Kit Kittredge, An American Girl

Kit Kittredge: An "American Girl" is not just another movie with childish charm, it contains a lot of wonderfully mature based subject matter that I found to be very interesting and really held my attention throughout the entire movie. The characters delicately, but boldly display the desperately hard times experienced during the Great Depression. I was expecting a flighty almost boring movie, however I was pleasantly surprised. Great friendships are formed, important lessons are learned and the characters have a lot of fun in the process of both. I recommend that you watch this movie. It is worth your time.

The Artist's Guide to GIMP Effects by Michael J. Hammel

This is an excellent book for new users and those just wanting to learn a few new tricks in GIMP – the GNU Image Manipulation Program, which has become one of the most admired freeware rivals to Adobe Photoshop.

The book takes you detailed-step-by-detailed-step through each stage of your image's development to produce professional looking images, text effects or logos from scratch and how to create fabulous photographic effects. Michael J. Hammel also shows you where, on the drop down menus, to find each effect you need.

From a crash course in using GIMP, this book helps you create fancy gel, metallic or distressed texts, tiled patterns, perspective shadows, different textures, (to just name a few!) for fantastic movie posters, web designs and so much more.

Still not impressed? Then take a look at the logo for this blog, the graphics on the teen and youth pages on the GPL website. All of those images where created using GIMP with the help of this book!

To request this book from the JCLC catalog, click here!

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini

In this disappointing third book of the Inheritance Cycle, after losing his fight and the sword Za’roc to his brother Murtagh, Eragon and his dragon Saphira must now begin to fulfill their promises. Having sworn to help Roran, rescue his betrothed from Galbatorix’s keep, Eragon and his cousin, Roran, set off on this dangerous mission against the advice of his friends. On their return to the Varden the cousins soon find that their duties keep them apart. Roran, having led his own people must now prove to Nasuada, the leader of the Varden, that he can be trusted and is sent out on raids under various captains.

Eragon’s oaths are beginning to conflict. Having lost to his brother, Eragon knows he must keep his promise to his elven teacher to return and learn as much as he can. Saphira has made promises to the Dwarves too. Eragon is forced to make a choice. But how can he leave when the Varden desperately need him to fight against Galbatorix’s army? And how can he fight when he no longer has a weapon?

Again Paolini leans too heavily on other fantasy plots but this time without a spark of his own originality to keep a book of length interesting. Eragon has not grown in character and Roran’s increasing feats of arms are ridiculous. Nothing of note really happens until the last chapters, leaving the readers wondering why they bothered picking up the book and not just waiting for the synopsis in the final book. Let us hope Paolini redeems himself with his final book in this series.

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

City of Ember is a captivating tale about an underground city called Ember. A group of people known as the Builders constructed the city to preserve the human race. The Builders gave Ember a timeline of 200 years and then a box would open up and there would be instructions for how to leave the city. But one of the mayors was less than honorable and the box was lost to them.

The story starts out after the box has opened and the city is starting to crumble around the people. Lina and Doon must find a way to save their city from devastation. Can they find the way out in time?

This is a wonderfully illuminating tale of courage of two young adults. It is hard to put down.

To request this book or others in the series, click here!

Written by Amber Young