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In this video, students will be introduced to "The Callendar Papers" by Cynthia Voigt. Summary--Jean Wainwright has a mind-numbing summer job: Sorting through box upon box of old family papers and filing away the important ones. Snooze-fest, right? Oh, but it gets worse. Her boss is a grouch, and the people in the small town where she's working look at her with more than just a little suspicion. Things start to get interesting, though, when Jean gets wind of the strange circumstances surrounding her boss's wife's death. How, exactly, did she die? And what became of her child? Will the Callender family papers expose her boss's darkest secrets? Or will the evil lurking in this small Berkshire town claim Jean's life first? This is a great resource for encouraging teenage level reading. (1:28)
Found by porter1526 in 60 Second Recap Series
September 29, 2011 at 07:45 PM
Ages: 13 - 18
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Views: 808 |
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In this Pick of the Week video, teenage students will be introduced to "Holes" by Louis Sachar. Summary--Stanley Yelnats is having a miserable summer at Camp Green Lake. Reason #1: Camp Green Lake is not a camp, it's a juvenile detention facility. For teenage criminal offenders. Which Stanley is not. Reason #2: There is no lake at Camp Green Lake. There's only desert. And blistering, unrelenting heat. Reason #3: Camp Green Lake is run by a crazy warden, who has a nefarious agenda of her own. Will Stanley survive his sentence and live to tell about it? Or will the poisonous warden and her desert of doom claim him first? This is a great resource to entice and encourage upper grade readers. (1:26)
Found by porter1526 in 60 Second Recap Series
October 2, 2011 at 03:23 PM
Ages: 13 - 18
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Views: 773 |
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In this Pick of the Week video, teenage students will be introduced to "Shakespeare Makes the Playoffs" by Ron Koertge. Summary--Baseball and poetry are an unlikely duo ... but not for eighth-grader Kevin Boland. Actually, main character Kevin might be any girl's dream. He's a jock with a sensitive side, a stellar first baseman who's also good with a pen. Problem is, the one thing Kevin doesn't seem to be good at is dealing with girls. Like his girlfriend, the popular Mira, who's cute ... but a little shallow. And then there's fellow poet Amy, who wants to be "just friends." Which is all Kevin wants because he's got Mira ... right? Thankfully, Kevin has his poetry—and his trusty, not-so-secret diary—to help him figure it all out. This is a great resource to entice and encourage upper grade readers. (1:26)
Found by porter1526 in 60 Second Recap Series
October 2, 2011 at 03:26 PM
Ages: 13 - 18
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Views: 764 |
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In this Pick of the Week video, teenage students will be introduced to "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou. Summary--Hope. That's the word that first comes to mind in describing Maya Angelou's autobiography, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." Which is funny, actually, given that the first two decades of her life were very rarely hopeful. As a child, Angelou endured racism and terrible sexual abuse. She struggled with an epic inferiority complex. She lost her voice ... and eventually won it back—but not without enduring the shame and isolation of silence. So, um, where's the hope? Surprisingly, it infuses even the most difficult scenes in this book, because Angelou doesn't pity herself. More than that, this book isn't just about Angelou's struggles; it's about how she worked through her struggles—and triumphed. And her book is a message of hope for anyone looking to do the same. This is a great resource to entice and encourage upper grade readers. (01:23)
Found by porter1526 in 60 Second Recap Series
October 3, 2011 at 08:33 PM
Ages: 13 - 18
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Views: 759 |
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In this Pick of the Week video, students will be introduced to "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. Summary--Don't be scared off by the fact that Charles Dickens wrote "A Christmas Carol." Unlike his other novels, the plot of "A Christmas Carol" is spare, the cast is relatively contained, and the language of this story is accessible—an easy, even fun, read. And sure, Scrooge has the benefit of three pretty compelling Christmas ghosts to help him out with his epic transformation. But as literary examples of naughty-to-nice go, Ebeneezer is also a good reminder to all of us that no matter how mean or materialistic we've been, there's no better time than the present to exchange "Bah humbug!" for "Happy holidays!" This is a great resource to entice and encourage upper grade readers. (1:23)
Found by porter1526 in 60 Second Recap Series
October 2, 2011 at 09:23 PM
Ages: 13 - 18
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Views: 752 |
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In this Pick of the Week video, teenage students will be introduced to "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert C. O'Brien. Summary Review--Mrs. Frisby has a problem. Her youngest son's life is in jeopardy, and there's nothing she can do to save him from Farmer Fitzgibbon and his tractor. Then Mrs. Frisby—who's a mouse, by the way—meets the Rats of NIMH. The rats are brave. They're cunning. And they're the result of a scientific experiment that has left them with the smarts to outwit humans. But time is running out for Mrs. Frisby's son Timothy—and for the rats. Will Timothy survive? Will the rats prove themselves more intelligent than Farmer Fitzgibbon? And what about those ruthless scientists from NIMH? This is a great resource to entice and encourage upper grade readers. (1:16)
