HelpNow Database by Brainfuse

Bibliographic Information: Help Now! database. Brainfuse, 2011.
Genre: Database, Homework Help, Tutoring
Reading Level: All ages
Curriculum ties: Science, Math, Social Studies, Literature, Foreign Language
Awards: Brainfuse recently topped effectiveness rankings from studies conducted by The Los Angeles Unified School District and the Colorado Department of Education.
Note: Library subscription needed to access this database along with patron library card number if  accessed remotely.

Reader’s Annotation: A 24/7 tutoring database that not only helps with homework but builds skills for success in the future such as SAT prep and writing labs for any age.

Contents: The HelpNow! database offers help at Grade levels K-Adult 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in a variety of subjects. Math (including Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Calculus), Science (including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Earth Science), Social Studies (including US History, and World History),  and English/Language Arts. Additional help includes other skill building subjects with assistance with writing, grammar and vocabulary. HelpNow also offers foreign language help which only currently offers Spanish but they hope to expand to others as soon as they can recruit approved tutors. Once teens register at the site, they can keep a record of their activity. The Learning Account Features include the ability to view past sessions, has a dropbox/pick up center, view scores of online tests, and create an online study calendar. Lastly, Brainwaves is an archive for whiteboard screenshots that have been shared by you or other teens which is good for reference, especially when doing math problems.

EXPERT HELP SERVICES

Skills-Building: Our skills building service helps you master an academic concept through expert tutoring and state-aligned online lessons, HelpNow Skills Building has been designed for a variety of age groups and academic needs.
Submit a homework question and a tutor will provide you with a response (usually within 24 hours).
Foreign Language Lab: Our Foreign Language Center provides expert homework assistance and support for students who are learning a foreign language. Expert tutoring is currently offered for Spanish, and a host of helpful online resources for learning other languages is forthcoming.
Writing Lab: HelpNow offers two types of writing assistance:
Live Writing Assistance: Connect with an online tutor for expert writing assistance with our live help feature. Live help is particularly helpful during the initial stages of the writing process when you are working on the organizational and thematic features of your paper.
Intensive Writing Lab: For a more thorough analysis, simply select “Writing Lab” from the launch menu and submit your writing via our secure messaging feature. Within approximately 24 hours of submitting your paper, you will receive a detailed analysis of your paper in your message center inbox. Our writing experts are trained to focus their analysis on voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and organization.

Critical Evaluation: What I like about HelpNow is that it provides three distinct ways of studying, understanding that not all teens learn the same way. This database provides students with peer-to peer, self-study, and collaborative options. The peer to peer component offers students the opportunity to meet with friends using the MEET function. Here you can schedule study sessions and have the freedom to meet remotely which is especially helpful with group projects and studying for tests. The self-study components available include an online test center where teens can access sample SAT, ACT and GED tests as well as subject test including math and science. Once taken, students will get immediate scores and will be able to see in what areas they need improvement. The second self study element is Flashbulb, a collection of flashcards on different subjects which gives students a fun way to study. The collaborative aspect is of course the live tutors. All tutors go through rigorous screening, must have a four year degree, and prior tutoring experience.

Booktalking Ideas: N/A

Challenge Issues: none

Challenge Defense Ideas: There are no apparent challenge issues associated with this book. In the case that a challenge comes up, there are some things that you can do to start. You could read the book and become familiar with the content. Refer to the library collection development policy, and get reviews from reputable sources and teens that have read the book.
Why was this book included?:
Company Information: Brainfuse- Founded in 1999, Brainfuse is one of the nation’s leading online education providers, serving a diverse client base of libraries, school districts, workforce centers, and universities. With Brainfuse, users receive real-time tutoring and career assistance from certified instructors via our proprietary online classroom.
Since our founding, we have completed millions of one-to-one tutoring sessions.
Over 30 state departments of education have selected Brainfuse as an approved tutoring provider (based on a track record of effectiveness, state alignment, financial soundness, and the capacity to serve large numbers of students). Our K-12 clients include The Los Angeles Unified School District, Chicago Public Schools, and New York City Public Schools.
Brainfuse recently topped effectiveness rankings from studies conducted by The Los Angeles Unified School District and the Colorado Department of Education.
Brainfuse serves hundreds of library systems throughout the country, including Las Vegas-Clark County, The Free Library of Philadelphia, The Connecticut Library Consortium, and Queens Public Library.
(Company information obtained from Brainfuse website. Retrieved from: http://home.brainfuse.com/?page_id=136).

