Zilladog

ZillaDog.com: A Save and Easy Website for Kids

ZillDog has games from Club Penguin, Disney, Neopets, Cartoon Network, Pokemon, and Nickelodeon. They can play Sonic games and also log on to and access their Webkinz pet. Includes links to Radio Disney and KidsBop, as well as movie trailers of current movies. All of these can be accessed without a log in.

"ZillaMail is a web based email system that is safe for children, is spam free and parent password protected." There is a one-time fee of $9.95.

Bay Area Girls

B.A.G. (Bay Area Girls)
Live music, Tween band

An all girls band of five 11- and 12-year old girls perform originals, as well as covers from Miley Cyrus, Michelle Branch, Kelly Clarkson, Michelle Branch, Avril Lavigne, and more. I haven't seen this band yet, but it's cool to listen and watch them perform their original "Summer" on their website.

They will be playing soon in my city, at San Mateo Central Park. Learn more at their B.A.G. website. I know this isn't media; I just appreciated that it's a local group of girls rockin' out.

Aqua Kids

Aqua Kids

"Ready to make a difference? Building a better planet starts with you."

This TV show is hosted by Molly, an educator, and a group of tweens and teens. The intent of the show is to introduce youth to marine and aquatic environments. In show episodes, the team visits locations to learn about the setting and interview professionals. Material is information- and fact-based and presented in a manner understandable , as well as interesting and appealing to youth.

The companion website Aqua Kids website has show video clips and links to the organizations that they visit.

Paper Fantastic

Paper Fantastic - 50 Creative Projects to Fold, Cut, Glue, Paint and Weave (2004) by Joe Rhatigan and Rain Newcomb. 111 pages.

ISBN: 1-57990-476-9

Tweens are pictured throughout out this paper crafts book. Each craft has clearly described, step-by-step instructions accompanied by photos to show the steps as well. Appealing craft projects are appropriate and complicated enough for tweens. Project topics cover a good range: decorating, cutting and folding paper, origami, paper mache and gluing paper.

The Children's Baking Book

The Children's Baking Book - More than 50 delicious step-by-step recipes (2009) by Denise Smart. 128 pages.

SBN: 978-0-7566-5788-8

Recipes for cookies and baked goods, breads and dough, pastries and tarts, and cakes are presented in the the typical Dorling Kindersley (DK Eyewitnees books) style with clear, colorful, pop-off-the-page photographs. All the recipes follow the same format with ingredients and tools listed in text boxes. Each step of the recipes is explained in clear, simple text accompanied by a photograph to show the step in action.

Appealing, easy-to-follow recipes will be very attractive to tweens. (I want to make the toffee squares :-)

12 Again

12 Again (2002) by Sue Corbett. 227 Pages.
ISBN: 978-0-14-240729-5

This story is told from the alternating perspectives of 7th grader Patrick and his mom, Bernadette McBride. On her fortieth birthday and Bernadette wakes up and she's twelve years old. Now, she's also a 7th grader and attends class with Patrick. Patrick has now idea what's happened to his mom and now must attend to his brothers. Life is complicated.

The Basket Counts

The Basket Counts (2000) by Arnold adoff and illustrated by Michael Weaver. 47 pages.

ISBN: 0-689-80108-4

A collection of poetry about playing basketball. Text formatting is playful, enhancing meaning. Colorful expressive llustrations show teens, girls and boys, of various ethnicities playing basketball. Games take place in urban street settings. Expressive and appealing for tweens.

Sassy - Little Sister is NOT my Name!

Sassy - Little Sister is NOT my Name! (2009) by Sharon M. Draper. 102 pages

ISBN-13:978-0-545-07151-8

Being the youngest in the family, Sassy has been called "Little Sister", which drives her crazy. Imaginative Sassy wants to change her world and make life a sparkling adventure. Her Sassy Sack is the envy of other girls in school. Besides being shiny and pretty, it contains what she needs to help when things get tough. Meet Sassy, her friends and family in this charming book, which is the first is a series of four.

Sharon M. Draper has written many books for teens. She has won teaching and writing awards including the Coretta Scot King Award; her books are on ALA and VOYA recommendation lists.

