Best Cellar's Book Blog

MOVED TO NEW SITE!

2010-10-05T10:04:00.001-05:00

I have moved my blog to a new site.

You may look for me at:

http://www.waupacalibrary.org/bestcellarsbookblog

I look forward to your feedback!

For Whom the Bell Tolls By Ernest Hemingway

2010-09-23T12:03:00.002-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Cat!

Robert Jordan has one task, to blow the bridge. He is an American dynamiter who is working with Spanish guerrillas to help win the war. A simple task made harder by the fact he must blow the bridge during the day.

If that isn’t bad enough he must deal with the leader’s discontent, and blood lust. All these threaten not only the mission but, also, his new found love in Maria, the girl at the camp.

Told in lyrical English that mimics the Spanish cadence, this book is full of flashbacks. Many of which are lengthy. These elements can make the book hard to understand. I found the Spanish element somewhat distracting, as I have not taken Spanish. I think someone who actually spoke Spanish would enjoy the writing style more.

Over all, I think the book makes you think about love, life, and death, a good quality in a book. Some parts are purely poetic, and those are the parts I really enjoyed.

--Cat

P.S. On the CAPP Summer Reading List for Phair.

P.P.S For all you Nerdfighters, the main character, Robert Jordan, was a teacher in Missoula, Montana. The current residence of one Hank Green.

P.P.P.S 8 days until John Green!!!!

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John Green Video

2010-09-17T15:19:00.000-05:00

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls By Steven Hockensmith

2010-08-31T09:36:00.004-05:00

A guest review by Teen Room Staff Cat!

The dreadfuls are coming. It’s Victorian England and the Bennet sisters are surprised when Mr. Ford sits up at his funeral (It’s so improper to attend one’s own funeral.) They are even more surprised when their father insists they learn how to fight (Warriors don’t get husbands). But, the training becomes necessary when zombies invade the town.

I liked the book. It has all the love and scandal of Austen novel along with the adventure, gore, and violence of an action movie. I would recommend this book to a fan of either genre.

--Cat

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Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook : Core Rulebook I v. 3.5 by Monte Cook

2010-08-24T16:49:00.001-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Jeremy!

This is the first book you must become familiar with if you wish to play Dungeons and Dragons. It's full of everything you need, ranging from races to spells. Eventually, you'll be able to move onto more advanced texts, like the Monster Manuel or the Dungeon Master's Guide, but starting off you should focus on the basics, and the basics are contained in this great text.

Not surprisingly, I love this book, and I'd recommend it to anyone who is interested in playing this great game.

--Jeremy

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The Realm of Possibilities By David Levithan

2010-08-13T14:46:00.004-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Cat!

This book is in verse
It follows the lives
that color the school
Connecting them
Through love
Hate
Joy
And sorrow

--Cat

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Garage Band by Gipi

2010-07-28T14:56:00.002-05:00

A guest review by Teen Room Staff Jeremy!

Garage Band by Gipi is a graphic novel about four teenage boys who have dreams of one day making it big on the music scene. They start out as any band their age, in a garage making too much noise for the neighbors to handle. Eventually Giuliano, one of the band members, is given a garage by his father under the condition that he remains out of trouble. Surprisingly enough this doesn't last too long as a result of a very dumb deed done by the band.

This novel was very well written and had artwork not typically found in graphic novels. I was very surprised I even picked it up, let alone enjoyed it, because I'm not typically into graphic novels. I'd recommend this novel to just about anyone.

--Jeremy

***

Looking for Alaska by John Green

2010-07-20T09:33:00.002-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Cat!

It’s Miles Halter’s first year at an Alabama boarding school. Culver Creek has all the fun, excitement, and trouble he thought it would, but it had one thing he didn’t expect. Alaska. Alaska is the perfect girl, and as the year progresses he finds himself falling deeper and deeper into love with her. But Alaska is a mystery, and as he searches for the answer he realizes he might never find the answer.

Looking for Alaska is a great book. It brings to light a lot of questions about life and death, but has enough adventure and romance to keep anyone who reads it happy. Be careful, this is definitely a high school book.

--Cat

P.S. It’s on the Summer Reading List for Seniors

John Green!

***

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

2010-07-14T13:40:00.003-05:00

A guest review by Teen Room Staff Cat!

Annabel Greene lives in glass house. Her father is an architect. He built a glass house for his family to live in, except, he built the house so passersby could only see some of the family, and the rest was hidden giving the illusion of a see-through house. Annabel’s life is the same as her house. Everyone thinks her life is perfect. She and her sisters are models; she has the perfect family, what could be wrong? Annabel’s life is unraveling around her. She doesn’t want to model anymore, her sister has an eating disorder, and she doesn’t want to see her friends anymore. What can she do? Soon she becomes friends with the loner of the school. He uses music to show her a new outlook on life, and she listens.

This was a good book. I really enjoyed the prominent role music had in the story. If you liked Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson you will definitely like Just Listen.

-- Cat

P.S. It’s on the Summer Reading List for freshmen.

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Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

2010-06-25T16:36:00.002-05:00

A guest review by Teen Room Staff Cat!

Abraham Lincoln was one of the most famous presidents. But he has a deep dark secret, he is a vampire hunter. After his mother and Grandfather are killed by vampires, Abe swore revenge on these other worldly beasts. Along with some help from friends he hunts the vampires who haunt his country. A lawyer by day and hunter by night Abe starts his journey to the White House.

This is a great book, it starts out as an Abraham Lincoln biography, and quickly turns into a horror show filled with gore and lots of fighting.

--Cat

P.S. it’s on the Summer Reading List for Seniors (English 12 and Mr. Phair’s CAPP Courses)

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Paper Towns by John Green

2010-06-22T11:14:00.003-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Cat!

For all of his life Quentin Jacobsen has lived next to Margo Roth Spiegelman, and for as long as he remembers he has loved her. Margo is the odd popular kid, cool enough to hang with the popular crowd. But when Margo’s boyfriend cheats on her she releases a storm of revenge with Quentin as her sidekick. She disappears that night. This is typical Margo behavior so only Quentin suspects there is something more to her disappearance. Following clues left by Margo he and his friends embark on a quest to find Margo, and for Quentin to find himself.

This book is great! Parts of it will make you laugh a lot.

--Cat

P.S. This is on the Summer Reading List for the Sophomores, and John Green is coming to Waupaca!

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Movie Trailer for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

2010-06-18T16:25:00.003-05:00

I'm SO EXCITED! Are you??

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Boy Toy by Barry Lyga

2010-06-18T11:57:00.003-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Jeremy!

This was a rather interesting read that is outside of my normal genre, however I still enjoyed it. It's the story of Josh, a violent genius of a Senior in high school, who, at age 12, was seduced and used by his history teacher. Throughout the novel not only do you learn about Josh's experiences with his teacher, but you also get to witness how he deals with flashbacks of his time spent with said teacher, and how he deals with and eventually overcomes them.

Like I said before I really enjoyed this book, even though it's outside of my normal genre. It's definitely intended for a more mature reader, however, so I would steer clear of it if you're not looking for a book with some steamy moments.

--Jeremy

***

Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson

2010-06-16T13:30:00.002-05:00

A guest review by Teen Room Staff Cat!

Catalyst: a substance added to a reaction to speed up the reaction’s process.
Kate Malone has her life all figured out. In the fall she’s going to MIT, the same school her mother went to, and until then she’s taking care of her brother and father, and she’s not going to let anything stop her. But then several catalysts shake her life, and she learns life isn’t always what she expects it to be, and, maybe, that isn’t a bad thing.

--Cat

P.S. This book is on the Freshmen Summer Reading List.

***

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

2010-06-15T10:53:00.004-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Cat!

If you were to die tomorrow what would you want to tell your friends? Hannah Baker has thought about this and she has all the answers or thirteen of them at least. Hannah is a good girl with a bad reputation and when her life spirals out of control she decides she has had enough, so she kills herself. But she is not about to be forgotten. She leaves thirteen tapes for her classmates to listen to, thirteen reason why she died.
The story follows Clay Jensen’s journey through Hannah’s mind and life, as he tries to figure out why he is on Hannah’s list, and who else caused her death.

This story has some obvious mature material in it. I would recommend it though, it is a great book. I couldn’t put it down. I just had to know how it ended.

--Cat

P.S. See here for Best Celler's review of the same title.
P.P.S. This book is on the Waupaca High School Summer Reading list for Juniors!

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Summer Reading Lists

2010-05-28T15:02:00.004-05:00

Are you going to be at Waupaca High School next year? Here are your required summer reading lists. You only need to read one of the books on the list--but take good notes, because you'll be tested on that book when you get back to school next fall!

9th Grade:

The Tear Collector by Patrick Jones
Marley and Me by John Grogan
The Gospel According to Larry by Janet Tashjian
Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson
Son of the Mob by Gordan Korman
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Peak by Roland Smith
Box Out by John Coy
Cut by Patricia McCormick
Hanging on to Max by Margaret Bechard
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
Graceling by Kristin Cashore

10th Grade:

Paper Towns by John Green
Chasing Tail Lights by Patrick Jones
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin
Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger
What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell
Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson

11th Grade:

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
Nailed by Patrick Jones
Deception Point by Dan Brown
I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Sarah’s Key by Tatiana De Rosnay
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

12th Grade English (not CAPP):

Looking for Alaska by John Green
Lottery by Patricia Wood
Silver Compass by Holly Kennedy
Midnight Twins by Jacquelyn Mitchard
Christmas Stones and The Story Chair by Justin Isherwood
Wart Son of Toad by Alden Carter
Black Cross by Greg Iles
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

12th Grade CAPP:

If you are taking a CAPP course you have to read two books:

All CAPP students will read one of the following classic American novels:

For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Native Son by Richard Wright
Little Big Man by Thomas Berger

All CAPP students will also choose one of the following contemporary novels:

The Help by Kathyrn Stockett
The Quiet Game by Greg Iles
Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
Beach Music by Pat Conroy

Students taking Communications 111 and or Theatre Appreciation need to read:

The Last Lecture By Randy Pausch

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Unwind by Neal Shusterman

2010-05-18T11:12:00.005-05:00

Remember when Teen Room Staffer Lydia reviewed Unwind? Click here to see her review.

