Report on Reading Rants!

Reading Rants! was founded by Jennifer Swan in 1998 with help from web designer Andrew Mutch. She is a Middle School Librarian in Greenwich Village in Manhattan. Her motivation behind the site was her love of teens, sharing literature that speaks to them, and the great respect she has for Young Adult literature. The blog is primarily made up of “out of the ordinary” booklists for teens.

The level of activity on this blog is high. Swan posts a new book and review approximately every week. This makes the blog a very rich resource because not only is there an upward of 350 books listed on the site, all the books are reviewed by a professional librarian and reviewer. Sawn also makes an annual list of her Top Ten books of the year and makes sure there is information about the blog and interesting facts about the people involved in the site. There is some user activity, but not as much as one would expect from a blog that reviews books so regularly.

The types of books that Jennifer Swan reviews are typically books that are not considered to be mainstream, but she does review prevalent and popular literature as well. Her choices of books are what reflect the issues and trends in YA Lit; Swan incorporates a wide variety of books to help reflect the diversity, even if she openly does not like the genre. She also makes the themes of the site very teen friendly and doesn’t shy away from topics, such as “druggie fiction”, that teens enjoy but aren’t necessarily approved of by their parents. She also tries to incorporate literature that reflects some of the issues teens face such as books about eating disorders or characters who are LGBTQ.

There is quite a lot of interactivity and networking on this blog in the form of links to other Young Adult blogs and author websites. Swan has made a list of top book review websites and blogs for teens where teens can look at other blogs specifically made for their audience. She has also listed the top kid and teen-lit blogs for adults, who are looking for other resources. There is a list of out of the ordinary authors that Swan has chosen and all are links to their websites. Reading Rants! also does presentations at libraries, schools, staff training days, and conferences. These presentations are on a wide variety of topics on Young Adult literature, including: Swan’s Top Ten titles of the year, trips for working with teens, YA programming that works, bootalking tips, how to talk to parents about YA fiction, collection development, and graphical novels for teens. From the date list it does not appear that Jennifer Swan has done a presentation in quite some time, but the option is available.

The evidence of teen participation varies but there are some threads that are quite active. The average number of comments for most books is approximately five; sometimes there are no comments, sometimes a few, and sometimes more than fifteen.  From the comment records, there is an average of one comment per day, sometimes more. There seems to be a group of core contributors that post on all of Swan’s reviews, but there are other teens participating as well. There is a comment feed for recent comments near the top of the page where you can see what teens have said, which can be useful if teens want to know quickly what teens have to say about the books on the blog. The only place for teens to contribute is through comments on books and the Top Ten picks. 

One thing that I didn’t particularly like about this blog was the ambiguity of topics in the Reading Rants booklist. For example, terms like “enquiring minds want to learn” and “home fries” don’t tell you a lot about the books that may be under this topic. In this form, it makes it hard to pick which booklist you may be interested in. However, when you click on one of the topics it does expand the definition, such as, “enquiring minds want to learn: unusual biographies/memoirs for teens”.  Although it adds quirkiness to the site, I think it makes searching for books you want harder to do. I also thought that it could have been slightly more interactive. I do appreciate that Jennifer Swan kept the blog primarily as a booklist so that books were easy to find, some blogs can be too cluttered and oversaturated, but I think that it would be more popular and fun if there were a couple more social elements to it. I did like the look of the blog. It is generated by wordpress.com and has a clean, sophisticated yet fun look that makes it easy to read and easy to navigate.

Since this was primarily a booklist blog I learnt a lot about what kinds of books teens are reading and how teens feel about them. It was interesting to see what books had comments from teens, and what books didn’t. There were a few books that had over forty comments and it was easy to tell that this book was really popular among teens. The books that didn’t have any comments a lot of teens may have been unfamiliar with, which shows that the site is attempting to introduce teens to new literature that doesn’t always make the top ten lists. I found the lists of blogs for both teens and adults to be a very useful resource. I looked at some of the ones I hadn’t heard of before and I got a broader idea of some of the current trends in YA literature. I also really liked the links to blogs that were by and for teens. There were some interesting reviews made by teens that gave a good insight into what teens value when it comes to reading. This blog is relatively simple, but it is a very useful resource for teens that are looking for books they may enjoy. I would recommend it to teens and I would also use it as a resource to see what out of the ordinary books are popular or of good quality. 

