Thank you to everyone who responded! I have pasted the replies together
by book so I did not include the names of the contributors.
Thanks again,
Paula
Original Post:
I am have had some requests for the books below, but have seen mixed
reviews. Please let me know if you are familiar with any of them and
ifyou feel they belong in what will soon be a 6-8 library.
>
> Thank you!
>
> Inside Out by Terry Trueman
> The Mediator Series by Meg Cabot
> The Georgia Nicolson Set (Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging)
>
HIT:
Inside Out by Terry Trueman
This one would be more for 8th and up. It's a great book but
does have some mature content.
INSIDE OUT does have more language than most of the other
books in the library but I feel it is excellent and the kids like it,
and
not, I think, because of the language.
Although Booklist has Inside Out recommended for grades 7-10, I agree
with the more conservative rating from SLJ of grades 9 Up. The main
character in the book is 16. I have read the book and it is my opinion
it is more appropriate for a high school audience than middle school.
inside out is by truman was absolutely awesome, riveting and although I
am typically a compassionate person, I will never look at schizophrania
the same way. I gave it to my son to read 6th grade summer. He whose
reading comprehension is 2 grades below his age, and does not like
reading, loved it....and yet
I did not purchase it in my K-8 library...At times it just seemed too
intense...I went back and forth about it for a long time. I might have
done differently if my library was just 6-8, especially if I had
specific requests.
Regardless of whether you purchanse it or not...PLEASE read it. It's
short and suspenseful and you won't regret it.
In my 6-8 school last year, we had Terry Trueman as a visiting author.
I read all three of his books that were available at the time
(including
inside out). I was very nervous about his visit especially for the
6th
graders. The book Inside Out is probably fine for the more mature 6th
grader. 7/8th graders would be fine with it.
>
>The Mediator Series by Meg Cabot
Some of Meg Cabot's book are more geared toward upper school
students. I'm not familiar with this one, though. She's a
great one for chick lit.
I also have The Mediator series in the library and have heard no
complaints.
I have the Mediator Series by Meg Cabot at the high school and really
like it. Basically, it is about a young teenage girl who is a mediator,
someone who can see and communicate with ghost. Her job is to assist
the ghost is reaching the "other side." She also has a romance with
Jesse, who himself is a ghost. I have read all of the books in the
series. They remind me a lot of Ghost Whisperer. They are tame. The
main character goes to a private Catholic school where the priest is
also a Mediator. He provides the "spiritual" and guidance that she
needs (she doesn't always take it though). In the first book, you get
to meet her and you understand that although she goes to the private
Catholic school, she herself is not a Catholic. In fact, she states
that she does not really know what happens to the ghost in the "other
world" and doesn't really want to know. There is a scene in which she
kinda challenges Father D.', assertion of Heaven but it is pretty tame.
She does perform an exorcism to ride the school of an evil ghost but
again, it is pretty tame and the priest expresses remorse and dismay
that she chose that route. In the next book, she understands more from
Father D. how and why she must use her powers to "help guide" the ghost
instead of relying on physical force or exorcisms. Each one gets better
as Suze starts to fall in love with Jesse and must confront who she
really is.
I don't see a problem with them being in the middle school as they are
not anything the kids don't see on NBC.
The Mediator series by Meg Cabot is appropriate for a 6-8 library but
might
be a bit too sophisticated for 6th graders. I have them in my k-8
library in
the Young Adult section for 7th and 8th. They are not great literature
but
they are entertaining.
>
>The Georgia Nicolson Set (Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal
>Snogging)
This one is fine for middle school and definitely a chick lit
selection. My girly girls love her stuff. The Britishisms can
be a bit of a challenge but the gals usually figure it out.
The Georgia Nicolson series is a lot of fun. The titles are really the
only offensive part. I have them all.
I can tell you that I have the Georgia Nicholson series, and the girls
love them! They stay off of the shelf. However, I have not personally
have them, and have not had any complaints so far. A fellow teacher has
read the first one because of the title; she didn't think anything was
wrong with it though it wasn't her kind of book.
I have all the Rennison books. My 8th grade girls love them.
Kids LOVE the Georgia Nicolson books, and I have them in my 6-8
library, although I do try to steer 6th graders away from them.
I love the Georgia Nicholson series. They are outrageous and off the
wall. Some people may have a problem with them because Georgia speaks
honestly and very teen-like. She worries about the possibility of
being a lesbian and has all sorts of normal worries that teen age girls
have. I think the books are very middle school appropriate. I have
had one parent concern about one of the books, but no complaint filed.