Check out this fan-made video on YouTube that also features Unwind.

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A Brief History of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper

2010-05-14T09:58:00.003-05:00

Sophie FitzOsborne lives in the crumbling ruins of her family’s castle on the tiny island Kingdom of Montmaray, which lies between England and Spain. She lives there with her younger sister Henry, her cousin Veronica, the housekeeper, Rebecca, and her completely mad uncle, King John. The year is 1936, and Sophie just received a journal for her sixteenth birthday. She begins by recording the events of her daily life; her desire to move to London to have her official debut, and her longing for a certain young man’s attention. Veronica, only a year older, but much more worldly wise, takes an interest in the politics of Europe and the brewing tension there. Sophie could care less, until the day that German soldiers land on Montmaray. Sophie’s journal takes a more serious turn, and so does she. She struggles to follow Veronica’s example and become Sensible, even in the face of the most bizarre disaster that Montmaray and Sophie has ever seen.

The writing was well done and told through a diary format. Sophie was a realistic character, but in comparison with her intelligent and quick-witted cousin Veronica, she seemed naïve and younger than 16. Veronica, on the other hand, was behaving and speaking in ways that made her seem older than 17. Also, Sophie was a rather flat character, while Veronica was not. In some ways the book was more about her than the narrator. The concept for the book is genius—an island kingdom that has two teen orphan girls as the main royalty figures? Honestly, the author could have taken this idea in so many thrilling directions. I almost want to steal the idea and rewrite the entire book. Have you ever felt that way about a book? If so, what book? What would you have changed?

***

Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz

2010-05-04T11:09:00.003-05:00

After the murder of the uncle who had been his guardian, fourteen-year-old Alex Rider is coerced to continue his uncle's dangerous work for Britain's intelligence agency, MI6. After only two weeks of training, Alex is assigned his first mission—to complete his uncle’s last assignment and discover the secret behind a generous donation that was made to every school in the country. Can Alex learn to use his new skills and special tools to uncover the secret?

I just got started on the Alex Rider Series, and I think that it's pretty great--full of action, spy gadgets, and mystery. All my favorite things! Don't miss a single second of the action!

Stormbreaker
Point Blank
Skeleton Key
Eagle Strike
Scorpia
Ark Angel
Snake Head
Crocodile Tears

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Pop by Gordan Korman

2010-04-30T11:22:00.001-05:00

New in town, and training for his upcoming football tryouts, sixteen-year-old high-school quarterback Marcus Jordan meets Charlie, an older man who is great at helping him train. Marcus is amazed to discover that Charlie is Charlie Popovich, or the “King of Pop,” as he had been called during his career as an NFL linebacker. Marcus soon discovers that Charlie has a big secret, and his family is desperate to keep it.

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Beastly by Alex Flinn

2010-04-26T11:30:00.004-05:00

There's a new movie coming out this summer, based on the book Beastly by Alex Flinn. Check out the official movie website here, and watch the trailer!

Have you read this book? What did you think? Do you think it will make a good movie?

***

Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson

2010-04-23T09:40:00.003-05:00

This exciting account of President Lincoln's assassination and the 12-day search for his killer reads like a historical thriller. The dialogue all comes from original sources, which adds a chill to the already disturbing conspiracy! The book takes the reader on a journey, almost hour by hour, following the brutal murder scene at Ford’s Theatre. While the President lay dying, John Wilkes Booth’s accomplices attempted to assassinate Secretary of State William H. Seward, and Booth had to convince or trick friends and strangers into helping him escape. The text is accompanied by abundant period photos of the key players in the conspiracy and historical documents. This is the young adult version of Swanson’s bestselling Manhunt.

*Note that the Waupaca Area Public Library will be hosting a traveling Lincoln Exhibit August 16-September 24 and is one of only 25 sites nationwide to host this traveling exhibit! Stay tuned for more details about events including a Lincoln impersonator!

***

Fire by Kristin Cashore

2010-04-16T16:24:00.003-05:00

In a kingdom called the Dells exist monsters—gorgeous and highly-skilled versions of a variety of animals. Fire is the last human monster, with unimaginable beauty and the ability to control the minds of those around her. Fire is so beautiful that she must disguise herself and conceal her hair to avoid both attacks by other monsters and the attention of men. Although she prefers privacy, Fire is pulled into the inevitable war brewing in the Dells. Young King Nash wants her special skill on his side of the battle, just as her father supported his father, but Fire knows the two were the most feared men in all of the Dells. The ill-effects of her father’s abuse of his power are still affecting Fire—the King’s brother, Brigan, doesn’t trust Fire and makes no secret about it. Will she use her skills to help? And why are Fire and Brigan so drawn to each other, in spite of his distrust?

Don't miss Kristin Cashore's first book Graceling!

***

Red Glass by Laura Resau

2010-04-09T12:37:00.003-05:00

Sixteen-year-old Sophie and her family have taken in Pablo, a six-year-old Mexican boy who is the only survivor from a group that attempted to cross the border into Arizona. After a year, Sophie and her family have become very attached to the young boy, but his remaining family in Mexico made contact, and want Pablo back. Sophie, her Aunt Dika, Dika’s boyfriend, and his son, Angel, travel to Mexico to take Pablo to his family so he can make a big decision. To make things even more stressful for Sophie, she thinks that Angel might really like her. When they arrive in Mexico, Pablo must decide—will he stay with Sophie’s family, or remain in Mexico? And will Sophie be strong enough to support his decision? And what are her real feelings for Angel?

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The Maze Runner by James Dashner

2010-03-18T09:26:00.003-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Brandon!

The Maze Runner offers little background knowledge at the beginning of the book. The reader, as well as the main character, Thomas, is thrust into a strange environment with no knowledge of Thomas’s former life. The book begins with Thomas waking up disoriented in an enclosed space known as the Glade. He soon meets the local populace, a group of boys ranging in age from around thirteen to seventeen. They call themselves the Gladers. Like Thomas, none of them remember anything from their lives before the Glade.

Slowly, Thomas learns about the Glade and the maze that surrounds it. The Gladers have been searching for two years for an exit, and still haven’t found one. Of course, their progress is hindered due to the fact that the maze is prowled by the deadly Grievers, monstrous mutations made of metal and flesh that kill anything in their path.

The next day, a new phenomenon occurs in the Glade. A girl arrives, via the same route all the boys have arrived. This is tremendous because there has never been a girl in the Glade. Ever. Thomas feels a strange connection to the girl, but keeps this knowledge to himself. That night, two of the Gladers, Minho and Alby, are trapped outside the walls which protect the Gladers from the Grievers at night. Thomas tries to rescue them but is also trapped outside the walls. Since nobody has ever survived a night in the maze, prospects are looking slim. But through some miraculous feat, they manage to survive, and Thomas then leads a crusade to escape the maze with the help of the girl, Theresa.

The Maze Runner is an exciting book from front cover to back. Just when the reader thinks the action is slowing down a little, Dashner incorporates some interesting twist. This book certainly keeps the reader guessing. For me personally, it was a bit too sci-fi for my taste, but it came highly recommended from my good friend Melissa. :)

--Brandon

P.S. from Melissa: watch for the next book in this trilogy in October 2010!

***

Peak by Roland Smith

2010-03-09T15:24:00.002-06:00

Peak has just been caught scaling a skyscraper, and faces criminal charges. Instead of a trial and a serious punishment, the judge agrees to release Peak into his absentee father’s care with the promise that Peak will be out of the country and therefore out of the newspapers. Peak soon realizes that his father’s motives might not be with his best interests in mind. His father owns and operates a mountain climbing excursion company, and he wants Peak to make history for him by being the youngest climber to summit Everest—a dangerous and sometimes deadly climb for an experienced adult climber. Will Peak make it to the top? And does he really want to?

***

Stitches by David Small

2010-03-02T13:52:00.004-06:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Cat!

David Small was just a boy when he woke up from a seemingly harmless operation to find he could no longer talk. The lump on his neck that he thought was a cyst was actually a tumor, though he didn’t find this out for two weeks after he had his surgery. Stitches tells the story of this boy. His life has many morbid facets, and each facet is shown in clarity. This autobiographical work seems to be a story from made up in a dark world, but this really is David Small’s life, and he manages to come out of this life brilliantly.

I loved this book. It had a relatively happy ending which is always a plus, and it’s a graphic novel, which I really liked. It is a tiny bit graphic, so be prepared if you want to read it.

--Cat

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How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

2010-02-22T11:20:00.003-06:00

Daisy no longer feels like she fits in her father’s home, with his new wife and a baby on the way, so she travels to England to live with her mom’s sister and her four cousins whom she has never met. Upon arrival, Daisy feels an almost immediate connection with this family, and can’t explain why. Shortly after her arrival though, the world decides to intervene on her new found happiness. London is attacked and the world is suddenly at war. The five kids are left on their own in the English countryside. At first the kids don’t feel the effects of the war, but soon their tranquil atmosphere is disrupted by soldiers who take over their home and separate the kids into foster homes across the country. Daisy and her younger cousin end up working on a farm, helping soldiers care for the cows that desperately need milking. With the help of some of the soldiers, will Daisy be able to plot their escape and return to the family’s farm house?

