November 8th 2009
Who would like this book? Young women, 8th grade and older, looking for a love story enmeshed in family difficulties.
Why? This sad, moving, and ultimately triumphant story communicates the power of love through the lives of three generations of women. It has the feel of a saga, though it is just over 200 pages and the style of writing is spare. The main narrator is seventeen-year-old Odella, who is trying to come to terms with her troubled mother, Sally. When she was sixteen, Sally was the only survivor of a car accident in Mistik Lake, the family’s summer vacation spot in Manitoba, Canada. Sally cannot overcome her guilt, and she is dissatisfied with the choices that she has made in her life. Her troubles and subsequent actions have bad consequences for Odella and the rest of the family, but Odella gains insight from her beloved great-aunt Gloria, who shares in the narration. The story deepens with emotion and complications when Odella falls in love with Jimmy, the grandson of her parents’ old friends. The dreams, loves, and anguish of the generations intersect in Mistik Lake, the silent, pensive witness to it all. Brooks’ striking imagery and rich characterization makes this book a must-read for young women who are looking for a love story enmeshed in family problems.
The details: 224 p. 2007 Review by Samrarian
2009 YRCA nominee in the Senior Division
October 29th 2009
Review by Madison
Who would like this book? Maybe people who like Graphic Novels.
Why? I did not like this book . I am not a graphic novel fan, so that might be why. This book was very odd, and I didn’t think it was very well organized at all. I got very bored with this book. It was often confusing for me and a little mixed up. I only reccomend this book to graphic novel fans. This book is about a girl who moves from a busy city to a safer city. She joins a group called P.L.A.I.N. They draw art in neighborhoods and the town is kind of debating on whether they like it or not. The school teachers don’t like it. Nobody knows who this group is and who the people are in this group. That is why I didn’t like this book, and I prefer books that are not graphic novels.
The details: 2007 Submitted by Madison
October 23rd 2009
Review by Madisyn
Who would like this book? People who like to learn about other country’s religion and how hard it is for women and girls in Afghanistan.
Why? I liked this book because I thought it was fun, and I learned a lot about Afghanistan. This book is about a family who lives in Afghanistan and how the Talib had changed their lives dramatically. This book has a surprising ending. This book is about how hard it is for women and girls to live in Afghanistan. Women and girls can’t go outside without a man or a boy with them. I thought this book was a really interesting book to read.
The details: 170 p. 2001 Submitted by Madisyn
A 2009-2010 Battle of the Book selection
October 13th 2009
Review by Mr. Cantwell
Summary: When Blue Baker’s father dies, the school counselor tries to help by having Blue write down his feelings and emotions. It doesn’t work. Instead, Blue starts writing a story about a wild boy living in the woods. When the boy who’s been bullying Blue ends up in the story, things get ugly. The savage seems to be coming to life, and Blue starts to wonder where he ends and the savage begins.
Opinion: At only 80 pages, and with a lot of those pages filled with cool illustrations, this book is a fast read. While the story about Blue is pretty good, it’s the story Blue is writing that really gets your attention. These are the pages that are illustrated, and they read like a graphic novel. The savage is quite savage, so some of the content might be a little too intense for some young readers. Perhaps the best part of the book (besides the cool illustrations) is watching how these two completely opposite characters – Blue and the savage – each come to realize that they have more in common with the other than either would have imagined. It makes you wonder if such opposites don’t exist within all of us.
The details: 79 p. 2008 Submitted by Mr. Cantwell
June 29th 2009
Who would like this book? Readers (grade 7 and up) interested in medical mysteries with a science fiction edge will find this book fascinating. Also, if you like books by Jodi Piccoult, give this one a try.
Why? Jenna Fox, 17, has been in a terrible accident. She has recently awoken from a coma and is slowly beginning to remember bits and pieces of who she is. As she tries to get answers for her most significant question,”Who is Jenna Fox?”, her mother and grandmother make things difficult for her with their secrecy and unexplained behavior. For instance, they have recently moved across the continent to California, even though her father must continue his work as a cutting edge medical doctor in Boston. Pearson narrates this riveting story through Jenna’s present-tense voice, allowing the reader to experience firsthand her confusion, anger, struggles, and realizations.The tight focus on Jenna, her immediate family, a neighbor, and a few friends at the alternative school that her mother allows her to attend reflects the narrow world in which Jenna must live. Why is she so protected? Why do her parents keep so many secrets? Why does her grandmother stay so distant? Why do her hands feel so strange? Why does she remember all the details about Thoreau’s Walden Pond but nothing about her high school friends? Questions pile up, and the narration does occasionally buckle under their weight, but when the answers start coming fast and a couple of the characters step up in surprising ways, any doubt about the worth of this book falls quickly away. It’s an unnerving view of the possibilities of medicine in the future and a springboard for discussion of medical ethics.