Found by porter1526 in 60 Second Recap Series
October 5, 2011 at 11:53 AM
Ages: 13 - 18
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Views: 750 |
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In this Pick of the Week video, students will be introduced to "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle. Summary--Let's be honest. Meg Murray would like to know where her scientist father is. She'd like to help rescue him, too, except that she's got more than a few doubts about herself and her abilities. And of course there's the issue of her younger brother, Charles Wallace. And then there's the fact that when the strange women show up, claiming to know her father's whereabouts, Meg can't quite wrap her head around his location—which, let's just say, isn't anywhere on Earth. Whether Meg chooses to undertake this journey isn't the main drama of "A Wrinkle in Time." But the results of her choice—for Meg and for her family—make for one unforgettable story. This is a great resource for enticing and encouraging upper grade readers. (1:26)
Found by porter1526 in 60 Second Recap Series
October 2, 2011 at 04:11 PM
Ages: 13 - 18
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Views: 742 |
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In this Pick of the Week video, teenage students will be introduced to "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lamott. Summary--If you've ever been stuck staring at a blinking cursor for hours on end, this is the book for you. Now, some may say that "Bird by Bird" is a book for people who actually like the writing process. Or for people who want to be writers. But don't be fooled. This is a book for anyone who's struggled to get started writing, to believe in what they're writing, to read what they've written the morning after and not want to burn all the pages. Anne Lamott understands your pain because she's been there. And her sense of humor is sure to change your perspective on the writing process, whether you read just a chapter of this book, or you procrastinate on that paper (again) by devouring the whole thing. This is a great resource to entice and encourage upper grade readers. (1:23)
Found by porter1526 in 60 Second Recap Series
October 3, 2011 at 08:30 PM
Ages: 13 - 18
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Views: 737 |
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In this video, teenage students will be introduced to "Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat" by Lynne Jonell. Summary--For Emmy Addison, life is all about trying not to be invisible. Until she makes friends with the rat, that is. The rat's no picnic—he's overly sensitive, extremely demanding, and is kind of an egomaniac. But he changes Emmy's life—and soon the two are off on a rollicking, and sometimes dangerous, adventure. If you love stories of friendship between children and animals, or you're always up for a kid protagonist who outsmarts evil or stupid adults, you'll love "Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat." It has all the elements of your favorite children's books—as well as some sweetness and hilarity all its own. This is a great resource for motivating upper grade readers. (1:23)
Found by porter1526 in 60 Second Recap Series
September 29, 2011 at 08:56 PM
Ages: 13 - 18
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Views: 724 |
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In this video, teenage students will be introduced to "The Romeo and Juliet Code" by Phoebe Stone. Summary--It's the 1940s, and when life in London proves too dangerous for children, 11-year-old Felicity Bathburn Budwig is shipped off to live with her quirky relatives in ever-so-boring Maine. But it's not just the isolation that Felicity—who is quickly renamed "Flissy"—has to deal with. It's feeling out-of-place in a house with a spinster aunt, an uncle who receives mysterious letters, and the enigmatic Captain Derek. And then there's this question, which hangs, ominously, over Felicity's head: What on earth has happened to her beloved parents? "The Romeo and Juliet Code" doesn't exactly gallop along, but for readers willing to stick with Felicity as she figures out these and other mysteries, the journey is both rewarding and satisfying. This is a great resource to motivate upper grade readers. (1:17)
Found by porter1526 in 60 Second Recap Series
September 29, 2011 at 09:22 PM
Ages: 13 - 18
License: Proprietary
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Views: 723 |
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In this video, teenage students will be introduced to "Going Bovine" by Libba Bray. Summary--16-year-old Cameron kind of has a bad attitude. About everything. He hates school; he doesn't get along with his family; and he spends most of his time getting baked. Clearly, Cameron is destined for great things ... NOT. Or is he? As in many classic tales, a near-death (or pending death) experience gets Cameron on the road to some kind of redemption. Together with his gaming-obsessed, hypochondriac friend Gonzo, Cameron sets off on a Don Quixote-like adventure featuring fire giants, members of a happiness cult, and the most rockin' guardian angel you'll ever meet. Will Cameron discover the secret of the universe? The answers are there for those readers willing to tolerate this less-than-sympathetic protagonist over his 500-page journey. The critic does not like this story and gives her reasons why. This story does have adult issues including drugs in it and the critic says the word "stoner". This is a good resource for motivating readers.