2005 Printz Award Winner

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Pssssst!

2010-02-16T09:12:00.011-06:00

Guess what! The Waupaca Area Public Library is hard at work organizing the first annual Waupaca Book Festival! The festival will be October 1st and 2nd, 2010. I'm so excited to tell you that we have confirmation from JOHN GREEN and PATRICK JONES. They will be here!

John Green is the author of Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns, and Let it Snow (with Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle). He has just finished writing another book, with David Levithan, which will be available in April. Keep your eyes open for Will Grayson, Will Grayson. You can find John online in many different places. He and his brother Hank Green have been communicating by video for the past three years, and you can watch their interactions on YouTube--they even have their own channel (VLOGBROTHERS). They also have an online community, called Nerdfighters, a worldwide group that works towards both having fun and eliminating worldsuck. Anyone can create an account on Nerdfighters to follow along.

Nerdfighters (John and Hank Green's online community): http://nerdfighters.ning.com/

John's Website: www.sparksflyup.com

John's Blog: www.sparksflyup.com/weblog.php

John and Hank Green's YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/vlogbrothers

Patrick Jones is a former librarian for teenagers who now concentrates on writing fiction for teens. His books include: Nailed, Chasing Tail Lights, Cheated, Stolen Car, The Tear Collector, and Things Change. You can find Patrick on Facebook, Myspace, and Wikipedia!

Patrick's Website: http://www.connectingya.com/

Stay tuned to the blog for more details!

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Hunger Games Trilogy News

2010-02-12T11:19:00.003-06:00

Check out the cover image I found online! The third Hunger Games book finally has a title! Now doesn't that make waiting until August 24 so much harder?

Keep watching the blog for news about our Hunger Games events this summer!

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Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd

2010-02-04T14:00:00.004-06:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Cat!

Geektastic is a collection of stories all about geeks. They are written by all your favorite authors, Holly Black, M.T. Anderson, Garth Nix, and John Green, among others. Every author covers a different spectrum of geekdom, from a Star Wars convention, to a viewing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, quiz bowl preparations and more. Some are funny. Some are serious. All are worth the read.

--Cat

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The Host by Stephenie Meyer

2010-01-26T10:34:00.002-06:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Cat!

You all know Stephenie Meyer as the vampire lady, but in The Host she takes a step into a different genre. Science Fiction.

The Host tells the story of aliens. These aliens find planets with life forms, and then insert their souls into these forms, and now they are on earth. The main alien, named the wanderer, had lived many lives and seen many planets. She is put into a body which, she finds out, is from a rebel human, one of the few left alive. The Wanderer is supposed to help track down these last humans, but the human, Melanie, lives on in her head. This is quite unexpected, and leads to turmoil. Should the Wanderer help destroy the humans?

I liked this book. It’s a nice blending of sci-fi and romance, which makes it more accessible to lovers of both. It is a little lengthy though I don’t think it was boring, so the length shouldn’t really be a problem.

--Cat

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Cat's Top Ten of '09

2010-01-19T13:58:00.004-06:00

Top ten in ’09 in no particular order, by Teen Room Staff Cat!

1. The Hunger Games-Suzanne Collins
2. Catching Fire-Suzanne Collins
3. Graceling-Kristen Cashore
4. Fire-Kristen Cashore
5. Let it Snow-John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle
6. Paper Towns-John Green
7. Looking for Alaska-John Green
8. Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist-Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
9. The Bog Child-Siobhan Dowd
10. The Last Lecture-Randy Pausch

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is the start of a post-apocalyptic series. The country is spilt into districts, and every year each district sends two children to compete in the hunger games, an Olympics of sorts, but with deadly consequences. The series continues with Catching Fire. Graceling by Kristen Cashore is the story of a fantasy world, where people are “graced” with powers. This book has enough adventure and excitement to keep you hooked until the end (Kristen Cashore has another book called Fire, it is set in the same world, but with different characters, I haven’t read it, but I’ve heard nothing but praise for it, so I felt it would be worth a mention). Let it Snow by John Green, Lauren Myracle, and Maureen Johnson, for the romantic in you. Let it snow has three different stories about finding love during the holiday season all tied together at the end. Now, I can start with the John Green Books. First, there is Paper Towns, which takes you on a whirlwind ride to find Quenton Jacobsen’s Neighbor, and the town’s resident bad girl, Margo, who just happens to be Quenton’s crush. Next is Looking for Alaska by John Green. This book came out in 2005 so I’m a little behind, but if you haven’t read it yet please do you won’t be sorry. Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn is another book that takes you on a wild ride, in this one two teenagers lose love, find love, and then lose it and find it again, all in one night. My last two are more serious. The Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd tells two stories, one of Fergus McCann, in Ireland 1981(during one of the many struggles of Ireland’s History) and one of Mel, 2000 years earlier. The stories meet when Fergus finds Mel’s body in a bog. The last book is the Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, last lectures are usually given by professors who are retiring, they tell the things they’ve learned and give advice, but this last lecture really is a last lecture, because it is given by Randy Pausch who had terminal cancer.

--Cat

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Wolverine: Prodigal Son by Antony Johnston and Wilson Tortosa

2010-01-08T09:35:00.003-06:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Brandon!

After a long hiatus, it appears that Teen Staffer Brandon does still possess the ability to read, and he has to say he enjoyed this last book; but enough of third person Brandon. I read the graphic novel Wolverine: Prodigal Son. It is written and illustrated in a more American art style, thus appealing more to western readers of graphic novels. It maintains some of the styles of the Japanese manga genre as well.

The story line follows nothing of the Wolverine known to American television and movie viewers; it takes a look at his years before Charles Xavier. Logan, a troubled teen, is attending the Quiet Earth Martial Arts School. He has grown tremendously since arriving, but as of late relies upon his hidden “abilities” far too much. He can heal nearly any wound almost instantly, and also has extendable claws hidden behind his knuckles. No one at the school knows about his claws, though. His teacher decides if he passes the fabled Trial of Wind, Wood, and Water. As a reward, his teacher takes Logan to New York City, where he faces his toughest fight yet. After being soundly defeated, he unleashes his claws in a desperate attempt to win. His master subdues him and they flee the gym in shame. As they roam The Big Apple in the wake of Logan’s fight, the duo is attacked by a mysterious group intent on capturing Logan. The sensei sacrifices himself to save Logan, who returns to the dojo to find it in flames. The only student left alive is the daughter of the sensei. She and Logan embark on a quest for revenge, only to find the attacker of the dojo to be a former dropout of the school. Logan battles him, and uses his powers to defeat the attacker. The book concludes with the sensei’s daughter, Tamara, and Logan heading off into the distance looking for her father and the mastermind behind the attack.

I enjoyed the crisp artwork and fast-paced, action-packed story. It is a visual thrill ride from start to finish. I also think it would appeal to a reader who would like to try manga, but isn’t quite ready for the Japanese type.

--Brandon

P.S. Welcome back to the blog Brandon! We missed your reviews!

***

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

2009-12-29T09:41:00.005-06:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Cat!

This book follows the story of Arthur Dent, a rather boring Englishman, who finds out his best friend is an alien and that the earth is about to be destroyed all in the same day. The friend is named Ford Prefect, and is a researcher for the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, an encyclopedia, of sorts. The guide instructs hitchhikers about the best ways to travel the galaxy, using firsthand knowledge and a very British sense of humor.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is one of my personal favorites. Sometimes are so ridiculous, all you can do is laugh.

--Cat

P.S. If you like this, don't miss the sequels!

Restaurant at the End of the Universe
Life, the Universe, and Everything
So Long and Thanks For All the Fish
Mostly Harmless
Salmon of Doubt

And Eoin Colfer, the author of the Artemis Fowl books, has added a sixth book to the series.

And Another Thing

***

Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman? by Eleanor Updale

2009-12-15T14:42:00.004-06:00

Montmorency is the story of a thief who falls through a glass roof and hovers on the brink of death. A brilliant young doctor convinces the prison warden in charge to let him saves the thief’s life. The doctor takes the thief to lectures to display the miraculous recovery of Prisoner 493. After completing his term in prison, and with an exclusive knowledge of Victorian London’s new sewer system gained by listening to the various lectures he attended with the doctor, 493 becomes the most successful and elusive thief in London—a man he calls Scarper. In order to keep his identity a secret, he has also become a man named Montmorency, who is a respectable, wealthy gentleman. By maintaining the dual identities, he has a successful career as a thief, but Montmorency starts to prefer the honest life. And one tiny mistake could betray his whole existence! Will he decide to quit being Scarper the thief, or will he continue to live as two different people? And can he keep it a secret?

Don’t miss the exciting sequels:
Montmorency on the Rocks
Montmorency and the Assassins
Montmorency’s Revenge

***

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkin

2009-12-07T16:18:00.003-06:00

A guest review by Teen Room Staff Jeremy!

The Hobbit takes place in Middle Earth, a realm full of humans and elves, dwarves and orcs. The prelude to Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series centers on Bilbo Baggins, the uncle of Frodo Baggins. In this novel the great Gandalf the Grey, a famous and incredible wizard, sends a group of dwarves to Bilbo’s house, telling them that Bilbo would make a great thief. Once the dwarves are settled in Gandalf arrives and explains as little as possible, a trait he shows many times throughout the series. Bilbo and the dwarves eventually figure out that they’re going to try to steal from a great dragon. Little do they know that during their journey many incredible wheels of fate will be set into motion, with Bilbo finding a certain ring, and the dragon leaving its cave, the book remains full of action and suspense throughout.

