Just Dance for Wii by Ubisoft

Bibliographic Information: Ubisoft. Just Dance. Ubisoft Paris, 2009. ASIN: B002MWSY3O
Genre: Video Games, Music, Dance
Age Level: 10+
Curriculum ties: Arts, Music, Dance
Publisher: Ubisoft Paris
Developer: Ubisoft Paris
Awards: None
Note: The library offers a program called “Game time” where teens gather and play Wii games. This event is held once per week for 2 hour.

Reader’s Annotation: Compete against your friends while learning real dance moves to over 30 fun, chat topping songs.

Contents: Acceptable in the 80’s – Calvin Harris, A Little Less Conversation – Elvis Presley, Bebe – Divine Brown, Can’t Get You Out of My Head – Kylie Minogue, Cotton Eye Joe – Rednex, Hot n’ Cold – Katy Perry, Dare – Gorillaz, Eye of the Tiger – Survivor (Rocky), Fame – In the style of Irene Cara (cover), Funplex CSS – The B 52’s, Girls and Boys – Blur, Girls Just Want to Have Fun – Cindi Lauper, Groove is in the Heart – Dee-Lite, Heart of Glass – Blondie, I Get Around – The Beach Boys, I Like to Move it – Reel To Real, Jerk it Out – Caesars, Jin Go Lo Ba – Fat Boy Slim, Kids in America – Kim Wilde, Le Freak – Chic, Louie Louie – Iggy Pop, Lump – The Presidents Of The USA, Mashed Potato Time – Dee Dee Sharp, Pump up the Jam – Technotronic, Ring My Bell – Anita Ward, Step by Step – New Kids On The Block, Surfin’ Bird – The Trashmen, That’s the Way (I Like it) – Kc & The Sunshine Band, U Can’t Touch This – MC Hammer, Wannabe – The Spice Girls, Who Let the Dogs Out? – Baha Men, Womanizer – In the style of Britney Spears (cover)

Critical Evaluation: Just dance is one of those games that are fun for the whole family, especially teenagers. The best aspect of this game aside from the fun, upbeat routines and colorful graphics, is that it encourages teens to get up and participate. The Wii is known to get people off the couch and get involved but Just dance takes it to another level. As you dance along with each song, you begin to break a sweat. Teens can burn off calories, stay fit and enjoy a fun workout without even noticing. This is especially good for teens that are self-conscious about their appearance because the game can be played with friends without drawing any attention to the fact that this is a workout. Players have the choice of difficulty level for each song and if being used as a work out, teens can gradually step up the levels as they are more comfortable.

Booktalking Ideas: N/A

Challenge Issues/ Defense:
Challenge Issues: Mature lyrics
Challenge defense ideas:
• Rated “E10+” for teens 10 and older by ESRB see website: http://www.esrb.org/index-js.jsp
Why was this item is included?: Great team builder and workout game for “Game Time” at the library.
Developer Information: Ubisoft
1986 DEBUT -Ubisoft Entertainment S.A, an educational software and video game publishing and distribution company, is created by the five Guillemot brothers. A leading creator, publisher and distributor of video games, Ubisoft has grown considerably over the past two decades as a result of our strategy centered on the creation of strong brands, in-house development, and a vast global distribution network. This has allowed us to not only produce innovative, high-quality titles but also acquire an in-depth knowledge of our consumers and their expectations.

Strong brands play a pivotal role in Ubisoft’s strategy, ensuring the group’s recurrent revenue and long-term financial health. Ubisoft is fortunate enough to have a portfolio of 19 multimillion unit-selling brands that today represent approximately two-thirds of its annual turnover. The company furthermore plans to create three new brands every two years, expanding its catalogue to new market segments.

Hollywood movie and TV licenses have reinforced our strategy of brand creation. Our licensing agreements with major actors in the entertainment industry result in interactive games based on popular franchises and blockbuster movies. Thanks to resounding successes, such as Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie, Avatar: The Game and Naruto, Ubisoft has pushed back the genre’s limits in terms of quality and innovation so that we are now one of tinsel town’s choice partners.

From the start, Ubisoft decided to bet on internal development. In 20 years, this strategic decision has paid off, and is proving crucial in the new transition period towards next-gen consoles. While numerous competitors prefer to externalize their game development to face this challenge, we remain convinced that our incredible creative teams and 24 studios will be key to a successful transition.

Over 5,350 creative talents in our studios – united in their desire to innovate – form the second biggest internal development force in the world. In order to build and develop the skills of these teams, Ubisoft promotes continuous professional training and international mobility thereby giving teams the necessary tools to excel in their fields. The Ubisoft Campus, set up both for future industry talents and available for existing teams, is one of the pillars of this strategy.

