The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Lauren, thank you so much for highly recommending this book! It was so right up my alley with what I truly love to read. Maggie Stiefvater crafted such a great story with a believable storyline about "water" horses, orphans, the rich vs the poor and a romance that slowly grows between Kate "Puck" Connolly and Sean Kendrick, a horse-whisperer of the carnivorous sea horses. The island of Thisby is a hard scrabble place that needs the tourists the annual Scorpio Races brings, to survive. Puck and her two brothers have lost their parents to the flesh eating horses and life has been very difficult since then for them. Whereas Puck and Finn love the island, older brother Gabe has announced he is leaving with his two friends, because he can't take it anymore. Sean Kendrick and Puck alternate telling their stories. Sean Kendrick loves his Capill uisce, Corr and Puck loves her quarter pony; and it is Sean who stands up for Puck as the first female rider, against those islanders that challenge her. I really disliked both Mutt Malvern and his father. I wanted to like Mr. Malvern, but I could see that he was like Sean Kendrick (poor) but he was never going to let Sean or Corr go. I saw true evil in Mutt and it was difficult to read when he tried to "hurt" those associated with Sean Kendrick. But it was the slowly moving, delicate relationship of Puck and Sean that I applaud. Stiefvater takes two people who are animal lovers and through deliberate situations, moves them from strangers, to acquaintances, to friends and then a mutual respect and love. Highly recommended!



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Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers

Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers

My rating: 4 of 5 stars






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Chasing Tail Lights by Patrick Jones

Chasing Tail Lights by Patrick Jones

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Patrick Jones has such a way with his characters in this book! Christy is now sixteen but she alternates the chapters with dates in her life. Christy has many issues and low self-esteem. She lives in Flint, Michigan in a rundown school, poverty stricken town, and a shattered household. Christy is best friends with Anne but Anne knows nothing of her life, because Christy is afraid if she knew, she wouldn't be her friend. Christy doesn't want any attention so being friends with out loud Anne is great for Christy. Christy loves her truck driver dad but he dies very early on in the story and she is left with her brother Mitchell (she loves him), little cousin Bree (she is Robert's daughter and Christy loves her). Christy really has three brothers: Robert is in jail, Mitchell and Ryan. Robert and Ryan are her half brothers, different fathers from each other, and from Christy and Mitchell. There is no evidence of Christy's dad but her alcoholic mother's room is loaded with pictures of Ryan's dad, who didn't stick around. Christy's mom favors Ryan and as a result Ryan terrorizes Christy and Mitchell and makes everything their fault. Christy doesn't feel like anyone cares about her and it is Jones' characterization of Christy as lonely, shy, and who feels like a loser who slowly, achingly overcomes a life of neglect to take control, think of adults as counselors who will help her, and confide some of her "secrets" that really spoke to me as I read this book. I haven't even mentioned Tyrell, but you need to read this book to find out about this character who sticks by Christy and offers her a ray of hope. Reluctant readers will love this book, as well as Harris' other books. His honesty about teen life is compelling and not soon forgotten.



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Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent by Veronica Roth

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Roth's first dystopian novel is thrilling, packed with suspense as it tells the story of Beatrice (Tris) whose society is comprised of five factions and with arrival of her 16th birthday, she will need to choose where she wants to spend the rest of her life. The five factions are Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless, this is the faction Beatrice has been in), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent. Beatrice has two loving parents and a brother and she has never quite felt right in the selfless way of life. She angers quickly, questions where she belongs, and is curious, none of the Abnegation attributes. It is at the choosing ceremony that she makes the decision to leave her family and join in the initiation to become Dauntless. the process is grueling and now Tris (she renames herself) questions if she made the right decision, who her friends are and who can she trust. I really liked the Beatrice/Tris character; she was vulnerable yet prickly. She underestimates herself, thinking she is selfish and weak, when she has proved to others that she is selfless and brave. When Tris meets Four, one of the instructors of the Dauntless initiates, she waffles between anger at him (he has shifting moods)and interest in him. What will happen to them evolves with purpose and their romance is unexpected but key to what Divergent really means and what kind of threat being divergent holds. The dystopian world that Roth crafts is so interesting with the Abnegation, self denial, controlling the government, food and luxuries. But there is an undercurrent of evil that manifests itself and Tris and Four will have to choose how to stop the forces that want to betray their faction. A must read!



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Take Me There by Carolee Dean

Take Me There by Carolee Dean

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I so wanted to give this book 5 stars. I loved the main character, Dylan. He had a horrible life and he always wanted to make the right choices, but trouble seems to follow him. Dylan Dawson's narration goes back and forth in time. Dylan's father is in jail, Dylan was six when his father went to jail and is on death row for killing a police officer who was also his friend. Dylan's father was selling drugs on the side and since he went to jail any information he wanted about his father was not provided by his mother, grandmother, and uncle. In the present, Dyland and his friend Wade are running from a drug lord Two Tone but Dylan is also trying to find his father in the Texas jail to ask his father if he was born "bad" and would he ever find happiness. Even more important than his unfortunate life is his deep love for Jess. Dylan has loved her since he was 12 years old and Jess has dropped in and out of his life over the years, but Dylan knows he is not good for her and tries to stay away but life just isn't helping him. Even after he tells Jess trouble seems to follow him and she should just stay away, and Jess tells him despite his history, he is decent,real and genuine. I love the way Dylan speaks and thinks. "There was a light in her eyes that reached all the way to the corners of my soul, telling me that I could start over. That I could leave my past behind and be worthy of a girl like Jess. It was like a small explosion shaking me all the way down to my roots." I had so many passages marked throughout this book where I was just so moved by Dylan's plight and his love for Jess. I wanted him to get the girl, have a happy life and leave all his trouble behind. A really, really, really good book (guys and girls will love it) and a PA Young Reader's Choice title for this year!



