Calling all GWGs!

Girl with Glasses by Marissa Walsh

Interesting Fact: 
This is a non-fiction book based on the author's experiences of growing up as a girl with glasses.

About the Book:
Through her book, Walsh documents her "optic history" beginning in third grade. She manages to show how her changing selection in frames reflected the changes within herself.  The book consists of many short stories dealing with humorous experiences that fellow girl with glasses would understand such as the stress involved when kissing with glasses, the intimate eye exams, and the dreadful contacts.  Sometimes, wearing glasses makes us feel as if we lack sex appeal.  However, Walsh displays confidence in standing out and being different.

Why read it?
It will make you laugh, especially if you can relate to her experiences as a GWGs. You will be taken back in time as you recall your own experiences. Personally, I recalled buying my first frames and my long struggle with contacts! As an ex-GWGs, I think that I would have viewed my glasses in a more positive light if I had only read this book before getting LASIK. 

Other Books by Marissa Walsh:

• A Field Guide to High School
• Does This Book Make Me Look Fat? Stories About Loving and Loathing Your Body

More about Paper Towns by John Green

Interesting Facts:
(1) Paper towns really exist as towns that only appear on paper.  These are towns that only exist on certain maps and they were placed there to discourage copyright infringement.  If a map containing a paper town appears on another map, then the cartographer (creator of maps) will know that someone has copied his original map. (2) The main setting of the book is set in Orlando, Florida.

About the Book:
The main characters of this book are high school seniors.  The book is about a boy nicknamed Q who is in love with his childhood friend Margo.  Margo is unpredictable, loves adventure, and is known to run away.  Before running away, Margo likes to leave clues regarding her disappearance such as leaving the letters MISS in her alphabet soup to signify that she has left to Mississippi.  One night, Margo surprises Q by sneaking up to his window to invite him on an adrenaline filled night of vengeful pranks. The pranks involve shaving cream, blue spray paint, catfish, Vaseline, mountain dew, tulips, tissues, water, and Sea World.  Can you even imagine what she plans to do with such things?  I will tell you this much...her ideas are amazing and hilarious.  After the fun-filled night, Q awakens to find that Margo has vanished and he soon begins to find clues that she has left behind specifically for him. Will she ever be found?  Who really is Margo?

Why you should read it?
Since this a mystery novel, it gets your thinking and curiosity going.  Your mind will constantly be trying to decipher the clues and put things together.  The book also helps understand that not all people are truly as they seem to be.  As Q mentions, people are often "misimagined."
* You will be dying to read ahead, but please refrain. :-)

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Great Reads for Teens

This is a Voice Thread presentation created by Ann Vega.  She did a wonderful job of picking top teen reads and provides a brief description of each.  Voice Tread is a program that allows you to create digital media and then comment on them through a variety of methods such as voice recordings or text.  You can then invite other Voice Thread users to comment on your creation.  Individual accounts and text comments are free of charge.  This is a wonderful resource to use for posting book reviews, encourage responses, and with book clubs.