Ubisoft’s strategy is also based on its worldwide distribution network, a structure made up of experienced multi-cultural teams motivated by promoting and selling high quality games. With subsidiaries based in 26 countries, game distribution in 55 countries and localization in more than 20 languages, Ubisoft has a powerful, wide-reaching business network rare among publishers on any continent. Its market and consumer knowledge allows it to anticipate trends and reach players in the best possible way.

(Corporate information obtained from Ubisoft website. Retrieved from: http://www.ubisoftgroup.com/index.php?p=67&art_id=).

Doo-wops & hooligans [sound recording] by Bruno Mars

Bibliographic Information: Mars, Bruno. Doo-wops & hooligans [sound recording]1 sound disc : digital ; 4 3/4 in. Compact disc. Elektra, 2010. UPC 075678912153.
Genre: Hip-Hop, R&B, Pop, Rap
Age Level: 14+
Curriculum ties: Music
Performer: Bruno Mars, vocals and instruments; with acc.
Producer: Dwayne “Supa Dups” Chin
Note: This work was nominated for the Echo award in the category of Most successful newcomer of the year, 2011.

Annotation: Bruno Mars offers upbeat pop hit that you will dance to all day and night.

Contents: Grenade — Just the way you are — Our first time — Runaway baby — The lazy song — Marry you — Talking to the moon — Liquor store blues (ft. Damian Marley) — Count on me — The other side (ft. Cee Lo Green & B.o.B.).

Critical Evaluation: What I enjoy about this album is that it has plenty of diverse songs including reggae, hip-hop, rock, pop, and R&B styles and lots of collaborations with artists just like his new album that is coming out soon. The majority of the songs are upbeat, chart topping dance hits like “Grenade” along with his more romantic love ballads like “Just the Way You are”. Most of the tracks are current chart toppers and are widely recognizable. Mars combines a soulful piano style with a hip hop/pop feel in this album that is uplifting. Teens, both boys and girls both gravitate to Bruno Mars. Boys appreciate his style, swagger, and dance abilities. Teen girls are smitten with his smooth vocal stylings, his good looks, and his flirtatious dancing. This CD is definitely one to upload to your iPod and play when you need a little pick me up.

Booktalking Ideas: N/A

Challenge Issues/ Defense:
Challenge Issues: Song with Cee-Lo entitled F***you.
“F*** You!” was released in various versions. The radio edit of the song is called “Forget You”, while another edit is simply entitled “FU”.[4][5] All the versions can be found at the US iTunes store. The original and “clean” versions and the accompanying music video and lyric video are included in an extended play, entitled “F**k You – Deluxe Single”, available for sale in the iTunes store.[6] The original version was released on August 19, 2010, the clean version on September 14, 2010 and the “FU” version on September 21, 2010[7] to the US iTunes store.
Why was this item included?: A popular singer that appeals to both boys and girls, a representation of Hip hop & R&B music in the collection.
Author Information: Mars is a multitalented singer, songwriter, producer and musician who feels most at home when he’s performing. Born to a musical family in Honolulu, Hawaii, he was practically raised on the stage. His father, a Latin percussionist from Brooklyn, organized a Vegas-style revue that featured the entire family, including his mother, a talented vocalist. When a four-year-old Mars observed his family performing Motown hits, doo-wop medleys and impersonations for enthusiastic crowds all over his native Waikiki Beach, “I was jealous!” says Mars with a laugh. “My dad put me on stage and I remember singing an Elvis song and that was it. Ever since that moment, I’ve been addicted.”
Rich in diverse music from all over the globe, Honolulu was an exciting hometown for the budding singer/songwriter. On one end of the spectrum, his home was filled with the 1950s classics that were his father’s passion. Meanwhile, the city is rich in traditional sounds, including reggae, rock and folk music, as well as the latest pop hits. “Hawaii is basically in the middle of the world, so you’re exposed to every type of music over there,” explains Mars.
As soon as he graduated high school, Mars left Hawaii for Los Angeles with dreams of launching his career as a performer. Those dreams got put on hold, however, when The Smeezingtons, the songwriting/production team he founded with Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine, suddenly took off. The pair has crafted major hits for a diverse roster of talent, including Flo Rida’s “Right Round”, Travie McCoy’s “Billionaire”, Brandy’s “Long Distance” and K’Naan’s “Waving Flags”, which is the theme song for the upcoming World Cup.
(Author biography obtained from author website. Retrieved from: http://brunomars.us/index.php/bruno/)

Rock Band for the Wii by Harmonix

Bibliographic Information: Harmonix. Rock Band. MTV Games, 2006. ASIN: B0016HLABO.
Genre: Video Games, Music
Age Level: 13+
Curriculum ties: Music
Publisher: MTV Games
Developer: Harmonix Gaming Systems
Awards: Game Critics Award: Best of Show E3 2007 and three awards at The 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards including Outstanding Innovation in Gaming, Family Game of the Year, and Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack.
Note: The library offers a program called “Game time” where teens gather and play Wii games. This event is held once per week for 2 hour.