World Book Online Info Finder database

Bibliographic Information: Berkshire Hathaway.World Book Online Info Finder database.
Genre: Reference database
Age Level:  All ages
Curriculum ties: Geography, Science and Nature, Social Studies, World Languages
Note: Library subscription needed to access this database along with patron library card number if  accessed remotely.

Reader’s Annotation: An easy and interactive electronic version of those big, heavy World Book encyclopedias.

Contents: World Book Info Finder Online, equivalent to the print encyclopedia, includes a general encyclopedia, a Spanish encyclopedia, a Kids version of the encyclopedia, and an Advanced version with additional content. They offer a suite of Research Tools that include citation builders and a guide on how to do research. They have a Biography Center with more than 10,000 biography articles which you can either search by name or category (Athletes, World Leaders, Inventors, Explorers, etc.). They offer World Newspapers (offered in the native language), and Current Events sections to get a broad world view of what is happening today. World Book Explores offers virtual tours of things like the colonial life and the exploring the oceans. Lastly, they have a feature called Interactive Earth which includes interactive maps, a World Book Atlas (political, population, economic and meteorological information), outline maps and flags, and Explore the USA/ Explore the World (rich collection of articles, tables, maps, and multimedia).

Critical Evaluation: I think that this site is a great tool in writing a successful paper for teens. One feature that I think every young teen should begin with is the section labeled “Research Tools”. Here, they give teens tips and instruction on how to conduct searches, evaluate your sources, compile and organize data, and present their final work. In the age of the internet, students are not as aware of the credibility of the information presented to them. This feature gives them a guideline to become better informed. The Compile and Organize Data section allows teens to save their works as they go along, which is great for their busy lives, and come back to it when they can. They create a username and password to access their data remotely. Lastly, their citation tool, covering APA, MLA and Harvard styles, helps teens properly cite all different sources (websites, interviews, blogs and more). With an easy drop down menu and entry field boxes, your citation pops up in seconds.

Booktalking Ideas: N/A

Challenge Issues: none

Challenge Defense Ideas: There are no apparent challenge issues associated with this book. In the case that a challenge comes up, there are some things that you can do to start. You could read the book and become familiar with the content. Refer to the library collection development policy, and get reviews from reputable sources and teens that have read the book.
Why was this book included?: A great interactive and credible research database for teens.
Company Information: About World Book: Since 1917, World Book, Inc., has set the standard for providing accuracy, objectivity, and reliability in research materials for both children and adults. Based in Chicago, Illinois, World Book is an industry leader in the production of award-winning encyclopedias, reference sources, and digital products for the home and schools.
For almost 90 years, World Book has been committed to publishing encyclopedias and other reference products that meet the highest standards of editorial excellence while keeping pace with the technological developments that define the computer age.
This commitment has culminated in the publication of the number-one selling print encyclopedia in the world, The World Book Encyclopedia, and market leading digital products including the World Book Online Reference Center. World Book publishes nearly 90 reference titles. Recent publications include World Book Student Discovery Encyclopedia, Animals of the World, World Book’s Science & Nature Guides, Student Discovery Science Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia of Flags, Solar System & Space Exploration Library, Human Body Works, and Biographical Connections.
(Company information obtained at World Book website. Retrieved from: http://www.worldbookonline.com/sales/about).

The Firefly Letters: a suffragette’s letter to Cuba by Margarita Engle

Bibliographic Information: Engle, Margarita. The Firefly Letters: a suffragette’s letter to Cuba.Henry Holt and Co. 2010. ISBN 9780805090826
Genre: Poetry, Historical fiction
Reading Level: Grades 5-12
Curriculum ties: History, Literature, Social Studies
Awards: ALA Notable Children’s Books – Older Readers Category: 2011, A Pura Belpre Award for Narrative Honor Book, 2011.
Note: Author of the award winning The Surrender Tree (2008).

Reader’s Annotation: Three young girls challenge society norms to explore what Cuba has to offer.

Plot Summary: Set in Mantanzas, Cuba in the 1851,  three young girl’s lives become intertwined by fate. Elena is a twelve year old living in Cuba with her parents who are traditional and very protective of Elena, (they think she should be married by now) as most Cubans are of their daughters. The freedom to step foot outside is not something that women in Mantanzas have so when Fredrika Bremer, a Swedish Consulate comes to visit in Cuba, she decides to empower the women and show them that there is more to life outside the luxurious silk, lace and marble compound. Fredrika is given a translator, Cecilia, to navigate the countryside. Cecilia, fluent in both English and Spanish, is a slave brought from Africa by Elena’s parents. She is suffering from a lung disease. and dearly misses her homeland. Although from different walks of life, the three young women have a common goal of freedom and equality for everyone.

