Black box by Julie Schumacher

Publisher: Delacorte Press © 2008 ISBN (library bind): 978-0-385-73542-1 Price: $15.99 #pages: 168 Call number: F SCH
Genre: Realistic fiction
Annotation:
“I understood unhappiness when it came attached to something…But Dora’s unhappiness—or whatever it was—seemed to exist independently on its own. I pictured stunted, faceless creatures manufacturing it in a cave somewhere, like a toxic gas.” (Black box, p.59)
Elena’s big sister Dora is depressed. As her condition worsens, Dora eventually attempts suicide and ends up being hospitalized. As the “steady Eddie” of the family, Elena shoulders the burden of helping her sister and trying to support her very distracted parents as well. While her parents have had the wisdom to set Elena up with a therapist, she receives immediate help from a neighbor boy, Jimmy, whom she knows only slightly. Elena slowly builds her trust of the therapist, but comes to rely more and more on her friendship with Jimmy as the family situation and Dora’s condition spiral out of her control. Schumacher has captured the jerky, quirky writing style of many young adolescents in her moving account of a teenager’s descent into mental illness and its toll on her family. Chapters are rarely longer than three or four pages, but have a strong, forward narrative line that makes Black box not only emotionally affecting, but also compelling.

Recommended grade levels: 7-12

Joseph by Shelis P. Moses

For Joseph Flood, life is tough. Joseph's parents are divorced. Joseph lives with his drug and alcohol addicted mother in a homeless shelter in a ghetto neighborhood.

Joseph is enrolled in another new school because Joseph and his mother move from shelter to shelter, as a result of Joseph's mother using the child support money to support her habit.

Joseph's father is serving in Iraq and his aunt and uncle, who live close by, are not fully aware of Joseph's strife as he struggles to keep Mama clean and to hold their broken family together while trying to keep what's going on in his life a secret.

A good pleasure read for anyone 12+ who is enduring an unpleasant situation and can empathize with the character/situation in the book. Knowing someone else is having the same problem as you is good medicine.

There are some descriptive phrases that are redundant.

Twisted Journeys #5 Nightmare on Zombie Island

Remember the Choose Your Own Adventure books? Well the Twisted Journey series lets the reader chose their own adventure in a graphic novel format. In this particular book of the series, you arrive on a deserted island from a charter ship. The ships crewman tells you the island is cursed and anyone who searches for the hidden treasure left from pirates of yesterday will be killed. How the story will end will be decided on by you and the decisions you make.

Living Dead Girl

When Alice was ten, Ray took her from her family and friends—her life. She was known as Kyla before she was kidnapped by Ray during a school trip. Alice is now 15 in the story. There was another ‘Alice’ before Kyla who was abused and killed when she turned 15. Her family was also killed by Ray. Alice knows from the previous newspaper clippings of the other ‘Alice’ that if she ever left Ray her family would meet the same fate. Alice has been abused by Ray physically, sexually, and emotionally for the past 5 years and now that she is the same age as when the other ‘Alice’ was killed she is ready and looking forward to her death. However, it is requested that she find Ray another child to take her place. The gripping conclusion will leave you horrified yet wanting to know what is going to happen next.

"A haunting story of an abducted girl you'll be desperate and helpless to save; her captor so disturbing, so menacing, you'll want to claw the pages from this book and shred them. Brava to Elizabeth Scott for creating such an intense, real, and perfectly painful story of terror, not without hope. Living Dead Girl is impossible to ignore."-- Lisa McMann, New York Times bestselling author of Wake

The Lindbergh Child:The atrocious kidnapping and murder of the infant son of America’s hero Col. Charles A. Lindbergh by Rick Geary

Illustrator: Rick Geary
Publisher: NBM/Comics Lit
ISBN (library bind): 978-1-56163-529-0
Price: $15.95 #pages: unpaged
Call number: 741.5 GEA
Genre: Graphic novel

One of several “crimes of the century,” the kidnapping of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s firstborn son on March 1, 1932, captivated the world and tugged at everyone’s heartstrings. Following the payment of a ransom, communication between the Lindbergh family’s go-between and the kidnappers ended. In May of that year, a sad discovery was made not far from the Lindbergh estate—the body of a child later identified as Charles, Jr. Police finally made an arrest more than a year later after carefully tracking ransom bills and linking the suspect, German immigrant Bruno Richard Hauptmann, with forensic evidence and corroborating witness identifications. The circus-like atmosphere of Hauptmann’s trial in Flemington, New Jersey ended in a guilty verdict and his eventual execution. Rick Geary’s graphic illustrations quickly give us background information on Lindbergh and his historic flight and then intimately acquaint us with the layout of the Lindbergh estate and the crime’s major characters. While definitely not for the reluctant reader, Geary’s graphic technique and unique viewpoint will fascinate readers with their own artistic inclinations or an interest in crime stories.
This book is part of a series called A Treasury of XXth Century Murder.

Recommended grade levels: 6-12

No Cream Puffs

Author: Karen Day
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books (division of Random House)
ISBN (library bind): 9780375937750 Copyright 2008
Price: $15.99 #pages: 209 Call number: FIC DAY
Recommended for grades 5-8.

Annotation:
Madison Mitchell is a 12-year old tomboy who loves to play baseball and is quite good at it. Her older brother has coached her and encourages her to join one of their town’s summer league teams. She does and since the year is1980, she becomes the first girl in Michigan to play on a boy’s baseball team. She is one of the best players in the league and soon she is noticed by the press. The newspaper calls her a trailblazer, crowds begin to come to her games and then TV cameras begin to show up. Some of her teammates accept her and others are jealous. Madison doesn’t want to prove anything; she just wants to play baseball because she likes it. There are some subplots in the story as well; Madison losing her best friend to the popular clique, having her first crush on a boy, and coming to terms with her dad’s abandonment of their family and learning to make difficult choices. The novel is realistic and told from a middle school student’s point of view.

