Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Book Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl


It's senior year and Greg Gaines has managed to make it thus far through high school maintaining social invisibility by being cordial but not overly friendly to every single group at his school. He has only one (albeit unlikely) friend, the short, African-American, foul-mouthed, chain-smoking Earl. During their free time, they play video games and make their own movies--horrible movies, with no redeeming value, according to Greg, but it amuses them and occupies their time.

Earl fully intends to finish out high school under the radar and hanging out with Earl in his spare time--until Rachel gets cancer and Greg's mom decides they should be friends. Against his better judgement and in spite of his almost unbearable awkwardness, he does. Or he tries to. And then he and Earl decide to make Rachel: the Film. And Greg starts to lose all hope for his invisibility.

Y'all, this book is HILARIOUS. I know it seems unlikely since the word "dying" is actually in the title, but I laughed until I cried. Greg is narrating the story, and his self-deprecating humor lightens the mood considerably, he refers to this book as a "horrifyingly inane ... unstoppable barf-fest." The best part of this book might actually be Earl: crude, rude, disgusting, and surprisingly sincere. This book is a winner. Check it out here.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Young Adult Nonfiction @ Pearl



We know you love teen materials at CMRLS because of all of our awesome and up-to-date YA fiction: the thrillers, the mysteries, the dystopias, the contemps.

But we also know that you're in school and that you have to write papers, do projects, and finish homework. We also know that sometimes, you're just interested in stuff. Here at Pearl, we've recently gotten in a whole lot of new nonfiction books. These are great sources for your research papers, they'll provide information for your essays, and they're more reliable than Wikipedia (we know your teachers limit those internet sources!)! We also have new books on the most up-to-date world events and issues, like the Gulf Oil Spill and the Haiti Earthquake. We have several new biographies, and also some books about US history, with topics like the Orphan Train and US Involvement and Vietnam. These books are located on the nonfiction wall of the Teen Center. Ask at any desk for help!

Here's a complete list of our newest YA nonfiction titles. Quick to request! And as always, if you feel that we're missing something (a specific title or information on any topic) in our collection, let us know!

Internet Piracy
Same-Sex Marriage
Assisted Suicide
Obesity and Food Policing
Privacy Rights and the Patriot Act
Genetically Modified Foods
Health Care Reform
Racial Profiling
Sex Education in Schools
Teaching Intelligent Design
The Diamond Trade
The Vaccination Debate
U.S. Involvement in Vietnam
The Earthquake in Haiti
The Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill
Anarchism (Exploring World Governments)
Democracy (Exploring World Governments)
Dictatorships (Exploring World Governments)
Parliaments (Exploring World Governments)
Theocracies (Exploring World Governments)
The Arts (Inside the Industry)
Engineering (Inside the Industry)
Entertainment (Inside the Industry)
Fashion (Inside the Industry)
Green Jobs (Inside the Industry)
Medicine (Inside the Industry)
Publishing (Inside the Industry)
Sports (Inside the Industry)
Children's Rights
Mental Disorders
Suicide
Fair Trade
Human Trafficking
Loss of Biodiversity
Developing Nations's Debt
Domestic Violence
Indigenous People's Rights
World Population
The 2011 Japan Disasters
The Capture and Killing of Osama Bin Laden
The Chilean Miners' Rescue
The Columbine Shootings
The Hudson Plane Landing
The Orphan Trains
Living with Celiac Disease
Living with Food Allergies
Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath
John Lennon: All I Want is the Truth (A Photographic Biography)
A Wreath for Emmett Till
Frequently Asked Questions about Financial Literacy
Frequently Asked Questions about Overscheduling and Stress
Frequently Asked Questions about Everyday First Aid
Frequently Asked Questions about Tanning and Skin Care

Monday, March 5, 2012