Grades 5 & Up

By Staff -- School Library Journal, 6/1/2006

Fiction

Gr 5-8–The intrepid detectives from Whales on Stilts! (Harcourt, 2005) return in another off-the-wall send-up of the Stratemeyer-style series fiction. Jasper, Katie, and Lily are off to the Moose Tongue Lodge and Resort for a short vacation. They discover that the inn is currently hosting a collection of other series characters, including the air-headed Cutesy Dell Twins (shades of Sweet Valley High); the blockheaded Manley Boys; and sad, one-book Eddie Wax, in perpetual mourning for his horse Stumpy. The mystery-solving Hooper Quints go missing, as do most of the lodge’s hunting trophies and an heirloom diamond necklace belonging to one of the guests. Search parties are organized, and Jasper and Lily are keen to join in. Katie, however, prefers to hang out by the pool with the Twins. Unexpected dangers await the searchers, from gun-toting kidnappers to poisonous snakes to hungry wolves. Meanwhile, back at the Lodge….The episodic and determinedly nonlinear plot is amusing, but the real fun here is the dialogue–a wild and wonderful mélange of 1950s series-speak (“Jupiter’s moons!”), Valley speak, adolescent trash talk, and mock heroics. As in Lemony Snicket’s “Unfortunate Events” series (HarperCollins), the author frequently addresses readers directly with suggestions, hints, and comments. Underneath all the craziness, there is a subtle and surprisingly poignant message about growth, change, and friendship.–Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL

Gr 8-10–Mercy, 15, believes that she is growing wings and becoming an angel. According to her, these celestial beings are not human and therefore they do not have to eat. The teen does not understand why her parents insist on getting her treatment for an eating disorder that she obviously does not have. She’s an angel, not a girl. Forced to attend a treatment center in New Mexico, she meets others who have eating disorders of varying severity. Mercy sees the similarity in their habits but still stays true to her convictions. Then she sees her friends getting sick and notices that her wings are not growing, and she begins to question what is really going on. A tragic event leaves her confused and with a loss of memory. The text alternates between Mercy’s thoughts in italics and her first-person narrative of the events as they unfold in bold. Mercy’s belief that she is an angel taps into the delusional thinking that often accompanies such disorders. This novel takes a common topic in young adult fiction and adds atypical characteristics. It will appeal to a wide range of young women.–Kristen M. Todd, Middle Country Public Library, Centereach, NY

Gr 9 Up–College freshman Cindy Bixby equates popularity with belonging to a sorority. She pledges Alpha Beta Delta and idolizes her sisters. Their president, Meri Sugarman, is the most revered and powerful student on campus. These girls get all A’s without going to class, have the best parties, and are flown by helicopter to Vegas whenever they desire. Cindy overlooks the fact that they call her “Bow Wow” (she thinks it’s a term of endearment) and give her horribly humiliating tasks. When Meri’s former boyfriend shows an interest in Cindy, however, she is kicked out of the sorority and learns that Meri will hurt anyone to get what she wants. Cindy and her friends then set out to eliminate the evil coed’s power over the school. Alpha Beta Delta is more like the mafia than a sorority; the girls routinely use wiretapping, blackmail, and torture. Some readers may find the story darkly humorous, but most will find it too ridiculous to believe.–Stephanie L. Petruso, Anne Arundel County Public Library, Odenton, MD

Gr 6 Up–The creator of SpongeBob SquarePants and the “Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius” comic-book series has written a novel that reads like a comic book without pictures. At 17, Tom Johnson is a nerdy guy who wishes he were cool. The book takes place in New York City in 1963, at the time of the Kennedy assassination, beatniks, and the folk scene. Discovering that he looks like a folksinger, the teen pretends that he is one. Then, a slew of coincidental events whirl him through the story. In the end, he gets a gig on The Ed Sullivan Show and gets what he wanted most–a girlfriend. Characterization is not Banks’s strong suit. All of the male figures in the story sound exactly alike. Even Tom has been created with the broad strokes of a cartoon character, but with slightly more complexity. Even so, King of the Creeps is a quick and enjoyable read. Reluctant readers and those who favor comedy or who are into graphic novels should especially enjoy it.–Catherine Ensley, Latah County Free Library District, Moscow, ID

Gr 6 Up–The funeral for her older, adopted brother, Luce, is almost unbearable for Leah, who can hardly stand to think about why he may have committed suicide. When she overhears a conversation suggesting that it’s because Luce was not his parents’ “natural child,” Leah decides that knowing more about his birth family and perhaps finding them will help her to cope with her loss. Her best friend and Luce’s girlfriend aid in her search, but ultimately the teen discovers that time, talking with others who miss her brother as much as she does, and being loved help her to heal. A charming new boyfriend doesn’t hurt, either. In this universe, Luce is always depicted as perfection, and no one displays much of the anger common to grieving families. Nor is the question of suicide ever confronted. Leah shows herself to be resilient, as well as a good detective. The adults who have failed to understand her need to know the truth rapidly open up and share their memories in healing ways. Smooth writing almost makes up for the missing pieces, but not quite.–Carol A. Edwards, Douglas County Libraries, Castle Rock, CO