Curriculum
Social History of the 1980’s, sex roles and stereotypes
Character Education: discrimination, empathy for others, handling conflict and pressure; and learning to accept yourself.

Picture book tie in:
Champions on the Bench-The Cannon Street YMCA All-Stars
by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrations by Leonard Jenkins
Published by Dial Books for Young Readers, copyright 2007.

This book is based on the true story of the Cannon Street YMCA league, the only Little League in South Carolina for African Americans in 1955. It tells of how 61 all white teams refused to play them in the tournament and withdrew to start their own league. This book illustrates the prejudices of the time and how it affected the everyday things like Little League baseball.

the dead & the gone

When an asteroid hit and pushed the moon closer to the Earth life as Alex Morales knew it changed forever. After catastrophic tidal waves, flooding, and volcanic eruptions hit parts of the Earth Alex and his two sisters find themselves alone; having to fend for themselves. Food shortages, disease, and death abound and Alex finds himself having to make some tough character/morality judgments. Alex and his sisters are devoted Catholics and they are forced to question aspects of their faith such as surviving by stealing from the dead. Illness is not immune to the Morales’ and when it strikes do they have what it takes to survive?

Note: This is a companion novel to Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson

Neeka and our narrator have been best friends since birth. A new girl shows up on their block calling herself “D” and blends into their friendship seamlessly. The girls call themselves “Three the Hard Way” and build a tight bond over a two year time frame. It’s 1994, the year Tupac Shakur is enduring legal issues and multiple physical attacks. D, and the rest of the neighborhood, relate wholeheartedly to Tupac’s music and their quotations frame their emotions throughout the story.
When D’s real mom shows up, D must leave the tight knit community that has taken her in hope of starting a positive new life with her mom. Her departure parallels Tupac’s final attack and eventual death.
Woodson weaves a beautifully simple story about friendship, family, community and how the power of can music can tie us all together.

Recommended grade levels: 6-12

A Long Way Home Memoris of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah

Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
ISBN: 13: 978-0-374-53126-3
Price: $12.00 # pages: 229
Call number: 966.404 BRA [B]
copywrite: 2007

Ishmael Beah is one of the first to tell his story of being one of as many as 300,000 child soldiers, hopped-up on drugs and weilding AK-47s in more than 50 conflicts around the world.

Ishmael's journey began when he was 12. He fled attacking rebels and wandered a land,
Sierra Leone, unrecongnizable by violence and brutality.

By 13 he had been picked up by the government army and found himself engaging in truly terrible acts.

Eventually released by the army and sent to a UNICEF rehabilitation center, he struggled to regain his humamity and to re-enter the world of civilians, who viewed him with fear and suspicion.

Ishmael Beah living in the US at the present time.



Recommended for grades 10-12 in such curricular areas as World Lit, World History,and Character Education.

Bone: Treasure Hunters

Bone:Volume 8 Treasure Hunters
By Jeff Smith
Publisher:Graphix
ISBN: 978-0439-706308
$19.99 #Pages: 136
Call #: YA Graphic Novel Smith

Reminiscent of the Star Wars, Harry Potter and Indiana Jones characters and settings, Treasure Hunters is a playful and inviting continuing saga of the Bone cousins and the royal family. The Bone cousins are still searching for the gold treasure.

The graphics and, especially, colors are incredible in setting the tone and action for each panel. The story successfully incorporates knowledge of past episodes so as to create a stand alone volume. Suitable for all ages.

The Walls of Cartagena by Julia Durango

Illustrator: Tom Pohrt
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN (library bind): 978-1-4169-4102-6
Price: $15.99 #pages: 152 Call number: FIC DUR

This historical fiction provides a fascinating glimpse into the 17th century slave trade activities by the Spaniards in Cartagena, Colombia, South America. It is based on the true lives of the Jesuit priest Pedro Claver, his interpreters and benefactress.
A dangerous adventure follows Calepino, a thirteen year old African slave boy who speaks eleven languages and his work as an interpreter for Claver and as an aide to a doctor in a leper colony. Although Calepino would rather stay behind the castle walls and read Cervantes all day, his work helping the doctor leads him to betraying the ones he trusts and helping slaves escape.

42 Miles by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer

At first, her parent's divorce wasn't too bad since they only lived four blocks apart in Cincinnati, Ohio. But when her father moved into Grandpa's farm after Grandpa died, it was a whole 42 miles away!
JoEllen became two persons: a city girl named Ellen enjoying fashion, baseball, and old movies with her mother during the week and then a country girl named Jo going to the country fair and visiting the bookmobile with her father on the weekends.
Finally, she decides she has had enough and merges the two lives together by introducing her city friends to her country cousin, creating new organic dishes, changing her clothes and hair and spending time enjoying the things she likes most.
The whole coming of age experience is written in simple free verse poems that describes the two lifestyles magically ("Farm Nights & "Cincinnati Nights").

Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Genre: Historical fiction
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
ISBN (library bind): 13-978-1-4169-1171-5
Price: $16.99 #pages: 346
Call number: FIC Had

Annotation:
Against the backdrop of the Triangle Waist Company Fire, one of the worst workplace disasters in history before 9/11, the threads of the lives of three young women are woven together telling a story of the struggle for women's suffrage, the plight of immigrants in America, and the fight for fair labor practices and decent working conditions. Bella is a new immigrant from Italy who has come to America for work to try to save the lives of her starving family back home. She must rely on others to help her with everything and she is cheated and victimized by most of them. Yetta, a Russian Jew, lives with her sister and is consumed with the new union movement. Jane, a bored socialite, begins to educate herself and is exposed to the young, immigrant working girls during their strike. Her encounter with Yetta during picketing eventually leads Jane to meet Bella and to translate a sad, devastating letter from Italy for her. Jane’s compassion for Bella’s situation stirs her to bring the young woman to her home to comfort and nurse her in her grief. When Jane eventually breaks from her father, she runs to the Triangle factory and her friends who shelter her. Finding a job as governess to the daughters of one of the Triangle owners, Jane learns first hand about the life of a working girl on the lower East Side. In the harrowing final pages, all three young women find themselves at the Triangle factory on the day of the fire. Sadly, many lives are lost. Margaret Haddix has always been able to write a good page-turner and this is no exception. Uprising reaches another level, however, because of her emotional involvement with the characters. As in her earlier book,Don't You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey, this one will haunt you long after the final chapter.
Recommended grade levels: 7 and up