While I normally say I’d recommend this book to anyone, in this case I won’t. It does have some graphic scenes, and it gets a bit wordy, so I would recommend it to more advanced readers.

--Jeremy

P.S. Check out the graphic novel version too!

***

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

2009-12-01T11:57:00.003-06:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Cat!

Colin Singleton is a child prodigy, and he only dates Katherines. He always ends up getting dumped by Katherines, too. After Katherine number nineteen, he and his Judge Judy loving friend, Hassan, take a road trip. This lands them in Gutshot, Tennessee, the location of the grave of Archduke Ferdinand. There Colin works on his Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability.

An Abundance of Katherines is one of my favorite books. The characters are rich and hilarious. Colin and Hassan’s use of foreign languages add to the characters. Colin’s attempt to solve the problem of his relationships using math is a fascinating concept, which interested me a lot. This is another great book from John Green.

--Cat

***

Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

2009-11-24T11:33:00.003-06:00

Does the holiday season have you thinking about curling up with a good book? Try Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle! Three of the best teen authors around join forces to produce three interconnected holiday stories that include a teacup pig, fourteen cheerleaders, and a man who dresses in tinfoil!

Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson follows Jubilee through what has the potential to be the worst day of her life. Her parents get arrested and she gets shipped via train to her grandparents’ house in Florida. To make matters worse, her boyfriend doesn’t seem to care! When the train gets stuck in the snow outside of a small southern town, Jubilee has had enough—she escapes to the shelter of a Waffle House, and that’s when the adventures really begin!

John Green’s Cheertastic Christmas Miracle combines fourteen cheerleaders and cheesy waffles—what more could a guy want? Tobin discovers that what he really wants was under his nose all along.

Finally, in the Patron Saint of Pigs, Lauren Myracle ties it all together. Addie is heartbroken over her recent break-up, and can’t seem to focus on anyone except herself. When one of her friends, her boss, and the guy who has hated her since the 7th grade all tell her that she’s self-absorbed, she begins to realize that they’re right. A little interference by a “Christmas Angel” forces Addie to work hard for someone else. Will her friends appreciate the effort? Will Tobin take a chance? And will Jubilee’s holiday improve?

I loved this book. The parrot in Maureen Johnson’s story makes this book worth reading, and it only appears on one page!

***

The Boyfriend List: (15 Guys, 11 Shrink Appointments, 4 Ceramic Frogs and me, Ruby Oliver) by E. Lockhart

2009-11-21T12:07:00.007-06:00

Ruby Oliver (Roo) suffers from panic attacks, so at 15-years-old, she is sent to a shrink (Psychoanalist) to help her cope. As part of her therapy, Dr. Z suggests that she make a “Boyfriend List.” Too bad for Roo that the list got loose at school! Her life is turned upside down in ten short days: her former best friend and her boyfriend are together, and Roo has become a social outcast! And worst of all, now she has to relive it, moment by awful moment with Dr. Z! Check out what happens to Roo in The Boyfriend List!

E. Lockhart continues Roo’s story in a series that will soon have four books:

#2 The Boy Book: A Study of Habits and Behaviors, Plus Techniques for Taming Them

#3 The Treasure Map of Boys (Noel, Jackson, Finn, Hutch, Gideon—and me, Ruby Oliver

And coming next year:

#4 Real Live Boyfriends

P.S. I know you're not supposed to judge a book by the cover, but aren't these just the coolest covers?

***

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

2009-11-17T14:23:00.005-06:00

If you can get your hands Graceling, do it! It's so good!

Graceling takes place in a fantasy world where there are normal people, and there are people who are "graced" with special abilities. These Graced people are marked by eyes that are different colors. The special skills of the Graced are varied and include swimming, fighting, and more. The main character is a woman named Katsa who is Graced with the ability to kill. Katsa lives in her uncle's kingdom and serves as his personal army, carrying out his personal vendettas, even if she doesn’t agree with him. She has secretly formed the Council, which acts to provide justice and fairness for those who have been accused and abused.

One day Kasta decides that she doesn't want to hurt the person he asks her to hurt. Because she disobeys him, she's forced to flee his kingdom. Although she is strong and independent, Katsa doesn’t travel alone. She has the help of Prince Po, who is also Graced as a fighter. Together, they travel to rescue Po's niece, Bitterblue, and save the kingdom from a corrupt king. While rescuing Bitterblue, Katsa must push her Grace to the limit, surviving a dangerous trek over impassible mountains and a perilous sea voyage all while keeping Bitterblue’s identity a secret. Can Katsa and Po get Bitterblue to safety, or will they be captured?

Kristin Cashore has written a marvelous masterpiece of strong characters, high adventure, mystery, and just a tiny hint of romance.

The companion book, Fire, is available now—and I must say it was AMAZING! I can’t wait to read her next book, which will be called Bitterblue!

***

Psyche in a Dress by Francesca Lia Block

2009-11-11T13:54:00.007-06:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Cat!

Psyche in a Dress is a very modern retelling of the Roman (or Greek) myth of Psyche and Eros. Very Modern, and is written in verse. Francesca Lia Block is very modern and unorthodox, and it shows in this book.

Psyche is a film maker’s daughter. Her mother left when she was little. She starts being visited every night by Eros, or Love. He has only one rule, she must never see him in the light. For a while all is well. Then Psyche heeds the advice of her sisters and looks at Eros. She sees he is beautiful, but he wakes up and finds her breaking his one rule so he flies out the window. Psyche is heartbroken. She travels around looking for Eros and trying to earn his love back.

I liked this book. It was unlike many books I had read. There is a deep mythological undertone, and Block seems to fit most of the gods, and some of the myths in the book without trouble. The poetry can make it difficult to follow. Some things didn’t click until later in the book, and I had to reread some passages to really understand what happened. I wished Block had spent more time on the Eros and Psyche part. It seemed to be over within a few pages.

I don’t think you need to be familiar with the myth to read this book. It will help though, since the author tends to leave out details about the myth itself. This is definitely a very mature book. I would not recommend this to a young audience, but to anyone else it is definitely worth a look, and it is a very quick read.

--Cat

***

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

2009-11-03T12:04:00.002-06:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Jeremy!

In Funke's first installment of her Inkheart series we meet Mortimer and Meggie, a father and daughter duo with a very unique talent. The two of them have the ability to read characters and objects out of any book they read, so long as they read it out loud. That is how Mortimer released Capricorn and Dustfinger, two of the most important characters in the book. Capricorn is the antagonist who is bent on finding Mo to read out one of his most evil and cruel pets. Dustfinger was unwillingly torn out of the book, and as a result pursues Mo relentlessly to try to make him read Dustfinger back into the book.

Full of drama and some humor, I'd definitely recommend this book to just about anyone. This is an incredible lead in to the rest of the series.

--Jeremy

***

Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix

2009-10-20T11:05:00.002-05:00

Luke is the third son in his family. Unfortunately, the Population Police and the government only allow families to have two children, so he must stay hidden at all times. For most of his life he has enjoyed the protection of living on the family’s farm surrounded by woods. Now the government has built a new housing development right where the woods that once hid him existed, and Luke must stay confined to the attic, and isn’t even allowed to peek out of the windows. Desperate for some sunlight, Luke discovers that he can look out of the attic vents, which are angled so no one can see him inside. By peering out of the vents, Luke gets to know the habits of the new families living nearby, and knows each family member by sight. Then one day, he spots a face in a window of a house that he doesn’t recognize, and he realizes that it can only be another illegal child living there. Luke soon becomes obsessed with the idea of meeting this person, and when he does, she reveals a big secret. They aren’t the only shadow children out there. Just how many shadow children exists? And will they ever get to live free?

Don’t miss the other books in this exciting series!
Book 1 Among the Hidden
Book 2 Among the Impostors
Book 3 Among the Betrayed
Book 4 Among the Barons
Book 5 Among the Brave
Book 6 Among the Enemy
Book 7 Among the Free

***

The Mailbox by Audry Shafer

2009-10-13T11:53:00.004-05:00

Gable Pace was in the foster system since his mother died, but two and half years ago, he found himself living with his mother’s half-brother, Vernon Culligan. Uncle Vernon is a war veteran from Vietnam, where he lost the lower half of his left leg.

One day after school, Gabe comes home to find that Uncle Vernon has died. Shocked and frightened, Gabe doesn’t tell anyone. He realizes that if he tells anyone, he'll have to return to the foster system. The next day, he finds a mysterious note in the mailbox that reads “I have a secret. Do not be afraid.” He then discovers that Uncle Vernon’s body has disappeared!

Gabe begins a correspondence with the note writer, and doesn’t feel so alone. The note writer even gives Gabe a dog to keep him company. But he and the note writer are not prepared for what happens when the authorities find out about Uncle Vernon. Who will be his guardian now, or will he have to return to the foster system? Who is the mysterious note writer?

***

The Hound of Rowan: The Tapestry Book One by Henry H. Neff

2009-10-05T14:47:00.004-05:00

On a trip to the art museum with his dad, Max McDaniels discovers a magical Celtic tapestry showing the mythic Cattle Raid of Cooley, in a secret room at the museum. His discovery doesn’t go unnoticed, as he is soon after contacted by the Rowan Academy, a secret school for Potentials. A Potential is a student who displays special aptitude or skills in aspects of magic. After being invited to attend Rowan and surviving the perilous journey there, Max discovers that there’s more to being a Potential than just learning some fancy tricks. He soon learns that Rowan Academy trains the Potentials to become Agents who work against the Enemy. Finding himself firmly embroiled in a centuries old battle between good and evil, Max must learn to use his skills much sooner than a Potential normally would. His life depends on it.