Gr 4-7–This first book in a new series is great fun, and readers will zip through it faster than a speeding bullet. Ordinary Boy lives in Superopolis, where he appears to be the only citizen with no superpowers at all. Of course O Boy’s friends don’t have an easy time themselves. His best friend, Stench, possesses mighty strength, but every time he uses it he emits a…well, he lives up to his name. Halogen Boy can glow brightly, but unfortunately he’s far from the brightest bulb in the box. The greatest of them all is the Amazing Indestructo, and O Boy is his greatest fan. But a strange plot involving collector cards, million-dollar promotional contracts, and Indestructo’s greatest adversary, Professor Brain-Drain, shake O Boy’s faith in his hero–in a hilarious way. Along the way, readers who are paying attention will see that O Boy might not be so ordinary after all. Boniface wields a cynical, but definitely kid-friendly, sense of humor, and Gilpin’s illustrations are sharp and witty. Kids who love comic books, superhero animations, and graphic novels will enjoy this story.–Walter Minkel, New York Public Library

Gr 9 Up–Written in a clear voice with three-dimensional characters, this novel is destined to be compared to Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Doubleday, 2003). Both are narrated by a young person who has Asperger’s Syndrome and both deal with the unique ways in which people with this condition relate to the world. Taylor, 18, does not want to go with her mother to Prince Albert National Park for the summer. She is terrified at what an unstructured future holds and wants to find a boyfriend. This objective proves to be a bit difficult because Taylor cannot bring herself to look at people’s faces and she discovers that she positively does not like kissing. As the teen negotiates her summer, finding a job, learning more about herself, and realizing that her mother also has flaws, she moves forward with her life, in spite of some minor setbacks. She discovers some things that she is good at and comes to understand that these qualities can be desirable, even coveted. In places, the story line simplifies Taylor’s disabilities, possibly in a palpable attempt to add humor. Nonetheless, Brenna has done a credible job of capturing the voice of a young woman on the brink of maturity; in some ways Taylor is incredibly similar to most teenage girls and in other ways she is exceedingly different.–Wendy Smith-D’Arezzo, Loyola College, Baltimore, MD

Gr 8 Up–Teagan Phillips is throwing hundreds of thousands of dollars into a “Sweet 16” party that she has been planning for a year. When she falls down the cellar stairs in search of some wine after she learns that her father canceled the open bar, she appears to have died. She is witness to her present, past, and future, but instead of three ghosts à la A Christmas Carol, Teagan has just one enigmatic female guide. She sees herself dispose of her relationship with Dad after her mother’s death. She sees the plight of the waitress she fired. She also learns that her best friend and her boyfriend are secretly seeing one another. The figure in white turns out to be the future Teagan, who has died alone and unloved after obsessively repeated cosmetic surgery. In the inevitable reversal, she gets another chance; and, like Scrooge bestowing gifts on Bob Cratchit’s family, she gives away her birthday loot to the poor. She bridges the gap with her father and reunites with the childhood friend whom she had dropped. Like a morality play, this one’s all message and stock characters. This haute-couture name-dropping, prep-school princess makes for a totally unlikable character who alienates discerning readers too much for her redemption to work.–Suzanne Gordon, Richards Middle School, Lawrenceville, GA

Gr 8 Up–From the dramatic opening scene, in which three teens driving across the New Mexico desert in a blinding rainstorm hit something on the highway and go back to investigate, to the satisfying conclusion, when they resume their overdue spring break, this book is a gripping page-turner. Fourteen-year-old Lucy Martinez, her 18-year-old brother Jamie, and Jamie’s friend Kit are on the way from their Kansas home to spend their vacation with the siblings’ father in Phoenix when the accident occurs. Expecting to see a dead animal on the road, they are horrified to find a dead girl close to their own age. The nearest resident is Beth, a middle-aged, somewhat reclusive artist who summons the local sheriff and allows Lucy and Kit to stay at her house while Jamie, the driver, is taken into custody. As the investigation progresses, they learn that the girl was clearly dead before being placed on the road. Although the teens are now free to go, Lucy is determined to stay and try to discover more about the victim. She insists that Kit accompany her on a wild and eventually dangerous journey in pursuit of clues leading to a local man whom she becomes convinced is the killer. Although at this point the plot becomes somewhat improbable and filled with convenient coincidences, readers are so caught up in the story that suspension of disbelief is easy to achieve. Subplots involve a mild romance between Lucy and Kit and a more intense and far-more-troubling one between Jamie and Beth. A great choice for booktalking to middle and high school students.–Ginny Gustin, Sonoma County Library System, Santa Rosa, CA

Gr 4-8–Jonah’s vacation at Uncle Nate’s beach cabin is threatened when his younger sister, Jaye, discovers that he not only failed seventh-grade English, but also that he intercepted the letter informing their parents before they departed for Europe. Jaye agrees to keep the secret if Jonah lets her take his place on the local swim team, even if it means lying about her age. While their uncle is preoccupied with writing a novel, Jonah gravitates to a local marina, where he meets Bert, the grumpy shop owner, and begins doing odd jobs as payback for damaging a boat motor. Happy to be up to his elbows in grease, the mechanically inclined teen puts his academic troubles on the back burner. He also assists a pretty college student researching coexistent species in the nearby waters, and mishaps plague the pair. When she goes out alone and becomes stranded in a storm, Jonah responds in a climactic rescue. He confesses his problems to Uncle Nate, who encourages him to write a story about the summer’s happenings for his teacher. Realistic details about marine biology research and boat motor mechanics are engaging, and reluctant readers, especially boys, will identify with Jonah. Add this title to survival/adventure collections.–Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY

Gr 4-6–In this fast-paced, entertaining tale, Herculeah Jones and her friend Meat think that mystery writer and magician Mathias King could be a murderer. They meet him at the secondhand store where he gets the weapons he uses in his stories. To demonstrate one of his many skills, he lassoes Meat around the neck with a silk cord. But in no time this King of Murder is after Herculeah. She discovers that he’s described a crime in A Slash of Life with accurate detail, according to Gilda, the elderly friend of the victim. Herculeah is invited to a tea party at King’s Den of Iniquity, where she ends up kicking through a false wall to escape after being drugged by scented candles. But the real danger comes later when she revisits King’s house with Gilda. With its twisty conclusion and short, exciting chapters, this story will grab even reluctant readers. The plot and the characters are well developed, especially the sweet and mild Meat as he sorts out his feelings about his best friend.–Tina Zubak, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA

Gr 6 Up–Kaitlin Burke is an overworked teen celebrity who thinks it would be cool to be ordinary for a couple of months. She also wants to get away from her competitive costar, Sky Mackenzie, who has been making her life difficult. After a bit of brainstorming, she decides to enroll, incognito, in her friend Liz’s high school. During the next few weeks, she discovers how nice it is to have friends who like her for who she is–or appears to be–rather than because she’s famous. She even starts a relationship with Austin, a nice boy who, ironically, has a crush on Kaitlin Burke, but hasn’t a clue that he’s dating her. Things go awry when Sky is asked to host the school’s spring fling, which has a Hollywood theme. Everyone dresses as a celebrity, and Kaitlin ends up going as herself. While at the dance, Sky nastily unveils Kaitlin’s secret. It’s not surprising that her friends, especially Austin, feel betrayed, but she manages to redeem herself in the end. The protagonist is kind, unspoiled, and upstanding–refreshingly different from the norm. Fans of Meg Cabot’s “Princess Diaries” (HarperCollins) or Ann Brashares’s “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” books (Delacorte) will gobble this one up.–Catherine Ensley, Latah County Free Library District, Moscow, ID

Gr 9 Up–Victoria Julianne Van Wyck, 17, is the spoiled, bratty child of ultra-rich parents. She’s been in a Swiss boarding school for the past eight years. After a night of drinking and gambling, she is picked up by her father’s assistant, Adam. The next morning her parents arrive, frantic and panicky, with some story about embezzling, the Mafia, poverty, and hired killers. Victoria and her parents have to go into hiding–separately–to avoid certain death. Adam takes charge of Victoria, changes her name to Amanda Jones, and whisks her off to the tiny town of Wahoo, NE. There she must pretend to be an average teenager. But soon after her arrival, rejected jocks start a smear campaign against her and her new friend and she begins to suspect that Adam isn’t exactly telling her the truth about her parents’ situation. Stuck in an unfamiliar place, not knowing whom to trust, Victoria learns to depend on herself and to stick up for what’s right. Her story is unevenly told, with the teen’s parenthetical asides to readers and run-on sentences that comprise entire paragraphs. The plot itself is unbelievable from start to finish. Victoria’s personality completely changes from upper-class brat to likable schoolgirl almost overnight, her problems are too easily and quickly resolved, and the ending is implausible and annoying.–Heather E. Miller, Homewood Public Library, AL

Gr 9 Up–In this diverse volume, each story, poem, photograph, or drawing interprets the concept of recklessness, sometimes in surprising ways. In Helen Frost’s “The Braid,” a Scottish girl decides to stay behind with her grandmother during a dangerous time of unrest instead of following her family to safety. David Levithan’s “Breaking and Entering” deals with the need to move on instead of pining for a lost love. And Martin Wilson’s “Alone for the Weekend” follows Alex, a teenager who tried to commit suicide, as his family leaves him on his own for the first time since he came home from the hospital. Interspersed among the stories are black-and-white drawings and photographs by such artists as Mo Willems and Tabitha Soren. As with any volume of short stories the theme is fairly flexible, and many readers will not notice that decision-making is a key element of each plot. However, they will relate to the realistic characters and situations, not to mention the emotions expressed, in these tales of good, bad, and reckless choices. There is some raw language and underage drinking, but, overall, this is a worthy literary anthology.–Heather E. Miller, Homewood Public Library, AL

Gr 8 Up–This upbeat collection of interrelated short stories is told from the points of view of the football players, the girls who date them, and assorted other students in a present-day Wisconsin high school. Diverse topics range from the humorous antics of a sophomore, forced by his parents to carry a briefcase to improve his image, who is then approached by the football coach, because “Any kid with guts enough to carry a briefcase can break a wedge,” to a six-foot-plus “tough guy” volunteering to teach kids how to diaper and take care of their new siblings to a teen coming to terms with a middle-aged, retarded cousin who has just moved in. The narrators are male and female, with the predominant characters and their positions or roles listed at the beginning of each selection. This is a delightful, often hilarious, fast-paced read that offers truisms for life. It’s a great selection for readers who aren’t quite ready for Chris Crutcher’s Athletic Shorts (HarperCollins, 1991).–Leah Krippner, Harlem High School, Machesney Park, IL

Gr 6-10–Dominic, 15, is obsessed with The Plastics, and he’s trapped in an elevator with the band’s hot lead singer. In alternating chapters, he narrates a minute-by-minute account of the experience, as well as the backstory leading up to the moment: the path to his obsession, his family problems, and his clueless dealings with a potential love interest. Cheshire offers a strong, witty narrative voice reminiscent of a younger Steve York in Rob Thomas’s Rats Saw God (S & S, 1996). The story is set in a suburb of Birmingham, England. The topic–teen pop-star obsessions–is sexy and relevant. However, despite some moments of humor and an effort to capture real emotions behind infatuation, the novel never really gets beneath the surface of its sizable issues. Cheshire’s agendas–to reveal how pop stars are actually manipulated and unhappy, and how today’s youth are just ignorant of music history–may not sit well with readers. And if they are not exactly offended, they may wonder what any of this has to do with Dom’s neglectful parents, and how, really, the singer could decide to change her career after a couple of hours trapped with this increasingly unsympathetic hero. Readers may enjoy watching Dom learn his lesson. More likely, they’ll find this exploration of pop music about as punchy and insightful as The Plastics’ latest single.–Riva Pollard, The Winsor School Library, Boston