Critical Evaluation: The entire story is told with each girl taking turns telling their story in a poetic form. Through the language used, you could easily identify who was the narrator but the level of imagination and thought of each different girl was equally deep. All girls speak of love in association with the the value of their freedom. Fredrika was once asked for her hand by a country preacher that she was in love with but she denied him in worry that being a wife, she would lose her freedom to roam. Celia talks about how Elena’s father chose her husband Beni. She recounts that maybe if she was free to chose Beni on her own, she might know how to love him. Beni says that if he was free, he would have married a girl that he loved in his homeland before he was brought by slavery. Elena, who’s father will also pick her suitor, is arranging a hope chest in the hopes that she can run away and elope.

Booktalking Ideas:
Discuss: what is oppression. Can you think of any examples in today’s world?
What is he symbolism of the fireflies? Interpret the title.
Discuss the relationship between Fredrika and Cecilia. Do you think Cecilia influences her in any way? Explain.

Challenge Issues/ Defense:
Challenge Issues: Slavery
Challenge defense ideas:
• This book was based on true accounts from the letters of Fredrika Bremer.
In the book, Cecilia, as a slave, had more freedoms than Elena, the privileged daughter.

Why was this book included?: For it’s imagination, poetry and Latin American influences.

Author Information: Margarita Engle is a Cuban-American author of young adult novels in verse. “The Surrender Tree” received a Newbery Medal, Pura Belpré Medal, Jane Addams Award, Américas Award, Claudia Lewis Award and Lee Bennett Hopkins Honor. Her first picture book was “Summer Birds: The Butterflies of Maria Merian.” Her most recent work is “The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette’s Journey to Cuba” (Henry Holt). Based on the diaries and letters of Swedish suffragist Fredrika Bremer, who spent three months in Cuba in 1851, this book focuses on oppressed women, the privileged as well as the enslaved, in three alternating free-verse narratives. Engle lives in California.
(Author information obtained from the Library of Congress. Retrieved from: http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/kids-teachers/authors/margarita_engle.html)

Margarita Engle is a botanist and the Cuban-American author of several books about the island, most recently The Poet Slave of Cuba, a Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano (Henry Holt & Co., April, 2006).  Short works appear in a wide variety of anthologies and journals, including Atlanta Review, Bilingual Review, California Quarterly, Caribbean Writer, Hawai’i Pacific Review, and Nimrod.  Awards include a Cintas Fellowship, a San Diego Book Award, and a 2005 Willow Review Poetry Award.  Margarita lives in California, where she enjoys hiking in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and helping her husband with his volunteer work for a wilderness search-and-rescue dog training program.

(Author information obtained by Poet Seers. Retrieved from: http://www.poetseers.org/submissions/2006/margarita_engle/)

A Matter of Trust by Anne Schraff

Bibliographic Information: Schraff, Anne. A Matter of Trust. Scholastic Books, 2007, 2002. ISBN 9780439865470
Genre: Urban Fiction
Reading Level: Grades 9-12
Curriculum ties: Social Studies
Awards: None
Note: Book 2 in the Bluford High Series.

Reader’s Annotation: Life is good for Darcy: having fun with her new boyfriend Hakeem and their new friends Tarah and Cooper.

