Monday, May 13, 2013
Sunday, May 12, 2013
NoveList
Bibliographic
Information: (2013). Novelist
[Database]. EBSCO. Website URL: http://www.ebscohost.com/novelist
Summary and
Evaluation: Novelist provides users with 24/7 remote access and recommends
read-alikes—two aspects that shy teens will love. Users can browse by genre,
age range, best-of lists, and results display book reviews from Booklist,
Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly and School Library Journal. Each book also has a “more
about this book” tab that gives useful details like the tone and writing style.
Best of all, there is a direct link to any lists the book may appear on, like
YALSA’s Best Fiction for Young Adults. The search field allows users to search
by author, title, or series in its basic function, but the advanced search
expands into many more fields, like a checkbox for “award winner.”
Reason for Selection:
Novelist is the perfect digital resource for avid readers, and for those
shy teens that are afraid to come up to the reference desk and ask for
recommendations, this will become immensely helpful to them.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Gale VIrtual Reference Library
Bibliographic
Information: (2013). Gale Virtual
Reference Library [Database]. Website URL: http://www.gale.cengage.com/servlet/GvrlMS?msg=ma
Summary and
Evaluation: The Gale Virtual Reference Library is a powerhouse for one-stop
reference needs. With over 7000 customizable reference titles from Cambridge,
Wiley, Sage, Gale and roughly 80 other publishers, this database can be catered
to fit the needs of teens. The PowerSearch interface is clean and easy to do
basic and advanced searches and the results are intuitively displayed in html
format, so that page breaks and images look like they are right out of a
printed page. Another great feature is the ability to build a custom collection
for specific user groups. Visual customizations are useful, too. The browsing
tools are a breeze and laid out in a very slick and minimalist style. This
award winning database is all a student needs for high school research
projects.
Reason for Selection:
GVRL won Best Overall Database from School Library Journal.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Batman: Arkham City
Bibliographic
Information: Rocksteady. (2011). Batman:
Arkham city [Video Game]. Warner Bros. Rated: Teen. ASIN: B007SRM5U6
Summary and
Evaluation: The Caped Crusader
returns in this sequel to the 2009 acclaimed Arkham Asylum. Voted 2011
game of the year and received with critical fanfare, Bruce Wayne finds himself
arrested and imprisoned for declaring opposition to Arkham City but escapes
only to fall into the criminal populace of the city with villains Penguin,
Joker, Two-Face, Hugo Strange and more plotting together to overthrow Arkham
City and destroy the Dark Knight. Matters turn less desirable for Batman
when is unconsciously submitted with a blood transfusion infecting him with a
slow but progressive fatal disease. In order to contain the disease,
Batman has to ironically seek the aid of long time nemesis Mr. Freeze—but not
without performing some less than heroic tasks for his enemy. With an
abundance of plot twists, endless game-play, open-world environment, and (of
course) gadgets, Batman Arkham City is enormously fun and entertaining to play.
Genre: Game
Subjects: Batman,
superheroes
Interest Age: 13+
Challenge
Issues/Defense: Due to violence, this game may be challenged. If so, refer
to:
1.
The San Francisco Public Library Collection Development Policy,
Selection Criteria, and Teen Collection documents.
2.
A hard copy of the ALA’s Library Bill of
Rights.
3.
Reviews from IGN, Game Informer and Gamespot.
4.
Game selection rationale.
5.
If necessary, The San Francisco Public Library’s
Request for
Reconsideration of Library Materials Form.
Reason for Selection:
This game was an IGN “Editor’s Choice” winner, and Game Informer gave it a
perfect 10, as well as calling it “the best licensed video game ever made”
(Wikipedia, 2013). The graphics are lush and the storyline is stellar. Every
gamer has to play this one.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Ghost on Ghost
Bibliographic
Information: Iron and Wine. (2013). Ghost
on ghost [Audio CD]. New York: Nonesuch. ASIN: B00BI6SSMC
Summary and Evaluation:
In the fifth album from this renowned folk singer/songwriter comes a
refreshing break from quiet lyrical ballads and rather explores jazz beats,
warm bass lines right out of the 70’s, twinkly organs and a horn section that
grooves along with each chorus. The singer, Samuel Beam, keeps his soft and
warm tenor melodies that litter his earlier work, but this time, he seems less
anxious, and way more relaxed. Background
singers and stylized drum-beats add depth to both quiet furrowed lullabies and
the upbeat hymns.
