October 28th 2007
Who would like this book? Teens and preteens who like mystery, suspense, and horror in a well-told tale with roots in ancient beliefs in a world where reality merges with dreams.
Why? Molly, the 6th grade narrator of the story, has been immersed in her Mohawk heritage by her parents. The book begins with Molly’s father telling the story of the skeleton man who ate himself and everything else that he could. With this story as a frame, setting the mood, Molly shares about the night that her parents failed to return home and how she was sent to live with a mysterious “uncle” in a spooky house with a locked shed in the backyard. To say that Molly is in serious trouble does not give away the story. The suspense, the help that she gets from unexpected places (and most of all, from herself!)), and the undefined nature of the “uncle” combine to make this book more than just another scary story. And who is Molly Brant?
October 28th 2007
Who would like this book? Teens (especially girls) who like stories about real-life problems and solutions that involve friendships, family problems, and romance.
Why? As The Truth about Forever opens, Macy Queen is 17 and trying to be perfect. Perfect daughter to her mother, perfect girlfriend to her unemotional brainy boyfriend, perfect student, and perfect at her new job at the library. She and her mother are always “fine, just fine.” The perfect show is a thin veneer, though, covering her grief over her dad’s death in the year. Then she meets “Wish,” a zany extended family who run a catering business, as they cater an event for her mother. Macy can’t resist their honesty and starts to work with them, a job that opens up a growing friendship with Wes, a smashingly handsome member of the “Wish” crew (”Sa-wooon!”). Great characters and great dialog fill the plot. My dad died when I was young (and my sons’ dad died when they were young), and I found so much truth and wisdom related to how families grieve in this book that I wished that I could have read it when I was thirteen. It would have changed my life!
October 28th 2007
Who would like this book? Teens (and adults) with an interest in autism and how it affects family relationships.
Why? Catherine, the 12-year-old narrator of the book, struggles with the responsibilities that come along with having an autistic brother. She wants to lead a normal life and tries to make her brother’s behavior “normal” by teaching him rules. Each chapter starts with a rule – and then events unfold that show how human interactions quickly get too complex for simple rules. This book is worth reading not only for the insights that it lends to autism, but also for the friendship that grows between Catherine and Jason, a nonverbal paraplegic. The exploration of what is worthwhile, what is “normal,” and what is friendship is sensitive and moving.
October 28th 2007
Who would like this book? Sherman Alexie fans! New to Sherman Alexie? Go for this book if you want an honest portrayal of a geeky artististic teenager frustrated with his life on the Spokane Indian Reservation.
Why? The main character, 14-year-old “Junior,” loves to draw and think, but is geeky and gets beat up a lot on the reservation. His best friend, Rowdy, saves him until Junior decides to transfer to the upper class white school outside of the “rez.” Junior has a rough time as he straddles the two worlds: the tragedies made me cry and his resilient humor made me laugh out loud. Junior loves to draw, and the book has illustrations by Ellen Forney that fill in perfectly as Junior’s work. They complement Alexie’s prose perfectly. This book stands up as an excellent portrayal of a person who rises above the odds and seeks to make a better life for himself and his community. (An additional comment: Alexie includes a full portrayal of Junior, including his thoughts on masturbating.)
October 10th 2007
Who would like this book? Teens and pre-teens who want to take a ride with Dulcie, a plucky teenager who strikes out to find a connection with her father, who died about a year before. Inspiring without a drop of sentimentality.
Why? Dulcie doesn’t appreciate that her mom has moved far away from the life that they shared with her dad. After he died, her mom moved them to California, and Dulcie is so unhappy about it that she steals the family pick-up truck and drives back across the country to Newberry, Connecticut, where her grandfather continues to run the family janitorial business. Her grandfather Frank has hired another teenager, Roxanne, and Dulcie joins them for a summer that unfolds with many significant events and realizations. The connections that grow between them makes the book worth reading.
The details: 168 p. 2006
October 7th 2007
Who would like this book? Teens and pre-teens who want to see life through the perspective of a dog that must fend for herself.
Why? Ann Martin uses an extended flashback narrative device as the framework for Addie (or Squirrel, her two most genuine names in the story) to look back and tell the story of her life as a stray dog. What is most important to Addie is her mother and brother, Bone. Her daily challenges of finding food, shelter, and safety are almost always enveloped in her desire to find Bone. Martin is a deft writer and is able to keep the narrative from being sentimental and trite. Addie’s honest narration of the events of her life and her feelings about them kept me fascinated. I started to watch out for a stray to adopt. Shhh, don’t tell me husband.
The details: 182 p. 2005