The details: 288 p. 2009 Submitted by Samrarian
June 20th 2009
Who would like this book? Readers, 11 and up, who want a glimpse of life as a foster kid in the inner city.
Why? Woodson tells this moving, powerful story through the authentic voice of a girl living in Queens, New York, and growing from 11 to 13 years old. At the beginning of the story, she tells us the end: “The summer before D Foster’s real mama came and took her away, Tupac wasn’t dead yet.” In a series of short chapters, she spins back in time to the day that she and her best friend Neeka were just hanging out when D showed up. D’s life is a mystery to them, and D is at first not ready to fill in all the details. Slowly, the girls become fast friends, calling themselves “Three the Hard Way,” and we learn about all three of them. The narrator and Neeka have families with problems and demands; D has a foster mom with minimal expectations. The contrast between having a family and not having a family is vividly drawn, as is the “family” that evolves through friendship. Woodson uses an inner city dialect effectively. Here’s D’s description of her mom: “I know my moms is like three fries short of a Happy Meal, but she my moms, so I take what I get.” If you like that line, read this book! It is a 2009 Newberry Honor Book.
The details: 160 p. 2008 Review by Samrarian
June 14th 2009
Review by Michaela
Who would like this book? Mystery lovers and those who love suspense will read happily.
Why? Bethany is just a normal kid with normal parents, or so she thinks. Right before Bethany’s 13th birthday her parents begin to act oddly, her mom cries, and her dad worries. One night Bethany’s parents tell her to get in the car, and they go through many states to reach an aunt Bethany has never heard of. Bethany overhears her dad talking to her unknown aunt, Aunt Myrlie. He tells her that Bethany doesn’t know about Elizabeth. Bethany’s mind races with answers to the unknown aunt and Elizabeth.
The details: 218 p. 2005 Submitted by Michaela
June 14th 2009
Review by Michaela
Who would like this book? If you liked A Dog’s Life: The Autobiogrify of a Stray, this book is for you. If you like books about being grateful this book is also for you.
Why? Edward Tulane lives with his chid owner, Abilene. Edward is a China rabbit who doesn’t know love. When Pellegrina tells a story of an unloving princess who ends up turning into a warthog, Edward is scared. Edward is scared because he doesn’t like Pellegrina and he doesn’t love Abilene (although she pampers him). When Edward goes on a cruise with Abilene, he is thrown over the edge of the boat. Edward sinks to the bottom of the ocean. What will become of this pampered toy?
The details: 198 p. 2006 Submitted by Michaela
May 18th 2009
Review by Kenzie
Who would like this book? Anybody interested in Hitler and Nazi Germany.
Why?
The 552-page novel, The Book Thief, tells the story of a 10-year-old girl named Liesel, living in Germany during 1939– also the time of Hitler’s reign. When Liesel’s younger brother died on their way to a new home (due to their mother’s poorness), Liesel feels as if her whole life has been ripped apart, plus she’s haunted with nightmares of her brother’s passing. But on the day of her brother’s burial, she comes upon a book, The Grave Digger’s Handbook. This triggers her interest, and with the help of Hans, learns to read. Throughout all of the secrets, fright, and air raids, Liesel learns just how powerful words really are. But it isn’t words that threaten to take away everything she has in life. It’s the secret of a hidden Jew, that if discovered, could ruin everything.
The details: 552 p. 2006 Submitted by Kenzie
May 11th 2009
Review by Sofie
Who would like this book? People who liked The Outsiders.
Why? Mike and Terry are cousins that are closer than brothers. Their moms are sisters and their dads are brothers. When they are ten, their fathers both die in a car crash. This story shows how both boys react differently. Mike’s life is filled with sorrow, regret, and anger. Terry’s life is filled with crime and thrill. When Terry goes to jail, what will happen to Mike? How will he hold himself together? And what will happen to the relationship of the two young men?
The details: 151 p. 2007 Submitted by Sofie