Rushmore presents a comedic slice of the life of protagonist Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) as he learns to leave the world of private school behind and stand on his own two feet. At Rushmore, Fischer is the king of the extracurricular activity. Among his many commitments, he is Debate Team Captain, Lacrosse Team Manager, Calligraphy Club President and Astronomy Society Founder. Because Rushmore benefits from his organizational skills, Max is tolerated, but no one at school particularly likes him. More significantly, with all his time spent on clubs and societies, Fischer is not what you could call an academic success.

In spite of these difficulties, Fischer forges a friendship with local businessman Herman Blume (Bill Murray), who sees some potential in Max’s drive. Blume becomes Max’s friend, mentor, and ultimately competitor for the affections of elementary school teacher Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams). Cross is a likely candidate for Max’s first serious crush. She’s beautiful, sophisticated, educated, and compassionate. Of course, he falls in love. Complications arise when Max introduces Miss Cross to Blume, and finds that he may have sabotaged his own (non-existent) prospects for a relationship. To cope and keep hold of what is important to him, he must come to grips with reality outside the ivy-covered walls of Rushmore.

Director Wes Anderson and co-writer Owen Wilson blend the real and the surreal seamlessly, creating a movie that is both ridiculously exaggerated and completely universal. You’ll laugh as soon as you see Fischer’s yearbook, and the war between Blume and Fischer over Miss Cross is a comedy highlight. Settle in for a good laugh, and watch Rushmore today!

John Jewitt – Savage Branch

Howard County Library announces a new initiative, Pass the Book. During Teen Read Week 2009, the Library will distribute copies of  The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld to teen readers throughout the community.

The Secret Hour follows Jessica Day as she arrives in Bixby, Oklahoma, only to discover she’s at the center of a strange convergence of mystical energy. Sharing "the secret hour" between midnight and 12:01 with four of her classmates, Day finds herself on the front lines of a battle for the future of humanity; primeval "slithers" and "darklings" are using the secret hour to find their way back into our reality, intent on reclaiming the planet. The Midnighters must harness the unique properties of the secret hour to fight back using their own special abilities.

The Secret Hour is a great book to share, and with Pass the Book you’ll have the chance to introduce this title to readers in Howard County and beyond. Teens receiving a specially labeled copy of The Secret Hour are encouraged to read the book, track the book (by registering their copy at hclibrary.org/passthebook) and pass the book to another teen reader. Readers can return to the web site to see where their books have traveled. Throughout the year they will have the opportunity to participate in online discussions and challenges based on events in the novel. A display in each branch features read-a-like titles and the other books in the Midnighters series — Touching Darkness and Blue Noon. A number of Midnighter-themed events are also planned in connection with this initiative, including Midnighter Lore at Central Library, Slither Repellant at Elkridge Branch, and Triskaidekamania at Savage Branch.

Copies of The Secret Hour will be available on Monday, October 19. Join us online and in-person throughout the year for quizzes, reviews, and Midnighter-themed events as we pass this exceptional teen adventure around Howard County and beyond.

John Jewitt – Savage Branch

Good Enough is a window into the world of Asian American high school teens striving to find true happiness in life, reacting to high-pressure parents, and dealing with the racism around them. It is Paula Yoo’s first teen novel after her picture book biography Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story (2005). The author introduces us to Korean culture by interspersing ethnic recipes and famous Korean figures into the story. Who would have guessed that Koreans love Spam? A lot of what Yoo writes in this novel likely mirrors her own life experiences.

Using light-hearted humor, the author touches on the issue of racism in school and in the community.  Patti Yoon, the protagonist, is told by her parents to never “rock the boat”, which she takes to mean “never stand up for yourself” when encountering name calling. This advice is given to avoid any potential consequences from “rabble rousing” behavior that could possibly jeopardize Patti’s chances of getting into “HYP” (HarvardYalePrinceton)!

Yoo’s story replicates the lives of numerous Asian American teens of immigrant families. The expectations on these children to attend the best colleges often increases stress and strain in family relationships. Many high school seniors will probably relate to Patti’s life of SAT prep, college applications, and resume building. Good Enough’s laugh-out-loud humor but deep issues will hit home with a wide range of readers, parents included.

Mai-Leng Ong – Administration Office

Someone once said that high school is such a pivotal time in our lives (and memories!) because it’s when we have the greatest amount of hormones and the least amount of common sense. John Hughes‘ films (i.e., one of THE best 80s movies ever, Pretty in Pink!) would have us believe high school is one long angst-ridden fairy tale. But the truth is (for some of us, at least) it’s more Freaks and Geeks or Heathers, the 1989 film centering on high school student Veronica Sawyer (played by Winona Ryder), a member of one of the most popular groups in Westerburg High School.

Heathers wasn’t released until I was long out of high school, but I think my younger self would have related to it. The scary, sad, darkly comic aspects come from the truths we don’t want to hear about our own and others’ lives. For better or worse, high school is its own society, full of cliques (some cruel, some kind) and unwritten rules that have far harsher penalties than legal ones if they are broken. I like the fact that Heathers is uncompromising in its take on high school life and its administration’s patronizing attitude toward a mysterious rash of apparent suicides.

Given our current culture I seriously doubt this movie would be made today. In a way that’s a shame because underneath all the violence and discontent, there is actually a positive message in Michael Lehmann’s film about how lightweight the self-important Heathers (the names of three of the girls who form a clique devoted to tormenting their fellow classmates) of this world actually are in the grand scheme of things. Instead of being swept up in the cycle of eternal loser, the Martha "Dumptruck" Dunnocks (Dunnock is one of the many kids picked on by the Heathers) of the world come out winners (of sorts) because they see the world as it really is and know what it means to be human and kind in an environment that usually isn’t.

Angie Engles – Central Library

If you like Jodi Picoult, then you’ll like The Rest of Her Life, by Laura Moriarty. Kara Churchill, a popular high school senior, makes a mistake that ends in tragedy and instantly transforms her life. Her relationship with her family members becomes clear as the story unfolds. Kara’s mother, Leigh, tries almost too hard to get along with her, but never seems to do or say the right thing. Her father, Gary, seems to know instinctively how to comfort Kara, which makes Leigh feel inadequate as a mother. The family’s ordinary life gets turned upside down by just one moment of carelessness.

The small town in which the Churchills once felt comfortable is now a place that contributes to the fear and worry in their hearts. How will the community react to them? Should Kara be held resposible for her actions, or should her parents be included in the blame? The family of the teenage girl who was devastatingly affected by Kara’s actions wants her put in jail. Can forgiveness be found in any of their hearts? The relationships between friends and family members become entwined in ways they never knew could exist.

Laura Moriarty creates an eye-opening picture of how mothers and daughters with even the best intentions can do harm to one another. What would you do in the same situation? How would you feel? You won’t want to put this book down.

Michele Happel – Miller Branch