Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Update
This blog is going to undergo some changes in the next few weeks as I attempt to make it into a program discussion/book review blog. This is to challenge myself to try something new and hopefully add a new voice to the book blogger community.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Read Alike List: Gay and Lesbian Teen Fiction for the Joliet Public Library
A genere that is currently on the rise is fiction featuring gay and lesbian teens. Some of the books on this list feature the coming out process, while others focus on the politcal and romantic ramifications of being gay.
If You Like:
Hardcover: 432 pages
Who has It: Joliet Public Library Main and Joliet Black Road Branch
Call Number: Teen Fiction Moore
Summary: Thom Creed's father was once Major Might, a well known superhero until an accident turned everyone against him. Now even the word hero is banned from the house as Thom and his father try their best to live a normal life.
But Thom has secrets of his own, for one he's gay, and for the second, he has been asked to join the League of Heroes, the same organization that turned against his father. Now Thom has to hide who he is, while at the time trying to discover who is killing off members of the League.
You Might Like:
Ash by Melissa Lo
Hardcover: 272 pages
Who has it: Joliet Main and Black Road Branch
Call Number: Teen Fiction Lo
Summary: Ash longs for a life away from her stepmother and when a fairy prince, cursed to love her, offers her her dreams, Ash must choose between the huntress she loves and a fairy tale come true.
Tale of Two Summers by Brian Slone
Hardcover: 256 pages
Who has it: Joliet Main and Black Road Branch
Call Number: Teen Fiction Sloan
Summary: After a brutral attack by his classmates, drag queen Billy Bloom decides the only way to regain his self esteem is to run for homecoming queen, dispite the disapproval of everyone around him.
Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
Hardcover: 352 pages
Who has it: Joliet Main Library
Call Number: 813.6 Bur
Summary: Sent to live with his mother's shrink, Augusten discovers a family willing and able to teach him about life in the most wonderful ways. He also discovers what it means to be gay and Catholic in the modern world.
Latter Days by T Farbis
Paperback: 224 pages
Who has it: Joliet Black Road Branch
Call Number: Fiction Farbis
Summary: Christian is a playboy ready and willing to make a bet when a group of Mormon missonaries move in next door. But he never dreamed his slow courtship of Aaron would turn into love.
David Inside Out by Lee F Bantle
Paperback: 224 pages
Who has it: Joliet Main Library
Call Number: Teen Fiction Bantle
Summary: David just finished coming out to everyone he knows and now the teenager has to face the fallout from that choice as he travels the rough road to true love.
Outfield Mence by Mark Roder
Paperback 258 pages
Who has it: Des Plains Valley Library-Lockport
Call Number: YA FIC ROE
Summary: Outfield Menace is the tale of Kurt, a fifteen-year-old baseball player, living in a small, 1950s, Indiana town. During a confrontation with Angel, the resident bad boy of Blackford High School, Kurt attacks Angel, earning the wrath of the most dangerous gang in town. When Angel finally corners Kurt, however, something happens that Kurt wouldn’t have imagined in his wildest dreams.
Band Fags by Frank Anthony Pallo
Paperback 352 pages
Who has it: Bettendorf Public Library
Call Number: YA FIC POLI
Summary: Jack Paterno is a straight-A student living in the Detroit suburb of Hazel Park, with his own Atari 5200, a Beta VCR, and everything a seventh-grader could ask for. The only thing he has in common with foul-mouthed Brad Dayton, who lives on the gritty south side near 8 Mile, is that both are in Varsity Band. Or maybe that's not the only thing. Because Jack is discovering that while hanging around with girls in elementary school was perfectly acceptable, having lots of girl friends (as opposed to girlfriends) now is getting him and Brad labeled as Band Fags. And Jack is no fag. Is he?
