing happens. She is not a wolf, and she will never be a Dark Guardian. Of course, as her luck would have it, Connor (the love of her life and object of her obsession for years) is finally starting to notice her. But how can he love a girl who can’t shift?

When both Brittany and Connor are captured by Bio-Chrome at the hand of the power-hungry genius, Mason, there will be no more secrets between Brittany and Connor and also between the shifter and Bio-Chrome. …» more