Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different

Blumenthal, Karen. Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different.  New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2012.

ISBN: 9781250014450, 310 pages, paperback $8.99

            
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A biography of Apple computing’s founder Steve Jobs, chronicling his personal life and how that affected his innovations and business decisions.

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In order to change the world, you can’t be an ordinary guy.  This biography of Apple computer’s founder Steve Jobs demonstrates just how far from ordinary he and his life were.  From his adoption and complicated family dynamics with both sets of families and with his children, to his extreme diet fads and lifestyle choices, Blumenthal explores how living differently from societal expectations results in thinking differently and producing different results.  Interwoven with details about Jobs’ life is extensive history about the development of computing technology and the Apple business world.

            This book claims to be built around three stories that explained Steve Jobs, but I had a difficult time figuring out what those stories were.  It also portrayed his quirks and human failings in a negative light, resulting in a much harsher evaluation of his relationships with others and his personality than I got from a different biography.  The format of wide spacing, frequent photos, and no footnotes is appealing to a teen audience, but the length and detail about the business aspects of his life may be prohibitive for young readers.  I would recommend this for teens who are interested in the development of technology that they rely upon daily, and for those who need to read a biography for a school project. 

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Booklist Top 10 Biography Books for Youth 2012
2013 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults
Booklist Top 10 Books for Youth 2012

Clockwork Angel

Clare, Cassandra. Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices Book 1).  New York: Margaret McElderry Books, 2010.

ISBN: 9781416975878, 512 pages, paperback $10.99

  
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A teenage girl in Victorian England is thrust into a horror world of vampires and monsters in conjunction with developing her own paranormal powers and attempting to rescue her traitorous brother.

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            Teenage Tessa Gray leaves her American home and normal mortal life behind when she sets sail to join her brother in Victorian England.  There she is kidnapped and trained to be Changer for the Magister, a mysterious leader of a shadow “downworld.”  As she seeks to determine where she belongs in this hidden magical world beneath a London façade, and how to save her brother, her own developing powers become central to unfolding events.  New friendships and romantic interests test her loyalties, as does her brother’s ultimate betrayal.

As a prequel to the author’s Mortal Instruments series, Clockwork Angel is not a stand-alone novel. Although it is set in the past, the supernatural element of the Shadowhunters (half-mortals who fight the demons, vampires, and werewolves) gives this book a crossover categorization into the steampunk horror genre.  The book is geared toward older adolescents, with its coming of age and search for identity themes, as well as the darker sexual and violent elements.  It is particularly recommended for those readers who enjoy fantasy books, gothic horror, and the related bestseller Mortal Instruments series.  

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Winner of the 2011 YALSA Teens Top Ten Award

Winner of the 2011 Silver Inky Award

2011 Rita Award Finalist

learn more:

Cassandra Clare's website

The Outsiders

Hinton, S.E.  The Outsiders.  Viking, 1967,

ISBN: 9780670062515, 188 pages, hardback $17.99

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The death of a rival gang member causes an orphaned teenage boy to reconsider societal expectations and his own family bonds.

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            Socioeconomic conflicts epitomized by two rival gangs, the Greasers and the Socs, come to a head in this breakout coming of age novel written by a first-time author nearly a half-century ago.  Orphaned teenager Ponyboy must deal with a murder and the death of two friends while seeking his own place in his family and in society.  As he confronts these issues, he is able to recognize the love and loyalty already present in his life, and make the reader question just who “the outsiders” truly are.

            Although this book is recommended for ages twelve and up, and is sometimes classified as a children’s read, the difficult themes of violence, death, and class conflict are more suitable for older adolescents.  While the dialogue and situations are specific to the era in which it was written, the timeless issues and their satisfying resolution transcend its particular setting.  Since The Outsiders is frequently read in a classroom setting, it should be stocked in libraries and be readily available.

     #awards

     New York Herald Tribune Best Teenage Books List, 1967
     Chicago Tribune Book World Spring Book Festival Honor Book, 1967
     Media and Methods Maxi Award, 1975
     ALA Best Young Adult Books, 1975
     Massachusetts Children’s Book Award, 1979 

                                                       watch the book trailer!

and learn more: S. E. Hinton's website