No Child's Game: Reality TV 2083 by Andrea White

Can't believe I missed this one, it was published in 2005! The story is set a teeny bit into the future, in a country that has had some hard times, especially financially (a little too real, in view of how our economy has been through the wringer in the last year). Public school is no longer possible, with kids watching Edu-TV instead until a certain age. The educational content is delivered in survivor reality shows, each one mirroring a particular historical event. Kids are required to watch a certain amount of Edu-TV per week and must enter into a lottery to see if they can go to high school and college.

Five 14-yr old kids are chosen to attempt Antarctica Survivor, which re-creates the historic voyage to the South Pole attempted by Robert Scott (epic fail). Of course, the whole game is rigged to increase viewer ratings, with the kids enduring calamities galore. Through the tiny cameras implanted in their corneas, the whole country can watch the drama unfold. I was totally drawn into this story by the characters, each special in their own way, and by the evil plotting Secretary of Entertainment (I love a good conspiracy). Honestly, the whole reality show drama is completely believable, based on what passes for entertainment today. I found myself alternately rooting for characters and worrying about them.

Good read, I recommend it! The website about the book is also well-done, here is the link:
http://www.survivingantarctica.com/

Essential Graphic Novels for a Jr. High Library

I've had a graphic novel collection for 4 years now and have learned a few things about maintaining it. First of all, they will be HOT. They must be in an area close to supervision, as the activity there will be chaotic at times. Most of my shelving is graphic novels, they're out, they're in and back out again all in one day. Keep that section close. Secondly, you need room to grow. These are almost always written in series, with volumes and volumes available for purchase. The thirst for these books is insatiable, with the students always asking for more. Here are the essential titles i would use to begin a collection (5 of each series if you can):

Bleach
Azumanga Daioh
Beauty Pop
Basara
+Anima
Fruits Basket
Full Metal Alchemist
Case Closed
The Simpsons (all of them, multiple copies)
Bone (all of them, multiple copies)
Essential X-men
Naruto
One Piece
Ouran Host Club
Persepolis
Star Wars (all of them)
Tsubasa
Spiderman
Batman
Maus 1 & 2
Mail Order Ninja
Tokyo Mew Mew
Yotsuba
Harlem Beat
ultramaniac
Calvin & Hobbes (all of them)

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

This book is addictive. There's just no other way to state it! I found it impossible to put the book down, or the subsequent books. I lost entire days of activity because I simply had to finish the books. I stopped talking to my children, cleaning the house, even dressing in daytime clothes until the end of the fourth book. It is the forbidden love story theme, with Bella falling in love with a vampire who doesn't kill people. There, I've already said too much---check it out for yourself to see what the buzz is about.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and some guy

Okay, the title pulls me in, so I bite. Zombies? Tea? It is indeed Jane Austen's classic novel with a zombie plague woven throughout. The Bennett sisters are not only hot (so to speak), but they are also deadly with the sword or musket. Every child is trained in the ninja arts, because the unfortunate stricken have been staggering around for about 55 years.

This was a fun read, which ordinarily is not said about anything Jane Austen wrote. Mr. Darcy is a bit spicier than in the first book, but who wouldn't be spicier with the threat of zombie hordes always hovering? It is the ultimate "fan fiction," giving rise to all sorts of other twists on old favorites...Oliver Twist and Zombies? War and Peace and Zombies? Jane Zombie Eyre?

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

My latest favorite book is called The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. It takes place in post-apocalyptic Earth, after something cataclysmic has happened to the Earth. The whole world has been divided into 13 districts, which are definitely NOT equal. The children of each district are required to put their names in a lottery every year after the age of 9 or 10. Each year, two names are pulled out of the hat and those two children will represent their district in the Hunger Games, a reality survivor show broadcast worldwide. The winner of the Hunger Games gets fame and fortune, their success guarantees that their families and districts will be provided for in a world where survival is questionable in the poor districts. How do they win the game? They have to kill everyone else, all 25 other contestants, they must be the last man standing.

Yes, it's a savage plot, lots of weapons and violent scenes. But given the caliber of recent tv programming, not that far away from believable...

This is the first of a series, and I couldn't put it down! Can't wait to read the next one.