Drowning Instinct

by Ilsa BickAt 16, Jenna Lord has suffered enough misfortune to last a lifetime. Badly burned in the fire that destroys her grandfather's house, she subsequently suffers a breakdown and is briefly institutionalized. Her homelife isn't much better: she calls her plastic-surgeon father Psycho Dad, her mother abuses alcohol, and her beloved older brother and only confidant is in Iraq. To make things even worse, she cuts herself. Jenna is figuratively drowning in disorder until she enrolls in a new school and meets her chemistry teacher, a caring man who strives to help her. Jenna's gratitude turns quickly to love and things get . . . complicated. Bick, a child psychiatrist, writes about dysfunction with a professional's insight, and she goes to great pains to create believable characterstoo much so, making the novel excessively long. Nevertheless, she manages to avoid the didactic and dramatizes dysfunction and disorder in ways that will attract readers and offer opportunities for classroom discussion.

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Super Horoscopes 2012

We now have all the 2012 Super Horoscope books available in the Teen Room.

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How To Rap: The Art and Science of the Hip Hop MC

by Paul Edwards
Filled with real tools and overflowing with inspiration, this comprehensive how-to manual examines the art and craft of rap. Edwards, who has researched the creative process of rappers and has interviewed more than 100 hip-hop artists, breaks the book down into discussions of content, flow, writing, and delivery. Both newcomers to rap and more experienced listeners and artists can gain insights in the time-honored tradition of learning from the past, as told straight from the artists' mouths. Instruction ranges over selecting topics and form, editing, rhyming techniques, putting words to music, collaborating, vocal techniques, studio tips, and performance.  Highly recommended.

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