Thinking Straight by Robin Reardon
Paperback 304 pages
Who has it: Moline Public Library
Call Number: Fic Rea
Summary: If only Taylor Adams had kept on lying to his parents, none of this would have happened. He wouldn't have been shipped off to Straight to God, an institution devoted to "deprogramming" troubled teenagers and ridding them of their vices--whether it's drugs, violence, or in Taylor's case, other boys. Not that Taylor has a problem with being gay, or with reconciling his love for God with his love for his boyfriend Will.
Out of the Pocket by Bill Konigsberg
Hardcover 272 pages
Who has it: Joliet Main Library
Call Number: TEEN FICTION KONIGSBERG
Summary: Bobby Framingham is one of the top high-school quarterback prospects in California. He’s troubled, though, by his growing realization that he is gay—not easy in the homophobic world of school sports. He confides in his coach, a teacher, and a few friends before he is outed by an unscrupulous reporter for the school newspaper. This sets off a firestorm of national media attention, which Bobby faces bravely.
The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd
Hardcover 309 pages
Who has it: Joliet Main Library
Call Number: Teen Fiction Burd
Summary: It’s Dade’s last summer at home. He has a crappy job at Food World, a boyfriend who won't publicly acknowledge his existence (maybe because Pablo also has a girlfriend), and parents on the verge of a divorce. College is Dade’s shining beacon of possibility, a horizon to keep him from floating away.
Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
Paperback 272 pages
Who has it: Joliet Main Library
Call Number: Teen Fiction Garden
Summary: Liza never knew that falling in love could be so wonderful . . . and so confusing, when she meets her new classmate Annie.
I
n Mike We Trust by P.E. Ryan
Hardcover 336 pages
Who has it: Des Plains Valley Library-Lockport
Call Number: YA FIC RYA
Summary: Fifteen-year-old Garth Rudd, more comfortable with his homosexuality than his 5' 2" stature, is grieving his father's recent death. Forced to get a job, his understandably overprotective mother has asked him to temporarily keep his sexual orientation secret. When his father's estranged twin appears for a summer visit, Garth's trust is easily gained. Secretly Mike helps him navigate the unfamiliar waters of gay relationships by taking him to bookstores and facilitating dates with Adam, a school friend. Before long, Mike exploits Garth's trust and encourages him to quit his job, lie to his mother, and secretly help him collect money for "charities" instead.
ALL IMAGES CAME FROM GOOGLE IMAGES AND ALL SUMMARIES CAME FROM AMAZON.COM
Hero by Perry Moore
Hardcover: 432 pages
Who has It: Joliet Public Library Main and Joliet Black Road Branch
Call Number: Teen Fiction Moore
Summary: Thom Creed's father was once Major Might, a well known superhero until an accident turned everyone against him. Now even the word hero is banned from the house as Thom and his father try their best to live a normal life.
But Thom has secrets of his own, for one he's gay, and for the second, he has been asked to join the League of Heroes, the same organization that turned against his father. Now Thom has to hide who he is, while at the time trying to discover who is killing off members of the League.
You Might Like:
Wide Awake by David Levithan
Hardcover: 240 pages
Who has it: Joliet Main Library and Joliet Black Road Branch
Call Number: Teen Fiction Levithan
Call Number: Teen Fiction Levithan
Summary: A gay Jewish president has just been elected and Duncan Lewis, his boyfriend Jimmy and all their friends are thilled. They believe equality for all is just around the corner until the election results are called into question and Duncan's relationships with Jimmy and his parents are threatened. Now Duncan has to choose, will he fight for what he believes in or sit back and do nothing.
Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez
Hardcover: 272 pages
Who has it: Joliet Main Library and Black Road Branch
Call Number: Teen Fiction Sanchez
Summary: Three boys, a sports star who fears he might be gay, a closeted young man in love with his best friend and a flamboyant young man looking for his first love learn the ins, outs in in betweens of love, while fighting fearful parents, bigoted classmates and the threat of AIDS. First in a series.
Ash by Melissa Lo
Hardcover: 272 pages
Who has it: Joliet Main and Black Road Branch
Call Number: Teen Fiction Lo
Summary: Ash longs for a life away from her stepmother and when a fairy prince, cursed to love her, offers her her dreams, Ash must choose between the huntress she loves and a fairy tale come true.