Plot summary: Brisana and Darcy have been best friends since freshmen year at Bluford High. Lately, Darcy has been spending more time with Tarah and Cooper, the low-class people. Cooper is good friends with Hakeem. Brisana considers them trash and unworthy of mingling with and ends her friendship with Darcy. Darcy enjoys hanging out Tarah and Cooper despite their lower status.  Hakeem is frequently ridiculed for his stuttering. During his Shakespeare presentation, he stutters and feels humiliated. Darcy quickly defends him in class.  Hakeem explains to Darcy that how her gesture further embarrass him, similar to his mother and the mothers of children who mocked him in the past. Over the past few weeks, the friendship of Darcy Wils and Hakeem Randalls blossoms into a love relationship.  As Darcy spends more time with her new friends Tarah and Cooper, her best friend Brisana attempts to become better acquainted with Hakeem. Darcy catches Hakeem with Brisana a few times and learns. Trust is tested among lovers and friends.
Critical evaluation: The character development is simple and lacking depth. Due to the high school setting, the language style is simple. The story is short, which is one of the criticisms received by many readers. The storylines should have been more developed, such as the author could have   The tone of the story was light, with moments of common teenage turmoil, related to peer relationships, love relationships, and jealousy. Trust is a precious value that is to be earned. In A Matter of Trust, trust is tested between two best friends, Darcy and Brisana and a dating couple, Darcy and Hakeem, and one’s own judgment.  The theme of the story is not to pass judgment before exploring truth regarding people and situations. Throughout the story, Darcy assumes Hakeem is more interested in Brisana based on rumors about their activities and a few observations of their interaction.  Brisana passes judgment on Tarah and Cooper based on their socio-economic status.  She deems them as unworthy trash to associate with.  She expressed to Darcy that Darcy and Hakeem are high status, compared to Tarah and Cooper, therefore should not befriend them.  She is bothered by Darcy’s choice to associate with Tarah and Cooper and ends her friendship with Darcy. Hurt, Brisana displaces her pain and fear by chasing after Hakeem. Despite the maltreatment of Brisana, Tarah does not speak ill of Brisana, instead provides a genuine support and sound advice to Darcy regarding their faltering friendship and couple-hood.

Booktalking Ideas:
1)Discuss the social classes and labels in school.
2)Explore peer relationships and identify the positive qualities of friendship.
3) Discuss stuttering and learning disabilities.
4)Explore the various levels of trust.
5)Explore the impact of socio-economic status on socialization, including pre-conceived judgment based on socio-economic status.

Challenge Issues/ Defense:
Challenge Issues: learning disabilities, speech impediment, socio-economic status.
Challenge defense ideas:
Individuals whose strongly held, unpopular opinions are given an outlet may be less apt to resort to violence than if their ideas are suppressed.
Because many decisions in our society are made by the majority, protection of minority rights ensures that the ideas of smaller, less popular groups are not suppressed by the majority. In time, the majority may come to agree with these minority groups.

Why was this book included?:  A Matter of Trust was added to the collection to increase diversity for young adult readers and expose them to urban fiction.

Author Information: Biography of (me) Anne Schraff I learned to read at age three and a half because I was tired of having to ask people to read all the funny papers to me. Once I knew how to read, I gobbled up books like most kids devour cookies. I soon figured that if reading was this much fun, writing had to be even better. And it was. I begged a typewriter from my mom and banged out stories every day. I was sure I’d sell them all and be the richest nine-year-old on my block. My first story was titled "Orchards for Linda." It was a tearjerker about a poor girl who had to buy her own flowers on a date. I mailed it to a big magazine and waited for the check. When it came back all bent up and rejected, I cried. But not for long. The next day I sent out another story. I spent my whole childhood writing stories and getting them back.
Finally, when I was starting college, I sold my first story. I told everybody on my street that I was—at last—a writer. I told the mailman, the grocer, the pastor of our church. I walked on air for about a week. Since then I’ve sold hundreds of stories and more than 35 books. Ideas come at me from all sides. Once, I saw a dusty marble statue in an old antique store. It seemed to come to life before my eyes. Soon I wrote a story about a long-dead teacher returning to his school as a ghost to save some kids. It was called The Haunting of Hawthorne. One day I saw a sad sight across the street from our house. A young girl hugged her mother—but the mother didn’t hug her back. This stayed in my mind as I wrote Please Don’t Ask Me to Love You. Every day on my way to teach school, I passed a little market on a run-down street. The owner of the market, a friendly black man in his 70, would often wave to me. One day when I passed, I noticed the market was closed. The man who owned the market had been murdered. The newspaper story told of a kindly soul who had been a blessing to the neighborhood. I remembered him when I wrote “When a Hero Dies”.
As I write my stories, I see the faces of so many students I have taught. They often shared their dreams with me. Their fears and joys became part of my day. In every book I write, there are little bits and pieces of wonderful people who were brave and fearful, funny and sad, hopeful and without hope. When I begin to write, a weird thing happens. The characters come to life and tell me their stories. I am writing down what is happening to these people. Often I’m surprised. I’ll think, "Wow—I didn’t know she was that kind of person!" Sometimes I’ll start a story about a bad character and that person will turn out to be a hero. Writing is the biggest joy of my life. Every day I am thankful for having the chance to tell stories. I sometimes feel like a magic flute. I am blowing, but somebody else is making the music.
(Author information by the author via messageboard. Retrieved from: http://www.allreaders.com/Board.asp?listpage=5&BoardID=23186).