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

I really liked this novel. I really enjoyed the style that it was written it, the prose was fluid and the language was very appropriate to the character. There were a few times where I was unsure who was talking because the dialogue isn't in quotation marks, but it didn't take away from the novel at all.

I felt like most of the story was very natural and plausible, even if it was a utopia(in the beginning). Being the type of children they were, the fact that they lived almost parent-less didn't seen harsh or unreasonable. It fit their style, and the style of the novel. For most of it, excluding some of the occupation, the book was very young and fresh and green. There was so much romanticism at every turn, it was very beautiful and rich. Small elements of magic-realism added an even greater romantic depth to the story and to characters like Edmond and Isaac. Isaac kind of reminds me of Dickon Sowerby from The Secret Garden. They really did have their own little world free of societal pressures and biases; their love was pure even if it wasn't acceptable.

I was very sad near the end when Daisy had to shoot Ding in the head but I was very glad that none of the children died. The last few chapters with the description of the garden was beautiful and sad. I was happy though that the children were together again and they could resume their lives and heal together.

There were a few things that didn't seem to add up right, like how Piper started her long term relationship with Jonathan when she was ten or so. Even though Piper is very mature for her age, she's also very childlike and I don't know if this is realistic. I also don't really understand how Daisy's dad could get her so quickly out of England just because she "needed" to be hospitalized. I guess it was just an excuse, but it seemed unlikely that during a time of occupation that a girl like her would be such a priority. Other than that I really enjoyed the novel.

Review of Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz

Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz

New York: Hyperion Paperbacks, 2006.

300 pages, paperback, 11.99 CAN

ISBN: 978-1-4231-0126-0

Recommended for: Grades 8-12

Star Rating: 2.5/4

Melissa de la Cruz was born in the Philippines but immigrated to San Francisco, CA when she was twelve. She attended Columbia University where she studied English Literature and Art History. She is known for her series The Au Pairs (2004) and The Ashleys (2008) and her handbooks on fashion and pop culture, How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less (2003) and The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-Inch Heels and Faux Pas (2004). De la Cruz has also worked in the fashion industry writing for magazines such as Glamour, Marie Claire, and CosmoGirl!. Blue Bloods is the first novel in the hit series; there are five novels in the series to date.

The Blue Bloods are a rich and powerful group of vampires seeking to redeem themselves after being banished from Heaven. Their society is secret to the Red Bloods(humans), but they are the power behind some of the most influential organizations in New York City. When a young Blue Blood is found murdered some of her fellow students at their prep school begin to suspect the Silver Bloods, a mythical group of rouge vampires who feed off the blood of other Blue Bloods. But who among them is the Silver Blood? The story is told from the perspective of three powerful and unique young women: an outsider grunge girl with a powerful destiny, the most beautiful girl in school whose popularity trumps that of movie stars, and the new girl who is having a mysterious reaction to her vampire transformation.

Recommended: Although the overload of designer name-drops and the continuous acts of conspicuous consumption often get in the way, De la Cruz manages to spin an imaginative tale around the group of young, rich socialites. The story is original and the plot twists are far from predictable. The characters more accurately reflect an older age group; it seems unrealistic that 15 year olds frequent clubs, engage in highly sexualized acts of blood drinking, and have the social connections of a movie star. However the combination of mystery, vampire lore, romance, and fashion is sure to draw in teen readers and keep them reading well into the series. This series may be limited to female readers.

Reviewed by Davin Helkenberg

March 28, 2011

Please view this video for a plot summary of the first three books of the series!

Don't You...Forget About Me

Here the “book talk” that Gillian and I did for class! See Gillian's blog tiredstarlingyam for more details!

The Breakfast Club: A Movie Trailer

Friesen, G. (Producer), & Hughes, J. (Director). (1985). The breakfast club [Motion picture]. United States: Universal Pictures.

Plot Summary
High school is a difficult time for most people. At Shermer High School in Shermer, Illinois, where status and connections mean everything, five very different students are forced to spend a Saturday together in detention. Each student represents a different social group. Andrew is the jock, Brian is the brain, Claire is the popular one, John Bender is the criminal and Allison is the outsider. They begin the day with established prejudices and annoyance at having to spend an entire day together. The principal, Mr. Vernon assigns an essay to each student asking them to explain who they think they are. As the students spend time together and discuss their family lives, secrets and dreams, they realize that there is more to each other than their cliques and social standing. They have similarities that run deeper then the surface.

