Book Talk

2011-05-16T10:51:00.000-05:00

Graceling

by Kristin Cashore

Katsa is a Graceling, one of a number of people in the Seven Kingdoms who are born with special abilities, or Graces. The Graces can be anything and everything, from being graced with cooking, to giftedness in treating horses, to having a Grace to kill--like Katsa. Graced people are feared by the general population and often exploited by the rulers of the Kingdoms. Katsa lives with her uncle Randa, King of the Middluns, and she uses her Grace at his command. Katsa hates the tasks of killing and intimidation that her uncle sends her to do, but she fears him and feels she has no choice. Her way of rebelling has been to organize a secret Council with her cousin Prince Raffin, which undertakes missions of mercy throughout the Seven Kingdoms--a Council which her uncle the King must never learn about.

In the middle of a rescue mission, Katsa first meets Prince Po, a graceling gifted with combat skills, though his skill can't compare with Katsa's. She never expects to meet him again, and certainly never expects to be his friend. But circumstances throw the two together again on a mission to discover the reason for the kidnapping of Po's grandfather. This quest leads them into more danger than they could have imagined, and cements their friendship forever.

This debut fantasy novel of author Cashore, is filled with appealing characters and tension-filled adventure. The companion novel Fire is also in the LVJH library with a new cast of characters except one. With the publication of these two novels, new author Kristin Cashore promises to be a favorite young adult author for years to come. Reviewed by Mrs. Sams.

2011-05-09T14:43:00.000-05:00

Fat Cat

by Robin Brande

Catherine may be really overweight, but she's also really smart. She is in all AP classes with most of the same students every period, including Matt McKinney, her ex-best friend. Her hardest class of the school year will be Mr. Fizer's Special Topics in Research Science class, where she is given a picture which will be the basis for a year-long research project. For a student like Cat, who wants to go to a top-tier college, this project could be the thing that makes the difference between just passing the class and getting an outstanding recommendation and scholarship. When Cat looks at the picture she has chosen, her heart sinks. It is the picture of prehistoric people, naked and eating raw meat. They are slim and muscular. The woman appears strong and capable of hunting and taking care of herself--everything Cat isn't. Cat stares at this picture most of the time she has to come up with her project proposal. Her mind is blank. The time is nearly up when she realizes exactly what she wants to do. She will become her own project. She will transform herself into a prehistoric woman--eat what they ate, live as closely to their lifestyle as it was practical to do. For 207 days, Cat would eat vegetarian, walk most places, and live without her technology. And at the end, she knew she would be a new person! With the help of her best friend Amanda, Cat changes in just about every way possible, and gains the self-confidence she lost four years ago when she was betrayed.

Funny, thought-provoking, and challenging, Fat Cat is a great novel for any teen, but especially for those who want to make themselves into someone better. On the 2012 Texas Lone Star Reading list.

~reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2011-05-09T10:19:00.000-05:00

Stuck on Earth
by David Klass

The first two chapters of Stuck on Earth are some of the funniest, most attention-grabbing first pages of a novel that I've read in a while. An alien space ship orbiting Earth is checking out the planet for possible colonization by the Lugonians, a species whose sun is about to go super nova. Katchvar III, a snail-like creature, has been sent to Earth to inhabit the body of a 14-year-old boy, to evaluate the human race and determine whether it deserves to live or be exterminated. It is a well-known fact that humans are very violent beings with little positive to be said about them. Ketchvar's host body, Tom Filber, and his family just seem to prove what is already known--humans are mean and destructive and don't deserve the beautiful planet they inhabit.
While this story has a funny beginning, not far into to book it becomes obvious how miserable and dysfunctional Tom's life really is. It is questionable whether Ketchvar is a real alien, or an alternate personality that Tom uses to deal with his unhappy life. That question hangs over the remainder of the novel, causing the reader to constantly wonder if this is an entertaining sci-fi novel, or an intense story about a troubled teen. The budding relationship with the girl next door, Ketchvar's environmental project to research the cause of pollution in the local river, and Tom/Ketchvar's struggle to connect with his father make this a novel which can be read on several levels. You will have to decide for yourself whether or not Ketchvar III is a real being from outer space or a figment of Tom's imagination. Stuck on Earth is on the 2012 Texas Lone Star Reading List and highly recommended.
~reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2011-04-29T15:27:00.000-05:00

The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet   by Erin Dionne

    Being invisible to anyone who might make your life miserable, or even uncomfortable, is the goal of many junior high students. Nothing could be worse than saying the wrong thing, and opening up yourself to humiliation. So, you don't say anything at all. You don't want to attract the negative attention of your teachers, so you do your best to pass your classes. On the other hand, you don't want to be considered a geek by fellow students, so you certainly can't do really well in your classes. You must wear the same kind of clothes as everyone else, like the same music, watch the same TV shows, and generally do your best to fly under the radar.
     Such is the goal of Hamlet Kennedy. Her higest wish is to have a good, normal 8th grade year. She never could have imagined how difficult that would prove to be. It was bad enough that she has the strangest family anywhere, but now it appears that her genius 7 year-old sister will be attending her school to take some fine arts classes. Can life get any worse? An appearance in Renaissance garb by her Shakespeare-loving parents, a befriending of her little sister by her two worst enemies, and a secret admirer who keeps putting origami pigs in her locker say yes!
    A fun, light-hearted story, The Total Tragedy of a Girl named Hamlet, hits the nail on the head when describing the troubles and anxiety of an 8th-grade girl. On the 2011 Texas Lones Star list, and available in the library.
                    ~reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2011-04-07T14:33:00.000-05:00

A Season

of Gifts

by Richard Peck

I've got to admit, A Season of Gifts is a great example of my favorite kind of book--the plot not so important, but filled with funny, quirky characters doing sweet and hilarious things, filled with witty turns of phrase. In this case, it's Mrs. Dowdel who lives next door to the new Methodist preacher and his family. Mrs. Dowdel is old as the ground her dilapidated house sits on and as big as the side of a barn. But she doesn't let that stop her. She is busy from dawn till forever every single day, working in her garden and doing a variety of other things that keep her and half the town fed and clothed. She hides a heart as big as all outdoors with a grouchy exterior. She has a finely tuned sense of justice and has the creativity to see justice served when no one else is able to. Just ask Roscoe Burdick, the town troublemaker. Most people either know to stay out of her way, or are foolish enough to think she's a helpless old woman. Woe to the one who underestimates her abilities!

In A Season of Gifts, Peck follows the adventures of Bob and his sisters Ruth Ann and Phyllis as they settle in to small-town life next door to Mrs. Dowdel. From haunted houses to a funeral for an Indian princess, Peck keeps the laughs coming. Season is a companion volume to Newbery award winner, A Year Down Yonder, and Newbery Honor book, A Long Way from Chicago, which is in our school library. This heart-warming story is a quick read and highly recommended. ~reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2011-03-28T14:13:00.000-05:00

Hero
by Mike Lupica

Mike Lupica is known for his outstanding sports novels for young adults. With Hero he takes on a whole new genre--superheroes.  Zach Harriman and his parents live in an amazing apartment on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Zach can look across the street to Central Park, a place he loves better than any other. Zach's dad is some sort of top secret trouble-shooter for the U.S. government, and answers to the President. Very cool, except he's always gone, and Zach can't help being resentful. Then, one day Zach just knows that his dad is dead, and he runs all the way home from school to learn that his father has died in a plane crash. Zach knows something isn't right, because his dad was the best pilot on the planet.  Something is definitely suspicious.
      Zach knows he won't be able to move on until he visits the site of his father's plane crash. With the help of his best friend, Kate, he makes plans to take a bus out to the crash site. Once there, strange things begin happening, including the appearance of an old man named Mr. Herbert, who seems to know all about Zach and his dad. And he tells Zach that he has the magic, just like his father did.   At that moment, Mr. Herbert walks away fast, with Zach following. And then, all of sudden, Zach finds himself back in New York City, though seconds before he had been three hours away. So begins Zach's discovery of the magic within him. He begins to exhibit more and more powers, and he just knows when he needs to leave the apartment for an encounter with the "bads."  He learns that he can trust very few people, even the ones he thought he knew the best. Hero is a classic tale of good against evil, which just cries out for a sequel as Zach becomes more and more confident in his super abilities.
Recommended.    ~Reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2011-03-23T12:46:00.000-05:00

THEODORE
kid lawyer
BOONE
By John Grisham

Theo Boone, 13, already thinks of himself as a lawyer. He is the only child of two good lawyers in town, he knows most of the other lawyers, judges, clerks, and bailiffs in town and at the courthouse, and he has picked up a lot of knowledge about the law by hanging around and listening. It is no wonder that all his classmates at school come to him when they have problems connected with the law--everything from a dog in the pound to an older brother in jail on drug charges.

The biggest murder trial this town has ever had is going on at the courthouse right now, Judge Henry Gantry presiding, and Theo has a burning desire to be present for every bit of it. The only problem is that he can't skip school. Fortunately, he and Judge Gantry are tight, and he gets permission for his government class to be present in the courtroom on the first day of the trial. After that, he has to rush over after school to watch, and then fill in the gaps by hacking into the court reporters' secure system. Since there is no hard evidence, it looks like the defendent is going to get off scot free, even though Theo is convinced he really murdered his wife.

For Theo, the murder trial becomes personal when a friend of his tells him he might know something about the murder, and introduces him to an eye witness to the crime. The only problem is that the witness is terrified of the police and doesn't want to testify because he is an illegal immigrant. He can't afford to be jailed or sent out of the country. Theo spends several sleepless nights trying to figure out how to handle this situation before he finally trusts the adults in his life.

This is John Grisham's first novel for kids. While Theodore Boone is a likable character, the plot is a little slow. Grisham spends a lot of time setting up the storyline, and then there are few surprises. Still, it is an enjoyable read and would appeal to some kids who are interested in the law, or who don't need tons of action to enjoy a book. I'd expect a second Theo Boone offering to be much better. ~reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2011-03-21T13:06:00.000-05:00

little princes

One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal

by CONOR GRENNAN

Stories like Little Princes, which I couldn't help but compare to Greg Mortenson's Three Cups of Tea, convince me that even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, there is some good in human beings, that people do have the ability to change for the better, and that one man can make a difference. That evidence, and the enthralling tale of rescuing abandoned and abused children in the middle of a remote and civil war-torn country like Nepal, made this book one that I couldn't put down. Conor Grennan, a well-educated, international public affairs think-tank consultant, needed a break from his job, and as a single guy with a little savings, he had the resources to take a year off to travel around the world. He decided to spend the first couple of months volunteering in a Nepalese orphanage, mostly because it sounded dangerous and would impress women in bars. However, he had only been at Little Princes, an orphanage outside Kathmandu started by a French woman, for a few weeks when these children had completely won his heart.

The more he learned about the background of these children the more he wanted to help them, and when he discovered that most of them were not orphans at all, but trafficked children, essentially stolen from their parents in Humla, a dangerous and distant part of Nepal, he realized he intended to come back and try to reconnect them with their parents. Back in the United States, Conor raises funds, and makes plans to return to Little Princes. While in the States, he learns that seven children he expected to be moved to a safe house, had disappeared. He blamed himself, and his resolve to return, find those seven, and establish his own safe house became his passion.

The narrative of Conor's return, working with a government official to find his seven children, establishing his own home for children with the help of Farid, a dedicated Frenchman who loved the children as much as Conor did, and trekking into Humla to find the parents of the children at Little Princes, is a fascinating and engrossing story. Conor Grennan writes with intensity and humor, making Little Princes an inspiring and entertaining read. Well worth the time!! Reviewed by Dail Sams

2011-02-03T13:59:00.000-06:00

Epitaph Road

by David Patneaude

Earth in 2097 is a very different place than it had been in 2067. After Elisha's Bear, the plague that wiped out 97% of Earth's male population, women had to take over everything--government, research, teaching, criminal justice, medicine--everything. And with their control came stability, drastically reduced crime, environmental improvements, reduction of hunger and poverty. The few men left in the world had two choices. They could live extremely tightly controlled lives in the high population areas, or they could escape to the wilderness and become "throwbacks" or loners. Fourteen-year-old Kellen lives in Seattle with his mother, an important official in PAC, the Population Apportionment Council, goes to school, studies constantly to pass his trials so that he might have a chance at a good job and fulfilled life. His father is a loner and a fisherman, whom Kellen sees only rarely. And though she had promised Kellen earlier that he could visit his father soon, she now keeps putting him off. Kellen is becoming suspicious that something big is about to happen, and has little reason to fully trust his mother. Eavesdropping, he learns that Elisha's Bear will be planted in the area where his father lives. By doing online research guided by an unorthodox teacher, Kellen and two girls in his class begin to learn the truth about the plague, and decide to escape to the Olympic peninsula to warn his dad about the coming danger. They couldn't possibly realize how dangerous this decision will be, and the unknown terror they are heading toward. Epitaph Road is a different take on a future world which had been pulled back from the brink of destruction. ~reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2011-01-12T09:29:00.000-06:00

dirty little secrets

by c.J. omololu

Lucy, a high school junior, lives every minute of the day with a shameful secret. She spends much of her energy just keeping her real life hidden from everyone she knows. Her secret is something she has endured for as long as she can remember. Her older brother and sister lived with it too, until they graduated from high school and escaped. Now Lucy just has to hang on for another year-and-a-half, and she can escape too. But most of the time it seems like she just can't make it that long. For almost the first time in her life, she has a best friend, and a maybe boyfriend. She believes she would lose them forever if they found out how she and her mother live--if they saw the mounds of junk, newspapers, and rotting garbage her mother collects and refuses to throw away inside their house.

One day Lucy comes home to find her mother's dead body lying on the hallway floor. She realizes her carefully hidden life will be revealed to the world if she calls 911. Her dream of living a normal life will be over when she brings in the authorities. Lucy is just not willing to give up the dream. It is up to her to decide what to do and to deal with the situation all alone...

~reveiwed by Mrs. Sams

2010-12-08T11:38:00.000-06:00

The Exiled Queen

by Cinda Williamas Chima

At the end of The Demon King, Book One of the Seven Realms series, Han Alister has learned that he is a wizard whose powers have been suppressed by the silver cuffs he's always worn on his wrists. The clan leaders take the cuffs off his wrists and promise him an education at the Wizard's school in Oden's Ford in exchange for his vow to help them fight their enemies when called upon. His long-time clan friend, Dancer goes with him.

Princess Raisa meanwhile, flees from a coerced marriage to Micah Bayer, son of the High Wizard. Accompanied by her friend and guard Amon Byrne and his cadets, Raisa heads to Wein House, the military school in Oden's Ford, at the advice of Amon's father, to receive the military and political training she needs to effectively perform her duties as queen.

Both journeys are filled with dangers and discomforts, but Han and Raisa arrive safely in Oden's Ford to begin classes in their separate schools. Though they have met in the past, neither knows the other is in Oden's Ford, and Han knows Raisa only as Rebecca Morley, a blueblood he met back in the Fells.

While at Mystwerk, Han must constantly watch his back, as Micah Bayer, Han's sworn enemy, repeatedly tries to kill him. To protect himself, Han begins meeting with a powerful and mysterious wizard named Crow, to learn more advanced magic. Raisa excels in her classwork and puts up with the confining rules Amon has placed on her for her own protection. Their relationship becomes more complicated and tense as Raisa realizes that they can never marry. Raisa constantly worries about her mother the queen and what is hppening back in her queendom.

Everything changes when Han and Raisa meet and Han convinces the princess he knows only as Rebecca Morley to tutor him in blueblood customs and history. As Raisa teaches, Han takes on more polished speech and manners without losing his street smarts. For her part, Raisa begins to fall in love with Han.

An abduction and impending forced marriage of Raisa by Micah Bayer, and a summons back to the clan camps of Han, delivered by Bird, sends both on separate and treacherous journeys back to their homeland. Neither knows whether all they have learned in Oden's Ford is enough to ensure their safe arrival, or what they will find if they do manage to make it home. Chima has given her readers a true cliff-hanger in this second installment of the Demon King series. According to her website, we have to wait until September 2011 before The Gray Wolf Throne, the third in the Seven Realms series is published. I love this series! It's going to be a long year. ~reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2010-11-29T15:31:00.000-06:00

Mockingjay
by Suzanne Collins

In this final installment of the Hunger Games trilogy, Katniss Everdeen grudingly settles into life and training in the underground District 13 facility, accepting the role of the Mockingjay, symbol of the rebellion against the Capitol. Her agreement to be that symbol comes with a number of conditions, most of which irritate President Coin, District 13's leader. Kat's home District 12 has been destroyed by the Capitol, and she feels angry and used by leaders of the rebellion. Only two things keep her motivated--the possibility of saving Peeta who has been captured, and most of all, her intense hatred of President Snow, and her determination to kill him. Kat's life becomes even more confusing and heartbreaking when Peeta is rescued, but has been tortured and brainwashed into believing Katniss is his mortal enemy. At the same time, her relationship with Gale becomes more strained, by the day.

With political intrigue and emotional upheaval the background for this conclusion to the Hunger Games saga, Katniss and the rebel forces enter the Capitol in the dead of winter, fighting their way to the President's mansion in the city center, where finally, the carnage causes Katniss to rethink her mission and do the unthinkable. An amazing end to a an action-packed series.