Gr 9 Up–Harper, an overconfident high school grad who has only applied to one college, is (surprise, surprise) rejected. To make matters worse, she lies to her three best friends, convincing them that she has chosen to postpone college to live in her parents’ basement in Boulder, CO, and follow her dreams by drafting the Great American Novel. Adding to her guilt, she inspires two of the other three to also ditch their college plans to follow their dreams. The story bounces back and forth among the four girls and their adventures as an actual college freshman, an aspiring author, an aspiring Hollywood actress, and a backpacking European tourist. Heavy on adjectives, the book drags a bit at the outset, but the pace quickens as each young woman develops a romantic interest, and the multiple story threads help maintain readers’ interest. Although it lacks the novelty of a magical pair of jeans connecting the narratives, this novel might be another good choice for readers who have exhausted Ann Brashares’s “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” series (Delacorte).–Leah Krippner, Harlem High School, Machesney Park, IL

Gr 9 Up–Ian Striver is challenged to prove himself worthy of joining his Detroit high school’s elite fraternity. He has two weeks to make plain and unpopular Kylie fall for him and sleep with him. Although he feels uncomfortable, he turns on his charm and asks her out. Kylie has never had so much attention before; though her friends try to convince her that Ian is a player, she develops feelings for him. When she finally has sex with him and tells him how she feels, his deception is accidentally revealed in front of the entire school. Ian has to come to terms with the man he is becoming, and try to convince Kylie to trust him again. This look at high school fraternities is reminiscent of Sharon M. Draper’s The Battle of Jericho (S & S, 2003), though the conclusion is not quite so extreme. Kylie is not popular, but she has true friendships. Ian may be popular, but he has sacrificed his integrity to be so, and he is unhappy. It isn’t until his sister points out that he is turning out like his absentee father that he realizes he needs to change. Davidson’s understanding of teen motivations and language is apparent here. Though the topic is nothing new, the author’s voice and the urban setting make it fresh and relevant to teens.–Stephanie L. Petruso, Anne Arundel County Public Library, Odenton, MD

Gr 8 Up–Eliza, Mara, and Jacqui are back in a third installment in the series. Jacqui continues to be an au pair for the spoiled Perry children and faces the additional task of trying to hold together her employers’ tumultuous marriage in the hopes of keeping her job. She also finds herself part of a complicated foursome as three vastly different but equally dazzling young Internet moguls move in next door and attempt to woo her. Eliza has high hopes for becoming the next big thing in fashion by working for Mikael Lappin, a washed-up designer attempting a comeback. Her dreams are interrupted, however, when Mikael’s assistant, who happens to be her boyfriend’s ex, sabotages her and gets her fired. Mara finds herself deep in drama as well, as her plans for a relaxing summer with on-again fling Ryan Perry are dashed, as she is always on the go in her new job as junior journalist with Hamptons magazine. As always, the girls’ foibles are fun but trite. Just like the young starlets they are modeled after, the Au Pairs are fad characters who will soon be forgotten.–Jane Cronkhite, Cuyahoga County Public Library, OH

Gr 9 Up–De la Cruz has revamped traditional vampire lore in this story featuring a group of attractive, privileged Manhattan teens who attend a prestigious private school. Schuyler Van Alen, 15, the last of the line in a distinguished family, is being raised by her distant and forbidding grandmother. Schuyler, her friend Oliver, and their new friend Dylan are treated like outsiders by the clique of popular, athletic, and beautiful teens made up of Mimi Force, her twin brother, and her best friend. What they have in common is the fact that they are all Blue Bloods, or vampires. They don’t realize that they aren’t normal until they reach age 15. Then the symptoms manifest themselves and they begin to crave raw meat, have nightmares about events in history, and get prominent blue veins in their arms. Their immortality and way of life are threatened after Blue Blood teens start getting murdered by a splinter group called the Silver Bloods. This novel constantly name-drops and is full of product placements, drinking, drugs, nonexplicit sex, and superficial characterizations, but the intriguing plot will keep teens reading. De la Cruz’s explanation for the disappearance of the Colony of Roanoke is unique and the idea that models don’t gain weight because they are Blue Bloods rather than anorexic is unusual.–Sharon Rawlins, NJ Library for the Blind and Handicapped, Trenton

Gr 5-7–In this final book in the trilogy, Amber, Geena, and Jazz are about to be rid of their strict aunt. Auntie, who came to England from India to look after the girls after their mother’s death, is marrying Mr. Arora, the head of their school. Amber narrates from the center of the action as the family dodges the wild wedding-planning fancies of Mr. Arora’s own strong-minded auntie. She is also drooling over a new boy at school who thinks he can rap, and her uncle-to-be uses his status to persuade her to befriend Kiran, a bullying new girl at school. Amid the squeals, giggles, and hijinks of Auntie’s wedding, Amber learns some lessons about not judging others so quickly. The light banter and romantic theme make for a quick, appealing read. Even those who missed Bindi Babes (2004) and Bollywood Babes (2005, both Delacorte) will find much to enjoy in this final offering: witty dialogue, characters who are fabulously trendy yet compassionate, a peek into British school life, and a warm depiction of contemporary Indian immigrant families.–Wendi Hoffenberg, Yonkers Public Library, NY

