Adult/High School

Adult/High School—"This is a story that could only have taken place in the tropics, where the climate draws sea rovers, pirates, and desperadoes from all corners of the world." These are the first words of the novel that May Josephine Flynn, the pirate's daughter, writes, and they are true of Cezair-Thompson's novel as well. Set in the West Indies, it is a paean to Jamaica and her people. A fictional love story, the book is peppered with references to real people and events, set against a backdrop of the social and cultural upheaval of an emerging nation, pirate treasure, and old Hollywood excess. It spans 30 years in the lives of one family. Readers follow Ida Joseph, a girl barely in her teens, whose life is changed radically when Errol Flynn is shipwrecked off Jamaica. She falls in love with him and has his child, May. Ida's pining for Flynn shapes her life, but May's yearning is for family and her own rightful place in the world. This is a lush, lovely fairy tale filled with obvious love for the characters, history, and place, rendered in faultless prose and patois. The feel of this novel is of Gone with the Wind in Jamaica instead of the old South, full to the bursting with romantic adventure and epic scope.—Dana Cobern-Kullman, Luther Burbank Middle School, Burbank, CA

Adult/High School—There are not many good times in 11-year-old Cay's life. After his parents divorce, he finds himself moving from one town to the next, and one addiction to the next. His mother is uninterested, his stepfather is angry and unhappy, and his father adopts multiple personas—alternately blaming his children for his divorce and bemoaning the loss of custody. Cay is confused, depressed, and filled with self-loathing as he observes his life in an unsympathetic and myopic manner. Gone and Back Again is the definition of a crossover novel. The 1970s time period and past-tense narration place this coming-of-age story on the adult list, but the themes of alienation and confusion will resonate with teens. In truth, there is little character growth in Cay until the final 20 pages, and there remains a sense that it would take very little for him to find himself back in a morass of depression and addiction. The book is as bleak as the Missouri winter Cay's family find themselves in, and yet there are moments of striking beauty in Fuqua's language.—Mary Ann Harlan, Arcata High School, CA

Adult/High School—This story is told as if it were the true history from which the Iliad was written. Homer, we find, got parts of the story wrong. The Helen portrayed here is a plain-looking woman who becomes beautiful in the way she dies, even to the men sent to kill her. Achilles and Hecktor duel to the death, only to be betrayed by someone else and die fighting at each other's side. And the Trojan Horse is transformed from a wooden ruse into something more believable, but just as clever and lethal. Characters have been changed, invented, and blended together from the cast in the Iliad and are vividly brought to life. David Gemmell's Troy: Lord of the Silver Bow (2005) and Troy: Shield of Thunder (2007, both Ballantine) have a depth of narrative and spectacle similar to Tolkien's tales of Middle Earth, and teens raised on those books and their like will be at home here. The author died before finishing this book. His wife helped research the earlier volumes in the series and worked from her husband's half-finished draft and notes seamlessly to finish this last, powerful title in the saga.—Will Marston, Berkeley Public Library, CA

Adult/High School—Howard expands his Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright award-winning short story in this striking first novel that is set more or less in the present day. Middle-aged narrator Roy Deacon carefully recounts the lynching of a well-respected young adult in the Mobile black community in the early 1980s. The victim, Michael Donald, was a lifelong friend of Roy's older brother. As a reluctant upcoming mortician (Deacon Funeral Home has been in operation for six generations), Roy must face his and his brother's personal loss and the complex repercussions of racist violence while still performing the necessary functions of funeral preparation and arrangements. The well-formed cast of Mobile community members, the older generations who were raised before or during the Civil Rights era and the younger who were raised after, succeeds in demonstrating the dark range of emotion, from grim acceptance and a call to continued activism to flat-out disbelief and shifting fear. Howard's writing is precise and uncluttered and his attention to detail flawless, and his knowledge of local community, culture, and history adds depth. Teen readers will relate to the horror of witnessing such a brutal act in post-segregated America and appreciate the ensuing struggles and trials with which Roy is faced.—Shannon Peterson, Kitsap Regional Library, WA

Adult/High School—The wait is over: the last installment of the "Acorna" trilogy is here. Khorii, daughter of the legendary Acorna and her life-mate, Aari; Elviiz, her adopted, now fully organic brother; and her erstwhile cat, Khiindi (actually shape-shifter Grimalkin), are joined by Khorii's lost twin, Ariin, to find the cause of the plague ravaging the known worlds and stop it before it can end all life everywhere. For those readers not equipped with a LAANYE (a learning device invented by the Linyaari people that can, from a small sample of any foreign language, teach the wearer the new language overnight), the glossary of terms and proper names is essential. To solve the problems of the plague, extensive and sometimes overlapping time travel is necessary. Many long-lost characters, ships, cities, etc., appear and, as the saying goes, it's hard to tell the players without a scorecard. As intricate as the threads of the story are and have been, fans can rest assured that all plot and character lines are tied up and explained in a satisfying manner. Fans will find this every bit as entertaining, tightly paced, and enjoyable as the volumes preceding it.—Dana Cobern-Kullman, Luther Burbank Middle School, Burbank, CA