Notes on Character, Setting, Director
The movie focuses on five different teenagers representing five different cliques within their high school. As they become friends, the students realize that they all share similar pressures, mostly stemming from their parents. Andrew is an athlete/jock. He feels pressure from him father to be the best at all times. Claire is the most popular girl in school who is the target of John Bender’s insults. She believes that her divorced parents use her to get back at each other. Brian is the brain and he feels pressure from his family to do well academically. It is revealed that he is suicidal. Allison is the outsider, she thinks about running away from home to get attention. John Bender is the criminal/punk. He is an instigator and insults the other students and it is revealed that he is physically abused by his father. Thier principal, Mr. Vernon represents authority and by extension all adults in the student’s lives. The movie is set in Illinois at a high school. This high school is representative of any high school. It has a gym, a library, lockers and classrooms.  John Hughes is well known as the writer and director of classic films about teenagers in the 1980s. Most of his films are set in the Chicago area

Intended Audience
Although this movie was produced and is set in the 1980s, the theme about teenagers coming to terms with their differences and similarities to each other, are timeless. Each student realizes that although status was important to them, they are all the same with similar pressures from family, school and friends. This movie would be appealing to teenagers today.

Conspicuous Consumption

This article made a lot of sense to me because I recently read the first 3 novels of the Blue Bloods series. The novels are about the "Blue Bloods" a group of 400 vampires that are some of the most wealthy people in the world. They run the majority of prestigious social groups in New York, own the best real estate, and  are extremely consumeristic. It isn't abnormal for some of the characters to spend six figures on a dress, wear 20ct. diamond rings, and spend thousands of dollars when they go out to restaurants and clubs. Money is no object for most of them, it seems to be endless. Except for the underdog, Schuyler, who's family has lost its wealth and therefore its place as one of the most prominent Blue Blood families. The designer name dropping, the extravagant parties, and the continuous emphasis on wealth and consumerism can be very over the top sometimes.

I agree with what Glenn says about providing young adults with the skills to read critically instead of discouraging them to read these types of novels. The Blue Bloods novels, for example, have an interesting story line and I don't think that readers should necessarily be discouraged from reading them. Although the books portray that the wealthy, beautiful, and popular teens are the ones that are the most successful and often the happiest there are other characters, like Schuyler, who make the most out of being "unwealthy" and still manage to get good looking guys, modeling contracts, and compliments on their style and beauty! I think that Glenn has a lot of good ideas for how to get youth to view the literature they are buying more critically and I agree that it is important educators provide students with these skills.

Burger Wuss by M.T. Anderson

I just finished reading the book and I enjoyed reading it but I don't think it will make my list of favorites. The book started off very quirky, the writing style was diverse and I really liked the grammar vandals, they were great. Anthony's emotions and his romance with Diana was very real and sweet. There were so many details about their relationship and experiences that you could really understand why he was in love with her  and why he was so heartbroken. The fast food culture and the workplace were a perfect setting, just the right amount of shenanigans were introduced there.

But, I'm kind of disappointed in the Anthony character...I didn't feel like he was as funny/sarcastic/silly as was pointed out throughout the book. I found his type of humor very dry, or just not funny at all because it didn't seem like there was a joke there. Maybe I was disappointed because he really is a wuss? But, I don't think you can really blame Anthony for being a "wuss". Like he alluded to, he was caught between being gross and being a weenie (122). He just wasn't sure what to do because he didn't want to upset anyone. And I don't think that Diana left him because he couldn't make a move. Diana said near the end, "Tuner didn't steal me. I'm not a piece of furniture. I went to him...that was my choice" (183). Diana could also have made the choice to make a move on him like she did on Turner, but she didn't. Sometimes love just goes away, like in the case Rick and Jenn who were so in love but broke up over because they wanted to rent different movies.

