Sam and CY students & staff are reading…

Who would like this book? Teens who like fantasy that is laced with historical fiction and swash-buckling adventure. If you like flight and can imagine a dirigible-like, high-class cruise ship that flies over the Pacificus, don’t miss this tale. If you like mythological animals, that’s another reason to read it. Ditto if you’re into pirates.

Why? Oppel writes from the point of view of Matt Cruse, a 15-year-old cabin boy aboard the luxury cruise ship, the Aurora. Matt is a natural on the ship and in the air. The story opens as he makes a daring rescue of a disabled gondola with an older, deceased passenger. This event and the mysterious passenger’s journal frame the adventures that follow, and these adventures kept me rapt. Matt’s relationship with the fiesty and wealthy Kate is perfectly frustrating, and the introduction of a myriad of characters and plot twists is seamless and satisfying. Readers who like the mechanics of ships will appreciate the details that Oppel includes as Matt narrates the adventures; the rest of us will skim ahead to find out what happens next. Matt’s need to make a connection with his father (who died while serving on the Aurora) reminded me of The Kite Rider.
The details: 368 p. 2004

Who would like this book? Teens and adults who are interested in what it was like to live in Germany during World War II.
Why? It’s a good thing that Eleanor Ramrath Garner wrote this book because her story needs to be told. Their family, Germans who immigrated to the U.S. in the late 1930s, moved back to Germany on the eve of World War II because their father had been offered a job that he couldn’t resist. The book is a great example of perspective. We’re immersed in WWII, so we wonder how he could have made such a decision. At the time, though, Hitler’s intentions were debatable. When Hitler invaded Poland soon after their move, their father changed his mind, but it was too late to get back to the States and the family went through the horrors of WWII in Berlin. Ms. Garner has a remarkable memory. She includes copious details about their daily lives and relationships, giving rich insight into what it was like to live at the time. She keeps her focus on her own life, only including information about the wider war as she discovered it. She gives a good sense of coming-of-age. Warning: This book is not a page-turner. It takes patience to read it, but the perspective it brings is well worth the effort. It made me cry at the end.

The details: 269 p. 1999

Who would like this book? Young teens who like it when teen protagonists take on “the big bad guys,” in this case the owners of a floating casino who are dumping raw sewage. Get ready to bite your nails.

Why? Hiaasen’s story of the ecologically-oriented family, the Underwoods, opens with the dad in jail for trying to sink the floating casino that he believes is dumping raw sewage into the ocean near their Florida Keys home. The family has their problems related to their dad’s fanaticism, but his kids, Noah and Abbey, feel compelled to prove that he’s right. We get the story from Noah’s point of view, which is great because he’s extremely likable and always learning, especially when it comes to the world of the casino and characters such as Shelly, the bartender, and her boyfriend Lice. The climax had me at the edge of my seat, and I also appreciated how the family dynamics unfolded. What I want to do is go to Florida and watch the sunrise over the Atlantic and then drive across to the west side of the peninsula and watch the sunset over the Gulf of Mexico.

The Details: 263 p. 2005

Who would like this book? Teens who wonder what it would have been like to have been a Japanese teenager living in Hawaii when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on September 7, 1941.

Why? Tomi is an American teenager who loves baseball, hangs out with his friends who call themselves the “Rats,” and loves his dog Lucky. He was born in Hawaii, but his parents and grandfather were born in Japan. Their ethnic situation is a serious problem in 1941 and becomes catastrophic after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Salisbury gives us a heart-wrenching presentation of that event and its impact on the lives of the people on the island through Tomi’s point of view. This book is an excellent way to learn about this part of World War II and would be a solid basis for discussion about racial discrimination, immigration, and bullying.

The details: 246 p. 1994

Who would like this book? Teens or adults who want a work of historical fiction that depicts the slave trade and plantation life in the South from the point of view of an African teenaged girl who becomes enslaved and a Southern white girl who is indentured.