Adult/High School—This third collaboration takes readers to Pern during an outbreak of a particularly virulent flu. Kindan, a young harper, uncovers danger in old records; many years before, a similar epidemic caused 20 years' worth of damage, leaving Weyrs and Holds undermanned. With the next Threadfall only 12 years away, the dragonriders cannot risk bringing the disease to the Weyrs. But without the riders' help, will there even be enough holders left to defend in a dozen years? Kindan faces the unenviable task of finding a solution that protects everyone. Dragon Harper is as much a story of his coming-of-age and taking his place in society as an adult as it is a medical adventure. Many references to events and characters from previous volumes limits the audience to those familiar with the series, but Pern has many fans.—Susan Salpini, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA

Adult/High School—Lucia "Luc" Moberg, 15, wears Goth clothing and has dark moods. When she steals at the mall, she quickly leaves with her father and then witnesses his brutal shooting—through their windshield. Coping with her mother's subsequent bizarre behavior is just the beginning of what lies ahead for Luc. Her very survival is at stake. The detective working on the case investigates on the assumption that the perpetrator is either Luc or her mother. Nikitas weaves and twists the lives of three strong and very different characters into a shocking finale. How they and others respond to past and present extreme trauma makes for compelling reading. The narrative burns as bright as the title against the darkness of the personalities. Images of Norse folktales from her father's stories appear in Luc's dreams and waking moments as she encounters deranged gang members far removed from her suburban banality. Those who like Stephen King's characters but seek something less supernatural will find this tragic and fast-paced first novel compelling. —Deirdre Cerkanowicz, Berkeley Public Library, CA

Adult/High School—Bayard begins this primer by explaining that even the most voracious readers can only read so many books, and for every book one chooses, "all the other books in the universe" are put aside. Even if one has not read a book, it is still possible to be aware of its "cultural location" or how it is situated in relation to other titles in our collective awareness. For example, the author confesses that he has not read Joyce's Ulysses, but he knows that it is a stream-of-consciousness retelling of the Odyssey, and that it takes place in Dublin in a single day. Searching his "intellectual library," he feels confident discussing what he knows. Books that we do read become a part of us, and those we discuss are mostly what Bayard calls "screen books," or substitute objects we create out of our own notion of the book. The second part espouses the idea that "readers and nonreaders alike are caught up in an endless process of inventing books" through discussion. And finally, the last part reveals how the author believes the exercise of discussing unread books offers the opportunity for self-discovery and the freedom to invent one's own text. By using our own experiences and memories, we create our own book in the telling. Witty, thought-provoking, and definitely worth actually reading, this title promises to be popular with English teachers looking for ideas to jump-start writing exercises, as well as with teens who realize that they simply can't read everything.—Dana Cobern-Kullman, Luther Burbank Middle School, Burbank, CA

Adult/High School—A family memoir, this book is sad, but it's a worthy and touching read. The author's parents moved from Haiti to New York in 1976, leaving the two eldest children in the care of an aunt and uncle until they earned enough money to relocate the entire family. Brother vividly describes the political unrest of Haiti in the 1970s and '80s, and Danticat details the various elections and upheavals. It is clear that the family must leave, but they maintain much affection for their home country. Their eventual immigration to the United States is difficult and near impossible for some, like Uncle Joseph, who at age 81 and suffering multiple health problems is treated like a political prisoner at the hands of immigration officials. While the book often shifts between various periods of the family history, Danticat narrates the story from 2005. Her father is dying, and their relationship holds the narrative together. While the birth of her daughter provides the author with hope, Brother may prove to be a little too grim for some teens. Others, however, will appreciate its realism.—Jennifer Waters, Red Deer Public Library, Alberta, Canada