Found by porter1526 in 60 Second Recap Series
September 29, 2011 at 07:50 PM
Ages: 15 - 18
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Views: 710 |
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In this video, teenage students will be introduced to "Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi. Summary--Those who make their homes in the West might have a hard time identifying Iran as much more than a nuclear threat—let alone a beloved homeland. Well, prepare to have your eyes opened. In this startling—and startlingly beautiful—graphic novel, you'll discover a complex society that has seen more than its fare share of oppression, brutality, and dramatic upheaval. Marjane—the narrator and author—just wants to have a normal child and young adulthood, complete with friends, fun, and maybe a little rebellion. But it's hard enough to grow up when everything's "normal" ... let alone when your country is in the midst of an Islamic revolution. Whether or not you're a fan of graphic novels, you're sure to love this riveting coming-of-age story—and its window on an extraordinary time and place. This is a great resource to entice and encourage upper grade readers. (1:26)
Found by porter1526 in 60 Second Recap Series
October 2, 2011 at 09:05 PM
Ages: 13 - 18
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Views: 699 |
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In this Pick of the Week video, teenage students will be introduced to "When You Reach Me" by Rebecca Stead. Summary--Inexplicable things are happening in Miranda's life. There's her best friend, Sal, who's suddenly no longer her best friend. There's the kid who throws punches for no particular reason. And then there are the strange notes—the ones that seem to predict the future. Its not that Miranda doesn't like mysteries—and its not that she doesn't want to be a hero, like the protagonist in her favorite book, "A Wrinkle in Time" ... but it's hard to sort out all the mysterious goings-on when you're already trying to survive sixth grade and help your mom win big on The $20,000 Pyramid. What's a girl to do? You're sure to keep turning pages until you solve that mystery for yourself. This is a great resource to entice and encourage upper grade readers. (01:28)
Found by porter1526 in 60 Second Recap Series
October 2, 2011 at 04:00 PM
Ages: 13 - 18
License: Proprietary
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Views: 691 |
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In this Pick of the Week video, teenage students will be introduced to "As Easy As Falling Off" by Lynne Rae Perkins. Summary--Ry is off on an epic summer adventure. Here's the catch: It's not anything like the summer adventure he had planned. Ry planned on going to camp, but on his way to camp, he found out there was no camp. (Long story.) Then Ry planned on just making a quick phone call home, but by the time he found someplace with cell phone reception, his train had taken off without him. (Long story.) Then Ry did some walking (long story), and some cross-country driving (long story), and some flying in a tiny little sea plane (long story), and then his adventure STILL wasn't over and I was sort of wondering why. In "As Easy as Falling Off the Face of the Earth," Lynne Rae Perkins is in top form in terms of the sheer beauty of her writing, but as for the rest, well, everything from plot to character left a lot to be desired. This critic did not care for this book pick. This is a great resource to entice and encourage upper grade readers. (1:32)
Found by porter1526 in 60 Second Recap Series
October 2, 2011 at 03:13 PM
Ages: 13 - 18
License: Proprietary
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Views: 690 |
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In this Pick of the Week video, teenage students will be introduced to "The Hound of Baskervilles" by Arthur Conan Doyle. Summary--In the great tradition of Sherlock Holmes, there's a mystery that needs solving and Holmes is the only man up to the challenge. In "The Hound of the Baskervilles," that mystery centers on a devilish ghost-hound that seems intent on picking off the Baskerville family—heir by unlucky heir. But ghosts aren't real ... are they? And there must be some logical explanation for what's going on ... shouldn't there be? You'll be sleeping with the lights on until Holmes figures this one out. Unless, of course, the hound gets him first ... This is a great resource to entice and encourage upper grade readers. (1:19)
Found by porter1526 in 60 Second Recap Series
October 2, 2011 at 09:00 PM
Ages: 13 - 18
License: Proprietary
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Views: 685 |
