July 26th 2009
Who would like this book? Read this book if you are interested in the Latino culture of Los Angeles, if you want to be inspired, or if you like this quote: “Remember this thing – any small goodness is of value.”
Why? In Any Small Goodness: A Novel of the Barrio, eleven-year-old Arturo Rodriguez tells about his life with his family, friends, and school in the barrio of Los Angeles. Each chapter – with names such as Corn Fungus, The Lunch Box, and The Green Needle Gang – gives the reader a distinct story about a character or event in his life. Some of the stories are hilarious and moving, such as the one about Hitalacoche, the family cat. The inter-related snapshots of Turo’s life introduce us to his Papi, Mami, brother Luis, sister Rosa, grandmother Abuelita, along with a colorful assortment of other people in the barrio such as Leo Love, Coach Tree, and Ms. Cloud. There are also the low-life punks who try to make life bad for the Rodriguez family. Johnstone, through Arturo (“Turo” for short), writes with warm prose that is sprinkled with Spanish. A handy glossary at the end helps the English-only reader. I fell in love with Turo and his family – especially his Papi – as I read this book. I could smell the tamales and see the bright eyes of Rosa. It’s a quick read; every page is delicious. Battle of the Book participants! Don’t miss this book! It’s a selection for 2009-2010.
The details: 128 p. 2001
A Battle of the Books selection for 2009-2010
July 26th 2009
Who would like this book? Both fans of graphic novels and students interested in the lives of quirky, artistic, intelligent kids on the “outside” of the in-crowd.
Why? This graphic novel starts out with a bang, literally. Jane is walking past a café in Metro City when a bomb goes off, sending her to the hospital along with a mysterious young man who does not regain consciousness. Jane’s parents decide to move to the safe suburb of Kent Waters, and Jane is bored and depressed over her new not-life at Buz Aldrin High School. She is drawn to three girls, all social misfits and each with a “Jane” name. At first they are withdrawn, but Jane hits on a creative, edgy plan to bring them to life. The result is PLAIN – People Loving Art in Neighborhoods – and a spurt of unique “art attacks.” Jane’s spunky efforts to work through the trauma of the bombing and to ignite creative thought in the complacent suburb are inspiring. The story gains focus through her letters to John Doe, the mysterious young man back at the hospital in Metro City. The graphic novel format is an excellent match for the plot and characters, and Rugg’s drawings are superb. It’s great to have a graphic novel as a YRCA nominee (2010) and as a selection for the 2009-2010 Battle of the Books.
The details: 176 p. 2007 Review by Samrarian
A Battle of the Books selection for 2009-2010 and a 2010 YRCA nominee
July 25th 2009
Who would like this book? Readers grades 5 and up looking for a moving story narrated by a 12-year-old girl who knows nothing about her family and is determined to uncover the mysteries. If you like books by Sharon Creech, you’ll probably like So B. It.
Why? Heidi, 12 or 13 years old, lives in a very small world that revolves around her learning-disabled mom, and their neighbor Bernadette, who has agoraphobia. Bernie has cared for Heidi and her mom since the two showed up on her doorstep on a rainy afternoon in Reno when Heidi was a newborn, and it was obvious that her mom could not care for her. The mystery of where they came from and why no one has come to look for them nags at Heidi as she grows up even though she loves her mom and Bernie greatly. Her mom has a vocabulary of 23 words (each used as a chapter title), and Heidi is determined to find out the meaning of one of her words, “Soof.” When the photos from an old camera show someone who looks like her mom as a girl with a woman that might be her grandmother, Heidi finds a way to follow the clues. With magical luck and innocence working for her, Heidi sets out on a bus trip across the country. This book works on all levels: Heidi’s narrative voice is warm and fun to read, the characters and their dialogue are believable and engaging, and the events drive toward a conclusion that is satisfying in every way. It’s great that this book is a 2009-2010 Battle of the Books selection.
The details: 245 p. 2004 Review by Samrarian
A Battle of the Books selection for 2009-2010
July 25th 2009
Who would like this book? People grades 6 and up who are interested in slavery before the Civil War, inner-city gangs, or who like fast-paced historical fiction.
Why? Jordan Henning Scott, 12 years old and unhappy about his mom’s plan to move to the suburbs, decides to join a gang and stay in the city. Jordan misses his dad, who has disappeared, and is finding some excitement from the Cobras and their cool leader, King. Jordan has problems and they rapidly escalate when his need for money for the gang leads him to steal the family’s heirloom watch from his grandfather. When he arrives at the pawn shop, space and time shift and he is suddenly standing in tall weeds where a little black kid in a dirty burlap shirt is worrying about his “masta’.” This shift back to the plantation on which his great-great-great-great-grandfather was a slave asks a lot of the reader, but it only takes a page to get caught up in the difficulties Jordan faces as he realizes that he will be treated as a runaway slave. Whitmore includes much harrowing information about slavery, and the struggle of Jordan and his ancestors to be free is captivating. It’s a worthwhile book and a good addition to the 2010 Battle of the Books.
The details: 184 p. 1999 Review by Samrarian
A Battle of the Books selection for 2009-2010
July 24th 2009
Who would like this book? Any reader (grade 6 and up) who wants a well-crafted fantasy concerning dragons, an island kingdom, and a princess with a curse and a 600-year-old prophecy from Merlin to fulfill.