2010-11-09T12:41:00.000-06:00

Gregor the Overlander
by Suzanne Collins

Suzanne Collins has become quite famous recently for her Hunger Games trilogy, but before there were Katniss, Peeta, and Gale, there was Gregor the Overlander. Gregor lives with his family in a New York City apartment. Over two years ago, his smart and loving father disappeared--seemingly just fell off the face of the earth. Since then, he and his sisters and their mother have just existed, trying to make do, and trying not to lose hope. This summer, Gregor will not be able to attend the summer camp he attended last year. His mother must work, and there's no one to stay with his 2 year-old sister, Boots, since his grandmother has become increasingly senile. Gregor is sorely disappointed, but refuses to allow himself to feel anything too deeply. He stays home, watches his sister, does the laundry, and waits.

One day, while in the basement washing clothes, Boots falls through a grate in the basement wall. There's nothing for Gregor to do but follow her in, falling and falling for miles, down to an underground world inhabited by humans, giant cockroaches called "crawlers", enormous and vicious rats, and a variety of other surprising creatures. Gregor soon learns that his father is in this world being held prisoner by the rats, and he sets off on a quest with a number of companions, not only to find and rescue his father, but to fulfill an ancient prophecy. Those making the quest encounter one danger and adventure after another, battling the dark environment, evil creatures, and treachery within their own ranks. In the Underland, Collins has created a rich and believable world, and in Gregor, a character full of courage and creative intelligence. Though Gregor and the Underlanders face frightening and brutal realities, baby Boots provides the comic relief this story needs. A great read for those who love alternate worlds.
~reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2010-09-26T16:39:00.000-05:00

The Season

by Sarah MacLean

Seventeen-year-old Lady Alexandra Stafford is about to undergo her first "season" in London, along with her two best friends, Vivi and Ella. Alex's mother insists that she be perfectly dressed and perfectly well-mannered at all times, especially while at the many balls and dinners she must attend in order to catch a rich and noble husband. Marriage is something that Alex is not at all ready for, and proper behavior not her strong suit, but there is nothing to be done but to go along. Fortunately, Alex and her friends can have occasional intellegent and witty conversations with her older brothers and their friend, Lord Blackmoor, whom Alex has known all her life. And the season becmes positively enthralling when the girls become involved in solving the possible murder of Lord Blackmoor's father. Add to that the intense and surprising attraction Alex feels for Lord Blackmoor, and the London season becomes unexpecatantly fascinating. On this year's Texas Lone Star list, The Season is a fun Regency romance perfect for girls of all ages.

2010-09-14T09:42:00.000-05:00

The

Hunger Games

by Suzanne Collins

It's Reaping Day again in Panem, and every person in each of the 12 districts is required by the government to dress in his or her best clothes and appear in the city square for the lottery. Two teenagers from each of the districts, one boy and one girl, will be chosen for the annual Hunger Games, a contest among the 24 teenagers from all the districts, televised across the country. The Hunger Games, is just one way that the Capitol wields its power over its citizens, for everyone is afraid their child, or their friend, will be chosen, and no one is powerful enough to resist. This year, 12--year-old Prim is chosen, but her older sister, Katniss immediately volunteers to take her place. Katniss and Peeta, the baker's son, leave that day for the Capitol, a place of unimaginable luxury, where they, along with the other contestants from the other districts are pampered and fed and coached for days before the games begin. But none of the riches they are given can really ease the terror of what they will encounter when the Hunger Games commence. For the Hunger Games is a challenge to the death, and only one teen can be the victor!

This dystopian novel is reminiscent of Shirley Jackson's story, The Lottery, with elements of Big Brother in Orwell's 1984. Panem is a frightening future North America, the land area vastly reduced because of global warming, flooding, natural disasters, and war. But the main characters are strong, appealing survivors, and the action runs the gamut from sweet and touching acts of selflessness to brutal savagery, with the government being the true bad guy. I loved this book! It has everything a good read should have, and the best thing of all is that the sequel , Catching Fire, is every bit as good as the first. The Hunger Games is on last year's American Library Association's Top Ten best books for young adults, and Mockingjay, the final installment of this trilogy, has just come out and will be available in the LVJH library. The Hunger Games trilogy is a must read! --reviewed by Dail Sams

2010-09-03T12:14:00.000-05:00

Vampire Kisses
by Ellen Schreiber

Raven Madison is the strangest girl in town. Goth girl and vampire obsessed, she is convinced that vampires are real and it's her highest dream to become one. Needless to say, in a small conservative town, she doesn't have many friends. Only painfully shy farm girl, Becky, will put up with her weird ways, and that is because Raven became her champion when the other kids tormented Becky in elementary school. Life in "Dullsville" is borderline unbearable for Raven until the new people move into the dilapidated mansion on the hill. They are oviously rich because the parents are always flying off on trips, they have a butler who does all the shopping in town, and an expensive car sits in the driveway. But to Raven, the most fascinating person in the family is the teenaged son who only comes out at night. Devilishly handsome, Alexander Sterling has captured Raven's imagination, and she is convinced he is really a vampire. She is determined to meet him and wants nothing more than to receive his "vampire's" kiss. Raven gets her wish, but the result is not exactly what she expected! Vampire Kisses is book one in a series by the same name. Read more for the further adventures of Raven and Alexander!
~reviewed by Mrs Sams

2010-08-22T21:04:00.000-05:00

Heroes Don't Run

by Harry Mazer

Adam Pelko's father was killed at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked the Hawaian naval base in December of 1941. He's been aching to join the marines ever since, so he can fight for his country and avenge his father's death. In 1944, the summer before his senior year in high school, he talks his mother into letting him visit his grandfather who lives across country, because he knows his grandfather will allow him to enlist in the Marines even though he is still under age. Adam has a pretty unrealistic view of what fighting in the war will be like, and can't even imagine not coming back. During boot camp, he gets a small taste of army discipline, but it's not until he lands on Okinawa that he finally fully understands the terror and crushing heartbreak of war. Heroes Don't Run is a realistic historical novel of the Pacific during World War II, and Adam Pelko is a character most teens can identify with. Chosen by the Greater Waco Chamber for its One Book One Waco community read this fall, Heroes Don't Run is a timely and appealing story. --reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2010-08-07T14:17:00.000-05:00

POP

by Gordon Korman

Sixteen year-old Marcus has moved cross country with his mother following his parents' divorce. He wants nothing more than to make the varsity football team in the quarterback position at his new school. The problem is that last year's team was undefeated and they lost only a few players to graduation. Everyone in town is counting on a second perfect season. The team is set, and neither the coach nor the quarterback want to rock the boat by adding new players. However, the coach is willing to give Marcus a shot, so he spends several hours everyday practicing his passing in a local park. Early on, Charlie, a middle-aged local character, starts meeting Marcus at the park. This guy obviously knows football, and teaches Marcus more about the game, especially how to tackle and be tackled, than he's ever learned before. But Charlie is one strange guy and everyone in town just cheerfully puts up with his antics. When Marcus finds out that Charlie is not only a retired NFL player, but also quarterback Travis Popovich's dad, he is more perplexed than ever. Marcus makes the team, but has a running feud going with Travis, an extremely confusing relationship with the head cheerleader, and an even crazier relationship with Charlie Popovich. Pop is a great sports read with much more than football going on. Author Gordon Korman has written a winner with this Texas Lone Star title. --reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2010-08-03T19:13:00.000-05:00

The Case of the Gypsy Good-bye

by Nancy Springer

In this sixth installment of the Enola Holmes mystery series, Springer has her teen sleuth investigating the disappearance of Lady Blanchefleur del Campo, a beautiful and wealthy lady who was spirited away by a begging old lady down the city subway. In addition, Enola receives a mysterious package covered with gypsy drawings, delivered to her by her famous brother, Sherlock Holmes, with whom she has developed a fragile relationship. The package is obviously from her mother who disappeared a year earlier, leaving 14 year-old Enola to her own devices. The package contains ribbons of paper with writing upon them, which must be deciphered before the message can be read. With some misgiving, Enola teams up with her two brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft, to solve the mystery of Lady Blanchefleur, which involves slogging through the filthy underground tunnels of the London subway system. She also recognizes how to read her mother's letter which contains a startling message. Enola shows her usual ingenuity in solving the crime, and the reconciliation with her two brothers adds an interesting subplot to an already appealing series. This novel stands alone, but would be better if the reader is familiar with the other titles in the series. --reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2010-07-28T14:33:00.000-05:00

THE MAZE RUNNER
By James Dashner

When Thomas wakes up in the dark lift, he remembers nothing about himself except his first name. When the lift doors open, he is encircled by the faces of boys, maybe 50 or 60 boys, standing in an open glade. Thomas has a million questions, but the leaders don't seem to be too patient. However, over the course of several days, he discovers that he has been sent to a place which is enclosed by enormous stone walls. Every morning, huge doors in the walls open on all four sides of the enclosure, and every evening the doors close. The boys tell him the walls are for their protection because outside the walls in the maze that surrounds the compound, roam huge terrible bio-mechanical monsters call Grievers.
Life inside the walls is highly organized with everyone having a specific job. Supplies come up the lift on a regular basis, and once a month, a new boy arrives. None of the boys know why they are there, but they believe they are there to figure out how to escape from the maze. It's all a huge test; everything rests on the ability of the maze runners to figure out where the escape route is. When there's a new arrival to the glade just one day after Thomas arrives, the first girl ever, the Gladers realize that everything is about to change and that the stakes are higher than ever. A science fiction novel filled with tense action and terrifying mystery, The Maze Runner is book one of a series, and the reader is left guessing what else can possibly go wrong with the Gladers. On this year's Texas Lone Star list.
--reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2010-07-18T18:38:00.000-05:00

girlfriend material
by Melissa Kantor

Kate's mom has dragged her off to Cape Cod for the summer even though Kate was convinced this would be the best summer of her life at home in Salt Lake City practicing tennis and taking a writing class. The one positive of this trip is that she would get to see Sarah, daughter of her mother's best friends, a girl she had a great time knowing several years ago. Unfortunately, Sarah let Kate know within one minute of seeing her that she really wasn't interested in being friends.
Kate has never had a boyfriend before and really doesn't consider herself "girlfriend material." When she meets Adam at the club, she begins to have a different opinion of herself, and summer at Cape Cod suddenly seems like a good idea. Told in Kate's entertaining voice, Girlfriend Material is typical chick lit which would border on silly if it weren't for the serious background story of Kate's parents' possible divorce and the struggles of a first love. This is a quick fun read which most girls will enjoy. On this year's Texas Lone Star list. --reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2010-07-16T18:55:00.000-05:00

THE DEMON KING

By Cinda Williams Chima

A fast-paced fantasy inhabited by a strong-willed princess and an impoverished street rat constantly running from one danger to the next, The Demon King is Book One of a series which promises to be filled with evil wizards, warring clans, secret amulets, unrequited love, and powerful magic--everything I love best in a good story. Princess Raisa has spent the last few months preparing for her naming celebration, the day she turns 16 and becomes eligible for marriage. Suitors from all over the kingdom have arrived and sent gifts in hopes of winning Raisa's favor. Her queen mother seems to be under the influence of Gavan Bayar, the High Wizard, a man Raisa does not trust. Meanwhile, Han Alister has had a run-in with Micah Bayer, the son of the high wizard, and takes Micah's ancient and powerful amulet. Once he has this magical charm, trouble seems to follow Han everywhere.

The night of Raisa's party, after most of the guests have left, her mother sends for her and she realizes that her instincts about the High Wizard were true. Her mother and Gavan Bayer intend to force Raisa into a secret marriage with Micah Bayer. With trickery and a little luck, Raisa escapes the castle with Amon, her childhood friend and guard, going into exile to escape the unwanted marriage and the influence of the High Wizard. When Han is told that silver cuffs which have been around his wrists his entire life were placed there to control his magical powers, he agrees to have them removed and to go to Oden's Ford for wizard's training. The story ends with Raisa and Han heading toward a common destination with dangers both behind and ahead of them both. Good news! The sequel, The Exiled Queen is coming out in September. The Demon King is on this year's Lone Star list. Highly recommended. --reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2010-07-13T10:48:00.000-05:00

INCARCERON

by Catherine Fisher

     Here is a darkly fascinating tale about Finn, a young man who lives in a vast, metallic prison world of hunger, sickness, and teachery called Incarceron. Finn has no memories earlier than three years before, when Gildas, the local wise man, finds him, but Finn is convinced he's from Outside, though the prison has been sealed for centuries. When the Comitatus, Finn's ragtag gang and family, raid another group, Finn captures a woman who has seen the tattoo on his wrist, and knows of the crystal key which also has the same eagle image. Gildas believes the key will unlock the way out of the prison. He, Finn, Finn's oathbrother, Keiro, and Attia, an abused girl, begin on the the journey out of Incarceron, discovering multiple powers of the crystal key as they go. For one thing, the key is a communication device to Claudia, the privileged girl on the Outside who holds the matching key, and is the daughter of the feared Warden of Incarceron.
     While Finn and his companions make their perilous journey through the prison, Claudia is involved in an intrigue of her own, as she seeks to find a way into the prison to save Finn, and to avoid marriage to the weak heir to the throne. This story is filled with twists and unexpected turns until finally the reader is left dangling with multiple unresolved plotlines. This is a story begging for a sequel. The London Times calls Incarceron one of the best fantasy novels written for a long time. It certainly is one of the most imaginative and unusual.
                  ~reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2010-07-13T09:54:00.000-05:00

The Case of the

Bizarre Bouquets

by Nancy Springer

In this third installment of the Enola Holmes mystery series, the famous Dr. Watson goes missing from the London streets, and 14-year-old Enola Holmes, Sherlock's precocious younger sister, investigates his disappearance. To aid in her search, and to stay hidden from her brothers, Enola must reinvent herself into a beautiful, stylish lady. Her disguise is perfect. Enola passes herself off as a former patient of Dr. Watson, and visits his wife in an effort to get the information she needs to find the good doctor. While in Watson's home, she notices a bizarre bouquet of flowers and plants which provides the clues she needs to begin her investigation. Enola's knowledge of herbology, her street smarts, and her ability to decode ciphered messages, saves the day as she encounters a crazy woman who has no nose and travels around the city incognito. Springer has created an appealing character in Enola Holmes and a surprisingly intricate mystery for so short a book. It woulde have helped somewhat to have read the first two books in this series. Questions like "why is Enola hiding from her family?" and "where does she get her money to live?" were probably answered in those first installments. However, The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets is a fun read even without those answers. A title on this year's Texas Lone Star List. --reviewed by Mrs. Sams The Case of theBouquets

2010-07-01T14:52:00.002-05:00

LAST NIGHT I SANG
TO THE MONSTER

by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Zach spends his days at the rehab center running from the monster in his head. He can't allow himself to think about the monster or to fight the monster because it would hurt too much. Above all else, Zach is afraid of pain, and has become a drug addict and an alcoholic to help himself ignore the pain of his life. Zach doesn't remember why he's in the rehab center. He doesn't know what happened to him before he came, and he doesn't know who's paying for his stay there. He just knows he needs to stay. One of Zach's roommates is Rafael, a man old enough to be his father. Rafael has been a depressed alcoholic for terrible reasons of his own for many years. But now he's detemined to do the work necessary to heal his heart and life. Along the way, he helps Zach by sharing his art and his journal and his quiet wisdom. And Adam, one of Zach's therapists, has an amazing ability to ask just the right question at just the right time to push Zach along on his own journey of healing.
A beautiful piece of writing, in spite of the raw language, Last Night I Sang to the Monster is an intense story of love and redemption. For me, the tears flowed! On this year's Tayshas list. ~reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2010-05-17T10:32:00.000-05:00

Vampire Academy

by Richelle Mead

Lissa Dragomir, a vampire princess, and Rose Hathaway, Lissa's guardian, are bound together by more than friendship. Rose can actually enter Lissa's thoughts and emotions and feel what she feels. For two years, they have lived on their own, with Rose protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, the undead, but they are finally captured and returned to St. Vladimir's Academy where they have to adjust all over again to royal intrigues, tons of homework, and having no control over their own lives. As much as she dislikes being back, Rose recognizes that she needs the intense physical training she is getting from the incredibly handsome guardian, Dimitri. That becomes even more evident when terrifying things start happening to Lissa, even in the safe world of the Academy. Dark and edgy, Vampire Academy has everthing a young adult novel should have--conflict, a strong, sarcastic main character, and romance. Vampire Academy is the first in a five-book series. Reviewed by Mrs. Sams.

2010-05-11T10:44:00.001-05:00

REALITY CHECK
By Peter Abrahams

Cody Laredo somehow has managed to go from a nearly perfect life--amazing girlfriend, good job, football scholarship potential--to a torn ACL, failing grades, and his girlfriend Clea shipped off to boarding school in Vermont. Not yet 17, Cody drops out of school and takes a full-time job, floating through life without any goals. When he hears that Clea has gone missing, he has little motivation for staying home. He loads up his truck, withdraws some money from his account, and takes off for Vermont to look for Clea. He somehow feels that a letter he receives from Clea, written the morning of her disappearance, holds the clues to her whearabouts.
When Cody arrives at Clea's fancy school, he soon learns that he has no idea whom he can trust, so he shies away from telling anyone who he is. The local police officer gradually gains a part of Cody's trust, but the shooting of Clea's beloved horse Bud in the school's stables, along with other weird occurrences, put Cody on his guard, and lead him into an investigation he alone could do. Reality Check, on this year's Tayshas list, is a suspenseful crime novel with an appealing teen protagonist. ~reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2010-05-04T12:57:00.001-05:00

The Forest of Hands and Teeth

by Carrie Ryan

Mary lives in an insulated world where, for all she knows, her village is the only one left in the world. Beyond the fences surrounding the community is nothing but forest where the Unconsecrated, the undead, wander, moaning and hungering for the flesh of the living. Ruling the village with ironclad rules and traditions is the Sisterhood, who live in the cathedral in the center of everything. The sisters established the Guardians, men of the village whose job it is to mend and maintain the fences which have kept the townspeople safe ever since the Return. And it is the sisters who decided in ages past how the infected are to be treated.