I felt this book was a combination of the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, and the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. There’s Celtic mythology, a boy with special magical powers, only one parent is present, there are magical creatures, and a magical school building. The disappointing factor is that the writing didn’t measure up to the quality of Rowling or Riordan. Max is a fantastic character, well developed and complex, but the supporting cast wasn’t given compelling histories of their own. They seem to purely exist to move the story along. In many ways they are interchangeable. I wonder if this is fixed in the second book of the series, The Second Siege. And maybe it is unfair to make the comparisons between Riordan, Rowling, and Neff, but with so many similarities, it’s hard not to do so.

Overall it was a good book to read, and I liked it a lot. I would recommend it.

***

Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

2009-09-23T11:35:00.005-05:00

Catherine Gilbert Murdock will be visiting Waupaca on Monday, September 28, 2009. She will be visiting the High School and the Middle School!

Sixteen-year-old DJ Schwenk spends her summer vacation taking care of her family’s dairy farm. DJ is responsible for the farm because there’s no one else to do it. Her two older brothers had a fight with her father and won’t communicate with the family. Her younger brother is in the middle of his little league season. Brian Nelson, the quarterback of her high school’s rival football team is forced by his coach be help out at the farm, and worse yet, he’s supposed to have DJ train him for the upcoming season. Although they can’t stand each other at the beginning of the summer, DJ and Brian become friends. During the training, DJ decides that she will try out for her high school’s football team, but she also decides not to tell Brian. DJ realizes that not only does she love football, but she might also love Brian. She becomes torn between the two, until realizing that she must choose one. Which will she choose? Can she and Brian be friends, rivals, and possibly somethimg more--all at the same time?

Check out what happens next for DJ in The Off Season, and the stunning conclusion to her story in Front and Center--which will be published in October 2009!!!!

***

New Percy Jackson Trailer!

2009-09-18T14:38:00.000-05:00

A new trailer for the Lightning Thief Movie coming in 2010!!

The Abs Diet: The Six Week Plan to Flatten Your Stomach and Keep You Lean for Life by David Zinczenko

2009-09-15T09:45:00.002-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Brandon!

The Abs Diet is a diet which is highly popularized by Mens’ Health magazine, a magazine with a target age group ranging from older teens to old men. I, being a member of that target group as well as a reader, have certainly heard of the Abs Diet.

The Abs Diet is merely mentioned in Mens’ Health magazine, but brought to the spotlight in Zinczenko’s book. The founder, and success story himself, Zinczenko helps to reiterate the points of the diet. Of course, the main reason many men go on diets is to lose weight, but the Abs Diet has several other added benefits. In addition to losing weight, the Abs Diet can help you gain muscle, eliminate back pain and injuries, as well as gain a longer life.

The main way that the Abs Diet differs from every other weight loss plans is that it doesn’t require you to count carbs, calories, fat grams or points; in fact, it encourages you to eat more, in the form of six healthy meals and snacks spaced evenly throughout the day and centered around twelve main power foods. It also encourages a workout plan involving lifting weights and cardiovascular activity.

I found the book to be very extensive and, although not a very weighty tome, completely thorough. Zinczenko includes many examples of success stories as well as delicious recipes incorporating the power foods, and a well balanced training program for just about everyone. I find the book to be a helpful and enjoyable aid on my way to a leaner, fitter me.

--Brandon

***

The First Part Last by Angela Johnson

2009-09-11T09:52:00.003-05:00

Before the birth of his daughter, sixteen-year-old Bobby enjoyed getting into a little trouble, loved his girlfriend, and had parents who took care of him. After Feather is born, Bobby must become the parent and take care of her by himself. He struggles with his new role, tries to maintain his friendships from before his daughter’s birth, and can’t understand why his mom is being so tough on him. He decides to rebel one day, and gets caught. He realizes that his actions and the consequences no longer affect just him.

The topic of teenage parenthood can be controversial and it is excellently handled in this book. It’s not an easy topic or plot, and Johnson makes no excuses for not being easy. As a reader, you just have to accept that Bobby's life is harder for him now that he is a parent. I think the strongest element of the book is the internal monologue from Bobby. He is so brutally honest with the reader and himself and I was able to believe Bobby; that’s what makes this book special. The dialogue between Bobby and his friends feels forced and fake in comparison.

I really enjoyed this book a lot, with the exception of the dialogue. I would recommend this book in a heartbeat.

Hacking Harvard by Robin Wasserman

2009-09-01T09:05:00.002-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Brandon!

The prize: $25,000. The hack: Take one “deadbeat” senior and turn him into Harvard-acceptable material. This is the bet that Eric, Max, and Schwarz have taken with the notorious hackers, the Bongo Bums. Max, the risk-taker of the group, immediately agrees without the consent of his group-mates, and the bet is on. Eric, the voice of reason, immediately reprimands Max for his foolishness, but eventually decides he is in for the “hack.” Schwarz, a 16 year-old genius and freshman at Harvard, is easily persuaded, and goes along with both of them. The term “hack” takes on a different meaning in this book, one more akin to prank, but much more sophisticated.

The Bongo Bums choose, Clay Porter, school terror, as their candidate for Harvard. Max approaches him and offers a cut of the prize money if they pull the hack off. He agrees, and the hacking begins. The book follows the standard application process timeline of Harvard, from the application to the interview, to finally, acceptance. The story digresses nicely with several different storylines for each character, which of course are woven into one book.

The book is told from a third person point of view for the first portion, but then switches to first person when the crew meets Alexandra Talese, also a Harvard hopeful, who unfortunately happens to be working for the Bums, in exchange for them hacking the Harvard network and guaranteeing her acceptance. Several people who have read the book have found this to be confusing, but it wasn’t a problem for me at all. I believe Hacking Harvard was a very good novel that displays the corrupt system known as college admissions. But it is purely fiction, and must be taken with a very large grain of salt.

--Brandon

P.S. Do not attempt any of the hacking described in this book. You will probably end up in jail.

***

Naruto Vol. 1 by Masashi Kishimoto

2009-08-28T09:14:00.002-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Brandon!

Lots of kids are shunned by their classmates, but how many can say they are shunned by the entire town? Naruto, a young upstart ninja from the Konohagakure village, the village hidden in the leaves, is determined to succeed, despite his dark past, one which he didn’t choose. As an infant, Naruto was chosen as the host for the nine-tailed fox demon that was ravaging the village, but was defeated by the first hokage. Naruto has bigger plans than just acceptance from the village. He is determined to become the hokage, the greatest ninja his entire village. The book opens to show how Naruto is shunned by the village, except for a few people. He learns of one of those people very quickly, his teacher, Iruka, when Iruka protects him from the evil Mizuchi. Iruka is injured protecting Naruto, so the tables turn and Naruto has to protect Iruka. After Naruto defeats Mizuchi, Iruka gives Naruto a leaf-village headband, and recognizes him as a full-fledged ninja. After becoming a ninja, Naruto is put into a team with Sasuke and Sakura, fellow ninja. Sasuke is set on revenge for the murder of his clan, and Sakura is more concerned with love than ninjutsu. Team chemistry is not very high, and thus at first the team does not perform well; especially with the difficult Master Kakashi as their sensei. The book ends with a test given by Master Kakashi to determine whether or not the team is ready for missions; and he determined…they fail…

What will volume 2 have in store? Is this the end for the three ninja? Simply put….no. Kishimoto weaves an intricate tale with his first volume, which transcends beautifully into a complete series of over 40 volumes. Naruto is a very intriguing tale of Naruto’s journey to become hokage, Sasuke’s quest for vengeance, and Sakura’s ongoing search for a path in life.

--Brandon

***

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

2009-08-24T11:47:00.002-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Jeremy!

In this short but very powerful novel Randy Pausch discusses the time leading up to and during his final lecture at Carnegie Mellon. He talks about the hardships he has overcome, such as finding out he had ten tumors in his liver, and the ways he overcame them, through writing this lecture, for example. His incredibly upbeat and positive attitude goes against all preconceived ideas of how terminal cancer patients act.

I would recommend this book to anyone, and I mean ANYONE. The sheer optimism of Randy up to his final days is nearly overwhelming. It's too bad he's not with us anymore, but wherever he is I'm sure he's having fun.

--Jeremy

P.S. This is a summer reading book for Seniors at Waupaca High School!

***

Castration Celebration by Jake Wizner

2009-08-18T10:47:00.003-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Brandon!

For Max, summer arts camp at Yale University is another opportunity to hone his acting skills, both on the stage and with the ladies. For Olivia, it is an opportunity to escape her home life and write her musical, based on her current hatred of men, thanks to her father, who she walked in on while he was fooling around with one of his students. A true ladies man with a plan of conquest for summer camp, and a young woman who has sworn off men for the summer? These two have to run into each other; and they do, quite literally. Max and Olivia meet on the train to summer camp, when Max accidentally runs into Olivia. He falls in love, and she figures she’ll never see him again.

Once they arrive at camp, they meet their roommates, for Max, the eccentric guitar-playing Zeke; and for Olivia, (who is staying in a suite) Mimi, Callie, and Trish. As it turns out, Zeke and Trish are from the same town, so the guys end up spending quite a bit of time with the girls, and Max uses it to try to get to know Olivia better.