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forever by Maggie Stiefvater

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


For the third and final book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls, I so enjoyed the story, the suspense, the maturation of the characters (Sam and Grace, Isabel and Cole)and the ending was very satsifying. Sam and Grace were still such an in-love couple, caring deeply for each other even when one was a wolf. They even got cocky Cole St. Clair to become a supporter and believer in their devotion to each other. Isabel was still the ice queen but both she and Cole definitely thawed toward each other and oh did I enjoy when they were under the table in her mother's exam room!!! I really disliked what Isabel's dad was intent upon doing to the wolves and it was Cole who really grew as a human/wolf in order to help the wolf line. It was a definite page turner, and I really hated whenever any of them had to become wolves with all the popping bones, yuck! But I am going to miss not having another novel of Sam and Grace to look forward to; Maggie Stiefvater better start working on another great series for those of us she hooked!



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Dark Dude by Oscar Hijuelos

Dark Dude by Oscar Hijuelos

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Dark Dude has such a great cast of characters. They all have their problems, but it is Gilberto and Rico, who takes Jimmy with him too that decide to leave their lives in Harlen and strike out for a better life in Wisconsin. Rico is a light Cuban American and this causes him so many problems; he is bullied becdue to his light skin, family tensions with his moms' constant hassles, a father who drinks too much and can't make enough money to support his family and a rundown, violent school. Gilberto is an older Latino friend who truly cares for Rico and makes Rico feel he can do anything. Jimmy has a horrible life but together Rico and Jimmy make comics and watch out for each other. Jimmy is the artist and Rico is the author and they have an idea for a story, "Dark Dude" or Latin Dagger. It is when Gilberto comes into money and decides to go out west and get an education and better life that changes life drastically for Rico. When he can't take his life anymore, he runs away with Jimmy and meets up with Gilberto in Wisconsin. It is this new life, which isn't always great, and his coming of age in Wisconsin (lots going on there), that really causes Rico to mature and changes the course of his life. Rico as a character is going through so much and he has compassion, morals,and integrity. He is smart, re-reads Huck Finn and loves the relationship between Huck and Big Jim. I really admired how Rico never shirked the many challenges that came his way. A great multicultural read of bonds and friendship, but one my reluctant readers won't be interested in because of the 439 pages.



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Something Like Fate by Susane Colisanti

Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The characters in this romance novel are all really finely drawn by Colasanti and I found Lani very believable as a teen who doesn't follow the crowd and realizes she has angered friends by distancing herself (they think Lani thinks she is too good for them) and becoming very involved in her own club to save the earth. Her good friend, Blake is gay but hides it for fear of his father's anger. Lani and Blake are compulsive about checking their horoscopes and Lani truly believes in fate (hence the title). As the narrator, we find out from Lani about how her best friend, Erin, saved her when they were younger and they have been inseparable since. Lani has also become friends with Danielle in her ecology club. But Lani is insecure and also unaware of herself as being interesting to guys. She has never had a real boyfriend and when she meets Erin's latest flame, Jason, she has no reason to believe he might be interested in her. But it becomes obvious to Blake that Jason is interested in Lani and when they start hanging out together, Lani likes Jason but just sees him as a friend and nothing more. It is when Jason finally tells Lani he cares about Lani, that things get really interesting. Jason is a great guy;athletic, funny, a mentor to younger kids and a lifeguard during the summer. With only 2 months left before summer, Lani and Jason stay friendly; when Erin leaves for summer camp, Jason breaks up with her in an email and Lani and Jason begin seeing each other and it is a pretty perfect summer, what will happen when Erin returns? A great book for girls.



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Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray

Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a great story of loss, bullying, and ultimately the power of friendship. Three friends from England decide to "take" their dead friend's ashes from the family home and spread them in Ross, Scotland which Ross talked about constantly. Friends Blake, Sim and Kenny are best friends who feel that their friend Ross's funeral did not honor him as the great person he was in life. They go through adventures on trains, in taxis, on motorbikes, meeting girls, bungee jumping and confronting their own involvement in their departed friend's final days. Each of the three friends have to cajole, embarass and psyche each other throughout the book to do this one last act for their friend,Ross. The only problem I see is that this book is so English teens will not understand their grammar, slang, etc. and may not persevere which would be a shame because this is a rollicking good, funny, sad, and in the end, redemptive read.



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Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles

Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I enjoyed this third book in the Perfect Chemistry trilogy but the characterization of Luis Fuentes and Nikki Cruz seemed rushed. I didn't feel the depth of personality that developed slowly but surely with Alex and Brittany and Carlos and Kiera. There were not many adult figures that played a role model type role in the original two books and I would have liked to have seen more development of Officer Reyes instead of all three brothers believing he was trouble with no interest in their mother. Elkeles can still get the heat going with her descriptions of Luis and Nikki's yearnings or spurnings. Teens will enjoy this book, but it just didn't hit the mark of the first two with the human drama, drugs and gangs, it seemed too contrived, but I will be asking my students what they think as well.