Artist Information: Wikipedia
states, “Samuel Beam (born July 26, 1974), better known by his stage and
recording name Iron & Wine, is an American singer-songwriter. He has
released five studio albums,
several EPs and singles, as well as a
few download-only releases,
which include a live album (a
recording of his 2005 Bonnaroo performance).
He occasionally tours with a full band.
Beam was raised in South Carolina before
moving to Virginia and
then Florida to
attend school. He now resides in Dripping
Springs, Texas, near Austin. The name Iron
& Wine is taken from a dietary supplement named "Beef Iron &
Wine" that he found in a general store while shooting a film.”
Genre: Folk Rock,
Jazz
Reason for Selection:
Samuel Beam is already a household name amongst the musical elite, but this
album has the potential to give his ten-year career the recognition he
deserves. I consider this album to be a serious contender for Best Album of
2013.
Born to Die
Bibliographic
Information: Lana Del Ray. (2012). Born
to die [Audio CD]. Santa Monica: Interscope.
Summary and Evaluation:
With brooding nonchalance, Lana Del Ray’s sultry, jazz inspired croons are juxtaposed
with her playfully sentimental lyrics. The album starts slow and soft, then
gets darker and faster, and finally picks up the mood until it crashes back
down to a whisper. The song that rose her to fame is a painful lament to an
ex-lover who, despite her ploys for attention, just played video games. Piano,
strings and harp pair with painted memories of their relationship, and as she
crescendo’s into a pleading and stabbing, “It’s you, it’s you, it’s all for
you” you only get the sense that he doesn’t hear her.
Extracting images from pop culture and her past, Lana’s
songwriting is fresh and unique. She knows how to orchestrate her melodies in a
powerful way, while undercutting the beautiful waves of sound with ironic words.
Artist Information: Wikipedia states, “Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born
June 21, 1986), better known by her stage
name Lana Del Rey, is
an American singer-songwriter.
Del Rey initially began performing in clubs in New York City at age 18 and
signed her first recording contract when she was 20 years old with 5 Points
Records, releasing her first digital album Lana Del Ray a.k.a. Lizzy Grant in January 2010. Del Rey bought
herself out of the contract with 5 Points Records in April 2010 and signed a
joint contract with Interscope, Polydor,
and Stranger Records in October 2011.
After she
released her debut single "Video
Games" in June 2011, a music video created by Del Rey for the
song was posted on YouTube in August 2011. After the song became
a viral
internet hit with over
20 million views, her second studio album,Born to Die, was released in January 2012.
The album sold over 3.6 million copies worldwide in 2012, making it the fifth
best-selling album of 2012. Charting across Europe, the album spawned numerous
top ten hits, including "Blue Jeans", "National Anthem", "Born
to Die", and "Summertime
Sadness."
Genre: Pop
Reason for Selection:
Lana Del Ray is a viral sensation, and combination of her unique
combinations of genres, paired with her almost Britney Spears-like sentiments,
make for great teen music.
Ceremonials
Bibliographic
Information: Florence and the Machine. (2011). Ceremonials [Audio CD]. London: Island. ASIN: B005QKYIZ2
Summary and Evaluation:
“And it’s hard to
dance with the devil on your back/
So
shake him off.”
A piano stabs the air as if from under water. A harp plucks
a twinkling crescendo. Soon a soulful voice belts out the opening words and a
tribal cascade of reverberating drums beat like a racing heart. Before you know
it, an entire orchestra and choir are wrapping their soft arms around you in a
dark embrace. The ethereal harmonies are haunting and can only be those of the
maroon-haired Florence Welch—front woman and primary songwriter for the indie
band, Florence and the Machine. Avoiding the usual revealing stage outfits of other pop artists,
Florence can be seen in chin-to-floor chorus robes, and twirls around the stage
in capes and flowing long dresses reminiscent of Janis Joplin. Her style is
just as iconic as her sound.