Adult/High School—Despite the title, this is not a biography of journalist, teacher, and speaker. However, researchers looking for valuable insight into the changing definitions of race in post-Emancipation America will find a wealth of information here. Davidson immediately draws readers in by including a postcard photograph in which African Americans are posing on a bridge above the dangling bodies of a lynched mother and son. Using the first 30 years of Wells's life as a backdrop, the author chronicles the evolving standards that governed race relations in the southern United States during Reconstruction. Many of the detailed accounts of lynchings, forced exiles, and other dehumanizing acts against African Americans are presented through first-person statements, thereby eliciting a deeper sense of injustice from readers. Other events, such as the discrimination blacks experienced on train cars, are revealed through Wells's diary and other writings. While the scope of this work is limited, the depth will provide students with valuable primary sources related to race relations during this period. The book may require some hand selling, but teens looking for in-depth accounts of the changing racial climate during Reconstruction will not be disappointed.—Lynn Rashid, Marriots Ridge High School, Marriotsville, MD

Adult/High School—This moving tribute profiles 40 Afghan women who have tried to transform their lives since the fall of the Taliban in 2001. Among those interviewed are an Olympic athlete, a TV journalist, a fortune-teller, and an abused wife. Whether urban or rural, the women all reveal a determination and courage that was hidden for years under full-length burkas and gender repression. Each interview is accompanied by a stunning full-page photograph that captures the pride each individual feels in her new life. The women's words mirror this pride and hope for a future that they know is still tenuous. Certain themes emerge again and again—the right to an education, the right to work. The book was first conceived in 2003, and an earlier version, Parwana, was published in Afghanistan's two main languages, Dari and Pashtu, and distributed to all-girls' high schools and women's centers in the country. Three of the women interviewed for the book have died—one in childbirth and two murdered. For Western teens who may not fully comprehend the courage it takes for a woman to step outside her house, go to school, or get a job, the book shines a light on a special breed of heroines.—Pat Bangs, Fairfax County Public Library, VA

Adult/High School—Kachuba calls himself a "ghost hunter," but in this book he is a hunter of paranormal investigators, exorcists, and mediums. Twenty-two short chapters of interviews and observations bring to light people across the country who have devoted their lives to exploring ghostly phenomena. The author uses a personable writing style with plenty of humor as he describes his strange experiences with the paranormal—some of the strangeness being the monotony of trying to hunt ghosts. There's a lot of walking around in empty houses, and a lot of unpacking and setting up of electronic equipment and putting it away again after not much has happened. This is not a critical examination of paranormal phenomena and research methods. The author claims to be skeptical but often sounds like a true believer. People the least bit dubious will be struck by the lack of disbelief displayed by Kachuba and his subjects. The storytelling is folksy and warm, and when you think of the entire book as a series of ghost stories, it's fun.—Emma Coleman, Berkeley Public Library, CA

Adult/High School—This balanced volume starts with a regional approach, presenting separate overviews of family life from late Roman Europe, the medieval West, the Byzantine Empire, the Islamic world, and Jewish society. The second half shifts to specific aspects of lifestyles throughout Europe, including religion, labor, marriage, and children. Within these topics, the author continues to note the varied geographical, societal, and cultural forces that contributed to various practices. Dense but well-organized prose carefully presents general information backed up with specific examples. The chapter on physical environments, for instance, examines such subjects as home construction, floor plans, and sanitation facilities in various locations and social levels, and the social, cultural, and technological influences on these conditions. The author's historical research is evident, with consistent citations of works within the text and acknowledgment that lack of sources can limit the historian's ability to draw concrete conclusions. Illustrations are notably sparse: the book includes only 15 average-quality black-and-white photographs or reproductions (and 7 of the 11 chapters have no illustrations at all). The text-heavy pages and sophisticated language may be daunting to some readers. Motivated students, however, can find plenty of useful and thought-provoking material. The inclusion of several cultures from the era, with frequent discussions of similarities and differences, makes this work particularly useful, since most similar titles focus almost exclusively on the Germanic- and Roman-based cultures of Western Europe.—Steven Engelfried, Multnomah County Library, OR

Adult/High School—This collection of 134 poems and songs from around the world shows the passion and feeling that Che (Ernesto Guevara) has inspired and continues to inspire among his many and varied followers. The portrait that emerges is hagiographic, but the selections ultimately reveal more about the poets themselves and their own causes than they do about Che. O'Toole's introduction establishes some powerful and meaningful contexts for understanding the selections: Che as confidante, revolutionary martyr, Christ-figure, but, most prominently, Che as cultural icon who is known primarily through his photographic image and has become "the emblem of a generation." As Mark Pirie of New Zealand writes in his 2003 poem, "City Walk (for Che Guevara)," "You'll see him out there 'living it up' on stylized pop posters/postcards, and key rings, all the latest funky t shirts, commercialized and re-packaged for the disaffected post-counterculture youth." Poets from 53 countries are represented, including Pablo Neruda, Yevgeny Yevtushenko, Derek Walcott, Thomas Merton, and Allen Ginsberg. Their words effectively share the depth of emotion in their hearts.—Tom Holmes, King Middle School, Berkeley, CA