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Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher

Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Such a good book, you will love Logan Witherspoon. He is such a great teen, angry, sensitive, and totally ambushed by his long time girlfriend; he is having a very difficult time getting over her cheating on him. Katcher does a great job of showing how very, very small Logan's hometown is, how his single mother's job is taking its toll on her and the stifling smallness of his trailer park home and high school where everyone knows everyone's business. And into this small town community, comes Sage Hendricks, tall and pretty with braces who seems to like Logan immediately (much to his surprise).As Logan and Sage learn more about each other, Logan finds Sage has almost no freedom to date, she was home schooled for much of her high school years. Logan finds himself becoming more and more attracted to Sage despite her limitations, until one kiss changes life for Logan as he knows it. It is then that Sage reveals why it is so important that she have a friend, one who will stand by her and understand her. Sage reveals her big secret--she is a boy. Now Logan has his own reasons for keeping this hideous secret; he doesn't want anyone to know he kissed a boy, he over-reacts and forbids Sage to tell anyone and that he can't be her friend anymore. There is so much about this book that you will love; Logan and Sage are characters you will relate to; they laugh, they cry, they endure. But I even liked Logan's friends, his mom, and his sister, Laura. Katcher definitely deserved to win the Stonewall Award for this book (he definitely gets the transgender issue, but he understands teens, high school and friendship and how important identity is in defining who we are; I highly recommend this for high school teens.



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Saving Audie: A Pit Bull Puppy Gets a Second Chance by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent

Saving Audie: A Pit Bull Puppy Gets a Second Chance by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


After I returned from the ISTE Convention in Philadelphia, Vickie Cobb posted "We still believe that books, especially good books about the real world, are important for children. Visit: www.inkthinktank.com and sign up for our FREE database so that teachers can find out how award-winning nonfiction aligns with national standards. Check out INK Link: Authors on Call and see who is available to meet teachers and students via interactive videoconferencing. Subscribe to our blog Interesting Nonfiction for Kids where authors themselves share insights on how to present issues and content about the real world in ways to engage, inspire and inform kids on the subjects required by your curriculum. And ir you have any questions, please contact me: vicki@inkthinktank.com" and this led me to this pearl of a book! I am a dog lover, read the book,


and now Dorothy Hinshaw Patent has written a truly amazing book about one of the Vick dogs who was rescued and finally found his forever home! The photographs are breathtaking (especially the back cover, with Audie in pants--you have to read why!) and those involved in helping save these dogs, also save this puppy. Audie was lucky enough to find a permanent home, get surgery for bad knees and overcome his trust issues from being chained and kept isolated from important human and animal contact. This book will be enjoyed by our life skills students and I recommend it for all ages, especially if you are a dog lover!



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Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I loved this book! A great romance, coming of age in a foreign country, and the theme of belonging resonated with me and I think teen girls will enjoy the Anna, Etienne St. Claire, Toph, Bridget, Josh and Rashmi, and Meredith dynamics. Both Anna and Etienne have problems with their dads; Anna's dad decides to send her to a Paris boarding school when she would really rather stay in Atlanta with her best friend, Bridget. and her blossoming romance with Toph. After taking 3 years of Spanish, Anna really feels like an outsider. Meredith makes her feel a part of their crowd from day one and Anna begins to feel "at home" thanks to her friendship with Meredith, Josh and Rashmi, but it Etienne she is drawn to and he seems to always sit next to her, make her laugh and get her out to see Paris, the movies, and the eateries ---even though he does have a serious girl friend, Ellie. It is when Etienne finds out his mom has cancer, when Anna and Etienne are the only ones spending Thanksgiving at the boarding school that Anna really begins to believe they have a chance at romance. I really enjoyed Anna's love of movies (it was great knowing all the great old movies) and she reviews them on her blog. Perkins has a way of creating so much harmony between Etienne and Anna, but then she does an even better job of creating lots of tension. I couldn't stop reading, I wanted to find out if they were ever going to have that KISS!



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Girl Wonder by Alexa Martin

Girl Wonder by Alexa Martin

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I was not a fan of the lead character, Charlotte Locke. It is tough to move your senior year, but Charlotte seems to run headlong into the wrong best friend, pink haired Amanda, and her ex-boyfriend, Neal. Charlotte is jealous, mean and petty to her brainiac brother, James Henry. She goes from being a daughter who confided in her mother, to one who hides what she is doing and where she is going from her mother. Charlotte tells us she is afraid, yet she smokes, joins the debate team, does acid and secretly sleeps with Neal (he wants to keep their relationship a secret)so what is she afraid of---oh yeah---she wants to be popular and that propels her to do all these things that were not her before. She also shows disdain for Milton, a neighbor who is mentoring James Henry. Milton is secure in who he started a mushrooms club (I even liked his descriptions of the good and bad mushrooms!!!), snowboards, skis and wants to befriend Charlotte. When Charlotte does acid at a party, she really makes some bad decisions and it is in this aftermath that she finds out what kind of "friends" Amanda and Neal are...It is interesting to see Charlotte start to realize what a gigantic mess she has made of her life and how all her decisions have been so bad---but can she right her wrongs?



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Shooting Kabul by N.H. Senzai

Shooting Kabul by N. H. Senzai

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I sooo loved this book! A great book for middle/jr high as well as high school for its depiction of a Muslim family fleeing the Taliban in Afghanistan after 9-11. Fadi and his family have tried to stay in their beloved country but the war has driven them from their home. Fadi's father, Habib, has paid the last of their money to flee their homeland. Fadi's family is close-knit, loving, and care deeply for each other. Fadi's mother, Zafoona, is ill and his sister, Noor, is helping her escape and Fadi is responsible for Mariam, his little sister. It is when they are leaping from one truck to another, that the Taliban attacks, and Mariam breaks away to pick up her doll, that Fadi loses his grip on his little sister. Once the family reaches safety in the United States, they try to locate their precious family member, in whatever way they can. Fadi begins school in a country very foreign to him, but he makes friends and also experiences bullying because he is Muslim. What I really enjoyed was how Fadi mentions his favorite book, From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, and how he relates to Claudia and her escapades in the museum. Fadi loves photography and uses his father's camera which took many a picture in Kabul. It is this love of photography that inspires Fadi to join a school contest in which the winner will win a trip---and Fadi is determined to win that trip and return his lost little sister to their heartbroken family. Fadi has so many things against him but he also has determination and with his new found friend, Anh, they both hope to bring Mariam home---but, will they succeed? This such a great book, great characters, believable plot, and the themes of belonging resonate in each chapter of this wonderful book.