Ceremonials is a
somber lullabye that harkens images of deep blue oceans, and deeper dreams. The
timbre of Florence’s voice will give listeners chills, and her lyrics explore
both the darkest and warmest of human emotions: love, fear, death. Each song
starts as a whisper and builds and builds into a climax of electrifying
intensity and strings.
Artist Information: Wikipedia states,
“Florence and the Machine (stylised
as Florence + The Machine) are
an English indie
rock band, consisting
of lead singer Florence
Welch, Isabella
"Machine" Summers, and a collaboration of other artists
who provide backing music. The band's music received praise across the music
media, especially from the BBC,
before they gained mainstream success. Specifically, the BBC played a large
part in their rise to prominence by promoting Florence and the Machine as part
of BBC Introducing.
The band's debut
album, Lungs, was released on 6 July 2009, and
held the number-two position for its first five weeks on the UK
Albums Chart. On 17 January 2010, the album reached the
top position, after being on the chart for twenty-eight consecutive weeks.
As of October 2010, the album had been in the top forty in the United
Kingdom for sixty-five consecutive weeks, making it one of the best-selling
albums of 2009 and 2010. The group's second studio album,Ceremonials, released in October 2011,
debuted at number one in the UK and number six in the US.
Florence and the
Machine's sound has been described as a combination of various genres,
including rock and soul.
Lungs won the MasterCard British Album award at the 2010
BRIT Awards. At the 53rd
Grammy Awards, Florence and the
Machine were nominated for Best New Artist. Additionally, the band
performed at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, and the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Concert."
Genre: Pop/Soul
Challenge
Issues/Defense: N/A
Reason for Selection:
Aside from topping Billboard charts around the globe and being nominated
for Best Pop Vocal Album at the Grammies, Florence approaches pop music with
emotional honesty and vivid artistry. This girl would rather hit a few bad
notes in an intimate performance, than give into gimmicky lip syncing and
flashy stage productions. She’s raw and full of energy and emotion. But most of
all, she’s honest—and not many pop artists these days are. She’s a good role model, and a lot of teen girls admire her
vintage style.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Skateboarder
Bibliographic
Information: Owens, J. (Editor). (2013). Skateboarder [Magazine]. San Clemente: Source Interlink Media.
Website URL: http://www.skateboardermag.com/
Content Summary: Skateboarder
Magazine was born in 1964 as a quarterly, but then disappeared until the
skateboarding boom in the 70’s. Due to dangerous quality of proto skate gear,
the sport faced banning more than once in its history. The magazines success
has followed the ups and downs of the sports popularity, but thrives today as
the “Bible” of skateboarding magazines. Editors credit the superb photography
and editorials for their success. The magazine also features interviews,
reviews of gear from decks to shoes, and offers free giveaways.
Wikipedia. (2013). Skateboarder [Magazine]. (28 April, 2013). Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skateboarder_(magazine)
Genre: Magazine
Subjects: skateboarding,
skateboards, skateboard gear
Reading
Level/Interest Age: 13+
Challenge
Issues/Defense: N/A
Reason for Selection:
The sport of skateboarding has a bad reputation among authoritative figures
since its beginnings in the 60’s and 70’s, which is why it will always have a
special place in the heart of teens. But beyond that, it is a growing phenomenon,
and I don’t see it losing its momentum for years. The photos in this magazine
are amazing, and teens will agree.
Alternative Press
Bibliographic
Information: Pettigrew, J. (2013). Alternative
press. [Magazine]. Cleveland: Alternative Press. Website URL: http://www.altpress.com/
Content Summary: Alternative
Press, or AP, was founded in 1985 by Mike Shea who wanted to give credit to
many of the underground bands that were being featured on his local radio
stations in Cleveland, Ohio. What began as a photocopied zine eventually grew
to feature bands on the cover right before they made it big (Red Hot Chili
Peppers). The magazine averages 198-220 pages per month and has such features
as “Favorite Gear” and “Unsigned Bands of the Month.” The magazine now sponsors
several music festivals like Warped Tour and the Taste of Chaos Tour. The
photographs have a very iconic, glossy, high contrast appeal.