All her life, Mary has heard her mother's stories of life before the Return--stories of large cities with tall buildings. Stories of the ocean, a body of water so vast that it disappears into the horizon. She dreams of seeing that ocean someday, though it seems impossible. She also dreams of a life with her childhood friend, Travis, even though he is betrothed to her best friend, Cass. When her mother is bitten by an unconsecrated one day when Mary is not keeping close enough watch on her, her mother decides to leave the compound and search for her husband who had disappeared beyond the fence weeks before. After that, Mary is rejected by her brother Jed and is forced to join the Sisterhood in the cathedral, since no man had spoken for her. Mary feels angry and betrayed, but has no choices.

While in the cathedral, she begins to realize that the Sisterhood is keeping dark secrets about the history of her world, and she is determined to learn the truth and desires to look for the ocean more urgently than ever. In an effort to keep Mary quiet and content, the Sisters approve a betrothal between Mary and Harry, Travis's brother, but before the marriage can be completed, there is a breach in the fence and the Unconsecrated overrun the village, scattering the townspeople in terror. Mary, Harry, Cass, Travis, Jed, his wife Beth, and a small boy, escape down a fenced path into the forest, the Unconsecrated dogging their every step. This dark journey away from everything they have ever known to be true, is a dangerous and eye-opening experience, causing the travelers to make heart-breaking decisions of life and death. This story of a world ravaged by plague, is on next year's Tayshas list. ~reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2010-04-20T12:48:00.002-05:00

INCARCERON
by Catherine Fisher

Here is a darkly fascinating tale about Finn, a young man who lives in a vast, metallic prison world of hunger, sickness, and teachery called Incarceron. Finn has no memories earlier than three years before, when Gildas, the local wise man, finds him, but Finn is convinced he's from Outside, though the prison has been sealed for centuries. When the Comitatus, Finn's ragtag gang and family, raid another group, Finn captures a woman who has seen the tattoo on his wrist, and knows of the crystal key which also has the same eagle image. Gildas believes the key will unlock the way out of the prison. He, Finn, Finn's oathbrother, Keiro, and Attia, an abused girl, begin on the the journey out of Incarceron, discovering multiple powers of the crystal key as they go. For one thing, the key is a communication device to Claudia, the privileged girl on the Outside who holds the matching key, and is the daughter of the feared Warden of Incarceron. While Finn and his companions make their perilous journey through the prison, Claudia is involved in an intrigue of her own, as she seeks to find a way into the prison to save Finn, and to avoid marriage to the weak heir to the throne. This story is filled with twists and unexpected turns until finally the reader is left dangling with multiple unresolved plotlines. This is a story begging for a sequel. The London Times calls Incarceron one of the best fantasy novels written for a long time. It certainly is one of the most imaginative and unusual. ~reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2010-04-04T23:31:00.000-05:00

How to Ditch Your Fairy
by Justine Larbalestier

Imagine a world where most people have their own personal fairy--a fairy that performs a single random task all the time . That world is New Avalon, where Charlie has a parking fairy and everyone knows it. Anytime Charlie is in the car, the driver can automatically find the perfect parking place, no matter where they are going or what time of day it is. Charlie hates her fairy, hates driving and cars, and hates smelling like gasoline. More than anything she wants a cool fairy like her friend's shopping fairy, or like Fiorenze's boy fairy, which makes every boy her age adore her. To get rid of her stupid parking fairy, Charlie has been walking everywhere for two months, without success. Her determination not to ride in a car has caused her to be late to her sports school where there are so many rules and ways to get demerits, that she is constantly in trouble. In desperation, Charlie agrees to meet with Fiorenze's mother, the world's greatest expert on fairies, in an effort to get rid of her fairy. But things are going too slowly, so Charlie and Fiorenze agree to sneak a look at the ultimate fairy book written by Fiorenze's mother, and learn how to switch fairies. Charlie could hardly wait to to have every boy in school drooling over her, but when it happens, she soon realizes that constant adulation is not all it's cracked up to be. Fio and Charlie go to extreme lengths to ditch their fairies altogether in a hilarious, if far-fetched, comedy of errors. This book is filled with Aussie slang, which is a little hard to get used to at first, but the glossary at the end of the book helps. How to Ditch Your Fairy is a fun read from the 2010-2011 Tayshas list.
--reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2010-03-17T12:25:00.004-05:00

Marcelo in the Real World

by FRANCISCO X. STORK

Marcelo Sandoval doesn't think like most people. He struggles in social situations and can't always read the emotions and motivations of others. Marcelo has a mild version of autism called Asperger's Syndrome, and although he is an extremely bright and knowledgeable 17 year-old, he just can't function well by himself and has always gone to a special school called Paterson. There, Marcelo works with the school's ponies, a job he loves. In fact, he has plans to work all summer with the horses, before his senior year begins. Unfortunately, Marcelo's father, a high-powered attorney in his own law firm, has other ideas. He wants Marcelo to work in a place where he will be challenged to learn new skills. He wants him to work in "the real world," in his law firm's mail room for the summer. The deal is that if Marcelo is successful in the mail room, he can choose where he wants to go to school for his senior year, instead of going to the local public high school where his father wants him to go.

The person in charge of the mail room is Jasmine, a girl not much older than Marcelo. She is not happy that Marcelo has been assigned to her, but soon grows to understand and even love Marcelo. Marcelo is pure of heart, and has had little contact with evil in the world. If there's anyplace where one can learn fast about evil, it's in a law office. Marcelo hasn't been there long before he is confronted with mean people, evil situations, and moral challenges. Jasmine helps him navigate these new waters as much as she can, but Marcelo has to meet many of these challenges on his own. He has difficult choices to make that could ultimately hurt his father, the law firm, and even himself, but he finally makes the right decisions with admirable courage. Marcelo in the Real World is a wonderful coming of age story with a unique hero it's impossible not to admire. This book is on the 2010-2011 Tayshas list.

~reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2010-03-07T18:01:00.005-06:00

Three
Cups of Tea
by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

Of the hundreds, maybe thousands of books I've read in my lifetime, few have touched me more than this book about the change one man has made for children in northern Pakistan and Afghanistan, all during a time of great turmoil among various Islamic groups, and then later, during America's "war on terror" after 9/11. Greg Mortenson, a missionary kid who grew up in Africa, went to northern Pakistan in 1993 with the intent to climb K2, the second highest peak in the Himalayas. Besides the challenge of the climb itself, his motivation was to place a bead bracelet which had belonged to his younger sister on the peak in her memory. Greg's attempted climb was a failure, and in a severely debilitated physical condition, he stumbled into a desperately poor mountain village where the people cared for him for weeks. As he got to know these humble but proud people, he realized that this village had no means of educating its children. During the warm months, students gathered on an outcropping of rock, sat on the ground and did their lessons on slates or with sticks in the mud, often without a teacher. At that point, Greg Mortenson changed the focus of his life and left Pakistan with the intention of raising enough money in America to come back and build Korphe village a school. To make this happen, Greg lived in his car or a storage building while working as a nurse, so that he could save every possible penny for the school. He didn't own a computer, so he hand typed hundreds of letters to the rich and famous, soliciting funds for his school. His personal sacrifice for children half a world away, was something most of us can't even imagine, much less do ourselves. Yet, today Greg Mortenson has been instrumental in building scores of schools for children, especially girls, who would never have had an opportunity to get an education, but for him. It's not possible to read this book without being challenged to think about what we all should be doing to promote peace and help those who have little ability to help themselves. Three Cups of Tea is a must-read.
Reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2010-02-22T12:55:00.000-06:00

Saint Iggy

by K.L. Going

Sixteen-year-old Iggy Corso is a projects kid who never caught a break in his whole life. Both parents are drug addicts who owe their souls to their dealer, Freddie, and hardly remember Iggy is alive. In fact, Iggy's mom went "visiting" weeks ago and hasn't been seen since. Iggy gets kicked out of school for doing something stupid, and it's basically his last chance. Iggy never intends to do bad things, but he just seems to fall into situations no matter how hard he tries to stay out of trouble. He has a hearing with the school superintendant in three days, and he decides he will figure out some way to contribute to society, so that he can convince the school authorities to let him back into school. When he needs some help and comfort, he goes to his friend Mo's apartment, but Mo is not in a good place himself. One thing leads to another and soon Iggy finds himself with Mo in Freddie, the drug dealer's apartment, the last place on earth Iggy wants to be. Mo leaves the place with an assortment of drugs and a $2000 bill to Freddie that he has to pay within a few days. No one knows better than Iggy that debts to Freddie never get paid, but he goes with Mo to his rich mother's place where Mo is sure he can get the money, and Iggy sees a life he never knew existed. Mo's mom takes Iggy under her wing, but refuses to give Mo the money. Iggy knows that Mo is in deep trouble, and he finally realizes what he has to do to contribute to society. Iggy is a character that it's hard not to like, and who doesn't deserve all he gets. Saint Iggy is an intense story of drug addiction and poverty, and how one boy chooses to deal with it. ~reviewed by Dail Sams

2010-02-22T11:33:00.001-06:00

Hate List
by Jennifer Brown

Ever since that terrible day last May when her boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on students in their school commons, Valerie has tried understand how she couldn't have seen what was coming. How could something like their hate list just be a way of blowing off steam for her, but deadly serious to Nick, and she never realized it? Shot while she tried to stop Nick from targeting the people on the list, Valerie is caught between those who believe she is just as guilty as Nick, and those who think she is a hero for saving another student. All she knows is that the hate list was her idea, and she lost the best friend she ever had when Nick turned the gun on himself. In the months following the shootings, Valerie alternates between total self-absorption, and surprising sympathy for others. This amazing first novel by Jennifer Brown, tells the story of a girl who slowly crawls back to health from a black hole, and the unexpected compassion she receives along the way. Highly recommended! ~reviewed by Dail Sams

2010-02-02T11:09:00.001-06:00

The New Policeman

by Kate Thompson

J.J. and his family live on a farm outside the small Irish village of Kinvara. Musicians all, the four family members struggle to keep up with everything in their lives. There's never enough time to do it all--chores, school work, house work, fiddle-playing and dancing. It almost seems like the days get shorter and shorter all the time. J.J.'s mom Helen has a birthday coming up. All she wants is more time. J.J. doesn't know how he's going to do it, but he's determined to get more time for his mom. A chance meeting with a neighbor lady sends J.J. exploring the underground rooms of an ancient fort ruins, and there Anne Korff shows him the passageway into another world, the world of the faeries, where time is supposed to stand still. Together they hope to discover where the time leak from one world to the other is, and plug up the hole. The problem with traveling between the two worlds is that it's hard to remember why you've come once you cross over. J.J. struggles to stay focused on his purpose of finding the time leak. Meanwhile, the new policeman in Kinvara is really a faerie who entered from the faerie world to search for the leak from this side. Only he just can't remember why he became a policeman. Interwoven with ancient Irish legends and the traditional dance music of generations ago, this quiet and magical tale charms and seduces the reader and draws him back to a time in history when fairies and leprechans were as real as a next door neighbor. A lovely story.

~reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2010-01-11T16:07:00.001-06:00

Getting the Girl: A Guide to Private Investigation, Surveillance, and Cookery.

by Susan Juby

Getting the Girl has both of the things I love and the things I hate about young adult novels. I enjoyed the interesting plotline and appealing main character/narrator. Sherman Mack is a quirkly ninth grader with a fairly irresponsible mother. To say that he is often unsupervised, is a gigantic understatement. Sherm attends a high school where some secret group or person "defiles" a fellow classmate for very obscure reasons. Being defiled is pretty much the worst thing that can happen to a person, because it's equivalent to being a leper in Biblical times or an "untouchable" in India. In one nanosecond, the entire student body turns against a student in very cruel, nasty ways. Did I mention that the defiled are always girls? When one of Sherman's friends is defiled, he decides enough is enough, and begins his own entertaining and mostly ineffective "investigation" into possible suspects. This is a fun read, but here comes the thing I hate most about young adult novels. When authors feel the need to include multiple crudities and unending suggestive language and situations, I just get frustrated. It seems to take the fun out of the story for me. I would recommend this book with warnings. ~reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2010-01-08T15:52:00.000-06:00

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

by Beth Fantaskey

Jessica's Guide is yet another in the huge glut of vampire books following the popularity of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. In it, Jessica is a normal teen, adopted by her parents from Eastern Europe when she was a small child. When Lucius Vladescu, a vampire prince, arrives to claim Jessica as his vampire princess bride and carry out the pact made years before, Jessica realizes her senior year is not likely to go as planned. Lucius is quite handsome, but completely arrogant and overbearing. And he finds Jessica common and unappealing. Although the plot premise has potential, I found it just didn't quite live up to the promise. The book has a bantering tone some of the time that indicates the author was after a light-hearted comedy. But as the story progresses, it gets darker and more intense. The reader is left with ambiguous feelings. Jessica is no Bella and Lucius is no Edward, but still this is a mostly entertaining read for those who can't get enough of vampires.

~reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2010-01-03T14:27:00.003-06:00

Into the Wild
by Jon Krakauer

"In April 1992, a young man from a well-to-do East Coast family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt McKinley. Four months later his decomposed body was found by a party of moose hunters." So begins the Author's Note of Into the Wild, an account of the events leading up to the tragic death of Chris McCandless. Krakauer began his research into this harrowing true tale for the purpose of writing an article which was published in Outside Magazine in early 1993. The article received so much attention that Krakauer decided to do further research and expand the piece into a book. Meticulously and sympathetically, Jon Krakauer retraces Chris's steps following his graduation from Emory University in 1990, when he disappeared into the West and discontinued all contact with his family. Though estranged from his parents, Chris was no hermit. He made friends and influenced people along the way. In addition to revealing the passionate and intense personality of McCandless, Krakauer also includes stories of other adventurers who ended much as Chris did, and devotes a chapter to his own life when he was near Chris's age, all for the purpose of shedding light on the person Chris McCandless was. A fascinating and engrossing read, Into the Wild is a cautionary tale against the pride of youth. I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves a good adventure story, but especially to young men with itchy feet and the intense desire to experience nature to the fullest.
--reviewed by Dail Sams

2009-12-15T10:53:00.003-06:00

SKINNED
by Robin Wasserman

For readers of Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series, the cover of this book may look familiar, and it would be tempting to assume that the storyline is similar. Lia Kahn's physical body is really the main character in this book, and there the similarities end. Skinned takes place in a future, post-nuclear accident America, where the rich have every possible advantage and the poor live in unhealthy squalor. Medical science has advanced to the point that a person's mind can be downloaded into a beautiful mechanical body, but those who have had the procedure done, either by choice or because their bodies have become so damaged that they had no choice, if they wanted to continue to exist, are looked at as inhuman, souless machines. They are the outcasts of society. After a horrifying accident, Lia's father decides to save her by giving her a mechanical body. She is then faced with not only adjusting to the physical changes, the change in her social status, but much more importantly, dealing with who and what she has become emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. This book poses all the difficult questions about what it means to be human, whether there is a god and spiritual life, and what the responsibility is of those who are virtually indestructible to those who aren't. None of these problems are solved, but at the end, Lia is at last ready to consider the questions. Skinned is Book One in a trilogy which promises to be full of action and thought-provoking angst. ~reviewed by Dail Sams

2009-12-01T14:54:00.000-06:00

the summer i turned pretty
by Jennifer Han

Belly (a nickname for Isabel) lived for the summers--the long summers in Susannah's beach house, with her mother, Laurel, and brother Steven and Susannah and her boys, Jeremiah and Conrad. Susannah and Laurel had been best friends forever, so they blended their families every summer. Jeremiah and Conrad seemed as much Belly's brothers as Steven did, except she had always had a crush on Conrad. If Conrad noticed it, he never gave any indication. This summer, the summer of Belly's sixteenth birthday, everything seemed different. Steven was only there for a couple of weeks because he was leaving to visit colleges with his dad, Belly was dating a local boy, which didn't seem to make Jeremiah and Conrad very happy, Conrad was aloof and angry all the time, and Susannah spent a lot of time in her bedroom. The tension was thick, but Belly didn't know what was wrong. She only knew that for the first time ever, she was being noticed, and she liked it. When Susannah's illness finally comes out, Belly realizes what has been wrong with Conrad all summer, and she also realizes nothing can be the same again. An appealing coming of age story with an ending that didn't quite add up. ~reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2009-11-08T21:52:00.000-06:00