I also feel bad for Anthony because he just couldn't win. I don't think anything ever really worked out for him, he just kept getting beat up or yelled at. Is this book trying to say that nice guys really do finish last? The post-prank scenes were so anti-climactic. He got beat up again(what else is new?), he felt really guilty for causing hurt(duh!), and he and Diana both called him an idiot(darn, that's it?). So, nice guys finish last, but so do jerks? I think that's fair. I think that it ends on a rather positive note though, despite the beatings, the final rejection from Diana, and the cold dismissal from work. Anthony purges himself of the situation and starts to feel better as he beings to think of the whole ordeal as in the past..."After all, there are other fish in the sea" (186)...

But wait, as the epilogue informs us, Anthony is still fitting into the nice guy stereotype. He and Rick talk about "the latest girl who'd told [him] she wanted to just be friends" (187). Hmmm...

Weetzie Bat

I think this book has become a new favorite around my place! It is so heartfelt, quirky, and the characters are so lovable that it's hard not to like it. I really enjoy how fast paced it is. I was never bored and even though the book was short I really felt like the characters were well developed. I think that Block really sums up the book in the last line when she writes, "I don't know about happily ever after...but I know about happily, Weetzie Bat thought". Even though Weetzie Bat and her friends aren't exactly the most conventional family they have found happiness anyway. This fits perfectly with the whole story because not much about any of them is very conventional but they are great people who aren't perfect but are loyal and care about each other. I really like all the weird names, I just love the name My Secret Agent Lover Man. It's just funny and cute. I think that a lot of teens would like this novel because it is fun and fast paced and even though it is an older book it really doesn't seem that dated. I am looking forward to the debate tomorrow to see what everyone else has to say about the book!

101 Ways to Dance by Kathy Stinson

I really enjoyed this book, it was an engaging read and I think that a lot of teens would enjoy it. It was very sexual, there were some scenes that were very erotic, but I liked this because it didn't shy away from some of the forms of sexuality that people often avoid. There is such a wide variety of people, relationships, feelings, and sexual experiences in this novel and they are written so well that you can really get a feel for what is going on. Although, I didn't quite understand what was going on with the balloons in "everybody love a clown"...??? I thought that it covered a lot of the standard issues that teens face in terms of relationships and sex like teen pregnancy, losing your virginity, getting caught, and sexual orientation but it also covered some more off the grid topics such as the relationships between teens with cancer or teens that have developmental disabilities. I thought this was interesting, and I think that this book would be a good outlet for teens to experience some of the forms of sexuality that many people look down on or refuse to talk about.

Sherman Alexie: YA Profile

Sherman Alexie: YA Author Profile

Sherman Alexie was born near Spokane, Washington in 1966. He grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation and is a Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Native American. Alexie graduated from high school in 1985 and attended Gonzaga University in Spokane before transferring to pre-med at Washington State University. After realizing he did not want to become a doctor, Alexie was encouraged to follow a path in creative writing. He received a B.A. in American Studies from WSU. He was 23 when he published his first collection of poems and has since become one of the most well known contemporary Native American authors in the United States and Canada. He currently lives in Seattle, WA with his family.

Sherman Alexie is best known for his works of poetry, short fiction and novels. He received the Washington State Arts Commission Poetry Fellowship in 1991 and the National Endowment for the Arts Poetry Fellowship in 1992. He has published over 20 books of poetry and fiction. His work is also featured in dozens of anthologies including The Longman Anthology of Poetry and The Norton Anthology of American Literature. His first published work was The Business of Fancy Dancing, a collection of poetry, in 1991. He is best known for his collection of short stories, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, (1997). Although Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (2007), is considered his first young adult work, many of his other works are considered cross-over works that may appeal to both adults and young adults. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven is one of those works; the collection of stories revolves around two young men, Thomas Builds-the-fire and Victor Joseph, as they experience a personal journey through pain, death, and healing. Reservation Blues has also been used as a classroom resource to introduce young adults to Native American literature. His works are internationally known and have been translated into over 10 other languages. His most recent publication is a collection of poetry titled Face, Small Press Distribution's best selling poetry book of 2009.

Sherman Alexie’s works have been widely accepted and he has won numerous awards nationally and internationally. In 1996 Alexie was cited as one of the “Twenty Best American Novelists Under the Age of 40” by Granta Magazine. His book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature in 2007 and has received over 20 other nominations and awards from organizations such as the New York and LA Times and the ALA. He is a New York Times Bestseller and his book Reservation Blues (1994) won the Before Columbus Foundation's American Book Award. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven (1993) received a Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award. Other recent awards include the 2010 PEN / Faulkner Award for Fiction for War Dances; the 2009 ALA Odyssey Award for The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian audio book; the 2009 Mason Award; and a 2008 Scandiuzzi Children's Book Award. Alexie has also received two honorary degrees from Seattle University and Columbia College, Chicago.

