Showing posts with label computers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label computers. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

Books for Gamers

I would rather clean grout with a toothbrush than play a video game. At least at the end of an hour, something would have been accomplished! 

The first video game I ever saw was Pong, and I was way too old to be interested! Last night, Kim at Otterbein had me attend her class virtually to talk to her education students about working with the school librarian. The students seemed very interested in video games, so I put this list of books on that topic.

Did learn that "XD" is a typed emoji for a squinty eyed smile. Younger member of staff had to teach me this. On the other hand, I can use a typewriter, rotary phone AND a phonograph, and I doubt most college students can!

 40 #MGLit Video Game Books

Baptiste, Tracey. The Crash (Minecraft #2)  (Multiple titles, not in any order)
July 10th 2018 by Del Rey Books

Ali-A, Cavan Scott, Aleksandar Sotirovski (Illustrations)
October 24th 2017 by Random House Books for Young Readers

Anderson, John David. Insert Coin to Continue. 
16 September 2016, Aladdin

Brady, Dustin. Trapped in a Video Game (series)
April 10th 2018 by Andrews McMeel Publishing

Brady, Dustin. Escape from a Video Game Mystery on the Starship Crusader 
April 20, 2021 by Andrews McMeel Publishing

Brown, Gavin. Josh Baxter Levels Up . 
February 23rd 2016 by Scholastic Press

Chang, Slyv. Tournament Trouble (Cross Ups series)
March 13th 2018 by Annick Press
May 17th 2016 by Andrews McMeel Publishing

Dashner, James. The Eye of Minds. 
8 Ocotber 2013, Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Eliopoulos, Christopher. Cosmic Commandos 
July 4th 2017 by Dial Books

Compass Point Books, 2010

May 5th 2020 by Del Rey Books

Graley, Sarah. Glitch . May 14th 2019 by Graphix

Hansen, Dustin. Game On!: Video Game History from Pong and Pac-Man to Mario, Minecraft, and More November 22nd 2016 by Feiwel & Friends 

Hansen, Dustin. My Video Game Ate My Homework 
April 21st 2020 by DC Comics 

Hautman, Pete. The Flinkwater Factor.
September 1st 2015 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young

Heidicker, Christian McKay. Cure for the Common Universe (YA)
14 June 2016 by Simon and Schuster

Horneman,‎ Jurie and CoderDojo 
September 7th 2017 by Egmont Books Ltd

Kincaid, S. J.. Insignia. 
10 July 2012, Katherine Tegen Books

Klavan, Andrew. MindWar. 
July 8th 2014 by Thomas Nelson Publishers 

Korman, Gordon. Slacker. and Level 13
April 26th 2016 and 2019 by Scholastic Press

Kuhn, Damien. The Fortnite Guide to Staying Alive 
October 23rd 2018 by Andrews McMeel Publishing


November 3rd 2020 by Del Rey Books

Maggs, Sam. Con Quest. 
June 23rd 2020 by Imprint

Mancusi, Mari. Dragon Ops. 
May 12th 2020 by Disney-Hyperion

Mancusi, Mari. Gamer Girl. 
Dutton, 2008

July 17th 2018 by Delacorte

Markell, Denis. Click Here to Start. 
July 19, 2016 Delacorte BFYR

Miller, Jeff. The Nerdy Dozen . 
June 10th 2014 by HarperCollins 

Naftali, Joel. The Rendering. 
January 25th 2011 by Egmont

Reedy, Trent. Gamer Army . 
November 27th 2018 by Arthur A. Levine Books

Schrieber, Joe. Game Over, Pete Watson. Illustrations by Andy Rash 
March 11th 2014 by HMH Books for Young Readers

Strasser, Todd. The Good War 
January 26th 2021 by Delacorte Press

Tabak, Lawrence. In Real Life(YA) 
November 11th 2014 by Tuttle Publishing

Tash, Sarvenaz.The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love 
June 14th 2016 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Tashjian, Janet. My Life as a Gamer (My Life #5) 
April 7th 2015 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

Vande Velde, Vivian. Heir Apparent 
October 1st 2002 by Harcourt Brace and Company

West, Carly Anne. Missing Pieces (Hello Neighbor #1) 
August 28th 2018 by Scholastic Inc.