Why? Princess Rosalind Pendragon comes of age in this stunning story by Janet Carey. In prose that made me stop to read and reread some sentences for their beauty, Carey spins a breathtaking tale that also had me turning pages late into the night. Right away, we find out that Rosalind has a cruel secret shared only by her mother, the Queen: Rosalind’s wedding finger is not a finger at all but a blue-green dragon claw with a sharp, black talon. To hide the talon, both she and her mother wear golden gloves. Multiple questions, all centered on her talon, drive the plot and bring in a cast of characters (including the dragons) that are each full and captivating in their own ways. Carey effectively uses Rosie’s voice to narrate the story and even weaves in a thread in which Rosie writes her story on dragon skin. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes dragons, princesses, or fantasy, and I’m elated that it is a Battle of the Book selection for 2009-2010.
The details: 302 p. 2007 Submitted by Samrarian
A Battle of the Books selection for 2009-2010
July 15th 2009
Who would like this book? Readers who like fantasy and mythology will not want to miss this series, especially if they like fantasies such as the Percy Jackson and Fablehaven series that combine fantasy settings with the real, contemporary world.
Why? Sophie and Josh Newman, 15-year-old twins, are settling into summer jobs in San Francisco, she at a coffee shop and he at a bookstore across the street. Josh likes his employers, Nick and Perry Fleming, but finds that all is not as normal as it seems when mysterious creatures (Golums, as it turns out) crash into the store to take Perry hostage and steal the ancient Book of Abraham the Mage or the Codex. In the fight, Josh manages to rip out two pages from the Codex. The twins quickly learn that Nick and Perry are actually Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel, each over seven hundred years old. Nicholas, the greatest alchemist of his day, learned the secret of turning metal into gold as well as the spell for immortality from this most important of books. The Flamels’ longtime rival, Dr. John Dee, has now caught up with them and will stop at nothing to get the entire book. Dee’s mission drives the plot of The Alchemyst, for he must recover the two missing pages and destroy the twins. Flamel is equally motivated to stop Dee, for if Dee is successful the human race will be destroyed. This plot is not just one more fantasy in a growing list; it is a plot that combines thorough research into world mythology, captivating characters, vivid descriptions, and a style that effectively melds the modern and archaic worlds. Be ready to reach for the next book in the series, The Magician: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, because The Alchemyst, ends on a cliffhanger. It is a Young Readers’ Choice Nominee for 2010 as well as a 2009-2010 Battle of the Books selection.
More information is at the website:
http://www.randomhouse.com/teens/alchemyst/
The details: 375 p. 2007 Submitted by Samrarian
A Battle of the Books 2009-2010 selection and YRCA 2010 nominee
July 13th 2009
Who would like this book? Student reporters and other readers interested in investigative reporting at the middle school level.
Why? Adam Canfield is an over-scheduled and chronically late eighth grader who cannot believe that he consented to being co-editors of their school newspaper, The Slash, with ultra-organized Jennifer. Being the only publication in town that is not owned by big business, Adam and Jennifer take on the responsibility of investigating out-of-control zoning regulations and the possibility that funds donated to their school have been misappropriated by their principal, the tyrannical Mrs. Marris. Numerous minor characters add lots of humor; the mysterious Herbs at the city’s Code Enforcement office, annoying third-grader star reporter Phoebe, and the wizened school janitor Eddie are three of my favorites. Best of all, Michael Winerip, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for the New York Times, gives the reader an up-close view of Adam. We feel his anguish when he’s in a tight spot, soar when he’s exhilarated, and tear our hair out when he’s frustrated. As readers, we think and worry about the ethical dilemmas that he and Jennifer must face as they try to bring their important stories to print. Adam Canfield and the Slash made me think even as it made me laugh – a great combination. It is a 2009-2010 Battle of the Book selection.
The details: 336 p. 2005 Submitted by Samrarian
A Battle of the Books 2009-2010 selection
July 13th 2009
Who would like this book? Readers interested in China, Chinese, and/or the true story of triumphing over adversity.
Why? American readers are all familiar with the story of Cinderella, but most of us are not aware that the Chinese Cinderella story of Ye Xian predates the earliest Italian version (1634) by eight hundred years. Adeline Yen Mah shares this information in an historical footnote at the end of Chinese Cinderella, her autobiography. She uses the Cinderella story as a lens through which to show her mistreatment as she grew up in China in the 1940s. Tragically, Adeline’s mother died of fever a few weeks after she was born. Her family blamed “Fifth Younger Sister” or “Wu Mei” (Adeline’s family names) for their mother’s death and scorned her. When her father soon remarried, her stepmother Niang escalated this mistreatment in ways that will bring the sensitive reader to tears. Wu Mei suffers one injustice after another but always seeks to rise above it by working hard at school and keeping hope of a better life when she is grown. She has some encouragement along the way from her Aunt Baba and her frail grandfather Ye Ye. Because she grew up during World War II and the communist takeover of China, her story touches on important events in China’s history. Adeline also has great reverence for the Chinese language and, through the voice of Ye Ye, describes the wonder of Chinese characters. As an inspiring story of triumphing over injustice and as an introduction to China’s history and culture, Chinese Cinderella is worth reading. It is also a Battle of the Book selection for 2009-2010.
The details: 205 p. 1999 Submitted by Samrarian
A Battle of the Books 2009-2010 selection