As the story progresses, so does Olivia’s musical. Her musical, Castration Celebration, is strikingly similar to the events of real life, and no one but her knows until she asks Zeke to write the music for it. While Zeke has Olivia’s manuscript, Max reads it and realizes that Olivia has feelings for him. As the summer ends, Olivia accepts her feelings for Max and they get together. They continue a short correspondence via email, but that’s were book leaves the story, and their relationship, up in the air.

Castration Celebration was a hysterical novel. It employed two separate stories, the novel, and the musical being written by Olivia (which was distinguished by a different font), and wove them together nicely. I thoroughly enjoyed C.C., but I do believe it is a title geared towards older teens; with many sexual innuendos and jokes more appropriate for older ages.

--Brandon

***

A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb

2009-08-14T10:26:00.003-05:00

Helen is a ghost who has haunted for many lifetimes. She has attached herself to several different hosts over the years, and can’t figure out what is holding her to Earth while her hosts have all moved on when they passed away. Her current host is an English teacher named Mr. Brown. She discovers that for the first time in her entire time as a ghost, there is someone who can see her. Helen soon realizes that Billy, Mr. Brown’s student, is not the one who can see her, but it is James, another ghost who has taken over Billy’s body.

James and Helen are drawn together, and decide to find a body for Helen to possess too. They find a girl who goes to the same school, and Helen is able to inhabit her vacated body. Complications arise as James and Helen realize that they cannot simply begin their life together, but have to continue to pretend to be Billy and Jenny. That also means that they need to deal with the issues that caused Billy and Jenny to vacate their lives. As James begins to help Billy overcome his problems with drugs, an abusive father, and a strained relationship with his brother, Helen sees that he has started to deal with the issue that hasn’t allowed him to move on. Following James’ example, Helen helps Jenny solve her issues, and she begins to realize why she can’t move on.

Overall, I felt that the writing was fairly average. The unique plot is the piece that kept this book from being ordinary. Perhaps because I listened to the audio version, I was much more aware of phrases that were overused, for example, the narrator continually said “I was shocked.” I also felt that the narrator, Helen, did not have views towards relationships and intimacy that were consistent to the time period in which she died. I felt that the author didn’t stay true to the idea of history that she had been trying to infuse into the character.

Not my favorite book, but a very interesting concept--give it a try!

***

Battle Angel Alita by Yukiro Kishiro

2009-08-10T11:27:00.003-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Brandon!

In a futuristic society, humans, androids, and cyborgs have learned how to coexist, Daisuke Ido is a mechanic just trying to scratch out a living while pursuing his hobby of finding scraps in the junkyard to invent new things. While out scavenging, Ido stumbles upon the destroyed body of a female cyborg, with the brain still intact, in a state of hibernation. He brings the head back to his shop, and fixes the girl up. He re-awakens her brain, but cannot recover her lost memory, and takes her under his wing as a daughter; his first act as her “father” is to name her Alita.

Daisuke creates a new body for Alita, and soon she is following in his footsteps. Soon she finds out that Daisuke has a night job as well as his mechanic profession; he is a hunter-warrior, a futuristic bounty hunter. As soon as Alita discovers his true profession, she decides she wants to be a hunter- warrior as well. She goes against Daisuke’s wishes and registers to become a hunter herself. In her first bounty hunt, with Daisuke watching, she discovers she knows the Panzer Kunst, a fighting technique developed for cyborgs centuries ago.

After Alita loses a battle against Makaku, the biggest bounty around, Daisuke outfits her with a berserker body, a cyborg body used in the wars many years ago. With it she gains great power, and chooses to go after Makaku again. Using her new body, she is able to use the Panzer Kunst to defeat Makaku.

I enjoyed Battle Angel Alita, with its snappy art style and witty dialogue, along with some great action-fight scenes. It is a manga, but follows the American layout of left to right reading.

--Brandon

***

Beast by Donna Jo Napoli

2009-08-07T10:31:00.002-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Lydia!

In light of the recent musical by the Waupaca Community Theater, I decided to read a book with a “Beauty and the Beast” theme.

Orasmyn is the prince of Persia and lives in the lap of luxury until he makes one poor decision and is transformed into a lion, with his only hope of salvation the love of a woman. He travels first to India and eventually to France, where he finds an abandoned castle and cultivates a beautiful rose garden in the hopes of luring a woman to the castle and earning her love.

The first half of the book takes place in Persia and is littered with Persian and Arabic words which seem to add nothing to the story. This part of the book drags as Orasmyn is adapting to his lionine instincts and circumstances. In the much shorter second part of the book, Belle and the Beast’s romance happens much too fast for believability, especially since the Beast lacks the power of speech, and culminates in an extremely abrupt ending. The author’s note, however, is especially interesting and reveals the author’s intent to combine the many versions of “Beauty and the Beast.” The note explains the parts of the story which may seem odd to those of us who are used to the Disney version.

I give this book Three Stars!

--Lydia

***

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

2009-08-05T16:12:00.004-05:00

17 year-old Ginny receives a packet of thirteen little blue envelopes from her favorite aunt, which are numbered. The first contains instructions to go to New York to pick up a package, get on a plane, and fly to England, where her aunt lived. Through the rules outlined in the first letter, Ginny realizes that she must follow the instructions on the first before opening any of the other envelopes. She can’t bring money, guide books, or any electronic devices including laptops, phones, or cameras. The only major problem with following this plan created by her aunt is that her aunt has been dead for three months. Aunt Peg was a wanderer and an artist, and completely unpredictable. The letters from Peg take Ginny all over Europe tracing a path that Peg once took. Ginny meets old friends, heroes, and employers of Peg’s, and does things she never thought she, Ginny, could or would do—she even asks an Italian stranger out for cake! She also becomes the patron of a one-man play performed by an English boy named Keith. In Greece, Ginny’s backpack is stolen, and she must return to London without completing the final mission. Or does she?

I enjoyed the format in the book, which consists of letters from Peg to Ginny in a handwritten font, and chapters in a different font and a standard form. Ginny is able to travel as a single, female teenager without social constraints, and the experiences she has are extraordinary and require her to develop great independence. There’s also a potential love interest. I would recommend it, especially to anyone suffering from a travel bug!

***

Punkzilla by Adam Rapp

2009-07-31T10:27:00.003-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Brandon!

Jamie, a.k.a. “Punkzilla,” is on a mission. His mission: to visit his brother Peter before he dies of cancer in Memphis, Tennessee; not an easy trek for a fourteen-year old boy who has gone AWOL from his military boarding school. As he journeys to Tennessee, he writes his deepest thoughts in the form of letters to his friends and family: his brother, his mom, his dad, and his best friends Branson and Buck Tooth Jenny. Punkzilla chronicles important events in his life, as well as the events of the bus trip from Portland, Oregon to Memphis. He tells his brother of his times working for Fat Larkin stealing iPods and iPhones to make a quick buck. In turn, Peter tells Jamie about his cancer and how it feels to near the end. Intermingled between the main letters of Jamie and Peter are Jamie’s letters to and from his other family and friends.

Punkzilla was interesting content-wise, but the writing style really turned me off from this book, so much that I couldn’t even finish it. It is written primarily in the style that a fourteen-year old writing on a Greyhound would write. This means the book has many run-on sentences and is written more so as if it was spoken word. This makes reading the book a little bit troublesome at times.

--Brandon

***

Pendragon Book Eight: The Pilgrims of Rayne by J.D. MacHale

2009-07-28T10:01:00.002-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Jeremy!

In the eighth installment of the Pendragon series, Bobby finds himself on an island paradise territory called Ibara. He quickly finds himself arrested by the locals and accused of being an outsider, which means certain death. After convincing the ruling council of Ibara that he has amnesia, he quickly goes about trying to find the turning point of Ibara, with the unwilling help of Ibara’s new traveler, Siry. Bobby’s involvement with Siry eventually leads to him joining Siry’s gang of outlaws, the Jakills, whose main purpose is to prove the council of Ibara has been lying to the people and there are more things in the world than their little island.
While Bobby is adventuring in Ibara, Courtney, who Bobby dumped on First Earth in the previous novel, is intent on her hunt for Mark, along with her new “partner”, Dodger, who is later revealed to be Gunny’s acolyte. The unlikely duo eventually locate Mark, who, unfortunately, is already on the ship where, according to Patrick on Third Earth, he will be murdered.

In this eighth book, the fact that Bobby and Courtney share the same amount of pages throughout the book is a little confusing at first, but hardly takes away from the epic ness of this novel. The incredible imagery that is becoming very typical of D.J Machale will keep readers captivated, and the surprise ending will leave readers demanding more.

--Jeremy

***

Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford

2009-07-23T10:47:00.002-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Brandon!

Carter is a hot-shot freshman, determined to conquer his new high school. Like many freshman, he has slight delusions of grandeur that high school is all about sex, parties, and rock and roll. Carter wants to be accepted most of all. To achieve acceptance, he joins the football team, goes to upper class parties, and just generally tries to fit in. Of course, his attention deficit disorder doesn’t help very much.

Carter is a traditional lazy freshman, so naturally he aspires to be the kicker, the laziest position on the team. Hilarity ensues on Carter’s journey to eventually become the varsity kicker. During his debut, he manages to shank his very first kick so much that the football flies into the pep band and knocks out a trombone player.

Carter is also searching for love and sex, and unfortunately for him, he’s searching for both at the same time, which is often a search which ends in disaster. His main love interest of the book is Abby, a drill teamer, (one of the girls deemed “not-good-enough” for the ever-popular dance team.) Unfortunately for Carter, he doesn’t realize that he has fallen for Abby until she has moved on from him.