Paper Towns by John Green

Quentin Jacobsen is an honor student, a band geek (although he doesn’t actually play an instrument), and an all-around good guy. In fact, he is his parents’ “greatest accomplishment,” and that’s saying something, as they are both highly skilled psychologists. But there is something that Q’s parents don’t know—Q is practically obsessed with his neighbor and friend-from-afar, the awesomely awesome Margo Roth Spiegelman. Margo makes a dramatic reappearance into Q’s life for one exciting night, and then mysteriously disappears. It’s up to Q and his closest friends to decipher the clues and track her down before it’s too late. Along the way, Q learns that Margo is not the girl he thought she was and he learns a few things about himself, as well.

Witty, authentic dialog. Appropriate for high school.

Z is for Zeus by Helen L. Wilbur

Each letter of the alphabet is used to represent a character or event from Greek Mythology. Each letter has a poem that adds charm to this picture book. On the side is a more detailed description of things such as the Underworld, Fates, and Olympus. Although it is a picture book, younger students would not understand all the details given in this book. It is an excellent pick for teachers to share as they teach Greek Mythology or students to enjoy as they read Percy Jackson and the Olympians

You Know Where to Find Me

This contemporary novel incorporates many social issues such as alternative lifestyles, suicide, depression, obesity, substance abuse, and self-esteem, but yet it does not seem exaggerated.
Laura and Miles are biological cousins but they grow up more like sisters in a wealthy part of Washington, DC.
They are very different superficially: Laura is thin, pretty, popular, smart and rich while Miles is fat, ugly, likes to eat, drink and smoke. Laura has many friends and is accepted to Georgetown. Miles is a year behind in school, and has only one friend. That's why Laura's suicide stuns Miles and she spends time searching for a reason while slowly falling into a deeper hole. Eventually, only her faith in herself and friends she did not realize that cared help her rebuild her life.

Harlem Summer by Walter Dean Myers

Sixteen year old Mark Purvis is an aspiring sax player, who had rather be jamming with his band than finding a summer job, the request of his parents, which prevails. As an assistant at The Crisis, a magazine for the 'New Negro,' Mark rubs shoulders with Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen, and he is invited to a party at Alfred Knopf's place. Mark's making money, but not enough, and when piano player fats Waller entices him and his buddies to make some fast cash, Mark finds himself crossing gangster Dutch Schultz.

The Host by Stephanie Meyer

In The Host, Stephanie Meyer tells the story of Wanderer, a Soul whose race survives by traveling from planet to planet and taking over the bodies of the inhabitants. When the Souls come to Earth, Wanderer is placed in the body of Melanie, who refuses to lose her consciousness. For the first time, Wanderer’s race of Souls seems to be succumbing to the habits and emotions of the race that they are taking over, becoming more human. Told in first person narrative by Wanderer with insertions by Melanie, the story describes a world in which humanity is infectious and the definition of what is right and what is wrong can change.

The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall

The four Penderwick sisters are back at home in this endearing sequel. This time , though, the adventure is getting serious. woderful aunt Claire comes for a visit but offers the dreadful thought that it's time for the girl's widowed father to start dating! YIKES! One bad date and the horrible stoies of awful literary steip-mothers haunt the sisters until they decide this datin stuff must stop. An emergency MOPS (Meeting of the Penderwick Sisters) meeting must be held. The "Save-Daddy" plan is hatched and goes into action in true Penderwick fashion. That's to say elaborate plans are made but only partially fulfilled and it sort of end in a fun but silly mess.

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

Fans of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series will not be disappointed as they join freshman Percy Jackson (half human, half Greek god) on his fourth quest. As Camp Half-Blood becomes increasing concerned that Luke will try to enter camp, Annabeth is chosen to go on a quest to find Daedalus’s workshop and prevent Luke from finding Ariandne’s string which will allow a user to navigate through the maze. Annabeth takes Percy, Tyson, and Grover on an action filled quest that will leave fans count the days until May 5, 2009 when the fifth book will be released.

All Shook Up by Shelley Pearsall

13-year old Josh Greenwood is forced to move from Boston to Chicago to live with his divorced dad for a few months while his mother goes to Florida to help her mother recover from a fall. When he arrives at the airport he is shocked to discover that his dad has lost his job selling shoes and has become an Elvis impersonator complete with jet black hair and sideburns. As Josh starts the 7th grade at the new school, he is desperate to blend in and worries constantly that the other kids will discover what his dad does for a living. And to make matters worse, his dad's new girlfriend has a daughter, Ivory, who is in his class at school and who could spill the beans anytime. The situation comes to a head when Josh's dad is invited to perform at a program at his school and he goes too far trying to keep "Elvis" from showing up at his school.
Strengths: Humorous and told in a very realistic middle school voice where the main concern is fitting in and avoiding being embarrassed by your parents. It deals with very serious issues in a believable way. This book should appeal to boys as well as girls.
Weaknesses: Some of the readers may not be aware of who Elvis was and the impact he made on the world.