The Ask and the Answer
by Patrick Ness

After running for weeks to reach Haven and escape Mayor Prentiss and his men, Todd carries the wounded Viola into the town square of Haven, only to find the Mayor waiting there for them. So ends Book One of the Chaos Walking trilogy. The intensity never lets up in Book Two, The Ask and the Answer, as Todd and Viola are separated, manipulated, and deceived by the Mayor and others with their own agendas. Viola finds herself aligned with a rebel group of women called the Answer, led by Mistress Coyle, a healer and adept strategist for planning terrorist attacks on the city. Meanwhile, Todd is a virtual prisoner of Mayor Prentiss, and is made to do increasingly cruel and immoral acts. He doesn't have the will to resist because he believes Viola has left him alone on purpose. His means of enduring is to turn off his emotions entirely and refuse to think about the pain he is inflicting on women of the city and the Spackle, natives of the planet. As the Answer steps up their terrorist attacks, Mayor Prentiss responds with his own brand of evil cruelty in the Office of the Ask. Both groups are trying to solidify their own power before the arrival of Viola's people in their space ship. The final agonizing scene of this powerful story finds the Ask and the Answer racing toward a final battle on the outskirts of the city, the spaceship nearing arrival, and Todd finally gaining a tenuous control over the Mayor inside the now destroyed cathedral, when out of the hills a totally unexpected conquering force marches toward the city. This is the epitome of a "cliff hanger." As with the first in this trilogy, The Knife of Never Letting Go, I found this story incredibly painful to read, but once begun, there's no stopping. This saga is so much more than science fiction. --reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2009-10-22T11:05:00.000-05:00

the red necklace

by Sally Gardner

I find it really too bad that the cover of this book is so "girly." That probably will keep many guys from checking it out, which is a shame, because the main character of this book is Yann Margoza, an appealing orphan Gypsy boy who has been reared by Tetu, a dwarf with powers of the mind. They make their living by performing in a magic show in a Paris theater. Yann himself has limited powers which he uses in the show, but these powers seem to desert him one night when he meets Count Kalliovski, a creepy and intimidating man of the upper class, and Sido, despised daughter of the selfish and silly Marquis de Villeduval. Set against the backdrop of the turmoil and bloodbath of the French Revolution, this story is full of intrigue and interesting historical facts. To avoid being captured and killed by the evil count, Yann is forced to flee to London, where he is cared for by a well-to-do couple, and educated as a gentleman. When he learns that Sido and her father are in danger, he realizes that he must return to Paris and rescue them. In his quest to recapture his former powers and learn new ones, Yann also seeks out the Gypsy community near Paris and comes to grip with his own heritage. I really liked this story. It's much more than a historical novel, and Yann and Sido's story is compelling. I'm not sure if a sequel is forthcoming, but it's possible since Gardner left plenty of loose ends. ~reviewed by Dail Sams

2009-10-16T20:37:00.000-05:00

Four things my Geeky-Jock-of-a-Best-Friend Must Do In Europe
by Jane Harrington

Brady is heading off to Europe with her mother for her coming of age trip, a family tradition. Before she leaves, her best friend Delia writes four must-do things on Brady's hand in permanent ink. Brady spends her entire Mediterranean cruise trying to overcome her insecurities, fulfill her friend's instructions, and wash off the ink. This is a novel in letters--the letters Brady writes home to Delia reporting on her progress and adventures in her sardonic and ironic voice. From being dragged around Pompeii, Barcelona, and Florence by her mother, to partying with fellow shipmates, Brady has a funny take on all that happens to her. Pure fluff, Harrington's travel novel is a really quick read and a fun piece of escapism. ~reviewed by Dail Sams

2009-10-09T11:55:00.000-05:00

CATCHING FIRE

By Suzanne Collins

Though Katniss and Peeta have been given a few short months of peace and prosperity following their victory in the Hunger Games, it is inevitable that Katniss, at least, would be punished by President Snow for her defiance at the end of the games. Refusing to kill Peeta has sparked rebellion in a number of the districts, infuriating government officials. Punished she is, in many and excruciating ways. The most painful way of all is the announcement by the government that she and Peeta will be going back into the arena for the Quarter Quell, the 75th anniversary of the Hunger Games. Katniss has no hope that she will survive the games a second time. Even if she could, she has already made the decision to protect Peeta as long as she can and sacrifice herself to keep him alive. Returning to the diabolical arena are a host of tributes from past games, some there just to stay alive as long as they can, but others allied together to spark further rebellion. Collins has followed up her highly acclaimed The Hunger Games with another turn in the arena guaranteed to keep readers racing through the pages and begging for more at the cliff-hanger ending. ~reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2009-10-05T11:18:00.000-05:00

Hawkes

Harbor

S.E. Hinton

Those who have read and loved such S.E. Hinton classics as The Outsiders and Tex may have wondered if she has written anything new recently. The answer to that question is yes! After a 15-year hiatus, Hinton has come out with a new novel, but if readers are looking for another teen novel like The Outsiders, Hawkes Harbor will come as something of a shock. This dark, adult novel of Jamie Sommers, an orphan abused as a child, and terrified as an adult by an awakened vampire to the point of madness, moves too slowly to really capture, and for me, at least, was too crude and violent to engage. I wanted to stop reading every page. The plot seems inconsistent. Near the end of the book, the cruel vampire, Grenville Hawkes, is cured of his vampirism, and suddenly gains concern for the man he violently controlled for years. While I like happy endings as much as anyone, this resolution just didn't seem to fit the tension-filled beginning of this novel. S.E. Hinton's new book will not be available in the high school library, and I would be hard-pressed to recommend it to our students. There are plenty of better vampire books out there. Leave this one on the shelf. ~review by Dail Sams

2009-09-23T13:01:00.000-05:00

BLADE: playing dead

by Tim Bowler

It's been a long time since I've read a book with such unrelenting tension and suspense. Not even one sentence of comic relief interrupts the sense of fear and darkness that envelops the life of fourteen-year-old Blade, a street kid in urban Britain. Blade is a person with a past--a violent and painful past. But he managed to escape the life he had been living, and for the past three years, he's been playing dead, hiding from every personal contact and even from himself. Blade is a master at sensing trouble; he has honed his powers of observation to a fine point. But one day he slips, is brutalized by girl gang members, and his life starts unraveling. Ghosts from his bloody past come to track him down. He makes the mistake of starting to care for a girl and a small child. He has lost control, and never has he been in greater danger. Told with Blade's voice to an unseen observer, Bigeyes, in British street slang and Bowler's own language, this story grips the reader from page one and doesn't let go even at the last sentence. The word is that Blade is book one in an eight-book series. That is a good thing, because at the end of book one, Blade has no where to go but up. ~reviewed by Dail Sams

2009-09-11T12:10:00.000-05:00

THE KNIFE

OF NEVER

LETTING GO

By patrick ness

Sometimes the Noise in Prentisstown on New World is overwhelming, though most every man has learned to deal with it somehow. There's little privacy because everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts--their Noise. Prentisstown has only men in it. All the women died long ago. And Todd Hewitt is the youngest of the children in town. In one month he will turn 13 and become the last boy to reach manhood. Until then, he's lonely. He does have his dog Manchee to talk to, though dogs don't have much to say back. But one day, down in the swamp, Todd hears a hole in the Noise, a silence that is deafening, and he finds a girl, a terrified girl, hiding from Aaron, the preacher man in town. Todd has long suspected Aaron is crazy, and when he hears Aaron's noise about the quiet, he knows for sure.

Ben and Cillian, Todd's guardians tell Todd to run. They know the town's secrets, the secrets that every boy learns when he becomes a man. They know Todd Hewitt must escape, even if he doesn't understand why. So he and Manchee run, and the silent girl runs with them. They are relentlessly pursued by Aaron, and then by the army formed of all the men in the town. They head for the legendary town of Haven, the first settlement on New World, and the largest city. Over and over they are caught and hurt and endangered, and over and over they escape to run on again, never completely understanding why, but knowing they are being followed by evil... The Knife of Never Letting Go is painful to read but impossible to put down.

~reviewed by Dail Sams

2009-08-21T12:17:00.000-05:00

The Opposite of Invisible

by Liz Gallagher

I really liked this almost love story. It was easy, a fast read, and true to teenage life, without having the usual "kids are so cruel to kids" theme. Alice and Jewel (a nickname for a guy named Julian) have been best friends forever. They both are artsy and just haven't needed anyone else. Except in their own small art group. they are pretty much invisible at school, and don't care a bit. Narrated by Alice, the story of their lives changes subtly when it seems that Jewel might be wishing their friendship was more than that, and Alice can't tell him that she has a crush on a jock in the popular crowd. When Alice starts dating her crush, Simon, it seems like the Alice/Jewel friendship is over, but it doesn't take Alice long to realize that she just isn't that comfortable with Simon. The good thing about going with Simon is that she is drawn into his crowd, and she makes new friends that just might last longer than the relationship. And to a lesser degree, the same thing happens to Jewel. When they are able to patch things up, Alice and Jewel have become more confident in themselves and their lives have become richer and less isolated. A sweet first novel for Gallagher, and on this year's Tayshas list. ~reviewed by Dail Sams

2009-08-15T10:43:00.000-05:00

Dingo

by Charles de Lint

The day that Lainey and her large dog come into Miguel's dad's comic and music shop, his life is changed forever. She has wild red hair, beautiful brown eyes, and she and Miguel click almost immediately. The trouble is that she doesn't seem like the same person the next time he meets her, and Miguel starts having really crazy, frightening dreams. Lainey has this strange connection to her dog, Em, which she says is a dingo, a wild dog from Australia, her home country. When Johnny Ward, the town bad boy, tells Miguel about the dreams he has been having and that he really likes Em, whose dog's name is Lainey, Miguel knows he has entered the Twilight Zone. At a nighttime meeting on the beach, Lainey tells Miguel that she has a twin sister, and that they are shape-changers. Soon Miguel and Johnny are thrown into a perilous venture to save the girls from their biological father, and Dingo, the leader of their clan. Dingo is similar to the last book I read, Impossible, where a fatastical, magical reality parallels a normal, modern one. And again, the power of love is a central theme. Dingo is another title on this year's Tayshas list, available in the LHS library. --reviewed by Dail Sams

2009-08-13T10:22:00.000-05:00

Impossible

by Nancy Werlin

Lucy Scarborough is the latest in a long line of cursed women who have become pregnant at age 18 and had baby daughters. Based on the lyrics to the old folk ballad "Scarborogh Fair", made famous by Simon and Garfunkel in the 1960's, Lucy, her family, and her best friend Zach realize Lucy must perform the three tasks mentioned in the song or she will go insane after delivering her baby. Each of the three tasks seems more impossible to perform than the last. The underlying tension of evil, personified by an incredibly attractive stranger named Padraig Seeley, makes this book one that is difficult to put down. The binding and breaking power of love is the most important theme threaded throughout this spellbinding tale. Werlin has created an unusual story intertwining the very modern and rational with the ancient and magical. A great read on this year's Tayshas list. --reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2009-08-10T13:31:00.000-05:00

waiting for normal

by leslie connor

Waiting for Normal is another of several YA novels I've read in the past year or two about the struggles and fears of kids who have to take care of themselves because the adults in their lives are either irresponsible, cruel, or both. Addie's mother is not cruel, which makes this novel a little less painful to read than some, but she is selfish and thoughtless, leaving 12-year-old Addison to fend for herself on a regular basis. More than anything, Addie wants to have a normal life, with her two younger sisters who live with their dad, a good man who happens to love Addie too. But he's not Addie's blood father, so he hasn't been able to gain custody of her. He has done the best he can for Addie and her mother by providing them with a small trailer to live in and monthly support. Addie is happy with it, but Addie's mother is rarely satisfied, and she feels entitled to her own life, often leaving Addie alone, sometimes for days at a time. School activities and Soula and Elliot, the owners of a minimart across the street, make life bearable for Addie. When Addie accidentally sets the trailer on fire one morning while her mother is gone on one of her getaways, Soula finally calls child protective services, and sets in motion the circumstances for Addie to achieve her "normal." A surprisingly upbeat novel, considering the subject matter, Waiting for Normal is a great story about a girl who is a survivor. Read Sarah Dessen's Lock and Key and Deborah Davis's Not Like You, for other takes on the same subject. Waiting for Normal is on this year's Texas Lone Star list.

~reviewed by Dail Sams

2009-07-28T21:14:00.000-05:00

Book of a Thousand Days

by Shannon Hale

This beautifully written, lyrical novel is based on a lesser-known Grimm Brothers fairy tale. Though the plot is engaging, and the characters appealing, it's the language that drew me through the story. Book of a Thousand Days reads more like poetry or a song, than like prose. It has more striking similes than I can remember encountering in a novel before. Phrases like "his soul slipped back inside, curled up like a cat in his chest, and purred to be home," and "I was under the stars like a fish is under water," and "in a few months' time winter would whack us dead like a yak's tail slaps a fly," run all through the text. Since Dashti, a peasant girl and the main character of the story, has learned to sing all the healing songs from her mother, the lilting quality of the language perfectly complements the events of the plot. And healing is one of the main themes--healing of body and soul. This is a story full of cruelty, privation, and destruction, yet Dashti's songs keep the tone light and hopeful. The structure of this book is in Dashti's diary entries as she and her mistress Saren are bricked up in a tower by Saren's father for seven years, without light or fresh air, because she wouldn't agree to marry the man her father had chosen for her. After half that time, they manage to break themselves out, only to find that the lady's home city has been utterly destroyed by the man she was to marry. They travel on to the city of Khan Tegus, the ruler of a neighboring kingdom, and the man Saren wants to marry. There they find work in the palace kitchen, and Dashti waits for an opportunity to make Saren's presence known to Tegus. Though Dashti is allowed to sing her songs of healing to the khan, Saren is too afraid to reveal herself, and Dashti falls in love with Tegus herself. In the end, both Saren and Dashti gain happiness through separate acts of bravery. And everyone lived happily ever after. --reviewed by Dail Sams

2009-07-25T21:10:00.000-05:00

Me, the Missing, and the Dead

by Jenny Valentine

An amazine first novel by Valentine, Me, the Missing and the Dead, has a clever plot, well-developed, dynamic characters, and a surprise ending. What more could you want? Here's the story: Peter Swain, the father of our narrator, Lucas, disappeared without a trace five years ago. His wife and three children don't know if he's alive or dead. They just know he never came home one day. Lucas feels like he's the only one who cares, who is trying to keep his father's memory alive. In a seemingly unrelated event, Lucas wanders into a cab company early one morning to catch a cab home, and notices an urn sitting up on a shelf. It contains the ashes of Violet Park, and she and her urn were left in a cab five years ago and never claimed. For some reason, that makes Lucas really sad, and he is determined to take possession of Violet's ashes and sprinkle them in a nice place. He just can't rest until he's done it; it seems that Violet is calling to him. With the help of his grandmother, Lucas claims the ashes and begins doing research on Violet Park. She was a noted pianist, in several movies, and craziest of all, she had known his dad. Lucas begins to wonder if there is a connection between Violet's death and his father's disappearance. On this year's Tayshas list, Me, the Missing, and the Dead is a great novel about seeking the truth and learning when to let go. Highly recommended.

--reviewed by Dail Sams

2009-07-22T11:28:00.000-05:00

hush: an Irish princess' tale

by Donna Jo Napoli

In hush, Napoli has created a haunting tale based on an ancient Irish folk story about a princess named Melkorka. Melkorka is beautiful and haughty, used to being waited upon and to looking down on those who serve her. A brutal attack in which her older brother's hand is severed, causes their mother to send Melkorka and her little sister, Brigid, away for safety. Along the way, the girls are abducted by slave traders, and very quickly learn what they must do to survive. Melkorka deals with her situation by becoming mute. She reminds herself continually of some of her mother's last words to her--"hush Melkorka, hush." Her lack of speech, causes her captors to be curious and even afraid of her which protects her from unwanted attention. Eventually Melkorka is sold to a man who treats her well, though he uses her as a concubine. However, as a slave, she has no rights and virtually no chance of ever returning home.

This story gives a grim picture of life in 900 A.D. British Isles. Raiding Vikings cause constant fear, and there is unrelenting work for the common people just to maintain the barest necessities of life. Napoli has once again given us a realistic picture of ancient life, and a strong character in Melkorka who changes from a spoiled princess to a compassionate, capable survivor. A great historical read on this year's Tayshas list. --reviewed by Dail Sams

2009-07-18T11:25:00.000-05:00

TEEN, INC. by Stefan Petrucha

For most teens, having two parents to answer to, is more than enough. Just imagine if you had a whole corporation in charge of your life? What if you had to attend board meetings to discuss your dating life? Meet 14 year-old Jaiden Beale, NECorp's adopted "son." When a NECorp product accident killed his parents when he was three weeks old, the company decided to settle 40 million dollars on him and to take care of him until he reaches adulthood. Since Jaiden has no other relatives, he doesn't remember his parents, and the company buys him lots of cool electronic gadgets, Jaiden really has no reason to resist the arrangement. He did have to push his management team to allow him to attend public school after years of private tutors. And the whole power meeting on potential dates was too much to bear, but it was not until he learns from Jenny, a classmate, that NECorp is dangerously polluting the local water supply with mercury, that he starts questioning his loyalty to the company. A series of bizarre incidents and teen pranks follow which lead to NECorp having to clean up its act and Jaiden being faced with some decisions about his future.