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Muchacho by Louanne Johnson

Muchacho by LouAnne Johnson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The voice of main character, Eddie Corazon was strong, confused, and angry but once he met Lupe, Eddie begins to awaken to what life can hold for him. Eddie still makes some bad mistakes and his humor is often biting but so is his life. He doesn't get along with his dad, has a major attitude, lives in a rundown area of New Mexico, and uses humor and sarcasm to describe his friends, teachers, school and just life in general. There are gangs, drug dealers, criminals that populate Eddie's world. But we find out pretty quick Eddie is a secret reader, he listens in class, and wants to be more than a "poor Mexican kid from a bad neighborhood" and with the help of Miss Beecher, a short-lived teacher in his school; Lupe a girl Eddie meets at dance class; Sgt Cabrera who sees something in Eddie and gives him a book to read after escorting her through his school, and finally getting arrested and sent to live with a trusted family friend, Eddie starts to get it....A book for reluctant readers, teens who enjoy urban fiction, and those who like romances, multicultural literature, this book will appeal to everyone---JUST read it!



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Children of War: Voices of Iraqi Refugees by Deborah Ellis

Children of War: Voices of Iraqi Refugees by Deborah Ellis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Deborah Ellis continues to amaze me with her fiction and nonfiction books. With this thin volume of stories, she has delved into the Iraq War and what children, from 8 to 19 years of age, have endured, what they are doing now, and where they are living. Each story is pretty unspeakable, families have been wiped out, children are living in hazardous conditions, they don't understand why this is happening to them. The reader will learn from Ellis in an introduction about Iraq's history, the fall of Saddam and what this has meant to these young children---and it is heartbreaking. Before each story, Ellis will give an look into an aspect of Iraqi life, culture, religion, the long term effects of violence, etc.and then a child will tell their story. I urge students and adults to read Ellis' book---it is important that WE "fully understand the impact our decisions on the world's most vulnerable - our children."



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Okay For Now by Gary D. Schmidt

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Schmidt has brought back some of his original characters from theand I am so glad Douglas Swieteck and Holling Hoodhood are here! Douglas is a kid who has the wise aleck sense of humor and it is because of his family life and he can't help himself from blurting out smart and mean stuff, it is his coping mechanism. But thankfully the characters he meets along the way---Lil Spicer, Mrs. Windemere, and Mr. Powell (to name just a few---Schmidt has so many finely drawn characters) are not put off by his comments and know just how to reel him in...Doug becomes a delivery boy who falls in love with the bird drawings of Audubon and begins a quest to help the library and himself. I love all of Schmidt's books and this is now my most favorite of his---you will love 1968 and the family's move to stupid Marysville, and Doug's coming of age. You will laugh, and cry and hold this book close because Schmidt's way with words is so powerful. Even though he is 13 yrs old ----teens will identify with Doug's life, family, friends and school.



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Th Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Well Ms Jack and her Pop Contemp Lit students----I FINALLY read this book!!! And yes, I agree everyone (who loves YA lit)should read read this book. Charlie is one of those teens who asks many, many questions. He has thoughts and feelings on almost everything and his letters to this anonymous person really speak about his confusion, yet his hyper-awareness, and his awkwardness. At first I thought he might have (as my sister calls it - an ism)a personality quirk but he is just trying to find his place after the suicide of one of his good friends. I felt sorry for Charlie as he makes friends in high school;he seemed to remember never having family touch him, complement him, or tell him they loved him. His family wasn't dysfunctional in any way, so I am thinking that as he got older, he appreciated through his friends--that there was meanigful conversation, hugs, kisses, etc. and he doesn't remember it as a child??? Does he block it out (because of Aunt Helen) and as he matures, he figures things out. I particulary enjoyed his music, TV, book, and movie references thoughout. His friends Sam and Patrick, beloved teacher, and jock Penn State brother and snarky senior sister were perfect foils and in the end, perfect brother and sister to Charlie. A must read, the reluctant readers will like the compactness of the book, the readers will gobble up all the drama - promiscuity, homosexuality, abuse, drinking and drugs, it has all the elements teens (boys and girls) will enjoy and see how Charlie finds his place in the world.



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Last Night I Sang to the Monster by Benjamin Salire Saenz

Last Night I Sang to the Monster by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A heart-wrenching tale of a young man, Zach, who is an alcoholic and finds himself at a rehab facility where he must remember in order to heal. Zach is an 18 year old who has so many skeletons in his closet and he doesn’t really talk too much but you know he has a mother (with depression problems) and a father (who drinks too much) and a brother who is so psychopathic, he is holding the family emotionally hostage. His childhood as he “remembers” it is so dysfunctional that he drinks in order to cope and keep up a façade as a fun guy. Zach almost dies of alcohol poisoning which lands him in a hospital (none of this he remembers) and now at the rehab facility, we are introduced to his therapist, Adam, and Sharkey, a larger than life guy with many demons, and Rafael, a 50 year old man, who has alcohol issues, and it is through these relationships and Zach’s stream of consciousness that we learn about all the “monsters” that are torturing these fragile individuals. It is a tough read, more sad and haunting than I felt comfortable with at times and I thought of putting it down but I was also compelled to read about Zach’s journey. I know this journey is torturous and fraught with self-doubt, loneliness, anger, and helplessness. But it is a journey that many must make and hopefully they will be better, happier, more filled with life.