Triskellion

Author: Will Peterson
Title: Triskellion
Publisher: Candlewick Press
ISBN: 978-0-7636-3971-6
Date: 2008
Price: $16.99
# Pages: 368
Call Number: F PET

Annotation: "A sense of foreboding sets in the moment fourteen-year-old twins Rachel and Adam arrive from New York to visit their English grandmother. The station is empty, village streets are deserted, locals are hostile, and even their frail Granny is oddly distant. And what about the bees that appear to follow a mysterious force? It all seems tied up with the Triskellion-- an intertwining symbol etched in chalk on the moors. With a growing sense of danger and white knuckle suspense, the twins are compelled to unearth a secret that has protected the village for centuries, one that reveals a shocking truth about their ancestors-- and themselves."

Strengths: Incorporates history into the book. Includes such topics as runes, archaeology, and genealogy.

Weaknesses: Ending does not answer all of your questions.

Author: Parker, Robert
Title: Edenville Owls
Publisher: Philomel Books Date: 2007 ISBN: 978-0-399-24656-2
Price: $18.00 #of pgs: 194 Call number: FIC PAR
Annotation: It is 1945, the end of World War II, and 8th grader, Bobby Murphy takes on two major challenges: (1) help free his teacher, Miss Delaney, from the clutches of a sinister stranger and (2) keep the Owls (his coachless, junior high basketball team) which he does by taking on the unofficial role of coach in addition to his player role. After witnessing an altercation between his teacher and a strange man, Bobby decides that he must get involved. With Owls' support, he investigates the stranger and ultimately saves his teacher from her abuser. This is a mystery that plays out to the end. Readers will like 14 year-old Bobby who is a true problem-solver and a champion of doing the right thing. His stock phrase, "I'll figure it out," is testimony to his relentless belief that challenges are meant to be solved. The author's carefully crafted dialogue between Bobby and his special friend, Joanie, is meaningful and wise for their ages. Lastly, using Bobby's thoughts as a launching point, the author effectively depicts the culture of post World War II ear.
Strength: heart-pounding suspense, poignant coming of age moments.

Author: Cooney, Caroline B.
Title: Diamonds in the Shadow
Publisher: Delacorte Press Date: Sept. 2007 ISBN: 978-0385732611
Price: $16.99 #of pgs: 228 Call number: FIC COO
Annotation: Diamonds in the Shadow introduces you to two families: The Finches who live in suburban Connecticut. They are good people, but naïve about the task they about to undertake. You will also meet the battle-scarred Amabo family of African refugees who are temporarily living with the Finches. These two families come together as the Finches agree to host the church-sponsored family from Sierra Leone. At first skeptical, teenage Jared warms quickly to the Amabos, especially to Mattu who is adjusting well to American life. The two boys bond quickly. On the other hand, sixth grader Mopsy loves her new friend Alake. However, as hard as Mopsy tries, Alake does not respond to anything Mopsy says or does, and has chronic nightmares. To confirm a growing suspicion about the family, Jared and Mopsy snoop through a box that is supposed to be the remains for Matte’s grandparents and discover uncut diamonds. They begin noticing how this family doesn’t really seem to act like a family at all. While the Amabos are adjusting to their new life and happy to escape their terrible past, a killer lurks closely watching their every step. Suddenly, both families find themselves in terrible danger.
Strength: Incredible plot! Great characters! A story that you will not want to end! Grabs
you at the end!

Author: Jinks, Catherine
Title: Evil Genius
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Date: 2007 ISBN: 978-015-205988-0
Price: $17.00 #of pgs: 486 Call number: FIC JIN
Annotation: This complex, engrossing tale of deception features Cadel, a 13-year old super-brain, who is being groomed for world domination. His mentor is his psychologist, the mysterious Thaddeus. Before entering this new "school" Cadel created the most spectacular traffic jam in Sydney. He also managed to cause all his classmates to fail their finals. His parents send him to this special school where he takes courses in such things as "Copying Skills" and "Accounting" which really are tutorials in embezzlement and lying. Cadel finds himself involved in multiple webs of intrigue, which, along with his own efforts to manipulate faculty and fellow students, result in numerous fatalities. He is a sympathetic anti-villain.
Strength: multiple layers of deception create a masterful plot; fanciful science fiction
Weakness: some may be turned away by the length of the novel, 486 pgs.

Author: Hill, Kirkpatrick
Title: Do Not Pass Go
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books Date: 2007 ISBN: 9781416914006
Price: $15.99 #of pgs: 229 Call number: FIC HIL
Annotation: Do Not Pass Go is the story of Alaskan high-schooler Deet: a good kid who has to take a leadership role in his family because his parents, although loving, are a bit flighty and irresponsible. Deet feels burdened by having to be the “adult” at home and these emotions are compounded by his growing alienation at school. When his father is arrested for drug possession and ultimately sent to prison, Deet’s first thoughts are not about his family, but about what the kids at school are going to think of him. Reality finally sets in, however, when Deet's family-life has to change radically as a result of the arrest. At first Deet is angry with his father for “ruining his life,” but soon Deet slips into a pattern of visiting his dad in jail every afternoon, while his mother learns to be the family bread winner. Eventually, Deet’s view of prisons and prisoners begins to change as he starts to see the people in prison through his father’s eyes. Through their stories, Deet sees the hopelessness of prison life as well as the reality that rehabilitation is not always possible. However, along the way, Deet also learns to have sympathy for people whose lives have followed an almost inevitable path while also realizing that something positive may come from his father’s incarceration after all.
Strength: Realistic characters and story. Serious subject matter is treated honestly and
tastefully.

Author: Riordan, Rick
Title: Lightning Thief
Publisher: Hyperion Date: 2005 ISBN: 9781415662984
Price: #of pgs: 375 Call number: FIC RIO
Annotation: This fast paced adventure which combines ancient Greek mythology with modern day appeal is narrated in first person by the main character, Percy (Perseus) Jackson. Percy is a twelve year old boy about to be kicked out of school for the third time when he finds out he is the half mortal son of a Greek god. He is then sent on a quest to recover Zeus’s stolen lightning bolt which leads to an action packed story.
Strength: Fast-paced, action packed and funny. Book one in the Percy Jackson and the
Olympians series.