Teen, Inc. is an entertaining and highly readable story, but I found it a little confusing. The author couldn't seem to make up his mind if he was writing a comedy or a serious novel about pollution and corrupt business practices. And the basis for the story and several goings-on within the plot just weren't believable. However, Jaiden is a totally normal and likable character, in spite of his strange "home" life, so many students will enjoy reading Teen, Inc. --reviewed by Dail Sams

2009-07-16T09:33:00.000-05:00

The

Hunger Games

by Suzanne Collins

This dystopian novel is reminiscent of Shirley Jackson's story, The Lottery, with elements of Big Brother in Orwell's 1984. Panem is a frightening future North America, the land area vastly reduced because of global warming, flooding, natural disasters, and war. But the main characters are strong, appealing survivors, and the action runs the gamut from sweet and touching acts of selflessness to brutal savagery, with the government being the true bad guy. I loved this book! It has everything a good read should have, and the best thing of all is that the sequel , Catching Fire, is due out in September. The Hunger Games is on this year's American Library Association's Top Ten best books for young adults, and the 2009-2010 Texas Tayshas list. --reviewed by Dail Sams

2009-07-11T21:34:00.000-05:00

Black & White and Dead All Over

by John Darnton

It's bad enough that the New York Globe is struggling with decreasing circulation and advertising while its readership increasingly depends on the Internet for its news. But the Globe is really in trouble when one of its most hated editors is murdered and his bleeding body deposited on the floor of the main newsroom, with a stake through his chest. Ace reporter Jude Hurley is given the assignment to cover the murder, teaming up with NYPD detective, Priscilla Bollingsworth. They are obviously dealing with a clever murderer because two weeks pass with little real evidence and few clues coming to light, while two more Globe reporters are murdered in ever more gruesome ways. The ambitions and petty jealousies of editors and reporters at the Globe put nearly everyone under suspicion and make for a smart, suspenseful story by Pulitzer-prize winning journalist, John Darnton. This great read will be available at the LHS library this fall.

---reviewed by Dail Sams

2009-07-05T12:02:00.000-05:00

SLAM by Nick Hornby

Sam is a normal 15-year-old boy whose life has finally hit a great spot. He has a decent relationship with his single mom, his art teacher has encouraged him to go to college in graphic design, he has learned some great skateboarding moves, and he has a beautiful girlfriend. World-famous skateboarder Tony Hawk is Sam's hero and the source of his best advice, in the form of quotes from Hawk's autobiography, which Sam has read about a thousand times. But all it takes is one 5-minute slip in judgment, and his life is changed forever. He receives a slam against the wall, in a big way. When he finds out his girlfriend is pregnant, all he thinks about doing is running away, but in the end, Sam does the only thing he can do. He decides to be responsible and does some major growing up. Sam is a funny and oddly endearing character, and Hornby, an English author, has written a realistic novel about teenage fatherhood, and the importance of taking responsiblilty for our mistakes. Three of Nick Hornby's books have been made into major motion pictures. Find out more about him on his official website, http://www.nicksbooks.com/index.php/archives/category/news/. Read Slam, on this year's Tayshas list. --reviewed by Dail Sams

2009-07-02T13:55:00.000-05:00

What I Saw and How I Lied

by Judy Blundell

This is a classic coming of age story set in post-World War II Palm Beach, Florida. Evie and her mom and step-father, just home from the war, leave their New Jersey home for a celebratory trip to Palm Beach. Evie, nearly 16, believes herself to be a plain, awkward girl, and constantly compares herself to her knock-out gorgeous mother Beverly. But while in Florida, Evie falls for a handsome GI who shows up to see her step-father Joe. Peter is friendly and kind to Evie, and she begins to believe that she can make Peter see her own beauty. It is obvious that there is tension between Joe and Peter for reasons that Evie can't quite understand. Evie is naive and inexperienced and completely misreads what is going on right under her nose. When Peter is mysteriously killed in a boating accident with her parents, and Joe comes under suspicion, Evie learns that she has never really known the people who are closest to her. In the period of a few days, she grows up, learns some of the truth and realizes what she has to do to protect her world. Evie Spooner will never be the same again. What I Saw and How I Lied is the 2009 National Book Award Winner. --reviewed by Dail Sams

2009-06-25T09:07:00.000-05:00

The London Eye Mystery

by Siobhan Dowd

The London Eye is one of the most recognizable landmarks of London. Perched on the edge of the Thames, it is an enormous Ferris wheel-looking thing, only not, because you can't see the wheel turning. It goes so slowly, it takes 30 minutes for the wheel to to make one complete revolution, and on a clear day, those who ride can see all over London. Ted, the narrator of this book, and Kat, his not-always friendly sister, take their cousin Salim to ride the Eye, when he makes a visit to London. Since a strange man offered them a free ticket, and Kat and Ted had already ridden the Eye before, they decided to let Salim ride by himself, while they waited for him below. Keeping their eye on the capsule Salim had entered, they waited for 30 minutes till it came back around. And when it did, Salim did not emerge from the capsule. Ted and Kat waited for the next capsules, then started frantically searching all around the area, but Salim had disappeared. The next day the police are called in, and soon Salim's parents decide to make an appeal on TV. All the while Ted and Kat are doing their own investigation and coming up with their own sometimes hilarious theories. Ted, our narrator, has Asperger's Syndrome, which means his brain works a little differently than most people's. It also means he is very literal, which leads to some pretty funny explanations on his part. But it also means that he is very helpful in the investigation, because he looks at the situation from a very unique perspective. While doing their best to find Salim, Kat and Ted become better friends, and both of them do some growing up. The London Eye Mystery is a serious story, because Salim could really be in danger, but Ted's funny commentary, keeps the story light. A fun, quick read, and on this year's Texas Lone Star list. ~reviewed by Dail Sams

2009-06-01T09:04:00.000-05:00

Sundays at Tiffanys

By James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet

I heard a radio interview with internationally known author James Patterson the other day on my way home from school. Amazingly, he has nine, yes nine, books coming out this year. He manages this by having co-authors. Such is the case with Sundays at Tiffanys, a tender love story, reminiscent of Nicholas Sparks. Jane Margaux is the 8-year-old daughter of an inattentive single mom, Vivienne, a hard-nosed, ever busy Broadway producer. Jane survives because she has an imaginary friend named Michael. Michael is a grown man whose job it is to befriend needy children. We are never quite sure if he's ghost or angel, but whatever he is, he takes very good care of Jane until she turns 9 years old, when he has to leave her. That's the rule. Michael can only stay until the child's ninth birthday, because after that, she can manage on her own. He endures these excruciatingly difficult leave-takings because the children he loves and leaves forget him almost immediately. Even for Michael, the memories of his children become very fuzzy. But Jane is special, and she never forgets Michael, and he doesn't forget her.

Fast forward 20 years, and Michael is back in NYC. One day he sees Jane, who is still being walked all over by one who should love her. To his astonishment, she recognizes him. This is a modern-day fairy tale, so it is not hard to imagine where this story goes. Though Sundays at Tiffany's holds few surprises, it is still a satisfying read for those of us who love happily ever afters.

--reviewed by Dail Sams

2009-05-25T01:03:00.000-05:00

NIGHT ROAD

by A.M. Jenkins

Another in the rash of vampire novels which have come out since Twilight, Night Road takes a darker, more traditional view of vampires, called hemes (for hemevores). Most of the action in this story takes place during the night, because in this version, sunlight is devastatingly harmful to hemes, and they are meticulous in protecting themselves from it. Cole, a 170-year old heme, has become solitary and introverted, protecting himself from memories and relationships too painful to deal with. When Johnny calls Cole back to the Building, a haven for other hemes in an urban area, he knows something is up. Johnny wants Cole and Sandor to take Gordon,"the accident" , a new heme, on the road, to teach him everything he needs to know about his new life. It's been a long time since Cole has spent this much time with other people. His overwhelming sense of responsibility toward Gordon causes him to remember and share memories that he has stuffed for a long time. It also causes him neglect his own needs so that Gordon has his needs met, leading to a terrifying near catastrophe. This road trip certainly prepares Gordon for the life he is destined to live for eons, but Cole comes away changed for the better as well.

An interesting take on the vampire world, but I found it hard to really connect to this story or these characters. However, it is certain to appeal to YA readers who like dark, melancholy tales.

--reviewed by Dail Sams

2009-05-11T12:02:00.000-05:00

Am I a censor???
For the past few days I've been reading a four-book series about the daughter of the first woman President of the United States. To tell the truth, I haven't been able to put these books down. Meg is an extremely appealing character, smart, funny, and honest. The first book takes the Powers family through Meg's mother's presidential campaign. The second one focuses on the family's move to the White House and all the adjustments that come with living in a fish bowl with 24/7 Secret Service protection. When the President is shot in an assassination attempt, the family's world is turned upside down. In book three, my favorite so far, Meg is kidnapped by terrorists, beaten, and left to die, chained in an abandoned mine shaft. The fourth book which I'm still reading, chronicles Meg's recovery, her painful physical rehab, her struggle with post-traumatic stress syndrome and feelings about her mother's refusal to negotiate with terrorists, and her need to go to college and move on with her life. Even when the plots are not totally spell-binding, still the characters kept me coming back for more. I have to know what happens to Meg.
So, what's the problem? It's the language. Meg and her younger brother and her best friend Beth, use non-stop profanity, most of it taking the Lord's name in vain. I went back and reread the reviews upon which I based the acquisition of these books. Only one of them mentions Meg's language as being "appropriately raw," while all give very positive revi ews. I guess I have to be fair and say that most of the profanity is in Meg's head. Meg is mostly very respectful and discreet when actually speaking to other people. But that doesn't change the perspective that there's a lot of what I would consider inappropriate language in these books. So, I now have the difficult decision whether or not to keep these books in the library collection. As much as I have enjoyed the story, the language offends me, and I think it could offend others. On the other hand, in our rather crude society, I know that there is nothing in these books that LHS students haven't heard on a regular basis in TV shows and movies. I often remind myself that a significant percentage of our student population is of adult age, or about to be, and I don't think it's my job to protect them or censor their reading material. On the other hand, I have to live with my conscience and be faithful to the task of providing excellent resources to complement and support the curriculum. In this case, I think I'll have to pull these books from the shelf. In other cases, I heave a sigh, wishing young adult authors didn't feel the need to be quite so "realistic," and put the books on the shelf. Finding the balance is the hardest part of my job.

2009-05-07T12:07:00.000-05:00

2009 Tayshas Reading List with Annotations

Alexie, Sherman. Flight. Grove Atlantic, 2007. AD/YA. Fiction. Annotation: 15 year old "Zits" has a whole bunch of anger and 2 guns in his pocket. But just as he's about to exact his revenge he mind jumps into an FBI agents brain.
Archer, Lily. The poison apples. Feiwel and Friends, 2007. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: When they first arrive at their exclusive Massachusetts boarding school, 15-year-olds Molly, Reena, and Alice appear to have little in common. Soon, though, the girls discover that each has a much-loathed, recently acquired stepmother.
Armstrong, Kelley. The Summoning. Harper, 2008. YA. Fiction. Annotation:
Chloe sees ghosts. At least she thought she did before being sent to a group home and told she has schizophrenic hallucinations. So how come she isn't so sure they're telling the truth?
Asher, Jay. Thirteen Reasons Why. Razorbill for the Penguin Group, 2007. YA. Fiction. Annotation:Clay comes to find a package on his porch with his name on it. His crush, Hannah, who committed suicide two weeks earlier, has recorded tapes explaining why she killed herself. There are thirteen reasons, and Clay’s one of them. ( see my Dec. 1, 2008 post)
Bradbury, Jennifer. Shift. Atheneum, 2008. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: Before starting college Chris and his best friend Win decide to bicycle across the United States. The trouble starts when Chris is the only one who returns.
Bradley, Alex. Hot Lunch. Dutton Children’s Books, 2007.YA. Fiction.
Annotation: After an epic food fight Molly and Cassie are forced to work in the school cafeteria to create a hot lunch each day for their fellow students.
Brooks, Kevin. Black Rabbit Summer. Scholastic/Chicken House, 2008. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: It was supposed to be one last get together before everyone moved on to college. It was supposed to be about reminiscing. It was supposed to be fun. It wasn't. (see post on November 14, 2008)
Caletti, Deb. The Fortunes of Indigo Skye. Simon & Schuster, 2008. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: What would you do if you were given two and a half million dollars unexpectedly? Indigo Skye, a high-school senior, with a fairly normal life, finds out just what impact that kind of money has on her life.
Clare, Cassandra . City of Bones: The Mortal Instruments Book One. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2007. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: In 24 hours, Clary Fray's mother disappears, Clary is attacked by demons, she discovers she has the Sight, and she meets the mysterious Shadowhunters. Clary's entire life has been one big lie.
Collins, Suzanne. Hunger Games. Scholastic, 2008. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: Every year 24 teens are chosen to play in the Hunger Games. The only way to win is to survive. You might make alliances, you might try to avoid killing, but if you want to win everyone else has to die
Crocker, Nancy. Billie Standish Was Here. Simon & Schuster. 2007. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: Billie is abused, shy, and lonely, but finds herself forging an unlikely, rich, loving friendship with her elderly neighbor when the levee threatens to break in their rural 1968 Missouri community.
Cross, Shauna. Derby Girl. Henry Holt and Company, 2007. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: Bliss Cavendar is an Indie rock kind of a girl that finds her passion for life in the roller rink of an Austin based Girls Roller Derby League and not in her tiny hometown of Bodeen, Texas, known for its beauty pageants and ice cream factory. Bliss's roller derby participation, of course, is unknown to her parents, who would not approve, and it's just a matter of time before Bliss's lying ways catch up with her.
De La Pena, Matt. Mexican Whiteboy. Delacourte Press, 2008. YA. Fiction Annotation: Danny is angry at his Caucasian mom because he thinks she left his Hispanic father. While spending the summer with his father's family, he practices his pitching, falls in love, and discovers himself.
De Lint, Charles. Dingo. Firebird, 2008. YA. Fiction. Annotation: Love at first sight, that is what Miguel feels when he lays eyes on Lainey. But Lainey isn't what she appears to be and Miguel must risk everything, including his life to save her.
Deuker, Carl. Gym Candy. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007. YA. Fiction. Annotation:His father, a former NFL player, made sure his son Mick always played football, beginning at age four. Mick wants nothing more than to be the best football player on the team, number one in the eyes of his dad, his teamates, and coaches. When he falls short as a freshman, Mick decides to to go down a dangerous path to be the best.
Doctorow, Cory. Little Brother. Tor, 2008. YA. Fiction. Annotation: Seventeen year old techie, gamer, Marcus Yarrow is at the wrong place at the wrong time during a terrorist attack. After being held against his will and tortured by the DHS, Marcus fights back. ( see the April 20, 2009 post)
Downham, Jenny. Before I die. David Fickling Books, 2007. YA. Fiction. Annotation: Tessa is dying. But she’s not willing to go without living first.
Duey, Kathleen - Skin Hunger. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2007. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: Sadima was born into a time when magic was outlawed; Hahp was born into a time when it had been restored. Both must use their wits to survive.
Felin, M. Sandy –Touching Snow, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2007. YA. Fiction. Annotation:Karina knows the best way to avoid being picked on by high school bullies is to kill someone. And even if you haven’t, just letting them think you have gets the same effect. She also knows that this is the year that everything is going to change.
Fletcher, Chistine. Ten Cents a Dance. Bloomsbury, 2008. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: In 1941 Chicago, it isn't easy for respectable girls to make a living. So when Ruby discovers a way to make money - make that lots of money - she's willing to take her chances despite the risks.
Friedman, Aimee. Breaking Up. Graphix, 2007. YA. Graphic Novel. Annotation: Four girls, Mackensie, Isabel, Erika, and Chloe, have been best friends since grade school. Starting their junior year of high school, at the school they have dubbed Fashion High, their feelings start to change and each becomes their own person, risking the tight bond they have shared for years.
Gaiman, Neil and Michael Reaves. Interworld. HarperCollins Publishers, 2007. YA. Fiction. Annotation: Joey Harker is so bad with directions, he can't find his way out of his own room sometimes. So when he and two classmates are dropped off somewhere in the middle of his hometown with instructions from their History teacher to find their way to a rendezvous point, Joey knows they are in trouble. Although the street they are on looks somewhat familiar, it doesn't take Joey long to get lost...really, really lost. Parallel universe lost.
Gallagher, Liz. The Opposite of Invisible. Wendy Lamb Books, 2008. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: What is the difference between love and a crush? Alice must decide this when she is confronted with the choice between Jewel (Julian) , her best friend since age three and Simon, the new guy in town
Gardner, Sally. The Red Necklace. Dial Books, 2008. YA. Fiction. Annotation: Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, an imprisoned girl of noble birth and a Gypsy boy with mysterious powers must outwit their enemies before it is too late.
Giles, Gale. Right Behind You. Little, Brown, 2007. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: Kip committed a horrible crime when he was only nine years old. Now he has to live with the guilt and hiding the truth from his friends. When he finally meets someone that he has to tell, if he wants a relationship, he is afraid of the consequences which have troubled him most of his life.
Green, John. Paper Towns. Dutton Books, 2008. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: Quentin is shocked when Margo shows up at his window and enlists his help in an engenious scheme. But he's even more shocked when she disapears the next day leaving a series of clues for him to decode (see the March 23, 2009 post)
Hale, Shannon. Book of a Thousand Days. Bloomsbury. 2007. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: On the first day of her service as a princess’ maid, fifteen-year-old Dashti, and her princess, Lady Saren, are locked in a tower for seven years because Lady Saren refuses to marry the horrible prince her father has selected for her. After several years pass, the world seems to have forgotten about them, and in order to survive they must escape.
Halpern, Julie. Get Well Soon. Feiwel and Friends, 2007. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: In funny, easygoing prose, 16-year-old Anna writes letters while spending three difficult, involuntary weeks in a mental institution. Anna's parents placed her there because she stopped going to school due to panic attacks, crying jags and death wishes.
Hearn, Julie. Ivy. Simon & Schuster, 2008. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: After running away from school, Ivy must learn to thwart a variety of scalawags, hungry pythons, thieves, jealous mothers, overly avid artists, and a host of incorrigible scoundrels that mean her harm
Henderson, Lauren. Kiss Me Kill Me. Delacorte Books, 2008. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: Two minutes after Dan kisses Scarlett he drops dead. No one knows how or why he died. The only thing Scarlett can be sure of is she wants to clear her reputation as the girl with the "Kiss of Death."
Hoffman, Mary. The Falconer's Knot: A Story of Friars, Flirtation and Foul Play. Bloomsbury, 2007. YA. Fiction. Annotation: Sixteen-year-old, prince, Silvano is infatuated with Angelica. Angelica is already married to a wealthy merchant. Angelica’s husband is murdered, Silvano is the prime suspect. Hiding out in a nearby friary until he can prove his innocence, Silvano meets Chiara who has been forced to enter the nunnery next door.
Hornby, Nick. Slam. Putnam’s Sons, 2007. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: Fifteen-year-old Sam lives for skateboarding and often gets advice from his hero, champion skater Tony Hawk, but his life drastically changes when his girlfriend reveals that she’s pregnant. (see my July 5, 2009 post)
Jocelyn, Marthe. Would You. Wendy Lamb Books, 2008. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: Natalie and her friends are always playing the game "Would you rather". When Natalie's older sister is involved in a terrible accident, Natalie wonders if she would rather die then have her sister die.
Johnson, Maureen. Suite Scarlett. Scholastic, 2008. YA. Fiction. Annotation:
Scarlett knows her summer's going to suck. All her friends on adventures and she's stuck working at her parents' hotel. Then Mrs. A checks in, an out of work actress who shakes everything up.
Johnson, Varian. My Life as a Rhombus. Flux, 2007. YA. Fiction. Annotation: Rhonda has sworn off boys and popular kids all together. When she starts tutoring Sarah in trig, she is faced with both. The popular Sarah, her sweet, good looking brother, David, and a secret threaten to pull Rhonda from the pulled-together, school centered life she has made for herself.
Kephart, Beth. Undercover. HarperTeen, 2007. YA. Fiction. Annotation: Elisa is undercover. She secretly writes love notes for the boys in her class. Not to them, understand, but for them. Not a problem until she writes for Theo, a boy she begins to notice more and more. With their increasing contact, will she be able to stay undercover?
Kuklin, Susan. No Choirboy- Murder, Violence, and Teenagers on Death Row. Henry Holt, 2008. YA. Non-fiction. Annotation: Teenagers do end up on death row for the crimes they have committed. Kuklin takes readers insider their lives and explores the thoughts and feelings these young offenders have about their crimes.