Sherman Alexie’s works are primarily autobiographical; he bases his poetry and fiction on his experiences being a Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Native American. He also draws inspiration from his life growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. His writing holds elements of traditional Native American storytelling and incorporates both traditional and contemporary aspects of Native American culture. He often critiques the relationships between non-Natives and Native Americans as a reflection of his experiences. A recurrent theme in his literature is the critique of the image that has been created for Native Americans by non-Natives, especially since the existence of Hollywood productions featuring Native Americans. One way in which his writing is unique is that he does not present Native American culture as something that is becoming extinct but as something that is growing and changing just like the rest of the world. His writing aims to give a contemporary perspective on Native American ways of life. Humor is an important aspect in Alexie’s writing and he often intertwines deep complexities with the light heartedness of humor. He also uses magic realism to give spirit to his writing; this is seen in The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven where Thomas Builds-The-Fire, the quirky and puzzling friend of Victor, is a real life storyteller, prophet, and spiritual healer. Alexie’s writing is not only engaging, humorous and original it is thought provoking and enlightening to those who may not know a lot about life on a reservation or being a person of Native American origin.

Sherman Alexie often experiments with mediums other than print. He is well known for his film Smoke Signals (1998), based off one of the stories in The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. This film won the American Indian Film Award for Best Film and the Sundance Film Festival Audience Award. He is also known for his film The Business of Fancydancing, which he both wrote and directed. Alexie has been involved in the creation of music based on his writing; his songs can be found on the motion picture soundtracks of Smoke Signals and The Business of Fancydancing as well as in a collaborative production with Tim Boyd called Reservation Blues (1995). Alexie has also written many articles for various publications including Time and Aboriginal Voices. These articles are primarily about Alexie’s perspective on contemporary issues faced by Native Americans. He also writes about reading, writing, current political issues, and reviews of other works. In addition, Alexie takes a live approach to his humor and has participated in several stand-up comedy events such as the Vancouver International Comedy Festival. Sherman Alexie’s successful career is based on his unique perspectives, his diversity of interests, and his drive to educate people of all ages and races. His voice is an important contribution to all classifications of literature and is enjoyed by a wide variety of readers nationally and internationally.

Boyz n the Hood Review

Title: Boyz n the Hood
Director: John Singleton
Starring: Cuba Gooding Jr., Laurence Fishburne and Ice Cube. 
Sony Pictures, 1991.
DVD, $23.00 (Amazon).
Appropriate Grades 11 and up / Ages 17 and up.
Star rating (3.5/4)



Director and writer John Singleton has directed many critically acclaimed films including Poetic Justice, Higher Learning, and Four Brothers. His films often offer commentary on the issues of racism and violence in the United States. He received two Oscar nominations for this film, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. Boyz n the Hood is one of the best examples of life in the hood for young African American males. It follows Tre Styles, and intelligent and sensitive young man, and his resistance to violence, alcohol, and drugs through his desire to achieve, his love of his friends, and the guidance of his political father.  It is an engaging and emotional film about the pains of poverty, the destruction of gang violence, the dangers and pleasures of sex. But, it is not only about the strive to make the African American ghetto a better place but also about how the bonds of family and friendship make the world a better place. Although the harshness of the ghetto is shown, the film also portrays the normalcy of families, their hopes and dreams, their educational goals, and what they do for fun. The National Film Preservation Board, Library of Congress selected Boyz n the Hood for preservation because of its cultural significance. This film offers an intelligent perspective on important social issues of race and poverty that are still present in today's society. This film will appeal to young adults interested in social issues and African American culture. This film is intended for mature audiences. Cost is average for a DVD.


Recommended with reservations. There is a significant amount vulgar language, violence, and some sexual content.

Rutherford Article

I agree with Rutherford that the internet definitely fuels the formation of taste cultures by attempting to bring the writer, publisher, and reader together. I like when she states that the publishing industry "uses the Internet and social media in ways that deliberately disguise a promotional intent, mimicking the ostensibly non–commercial discourse of youth sociability in online channels". I think that she's right that the best results come from strategies that seem "organic, viral and uncommercial in nature". This is probably because fans feel as though their relationships with the author and publisher are more wholesome.  