Carter’s journey through freshman year is a good tale of the quest for love, acceptance, and most importantly, a sense of direction in life. Although my review may not give a very well detailed view of the book, it was an enjoyable read and one I would highly recommend.

--Brandon

***

Death Note Volume 1 by Tsugumi Ōba

2009-07-21T15:57:00.005-05:00

Death Note volume 1 is the story of a very bright Japanese student, Light, who finds the Death Note, a notebook belonging to a death god. Possessing the notebook gives Light the power to kill anyone, and he decides to use that power to rid the earth of dangerous criminals. The deaths of the criminals doesn’t go unnoticed, and Light finds himself trying to stay hidden from the government who seeks to find him.

At first I had trouble getting used to the manga style of reading, but the story was so intriguing that I soon got the hang of it. The graphics were done in black and white and were very detailed. I had trouble with some of the images in that they were so detailed, but printed so small that they were hard to see. I wondered if I was missing important details, or was not getting all the information I should have from the images.

I think Death Note would create a lot of discussion in an adult or teen book group about human rights and the death penalty. It is also a great mystery story--who is Light and will he be caught? And who is the mysterious "L" character? I would recommend it.

***

I Luv Halloween Vol. 1 by Keith Giffen and Benjamin Roman

2009-07-20T11:22:00.002-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Brandon!

I Luv Halloween is not a normal persons’ manga. It is read left to right in the traditional American comic style, but I must warn any potential readers, the content is quite a bit gruesome.

With that disclaimer out of the way, I have to say that I Luv Halloween was a fun book to read. It takes place in a little neighborhood where the local children are trick or treating on Halloween. The entire book takes place on the night of Halloween, but follows several different story arcs within that time period.

The main story revolves around Finch, and his group of friends, Pig Pig, Mr. Kitty, and Devil Lad. Soon after the opening, Finch loses his sister, and falls victim to the dreaded “Apple Jack Curse.” (If you receive an apple or other non-candy item at the first house, it’s bad luck for the rest of the night.)

Another story focuses on Finch’s lost sister, Moochie, who is dressed up as the tooth fairy. She traipses around town in search of molars, which she usually pulls from live people after knocking them unconscious. A local boy, Spike joins Moochie later on in the story.

Yet another story focuses on the neighborhood bullies, and their conquest of the neighborhood kids, and their candy supply. Unfortunately for them, they cross paths with Moochie, who decides she wants their molars. She proceeds to knock them out, and they swear revenge when they wake up.

The final story is very minor, but it is the saga of two local high school kids, Biff and his girlfriend. They first encounter Moochie, who steals a certain undergarment of Biff’s girlfriend to use as a slingshot while they are engaging in some promiscuous business in the bushes. Biff and his girlfriend then enlist Finch to find his sister, and retrieve the undergarment.

I Luv Halloween is a very interesting tale of an alternate version of Halloween. The kids pile up quite a body count, between their quest for candy, and Moochie’s search for molars, in some very disturbing scenes. I Luv Halloween is certainly not for the faint of heart, but if you can stomach it, provides some laughs as well.

--Brandon

***

Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham

2009-07-16T09:06:00.007-05:00

Fifteen-year-old Jane Arrowood, a talented artist, survives a shark attack, but loses her right arm. Jane struggles with the overwhelming outpouring of sympathy from friends, family, and complete strangers. She once craved attention for her art, but now scorns the extra attention. A small boy she befriends at the hospital helps her realize that losing an arm doesn’t mean that she must only define herself by the event.

The book is written in an alternative format, relying on letters, phone conversations, poems, and newspaper clippings instead of traditional prose, and I think this is what really makes the book work. The starkness of the text illustrates the fear, hopelessness, hope, and growth of the character without being overly wordy, flowery, or sentimental. I really think this book was well written.

I loved this book. I would recommend it, no question.

If you want to read a nonfiction story about a girl who survives a shark attack, check out Soul surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board by Bethany Hamilton.

***

Lightning Thief Movie!

2009-07-15T16:43:00.004-05:00

Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief is being made into a movie! Check out the website here, and look for the movie in theaters next February!!

Here's the trailer!!

***

Busted: Confessions of an Accidental Player by Antony John

2009-07-14T16:24:00.003-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Brandon!

We all know the popular kids in school. The ones with the perfect hair, ridiculously expensive cars, gorgeous boyfriends and girlfriends. Well, Kevin Mopsely is not one of those privileged few. Kevin is a flute-playing, antisocial nerd; the epitome of uncool. He has somehow made it to his senior year without attracting the attention of…well…anybody. Then the most popular kid in school, Brandon Trent appoints Kevin the keeper of the Book of Busts, a compilation of all the senior girls’ bust, waist, and hip measurements, he feels a bit overwhelmed. Kevin accepts Brandon’s challenge, though, and immediately his social status soars, much to the dismay of his old, band-geek friends.

Of course, his task would be simple, if his mom wasn’t a feminist college professor who would immediately condemn any interaction with The Book on Kevin’s part. Also, Kevin’s best friend and love interest, Abby, tells him flat out that she will basically hate him forever if he’s involved with the jocks and their ridiculous book.

How can poor Kevin keep his real friends from finding out about his project for the jocks, and at the same time, keep his jock friends from finding out about his flute-playing, love of music personality, all the while keeping the whole thing under wraps from his mom? Busted tells an interesting tale of Kevin’s journey through senior year, loving and losing Abby, getting her back, and his ongoing battle with the jocks and the biggest decision: does he want to be popular or not?

--Brandon

***

Star Wars: Jedi Academy 1: Jedi Search by Kevin J. Anderson

2009-07-10T09:26:00.002-05:00

A guest review by Teen Room Staff Jeremy!

In this first installment of Kevin J. Anderson’s Star Wars trilogy, Luke is beginning his search across the galaxy for Jedi pupils to re-create the Jedi order, Han and Chewie crash on Kessel and become slaves, and Leia gets re-united with her children, all in the first fifty pages. Luke eventually locates two students and proceeds to go with Lando to find Han and Chewie, Meanwhile, Han and Chewie escape the spice mines along with Kyp, a fellow miner, and enter the enormous cluster of black holes near Kessel with Kyp using his fledgling force abilities to guide them. . . right into a remnant fleet of star destroyers. While imprisoned, again, Han manages to convince one of the scientists in the research facility to check the true uses of the world devastators she designed. With her new knowledge in hand, she helps the three escape in her newly built Sun Crusher, which Han proceeds to use to ram through a Star Destroyer, sending it into a black hole. Eventually, Han and Luke re-unite with Han being chased by Imperials and Luke being chased by angry spice miners. The group eventually escapes back to Courescant, and to relative safety. While this whole event was taking place, Leia and Mon Mothma decided that Yavin 4, the previous Rebel base, would be the perfect location for Luke’s Jedi Temple.

--Jeremy

***

Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

2009-07-09T09:14:00.001-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Lydia!!

Junior was born with water on the brain, causing him to have a huge head, terrible eyesight (and hideous old man glasses), 10 extra teeth, a stutter and at least two seizures a week. Growing up on the Spokane Indian reservation, what Junior describes as his “epic” appearance, made him the bullies’ favorite target and left him with only one friend, Rowdy, ironically, the biggest bully of them all.

Stuck in a world of poverty and alcoholism he’s afraid he’ll never escape, Junior snaps when he opens his textbook to find his mothers name. That afternoon, the teacher he hit in the face with a book shows up at this house with a broken nose. Rather than beat or yell at Junior, however, the teacher tells him he’s forgiven and that he has to leave the reservation before he gives up like everybody else.

Thus begins Junior’s life as a part-time Indian, living on the reservation with the Indians, but going to school off the reservation with the white kids. The story follows Junior through his freshmen year of high school and all the year entails, including sports, prom and dating, but also confronts the larger issues of racism, poverty, alcoholism and loyalty. The pages are decorated with Junior’s doodles which add depth to his character and lighten the often heavy mood of the text.

Sherman Alexie created a must-read with this book, raising important issues and simultaneously leaving readers laughing out loud.

--Lydia

***

Priest by Min-Woo Hyung

2009-07-07T09:19:00.002-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Brandon!

Priest is a no-holds barred, shoot first; ask questions later kind of graphic novel. The protagonist, Ivan Isaacs, is a former priest who has sold half his soul to the devil, Belial, to attempt to save his love, Gena. Priest opens with Ivan riding on a train through the west with a criminal accompanied by four marshals (law enforcement). The criminal turns out to be the boss of the local gang, Rebel Angels. Being the boss of the local gang has its perks, and Lizzie (the boss) is the target of a rescue by her gang. The gang takes over the train, kills the crew and marshals, and robs the passengers, and loot the rest of the train; but when they attempt to rob Ivan, they find a little bit more resistance than they bargained for. While demanding that Ivan comply, the gang’s second in command, Kacho, hears his scouts scream from the rear of the train, where they have discovered a chained car, in which they assume are treasures.

Unluckily for the scouts, there is no treasure present, but a horde of undead zombies, who have been awakened by the bloodshed of the train’s inhabitants. These undead serve the fallen archangel, Temozarela, who Ivan knows as Jarbilong. He knew the contents of the final car, and prophesized the gang’s demise if they did not leave the train. Of course, they didn’t listen to him, and attempted to fight the undead horde they unleashed. Their struggle was in vain as they fought the immortal soldiers of Temozarela. Ivan finally steps in after the zombies have killed all but Lizzie, and defends her because she reminds him of Gena. Ivan takes a mortal wound while protecting Lizzie, and she realizes he is immortal. The wound triggers him to call upon his demonic power, driving him into a frenzy in which he kills all the zombies, and nearly kills Lizzie. His memories of Gena are the only thing that saves her. He tells her to flee the train because more undead soldiers are approaching, and subsequently blows it up.