Lipsyte, Robert. Yellow Flag. HarperCollins, 2007. YA. Fiction. Annotation: Kyle is born into a legendary NASCAR racing family, but loves playing trumpet. When his brother Kris is injured, he feels pressured to give up music and do what his family thinks he's born to do.
Lockhart, E. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. Hyperion, 2008. YA. Fiction. Annotation: Everyone has always underestimated Frankie. But when she is kept out of a secret society at her boarding school, she sets out to prove that she is just as smart and worthy as any of its male members.
Malley, Gemma. The Declaration. Bloomsbury, 2007. YA. Fiction. Annotation:It’s 2140 and you can now live indefinitely, if you agree to not have children. Anna—born outside this agreement—is surplus, and must work to pay back society for being a burden on its resources, and she’s content with that. Then Peter arrives. Is the chance at life worth the risks?
Marillier, Julie. Wildwood Dancing. Knopf, 2007. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: When they were young girls, Jenica and her four sisters discovered a magical portal that allows them to travel between their Romanian estate of Piscul Dracului and the fairy world each full moon. But when their father must becomes ill and their power -hungry cousin, Cezar, comes to oversee their affairs, their lives take a turn for the worse.
Mazer, Morma Fox. The Missing Girl. HaperTeen, 2008. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: Someone is watching the five Herbert sisters. Someone is trying to decide which sister he likes best. Someone is trying not to make the same mistake he made when he took the last little girl.
McCarthy, Maureen. Rose by any other name. Roaring Brook Press, 2008. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: While her family is unraveling, Rose embarks on a roadtrip up the Austrailian coast to visit her dying grandmother, a trip she had planned to take alone until her mother jumped in as she was leaving.
McNish, Cliff. Angel. Carolroada Books, 2008. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: Angels. Are they real? Stephanie believes. Freya wants to believe. No one understands and thinks they’re crazy. When the truth is revealed, will the girls truly believe then?
Meldrum, Christina. Madapple. Alfred A. Knopf, 2008. YA. Fiction,
Annotation: Fifteen year old, Aslaug Helling, has never spoken anyone other then her mother. When her mother suddenly dies, Aslaug must interact with a world she has never known and face accusations that she murdered her mother
Myers, Walter Dean. Sunrise over Fallujah. Scholastic Press, 2008. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: Army enlistee Robin Perry is a member of the Civil Affairs Unit in the initial invasion of Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. His story illustrates the struggles of the soliders fighting the war.
Myracle, Lauren. Bliss. Amulet, 2008. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: Dumped at her grandmother's by her hippie parents, Bliss must survive at an elite private school where the spirit of a dead girl longs to pull students into her deadly grasp.
Napoli, Donna Jo. Hush: An Irish Princess' Tale. Atheneum, 2007. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: Melkorka is an Irish princess who has always looked down her nose at the slaves in her father’s castle. As far as she is concerned they are stupid, disgusting and deserve to be slaves. All of changes when she is suddenly abducted by slave traders.
Nelson, R.A. Breathe My Name. Razorbill for the Penguin Group, 2007. YA. Fiction. Annotation:Frances’s family adopted her away from her birth mother’s imaginary country of Fireless where she was happy. Until her mother’s madness led her to suffocate her children, all except Frances. Now her mother’s been released and wants to finish what was started.
Ness, Patrick. Knife of Never Letting Go. Candlewick Press, 2008. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: Todd Hewitt, the only boy left in Prentisstown, stumbles across an impossible pool of silence amidst the chaos of The Noise. What he discovers forces him to have to run for his life.
Noyes, Deborah. The Ghosts of Kerfol. Candlewick Press, 2008. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: Throughout the centuries Kerfol Manor haunts its inhabitants. Neither servant, nor lord, nor visitor will be able to escape its grasp.
Pearson, Mary E. The Adoration of Jenna Fox. Henry Holt and Company, 2008. YA. Fiction. Annotation: After 18 months of being in a coma, 17-year old Jenna Fox wakes up in a houseful of secrets with no memories of who she is. While she relearns how to live, she peels away layers of lies to uncover the terrifying truth about her current existence.
Pow, Tom. Captives. Roaring Brook Press, 2007. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: Martin and his family are kidnapped on their vacation in the Caribbean. It is all a plot to overthrow the government using US tourists. Martin’s dad keeps a dairy of the events and after the ordeal and after becoming famous for the kidnapping, Martin tells his own version.
Reinhardt, Dana. How to build a House. Wendy Lamb, 2009. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: Harper's family in LA is falling apart and instead of dealing with it, she runs away from it by going to Tennessee to build a house for a family who lost their home in a recent tornado.
Scott, Elizabeth. Stealing Heaven. HarperTeen, 2008. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: Dani and her mom are professional thieves. No real connections, no real home, no real life. But when they move to the town of Heaven, Dani finds there are things she may want more than money.
Shanahan, Lisa. The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost It. Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2007. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: Fourteen year old, Gemma is about to become the world’s oldest flower girl in her bridezilla older sister’s wedding. Gemma’s sister has even picked a theme for her wedding- "Animals who mate for life", meaning Gemma’s flower girl dress isn’t a dress at all, its a hideous swan costume.
Shusterman, Neal. Unwind. Simon & Schuster, 2007. YA. Fiction.
Annotation : In the future, abortions are outlawed until the unwanted child is thirteen years old at which time they may be become an unwind, still living but in multiple pieces. Conner, Risa, and Lev all find themselves in the situation of being an unwind fighting for their life no matter the price. (see post on September 2, 2008)
Sitomer, Alan. The Secret Story of Sonia Rodriguez.Hyperion, 2008. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: Tenth-grader Sonia reveals secrets about her life and her Hispanic family as she studies hard to become the first Rodriguez to finish high school.
Thompson, Kate. The New Policeman. HarperTeen, 2007. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: Irish teenager, J.J. Liddy’s mother jokingly asks her son for more time for her birthday. J.J. discovers that there is indeed less time then there used to be because time is leaking from his world into the world of the Fairy or Tir na nOg. He must find a way to stop the leak before it is too late
Valentine, Jenny. Me, the Missing, and the Dead. HarperTeen, 2008. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: Lucas' dad just up and disappears one day. No one knows if he is dead or alive. When Lucas takes a cab home from a friends house late one evening he encounters an urn that just might have the answers
Vaught, Susan. Big Fat Manifesto. Bloomsbury, 2008. YA, Fiction.
Annotation: Jamie is a big girl. No, scratch that, a big fat girl. But don't expect her to roll over and apologize or fade into the background, that's just not her style. She's created her alter ego Fat Girl and the world better watch out. Fat Girl is on the move to prove she deserves respect and love just like everyone else.
Venkatraman, Padma. Climbing the Stairs. G. P. Putnam Sons, 2008. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: Vidya leads a privileged life with her family in 1940s Bombay, India. When tragedy occurs, family traditions and her own dreams lead her to take her future into her own hands.
Vincent, Erin. Grief Girl. Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2007. YA. Non-Fiction.
Annotation: Death can bring out the worst in people. In 1983 both of 14 year old, Erin Vincent’s parents died in an auto accident. Her parents’ friends stole their furniture, the executor of their parents' will won't release any of the money held in trust, even for medical issues, and her unfriendly grandparents try to take away her younger brother. Yet Erin and her siblings somehow manage to survive.
Voorhees, Coert. The brothers Torres. Hyperion, 2008. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: Frankie Towers lives in the shadow of his older brother Steve who is the local soccer star. When Steve starts running with the wrong crowd, Frankie comes to realize that not everything is as it seems.
Werlin, Nancy. Impossible. Dial, 2008. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: Can the women of her family really be cursed? Could that be the cause of all the horrible things that have been happening to 17 year old Lucy Scarborough?If it is a curse, will she be able to break it?
Wizner, Jake. Spanking Shakespeare. Random House, 2007. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: High school senior, Shakespeare Shapiro hates his name. Unfortunately, his name is just one in the long list of injustices Shakespeare feels his parents have committed against him. To top it off, he has never kissed a girl, has only two friends, and his younger brother, Gandhi, one of the popular crowd.
Zarr, Sara. Sweethearts. Little, Brown & Co., 2008. YA. Fiction.
Annotation: Jennifer and Cameron are inseparable friends in elementary school. When a horrible event occurs, Cameron inexplicably disappears. Jennifer presumes he's dead until Cameron unexpectably shows up her senior year and her past comes rushing back.

2009-04-30T13:36:00.000-05:00

LITTLE BROTHER

By Cory Doctorow

One fateful day after Marcus has skipped out of school using a variety of tricks to dodge the school's security system, terrorists blow up the San Fransisco Bay Bridge. Marcus and his friends just happen to be in the wrong part of town when it happens, and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers swoop down upon them and carry them off to an undisclosed detention center. There, Marcus, Van, Darryl, and JoLu are bound, interrogated, and generally intimidated and humiliated into disclosing information about their phones, laptops, and other high-tech gadgets in their possession before being released several days later. Darryl had been injured during the initial terrorist attack, and was not released with his three friends. Marcus believes the worst, that Darryl has died in jail. Back at home, his parents have obviously had a bad few days, not knowing where he had been, but Marcus decides it is safer not to tell the truth. Besides, sometime during a torture session at the detention center, he had vowed to himself that he would pay DHS back for everything they had done to him. He can do that more easily if he keeps his parents in the dark. Marcus is one smart, tech-savvy kid, and soon has a virtually untraceable online network set up to spread the word about what had happened to him, and to plan and coordinte acts of sabotage against the DHS. Marcus's new handle, M1k3y, Little Brother, is born, and he becomes the reluctant leader of the free underground world.

This is a post 9-11 story about government gone crazy. The conflict is between two philosophies--the one that says it's OK to trample on people's civil rights if that's what it takes to keep citizens safe, and the one that says that only truly free people can ever be safe. In light of recent disclosures about torture and interrogation practices our government has sanctioned in recent years, this novel couldn't be more timely and thought-provoking. Here's what I don't like about this novel. As fascinating as the technological and political themes of this book are, I struggle to endorse it fully, because of the nonchalant way it treats teenage sex and alcohol use in several scenes in the story. Not a good message in that respect. Little Brother is on next year's Tayshas reading list .

--reviewed by Dail Sams--

2009-04-22T09:24:00.000-05:00

Wintergirls

by Laurie Halse Anderson

Laurie Halse Anderson has written another heart-wrenching story about a girl sinking into the despair of anorexia. Told in first person, the reader can't help but see this illness through Lia's eyes, as she spirals out of control following the death of her best friend, Cassie, who was also anorexic. Lia inhabits a dark, cold place where self-loathing permeates her being and where every bite of food she takes is really a number of calories, begrudged, because she just doesn't deserve to nourish herself. As her weight drops, she deludes herself into believing that she is a wintergirl, strong and powerful because she hasn't given in to the lure of eating. She is constantly haunted by ghosts, especially Cassie's ghost, and finally it is that haunting, and the love of her younger step-sister that gives her the tiniest desire to live. Wintergirls is a precisely written, accurately researched, and frighteningly realistic work which should be read by every teenaged girl and by those who work or live with them.

~reviewed by Dail Sams

2009-03-23T09:41:00.000-05:00

PAPER TOWNS

BY JOHN GREEN

John Green's third novel for young adults is intellegent, witty, fun, and so right on target with his characterizations of senior guys about to escape high school and move on. The entire book is an extended metaphor, comparing the shallowness of high school life to paper towns, fake towns made up and put on maps simply for the purpose of copyright issues. Paper towns only have the illusion of reality, but have no substance. This is how Margo Roth Spiegelman feels about her life, though she gives the appearance of being the sun about whom the whole school revolves. One of those orbiting around Margo, is Quentin Jacobsen, her next-door-neighbor and friend since they were babies. Although they have not been close for a long time, Quentin still loves Margo as he did when they were children. When Margo shows up at Quentin's bedroom window at midnight, insisting he drive her around town for a night of revenge and frolic, he can't say no. After an amazing heart-pounding night of pranks, Margo doesn't show up for school the next day, or for several days afterward. She has done this before, leaving clues as to her whereabouts, but this has a whole different feel to Quentin, who looks for clues everywhere in hopes of tracking her down. In the next few days, Q goes from the agonizing belief that Margo is dead, to the wild assurance that he knows where she is, and must follow and find her. On his high school graduation day, Quentin takes off on a hilarious but deadly serious 21-hour road trip with three friends in hopes of finding Margo Roth Spiegelman in the paper town of Agloe, New York. I couldn't possibly tell you the end of this story, but I can say that this book about striving for the real in life, won't disappoint. Find it in the library. ~reviewed by Dail Sams

2009-03-08T17:39:00.000-05:00

The Graveyard Book
by Neil Gaiman

In spite of the fact that this year's Newbery Award winner starts with a brutal murder, involves a sinister international brotherhood, has ghouls and ghosts and a poor orphan being raised in a graveyard by the dead, Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book is a touching coming of age story. I can imagine that the uniqueness of this work can be compared to the uniqueness of A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, when it won the Newbery in the 1960's. When a small child escapes the murderer of his family , a man named Jack, in the first chapter of this extraordinary book, he toddles up the hill to an old cemetery, where the inhabitant dead agree to parent and protect him until he can do it for himself. The orphaned child is named Nobody Owens--Nobody, because he is like nobody but himself, and Owens, because a childless couple named Owens who died in the 1700's agrees to be his mom and dad. In addition, a mysterious being known as Silas, agrees to be his guardian. Silas makes sure "Bod" gets fed, educated, and clothed. He also serves as Bod's counselor and protector, a role which is more important than Bod has any idea of. During his childhood, Bod is friends for a short time with a young girl whose parents believe Bod is their daughter's imaginary friend. He also is allowed the run of the graveyard, which gives him the ability to see all the dead, and fade himself when necessary. In early adolescence, he begins to long for the outside world, and wants to avenge his family's murders. While Bod fights the man Jack, Silas and his friends wage an even more intense battle against an evil society on Bod's behalf. A tense and suspense-filled story, The Graveyard Book, surprises with lyrical language and an appealing hero who grows up under the oddest of circumstances. Definitely worth the time. ~Reviewed by Dail Sams

2009-02-18T12:06:00.000-06:00

If anyone out there actually reads this blog, I must apologize for neglecting it for so long. Since January, I've been reading a 1000-page historical novel about Cleopatra which has been slow going. I have learned some fascinating things about the Egyptian and Roman world of Cleopatra's day, giving me a new appreciation for historical fiction. I hope to finish this book in the next week or so, at which time I'll finish and report on another book I've also started--The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, this year's Newbery award winner. So stay tuned... more to come!

