ORCA
Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Aug.18, 2012, under Historical Fiction, Mystery, Newbery, ORCA, Sam's Reviews, War
Who would like this book? Serious readers, grades 5 and up, who are looking for a fantastic book with history, a family mystery, and a main character who will captivate your heart, will love this book. The style of writing and word choice will also please!
Why? It’s the summer of 1936, and Abilene Tucker is not happy that her father, Gideon, has sent her away to live with an old friend in the small town of Manifest, Kansas. Abilene, who never knew her mother, has always lived on the road with her father, hopping trains, and she doesn’t understand why turning 12 should bring an end to this freedom. Abilene’s voice is humorous and salty as she narrates her story about settling in with “Pastor” (and bartender) Shady, meeting the strange Hungarian “diviner” Miss Sadie, and making a couple of friends. When she finds a box of keepsakes and letters from 1917, a parallel story begins. This story is artfully told through the letters, the stories told by Miss Sadie, and newspaper columns from the time. Abilene needs to find out who her father is, and she needs to discover the identity of the mysterious “Rattler” mentioned in the letters. The two stories intertwine as she seeks answers to these questions, building lots of suspense and keeping the reader guessing right up to the very satisfying ending. This book is excellent in every way. Through an engaging plot and wonderfully drawn characters, the book offers a unique view of two historical eras and brings up many relevant questions about identity, family, and community. It’s an added plus that Vanderpool’s use of language is rich and refreshing. It’s not a surprise that Moon Over Manifest won the Newbery Award in 2011. Anyone looking for good historical fiction will want to consider this book.
The details: 351 pp. 2010 Review by Samrarian
A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Aug.05, 2012, under Battle of the Books 2012-2013, Fairy Tale, Humorous, ORCA, Sam's Reviews
Who would like this book? Readers who want the real, gruesome truth behind the story of Hansel and Gretel and have pondered the question, “Are there no good grown-ups anymore?”
Why? The narrator of A Tale Dark and Grimm understands the awesomeness of blood and gore, beheadings and dismemberment. Don’t worry, though, because the narrator gives fair warning to small children to leave the room and be spared the gruesome events, which of course makes everyone want to plow forward and not miss a single drop of terror. The story starts with the explanation of how Hansel and Gretel’s father, the prince who became a king, fell in love with a tragic princess who loved gold. One unfortunate incident leads to another one, and soon the story is rolling from beheadings to roasting, dismemberment to hunting, and from the devil to a dragon. The narrator’s voice makes each of these tragic events terribly amusing, and the teasing about what will happen next makes it impossible to put down. I ended up loving Gretel most of all. This read is a fun, bloody romp through the dark forest. Remember your lentils so that you can find your way back out!
The details: 256 pp. 2010 Review by Samrarian
Foiled by Jane Yolen
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Aug.05, 2012, under Adventure, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, ORCA, Sam's Reviews
Who would like this book? Fans of graphic novels, fencing, and/or stories with a fantasy streak and a strong girl hero.
Why? Aliera, a loner at her New York City high school, lives for fencing and is able to defeat opponents much older than she is. She follows her coach’s instructions, but when he tells her to “always protect your heart,” she has a dilemma concerning her gorgeous new lab partner, Avery. The illustrations are monochrome in a reflection of a life that bores her until her mom gives her a foil that she found at a tag sale. The foil seems to have powers, and when she begins to use it, a fantasy world of color bursts into her life and onto the page. Mysteries about her powers and her mission will have to wait for the sequel, due out in January of 2013.This graphic novel is a quick, worthwhile read.
The details: 160 pp. 2010 Review by Samrarian
Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Jul.26, 2012, under Historical Fiction, Humorous, Newbery, ORCA, Sam's Reviews
Who would like this book? Fans of entertaining historical fiction told from 1st person.
Why? Life in 1935 is hard, and Turtle’s mother is happy when she lands a job as a live-in housekeeper in New Jersey. Usually, Turtle goes with her mom as part of the package, but this employer hates children, so Turtle must travel to Key West, Florida to stay with her Aunt Minnie and sons Buddy, Beans, and Kermit. Their life is short on comforts but long on crazy schemes and shenanigans. Turtle fits right in, matching insult for insult and adding her own hilarious take on Key West life. The dialogue is laugh-out-loud funny, and the plot twists are sometimes wildly entertaining and sometimes heartbreaking. In the afterword, Holms explains that the novel is based on the stories of her great –grandmother, making the book as meaningful historically as it is entertaining. It was a Newbery Honor Book in 2011 and is an ORCA nominee for 2013.
The details: 191 pp. 2010 Review by Samrarian
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Jun.11, 2012, under Adventure, ORCA, Science Fiction, Student Reviews, Teen Top 10, YRCA
Review by Dylan J.
Who would like this book? Everyone except people who don’t like any violence.