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Breaking Night: A Memoir by Liz Murray

Breaking Night: A Memoir by Liz Murray

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Liz Murray's memoir is so amazing because of the horrors she endured on a daily basis, yet still loved her drug addled parents who would live paycheck to paycheck to buy drugs. And since Liz was six when this change in her life became apparent, Liz would do whatever she could to keep her parents' attention -- like be a lookout, or as her mom waited in line for her check, Liz would help her get through the wait time by asking questions and providing nonstop encouragement to her mother. There were times when her mother was hospitalized and her father would take over but still continue with the drugs. As a result of this dysfunction, at a very early age, Liz began to skip school; one time she was even taken to a girls home until she stopped her truancy. Liz's descriptions of their fetid apartment, her lice infested head, her filthy clothes and constant hunger are even more jarring because she loves her parents and then begins to hate them when she is taken away and her mother continually lets her down. Luckily Liz has many friends who become she extended family and she spends time with these friends for food and lodging. She never talks to them about her life, but she seeks and gains acceptance with these friends who are still part of her life today. As much as you feel so sorry for her, Liz is indomitable in spirit and keeps grabbing onto what life will give her---sometimes a lot, sometimes a little. Through her rich, descriptive language, New York is a vibrant city with many adventures that Liz and her friends grab--night or day. Her resourcefulness knew no bounds and she was smart enough to realize before it was too late, that she needed to do something with her life. Just like Jennifer Storm's Blackout Girl and Walls, Glass Castle, Liz Murray is to be applauded for what she becomes and how she gives back to her community.



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Toys to Tools : Connecting Student Cell Phones to Education by Liz Kolb

Toys to Tools: Connecting Student Cell Phones to Education by Liz Kolb

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A great read, but as with all web based resources, alas some sites are now defunct, but great great lessons and ideas which I will be passing along to teachers!



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Young Adult Literature from Romance to Realism

Young Adult Literature: From Romance to Realism by Michael Cart

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Michael Cart's book does an awesome job of looking at the rise of young adult literature, from wat back when to almost today. Each decade is covered and many of the genres are included. This would be a great book for librarians and teachers of young adult literature. Cart includes lots of statistics which are very interesting, many titles of books up until 2010 and what I liked was he kept bringing up current titles and authors because if you are interested in YA literature, you need to read the most current articles, books and authors in order to help your readers (be they teachers, students, friends, etc) I highly recommend this book, it is a paperback and it is around 200 pages. The only criticism I found was in discussing Scott's Scott's name became Stone and I think the editors should have caught that mistake.



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Plague by Michael Grant

Plague by Michael Grant

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I loved this 4th installment of Grant's Gone series! The story moved at break-neck speed again, with Sam and Astrid questioning themselves as people, leaders, etc. Caine and Diana are happily living on an island with plenty of food, water and themselves. Caine has not changed, but Diana has. I wouldn't say I like Diana but she is more "human" while Caine is still power-hungry. Drake still gave me the creeps and now that he shares his body amd eternity with Brittney, there are times when he is about to torture and kill some one and when Brittney appears, the threat of Drake is over for a while at least. I hated that so many children were so ill with the mysterious "coughing" illness and it could get so debilitating they couch their insides out--YUCK! Grant's characters were so good, Howard, Edilio, Jack, Dekka, Lana and Briana and the wolves, Petey and the giaphage were all still part of the FAYZ and trying to stay alive (water and food were almost gone. But I the thing si Hated most about this book were those insects that had mandibles, spit black juice and inhabited those poor kids bodies, they were very scary and indestructible. For a ripping good read, try Plague, you won't be disappointed!!!





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City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


It was so great to get back into the world of Jace and Clary! I really enjoyed the drama with Simon, Maia, Jordan and Isabelle. This book was so good I really didn't want it to end. There were so many nail biting moments (I have no nails to prove it!!!) Fans of the other three Mortal Instruments will not be disappointed. I was hooked by the story of Luke and Clary's mom getting married (and all the drama that entail), Simon still trying to get used to being a vampire but not joining the vampire clan, and that is where the rub comes in. Simon's hunger for blood, feeling like an oustider, liking both Isabelle and Maia, and his never ending support (he would do anything for Clary) for Clary and Jace, provided some really tense moments. Cassandra Clare's characterizations are so good, and I love the descriptions of the clothes, the fights, the drama, it is all GOOD!



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Yummy: the Last Days of a Southside Shorty by G. Neri

Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty by G. Neri

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


G. Neri's graphic novel is a winner. She takes the true story of 11 year old Robert "Yummy" Sandifer's shooting of an innocent 14 year old girl, Shavon Dean, who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and crafts a gripping tale from the point of view of a boy, Roger, who knew both kids, lived in the same neighborhood, and had a brother in the same gang as Yummy. Roger is an onlooker, part of a close knit family (yet his brother is in the Black Disciple gang too)who went to school with Yummy and Shavon. His story catches the horror of gang life, a forgotten child, Yummy, who suffered at the hands of everyone he knew. Reluctant readers, those who love urban fiction, and all readers should digest this graphic novel. It covers a bleak time in 1994, in a broken down, neighborhood more like a war zone, where no one is safe. You, as the reader, will feel for the 2 sides of Yummy, and be chagrined at the horror of two YOUNG lives lost, for all the wrong reasons.