Gr 9 Up–Hot on the heels of Burning City (Random, 2005), which Dorfman coauthored with his father, Ariel Dorfman, comes this first solo effort, a sophisticated, mystery/romance/coming-of-age story full of red herrings and elaborate schemes. Eighteen-year-old Sebastian is a solver of problems. Friends and friends of friends confide in him, adults as often as peers, and he finesses, bribes, deals, and conspires to help them through everything from abortion to attempted suicide. Like a superhero, he can be available at a moment’s notice; like the main character in a noir novel, he drinks coffee and alcohol and smokes until he comes up with the information or resources needed to carry out his scheme. His latest case involves tracking down his friend Jeremy’s birth father, who has a checkered past, and then planning a visit to meet him. The teens agree to switch identities, allowing Jeremy an emotional distance from which to better assess the man. The plan is elaborate and full of danger, and as Sebastian gets to know Jeremy’s mysterious father, Dromio, he begins to find himself trapped by his own deceptions. Sebastian is a memorable character–cocky, clever, and very mature at times. The story is filled with adult language and behavior, including blackmail and violence, but not all that much sex. Sebastian is still a needy boy, though this only becomes evident slowly, in his insecurity with girls, and as his desperate need for a father of his own begins to surface. The adult characters are complex and often fascinating, especially Dromio. While the tension abates toward the end, this fast-paced novel will grip mature young adults.–Susan Oliver, Tampa-Hillsborough Public Library System, FL

Gr 4-8–In this prequel to The City of Ember (2003) and The People of Sparks (2004, both Random), 11-year-old Nickie accompanies her aunt to Yonwood, NC, to help get her great-grandfather’s house ready to be sold. Months earlier, a woman in the community named Althea Tower had a vision and collapsed, muttering about fire and disaster. The townspeople interpreted it as a premonition of events since war between the U.S. and the Phalanx Nations is eminent. Althea is hailed as a Prophet and an ambitious Mrs. Beeson appoints herself Althea’s interpreter. Soon she’s urging everyone to give up sinful things like singing. The townspeople believe that by being virtuous they will build “a shield of goodness” around themselves and not be harmed. In her effort to be a good person, Nickie falls prey to this collective brainwashing and betrays a friend. She has her own secret. She’s hiding a dog in the house. When Mrs. Beeson thinks the Prophet has said “no dogs” and forces everyone to get rid of them, the child is outraged and confronts the Prophet to demand the truth behind her pronouncements. This novel has a great deal of immediacy in light of current world events. It sharply brings home the idea of people blindly following a belief without questioning it. However, it’s really more of a stand-alone title. The plot details that tie it and Ember together are only revealed in the last chapter, entitled “What Happened Afterward.”–Sharon Rawlins, NJ Library for the Blind and Handicapped, Trenton

Gr 9 Up–Once again, Ehrenhaft has created a sympathetic and hapless teen antihero who manages to retain his sense of humor even when the chips are way, way down. In this outing, the plotline zigzags from a posh New England boarding school to the site of Carlton Dunne’s father’s kidnapping in Manhattan to a rescue mission undertaken in rural Scotland. The teen deals with a publisher who doesn’t know that his hired talent is a boy rather than the man Carlton Dunne III; with nasty dorm mates who break all his personal stuff; and with a mystery girl who seems to be helping him in his Scottish quest to recover the dad he isn’t sure he likes one bit. The girl, not surprisingly, isn’t as simple and sweet as she seems at first blush. Carlton’s parallel black-and-white comics (informed by his favorite childhood book of Nordic legends) do a clever job of echoing the story with its cast of superhero–and superantihero–antics. A fair amount of drinking in the Scottish countryside both advances the plot and makes the characters seem all the more real for their grittiness. Footnotes abound, and provide their own diminutive jokes as well as useful explanations of such traditions as the ancient game of ba’. Fluffy, but with that spicy edge of a deep-thinking outsider.–Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA

Gr 6-10–Tanya Zeshonski, 15, can’t forgive her father, who divorced her mother and promptly remarried. She is also angry with her mother, who then moved Tanya and her younger sister, Nan, to Scotland County, NC, to be near other people of Scottish descent. Her mother, a genealogist who loves everything Scottish, wants her daughters to share this enthusiasm. Tanya and her sister take up Highland dancing, but only Nan has much interest in it. Tanya would rather spend her time making documentaries, and she finds everyone’s love for Highland reenactments irritating. Toward the end of the book, she finally has a talk with her father and gets a fuller version of the reasons for the divorce, which enables her to forgive him. A friend, Miguel, helps her to be less critical of the people around her. Readers with a strong interest in Scottish history might be interested in this book, but those looking for an engaging story are unlikely to find enough here to keep them turning the pages.–Catherine Ensley, Latah County Free Library District, Moscow, ID

