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.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
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.
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.
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
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
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
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
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