Author: Mass, Wendy
Title: Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life
Publisher: Little, Brown and Co Date: 2006 ISBN: 0316058297
Price: 15.99 #of pgs: 289 Call number: FIC MAS
Annotation: A week before his thirteenth birthday, Jeremy fink receives a package in the mail from his father who died five years ago. The package contains a wooden box with the cryptic message "The Meaning of Life" engraved on the top. Unfortunately, the box has an intricatelocking mechanism and the keys have been lost. Jeremy and his friend Lizzy, embark on a quest to find the missing keys. This brings them into contact with many interesting characters who share their ideas about the meaning of life.
Strength: Refreshingly optimistic story with two strong main characters - one a boy and
the other a girl.

Author: C, Kashmira
Title: Keeping Corner
Publisher: Hyperion Date: 2007 ISBN: 9780786838592
Price: $15.99 #of pgs: 281 Call number: FIC SHE
Annotation: Keeping Corner is the story of a young girl named Leela who has been sheltered and spoiled her entire life. She and her family live in a small village on the border of India and Pakistan (around 1918-19) where Leela focuses most of her attention on jewelry, clothing and her pending arranged marriage to a boy she hardly knows. She has no use for or interest in school, learning or the growing unrest in her country between the British colonists and the people of India; many of whom live in poverty. Rather, Leela spends her days looking forward to the presents and adoration that she will receive when she gets married. But when Leela's new husband dies and her life changes forever. Instead of being showered with attention and expensive baubles, she finds that she must "keep corner" for an entire year. During this period of isolation, Leela must shave her head and give away her most prized possessions in preparation for the life of mourning she will now be expected to live for the remainder of her life. However, it is only during this period of seclusion that Leela's eyes are opened to the plight of her countrymen, the political unrest that is shaking her nation and the wave of excitement being started by the non-violent protests of a man named Gandhi.
Strength: Historical fiction with sympathetic and interesting characters. Topics relating to
multiculturalism and social justice are explored with honesty and wit.
Weakness: Unfamiliar terminology

Author: Smith, Roland
Title: Peak
Publisher: Harcourt Date: 2007 ISBN: 978-0-15-202417-8
Price: $15 #of pgs: 246 Call number: FIC SMI
Annotation: Peak Marcello is 14 and has a passion for climbing, so much so that he is arrested for scaling tall buildings. His family makes a deal with the judge to send him to live with his father, who is preparing for a Himalayan expedition to climb Mount Everest. Peak could be the youngest climber to reach the summit. His father's motives for wanting to join the group are less than fatherly as he is using the trip for financial gain and publicity. While preparing for the climb Peak works under a Sherpa for training and befriends Sun-jo, a Nepalese boy his own age. As the climbers are about to make final preparations an overzealous Chinese police captain searches them for passport and underage violations. Mix the dangers of mount climbing, family issues, international cultural struggles and Peak's difficult decision concerning all of those issues and you will find this story well-crafted.
Strength: Well crafted plot development; exotic setting; cultural diversity; adventure

Author: Wolf, Allan
Title: Zane's Trace
Publisher: Candlewick Press Date: 2007 ISBN: 9780763628581
Price: $16.99 #of pgs: 177 Call number: FIC WOL
Annotation: Zane's Trace is the story Zane Guesswind, a young man whose teenage
years are made all the more difficult by the fact that his family is troubled by mental
illness, substance abuse and suicide. To make matters worse, Zane has epilepsy, is an
outsider in school and has to live with his aging and crotchety grandfather who treats
Zane, at best, with contempt. As a way of working through his pain and expressing how
he feels, Zane writes and draws obsessively with permanent markers all over his bedroom
walls until one day his frantic scribblings seem to start coming true. First, the bully at
school, who won't give Zane a break, suddenly moves away the day after Zane wishes,
(in writing on his wall), that he'd just disappear. The story quickly changes gears,
however, when, believing he has similarly caused the death of his grandfather, Zane
steals his father's car, (a 1969 Plymouth Barracuda), and begins a 300+ mile trek to
Zanesville, Ohio. There, Zane plans to shoot himself at his mother's graveside, using the
heirloom pistol that she used to kill herself when Zane was only a child. Along the way,
he picks up a mysterious hitchhiker, Libba, and meets motley, and even ghostly, cast of
characters, each of whom helps Zane come to terms with which he is and the hand that
life has dealt him.
Strength: Written almost entirely in free verse, this novel is fast paced, funny and
poignant. It handles serious subject matter with intelligence and honesty without
becoming maudlin. The characters are realistic, easy to relate to and readers instantly care
what happens to them.
Weakness: Limited profanity and serious subject matter. However, all topics are handled
tastefully.

Author: Pfeffer, Susan Beth
Title: Life as We Knew It
Publisher: Harcourt Date: 2006 ISBN: 0152058265
Price: $17.00 #of pgs: 352 Call number: FIC PFE
Annotation: A frighteningly plausible tale of an asteroid hitting the moon and throwing
the Earth off its axis causing violent earthquakes, massive tsunamis, an increase in
volcanic activity and millions of deaths. The book follows Miranda, a high school aged
girl and her family as they prepare for the worst. The world as we know it is changed.
Miranda is no longer worried about the everyday concerns of a normal teenager as she
now has to fight the elements, starvation, and disease in a daily struggle for survival.
Journal writing keeps Miranda focused and keeps the reader enthralled waiting to see if
there is a future for this family and others.
Strength: Well depicted characters and believable plot development.