Gr 8 Up–Tallulah’s 21-year-old friend Maeve is exciting, exhilarating, and lives life to the fullest. She is also bipolar, which she says is simply a label given by people “who don’t like it when they see other people moving differently throughout the world.” After having yet another fight with her mother, Tallulah gets a frantic phone call from Maeve saying she has left Oregon for Florida and needs her notebooks. The 17-year-old decides to deliver them; she runs away from home with a sort-of boyfriend but is stranded in rural Tennessee when he robs her and leaves her in a motel. With no money, she has no choice but to accept a temporary job offer at Dr. Poteet’s vet clinic, helping out with the animals, living with Poteet’s receptionist, carrying on a flirtation with one of the other workers, and making frantic phone calls to Florida, where she gets only an answering machine. When Maeve finally arrives, Tallulah learns the truth about her friend and the seriousness of her disorder. Most teens will relate to Tallulah–she’s imperfect, stubborn, mouthy, and searching for truth and acceptance. They’ll also understand from her descriptions and memories of Maeve why she is so devoted to the young woman and so devastated when she becomes cold and sarcastic. The supporting characters get their due as well, particularly Poteet, shrewd, insightful, and more compassionate than he lets on to be. The action moves at a breakneck pace as Talullah changes from an impulsive, difficult teen to a thoughtful young woman with direction.–Lisa Prolman, Greenfield Public Library, MA

Gr 6-9–Dana is isolated from others in her farm community because she sees and converses with an invisible boy named Kai. Her otherwise ordinary life is disrupted by the arrival of a gentleman who refers to himself as Maestro. He senses the girl’s potential and takes her from her home to the Tower where he lives to train her in sorcery. The Maestro’s rules are simple: she must never be in the forest after dark as she will be set upon by wolves, and she must never disobey him. Dana soon discovers that Kai (who has accompanied her) is not the only invisible person with whom she can communicate. To understand this mystery, she braves the wolves and risks the magus’s anger by going into the woods–equipped with spells–in search of a unicorn. Dana’s progression from a frightened farm girl into a courageous sorceress is superficially delineated. The initially benevolent Maestro is a one-dimensional figure who is abruptly revealed to be a murderous and power-hungry villain. While the story line is engaging, the novel is not entirely fleshed out and it is at best an additional purchase.–Heather M. Lisowski, Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO

Gr 5-8–During a feast to celebrate the beginning of the Grail Quest, Arthur, the knights, and every other adult in Camelot fall under a sleeping spell, and Merlin is nowhere to be found. Three teenagers don’t know what to do, so Gerard, the oldest and best-trained squire, decides that he must locate the magician. He is joined on the road by Newt, a stable boy, and Ailis, a maid. They follow a map stolen from Arthur’s study, which leads them to a house of ice in which Nimue has imprisoned Merlin as a prank. He charges them with finding three talismans that will release the spell on Camelot and gives them only seven days in which to complete the task. Along the way they must figure out what the talismans are, battle monsters and dragons, and win the ultimate battle against Morgain, who cast the evil spell. The episodic story is largely plot driven, following the standard quest formula. The squire proves himself worthy, the stable boy is a little less rough around the edges, and the maid shows that she’s just as smart and tough as the boys. The characters, though fairly one-dimensional, are likable, and readers will be engaged in their struggles. At first readers may be surprised at the contemporary tone of the characters’ language and speech patterns, but it does make them seem more real. Gerard Morris’s “The Squire’s Tale” series (Houghton) is more substantive and wittier.–Cheri Dobbs, Detroit Country Day Middle School, Beverly Hills, MI

Gr 5-9–This novel about two boys growing up in pre-World War II Vienna provides a unique perspective. The author wrote the book after returning to America from a visit to Poland in 1934, and was alarmed at how growing Nazi persecution was changing the face of Europe. It was published in Yiddish in 1940. Emil and Karl are school friends. Emil is Jewish and has been forced from school. Although Karl is not Jewish, one day men drag his socialist mother away. He goes to find his friend only to discover that Emil’s father has been murdered by the Nazis and that his mother has gone crazy with grief. The two boys are totally alone and must escape the omnipresent storm troopers and find food and shelter. They become both observers and victims of the attacks on Jews. Helped by resistance fighters, they eventually escape the city. This important book, newly translated into English, gives a chilling portrait of a world descending into madness as experienced by two innocent children. The excellent translation effectively conveys the helplessness of the characters. As terrifying as their experiences were, the story was written at a time when the full horrors perpetrated by Hitler were yet to occur. While Emil and Karl escaped, the majority of persecuted children did not. A useful comparison might be made to Hans Peter Richter’s Friedrich (Puffin, 1987), which did not have such a positive outcome.–Quinby Frank, formerly at Green Hedges School, Vienna, VA

Gr 7 Up–A richly layered novel that contains elements of both fantasy and hard-edge realism. At night, 16-year-old Skey dreams of dark tunnels. During the day, she is usually aware of her surroundings, a facility for troubled teens where she has lived since a suicide attempt. But even awake, she can slip into the comforting tunnels that keep her mind safe and where she encounters a wandering boy much like herself. Because her recovery seems to be going so well, Skey begins to attend school during the day. There she hesitantly rejoins her gang of old friends, led by her boyfriend, Jigger. The teens are alluring and dangerous and seem to hold the key to the trauma that pushed Skey over the edge. The deep bonding of a first sexual relationship is exquisitely portrayed, even as Jigger’s controlling behavior escalates toward violence. Readers will be held breathless as Skey begins to discover the truth about the gang and its terrible hold over her. Her journey is partly in the real world and partly through the tunnels, “the dreams where losers go” to find what they have lost. Through her growing friendship with the wandering boy, and the damaged classmate he so closely resembles, Skey ultimately summons the courage to save herself and her new friend. This portrayal of the inner lives of trauma survivors is accurate, respectful, and hopeful. A wise and compelling book that addresses the traumas of sexual assault and emotional betrayal.–Carolyn Lehman, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA

Gr 5-9–Green Jasper begins where Blood Red Horse (Walker, 2005) ended. With King Richard imprisoned and supposed dead, there is turmoil in England in the 12th century. Will and Gavin de Granville have returned from the crusade older, wiser, and scarred from battle, Gavin having lost an arm. His betrothed, Ellie, has waited patiently for their return and now is preparing for her marriage. The ceremony is disrupted by Constable de Scabious and his men, who have spread rumors that King Richard is dead and that his brother John has taken the throne. When Ellie is kidnapped and taken to de Scabious’s castle, Will feels that his duty is to rescue her while Gavin, who has been injured again, believes that they must be more cautious. Ellie, while waiting and hoping for rescue, holds on to her green jasper necklace, a wedding gift from Gavin that represents faith. Throughout this second adventure of the de Granvilles, loyalties are divided, conflicts arise, and villagers are unsure whom they can trust. Hosanna, the blood red horse, plays an important role in tying the characters together and aiding the knights in their quest to protect the king and rescue the woman they love. Although this action-packed novel can be read alone, it is much more enjoyable if read in sequence.–Denise Moore, O’Gorman Junior High School, Sioux Falls, SD

Gr 4-6–Ten-year-old twins Wally and Cheyenne are on the run again. In the first book, they were placed in the horrid Jolly Days Orphanage after their father died in a mysterious porta-potty accident. There they ate horrid gruel and did nasty chores (bodily fluid humor is big in this series) until they were adopted by two giant ants. The twins escaped and went back to Jolly Days. In this second volume, the Onts come back looking for them, so the Shluffmuffin siblings hit the road and hide out in the scummy Dripping Fang Forest. This series has shaped up to be Lemony Snicket carried a few steps further, to the point where–to most adults–it becomes disgusting and tragic, especially when the twins learn who the decaying zombie following them might be (hint: think porta-potty). Strictly for fans of hardcore middle-grade horror.–Walter Minkel, New York Public Library

Gr 5-8–Brady is on a Mediterranean cruise with her mom. Before she left, her friend Delia listed four things that she must do. Since #1 was to “write real letters to your best friend every day, describing thrilling adventures,” this story is told in a journal/letter format. Harrington has captured the voice of this honest and witty teen with flair, as she makes ports of call in spots such as Pompeii and Barcelona. Because she’s mortified about her ample breasts, she daringly tries but fearfully fails to accomplish task #2, “wear the bikini…” together with #3 “in public!!!” As she bumbles through planned teen events on the ship and has sightseeing adventures with her mom, she always keeps in mind ultimatum #4, “Meet a code-red Euro-hottie.” The author cleverly entwines the embarrassments of adolescence with travel episodes. The cover illustration provides a tantalizing invitation to this laugh-out-loud summer read. Brady writes with many “shouts” in all caps, just as teens do in e-mails. (Thankfully, she uses normal conventions for most of her writing.) Just the right size for the beach, this book is flippant and fun.–Debbie Whitbeck, West Ottawa Public Schools, Holland, MI

Gr 7-11–Eleventh-grader Roni Delicata is the sometimes pushy but always dedicated reporter for the school paper, Bloodwater Pump. She meets science geek Brian Bain, 14, when both are in trouble with the principal. They discover that Alicia Camden, the snooty new kid who lives in a mansion with her cold mother and bland stepfather, has been kidnapped. Through sheer force of personality, Roni involves Brian in her determination to crack the case. Could the culprit be Alicia’s stepfather? Driftwood Doug? And what about Alicia’s unpleasant ex-boyfriend? There are several mysteries here, and some unusual twists. The mixture of suspense and humor is effective, particularly in the interactions between complete opposites Roni and Brian. The authors are able to manage the rapid unfolding of the plot while still allowing for character development. Ultimately, straight-arrow Brian decides that while Roni can be a bit of a pain, she is also a lot of fun. This mystery will likely appeal to older reluctant readers.–B. Allison Gray, John Jermain Library, Sag Harbor, NY

Gr 3 Up–Possum and his friends live deep in the heart of Nannycatch Meadows. Recently, the woodland creatures have had to deal with a number of untimely deaths. Possum’s nasty old uncle has a rotten heart and a penchant for ending the lives, usually inadvertently, of those around him. As they face their own mortality, the animals come to understand how important it is to enjoy the life they’ve been given. The book attempts to be a lighthearted look at death. Unfortunately the tone is inconsistent at best. Characters are regularly killed off by Uncle Possum without any fanfare or consequences. It’s difficult to invest any love in a group of characters when one of them might be bumped off at any moment. The cheery style is at odds with the coldhearted casualty that accompanies each demise. The stylized illustrations, while pleasant, contain such oddities as possums with furry tails. Though there’s certainly a great deal of writing talent here, it’s hard to imagine an audience for this book.–Elizabeth Bird, New York Public Library

Gr 7 Up–Cassie Streng, 16, knows that her psychiatrist stepfather, Rick, prescribed an experimental drug for his teenage patients, three of whom have committed suicide. Before she can gather evidence, however, she is grabbed by two men, handcuffed, locked in the back of a van, and taken to Peaceful Cove, a facility for troubled teens in Mexico. Rick has assured her mother that the place is an excellent boarding school–he maintains that he found crystal meth in Cassie’s room–but she soon discovers the truth. She is trapped in a brutal prison camp, and she must make her way back to Oregon and convince someone of the danger Rick represents before anyone else dies. While the premise is a bit over the top, Cassie is a strong and sympathetic character who relies on her wits and determination from the very first page. Short chapters that show how she uncovers her stepfather’s actions alternate with the story of her journey from Portland to Mexico, a nicely executed technique that keeps the plot moving and readers engaged. While the secondary characters are a little flat and the ending is a bit too neat, Henry packs her first YA novel with the quick action and suspense that will keep even reluctant readers turning the pages.–Beth Gallego, Los Angeles Public Library, North Hollywood