Popstar! Magazine & Popstar Online

Popstar! by Popstar! Publishing, L.L.C.

Visually busy magazine with loads of pictures of teen stars. The June 2010 is dominated by articles on Justin Bieber; "Are You the Justin Bieber Type?". There are some articles on the Twilight stars. A "Fresh Faces!" page promotes "The next sensations who could rock the world". This issue contains 23 pull-out "hot" posters. Overall, the magazine is teen idol fun with few advertisements.

Popstaronline.com

This companion interactive website has videos, a blog, photos and contests. When opening the homepage, a music video automatically begins to play. This page also contains links to music previews and viewer polls, currently "Who's more stylish? Lady Gaga or Rhiannan" and "Who's your favorite Twilight saga newcomer?", as well as links to join them on MySpace and to subscribe to their YouTube channel.

Sports Illustrated Kids Magazine & SIKids.com

Sports Illustrated Kids. Published by Time, Inc.

This monthly magazine (except for the January/February issue) is a mixed of color photos, cartoons and an art gallery of submissions of hand-drawn illustrations by kids. The issue pictured here contains collectors' cards of sports figures and pull-out posters. Features articles on professional athletes, as well as young athletes in the spotlight. Reading level is accessible and page layouts are very appealing.


SI Kids.com

Sports Illustrated's companion website is targeted for use by children and tweens. It contains games, videos, photos, news and blogs, entries by kid reporters and a contests page. It's a visually appealing and an easy-to-use site.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Demigod Files

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Demigod Files (2009 ) by Rick Riordan. 151 pages.

ISBN: 978-142312166-4

The book has three short stories of Percy Jackson's dangerous adventures. It also includes interviews, maps and games. In the first story, Percy helps his old enemy from demigod camp, Clarisse, get her father's chariot back. Charlie Beckendorf, the camp counselor, is captured by a horde of swarming poisonous ants in the second story. Percy and his friends rescue him with the help of a dragon. In the last story, Percy and pals need to retrieve Hades's stolen sword. Readers will meet the Greek gods and goddess, Zeus, Poseidon, Ares and Athena.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians website

Middle School - How to Deal

Middle School - How to Deal (2005) by Sara Borden, Sarah Miller, Alex Stikeleather, Maria Valladares, and Miriam Yelton.
ISBN: 0-8118-4845-0

"Middle school is a bumbling, jumbling, mixed-up place of classes, friends, boyfriends and activities." Five girls who have just been there give advice about common middle school issues - school dances, speaking up in class, groups and popularity, friendships, dealing with bullies, figuring out boys and dating, decorating your room, to understanding your body and body image. Each girl also gives insights on their own personal experiences.

An attractive book for girls who are curious about middle school and are looking for some perspective. 10 to 12 year olds.

The book has a forward by the Editor-in-Chief of Girls' Life Magazine.

Tales from Outer Surburbia

Tales from Outer Suburbia (2008) by Shaun Tan. 94 pages.
ISBN-13: 978-0-545-05587-1

Fifteen short stories are enclosed in a large envelope addressed to Paul, Perth, W.A. and postage stamps that have the title of each story.

The book is a visual, engaging wonder. Art includes collage, colorful paintings, and black and white drawings. Strange creatures and surreal, dreamlike atmospherics tantalize the reader. Text varies among the stories, including a newspaper layout, doodles and text on scaps of paper. The stories are quirky and charming. Whimsical read for 9 to 12 year olds.

Amelia's 7th-Grade Notebook

Amelia's 7th-Grade Notebook by Marissa Moss.
ISBN-13: 978-1-4169-3661-9

Amelia constantly writes about her 7th grade experiences in her notebook. She's happy with her new teachers, works at her friendships and deals with her annoying sister Cleo. 7th grade means dances and her friends are interested in boys and make-up. Amelia tries to figure out if she is ready for all that and what it means for her. Carly, her best friend, enjoys wearing make-up, but tells Amelia that she doesn't "want to be influenced by the media and how it says girls should look". Text in the book is as hand-written journal entries, with line drawings of people. Good read for 9 to 12 year olds.

Dragonball Z

Dragonball Z written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama.