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Swim the Fly by Don Calame

Swim the Fly by Don Calame

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Matt, Sean and Coop are best friends and have hatched the hilarious dare that they must see a real live naked girl over the summer and through many laughs, mediocre swimmer Matt takes on performing the butterfly to impress new girl, Kelly. In this funnybook, teens will enjoy the guy talk, older sister manipulations and the importance of friends. I liked the Grandpa Arlo trying to move in on Mrs. Hoogenboom after her husband passes. Matt's "accident" in the girls bathroom was laugh out loud, I enjoyed his friendship with Valerie, and the coach Ulf's techniques for Matt like "picking up change from the bottom of the pool."



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The Last Summer of the Death Warriors by Franciso X. Stork

The Last Summer Of The Death Warriors by Francisco X. Stork

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Stork's book was just as good as Marcelo In The Real Worldbut in a very different way. Stork's writing is just so engrossing! When we meet Pancho, he is bent on finding the killer of his sister (even though the police said she wasn't murdered, it was natural causes) and going to live at St. Anthony's an orphanage and plot his revenge. But it is at St. Anthony's that he meets D.Q., a kid with cancer, who comandeers Pancho as his aide because DQ has brain cancer but DQ has plans to make Pancho and DQ "death warriors" and DQ is writing the manifesto while Pancho is tracking clues to his sister's killer. And along the way, Pancho's anger with his father's accidental death, his feeling somehow responsbile for his sister's death, is used by D.Q. to change him. D.Q. is such a strong character, even though he is suffering from cancer,but he is knowledgable, kind, not given to "whining---part of the Death Warrior Manifesto" and along with his love interest, Marisol, we see Pancho begin to grow as a person once hardened into a vulnerable young man with a future that does not include prison. I urger everyone to read this book, if you liked Marcelo, YOU WILL LOVE this book! Stork is one of my new favorite writers!



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The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


When Lennie's sister, Bailey, dies suddenly, Lennie tries to make sense of a world that that was once safe and secure,to a world where she, her Gram and Big exist but don't talk. Lennie has never been popular, just a band geek who plays 2nd chair clarinet but with the loss of Bailey, Lennie now surprsingly finds comfort in the arms of Bailey's boyfriend, Toby (they both connect in their loss) and in the new boy, Joe Fontaine, an awesome trumpet player who visits her house everyday, bringing comfort to Gram, Big and Lennie, dragging them back into life. How can these two guys help Lennie believe that life can go on without Bailey and that Bailey will still be everywhere, like the sky is everywhere?



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Three Rivers Rising by Jame Richards

Three Rivers Rising: A Novel of the Johnstown Flood by Jame Richards

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


What a great way to learn about the Johnstown Flood of 1889 than soaking up a novel in verse! Richards novel is powerfully told through protagonists Celestia, a young teen whose family are members of the prestigious South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club; Peter, who works summers at the club rather than joining his father in the mines in Johnstown. We learn about the rigid class system that exists in this society that would never agree to a relationship between Celestia and Peter. Maura is the wife of a conductor who ferries people on the train and she keeps a meager house going with many babies, year after year. Kate is a changed woman who loses her love to drowning and becomes a nurse. A compelling time in our history, Richards also includes an Author's Note, South Fork Dam Chronology, and Further Reading to bring this disaster to today's young adults. Highly recommended.



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Jazz in Love by Neesha Meminger

Jazz in Love by Neesha Meminger

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Jazz is a normal teen with loving Indian parents who decide to put her on the "guided dating plan" after seeing her hug a lifelong friend. Jazz is a bright student, part of the genius club, obedient, and a smart aleck. Now that she is supposed to think about marriage at age 17, things get funny,desperate, and out of control. The guy her parents pair her with is from Canada and gay, but Jazz and Mit decide to have this work to both their advantage. Jazz falls for the "new" guy in school, who would definitely not be on her parents approved list of suitors. In spending all her time with the new guy, Jazz skips school, ignores her friends, and starts getting into trouble. Readers of all kinds will enjoy this humorous, yet drama-filled look at a young teen and her world.



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Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I read Elkeles 2nd book lst---but just finishing this book on my way to Rhode Island in 4 1/2 hours tells you I couldn't put it down and that this book is just as good as Rules of Attraction! Mexican, Alex Fuentes is a gang member who loves to fight, collects drug money for the Latin Bloods but doesn't do drugs. The only reason Alex became a blood was to keep his mother and 2 brothers protected; Alex was 6 when he was with his father and his father was shot. Now he wants to graduate from high school and go to college---but everyone doesn't know that about him - only that he is always in trouble, has an attitude and doesn't trust his teachers. Especially Mrs. Peterson, the chemistry teacher who pairs him with perfect blond Brittany Ellis, who can't stand Alex, has a boyfriend and has secrets of her own. What I liked about both books is how the main guy character thinks, feels, reacts. The author does a very convincing job of showing you Alex's thoughts and feelings while convincing you Brittany hates and fears Alex. She has worked her whole life to keep her secrets and won't let anyone find out her life is not pefect. But she begins to find out Alex has other sides that no one sees. For a very stimulating, heart-pounding look at two opposite teens and what happens when their worlds collide, this book will satisfy readers with all the action, desire and passion that moves the characters and story to a nailbiting conclusion.



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Borderline by Allan Stratton

Borderline by Allan Stratton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I loved Stratton's Chanda books and Borderline is another example of quality multicultural writing teens will be drawn to with the espionage, bullying and being Muslim in a private school. Sami has two great friends since fourth grade, Andy and Marty, yet he feels that his summer spent without them (his father wouldn't let him go on vacation with them) and having to return to his private school, has made Sami feel that his friends don't really need him. Things have been tense between Sami and his dad but when his father is arrested and charged with aiding in a terrorist plot, Sami begins his own investigation, and begins to find some damning evidence against his father. As Sami digs deeper and deeper, is bullied repeatedly in school, and judged by many because he is Muslim and his father is a terrorist in jail, the plot just thickens and the suspense is unnerving. With the help of Andy and Marty, Sami hatches a plot to get to the truth, and hopefully help his father. A gripping read about a teen who because he is Muslim, is looked at differently by different people when a life threatening situation develops. Stratton crafts a totally believable story about how unfair the legal system can be toward those with a different color skin or culture. Keeping his wits about him, being beyond brave, and learning to find his voice, all describe the young teen Sami, who must rise above prejudice to save his family name.