Wikipedia. (2013). Alternative press. (28 April, 2013). Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_Press
Genre: Magazine
Subjects: alternative
rock, music, bands
Reading
Level/Interest Age: 13+
Challenge
Issues/Defense: Due to some occurrences of profanity, this magazine may be
challenged. If so, refer to:
1.
The San Francisco Public Library Collection Development Policy,
Selection Criteria, and Teen Collection documents.
2.
The California Department of Education District Selection
Policies, Reading
Lists, and Resources
for Recommended Literature: Pre-K-12.
3.
A hard copy of the ALA’s Library Bill of
Rights.
4.
Mixed book reviews from School Library Journal,
Kirkus, and Publisher’s Weekly.
5.
Book selection rationale.
6.
If necessary, The San Francisco Public Library’s
Request for
Reconsideration of Library Materials Form.
Reason for Selection:
This is the go-to magazine for reviews of alternative bands. I can’t count
how many great interviews with my favorite bands were published by AP. This is
a staple music magazine for many teens, and features full spread photographs.
Game Informer
Bibliographic
Information: McNamara, A. (Editor). (2013). Game Informer (Magazine). Minneapolis: GameStop Corporation.
Website URL: http://www.gameinformer.com/
Content Summary: This
monthly American video gaming magazine was developed in 1991 and offers reviews,
previews, articles, news, and strategy guides on all of the major video game
consoles. Once a year, the editors put together a “Top 50 Games of Lat Year”
issue, awarding a Game of the Year, and Top ten Lists in different categories. They
also do an annual E3 issue, summarizing all of the major highlights from this
prestigious annual video game conference. They review games based on a scale of
1 (awful) to 10 (perfect). Only 23 games have been awarded a ten rating. The covers usually feature very striking game art that wraps across the front and back of each issue.
Wikipedia. (2013). Game Informer. (28 April, 2013). Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Informer
Genre: Magazine
Subjects: videogames,
video game consoles, Wii, Wii U, Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC, Nintendo 3DS,
Playstation Vita
Reading
Level/Interest Age: 13+
Challenge Issues/Defense:
Due the graphic nature of some videogames (sexual and violent), this
magazine may be challenged. If so, refer to:
1.
The San Francisco Public Library Collection Development Policy,
Selection Criteria, and Teen Collection documents.
2.
The California Department of Education District Selection
Policies, Reading
Lists, and Resources
for Recommended Literature: Pre-K-12.
3.
A hard copy of the ALA’s Library Bill of
Rights.
4.
Mixed book reviews from School Library Journal,
Kirkus, and Publisher’s Weekly.
5.
Book selection rationale.
6.
If necessary, The San Francisco Public Library’s
Request for
Reconsideration of Library Materials Form.
Reason for Selection:
Since GamePro went out of business, this is one of the few magazines left
to review games for every console, and provides gamers with a general overview
of games, both good and bad. In depth articles focus on the worthwhile games.
Nylon
Bibliographic
Information: Baker, A. (Editor). (2013). Nylon. New York: Nylon Holding Inc. Website URL: http://nylonmag.com/
Content Summary: Nylon was cofounded in 1999 by Marvin
Scott Jarrett and Jaclynn Jarrett. The name was chosen arbitrarily, but
eventually became a sort of acronym for their primary cities of focus: New York
and London (NY and LON). The magazine has grown from an underground name to a
mainstream staple, and has even published three books related to beauty and
fashion.
The
magazine focuses on pop culture and fashion, but also delves into art, beauty,
design, music, technology, travel, and cinema. The look and feel of the
magazine is bold and chaotic, like a collage or idea board, but with clear and
bold font through out.
