October 26th 2009
Who would like this book? People who like futuristic fantasies that seem like they could be the actual future.
Why? This book is very good because it has references like “we ran out of gas” or “we melted the icecaps because of global warming.” These things make it seem like the events in the book could actually be the real future for us if we don’t change our ways. People in the future had to make Sky Cities because the ice caps melted and the water rose. Read this book if you want to know what the world might be like if we don’t take care of it.
The details: 345 p. 2002 Submitted by Michael R.
March 3rd 2009
Review by Kenzie
Who would like this book? Anyone who likes the Maximum Ride series, enjoys adventure books, or is interested in global warming.
Why? All throughout this 272-page book, Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Angel, and Gazzy (a.k.a. the flock), are finally given a clear mission; save the world. From global warming, that is. Sent to the ever so freezing Antarctica, the flock has the ability to research the affects of global warming on the coldest place in the world like no one else can. The old enemies are out. But newer, stronger, and more intelligent ones are in. Even in the most remote place on the planet, they still end up face-to-face with people-or mutants is more like it- whose only goal is to kill them. Can the flock save all humans from themselves? Or even keep themselves alive? In this book, you can find out, plus learn a bunch of untold facts about global warming- including the consequences we could face if we sit back and do nothing. So join the flock, and save the world!
The details: 256 p. 2008 Submitted by Kenzie
October 24th 2008
Who would like this book?
Anyone who loves books about friendship, adventure, and what might happen in the future.
Why?
In this story, the population law is 2 children max due to a food shortage. Luke Garner is an illegal third child, always hiding, always running. He knows no other beings other than his loving family, until he meets Jen, his neighbor, who is also a third child. She too is bored of living in the shadows, and she believes that together, with all third children, they can crush the population law. Can they do it? Read the book to find out!
The details: 153 p. 1998 Submitted by Carley
October 24th 2008
Who would like this book?
The people that would like this book are people who like camping and like books you can’t put down because they’re so interesting. I read the book in about 3 days.
Why?
This story is about a 15-year-old girl who is about to turn 16 and get this operation to turn her pretty. All the people are “ugly” before they get this operation.
The details: 425 p. 2005 Submitted by Diamond
August 27th 2008
Who would like this book? Teens (and younger readers) who like otters and want to know about the process of saving them from the tragic effects of an oil spill.
Why? Roland Smith originally published Sea Otter Rescue in 1990, soon after the tragic Exxon Valdez oil spill. The spill was devastating to the wildlife in Prince William Sound, Alaska, and approximately 1,000 otters were lost. More otters would have died if not for the Sea Otter Rescue Center. As part of this effort, Smith offers first-hand experience about otters, the devastating effects of the oil spill on them, and the specific procedures developed to clean them and return them to the wild. Though his prose is sometimes overly simple and targeted toward a younger audience, the subject matter is so fascinating that reading to the end is never in question. Photographs accompany every page of the text, complementing Smith’s descriptions. Seeing the otters covered with oil is sad and disturbing, but following the steps in their cleaning is inspiring. These otter-cleaners were heroes. I hope that they won’t have to be called into service again, but if an otter rescue is ever necessary again, be prepared to want to go help after reading this book. It’s a Battle of the Book 08-09 selection, most likely because Roland Smith is an Oregon author.
The details: 64 p. 1999 (10th anniversary of the oil spill)
August 16th 2008
Who would like this book? Teens and adults who have an interest in the 1933 Tillamook forest fire (in northwestern Oregon) and/or who are curious about life in a logging camp from the perspective of a thoughtful thirteen-year-old girl.
Why? Thirteen-year-old Storie (short for Estora) lives in a logging camp with her parents and younger brother, Johnny. Storie idolizes her dad, a veteran logger, though she’s starting to wonder about the relentless logging and also getting restless with her dad’s authoritarian approach to her. As she becomes thoughtful about her situation, she has growing opportunities for experiences in both work and fun. The descriptions of her surroundings and the unfolding of these experiences are great. Linda Crew also gives us the wider context of their logging camp by shifting the focus to a nearby logging camp in which a small fire has broken out. The ensuing chapters, marked by location and time, alternate between Storie’s experiences and the fight to put out the forest fire. Of course, the two converge in an exciting climax that does not disappoint. I grew up with my mom’s vivid stories of the Tillamook Burn and her participation in planting new trees, so this book has special meaning for me. Even without a personal connection, I predict that readers will like Fire on the Wind. Linda Crew’s first sentence sets the mood: “A nervous little breeze skittered through the mountain canyons…”
The details: 198 p. 1995
July 9th 2008
Who would like this book? If you like disaster movies, try this novel. If you are curious about how to maintain some kind of life as the world seems to fall apart around you, read this book.
Why? Miranda, 16, keeps a journal. Her entires start off predictable, with a description of the excitement about watching a meteor hit the moon. Once the meteor actually connects with the moon, knocking it closer to the Earth, her entries become a captivating and disturbing story of survival. Pfeffer effectively uses Miranda’s voice to make the disaster real in both its magnitude and the very personal consequences in the life of a teenager. The focus that Pfeffer maintains strengthens the emotional impact: no groceries in the store, no electricity, little sunlight. All the external trappings of life are stripped away: How will Miranda and her family survive? What will she learn? This book has stayed with me. I’m contemplating the contents of the pantry, wondering how long the food will last if disaster struck. Life As We Knew It is a YRCA nominee in the Senior Division. I’m not surprised that it’s a YRCA nominee, but I think that it fits better in the Junior Division. Actually, it’s a good book for both the middle and high school level.
The details: 352 p. 2006
April 24th 2008
In the setting of People of Sparks it is in modern times in a land called Sparks. Doon Harlow and Linda Mayfleet who brought the people of Ember to the land of Sparks must help the people of Spark before all goes to war.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes breathtaking adventures and astonishing feats.
Submitted by Kenada
April 24th 2008
The City of Ember takes place a long way into the future. (I will let you read the book to find out when exactly.) Lina and Doon are two twelve-year-old kids living in Ember. In this book the whole world is dark, but Ember installed lights long ago. You could probably guess that the wiring is starting to fail. The lights flicker and the residents know that the lights will go out, but the question is… When. Doon just needs to find out how to keep the lights on.
I would recommend this book to anyone that likes science fiction about the future that have a major conflict in them. It is almost like a save the world book, so if you like those kind of books then you would probably like it.
Submitted by Chad
January 5th 2008
Who would like his book? Anyone who has read Uglies and Pretties will want to read Specials, but be sure to read the first two books first. The background is essential.
Why? Tally’s experiences as a “Special” in this third part in the evolving series by Scott Westerfeld are much more intense than in the previous two books. As an elite fighting machine and part of a clique called the “cutters”, she is so accustomed to being “icy” that she must cut herself to feed her addiction to this level of being. Her path toward regaining a true sense of herself takes her back through all of her essential relationships from the first two books. Her journey provides Westerfeld with an opportunity to smoothly fill in background information about the culture of the cities and about the lives of certain characters that answer many questions raised in the first two books. I found this volume disturbing and thought-provoking about issues including the care of the environment, the role of the government in maintaining order, the need for identity within a group, and the quest for love and understanding.
The details: 384 p. 2006