Adult/High School— Poetry Speaks (Sourcebooks, 2001) has been expanded to include James Joyce, Robert Graves, May Swenson, Jack Kerouac, and Ted Hughes. Each of the 47 poets, all deceased, is introduced through a biographical sketch, an essay by a contemporary poet, the text of a few representative poems and, of course, select recordings. The inviting layout and scattering of primary-source material (gems include a handwritten poem on a paper plate by Etheridge Knight and an edited draft of W. H. Auden's "September 1, 1939"), and the invaluable effect of poems read by their creators remain the collection's hallmarks. The experience of listening to Joyce read an excerpt from Finnegans Wake with his thick Irish brogue will inevitably take any dissection of his work to new depths. This volume will continue to prove a playground for poetry lovers and a spark for any literature class.—Jill Heritage Maza, Greenwich High School, CT

Adult/High School—The 16 author interviews in this volume were originally conducted between 1953 and 2006. During these exchanges, some taking more than a day, established authors shared their writing styles and habits; their successes and failures; details about the characters, settings, and plots in their stories; and offered practical advice for beginning writers. William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, John Gardner, and Toni Morrison are among those who shared their thoughts. Young adults will appreciate the details included: Stephen King washed motel linens to support his family while beginning his writing career and James Baldwin delivered sermons as a preacher for three of his teenage years. The book also includes actual manuscripts of the featured authors and brief biographies. Like The Paris Review Interviews, I (Picador, 2006), it is a fascinating read either for pleasure or for research.—Gregory Lum, Jesuit High School, Portland, OR

Adult/High School—Rosin, a Washington Post reporter, spent 18 months at Patrick Henry College, a private, Christian institution founded especially for homeschoolers. Her exploration of evangelical Christianity in America starts with the students, faculty, and administration at PHC, but moves miles and years beyond the Loudon County, VA, campus. Her writing is clear, honest, and witty—she reports her experiences but leaves analysis and conclusion-drawing to readers. From courtship rituals among Christian teens, to glimpses of White House and congressional internships, to the challenges of teaching science and liberal arts at a Christian college, God's Harvard examines social, political, academic, and extracurricular life. Rosin devotes individual chapters to congressional campaigns, science (evolution vs. creationism), and popular culture (the rise of the Christian genre in books, music, and movies). She engages readers in these familiar topics by relating the personal stories of students and professors and following up with historical background about evangelical Christianity, politics, science, and Hollywood. The most compelling chapters of the book are the stories of teens working to forge their own identities within the PHC community and preparing for the worldly challenges they will encounter beyond campus. This is an excellent piece of reporting from the frontlines of evangelical Christianity in America.—Sondra VanderPloeg, Tracy Memorial Library, New London, NH

Adult/High School—Snyder has been living with schizophrenia for all of his adult life. He recounts the early stages of his illness while in his teens, when none of his family, friends, or coworkers, and especially he himself, knew what was happening. The sometimes long journey from being healthy to recognizably sick is part of what makes this condition so horrible: broken relationships, lost jobs, the sense of not being in control without knowing why. One of Snyder's symptoms was paranoia that he was being followed by the government or that he might even be part of an alien experiment. What makes this book so powerful, especially for someone young and only just beginning down the same treacherous path, is that he offers hope that there is light, not necessarily at the end of a tunnel, but within the tunnel itself. This is important for family and friends as well the sufferer. Understanding and accepting this lifelong disease are the first steps toward living with it. There are tips for coping with stress and change; handling social situations, school, and work; and finding support from professionals. Snyder and his coauthors, a doctor and a writer on health issues, put a lot of faith in drug therapy. They also clearly spell out practical solutions for getting through an average day, which seems all the more precious after reading this book.—Will Marston, Berkeley Public Library, CA

Adult/High School—In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Tisserand and his family left New Orleans for the town of New Iberia, where they encountered other evacuees, including one of his children's teachers. Sugarcane Academy is the story of the school they established to help normalize life for youngsters who had been displaced. The author, a reporter, also visited with families and listened to their stories. He shows how some individuals stepped up and fought against apathy and seemingly insurmountable problems to make a difference. He reminds readers, however, that there is a continuing lasting effect on those kids and families who have been in the eye of the storm. Teens who have felt the effects of a disaster in their own lives or watched people on television and wondered about them will appreciate this book.—Charlotte Bradshaw, San Mateo County Library, CA