Wikipedia. (2013). Nylon
(magazine). (28 April, 2013). Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nylon_magazine
Reader’s Annotation: Teens
can learn about the latest trends in fashion and beauty, while also getting a
slice of current happening in the art, music and design worlds.
Genre: Magazine
Subjects: Fashion,
Beauty, Music, Films, Travel, Design, Art, Trends, Celebrities
Reading
Level/Interest Age: 13+
Challenge
Issues/Defense: Some mature content such as sexor alcohol may be discussed
in celebrity interviews. If challenged, refer to:
1. The San Francisco Public Library Collection Development Policy, Selection Criteria, and Teen Collection
documents.
2. The California Department of Education District Selection Policies,
Reading Lists, and Resources for Recommended Literature:
Pre-K-12.
4. Mixed book reviews from School Library
Journal, Kirkus, and Publisher’s Weekly.
5. Book selection rationale.
6. If necessary, The San Francisco Public
Library’s Request for Reconsideration of Library
Materials Form.
Reason for Selection:
This magazine always stood out to me because it goes beyond mainstream
trends and explores more individualistic styles. There is a much broader range
of cultural influence, too, unlike a lot of the other teen fashion magazines
out there.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Donnie Darko
Starring: Jake
Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Drew Barrymore
Plot Summary: Donnie
Darko is a troubled teenager from a dysfunctional family. He wakes up lying in
the middle of a curvy hillside road one morning, with his bike strewn in the
dirt. This is the first of many “sleepwalking” episodes for him. Donnie’s
withdrawal and depression are a stark contrast to his sister, who participates
in active political discussions at dinner and plans on attending Harvard,
having kids at 30, and marrying a rich man. Donnie starts seeing a therapist,
especially due to the fact that he is having hallucinations of a rabbit named
Frank, who tells him that the world will end in less than a month.
A
jet engine falls through the roof of Donnie’s bedroom one night while he is
sleep walking, and a whole slew of curious things start happening: someone
floods and vandalizes his private school, someone burns down the home of a
famous motivational speaker (who turns out to be a child pornographer), and
there is nothing to be said about where the mysterious jet engine came from.
Meanwhile,
Donnie has more and more difficulty relating to his teachers and peers, often
exploding in class, and even getting expelled for months. He meets a new girl,
Gretchen, and due to her own dark history, they bond and fall in love. But
Donnie’s visions get crazier, and he starts to see “spears” or slinky-like
bubbles drifting out infront of people and himself. He understand that he is
seeing the future, and starts to research the topic of time travel and worm
holes. It turns out that a local author, an elderly woman by the name of
Roberta Sparrow, writes a book on time travel that describes exactly what
Donnie is experiencing. One day, when Donnie’s dad almost runs Roberta over,
she whispers into Donnie’s ear: every living creature on Earth dies alone.
Struggling
with the meaning behind his visions and the date that Frank has given him,
Donnie slowly starts to understand his fate, and how he can change it. During
the final hours till the “end of the world” a Halloween party leads to Gretchen
being run over by a driver. It is only then that Donnie realizes what he must
do to reverse time and save her.
Critical Evaluation: This
is a film full of psychological twists, scientific musings, and philosophical
questions about existence, identity, and self-destruction. The movie has even
inspired a cult following of fans who have analyzed all of the subtle messages.
One of the major themes of the movie is the relationship between destruction
and creation. Donnie’s sleepwalked induced criminal escapades may have been
inspired by his English class when they are reading Graham Green’s The Destructors, a story about a group
of kids who destroy an old man’s house by flooding it. When the PTA discovers
the connection to the book and their recent vandalism of the school, the book
is banned and eventually the English teacher is fired. During class, when
Donnie’s teacher asks him what he thinks about the story, he says, “Destruction
is a form of creation.” This philosophy is actualized when Donnie burns the
home of Cunningham, revealing the public figure’s dark secrets, and ultimately
bringing some good into the world, by destroying his evil. And this theme is
ultimately the reason Donnie sacrifices himself so that Gretchen may get
another chance at life.