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The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd

The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A super great first book by Nick Burd. Thanks to all the multicultural blogs I follow for this guy coming of age book. Dade knows he is gay, but he hasn't told his family...he proclaims it like a mantra to his "mirror" "ceiling fan" and other inanimate things in his bedroom. Dade's parents are splitting up, he is being threatened in school by Bert McGraw and Jessica (Pablo is her boyfriend and Dade's too), a young girl Jenny Moore goes missing, and Dade is finding it really tough to get through his senior year. Until he meets Alex Kincaid and Lucy. Lucy has been banished to her aunt's house; she is openly gay and is totally up front about being lesbian and she really gets all that Dade is going through and is his first real friend. Dade meets Alex Kincaid as he flees a party where Jessica's sister, Fessica, put the moves on him, and he can't handle it. It is through Alex and Lucy that Dade comes to accept himself, tells his parents who he really is and begin to understand about himself, Pablo, Alex, Jenny Moore's disappearance and finds a new happiness, even if it comes with a shocking surprise. I loved the ending advice from Dade:

"There is always hope. The world is vast and meant for wandering. There is always somewhere else to go."

A great read by a new writer, I am looking for more great books from Nick Burd.



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Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This beautiful book is about the end of World War II in California and how the Japanese were taken to the internment camps. Henry Lee is the boy telling the story and is Chinese and his parents send him to an American school and make him wear a sign that says "I am Chinese" which most people ignore. He is bullied in school and at home must speak only English (even though his parents don't understand English). Life sucks for Henry Lee, until one day Japanese Keiko Akabe starts at his school and works beside him in the lunch room. Henry cherishes their friendship, and it blossoms into love. When Keiko's family must report to an internment camp, Henry begins to correspond with her. He also visits her when he is asked to help in their kitchens on a weekly basis. As he grows older, Henry promises to wait for her. There is so much in this story to love. Henry is older when the story begins and he remembers his childhood, has an acrimonious relationship with his son and is despondent over the death of his wife, no she is not Keiko. Such a great story, I loved every minute of it and so will you.



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Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


What a totally fabulous book! I loved the characters, the story, and the beauty of Addis Abba, Ethiopia was simple and timeless. I will admit I wanted to see more of Sister Mary Joseph Praise but the family dynamics of the twins, Marion and Shiva, with Hema and Gosh as the doting parents with the extended family of Missing Hospital was great reading. Even though this book was over 650 pages, I didn't want it to end. I loved the working relationship of Sister Mary Joseph Praise and Thomas Stone. I found Marion's love for Genet all consuming and profound. I wondered if Shiva might be a little Aspergers.....and I almost wanted the twins to stay little...Addis Abba and its military tumult was a very sad and difficult time when Marion realized his parents couldn't fix the wrongs (the clubbing of the old women by the imperial guards, Gosh's imprisonment)and Shiva's betrayal with Genet. Marion's voice, his medical beliefs, his stories, were all mesmerizing because I think he talks about a certain kind of doctor; maybe one that doesn't exist anymore? I don't know, but I loved his doctors and their pledge to healing the human race with the vpw "I swear by Apollo and Asclepius and Hygeia and Pannaceia to be true to her, for she is the source of all...I shall not cut for stone." Abraham Verghese's book is going to be one of my favorite adult reads.....Highly, highly recommended!



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Haiti On My Mind; Stories By Haitian American Teens

Haiti On My Mind by Dana K. Vincent

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Wow, for such a skinny book of stories, Haiti On My Mind, was compelling heavy reading. I was captivated by the Haitian teens writing for Teen Communication telling their stories of hope and fear, joy and despair. With a moving foreword by Edwidge Danticat, Haiti's history, traditions and heritage is chronicled by teens who now live in the United States. The message is clear; since the 2010 earthquake, Haiti will need our understanding in order to rise above the chaos that decimated much of their country. The essays speak about the refugee experience and also about the many challenges of teen life. Teens reading this book will learn about prejudice, triumphs, failures and alienation, but they will also see the proud resilience of the Haitian American immigrant.



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Ice by Mary Beth Durst

Ice by Sarah Beth Durst

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book was filled with so much action and adventure, my head is spinning and I can't wait to find out more about the Cassie/Bear relationship. Cassie lives with her dad in an Arctic research station which Cassie loves because she tracks and researches polar bears. Her grandmother used to tell her stories about the God of the North Wind and his bride but only when her dad was not around. Cassie's world is turned upside down when she realizes, her mother is not dead but living with the God of the North Wind because of some promise made long ago. Cassie is a great heroine because nothing stops her, she is brave, and ruthless in her pursuit of what she wants. She uses her cunning throughout the book and you are in for a wild ride until the last page! I read this on my Kindle and I didn't realize the book had ended, I wanted more! For a great fantasy, adventure, and romance, you will get all three and much more in this fantastic read.



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Crashed by Robin Wasserman

Crashed by Robin Wasserman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Book Two of the Skinned Trilogy was high on excitement,suspense, and guessing who to believe. Lia Kahn is still living at Quinn's house with Jude, Riley, and Ani and the other mechs. She no longer lives at home,and has cut all ties with her family. Lia has become a dare devil knowing she can never die, she has also grown very close to Riley and some people are jealous. But it really hurts Lia that her old friend Auden is one of the leaders who hates the mechs and wants them taken out of commission. It is Savona and Auden's group that set up Lia and as she runs from evil, she tries to save herself and Riley. But will it work? I can't wait to get to Wired because the stakes are really high now for Lia.