Crutcher, Chris Deadline
Publisher: Greenwillow Date: 2007 ISBN: 978-0-06-085089-0 Price: $16.99 #of pgs: 316 Call number: F Crutcher
Annotation: Ben Wolf has gotten the ultimate punch in the gut. He’s eighteen years old, a senior in high school, when he finds out that he has an incurable blood disease. He orders his doctor not to tell anyone (and because he’s of legal age he gets away with it) and he sets out to have the best year possible.
Ben has his reasons for making the decision not to tell anyone. His mother is bipolar, with nightmarish manic and depressive cycles. Ben has no idea how his mother will react to the news, except it won’t be good. His father has all on his plate that he can handle. Ben also wants to be treated normally – he doesn’t want to be known as the "dying kid." Finally, he wants to do some
things that he would never have had the nerve to do otherwise – such as playing football (at 123 pounds) and seeing how far he can go with Dallas Suzuki.
So Ben plays football with his brother, starts a relationship with Dallas, and continually irritates his government teacher by pointing out how bigoted he is. To Ben, "somehow I knew my chances aren’t about living, they’re about living well" (p. 10) and that’s what he does.
Strength: Theme -- the idea of getting the most out of life. Crutcher's characters are also very appealing.
Weakness: Crutcher does hit a lot of problems in this novel but I think he does it successfully.
Cover Appeal:
The cover has a picture of boy upside down -- appropriate since Ben's life has been turned upside down. It would be appealing for both boys and girls

Morgenroth, Kate ECHO
Publisher: Simon & Schuster 2007 ISBN 1-4169-1438-2 Price: $16.00 #pages:137p Call number: FIC MOR
Annotation: The story begins with a scene (not explicit) in which Justin witnesses his 12-year-old brother inadvertently killing himself. Fast-forward one year, and Justin, guilty, angry, and guided only by a voice in his head, readies himself for school, endures bullying classmates, and suffers a painful encounter with his former girlfriend. Then, during an angry confrontation, he watches his former best friend tumble down the school stairs. The following acts of an unstable mind will surprise most readers and frustrate some.
Strengths: Students who enjoy psychological novels will enjoy this one, which shows one young man's struggle to live a "normal" life, but who's life will never be normal again.
Weaknesses: Justin's situation gives little hope.

Dessen, Sarah Just Listen
Publisher: Viking Date: 2006 ISBN: 0670061050 Price: $18.00 #of pgs: 371 Call number: FIC DES
Annotation: Starting her junior year, Annabel Green is ostracized by her friends because she will not confront her former best friend –mean and vindictive Sophie-- about what happened with Sophie’s boyfriend at a summer party. Annabel does not want to disappoint her mother who is recovering from depression, so she continues to model part-time. She goes along with her family’s cheerful attitude that everything is fine even though there is strife caused by her older sister deciding not to pursue a modeling career and her middle sister’s severe anorexia. Annabel struggles throughout the story to avoid confrontation at all costs and shield her friends and family from any unpleasantness. This coping strategy has always worked before, but now seems to make things worse. As her friendship with the school’s most obnoxious loner, Owen, develops, her carefully structured world begins to fall apart and keeping silent about issues no longer works. Owen, a part-time dj at a community radio station, dealing with his own anger
management, tries to broaden Annabel’s music taste. He exhorts her to "Don't think, or judge. Just listen." With his advice and unfailing honesty, she begins to realize that recognizing her emotions and dealing honestly with issues and people is not as devastating as she feared.

Cover: Somewhat boring: partial side view of young girl with an IPOD in her jeans pocket.

Franklin, Emily The Other Half of Me
Publisher: Delcorte Press Date: 2007 ISBN: 0-385-90449-0 Price: $16.00 #of pgs: 247
Call number: FIC FRA
Annotation: Jenny is a struggling artist with many doubts about herself. The biggest doubt is whether her family cares about her interest as much as their athletic pursuits. She has known all her life that her biological father was sperm donor. Her mother was concerned that she might not have a family and wanted a child very much. The mother soon married and had three other children. Jenny has young twin sisters who are very much alike and enjoy each other’s company; she also has a younger brother who is quiet and very athletic.
Her long time love interest begins to pursue her and encourages her to pursue the donor registry to see if she has a sibling from Donor 125. She does and the girl comes for a surprise visit, much to the dismay of some in her family. When the new girl wins over the family, she is crushed and sees that they are not alike as she had hoped. The end of the story is realistic and one that reader will accept.
Strength: The plot surrounds the feeling of not fitting into your family; like you are an odd ball. New love and jealousy is a popular reading theme with our students. Definitely a chick lit book.
Weakness: Not sure if students are interested in sperm donors, but they will like the need to feel like you fit in your family.
Cover appeal: Bright yellow cover with empty, split-in-half egg shell.

Draper, Sharon November Blues
Publisher: Atheneum Date:2007 ISBN:1-4169-0698-3 Price:$17.00 #of pgs:316 Call number: FIC DRA
Annotation: This sequel to Battle of Jericho; however, it is not necessary to have read that book first. Life doesn't go as planned in this realistic novel about a sixteen year old girl named November who has so many positive future plans, a great family, good friends, and is respected by her teachers. When she discovers she is pregnant 2 months after her boyfriend, Josh, died from a pledge stunt gone terribly wrong, she is truly unprepared and recognizes that she is so not ready to have a child. Josh's cousin Jericho, is having a very difficult time after the death of his best friend, Josh; he gives up his trumpet to play football. To add to the problems the father of the baby's parents find a way out of their depression by trying to adopted the baby. Too keep the subplots going we have an overweight, bullied girl who becomes a good friend to both November and Jericho. The ending was climatic, realistic and satisfying. A must read for both boys and girls.
Strength: characterization is well-developed, plot is fast paced
Weakness: dialogue is somewhat artificial or stifled
Cover Appeal: beautiful girl with a serious expression and a football player looking at the stands