Why? Copper Sun opens with an idyllic portrayal of Amari, a young Ashanti teenager who delights in the rhythm of life in her tribe and anticipates love with Besa, her betrothed. When her tribe welcomes the white visitors with warm hospitality, she is shocked when they respond with brutality. The book follows her story as she is enslaved, shipped to the colonies, and sold to a plantation owner in the Carolinas. At this point, the point of view of Polly is introduced. Polly, close in age to Amari, is a white girl whose family hs landed on hard times and who has been indentured to the same plantation owner for 14 years. The stark, unflinching presentation of the brutality and injustice of their lives is shattering, but their perseverance and growing friendship keeps hope alive and kept me spellbound. The other characters are well-drawn, giving insight into how and why people react differently to terrible situations. This book would be an excellent way to study this period of history and is well-deserving of its place as the winner of the 2007 Coretta Scott King Award.

The details: 306 p. 2006

Who would like this book? Teens and adults who love the power of stories and are fascinated by the legend of The Book of One Thousand and One Nights (The Arabian Nights) will love this exciting tale.

Why? Shahrazad, the Sultan’s newest wife, is saving her own life and the lives of the kingdom’s young women. She is holding the interest of the Sultan night after night with her stories. Before Shahrazad, the Sultan had been killing each of his wives after one night to make certain that they would not betray him. Marjan, a young orphan with a crippled foot who loves to tell stories, idolizes Shahrazad and is amazed when Shahrazad enlists Marjan’s help to find a story that the Sultan has never heard before. Marjan’s quest for a specific story becomes a thrilling story in itself. The quest helps her uncover the story of her own past, making the book like a rich fabric of interwoven stories. It kept me breathless and made me cry.

The details: 224 p. 1998

Who would like this book? Younger teen and pre-teen girls who would like an unlikely quest for a prince that includes a competition to become the princess, many suspenseful challenges, the power of songs, and a magical way of communicating.

Why? Though this book is a fantasy, it has the feel of history. The setting, Mount Eskel, is viewed with disdain by the rest of the kingdom even though they mine the prize stone, linder. Mount Eskel’s prospects improve when it is chosen as the village from which the prince will choose his bride. The teen-aged girls must leave their village to attend a Princess Academy to learn the ways of the cultured lowlanders, a venture that brings the girls many challenges and difficult situations. The story belongs to Miri, a smart and sensitive 14-year-old. Her relationships with her father and sister, with the other girls, with her friend Peder, and with a magical way of communication called “quarry-speak” makes the book a worthwhile read. If you enjoyed Goose Girl, be sure to read Princess Academy.

The details:  314 p. 2005

Who would like this book? Teens who are interested in the healing power of the wilderness, the psychology of a bully, and alternatives to the juvenile justice system OR who just want a good cliffhanger featuring a giant white bear.

Why? Touching Spirit Bear gives us the point of view of Cole Mathews, an angry young man who blames everyone else for his problems and comes at the world with a chip on his shoulder that’s the size of a boulder. When his penchant for violence causes real damage to Peter, a vulnerable classmate, Cole is faced with severe consequences. Enter Garvey, a Tlingit Indian parole officer, who proposes “Circle Justice” for Cole, a practice that involves being banished to a remote Alaskan island for a year. This proposal sets a series of events in motion that kept me spellbound. Cole’s sneering attitude gets old, and for awhile I felt the same as Garvey and Edwin (Cole’s other mentor) when they want to give up on Cole, but I’m glad I stuck with it. The ending is well worth it.

The details: 240 p. 2001

Who would like this book? Teens who are interested in 13th century China (I know you’re out there!), the 13th century equivalent of an extreme sport (flying by being strapped to a kite), life in a circus, Kublai Khan, and when it might be best to disobey your elders.

Why? It’s the 13th century, and China has just been conquered by the Mongol, Kublai Khan. The story opens at a port, where Haoyou, a bright and serious 12-year-old boy, witnesses his father plummet to his death after being enlisted as a “wind-tester” by DiJou, the unscrupulous first mate who wants to marry Haoyou’s beautiful mother. The story takes off from this bit of murderous treachery, and Haoyou has his hands full warding off the conniving DiJou and his equally despicable uncle, Uncle Bo. As head of the household, Uncle Bo demands complete obedience from Haoyou. A significant thread through the book is how Haoyou comes to terms with this Confucian stricture when applied to his greedy, pompous, selfish lout of an uncle. There’s also threads that deal with racism and grief, and of course an historical view of 13th century China, but the adventure of the story is so exciting that I didn’t think about these aspects until after I’d finished.

The details: 307 p. 2003.