Fiction

Opening in theaters on January 24, I, Frankenstein (PG-13) provides a fresh take on a classic character set in an alternate modern-day world. Help teens make a connection between movie incarnations of this fearsome protagonist and the tale’s early 19th-century literary inspiration with a spine-tingling selection of graphic novels and reimaginings.

What would you do if your family was the only one with a fallout shelter and you heard the sirens? Or your mom needs money to save the family restaurant? Or you promised to follow orders no matter what, even if you know they are morally wrong? These are the situations facing the characters in this week’s selections from the editors at Junior Library Guild, our second round-up of book club novels ripe for discussion.

Confessions of Marie Antionette brings to a close Juliet Grey’s trilogy on that perenially popular, if still misunderstood, monarch. We reviewed the first two novels in the trilogy, Becoming Marie Antionette and Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow, and we recommend this volume just as strongly. For teen readers who love to get lost in a [...]

Have You Seen My Dragon? By Steve Light Candlewick Press $16.99 ISBN: 978-0-7636-6648-4 Ages 2-6 On shelves April 8th When I grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan I would get this little thrill every time my city appeared in a children’s book. Which is to say, every time it was mentioned in Horton Hatches the Egg. [...]

In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters. Amulet Books. 2013. Library copy. Morris Shortlist. The Plot: 1918. Mary Shelley Black, 16, has fled Portland, Oregon following her father’s arrest for treason. She is going to stay with her aunt, Eva, in San Diego. San Diego has changed since the last time she was there, [...]

Budding poets may particularly appreciate the main character's story, but there is certainly something for anyone looking for a good read with a strong, believable female lead

From a comically cosmic space adventure to a rip-roaring tall tale to several in-depth looks at the lives of fascinating American figures, the January Stars offer opportunities for readers to engage in joyful escapism or intensive close reading.

The Summer Prince, Alaya Dawn Johnson Arthur A. Levine (Scholastic), March 2013 Reviewed from ARC and finished ebook I’ve already gone on record saying that this is my personal frontrunner this year. It’s the book, above all other books, that worked for me as a reader and that I can support as a critic. If [...]

Laurie Halse Anderson's eagerly anticipated new novel, The Impossible Knife of Memory tops our Grades 9 & Up Fiction reviews and earns a Star. New titles by popular YA authors Francesca Lia Block, Marie Lu, and Rick Yansy also appear in our January issue.