Also, Penguin Random House seems to be the go to publisher for video game titles! The publish the Official Minecraft Novels and other titles. 

Firestone, Mary. Nintendo: The Company and Its Founders 
January 1st 2011 by Essential Library 
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Monday, April 18, 2011

Weekend Reading

Whyman, Matt. Goldstrike.
It's been a while since Icecore (2007), so I didn't think this would be a sequel; the subtitle (A Carl Hobbes Thriller) should have tipped me off! Still, this could be read alone. Carl and Beth, having escaped Camp Twilight at the Arctic Circle and faked Beth's death, and settling into a working class life in London. Beth is working at a perfume counter at Heathrow Airport (even though she has some gold bullion tucked away), and Carl gets a job at Sphinx Cargo. Because they ship priceless artifacts, Sphinx has a sophisticated computer system, named Cleopatra, that controls all functions of the building. Carl gets a job as a night watchman there, and starts to turn the computer to his bidding, trying to program it to protect him and Beth. Things go awry when Beth chafes at being unable to steal more bullion and is put in the sites of a bounty hunter who wants to turn Carl over to the CIA.

Strengths: Lots of action and suspense; excellent computer hacking. The descriptions of the computer system and the building are extremely cool!
Weaknesses: Is Carl becoming more evil? Beth certainly is. And what is their relationship? I'm just as glad it's not discussed more. A sequel could be interesting! Hope it doesn't take four years.

Kantor, Melissa. The Darlings are Forever.
Love, love, love Girlfriend Material, but something about this book did not entice me to pick it up. Once I started, however, the twee title made sense (recently deceased and very dear grandmother called them that) and I enjoyed the book. Three friends who have gone to elementary school together must go separate ways in high school. Jane goes to a performing arts school, Natalya goes to a posh private school, and Victoria is more concerned with her father's political campaign than fitting in to her new school. The three carve out some time to be together, but the story follows their separate problems. A sequel The Darlings in Love is already in the offing.

Strengths: More good stuff from this author, and the NYC setting is always exotic for my students. Like the realistic portrayal of separated friends who still try to remain together.
Weaknesses: Could have done without the safe sex week demonstration of putting a condom on a banana, but there wasn't anything really sexual about it, so I think it will be okay.

Lee, Y.S. The Agency: The Body at the Tower.
Mary Quinn is back, and her latest assignment from The Agency is to go undercover as a young boy working at the building site at the Houses of Parliament to discover why a man has fallen to his death from the clock tower. She must cut her hair, wear boy's clothing, live in a seedy rooming house, and work as a bricklayer's assistant. Not only does she uncover personal drama and corrupted business practices, but she is brought together with James Easton again, after his return from India, and the two continue their flirting relationship.

Strengths: Why is Victorian London so appealing? Lee's background is in this are of history, so the details are exquisite and realistic. The mystery is well-developed, and the characters are fun.
Weaknesses: Mary was found out a little too soon and too frequently for my taste, and while this propelled the plot forward, made me wonder about her suitability for the Agency. I'll look forward to the last book when it comes out!

Archer, E. Geek Fantasy Novel.
Ralph is glad to be free of his boring parents for the summer after receiving airline tickets and an invitation from family in England. His parents have always insisted that he never make a wish, and he finds out why-- many members of his family have died that way, and he soon finds himself imperiled on a quest of his own, fighting an evil aunt and thrust into a world that more resembles Ruinscape (Okay, RUNEscape!) than anything else. Snarky asides and deep investment in hard core fantasy themes sets this apart.

Strengths: Fantasy fans will adore this, from the geeky Ralph to his exploits with exploding bunnies.
Weaknesses: This is not for the casual fantasy reader. No maps, but presupposes deep love of fantasy. 

Also looked at Thanhha's Inside Out and Back Again, which sounded good (in 1975, girl moves from Vietnam to Alabama) until I realized it was a novel in verse. Students really, really dislike novels in verse, and since this is also historical fiction, this would just gather dust in my library. This, of course, practically guarantees it a Newbery mention; Fuse 8 already has waxed lyrical about it. The Page Turn details all the recent love.
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