I thought that Rutherford's commentary on celebrity image was interesting. It was interesting to see how the media tries to portray Stephanie Meyer and also how she chose to portray herself separately from the Twilight Saga. Fans can see actual posts from Stephanie Meyer and follow Robert Pattinson on Twitter for an even closer experience to knowing some of the celebrities involved with Twilight. Although, this can also work against the author or celebrity. My roommate has a crush on Damon from the Vampire Diaries so she thought she would follow him Ian Somerhalder on Twitter. But, after she read some of his posts she was disappointed that he wasn't bad boy Damon, but a guy who saves puppies and loves the environment. She decided she didn't really want to get to know him. Hilarious, I know. 


Fans have it pretty lucky; they are able to experience a whole other world separate from the texts or media they love. Blogs, forums, and websites are a great way to connect with other fans and share thousands of different experiences and opinions. It is also great for people who are unable to travel to see their favorite authors when they come for book tours or school visits, especially in Canada. 

The Outsiders

This is the first time I've read the book cover to cover and I really enjoyed it. I was surprised at how much sensitivity there was between Ponyboy, his family, and the gang. It was very moving story, the characters were real, and there were some good messages about social hierarchies and the nature of people. There was very little adult presence in the novel, even the Curtis' parents were a distant memory even though they had died less than a year before. The teens in the novel bonded together and lived life without very much parental influence, except for Darry who was trying to be a good role model. Hinton said that when she wrote the novel she felt as though adults had no idea what was going on and it was interesting to see the inside world of the greasers.

It was very sad and you can't help but cry a little when Johnny says, "Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold..." (148) and then dies (sorry if I ruined the book for anyone). It was also sad, but in a good way, when Ponyboy realizes that Darry is just trying to make sure he grows up with chances for opportunity and this may help some teenagers understand why parents can be hard on them sometimes. I really enjoyed reading this novel and all of the emotions it stirs up with the love between characters.

I also liked the background behind the story; the author wrote the novel when she was fifteen and based some of it on real life events. I also like the unusual names, Ponyboy is strange but I like it.

Teen Section at the Bookstore

I've visited the teen section at Chapters a lot in the past month and what I have noticed is that most of the shelves are being overrun with supernatural fiction: vampires, zombies, witches and others. Most of the classic or curriculum literature is hidden from plain view and you really have to search for it to find it. In opposition the books that stand out the most are these supernatural fiction books, especially all of the vampire series. I also noticed that a lot of the older supernatural type books are being promoted because the genre is so popular right now. But, maybe I am just noticing them all because I actively look for them. I see a lot of red, black, and sexy/dark looking characters on the covers. I know that a lot of young men read these types of novels too but it seems like most of them are made for young women.

I havn't visited the young adult section in the public library for quite some time so I wonder what it looks like in comparison to the bookstore. When I frequented the library as a youth wasn't much in the way of display in the young adult section and most of the books were very used looking. It is nice to see that such a rise in young adult literature but I what exactly are they reading?

Teenagers Talking about Reading and Libraries

I found it interesting that although a few of the participants said that they didn't like reading, that they actually did have reading materials that they liked and enjoyed. It also seemed like many of the participants associated reading specifically with novels, and although they read other materials (like manga or websites), they did not consider these to be reading materials. I wasn't really surprised that given the choice most participants preferred other activities like sports to reading.

I was surprised to find out that most of the participants found the books they read in their homes or at the bookstore instead of the library. But, I can understand this. I associate teenagers with not having a lot of money to spend, but when I was a teenager I think I preferred to buy my own books because I was afraid of late fees. I also liked to build my own library at home.

I didn't find the section on what teenagers are reading very useful. It reported that teenagers read a wide variety of materials but I felt like this was to be expected. Snowball does comment that this research is preliminary and it would be interesting to see the results produced from more investigation.

I thought it was funny how the word "like" was omitted from direct quotes and how "most participants had the habit of inserting"(107) it. I'm not sure if this was necessary to say because it makes the participants look very stereotypical. I also was unsure why Snowball brought up race when discussing manga, I'm not sure this was very relevant to her overall study.