A
lot of other issues are touched upon in the film, including bullying, social
isolation, love, sex, and challenging authority. From an outsiders perspective,
Donnie seems like a sociopathic arsonist set on a path of destruction, but
since the story is told through his eyes, we get a glimpse of the psychological
burden he carries on a day-to-day basis, and empathize with his desire for
truth.
Reader’s Annotation: A
jet engine crashes through the roof of Donnie Darko’s room at the same time he
wakes up on a golf course. Mysterious events ensue, and Donnie is faced with
changing his fate.
Director Information: Wikipedia states, “James Richard Kelly (born March 28, 1975) is an American film director and writer, best known for writing and directing the cult classic Donnie Darko in 2001.
Kelly was born James Richard Kelly in Newport News,
Virginia, the son of Lane Kelly and Ennis Kelly.[citation
needed] He grew up in Midlothian,
Virginiawhere he attended Midlothian High School and graduated in
1993.[citation
needed] When he was a child, his father worked for NASA on the Mars
Viking Lander program. He won a scholarship to the University of Southern
California to study at the USC School of
Cinema-Television where he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity.
He made two short films at
USC, The Goodbye
Place and Visceral Matter, before graduating in 1997.
Although Richard Kelly's films differ considerably in
setting and characters (Donnie Darko is
about a suburban teenager, Southland Tales is an
L.A. epic, and The Box is
about a married couple in Richmond, Virginia), they share similar themes of time travel, existentialism, and spirituality.”
Genre: Science
Fiction, Drama
Subjects: psychiatry,
emotional problems, family, relationships
Curriculum Ties: N/A
Booktalking Ideas: How
does Donnie use time travel to change his fate and the fate of others?
What does the rabbit, Frank, symbolize?
Reading
Level/Interest Age: 16+
Challenge
Issues/Defense: Due to violence, criminal activity, profanity, and sexual
themes, this movie may be challenged. If so, refer to:
1. The San Francisco Public Library Collection Development Policy, Selection Criteria, and Teen Collection
documents.
2. The California Department of Education District Selection Policies.
4. Mixed reviews and list of awards won and nominated for.
5. If necessary, The San Francisco Public
Library’s Request for Reconsideration of Library
Materials Form.
Reasons for
Selection: This movie introduces some very complex philosophical questions
in a format that teens will be very drawn to. The dark imagery, mystery, and
superb soundtrack will appeal to teens, as they did with me. This movie came
out right before I graduated high school, and it was the first movie that blew
my mind and made me want to watch it over and over in order to analyze and
understand it. You could even say it triggered my interest in more avante-gard
cinema. Most importantly, it touches on familiar themes to teens: fitting in,
seeking acceptance and love, and dealing with unpredictable emotions. It was the winner of many awards.
Ghost World
Bibliographic
Information: Cross, P., Day, J. (Producers), & Zwigoff, T. (Director).
(2002). Ghost world. [DVD]. United
States: MGM.
Starring: Thora
Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi
Plot Summary: “High
school is like the training wheels for the bicycle of real life,” says the girl
in a head-brace, giving a commencement speech. Enid frowns in the audience and
rolls her eyes, looking towards her best friend, Rebecca, and they laugh. They have
been best friends since always, and can’t wait to get an apartment together
this summer. But when Enid unrolls her diploma, she finds out that she is
required to take a remedial summer art class, which will delay their plans. At
the graduation dance, the girls encounter some of their classmates who seem to
have their whole lives planned, acting classes, college, scholarships—but the
girls, as usual, scoff and sneer at everyone.
They
continue on through summer as if high school never ended, meeting at cheesy
50’s theme diners and making fun of people. One day, they look in the personals
to find their “future husbands” and prank call one of the ads, setting up a blind date with a man named Seymour.
He shows up at the diner, but they just make fun of him from far away. Feeling
remorseful, Enid wants to follow him. They find him selling vinyl records at
his apartment, where their friendship sparks.