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In this Pick of the Week video, teenage students will be introduced to "Longitude" by Dava Sobel. Summary--Those little vertical lines on the globe. Who knew that without them, life could be so topsy-turvy? Well, believe it or not, the discovery of how to calculate longitude on the high seas is actually one of those advancements that helped make our world modern. But don't be fooled. Dava Sobel's book, "Longitude," isn't some dense excerpt from a history book. Actually, the story of how we came to calculate longitude is a tale of intrigue and competition and an unexpected hero by the name of John Harrison. And his story will have you on the edge of your seat—because who said nonfiction had to be boring? This is a great resource to entice and encourage upper grade readers. (1:27)
Found by porter1526 in 60 Second Recap Series
October 2, 2011 at 09:32 PM
Ages: 13 - 18
License: Proprietary
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Views: 671 |
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In this Pick of the Week video, teenage students will be introduced to "Working in the Shadows" by Gabriel Thompson. Summary Review--How hard could it be to harvest lettuce? Or what about working in a chicken processing plant? Pretty gross, maybe. But tough? Well, Gabriel Thompson has news for you. He spent a year trying out the jobs that most Americans won't do ... and discovered the skill, fortitude, and plain hard work it takes to get that lettuce on your salad plate and that chicken in your sandwich. And though Thompson doesn't come to any eye-opening conclusions about his year in the fields, and in the plant, and then on the streets of New York City (where he delivered take-out by bike), his experiences themselves are eye-opening—and well worth reading. This is a great resource to entice and encourage upper grade readers. (1:26)
Found by porter1526 in 60 Second Recap Series
October 5, 2011 at 12:01 PM
Ages: 13 - 18
License: Proprietary
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Views: 668 |
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In this Pick of the Week video, teenage students will be introduced to "Jump" by Elisa Carbone. Summary--P.K. and Critter have one thing in common. Make that two things. 1. They both love rock-climbing. 2. They're both teens on the run. It all begins when P.K. decides to jump ship before her parents can send her off to some horrible boarding school she knows she'll hate. Enter Critter: Fellow runaway and climber ... and a guy with a pretty unusual perspective on the universe. Together they take off with the plan to scale a few treacherous rock faces--and end up conquering a whole lot more. If you're a fan of romance or rock-climbing, or you're just a fellow traveler on the path to figuring out who you are, well, then, you'll surely want to "Jump" on this book right away. This is a great resource to entice and encourage upper grade readers. (1:30)
Found by porter1526 in 60 Second Recap Series
October 2, 2011 at 03:54 PM
Ages: 13 - 18
License: Proprietary
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Views: 667 |
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In this video, teenage students will be introduced to "The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth" by Alexandra Robbins. Summary--Most of the characters you meet through the Pick of the Week are, well, made-up. Not so with..the teens in this week's featured title. In "The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth," author Alexandra Robbins introduces you to members of the high school cafeteria fringe. Maybe you know them: the geeks, the emos, the weirdos, the losers. Maybe you've been one yourself. Either way, you'll be sure to relate, on some level, to the individuals that Robbins profiles. Their stories examine and explain the social hierarchy of high school...and offer hope that with a little effort, there might be a way out. This is a great resource for motivating upper grade readers. (1:19)
Found by porter1526 in 60 Second Recap Series
September 29, 2011 at 10:14 PM
Ages: 13 - 18
License: Proprietary
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Views: 666 |
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In this Pick of the Week video, teenage students will be introduced to "The Carbon Diaries, 2015" by Saci Lloyd. Summary--Laura Brown just wants to be a normal teenager. She wants to hang with her friends and play in her band. Maybe get the attention of the hot neighbor guy, too. Unfortunately, Mother Nature has other plans. Between the blizzards and the floods, Laura can barely keep her life—or her family—together. Bottom line: If you aren't already recycling and saving energy, this book will turn you into a regular environmental crusader ... after you finish reading it, of course. Did I mention it's also a page-turner? This is a great resource to entice and encourage upper grade readers. (01:18)
Found by porter1526 in 60 Second Recap Series
October 5, 2011 at 10:05 AM
Ages: 13 - 18
License: Proprietary
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Views: 664 |