Reader’s Annotation: Form a band and tour the world with your friends in this fun and challenging game, playing along to classic hits.

Contents: Nirvana’s “In Bloom”, Metallica’s “Enter Sandman”, Queens of the Stone Age’s “Go With The Flow”, Foo Figthers’ “Learn to Fly”, The Hives’ “Main Offender”, Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen”, Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid”, The Strokes’ “Reptilia”, The Ramones’ “Rockaway Beach”, Weezer’s “Say It Ain’t So”, David Bowie’s “Suffragette City”, Rush’s “Tom Sawyer”, Stone Temple Pilots’ “Vasoline”, Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive”, The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again” Aerosmith’s “Train Kept a Rollin’”, “Sabotage” by  Beastie Boys, ”(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” Blue Öyster Cult, “Foreplay/Long Time” Boston, “Welcome Home” Coheed and Cambria, “Highway Star” Deep Purple, “Epic” Faith No More, “Dead on Arrival” Fallout Boy, “I Think I’m Paranoid” Garbage, “Celebrity Skin” Hole, “Run to the Hills” (Cover Version) Iron Maiden, “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” Jet, “Detroit Rock City” KISS, “Flirtin’ With Disaster” Molly Hatchet, “Electric Version” New Pornographers, “The Hand That Feeds” Nine Inch Nails, “Here It Goes Again” OK Go, “Wave of Mutilation” Pixies, “Orange Crush” R.E.M., “Creep” Radiohead, “Dani California” Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Gimme Shelter” Rolling Stones, “Cherub Rock” Smashing Pumpkins, “Black Hole Sun” Soundgarden, “Ballroom Blitz” (Cover Version) Sweet, “Should I Stay or Should I Go” The Clash, “When You Were Young” The Killers, “Green Grass and High Tides” (Cover Version) The Outlaws, “Next to You” The Police, “Blitzkrieg Bop” Ramones, “Maps”Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Critical Evaluation: Up to four players are able to “Rock The Look” where they customize their character to their ideal rock persona including outfits, accessories and instruments. This is a good game for “Game time” because players can play as a band in “Tour Mode” where the vocals, drums and guitars (lead and bass) come together all the while incorporating rhythm to learn each instrument. Songs included range from punk, metal and alternative to classic and southern rock of the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s. Players can also play online with others to form their band around the world. Libraries can hold tournaments patrons form bands and play for the highest score and bragging rights. The amount of gear and space needed to store the instruments of this game are a little off-putting but well worth the patron experience. The initial cost is around $100 for the game and the instruments. Wii sold separately.

Booktalking Ideas: N/A

Challenge Issues/ Defense:
Challenge Issues: Mature lyrics
Challenge defense ideas:
• Rated “T” for teens 13 and older by ESRB see website: http://www.esrb.org/index-js.jsp
Why was this item is included?: Through music and play, Rock Band can bring strangers together that would not otherwise hang out.
Developer Information: Harmonix
Harmonix Music Systems is a Cambridge, Mass.-based videogame development company that specializes in music-based games.  Founded in 1995 by Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy, the core principle at the heart of all Harmonix products is to share the joy of creating and performing music with everyone, regardless of their musical experience.  The company, renowned for its groundbreaking design innovation, is home to a vibrant and dynamic collection of designers, artists, gamers and musicians.
Harmonix has also established itself as the leader in gaming downloadable content. The Rock Band platform has seen more than 70 million paid song downloads through the Rock Band Music Store and the Rock Band Network, a suite of tools launched in 2010 that allows any band or label to author their songs for play in Rock Band. Maintaining its position as the music video game leader in paid song sales and downloadable content, the Rock Band Music Store is closing in on 2,000 songs available, with new music being added every week.
Harmonix actually wasn’t started explicitly to develop video games but rather first produced The Axe, a PC software that turned a joystick or mouse into a musical instrument, with which anyone could improvise original instrumental solos in real-time.  The company also originally created interactive music attractions for theme parks, including Disney’s Epcot Center.  These exhibits allowed users to improvise music simply by moving their hands in the air.
With this love and passion for music, fused with the same passion for gaming, Harmonix continues to live and grow in Cambridge, expanding the Rock Band franchise, developing new titles and searching for new and unique ways to bring the joy of music to the world.
(Developer information obtained from Harmonix website. Retrieved from: http://www.harmonixmusic.com/)

Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Bibliographic Information: Cohen, Rachel and Levithan, David. Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Knopf : Distributed by Random House, 2006. ISBN 9780375835315
Genre: Teen Romance, Comedy, Coming of age, Adapted into a movie.
Reading Level: Grades 10-12.
Curriculum ties: Music, New York, Divorced Parents
Awards: Top 10 Youth Romances 2006, YALSA Best Books for Young Adults 2007,
YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers 2007, Young Adults’ Choices 2008, Cybil Award 2006 Winner Young Adult Fiction United States, Silver Inky, 2007.
Notes: Screenplay of Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist released in 2008.