Anderson, Laurie Halse Twisted
Publisher: Viking Date: 2007 ISBN: 978-0-670-06101-3 Price: $17.00 #of pgs: 250 Call number: FIC AND
Annotation: Sixteen-year-old Tyler is just completed his community service hours given to him by a judge after he wrote, misspelling many of the words, on his high school building. He is in love with Brittany, the most popular girl in school, whose father is his father's boss and whose brother is the leader of the group of athletes who constantly harass him . When Brittany makes a play for Tyler after drinking heavily at the party without adults, Tyler does the honorable thing and walks away, but Brittany is drunk and has no idea what shame awaits her. The events that follow are realistic and in Anderson's style of an important lesson learned the hard way. Twisted are the families, the way of thinking, and acting in this suburban high school.
Strength: Fast paced; funny, clever dialogue
Weakness: High School language and situations may be to explicit

Bruchac, Joseph The Way
Publisher: Darby Creek Publishing Date: 2007 ISBN: 978-1-58196-062-4 Price: 16.95 #of pgs: 156
Call number: FIC BRU
Annotation: One TP (trailer park) after another, Cody LeBeau remains unpopular and teased, often retreating into a fantasy world where he is always the unsung, no super-powers, martial art yielding hero. Long River High School seems to be no different, as Cody endures more torture at the hands of the jocks. To Cody’s shock, he is greeted one afternoon at home by his mother and a stranger that she introduces as Uncle John, her brother. John has come to stay with the LeBeaus while he trains for an Ultimate Fight Contest being held at the local Native American owned casino. Uncle John begins to teach Cody about "The Way" – not necessarily of the fist or fighting but a way of life that helps bring Cody into himself as a practitioner of self-healing and self-awareness.
Strength: high interest for boys, Native Americans, and those who don't feel they "fit in", contemporary issues/school violence
Weakness: time passes very quickly in this book, leaving the reader to wonder what has happened in between and why Cody "picks up" so quickly
Cover Appeal: Teenage non-white male on the cover with a bear paw and yin/yang symbol

Ellen Hopkins's IDENTICAL

Author: Hopkins, Ellen

Title: IDENTICAL

Publisher: McElderry ISBN (library bind):1416950052
Price: $17.99 #pages: 565 Call number: FIC HOP

Annotation: Identical twin daughters of a father who is a local judge and a mother who is running for congress may look identical but have very different ways of dealing with their family secrets. Discovery of the father’s family secrets only slightly helps the reader understand how the twins can deal with their father’s sins. The mother is so detached that the reader will really have little sympathy for her losses. Be prepared for Hopkins’s usual blunt dealings with dysfunctional family problems like bingeing/purge disorders; sexual encounters; cutting; drug and alcohol abuse; and finally incest. The descriptions are in some detail, but the use of use of free verse does lessen the horribleness, somewhat. The twist at the end doesn’t really help, but it is another attempt to help the reader deal with this family.

Recommended grade levels:11-12

Myers, Stephanie ECLIPSE
Publisher: Little, Brown & Co. Date: 2007 ISBN: 978-0-316-160209 (hardcover) Price: $18.99 #of pgs: 629 Call number: FIC MEY
Annotation: This book is a sequel to Twilight and New Moon by Stephanie Meyer. As graduation approaches and college looms in the near future, Bella is once again the center of danger. Trying to balance her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob amidst their age-old hatred, Bella faces dangers from old and new enemies - entangling Jacob and Edward in her protection. The vampire and werewolf come to understand that both care for her deeply. The understanding leads to a new relationship between the Cullens and the Blacks, protecting Bella being their common goal.
Strength: Fast paced
Cover Appeal: a free-floating fraying red ribbon on a black background

The Calder Game by Blue Balliett

Petra, Calder and Tommy are back with another great math and art related mystery. Calder goes to England with his Dad. He has a great time exploring the small town where they are staying. There's a new art installation in town of a Calder (the artist) sculpture that he finds fascinating because his class had just gone to see a Calder exhibit in Chicago before he left. He's got a whole plan for how let his friends know how much fun he's having...until he dissappears and so does the sculpture. Are the related? That's the mystery


Petra and Tommy get to go to England to help find him and they create lots of extra intrigue and humor to the rest of the plot.

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd

A solid mystery about the dissappearance of the main characters' cousin. He gets on the London Eye to ride it but never gets off.

What happened to Salim? Has he been kidnapped? Did he run away? Did he get lost? Maybe he didn't get on in the first place!

This book has an interesting twist in how it gets solved. Ted, one of our main characters, has a "brain that runs on a different operating system" than everyone else. We are never told but can assume he has asburgher's (sp?) syndrome. His autistic tendancies, and his sister's ability to keep him focused, are the fuel to figuring out this mystery.

Great family story and an intriguing mystery. There's a little bit of british cultural stuff that kids might confuse but not enough to keep anyone away from this little gem.

Pretty cool

Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer

OK - I KNOW some of you have read this much anticipated final novel of the Twilight sequence.
What's the word? Are you putting it in your middle or high school library? Are you happy with the outcome? Do you think it was a weird twist to get it all worked out?

Let's talk about it!

I haven't read it yet but know the story - I forced a friends to tall me. I want to know what you guys think!

The Puzzling World of Winston Breen by Eric Berlin

Winston Breen loves puzzles. When he buys his sister a box at the local antique store, he is amazed to find part of a puzzle inside. The two children decide to solve the puzzle with the help of a public librarian and some disturbing adults who seem to want any prize for themselves.

Berlin, a puzzle creator, said he wrote the kind of book he wanted to read as a kid. The book is filled with logic puzzles for added enjoyment, but the reader does not need to solve the puzzles in order to understand the story.

Readers can print out copies of the puzzles from the book's website (click on the book title--hopefully it has linked correctly!) so they don't need to write in the book!