I only have the Georgia Nicolson series by Louise Rennison. It is
very
popular with some of my girls. I read the first two & found nothing
that
was too graphic for my suburban middle school.
Rennison's series is extremely
popular and some of the staff have read one or more of them as well
and
like them. One of the LA teachers recently presented it at our monthly
staff book group.
I also have the Georgia Nicholson books in the high school. The first
one is tame enough for the middle school but I don't know about the rest
of the series. As Georgia gets older, she starts to "experiment" with
the boys a little bit more. The other thing about the book is that they
are British and you need to follow along with a dictionary (in the back
of the book) to be able to understand some of the slang. I love these
books as they are very funny!!!!!
The Georgia Nicholson books
are fine for middle school, might be a little much for 6th graders and
some immature 7th, but definitely ok for 8th graders.
We have the Georgia Nicolson books and
they are very popular. They are an the edgier side of middle school
fiction,
so it would depend on your community, but in general I would say,
"appropriate".
While I enjoy reading the Angus, Thongs, and Full-frontal Snogging
books myself, I would not recommend them for 6-8. They are full of bad
attitude and bad examples. I consider them equivalent to pure junkfood.
Angus and Thongs is one of the books the district LA dept bought for
the
lit circle class sets. We've used it in 8th grade (student choice from
a
range of books) with no problems.
I began reading but did not finish Angus, etc. I have
mixed feelings about it appropriateness in a middle school library.
We also had the Georgia Nicolson books in that library. We didn't
circulate them to the 6th graders but we did to the 7/8th graders.
Nicholson books - probably not
All of the Books
I'm the librarian at Monticello Trails in Shawnee, KS, which
is a suburb of Kansas City. I have all of the titles you've listed
below, and feel comfortable with them in my library. There might be a
mention or two of sex, and a word here or there, but after reading
them,
I decided they were ok in my library. Since every school and area is
different, you might try reading them to see how comfortable you are
with them, and just add them afterwards if that's your decision. Just
a
thought :)
I would say okay for the 8th end, but feel you should leave them for
older. My 8th and 9th graders really like that last two items.
I have 3 of Trueman's titles, including Inside Out, the Mediator series
and
the Nicolson set in our middle school library.
Basically you have to look to "community standards" when
debating whether to buy some titles. If it's controversial, I like to
be
sure I have good book reviews to go along with them. It is also
necessary
to have "something for everyone" and there are times when a 6-8 grade
span
seems like lightyears apart in taste, maturity and need. It's a tough
juggling act somedays.
I have Inside Out and the Georgia diaries in my YA section for grades 7
& 8
only. The Georgia books are very popular with my girls and so far, no
one has
complained. The Inside Out book was checked out only once by a very
good/
advanced reader who thought it was very sad & heavy, but good.
I have all the books you mentioned in my 6-8 library. They're very
popular with the kids, and I've had no complaints.
We have all of them here. We have some 6th graders reading Mediators,
more 7th. The Nicholson books are very popular with 7th. Inside Out is
pretty 8th grade.
I have read the Cabot and Nicolson books and I really enjoyed them. I
have a Pk-6 school and wouldn't put these books in my library. I think
I would put them into the 7-9 JHs here in my district because I think
our community wouldn't have any problems with these books. They are NOT
excellent literature, but they are very entertaining storytelling.
These are books that YA's will read!!! There is no explicit sex and the
violence is no worse than CSI or LOST. Read one from these series
before you make your decision.
I have Inside Out and Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging in my
5-8 library. However, I have a section of books set aside for only
7th & 8th graders, which is where those books are located.
Paula Niemeier
Library Media Specialist
School of the Osage Junior High
573-365-5343
Lake Ozark, MO 65049
niemp@osage.k12.mo.us
*********************************************************************
This E-mail contains confidential information which is intended only
for the use of the individual or entity named above. If the reader of
this E-mail is not the intended recipient or agent responsible for
delivering it to the intended recipient, he/she is hereby notified that
you are in possession of confidential and privileged information. If you
have received this E-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately.
State and federal law prohibits you from making further disclosure of this
information without specific written consent of the person to whom it
pertains, or as otherwise permitted by law.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Please note: All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law.
You can prevent most e-mail filters from deleting LM_NET postings
by adding LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU to your e-mail address book.
To change your LM_NET status, e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu
In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL
3) SET LM_NET MAIL 4) SET LM_NET DIGEST * Allow for confirmation.
* LM_NET Help & Information: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/
* LM_NET Archive: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/
* EL-Announce with LM_NET Select: http://elann.biglist.com/sub/
* LM_NET Supporters: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ven.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------
LM_NET
Mailing List Home