Reader’s Annotation: Rocker and high school student Nick O’Leary, member of a rock band, asks Norah, a girl he just met, to pretend to be his girlfriend in an attempt to avoid his first love who just broke up with him.

Plot Summary: Nick and Norah have more in common than they know. Nick plays in a rock band an just got out of a bad relationship. Norah is dating an aspiring musician who she begins to discover is just using her to get his CD produced by her famous dad. After a show in a crowded bar in, they are brought together when Nick asks Norah if she would be his girlfriend for the next five minutes, attempting to avoid the shame of being alone when he spots his ex-girlfriend Tris (a girl that Norah knows from school) approaching him with her new boyfriend. They share witty banter, sarcastic comments and insights about dealing with teenage angst. Upon discovery of their mutual adoration for an obscure underground band “Where’s Fluffy?” and begin a wild goose chase around when they hear the band is playing a secret show that night in Manhattan.

Critical Evaluation:  Since music is an important part of both Nick and Norah’s lives, the author uses specific songs as conversations between the two young lovers when they do not know how or if they should let the other know that they are thinking. The obstacles and issues they overcame during their search for “Where’s Fluffy?” is symbolic of their compatibility. The two experience all of the emotionally intense problems that a couple in a longer term relationship find challenging including arguments that end in sincere apologies, discussing future plans like college and careers, spirituality and making connections on a deeper level beyond superficial traits. It is also refreshing that the authors chose to characterize the two main characters as “straight edge” teens meaning that they do not drink or smoke but they do use a lot of profanity to better get their points across. Readers will associate with their eccentricities but also fall in love with the innocence of this new relationship.

Booktalking Ideas:
Music plays such an important role in this story. Do you have a favorite song or soundtrack that reflects your life?
2)Discuss the consequences of Norah putting her life and future on hold for Tai.
3) Which of the characters were you most able to relate to and why?
4) Nick and Norah jumped into their relationship instantly after separating from their significant other. Is this a good way to begin a relationship? Do you think it will last?

Challenge Issues/ Defense:
Challenge Issues: Profanity, Sexual explicitness, Homosexuality 

Challenge defense ideas:
• Nov 24, 2008-Johanna review on goodreads.com
This is one of those books I would have devoured in high school – short, sweet, with characters that reminded me of my friends or people I would want to be friends with. A lot of the reviewers have complained about the copious use of the F-bomb, but that’s how my friends and I talked (and continue to talk …). I give this book kudos for not toning it down, as well as the inclusion of queer characters without tokenizing or sermonizing.

Quite frankly, even with the language and sex, I’d rather teen girls be reading this than the Twilight series – stronger female lead, healthier relationships.(less)

“the one sex scene is more comic than erotic” – Patrick’s review from goodreads.com
David Levithan does not write for a specific age group, instead, he writes about the experience and feelings associated with it. He says that he uses profanity to capture the raw emotion of the situations he writes about. – Personal interview at ALA Midwinter conference (2011).

Why was this book included?: It is a great romantic story that also appeals to guys.

Author Information: Rachel Cohn is the author of the highly regarded young-adult novel Gingerbread and its sequel, Shrimp, among other works. Cohn, who grew up near Washington, DC, knew that she wanted to become an author at an early age. As she stated on her home page, “from the time I learned how to read and write I was always trying to create stories. I grew up surrounded by books and by family who were educators—the desire and encouragement to write came readily in my household.” After graduating from Barnard College, Cohn held a number of jobs before turning to writing fiction, publishing her debut work in 2002.
(Author biography by Jrank.org. Retrieved from: http://biography.jrank.org/pages/1655/Cohn-Rachel-1968.html)
David Levithan has written several novels for teens and young adults, as well as novelizations of movies and television-show tie-ins. Several of his novels actually began as short stories written as Valentine’s Day gifts for friends, a tradition he began many years ago; his novels Boy Meets Boy, The Realm of Possibility, and Are We There Yet? all got their start this way. Along with his work as a writer, Levithan works as editorial director and executive editor at Scholastic, where his responsibilities include editing the entire Push imprint. A line of books focusing on new voices and new authors in young-adult fiction, Push led to Levithan’s editorship of the anthology You Are Here, This Is Now:
(Author biography by Jrank.org. Retrieved from: http://biography.jrank.org/pages/2010/Levithan-David-1972.html)