This book is a lot of fun--I booktalked it with 4th and 5th graders and then had them do one of the puzzles from the book. The puzzles have different complexity, so all readers can feel successful on at least some of them. (OK, I admit it--I didn't get them all correct!)

Good for grades 3 and up, and at least some middle school readers.

Dear Zoe by Philip Beard

Tess deals with the tragic, accidental death of her young sister Zoe by writing her a letter. She chronicles her life since the hit and run accident, including a summer romance. She also tells Zoe stories about their family before she (Zoe was born) and about the things Zoe used to do. Finally, Tess addresses the day that Zoe died, Sept.11, 2001, and her guilt over what happened to Zoe.

I LOVED this book too!

Strengths: A great way to write this novel about finding your place in the world as a teenager and as the survivor of a lost family member. Teens will relate to the problems that Tess deals with, from how long it takes to get ready in the morning, to trying drugs and sex for the first time. Many will relate to the family situations involving Tess’s step-dad and her real dad as well. Deals with the different ways people cope with a loss.

Concerns: Sex and drugs. Again. This book had more drug use than A Certain Slant of Light, but I don’t think readers will be terribly shocked at the characters’ use of marijuana. It only touches briefly on sex and not in much detail.

A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb

Helen has been haunting people for 130 years when, for the first time, human eyes see her. James haunted a piece of land until he inhabited the body of a teenager named Billy. As he learns more about himself and struggles to make Billy fit into a dysfunctional family that consists only of Billy and his older brother, James falls in love with Helen. He then convinces her to inhabit the body of Jenny, who is part of a dysfunctional family that seems perfect from the outside. Together they find out new things about their past and learn the secrets of Billy and Jenny.

I LOVED this book!

Strengths: Teens will love the love story between Helen and James. They will also love to hate the families that they have become part of (especially Helen’s). The fact that it is a story with supernatural elements will appeal to many.

Weaknesses: The supernatural element is a great twist to this love story, but it is sometimes confusing. Why does Helen cleave to people, while James haunted a place? How did James figure out how to possess human bodies and then how to finally leave for good?

Concerns: Sex and drugs. I am more concerned with the sex part, although it does not go into any detail, they sure “do it” a lot.

The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga

The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl is told from the perspective of a self-described 15-year-old high school geek with a comic book obsession. His story documents much of the drama and trauma that high school students face, including bullying, friends moving on to new cliques, first time experience with girls and attraction, and the difficulties of a blended family. Throughout the novel, Fanboy develops a new sense of trust for his family and friends as he creates his own graphic novel and slowly shares it with the important people in his life. In doing so, his relationships become more adult and his understanding of himself improves. He grows up a little bit. The book incorporates the mention and discussion of many graphic novels and comic book series, even posing the ideas of collecting versus pleasure reading against one another.Grades 9-12

Originally posted on the Best Books blog by Jennifer Parry-Hill at 10:43 AM on Feb 5, 2008

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

This book is a must have for all middle schoolers. Greh Heffley is a 6th grader who wants to make his mark in the school. In his attempts of making his mark his has tried weightlifting, creating the ultimate haunted house, trying for class treasurer, and trying to bet the World Record for the biggest snowman. However his attempts never work because he is always caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Middle school readers can relate to the typical teenage problems. The author is clever is using cartoons to play up the humor of the book.

Originally posted on Best Books by Ms. Monroe at 12:11 PM on Jan 2, 2008

The Re-gifters by Mike Carey

The Re-Gifters by Mike Carey is an engaging graphic novel that will surely delight young middle school students. A Korean American teenager Dixie plans to attend a martial arts tournament coming up in their neighborhood. Unfortunately, Dixie uses her entry-fee money to buy an expensive gift for her crush Adam. Soon after that gift is regifted and regifted with surprising plot twists. This graphic novel is a great addition to any middle school library. Students will be able to learn from Dixie's mistakes and realize money won't buy you happiness.

Originally posted on Best Books by Jackie G. at 9:39 AM on Jan 24, 2008

The Daring Book for Girls by Miriam Peskowitz

There is so much information contained in these 279 pages. Everyone has some gaps in their learning and this is the book to fill those gaps. The book contains some information for a variety of ages: slumber pary games, famous women, how to change a tire, and Latin root words. There is something for every elementary and middle school girl.

Originally posted on the Best Books Blog by CWasserman at 1:15 PM on Jan 2, 2008

A Companion title to the The Dangerous Book for Boys

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

The last of the Harry Potter's series ends your wait for all the answers and finally brings together everything. Is Harry ready to risk it all to find the truth? What lies in the future for Harry and his friends?

Originally posted on the Best Books blog by Ms. Monroe at 2:29 PM on Jan 3, 2008

What are your student reactions? Anyone had anything interesting from your kids on this one, now that the whole series is over...?

Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer

The third book of Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" leaves you wanting more in this love triangle saga. As always Bella is in danger, but this time she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob. She knows her decision may start up a struggle between vampire and werewolf. Graduation is around the corner and the Cullen's agreed to make her a vampire. A choice between life and death. An aging life with her family and Jacob or a forever life in death with Edward without her family and Jacob. Is her love worth a breaking the treaty between the vampires and the werewolf?

Originally posted on the Best Books blog by Ms. Monroe at 2:47 PM on Jan 3, 2008

Our mission

Welcome to the NC Prose and Cons book blog. The Prose and Cons blog has been created for the library professionals in the area to chat and discuss current titles for our collections. This is the place to ask questions, share about how a book is received by your students as well as bring up little annoying quibbles you may have - but lets remember to be nice! We are professionals and this is our opportunity to share our thoughts and concerns.

If you want to join, please email Betsy Crone croneh@gcsnc.com and please tell me how you are related to our library community. I'll send you an invitation and ...ta da... you'll be able to chat with us.

...a special thanks to Tricia Goodman at Sternberger Elem. for her suggestion of Prose and Cons as our clever title!