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Dirty Little Secrets by C.J. Omololu

Dirty Little Secrets by C.J. Omololu

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Lucy's life is a nightmare and it has gotten out of control. Her mother has been a hoarder for years and the reader finds that her mother has been this way since her husband left her. She is mean to Lucy and her brother Phil couldn't wait to get to college. Now Lucy looks forward to this time in 2 years but there are no walkways in the house anymore. Lucy can't have her best friend Kaylie over and what would Josh think if he found out her secret? Would both Kaylie and Josh abandon her, once they found out. The trauma of living with this filth, anger at her mother, and not being able to have a life are excruciatingly detailed page after page. I couldn't put this book down, oh how my heart goes out to families that suffer with this hoarding nightmare. Such a sad, but hopeful book. Highly recommended.





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Wired by Robin Wasserman

Wired by Robin Wasserman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


There were so many tense moments in this book and I Loved Lia and Zoe forging a bond and enjoying being sisters who got on each others nerves. I love the new Riley, then I missed him and Jude was as all knowing and annoying as ever. The BioMax threat, Lia and Zoe's parents, and Lia and her friend(s)having to always try to outsmart whoever was trying to destroy the mechs was awesome, scary, and sad because you never knew who was going to turn against them. Lia was really a character who grew, as well as her sister. Lia had opinions she voiced, but her inner stream of consciousness was always up and down, good and bad, and she kept the reader totally enthralled with the reality and the unreality of her life, the mechs future and their well being. I was totally unprepared for the ending....

I think now I will start Wasserman's Chasing Yesterday Mystery Trilogy. If it is good suspense, I know our reeucant readers will enjoy it if the reading classes do a mystery genre unit.

On another note, I will be heavy into reviewing my PSLA books, so there will be lots of nonfiction and Reference/Professional books coming in my reviews!



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Top 10 YA Books for 2010

http://animoto.com/play/FO7jD50fI5FWoJ3l702hKA?autostart=true


Thanks to Sue from the TLNing for creating this awesome Animoto of teen favorites from 2010

Great book trailers, reviews, for students---Check it out!

http://www.slimekids.com/

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This beautiful book is about the end of World War II in California and how the Japanese were taken to the internment camps. Henry Lee is the boy telling the story and is Chinese and his parents send him to an American school and make him wear a sign that says "I am Chinese" which most people ignore. He is bullied in school and at home must speak only English (even though his parents don't understand English). Life sucks for Henry Lee, until one day Japanese Keiko Akabe starts at his school and works beside him in the lunch room. Henry cherishes their friendship, and it blossoms into love. When Keiko's family must report to an internment camp, Henry begins to correspond with her. He also visits her when he is asked to help in their kitchens on a weekly basis. As he grows older, Henry promises to wait for her. There is so much in this story to love. Henry is older when the story begins and he remembers his childhood, has an acrimonious relationship with his son and is despondent over the death of his wife, no she is not Keiko. Such a great story, I loved every minute of it and so will you.



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Crossing Stones by Helen Frost

Crossing Stones by Helen Frost

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Helen Frost has written a compelling, sweet and sad novel about two families that live across the river from each other during World War I and how the war affects each family member. Frost uses three characters (Muriel, Emma and Ollie) in her novel in verse to tell the story of war, soldiers, death, and the fight for women's rights and peace. I highly recommend this beautiful novel, the verse is so great and the stories of four young people will stay with you long after you close the book. I loved all the research Helen Frost did, I learned so much about this time in our history. A must read!



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Leftovers by Laura Wiess

Leftovers by Laura Wiess

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Wow, this book was disturbing but I couldn't stop reading it! Blair and Ardith are two best friends and what happens to them is shocking but believable. And how they cope and change is believable as well. Blair has a wonderful life with mom, dad, and wonderful old golden retriever, Wendy. One day, mom gets a promotion at her law firm and she becomes Cruella Deville. She is so scary, her husband has a girl on the side. Blair's mom now only cares about appearances and they move to a big, rich, powerful house. Blair begs her family to stay in their cozy house, but her mother will not relent. Both parents end up euthanizing Blair's beloved dog because she has become incontinent and the new rugs can't be spoiled in any way. Blair is devastated, but she realizes she can get her dogs ashes from the vet by impersonating her mother and using her credit card. In her new home, Blair has a shrine to Wendy of her old mattress and toys (she fished them out of the trash can where her parents threw them) and she hides in the closet when life gets too complicated with her parents. Once they move, Blair is left alone all the time. And her best friend Ardith has a hellish life. Her mother, father and brother are all alcoholics. Her mother wears Daisy Duke shorts, allows her father to fondle the teen girls who come to their drug and alcohol parties (nightly) saying they wanted it and never taking her daughter's side. Her brother is good looking but he uses and abuses girls. Her has lecherous friends too so Ardith keeps her door padlocked each night. Ardith has dreams of becoming a podiatrist and getting out of town and away from her family. It is these hellish family relations that cement Blair and Ardith's friendship. As they become teens they are hardened, cynical, forgotten and afraid of life. The only person they truly feel safe with is Officer Dave. Dave has helped the girls a few times and looks out for them because their families don't. These girls weave a mesmerizing story, I couldn't put it down, but I didn't like reading it either. Why? Because it was so sad and so believable. So get ready for a tough book about family dysfunction and the hell that it can wreak on young girls as they become teens.



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