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In this Pick of the Week video, teenage students will be introduced to "How to Say Goodbye in Robot" by Natalie Standiford. Summary Review--Beatrice (Bea) Szabo is turning into a robot. Her professor father's perpetual wanderings from university to university have left her friendships in the lurch. And now, to make matters worse, there's something not-so-swell going on with her parents' marriage. A tin heart—that's what Bea decides she needs. Because better to feel nothing than to be feeling this, right? Things change in a heartbeat, though, when Bea meets outcast Jonah Tate and is sucked into an intense hot-and-cold relationship with one of the very best—and very worst—friends she's ever had. One thing's for sure: Friendship with Jonah is a path to heartache and heartbreak, but it may also be the only way for Bea to find out if she has a real heart after all. This is a great resource to entice and encourage upper grade readers. (1:26)
Found by porter1526 in 60 Second Recap Series
October 5, 2011 at 07:15 PM
Ages: 13 - 18
License: Proprietary
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Views: 663 |
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In this Pick of the Week video, teenage students will be introduced to "Seeing Emily" by Joyce Lee Wong. Summary Review--Emily Wu feels trapped. Her traditional Chinese parents don't get her—don't get her desire to wear makeup or to have a boyfriend or to just be a normal American teenager. And since they won't understand—can't understand—what she's going through, Emily shuts them out, weaving a tangle of lies that inevitably traps her in a way that even her parents' overbearing traditionalism can't. But all isn't angst and attitude in this book about finding your voice, and your place in the world. There's beauty and poetry to Wong's story, too—both of which make Emily's journey well worth traveling with her. This is a great resource to entice and encourage upper grade readers. (1:19)
Found by porter1526 in 60 Second Recap Series
October 5, 2011 at 11:18 AM
Ages: 13 - 18
License: Proprietary
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Views: 658 |
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In this Pick of the Week video, teenage students will be introduced to "All Alone in the Universe" by Lynne Rae Perkins. Summary Review--Debbie and Maureen have been friends since third grade. But now Maureen is friends with Glenna, so that makes Debbie, well, all alone in the universe to be exact. Lynne Rae Perkins' slim novel doesn't offer up any pat (or easy) answers to the question, What do you do when you get dumped by your best friend? But it does offer one of the most honest and relatable explorations of surviving middle school cattiness and of living through the bad (and good) parts of growing apart and growing up. This is a great resource to entice and encourage upper grade readers. (1:29)
Found by porter1526 in 60 Second Recap Series
October 5, 2011 at 11:12 AM
Ages: 13 - 18
License: Proprietary
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Views: 657 |
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In this video, teenage students will be introduced to "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" by E.L. Konigsburg. Summary-Almost-12-year-old Claudia Kincaid is tired of being underappreciated, tired of going unnoticed, and tired of life in a house full of brothers. But rather than wallow in her misery, she decides to do something about it—something like running away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Life at the Museum, however, offers Claudia more than she bargained for—like a mystery about a statue that may (or may not) have been sculpted by the legendary Michaelangelo. Will Claudia's detective work lead her deeper into trouble ... or help get her out of it? This is a great resource to entice and encourage upper grade readers. (1:26)
Found by porter1526 in 60 Second Recap Series
October 2, 2011 at 08:57 PM
Ages: 13 - 18
License: Proprietary
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Views: 652 |
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In this video, teenage students will be introduced to "Downsiders" by Neal Shusterman. Summary--Talon is a Downsider. A teenager living in darkness in the subterranean tunnels beneath the Big Apple. He has no use for sun or sky or the strange customs of the "Topside." This is a great resource for motivating upper grade readers. (1:20)
Lindsay is a Topsider. A teenager living a relatively normal life in New York City. She had no use for the Downside or its unusual customs; in fact, she didn't even know they existed. Until she met Talon.
What happens when the world we know collides with the world down below? The answer will rock the very foundations of both the Topside, and the strange, secret world below it.
Found by porter1526 in 60 Second Recap Series
September 29, 2011 at 10:11 PM
Ages: 13 - 18
License: Proprietary
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Views: 651 |
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