2008-12-30T09:32:00.000-06:00

Alive and Well in Prague, New York

and Kissing the Bee

I've read two novels over the holidays which, though having pretty different plots, still have enough similarities that I thought I'd just review them together. Both have teenage girls as the main character, and both have other people in their lives which seem to control thier circumstances. In Alive and Well..., Matisse Osgood (named for the famous painter), is the daughter of artistic parents and she grew up in New York City. When her dad's Parkinson's Disease progresses to the point that he can no longer function as he always has, Matisse's parents decide to move to a small town in upstate New York. Matisse is angry and convinced that she can never find anything good about living in a rural town. At the same time, she's dealing with the loss of her beloved father, who has withdrawn into his own world of self-pity. She gradually makes friends and is proven wrong about small town life.

In Kissing the Bee, a darker novel than Alive and Well in Prague, New York, Dana is part of threesome including her best friend Avra and Avra's boyfriend Emil. Dana just happens to be crazy about Emil herself, but would never do anything to hurt Avra, so she just keeps her feelings to herself. It seemed obvious to me that Dana and Avra are polar opposites. Dana is thoughtful, selfless. level-headed, and goal-oriented. Avra is a self-centered, abusive, druggie who thinks about nothing but escaping her family and her life. This story is told in context with Dana's science project about honey bee communities, and Avra is definitely the queen bee of her world. Dana finally reaches her limit with Avra and ends the friendship, not a moment too soon, in my opinion. Even then, Avra doesn't betray even a second of sorrow or regret, ever thinking only of herself.

Both stories end on happy notes with satisfying resolutions to those controlling

factors in the lives of their main characters, Matisse and Dana. Quick reads

with appealing characters.

--reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2008-12-16T15:41:00.000-06:00

Looking for salvation at the Dairy Queen

by Susan Gregg Gilmore

Now this is my kind of book. Narrated by Catharine Grace, this is a sweet story of a Georgia preacher and his two motherless daughters, in a small town filled with two-named people (Martha Ann, Lena Mae, Emma Sue, Gloria Jean, Ida Belle...) who have just enough meanness and weaknesses mixed in with their goodness to make the story realistic. Catharine Grace has never wanted anything more than getting out of her one-horse town the minute she turned 18, and that's exactly what she did. When she got her own room in Miss Mabie and Flora's house, and a job at the Davison's department store in Atlanta, she felt she was on her way to getting everything she ever wanted. It was harder on her Daddy and her sister than Catharine Grace that she couldn't come home for Thanksgiving or Christmas. But when the telegram came on Jan. 3 saying that her Daddy had died, she knew she had broken his heart and been the cause of his death.

When Catharine Grace got home for the funeral , she came face to face with enough shocking situations, that she wasn't sure she could ever have loving thoughts of her Daddy again, but after a good talk with Eddie Franklin at the Dairy Queen, she realizes that nobody is perfect in this life, and it seems like she just had to get away from home for awhile to realize there was nowhere else she'd rather be. Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen is a great get-away-from-it-all novel with a funny and touching message.

--reviewed by Dail Sams

2008-12-15T10:32:00.000-06:00

things that are

by Andrew Clements

The third in the "invisible" series, this installment focuses on the creepy, invisible character William, introduced in Things Hoped For. Alicia, who is blind, is struggling to keep her head straight about her friend Bobby, for whom she has developed more than friendship feelings. Bobby is returning in a couple of days from New York City where he has been doing auditions for music scholarships. While working at the library, Alicia is approached by William who tells her that Bobby is being followed by two men and could be in trouble. Alicia figures out pretty easily that William is invisible and naked, and she doesn't trust him at all. But she's afraid for Bobby, so she can't disregard what William says altogether. When she reaches home, FBI agents come to the door, and suddenly William's story becomes more plausible. Everyone in both Bobby and Alicia's families knows that the whole invisibility thing must be kept from the government, or their lives will never be their own again. When William comes to Alicia's back door freezing, and she lets him in, it becomes obvious to both her and Bobby, that they must do something for him, regardless of the FBI. This is a satisfying continuation of the story begun in Things Not Seen, as Alicia realizes that she can only live as honestly as she can in the here and now, because that's all that's real.

--reviewed by Dail Sams

2008-12-09T21:57:00.000-06:00

Princess Ben

by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

This third novel by Murdock is a departure from her first two modern day works for young adults. Princess Ben is more of a fairy tale complete with magic mirrors, a flying broom, and somewhat wicked queen. Ben, short for Benevolent, is a princess of a imaginary mountainous kingdom. Since her father is brother to the king, and her mother dislikes the confinement of life at court, Ben has been allowed to grow up with a great deal of freedom--she plays with village children, she wears what she wants, runs where she will, and most of all, eats as much as she wants. Consequently, Ben is rather pudgy. Ben's carefree life comes to a crashing halt when the king and both her parents are murdered while on a short ceremonial journey. The queen takes Ben in hand, forces her to live in the palace, wear beautiful but uncomfortable clothes, take dancing lessons, and eat very little. She is being prepared to become the ruler of her small country and the bride of the prince of a stronger neighboring kingdom. When Ben rebels, the queen moves her into a tower room connected to the queen's own chambers. She is locked in at night and watched every minute of the day. But Ben soon discovers that her cold tower room connects to a magic room. There she learns a number of helpful spells which get her into more trouble than she bargained for. But, this is a fairy tale, and eventually, Ben lives happily ever after! This is a fun read with witty allusions to a number of familiar fairy tales.

Reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2008-12-01T12:22:00.000-06:00

Thirteen Reasons Why

I had a student come into the library the other day looking for depressing books. He said he could get into the characters more easily when the story was depressing. That being the case, he shouldn't have too much trouble finding a book to read, because at least half of all young adult novels are depressing, imho. I just finished a really good and depressing novel--Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Hannah Baker makes 13 audio tapes for thirteen classmates who contributed to her decision to commit suicide. After her death, her tapes start circulating among the people for whom she blames her misery. We readers get to listen to her narration with Clay, the one student she doesn't blame for anything. It doesn't really matter, because after listening to the tapes, Clay blames himself for his insensitivity, and especially, for his fear of talking to Hannah and of trying to help her. There's nothing Clay can do to change the situation, because Hannah is already dead by the time he listens to her tapes. But he realizes he can change himself.

This is definitely a depressing book, and an insightful look into the heart and mind of a suicidal teen. But I did find myself getting angry at Hannah sometimes as the story progressed, because she made some bad choices which contributed to her misery. She couldn't legitimately blame all her problems on other people. However, it was obvious that Hannah, and perhaps most teens who think about killing themselves, lose the ability to see themselves and their situation for what it really is, and so they can't find the hope to hang on. Thirteen Reasons Why is a sad and gripping tale of high school at its worst, and a girl who grew too tired to wait for better times.

Reviewed by Dail Sams

2008-11-20T08:49:00.000-06:00

The Patron Saint of Butterflies

by Cecilia Galante

Honey and Agnes have lived their whole lives in a religious commune in Connecticut. Their leader Emmanuel is revered by all and feared by most. The two girls have been called to the "Regulation Room" on several occasions, most recently because Honey was caught kissing a boy, and Agnes was considered an accomplice. Both girls come out with red welts all over their backs and legs. All the adults in the commune just look the other way when these situations arise. Agnes always blames herself and believes Emmanuel knows what's best for the "Believers." Honey just gets angrier and more determined to escape the commune. When Agnes's grandmother arrives for an unexpected visit, and learns about the Regulation Room, she decides it's time to take the children away from the commune. However, when Agnes's little brother Benny is severely injured by a heavy, carved wooden door closing on his hand, Nana Pete realizes that time has run out. Emmanual has done a butchered job of sewing Benny's fingers back on, then declaring it a miracle, but it is obvious Benny will die if he doesn't get competent medical attention immediately. Against Agnes's better judgment, she, Honey and Benny leave the commune with Nana Pete to seek medical attention for Benny. This is the first time any of the children have ever been away from the commune, and they are faced with an unimagined new life. Each new experience is a fun adventure for Honey; each one an evil temptation for Agnes. Both are faced with difficult decisions and come to unexpected conclusions. The Patron Saint of Butterflies is a timely coming of age story. Reviewed by Dail Sams

2008-11-14T13:44:00.000-06:00

Since school started, it's been tough to find time to read and add to this blog. However, I recently finished Black Rabbit Summer by Kevin Brooks. I had this book on a future order, but decided I ought to read it first. It is a typically tense and suspenseful Brooks novel, so I have no doubt it would appeal to a lot of guys. However, the story is a little raw for me--I'm choosing not to add it to the high school collection. The story, which centers around the reunion at a carnival of some high school friends who had drifted apart, has too much of too many things. The tone of the novel is very dark and melancholy. When one of their old classmates turns up dead after the carnival, and another one missing, doubt, suspicion, and mistrust consumes Pete, the main character of the book. Since the missing classmate is Pete's best friend, his investigation into the murder parallels the police investigation. Although the murder is solved by the end of the book, Brooks leaves many unanswered questions, which could frustrate some readers. In spite of the negative aspects of this book, Black Rabbit Summer is not without redeeming qualities. Even with his faults, I had to like Pete for his loyalty to his friend Raymond, who was quite a strange character. And I really liked that Pete's parents were good people and that Pete obviously loved and respected them, even if he didn't always obey them. But bottom line, there are plenty of good, suspenseful mystery stories out there without all the language and questionable activities. Black Rabbit Summer is on next year's Tayshas list, so there are lots of librarians out there who like this book. It has received excellent reviews. But I think I'll let any student who wants to read this book find it at the public library.
--Reviewed by D. Sams

2008-09-15T11:25:00.000-05:00

the dead & the gone

by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Life for Alex Morales, a New York City Puerto Rican teenager, changed forever without a second of warning. An asteroid collides with the moon, moving it closer to the earth. As a result, the moon's gravitational pull adversely affects the tides, causing worldwide flooding of low-lying areas. It also causes an increase in volcanic activity, so that the air becomes filled with ash, blocking out the sun's rays. Within months, New York City is constantly freezing, breathing is difficult, and nothing will grow. Alex's father was in Puerto Rico for his mother's funeral when the asteroid hit, and his mother was called in to the hospital to work. Neither one ever comes home, and 17-year-old Alex is left to care for his two younger sisters alone with food more and more difficult to come by. Alex is forced to take extreme actions just to survive. This is an unrelentingly bleak look at one possible future on an earth with severe climate changes. I wanted to quit reading, on every page because it was so depressing, but I just couldn't. This book is filled with small kindnesses and unselfish acts on the part of several characters, in spite of their need to survive, and I just had to know what happens to everyone. The Dead and the Gone is a companion book to Life as We Knew It, the same story told from the viewpoint of a small-town teenaged girl. Both books are thought-provoking reads with characters worth caring about, and very timely themes in light of the current global climate change debate.

--Reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2008-09-15T10:28:00.000-05:00

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

by Brian Selznick

Do you remember those picture books from your elementary days that had the great pictures? Books like Make Way for Ducklings by Robert Mccloskey, Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, Smoky Night by Eve Bunting, and The Polar Express by Christ Van Allsburg? All of these were Caldecott Award winners and written for young elementary students. The Caldecott award is a prestigious award given annually to children's book illustrators. This year, for the first time in recent memory, the Caldecott went to the writer of a book written for older students. The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a thick book (533 pages) with dozens of lovely and intricate black and white pencil drawings. It's part picture book, part graphic novel, part motion picture. I loved this book for its artwork as much as anything, but it also has an interesting and creative storyline loosely based on the life of one of the earliest French moviemakers. I would recommend this book to anyone--it's not only a good read, but it's also a visual feast. Most students could read this book in a couple of hours, but you just have to take a little time to enjoy the art.

--Reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2008-09-04T08:28:00.000-05:00

NOTES FROM THE MIDNIGHT DRIVER

by Jordan Sonnenblick

"It seemed like a good idea at the time," is Alex's lame excuse for drinking a lot of vodka, then stealing his mom's car with the intention of driving to his dad's house and confronting him with his multiple sins. However, he never made it to his dad's, instead crashing into a neighbor's front lawn, giving himself a concussion in the process. The lady judge was not amused, and sentenced him to 100 hours of community service time, to be served in a nursing home. At the Egbert P. Johnson Memorial Home for the Aged, Alex was assigned to the very cranky Soloman Lewis. It was no picnic at first, but when Alex started playing jazz guitar for Sol, a connection was made that both Alex and Sol benefitted from. With the help of two musical geniuses from Alex's jazz band, he put together a jazz concert for all the residents of the nursing home. A surprise performance by Sol on Alex's guitar guaranteed the success of the concert, and after the initial shock had worn off, bound Alex to Sol even more closely than before. This is a great story about the value of service, and the surprising people who can teach wonderful lessons if only they are allowed to. A funny and touching read. Notes from a Midnight Driver is on this year's Tayshas Reading list. --reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2008-09-02T10:06:00.000-05:00

UNWIND

By Neal Shusterman

A terrifying, futuristic cautionary tale, Unwind gripped me from page one and wouldn't let go till the end. Connor, Risa, and Lev are all scheduled for unwinding in this creepy world where it's OK for parents to donate their teenagers to society for body parts, just as long as every bit of them is transplanted into another person. Connor learns his fate, and begins running, finding Risa and Lev along the way. They all three end up in the "Graveyard," a semi-safe place in Arizona run by a retired Navy Admiral who opposes the unwinding policy. But unfortunately, the Admiral can't control all 400 unwinds and the few adults who know about his camp, and chaos breaks loose. In the midst of a mob rebellion, the Admiral has a heart attack, and Connor and Risa risk everything to take him to the hospital. They are betrayed by Roland, a fellow unwind, and all are sent to a "harvest camp." I couldn't ruin the ending here, but I've got to say that there are very recognizable events happening at the harvest camp--grim reminders of the Jewish Holocaust and current suicide bombers. Though the plot of this book may seem unrealistic, there's just enough reality in it to be downright scary, with allusions to a number of controversial issues. This is an engrossing and thought-provoking read.

---reviewed by Dail Sams

2008-08-25T10:29:00.000-05:00

Brothers, Boyfriends & Other Criminal Minds

by April Lurie

April Lundquist, or Ape, Monkey, and Chimp, as her older brother Matt calls her, lives with her family in a quiet Brooklyn neighborhood. Within two blocks of her house there live several members of two Mafia families. For the most part April doesn't worry too much about "Soft Sal" who lives across the street, or "Gorgeous Vinny" who lives on the corner of Twelfth, but when she discovers that Matt has a huge crush on Bettina, the daughter of the head of one Mafia family, she really starts worrying. They are playing the parts of Romeo and Juliet in a local theater production, which allows them to see each other much too often for April's comfort. To complicate matters, she is receiving attention from three guys all of a sudden, only one of which she really cares about--Dominick the long-haired slightly dangerous-looking musician--and her parents are putting pressure on her to "get involved" in extra-curricular activites. Matt swears April to secrecy about Bettina, but when he comes home late after the last performance of Romeo and Juliet, beaten pretty badly, April knows she has to go to her parents. This book is all about not judging a book by its cover, and about what it means to be loyal. April is an appealing character, and is based on the real life of the author. Brothers, Boyfriends... is on this year's Texas Lone Star reading list.

---reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2008-08-17T20:39:00.000-05:00

breaking dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Stephenie Meyer proves again what a great storyteller she is in her fourth and final installment of the Twilight series. I really can't tell you much about this book without giving all the good stuff away, but I can say than none of her fans should be disappointed. In case there was any doubt, Edward and Bella are married within the first 50 pages of this 750 page book, but many of the remaining pages were filled with the unexpected. I can say that Meyer did a terrific job of tying up all the loose ends in very satisfying ways. The best love story ever! Multiple copies available in the library!

2008-08-06T16:05:00.000-05:00

EPIC

by Conor Kostick

For a thousand years or more, the video game Epic has been an important part of society. At first it was just used for recreation, but gradually the game became central to the world's culture and began to determine the wealth, possessions, and social standing of every person on the planet. Beyond the game, the Central Allocations committee, made up of the richest and most successful players, controls allocation of all resourses. Unfortunately most of the world's people are living in poverty and are required to perform hard physical labor. In their spare time most people have to connect to Epic, to try to gain just enough to survive, while the privileged few control everything. Erik and his friends decide to play the game in a more dangerous and aggressive manner in an attempt to win a fortune and power. When the team succeeds in killing a dragon for the first time in a hundred years, and gains unbelievable wealth, the CA gets worried and begins scheming to get rid of these creative and smart kids threatening to upset the balance of power. With both sides gathering forces, the world is on the brink of a virtual war of epic proportions. Epic is a title on this year's Texas Lone Star list.

---reviewed by Dail Sams

2008-08-01T20:51:00.001-05:00

Deadline

by Chris Crutcher

Chris Crutcher has done it again! Deadline has absolutely everything a great read should have--a heart wrenching, thought provoking plot, lots of humor, a quirky turn of phrase, a sweet if unlikely love story, an incredible football season, characters you can really care about, and an ending that had me trying to swallow a lump in my throat the size of Texas and blinking back tears for the last 30 pages of the book. Ben Wolf finds out after a sports physical that he has a terminal blood disease, and that he has about a year to live. This book is all about how Ben decides to live his life for that year. I think that every student at Lorena High School should read this book. A small warning: language is an issue, but it was appropriate and realistic. Yet another Texas Tayshas book for this year.