Gr 5-8–What began as schoolboy fun leads to life-threatening adventure for 13-year-old James Bond when he stumbles upon members of an Italian secret society who speak only Latin. On break from the prestigious Eton School, James and his schoolmates travel with two teachers to the Mediterranean isle of Sardinia to study archaeological ruins. James later stays with his cousin and a famous artist who become the target of an art theft. It turns out that one of James’s teachers is a spy for the Millenaria society, which is conducting a series of art heists throughout England and Europe for a megalomaniacal man based on Sardinia. James and the new friends whom he meets on the island must find a way to rescue a kidnapped English girl and to stop the villain who wants to relive the days of the Roman emperors. The story occurs sometime between the World Wars and during the reign of Mussolini. It involves piracy, danger, violence, and intrigue. With its highly descriptive style of writing, it’s a fun, easy read, although the characters are not particularly well developed. Its greatest appeal might be to reluctant middle-school readers, but it would not receive as much attention if not for the 007 connection.–Corinda J. Humphrey, Los Angeles Public Library

Gr 6-9–A compelling story of resourcefulness, loss, and the healing power of friendship. When Ann Fay Honeycutt’s father goes off to war in 1944, the 13-year-old steps into his overalls as the oldest of four children. Despite support from Junior, her 17-year-old neighbor, the daunting tasks of tending the family’s large vegetable garden, helping with household chores, and looking after her sisters and brother suddenly become overwhelming. Then Bobby, four, contracts polio and is taken to an emergency quarantine hospital. He dies, and Ann Fay must help her family deal with their grief. While the escalating trials have served to increase her toughness and determination, Ann Fay’s world is further rocked when she contracts the devastating disease and is herself hospitalized. The races are not separated in the contagious ward in Hickory, NC, and she and Imogene, a “colored girl,” become fast friends. Hostetter based this novel on the true story of the polio hospital built in Hickory during the epidemic. Back matter includes lists of nonfiction, videos, and children’s novels about World War II, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and polio. Fans of such titles as Avi’s Don’t You Know There’s a War On? (HarperCollins, 2001) and Patricia Reilly Giff’s Lily’s Crossing (Delacorte, 1997) will enjoy this dramatic story.–Kathryn Childs, Morris Mid/High School, OK

Gr 9 Up–Jordy, homeless, gay, and abused, finds a kindred spirit when he rescues fragile, childlike Chloe from a brutal rape near the abandoned building where they both live. Thus begins their intensely codependent friendship. When Jordy all but commits murder to protect Chloe, it only reinforces in his mind that they have no option but to leave New York City for their safety and sanity. And here, at the halfway mark, the novel takes a left turn: the teens hightail it out of the city in a beat-up pickup truck to discover America and possibly new lives. The arresting and gut-wrenching opening scene promises a gritty urban tale of survival, and despite some choppy, repetitive dialogue, Hyde makes the first half of the book succeed. But the cross-country trek quickly loses momentum with a wistful, near-philosophical shift in tone. And while Hyde’s jerky, streamlined style reinforces the teens’ pain, it doesn’t complement their cross-country search for beauty and trust in the novel’s second half. The results feel rushed and uneven, almost as if two separate narratives were merged to create this single slim volume.–Hillias J. Martin, New York Public Library

Gr 9 Up–The patient encouragement of the author to help her adopted daughter, Jeanne d’Arc Umubyeyi, come to terms with her memories provides the frame for this account of genocide in Rwanda in 1994. When Jeanne was eight, Hutu neighbors massacred her family and destroyed her home; she witnessed the murder of her mother and brother, as well as other Tutsis, strangers and family friends. Beautifully crafted and smoothly translated, this searing novel is all the more remarkable for the sense of place it conveys through vividly remembered details of an African world where the mundane experiences of daily life were cataclysmically interrupted by a few months of unimaginable violence. Jeanne’s courage, will to live, and understandable anger come through clearly, leading readers to wonder how a person or a country can ever recover from such events. The young woman’s adoptive mother’s childhood memories, mentioned in one of the chapter introductions, make explicit the connection between Rwanda and Germany. The title, taken from a story Jeanne’s grandmother told, also reminds readers of the importance of human connections and continued trust. Painful to read, but unforgettable, this book will provoke thought and discussion.–Kathleen Isaacs, Towson University, MD

Gr 6-8–Lise, 12, is beginning to feel at home in a new town with her single mother and 5-year-old brother, a selective mute. When her mother is injured in a car accident and faces months of rehabilitation, she decides to recover in Maine, where she grew up. Lise is shocked and resentful when they arrive at Fiddle Beach and she sees their tiny rented house. And she finds that the immense, uncontrollable, and endless ocean terrifies her. She is so caught up in her own feelings that she never really acknowledges the pain and frustration her mother is experiencing, and is even somewhat jealous of the former boyfriend who enters her mother’s life. But when she meets Ben, an elderly Passamaquoddy Indian who lives in the last house on the beach, Lise finds that she can tell him about her fear and the changes in her life. Ben talks to her about knowing when to fight for what is important and when to accept change. Lise doesn’t quite understand until Hurricane Fern hits and she almost loses her life while trying in vain to rescue the old man. Struggling in the water, she hears a small, clear voice calling her name–it is her brother’s. Jones gets right to the heart of the matter in this captivating and touching first novel. Lise is by turns irritating, humorous, and compelling, but always believable. A first-rate debut.–Terrie Dorio, Santa Monica Public Library, CA

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