Why? This book takes place in the future, and the Capital keeps control of the districts with “the Hunger Games.” At the reaping, Katniss’s sister Prim gets called to be in the 74th Hunger Games. Katniss yells “Stop” and volunteers herself so her sister can live. Her sister has no hunting skill whatsoever, so she thought it would be good to volunteer because she and her best friend “Gale” always used to hunt together. Later, the boy tribute is chosen, and it’s Peeta Mallark. She remembers that name and remembers he helped her by throwing a piece of bread to her in the rain when they were young. When they went to the arena, it was Katniss’s time to show the gamemakers what she can do. So she was shooting a bow and arrow for target practice, but the gamemakers weren’t paying attention to her. What will she do? This book was really good, I think, and it had good action and a good story line. It kept my interest the whole time.
The details: 374 pp. 2008 Review by Dylan J.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Mar.03, 2012, under ORCA, Romance, Science Fiction, Student Reviews, Teen Top 10, Thriller, YRCA
Review by Jenna
Who would like this book? People who would like this book are people who are adventurous and love to be on the edge of their seat.
Why? The Hunger Games is a battle between the twelve districts in the country of Panem. An awful thing happens to the main character, Katniss Everdeen: her younger sister Prim’s name gets chosen to fight against the other tributes of other districts. Since Prim was the minimum age to be in the Hunger Games (12), Katniss knew that Prim would never survive. So Katniss volunteers for Prim. The boy tribute from district twelve is Peeta Mellark.
While at the Hunger games, there are 23 others to “kill off” in order to win. Peeta and Katniss help each other out throughout the games and they build this strong relationship with each other and would do anything to help the other. An issue Katniss has is, can she kill the one she loves? Read the Hunger Games to find out, and to see who wins the Games!
The details: 374 pp. 2008 Review by Jenna
Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Mar.01, 2012, under Multi-platform, Mystery, ORCA, Student Reviews
Review by Karla M.
Who would like this book? Anyone who loves scary stories!
Why? Anyone who loves scary stories would love Skeleton Creek because this story is frightening and will keep you on the edge of your seat wanting to know more!
Skeleton Creek is about two people named Ryan and Sarah. Ryan just got out of the hospitol with a broken leg. Ryan is retelling the story of when he and Sarah went into the mysterious dredge, where Ryan saw a “phantom” and where he broke his leg falling. Ryan and Sarah start figuring out piece by piece about a secret society and about the ghost. Is there really a ghost in the dredge? And what will happen to Sarah and Ryan if they find it?
The details: 185 pp. 2009 Review by Karla M.
11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Feb.29, 2012, under Humorous, ORCA, Real life, Student Reviews
Review by Anna H.
Who would like this book? Someone who likes a compelling plot. Have you ever wished for your birthday to happen again the next day, and have you ever had your wish come true? Well, that is what happened to Amanda Ellerby and Leo Fitzpatrick in 11 Birthdays, by Wendy Mass, but they didn’t wish for it. And for them it was not a happy ending.
Why? Amanda and Leo are best friends who share a birthday and ever since day one they have celebrated their birthdays together, except this year. Leo and Amanda had a fight last year after Amanda overheard Leo talking to a bunch of guys saying that he and Amanda were not friends to look cool. Ever since then they have never said a word to each other, and it has been a year. This year they had separate parties to celebrate their 11th birthday, but most of the people that Amanda invited that Leo also invited chose to go to Leo’s party instead of Amanda’s. After a hard birthday without Leo by her side, Amanda goes to bed very excited that the day is done and that it is finally the weekend. She wakes up thinking that it is Saturday, but why is her alarm going off? She didn’t reset it the night before. Once she realizes that it is Friday again she is confused, scared, and curious. Will she ever have another Saturday? Will it always be her birthday? Why is she the only one who realizes this, or is she? Well, you will just have to read the book to find out.
This book was a great read, and it kept me wondering. I would give 11 Birthdays five stars because it was funny, and made the reader think, “How would you react to all of this?”. I would recommend this book for a middle school student. Girls would like this book more than guys, but if you are a guy and want to read this book then go right ahead. You will have an easy time picking it up but a hard time putting it down.
The details: 267 pp. 2009 Review by Anna H.
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Feb.29, 2012, under ORCA, Real life, Student Reviews, Teen Top 10
Who would like this book? Anyone that loves a good young adult book that shows how much your life could change if you just change one little detail of it.
Why? Sam is popular, loved by most people, and has a boyfriend. On Cupid Day, where roses are passed out, it seems to be just a normal day. Then the next day comes and turns out to be the same day, again. As Sam figures out why she’s reliving this day over and over, she discovers her and her friends’ past and how what she chose to do then made a big impact on who she is now. She also realizes things aren’t always what they seem.
The details: 470 pp. 2010 Review by Sydney R.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Feb.28, 2012, under ORCA, Science Fiction, Student Reviews, Teen Top 10, Thriller, YRCA
Who would like this book? People who like suspenseful amazing books!
Why? This book takes place in the future where a capital full of rich people rule 12 small, poor districts. Every year, the Capital makes one boy and girl from each district go into an arena and fight to the death. When Katniss Everdeen, who is fiercely protective of her little sister Prim, volunteers to take Prim’s place, she doesn’t expect to come back home. But she has been on the verge of death before. With her skill and her cunning mind, she just might come home.
The details: 374 pp. 2008 Review by Kaitlyn