--reviewed by D. Sams

2008-07-31T01:04:00.000-05:00

Wait for me

by An Na

Mina is living a lie in so many areas of her life. Her mother expects her to get accepted to Harvard, but her grades aren't even close, and she's been spending time with her new boyfriend Ysrael while her mother thinks she's studying for the SAT. Mina finds it easy to lie because she doesn't want to disappoint her mother, but also because her mother is a difficult, bitter, and pushy person. Her own life has been a big disappointment, and she doesn't want more of the same for Mina. Mina has a chance to run away with Ysrael, but finally decides she can't desert her hearing-impaired younger sister, Suna, who gets little of her mother's love or attention. Waiting is the theme running throughout the story--Mina waiting to leave home and live her own life, her mother waiting to reap the rewards of her sacrifices, Suna just waiting to be noticed. This novel received starred reviews in several review journals, and it is a well-written work, but there was something about it that just didn't reach me. I call this a "gray" novel. The action is flat, no highs and no lows. There was very little character development, and the tone throughout was melancholy. I don't remember even a tiny bit of comic relief. However, I have no doubt that this is a book that would be just what some teens need to read, and it does end on a small note of hope. Some of you should give it a shot. Another Tayshas book for 2008-2009.

----reviewed by Mrs. Sams

2008-07-28T15:26:00.000-05:00

INCANTATION

by Alice Hoffman

Set during the Spanish Inquisition, this dark and mysterious novel tells the story of man's cruelty to man. Narrated by Estrella deMadrigal, a young girl who has no idea that she belongs to a Jewish family who was forced to convert to Christianity one hundred years before, Incantation is the story of escalating violence and mob rule. Friends betray friends, and no one is safe. As soldiers come for Jewish families, and burn books in the Plaza, fear falls on Estrella's family and church members. She reads the newest edict in the center of her village, ordering everyone to turn in people suspected of being Jews, based on a list of ways a hidden Jew could be distinguished. From that point on, her life unravels before her eyes, and she is forced to leave the only home she has ever known. A short and quick read, Incantation is one more evidence of Alice Hoffman's skillful storytelling. It is on the 2008-2009 Tayshas list.

---reviewed by Dail Sams

2008-07-24T10:35:00.000-05:00

CURES for HEARTBREAK

by Margo Rabb

Mia Pearlman narrates this melancholy story about surviving after the death of a beloved mother, and the serious heart attack of her father. Mia's mother was diagnosed with melanoma and died 12 days later, giving Mia, her older sister Alex, and her father little time to prepare for their loss. In the months that follow, Mia's life seems to pass in a gray fog. Her dad spends most of his time on the couch watching TV. Mia fails two classes and has to attend summer school, while her sister prepares to go off to college. Once Alex is gone, Mia and her dad gradually become closer and support each other by trying to eat healthier. Mia seems to deal with her grief and fear by reading all the time--books about orphans and romance novels-- and by fantasizing about boys and sex.

Things begin to change when her father starts dating Sylvia, a vivacious cancer surviver. Her father is happier, and within months has proposed marriage. Mia wants her dad to be happy, but doesn't much like Sylvia. After sending out wedding invitations, they hear from a woman and her son Sasha whom they had met in the hospital. Sasha had cancer, but was in remission. Mia thought he was going to die, but instead, he got well and went traveling to Europe and Nepal. That was a hopeful thing for Mia, who had had enough of death and sickness in her young life. One perfect day of talking and hiking with Sasha gives Mia even more hope that she will be able to live a normal, happy life. When Sylvia suddenly dies before the wedding, Mia is guilt-stricken because she had had a huge and ugly fight with her the night before. Her father assures Mia that it's not her fault, she is comforted by Sasha, and small glimmers of hope slowly touch her life again.

This was a hard book for me to get through. It was a little too heavy for me, and the language put me off. The last part of the book which includes Mia and Sasha's sweet relationship, made it worth the read. This story includes an afterword in which the author tells her own story about her parents' deaths, and that the writing of this books was a significant part of her own passage through grief. Many of the chapters of this book were published previously as short stories in various magazines. Cures for Heartbreak is on this year's Tayshas list.

----reviewed by Dail Sams

2008-07-17T20:06:00.000-05:00

PEAK

by Roland Smith

What a great book about conquering the tallest place on earth, and so much more! I was unenthusiastic about reading this book, but I loved it from the first page. "Peak" not only refers to the summit of Mt. Everest, but also is the name of the hero of the story. After getting in trouble with the law for climbing a skyscraper in New York City, 14-year-old Peak Marcello, is let off the hook when his biological father shows up to take custody of him with plans to take Peak out of the country altogether. The judge is happy about this solution, because Peak's stunt had become a media circus and his Honor wanted the whole thing to go away. Josh Wood, Peak's father, is arguably the best climber in the world. He had written authoritative books on the subject, and he was currently leading a group of climbers to the top of Everest. Josh was secretly making plans to take Peak up the mountain because if Peak made it to the top, he would be the youngest person ever to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, thereby giving Josh's climbing company tons of great PR and millions in advertising endorsements.

By the time he reaches Tibet, Peak has been befriended by Sun-jo, a Nepalese boy his own age, and the grandson of a respected Sherpa, the local men who act as guides and carry gear up the mountain for those who make the attempt. What follows is an intense story of conquering Mt Everest, dealing with bitter cold and lack of oxygen, avoiding Chinese officers who are trying to find Sun-jo, conquering fear and utter physical exhaustion, and finally learning in the end that selflessness is more rewarding than making it to the highest point in the world. Peak is on this year's Texas Lone Star reading list.

--reviewed by Dail Sams

2008-07-16T21:26:00.000-05:00

Nineteen Minutes

by Jodi Picoult

This gripping and incredibly sad book is the story of one bullied high school boy and how events beyond his control ruin his life and the lives of many of his classmates. The title refers to the time it took Peter Houghton to enter his high school and shoot twenty-nine students, ten of whom died. One student who was not shot was Josie Cormier, Peter's one and only friend in early childhood and the daughter of the woman judge presiding over the case. Picoult, the author of The Pact, My Sister's Keeper, and of a number of other best-selling works, has created a story told from multiple viewpoints, so that by the end of the book, the reader feels sorrier for everyone else involved than for the victims of Peter's shooting spree. Though Nineteen Minutes is not a tale completely bereft of hope, it does brilliantly illustrate what destruction cruelty and revenge can bring about in people's lives. This book is on the 2008-2009 Tayshas reading list.

--reviewed by Dail Sams

2008-07-15T10:12:00.000-05:00

I'd Tell You I Love You, But then I'd Have to Kill You
by Ally Carter

Cammie Morgan, a.k.a Chameleon, attends The Gallagher Academy, a top-secret, exclusive boarding school for girls in training to be spies. She speaks fourteen languages and takes courses like "Covert Operations" and "Culture and Assimilation." Cammie is called Chameleon because she is really good at looking normal and blending in, an essential skill for spies. She never dreams she will get the chance during her sophomore year to become the ultimate normal girl. During a covert operation into the small town of Roseville, where Gallagher is located and where everyone believes Gallagher is a snooty, spoiled rich girls school, she is approached by the best looking guy she has ever seen. So begins months of sneaking out for "research" and "undercover operations" with Josh, aided and abetted by her roommates who are totally ignorant about normal guys, except the newest roommate, Macey, who really is a spoiled rich girl. Cammie not only has to keep her true identity a secret from Josh, but she also has to avoid getting caught by all the Gallagher teachers, including her mother, Gallagher's headmistress. Not the most realistic story in the world, but lots of fun, nevertheless. I'd Tell You I Love You... is on this year's Texas Lone Star reading list. Expect to see more in this Gallagher Girls series.
---reviewed by D. Sams

2008-07-12T08:16:00.000-05:00

Odd Hours

by Dean Koontz

Odd Thomas is one of the most unusual and endearing characters in modern literature. (My opinion only, but a number of critics agree with me.) The Barnes & Noble website will tell you that he is one of just a few characters in all literature who can be recognized by his first name alone. Odd has supernatural gifts that continually draw him into adventures, usually involving truly evil people and a significant amount of violence. And shining through all the darkness is Odd Thomas, fighting, sometimes almost completely by himself, against that wickedness. Odd Hours is Koontz's fourth installment of the Odd Thomas saga. In this story, Odd finds himself traveling with the ghost of Frank Sinatra and his spirit dog, Boo, to a small California coastal town. There, Odd gets a job cooking for an elderly former actor. He's not there long before he has a terrifying dream in which a young, pregnant woman figures prominently amid a burning, armageddon-like scene. Odd has no idea what the dream means, but he knows he has to look for the woman. The moment he locates her, his troubles with the evil men of the town begin, and he finds himself in the middle of a plot to incinerate four large U.S. cities with nuclear weapons. Suffice it to say that Odd has his hands full for the rest of the book. Koontz has succeeded again in creating a tense, and frightening story of good against evil, featuring an original character, marked by gentleness and grace.

--reviewed by D. Sams

2008-07-07T16:02:00.000-05:00

BEING
by Kevin Brooks

This book had grabbed me and was dragging me along by page 2. I had to keep reading. The main character, Robert Smith, discovers during a routine digestive tract checkup that his body is filled with alien stuff. He doesn't have any of the normal organs, but plastic boxes, shining filaments, metal bones, and white and black liquids. He wakes up before he's supposed to, and hears scary men in black suits discussing the contents of his abdominal cavity. He realizes they mean him no good, and proceeds to take over the situation so that he can escape. After being on the move for a couple of days, he makes his way to a girl's apartment whom he had met a year earlier. This girl, Eddi, has the computer equipment and knowledge to create a new identity for Robert, and she realizes she will have to leave her own life behind and go with him, because Robert's pursuers will never stop looking for him, and they will eventually find her. Within another couple of days, Eddi has arranged for them to leave the country for Spain. There they live a carefree life for months, and the plot slows down considerably. Within pages of the end of the book, the men in black suits track them down, shatter their idyllic life, and I realized there just wasn't time to tie up all the loose ends, of which there were many. I certainly hope Kevin Brooks is planning a sequel, or he will be leaving a lot of frustrated readers! However, unfinished plot notwithstanding, this is a great sci-fi thriller and a good story about learning to trust. Being is on the 2008-2009 Tayshas list.

--reviewed by Dail Sams

2008-07-05T20:05:00.000-05:00

Not Like You
by Deborah Davis

I have to say that it took me until the last page to like this book. Another title on this year's Tayshas list, Not Like You has many of the things I really dislike in a book--a depressing plot, dysfunctional and angry characters, and too many "mature" references. But I just couldn't help cheering for Kayla, the main character, on the last page, when it became obvious that she would not allow life to defeat her.

Kayla lives with her single, alcoholic mom, Marilyn. For the fifth time in two years, Marilyn is moving them to a new place, because she just can't make things work where she is. Her solution for trouble is to leave. After a year in foster care a few years back, Kayla is willing to do whatever it takes to help her mom out, including helping with groceries and rent from her own earnings, even though she is only 15. For a change, this move is toward someone, instead of just away from trouble. Marilyn has found her own mother from whom she has been estranged for many years. But when they arrive in her home town, they find that Marilyn's mom has just recently died. They stay anyway, and Kayla finds herself making some friends and putting down roots. She meets a guy much too old for her, but he treats her well, and Kayla is smitten. Meanwhile, Marilyn's attempt at a fresh start doesn't go as planned, and she starts drinking again. This makes Kayla furious, and she finally decides that it's OK to live for herself instead of constantly propping up her mother. She steals some money from friends and takes off for Denver, where her boyfriend is living with his band. Some hard knocks move Kayla in the right direction, when she realizes she's done what she swore she would never do--she's become like her mother at her worst.

--reviewed by D. Sams

2008-07-01T10:49:00.000-05:00

Check out the new Tayshas list for 2008-2009. Most of these titles are available for checkout at the LHS library. Go to:

http://www.txla.org/groups/yart/Tay0809.pdf

2008-06-30T14:40:00.000-05:00

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

by Sherman Alexie

This really strangely named book, was the 2007 National Book Award winner for Young Adults, and is on this year's Tayshas list. It is truly the saddest funny book I've ever read. Junior Spirit was born and raised on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington State. He knows all about being poor and powerless. The reservation schools are no good, so Junior makes the decision to go to school at an excellent rural white school 23 miles away. His parents agree to help him, but there are many days he has to hitchhike or walk most of the way. His best friend Rowdy won't forgive him for leaving the "rez" and most of his people think he is a traitor. But Junior is determined to make something of his life, and to escape the cycle of poverty. This book is peppered with Junior's cartoons, most really funny, and stories of life on the reservation, alternately funny and heartrending. At his new school, he manages to make friends with a brainy geek, who helps him study, and gets a girlfriend named Penelope. But it's his basketball playing ability that really wins him the respect he craves.

Be prepared to learn something about Native Americans by reading this book, and be prepared to be touched by a character who has to work like crazy just to get what most American kids take for granted. Although this is a great guy book, it is one that everyone should read.

--reviewed by Dail Sams

2008-06-22T19:16:00.000-05:00

lock and key

by Sarah Dessen

Ruby is used to her mother being irresponsible. She's used to having her mother come home drunk, often with another man. She's used to having to help her with her job. She's used to getting no emotional support from her. But it surprises her when her mother just doesn't come home at all one night. After two weeks, Ruby realizes her mother isn't coming back. If she can just hold on for a few months until she turns 18, she will be home free. But it gets harder and harder. She can't pay the rent and the water is turned off. Finally, the landlord gets suspicious, and calls in social services, and the game is up. She is sent to live with her older sister Cora, who left home ten years ago to go to college and never came back. Her sister is married to a wealthy man, a good man, and Ruby's life changes overnight. But she has locked away her heart, and finds it difficult to open herself up to love. It takes the patience of her sister and the friendship of Nate, the guy across the alley, to unlock her heart for the first time in a long time.

Dessen hits the nail on the head with her new novel about teens who learn how to survive when the adults in their lives fail them.

--reviewed by Dail Sams

2008-06-22T14:26:00.000-05:00

Twisted

by Laurie Halse Anderson

Tyler Miller is walking on the edge. He manages to maintain his balance by escaping into a video game for hours at a time, and by hanging with his best friend, Yoda. Tyler is doing penance for his Foul Deed of last spring, a major act of vandalism on the school building, by working tons of community service hours with the school's maintenance crew and a local landscaping company. His mother is a nice but unhappy lady. His sister is about to enter high school and is itching to break lose. His dad is an autocratic workaholic there's no pleasing. Tyler has been a scrawny, bullied victim for as long as he can remember. But, after a summer of physical labor, he's bulked up and shot up to 6'3". The impossible has happened. The school's hottest girl, and incidentally, his dad's boss's daughter, is showing interest in him. But what starts out to be the best thing that has ever happened to him in his life, ends up pushing Tyler off the edge into a dark place. Tyler is a character most guys could identify with and most girls could sympathize with. A great read.

2008-06-22T13:14:00.000-05:00

The newest book in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series, Breaking Dawn, is due out on August 2.
Go to Barnes & Noble website for a video of Stephenie Meyer speaking on Twilight and the writing process.

http://media.barnesandnoble.com/index.jsp?fr_chl=eeef1c48b137ca6f7002930b78484d1eab3a0a7d Click on "new shows and interviews" and scroll down to Stephenie Meyer.

The third volume of Paolini's Inheritance trilogy, Brisingr, is scheduled for release on September 10.

Multiple copies will be available in the LHS library.

2008-06-12T15:29:00.000-05:00

Stephenie Meyer's New Book Captivates!

With the publishing of The Host, Stephenie Meyer proves she is more than a one story author. It's hard to imagine more captivating characters than Bella and Edward, but the world Meyer creates in The Host is every bit as fascinating, and even more original than the vampire/werewolf world of Twilight. By the use of an alien invasion of Earth, Meyer examines what it means to be human, both the good and the dark sides, and causes her reader to sympathize equally with human and alien.

Melanie Stryder is one of the last humans left on earth, as far as she knows, who is not inhabited by an alien. Then she finds Jared, another "uninhabited" human and falls in love. When Melanie is finally captured and taken over by the alien, Wanderer, she refuses to fade away as most humans do, leading to a strange and complicated relationship with a being who has control of her body. The dynamics become even more difficult, when the two endanger their body to find Jared and the group of humans hiding in the Arizona desert. Though the focus of the plot is definitely on the characters and relationships, this is interesting science fiction as well. Meyer ties up plot complications pretty well in this novel, but there's plenty of room for a sequel, if she wants to further develop her new world.

--reviewed by Dail Sams

2007-11-14T09:29:00.000-06:00

Do you need your Harry Potter fix?

There is life after HP7!

Are you still grieving over the end to the Harry Potter series? Don't despair. Great reading options are out there. Check out the following websites for more HP and gang info, AND suggestions for meeting that fantasy reading need.

http://www.bcplonline.org/kidspage/kids_harrypotter.html#ifyoulike

http://harrypotterfanfiction.com/

Don't forget our online database Novelist at http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?authtype=uid&profile=novelist for more information about books like Harry Potter. (Go to the library for passwords.)