ISBN: 1591168082

26 volume manga series continues as a sequel to the Dragon Ball series. Goku continues his martial arts training. Goku and his son, Gohan, are martial arts masters. They must protect the earth from the Saiyons, brutal warriors who have been destroying the galaxy. They want the seven magic dragon balls.

A popular favorite among middle school students. Books read from back cover to front, and pages from left to right. Colorful, action-packed anime cartoons draws the attention of the readers.

Stuck in the Middle

Stuck in the Middle: Seventeen comics from an unpleasant age (2007). Edited by Ariel Shrag

ISBN: 978-0-670-06221-8

Each comic sequence is written and illustrated in black and white line drawings, showcasing the many different styles of the cartoonists. Each contributor shares stories from their personal middle school experience.

Angst, love interests, annoying people, gossiping, zits, making good impressions, parental divorce, name calling, going to a new school, worried about what people are thinking. All common and familiar themes in middle school life.

Some edgy topics and dicey language. Interesting glimpse into middle school once lived. Good for students 11 to 13 years old.

The Storm in the Barn

The Storm in the Barn (2009) by Matt Phelan. 201 pages.
ISBN: 978-0-7636-3618-0

This story takes place in 1937 Kansas during the Dust Bowl. Jack Clark is 11 years old, living on a farm with his family; they have not seen rain for at least four years and the effects are taking their toll on the people. Jack's sister Dorothy is bedridden and enjoys reading Wizard of Oz books, parelleling some of the story lines. Mabel, his other sister is a curious youngster who likes to explore. The townspeople start believing in a mysterious illness, dust dementia, and suspect Jack may have it. Jack starts to see a creepy apparition in a neighbor's barn that foretales rain. Meanwhile, the townspeople are growing tired of the rabbits eating their meager amount of food and decide to eradicate them. These frames are unpleasant and disturbing.

Illustrations are pencil drawings with spudged shading; giving the reader the feeling that they can almost feel the dust. Muted tones provide for atmospherics that enhance the feeling of that time and place in history. Interesting read for 11 to 13 year olds.

-------------------------More books related to the Dust Bowl:

Years of Dust: The Story of the Dustbowl (2009) by Albert Marrin.
"Exceptional overview brings close the terrifying, bleak realities of the Dust Bowl; Marrin puts the era into both historical and environmental context". Gillian Engberg, Booklist Online



Out of the Dust (1997) by Karen Hesse.
A story about an Oklahoma family in the Dust Bowl. Told in free verse from the point of view of fourteen year old, Billie Jo Kelby.



Dust (2003) by Arthur Slade.
"Eleven-year-old Robert is the only one who can help when a mysterious stranger arrives, performing tricks and promising to bring rain, at the same time children begin to disappear from a dust bowl farm town in Saskatchewan in the 1930s. " - Book summary from http://catalog.plsinfo.org/

Draw Manga Chibi!

Draw Manga Chibi! (2004) by Christopher Hart.

ISBN: 0-8230-0368-x

Provides easy to follow steps to draw Chibi Manga, Japanee cartoons; each step clearly building on the last. Easy character can be finished in five steps. Great book to introduce kids to drawing cartoon characters. Good for 9 to 11 year olds.

Mad Hot Ballroom

Mad Hot Ballroom DVD (2005) Paramount Classics andNickelodeon Movies presents. Written by Amy Sewell, produced Amy Sewell and Marilyn Agrelo, and directed by Marilyn Agrelo.
ISBN:141571455X

Interesting documentary about middle school-age school kids in New York City learning to ballroom dance . The film provides personal perspectives from the kids about dancing and thier lives. Over ten weeks, we watch the progression of their dancing and find out how they do in a competition.

I first watched this film with a 7th grade class in an urban middle school. All the student viewers showed interest in the film to the end. Appropriate for 9 to 12 year olds.

Guinness World Records 2009

Guinness World Records 2009: The Book of the Decade by Craig Glenday.
ISBN: 978-0-55359256-6

Guinness World Records books are always a favorite book among middle schoolers. Has crazy record-breakers, amazing feats and achievements, and bizarre facts from around the world. Covers space, living planet, human achievements, science and engineering, sports and more. Lots of colorful, amazing photos. Zany and fascinating. Fun for 10 to 13 year old.