Meanwhile,
Rebecca is focused on getting the apartment, figuring that if they dress like
yuppies, they will have a better chance. Enid dyes her hair green instead. When
she is made fun of for trying to be “punk” she dyes it back to black. She
listens to the record she bought from Seymour, falling in love with one of the
blues tracks.
Rebecca
gets a job as a barista, and seems to gain a better grasp on adult life, while
Enid still struggles with every job she gets (quitting on the first day) and
simultaneously struggling to succeed in art class, where her teacher is pushing
her to create art that has a deeper meaning.
The
girls grow apart, as Rebecca is more sure of who she is and what she wants, and
Enid is in the opposite situation. Enid eventually decides to get on a
mysterious bus and leaves her life behind.
Critical Evaluation: Based
on the acclaimed graphic novel of the same name, Ghost World tackles issues of identity, isolation, racism, and
growing up. We watch the two female characters grow up and grow apart, as each
is faced with different challenges. Enid is usually ridiculed by boys for being
Jewish, while her blonde and beautiful best friend Rebecca has to dodge their
constant come-ons. We can see Enid’s frustration in the scene where she dyes
her hair green and back to black—a reflection of her inability to take on any
one identity.
Neither of the girls plan to go to
college, and Rebecca’s dream of having her own apartment seems shallow, as she
becomes obsessed with buying blue tumblers and other domestic accessories.
Enid’s great struggle is with her art. When she finds out that Seymour’s place
of work used to have a racist name and logo, she submits a giant “sambo” poster
to an art show. The startling image gains immediate negative response from the
crowd, and she is failed and loses an art scholarship. Her teacher was the only
person who understood the message she was trying to send: racism used be out in
the open, and now its still there, just hidden. Enid knows from experience.
The positive message lies within
Enid’s art journal. Throughout the film, she draws doodles of Seymour and
herself. So when she gets on the bus at the end, we can only hope that she is
pursuing art, but maybe in a less conventional way (like through the graphic
novel medium that this story was originally told in.)
Reader’s Annotation: Follow
Enid and Rebecca, social outcasts, best friends, and recent high school
graduates, as they struggle with first jobs, love, and identity.
Director Information:
The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) states: “Born in Appleton, Wisconsin, Zwigoff held several jobs before
making his breakthrough feature: the documentary Crumb (1994) in 1994. His previous
jobs included musician, shipping clerk, printer and welfare office worker.
Even with the enormous success of "Crumb", Zwigoff
refused to sell out to Hollywood. His aversion to corporate commercialism is a
well-known trademark. He turned down many more commercial projects while he
struggled for five years to make a feature film out of Daniel Clowes's
underground comic strip "Ghost World". Released in 2001, Ghost World
(2001) became the summer art house hit and captured Golden Globe nominations
for Steve Buscemi and Thora Birch, who played the teenage protagonist Enid.
"Ghost World" also brought acclaim for Zwigoff and his
co-screenwriter Daniel Clowes, a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay in the
2002 Academy Awards.
Ghost World wound up on over 150 Ten Best Lists for 2001.”
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0959062/bio
Genre: Drama
Subjects: adulthood,
graduation, friendship, love, racism, art
Curriculum Ties: N/A
Booktalking Ideas: What
are the differences between Enid and Rebecca, and how does each character
navigate the adult world?
How does racism effect Enid and her art?
Reading
Level/Interest Age: 16+
Challenge
Issues/Defense: Due to profanity and sexual themes, this movie may be
challenged. If so, refer to:
1. The San Francisco Public Library Collection Development Policy, Selection Criteria, and Teen Collection documents.
2. The California Department of Education District Selection Policies.
4. Mixed reviews and list of awards won and nominated for.
5. If necessary, The San Francisco Public Library’s Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials Form.
Reasons for
Selection: This was one of my favorite movies in high school, it
complements the popular graphic novel well, and stars popular actors. Teens
with an affinity for alternative lifestyles and music, will love the punk
references, and obsession with vinyl records by Enid and Seymour. But most
importantly, teens will identity with the struggle to fit into the adult or
“ghost” world. the film was nominated for many awards, including an Oscar, and won many others.
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