Tale of Two Summers by Brian Slone
Hardcover: 256 pages
Who has it: Joliet Main and Black Road Branch
Call Number: Teen Fiction Sloan
Summary: Two best friends, one gay one straight, use their private blog to talk about life, love and learning to drive during summer vacation.
Freak Show by James St. James
Hardcover: 304 pages
Who has it: Joliet Main and Black Road Branch
Call Number: Teen Fiction St. James
Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
Hardcover: 352 pages
Who has it: Joliet Main Library
Call Number: 813.6 Bur
Summary: Sent to live with his mother's shrink, Augusten discovers a family willing and able to teach him about life in the most wonderful ways. He also discovers what it means to be gay and Catholic in the modern world.
Latter Days by T Farbis
Paperback: 224 pages
Who has it: Joliet Black Road Branch
Call Number: Fiction Farbis
Summary: Christian is a playboy ready and willing to make a bet when a group of Mormon missonaries move in next door. But he never dreamed his slow courtship of Aaron would turn into love.
David Inside Out by Lee F Bantle
Paperback: 224 pages
Who has it: Joliet Main Library
Call Number: Teen Fiction Bantle
Summary: David just finished coming out to everyone he knows and now the teenager has to face the fallout from that choice as he travels the rough road to true love.
Outfield Mence by Mark Roder
Paperback 258 pages
Who has it: Des Plains Valley Library-Lockport
Call Number: YA FIC ROE
Summary: Outfield Menace is the tale of Kurt, a fifteen-year-old baseball player, living in a small, 1950s, Indiana town. During a confrontation with Angel, the resident bad boy of Blackford High School, Kurt attacks Angel, earning the wrath of the most dangerous gang in town. When Angel finally corners Kurt, however, something happens that Kurt wouldn’t have imagined in his wildest dreams.
Band Fags by Frank Anthony Pallo
Paperback 352 pages
Who has it: Bettendorf Public Library
Call Number: YA FIC POLI
Summary: Jack Paterno is a straight-A student living in the Detroit suburb of Hazel Park, with his own Atari 5200, a Beta VCR, and everything a seventh-grader could ask for. The only thing he has in common with foul-mouthed Brad Dayton, who lives on the gritty south side near 8 Mile, is that both are in Varsity Band. Or maybe that's not the only thing. Because Jack is discovering that while hanging around with girls in elementary school was perfectly acceptable, having lots of girl friends (as opposed to girlfriends) now is getting him and Brad labeled as Band Fags. And Jack is no fag. Is he?
Thinking Straight by Robin Reardon
Paperback 304 pages
Who has it: Moline Public Library
Call Number: Fic Rea
Summary: If only Taylor Adams had kept on lying to his parents, none of this would have happened. He wouldn't have been shipped off to Straight to God, an institution devoted to "deprogramming" troubled teenagers and ridding them of their vices--whether it's drugs, violence, or in Taylor's case, other boys. Not that Taylor has a problem with being gay, or with reconciling his love for God with his love for his boyfriend Will.
Out of the Pocket by Bill Konigsberg
Hardcover 272 pages
Who has it: Joliet Main Library
Call Number: TEEN FICTION KONIGSBERG
Summary: Bobby Framingham is one of the top high-school quarterback prospects in California. He’s troubled, though, by his growing realization that he is gay—not easy in the homophobic world of school sports. He confides in his coach, a teacher, and a few friends before he is outed by an unscrupulous reporter for the school newspaper. This sets off a firestorm of national media attention, which Bobby faces bravely.
The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd
Hardcover 309 pages
Who has it: Joliet Main Library
Call Number: Teen Fiction Burd
Summary: It’s Dade’s last summer at home. He has a crappy job at Food World, a boyfriend who won't publicly acknowledge his existence (maybe because Pablo also has a girlfriend), and parents on the verge of a divorce. College is Dade’s shining beacon of possibility, a horizon to keep him from floating away.
Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
Paperback 272 pages
Who has it: Joliet Main Library
Call Number: Teen Fiction Garden
Summary: Liza never knew that falling in love could be so wonderful . . . and so confusing, when she meets her new classmate Annie.
I
n Mike We Trust by P.E. Ryan
Hardcover 336 pages
Who has it: Des Plains Valley Library-Lockport
Call Number: YA FIC RYA
Summary: Fifteen-year-old Garth Rudd, more comfortable with his homosexuality than his 5' 2" stature, is grieving his father's recent death. Forced to get a job, his understandably overprotective mother has asked him to temporarily keep his sexual orientation secret. When his father's estranged twin appears for a summer visit, Garth's trust is easily gained. Secretly Mike helps him navigate the unfamiliar waters of gay relationships by taking him to bookstores and facilitating dates with Adam, a school friend. Before long, Mike exploits Garth's trust and encourages him to quit his job, lie to his mother, and secretly help him collect money for "charities" instead.
ALL IMAGES CAME FROM GOOGLE IMAGES AND ALL SUMMARIES CAME FROM AMAZON.COM
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Wrap Up
I have to say I really enjoyed doing this program and would love to do it again at a more advanced level if given the chance. I loved learning about Google Reader and Flicker. I got to share some my favorite sites with my co-workers and it taught me to remember to check my Twitter and Yammer accounts much more then I used to.
It was great seeing what my co-workers posted about each week and I might keep this blog updated with book reviews and the like just to see what happens.
See you on the flip side!
-JP
It was great seeing what my co-workers posted about each week and I might keep this blog updated with book reviews and the like just to see what happens.
See you on the flip side!
-JP
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Web 2.0 Award Winners
I checked out Wet Paint for this assignment. This is a websites made by TV fans for TV fans. Almost any show you could think of has it's own page on this including Heroes, Glee and Supernatural. Each separate site has a wiki, forums, games and even links to where you can watch episodes on line.
This would be a great resource for those patrons looking for that one bit of trivia they can't find. My only beef with the site was it was so loaded with content that it ran a little slow.
This would be a great resource for those patrons looking for that one bit of trivia they can't find. My only beef with the site was it was so loaded with content that it ran a little slow.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Zoho Writer
In all honesty I like open source software but Zoho needs some work. Unlike MS Office, which allows you to spell check each word as it comes up and fix a mistake right in the document, Zoho requires you to run a spell check any time an issue comes up. Not only that, but the software does pick up some mistakes while glossing over others.
I did like that they had buttons for certain options that MS Word did not. For example. Zoho Writer had a strike out option that with Word you would have had to enter in a code to get.
Overall, I liked the software and would use it in the future when I do not have access to Word or any other Office program. However, if given the choice I would still head to a program I know before signing into Zoho.
I did like that they had buttons for certain options that MS Word did not. For example. Zoho Writer had a strike out option that with Word you would have had to enter in a code to get.
Overall, I liked the software and would use it in the future when I do not have access to Word or any other Office program. However, if given the choice I would still head to a program I know before signing into Zoho.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Library Thing
I was using this site back when it was in it's beta form and I have to say I like it much better now then it was then. It's much easier to use, search and tag and also it allows you to leave reviews and rate each of the books in your library. I've only added five books for now here, but the moment I get a chance I hope to add more.
-JP
-JP
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Social Bookmarking
I enjoyed surfing around Delicious for a while with the exercise. I wasn't really thrilled with the most popular book marks, they all seemed to be about how to design stuff, either web based or decorating wise.
The geek tag was fun to click on, I discovered Star Wars Uncut a parody of the film made by fans, who each choose a scene from the movie and recreate it using a different style.
This site is something I've used before and I will definitely look into creating my own account for the fun of it.
-JP
The geek tag was fun to click on, I discovered Star Wars Uncut a parody of the film made by fans, who each choose a scene from the movie and recreate it using a different style.
This site is something I've used before and I will definitely look into creating my own account for the fun of it.
-JP
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