Hoot by Carl Hiaasen

Bibliographic Information: Hiaasen, Carl. Hoot. Random House, 2002. ISBN 9780375829161.
Genre: Eco-fiction, Movie into a book.
Reading Level: Grades 6-9
Curriculum ties: Social Studies, Environmental, Politics
Awards: Newbery Honor book 2003, ALA Notable Children’s Books: 2003, Golden Archer Awards (Wisconsin): Middle/Jr. High School, Nutmeg Children’s Book Award (Connecticut): Teen category, YALSA Best Books for Young Adults: 2003.
Note: Adapted into the movie Hoot (2005).Author’s first Young Adult book.

Reader’s Annotation: A barefoot boy running, alligators in port-o-potties, and vandalism are all things that Roy, a mountain boy from Montana, sees in his new hometown in  Florida.

Plot Summary:As the new kid in town again, Roy, a student at Trace Middle School in Coconut Cove finds himself searching for a place to belong. HIs father, a government employee has changed locations, and therefore Roy schools, numerous times. What began as a typical bus ride to school, including a round of bullying by Dana, the school bully,  Roy sees something strange things going on outside the window that peak his interest. Roy saw a boy about his age, running away from the school bus with no books, backpack, and no shoes. This image is stuck in Roy’s mind until the next time he sees the mysterious boy. When he does, he follows the boy, and gradually learns that he is just trying to protect the nesting site of rare burrowing owls, creatures that cannot fight for themselves. Their home is going to be turned into a pancake house by a corporate executive called Chuck Muckle, with the assistance of a bald foreman called Curly. The group tries all types of pranks to deter the construction company’s building efforts to until they can come up with a plan.

Critical Evaluation: What I really enjoyed about this book was its environmental stand. This type of book will motivate readers to become more aware and active in the communities that they live in. Roy’s confident, quick thinking attitude really played well when the group came across corporate powers. Hopefully, they do not take any cues from Mullet (alligators in portable toilets and vandalism) on how to get their message heard. The issue that bothered me was the constant bullying. It was mentioned that Roy had faced bullies at other schools as a product of having to move around a lot. The author eluded to the fact that Roy knew “how to handle himself” which sounded like he himself also used violence to prevent being bullied. I thought it was funny that Roy used Dana’s sister against him seeing that she is the only person that Dana is afraid of. The cause and characters were good and I think book sends a great message to all teens to make a difference.

Booktalking Ideas:
Discuss any situations that you feel as strongly about as Mullet Fingers did about saving the owls.
Discuss the effects of bullying. What was the significance of Dana’s role?
How has Roy transformed throughout the book? What events contributed to this transformation?
Discuss the conflict between environmental and economic concerns. How should we balance our human needs with those of the natural world?

Challenge Issues/ Defense:
Challenge Issues: Bullying
Challenge defense ideas:
• If your kids are dealing with bullies, this is a great example of how to deal with them and survive with your dignity and self-respect firmly intact.- Kim Wheedletion. Retrieved from: http://bugsandbunnies.blogspot.com/2009/02/book-review-hoot-by-carl-hiaasen.html

Why was this book included?: I included this book for its environmental awareness and positive messages.

Author Information: Carl Hiaasen was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on March 12, 1953. He received a degree in journalism from the University of Florida in 1974. He has been a reporter and columnist for the Miami Herald since 1976, and is known for exposing scandal and corruption throughout southern Florida. He has received numerous state and national honors for his journalism and commentary including the Damon Runyon Award from the Denver Press Club. His work has also appeared in numerous magazines including Sports Illustrated, Playboy, Time, Life, Esquire and Gourmet.
His best-selling novels include Double Whammy, Skin Tight, Native Tongue, Stormy Weather, Lucky You, Sick Puppy, Basket Case, and Nature Girl. His 1993 novel, Striptease, was adapted as a film in 1996 starring Demi Moore and Burt Reynolds. He also writes children’s books including Hoot, which was awarded a Newbery Honor; Flush; and Scat. Hoot was adapted into a film in 2006. His non-fiction works include Team Rodent; The Downhill Lie: A Hacker’s Return to a Ruinous Sport; and two collections of his newspaper columns entitled Kick Ass and Paradise Screwed.
(Bowker Author Biography. Retrieved from: https://sddp.sirsi.net/uhtbin/cgisirsi/?ps=SAlqLYPLLT/CENTRAL/192100021/9#syn_anotes).