Priest presents a fast paced novel with many action-packed gunfights. As I stated before, it is a graphic novel, but rather than Japanese style, it is read from left to right. I enjoyed Priest for its main storyline featuring Ivan’s quest to regain his soul and join Gena in the afterlife, but I think many people would enjoy it for its shoot-em-up nature.

--Brandon

***

Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan

2009-07-06T16:07:00.005-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Lydia!

Growing up in modern day India, Koly is forced into an arranged marriage by her family’s poverty and her parents’ subsequent inability support her any longer. However, within weeks of the marriage, her husband dies, leaving her a widow at thirteen.

In a society where there is neither room nor status for widows, Koly finds herself in a home where she is now unwanted by her cruel mother-in-law. Circumstances worsen before Koly finally falls into the kind hands who will help her grow into an independent and industrious woman, despite the norms of society.

An interesting read which examines the Hindu culture, Homeless Bird brings forth the contradictions of an age old society mixed with the world of computers and air conditioned cars. The book has a particularly satisfactory ending and despite the depressing beginning, the opens into a happy story of inspiration and hope, and even finds room for love.

--Lydia

P.S. from Melissa--if you like Homeless Bird, you should try Keeping Corner by Kashmirea Sheth.

***

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

2009-07-01T18:24:00.002-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Brandon!

Marcus Yallow is a senior at Cesar Chavez High School in the Mission district of San Francisco. The teachers may all know him as Marcus, but to his closest friends, he is known as “w1n5t0n,” (pronounced Winston, not “double-you-one-en-five-tee-zero-en.”) He uses this moniker because he is a prominent figure in the tech community. See, his school has a ridiculous security code, from the use of tracking software in the school-supplied laptops, to gait-recognizing technology to track any rogue students. Marcus, being the techie that he is fools the cameras by putting rocks in his shoes, and skips school with some of his friends to play Harajuku Fun Madness, an ARG. ARG, or alternate reality game, is where teams must find clues, decipher them, and eventually reach a final prize, resulting in a trip to Tokyo.

While on the search for the next clue, Marcus and his friends are caught up in a terrorist attack on the Golden Gate Bridge. As they attempt to go the opposite way from the mad, stampeding crowds, they are taken into custody by the Department of Homeland Security as suspects in the attack. Marcus is separated from his friends and released back home several days later, but his best friend Darryl is still missing. Marcus suspects foul play on the part of the DHS, and begins a search for his friend using his better than average technical abilities. His search only ends with the DHS telling him to stop looking and that they will be monitoring any of his online activities.

Now with every aspect of his life being monitored, Marcus sets out on a crusade to stick it to the DHS and save his best friend. He begins his quest anew and searches for Darryl. During his journey, Marcus avoids the government, hacks his Xbox to transmit a type of internet, and organizes one of the largest ARG meetings in history; all underneath the careful radar of the DHS. In the end, Marcus is able to clear his, and Darryl’s name, sort of. The government drops all charges against Darryl, and reduces Marcus’ from “electronic terrorism” and “inciting a riot” to “petty theft.” Marcus spends three months in a halfway house as a sentence, but for half the day he is allowed to go out to his “job.” He and his friends started a nonprofit organization to retain peoples’ rights and abate the government’s ridiculous amount of power.

Little Brother was a phenomenal book, from beginning to end. Although it is fiction, it really caused me to stop and examine my own rights. Hopefully you’ll read this book and do the same.

--Brandon

Hitler Youth by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

2009-06-30T11:53:00.005-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Lydia!

“‘I begin with the young,’ said Hitler. ‘We older ones are used up…But my magnificent youngsters! Are there finer ones anywhere in the world? Look at all these men and boys! What material! With them I can make a new world.’”

In 1926 Hitler founded the “Hitler Youth,” an organization that on the surface resembled the boy scouts, but which he would later use to manipulate the youth of Germany into carrying out the terrible crimes of the Nazi party. “Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow” tells the story of not only the organization itself, but of the German children and teenagers living in Germany under the Nazi party—both those who supported their Führer and those who stood against him and suffered the consequences.

Melita Maschmann had been forbidden by her parents to join the BDM, the girl’s branch of the Hitler Youth. However, convinced that Hitler was doing great things for Germany, she snuck out to attend the weekly meetings contrary to her parents’ wishes.

Helmuth Hübener was sixteen when he began illegally listening to foreign radio stations. When he realized the lies the German people were being fed by the Nazis, he, along with two of this friends, began printing anti-Nazi leaflets and passing on the foreign news, a crime punishable by death.

Stories of the Jewish and occupied experiences under the Nazi regime fill the pages young adult literature, from “The Diary of Anne Frank” to “Number the Stars.” But what about the German experience? What were the German youth doing during the Nazi Regime, and why didn’t they try and stop it? “Hitler Youth” recalls the true stories and events surrounding the youth of Germany and the opinions they formed.

--Lydia

P.S. from Melissa. If you're looking for fiction about the same subject, try The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

***

The Quillan Games by D.J MacHale

2009-06-29T10:48:00.002-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Jeremy!

This book is non-stop action and suspense from start to finish. The seventh Pendragon book finds Bobby on Quillan, a territory addicted to games of all kinds, however each game comes with a twist. If a competitor wins they could receive things ranging from food to vehicles. But, if a competitor loses, it's very likely they'll end up working in the toxic waste infested power plants across the territory that will eventually lead to the loser's painful death. Bobby comes to this territory, as usual, chasing the elusive Saint Dane. After nearly being eaten by quig-spiders, and avoiding the robot police of Quillan, Bobby is eventually scooped up by Veego and LeBearg and forced to compete in these games. He eventually is picked up by a resistance force fighting against the territory wide company Blok. Through this book Bobby meets new friends and a whole set of new enemies.

This is easily my favorite Pendragon book to date, and I plan on reading the series to the end. I would recommend this series to anyone who is interested in fantasy and or science fiction novels.

--Jeremy

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

2009-06-25T11:20:00.002-05:00

Where North America once thrived now exists a country made up of twelve districts. Once a year, the government of this country sponsors an event called The Hunger Games. Two teens, one boy and one girl, are sent from each district to the capital city of Panem to participate. The Games pit all twenty-four teens in a battle to the death, with one survivor. The Games are broadcast on TV back to each of the districts. The winner must kill all of their opponents, even those who might be friends.

Katniss Everdeen has become the primary provider for her family since her father’s death, and has honed her skills at hunting with a bow and arrow, often outside the borders of District 12, which is one of the poorest of the districts. On the day teens are selected to participate in the Hunger Games, Katniss is shocked when her younger sister Prim’s name is drawn. Knowing that her fragile sister will never survive, Katniss volunteers to take her place in the competition. Katniss travels with Peeta, the boy selected from District 12, to the capital to prepare for the Games. Katniss and Peeta have known each other for years, but are far from friends. Each contestant is given advice on appearance, training, and manipulating not only the media surrounding the event, but the filming of the show itself. Katniss struggles with her media appearances, but trusts her own abilities to survive, at least for a while. She is shocked to find herself touted as a darling of the Games, and as a love interest for Peeta. She also finds herself at a disadvantage because she is from District 12. Some of the wealthier districts train their teens to be champions of the games, while those from poor districts must fend for themselves once their names are selected. Once the games begin, Katniss is on her own.

Suzanne Collins expertly blends a futuristic society with the primitive existence of some of the poorer districts. The influence of the government and the controllers of the Games is a strong underscore to the development of Katniss’ character.

This is quite possibly one of the best books I’ve ever read. Suzanne Collins, the author of the Gregor the Overlander Series, held me captive for hours. I simply couldn’t put this book down. The sequel, Catching Fire, will be released in September, and I can’t wait!

One Piece Vol. 1: Romance Dawn by Eiichiro Oda

2009-06-23T10:54:00.002-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Brandon!

Can you remember a time when comic books were the coolest thing since sliced bread, to be cliché? Well, their time has come once again, but in a different form. The new craze sweeping the teen scene is manga, which is Japanese for whimsical pictures can be loosely translated to comics outside of Japan. Manga is different in its style as well as its format. Traditional books are read left to right, but manga comics are read right to left, beginning with what (in the American style) would be the back cover. If that doesn’t sound like your style, then you might just want to skip this review and move onto the next. That said, let’s move onto the book.

Romance Dawn opens the One Piece saga with a young Monkey D. Luffy, the protagonist. He is always seen trying to join his idol, Shanks’ pirate ship, but Shanks won’t let him. Thus, he hangs out with Shanks at the local tavern where he accidentally eats the Gum-Gum Fruit, which allows his body to stretch, much like a rubber band or piece of chewed gum. This presents a problem because Luffy is determined to find the One Piece, the greatest treasure in the world, and eating one of the Devil Fruits (there are many) deprives the eater of their ability to swim.

The book fast forwards to Luffy when he has grown and goes out to sea. He befriends a couple of rogue sea people, a bounty hunter turned pirate, and a thief who steals from pirates. Romance Dawn follows their adventures on the East Blue Ocean.

The first volume in the series, Romance Dawn establishes the wonderful writing and illustration style of Oda. Driving dialogue help propel and keep the reader interested in the several substories present underneath Luffy’s grand quest for the One Piece.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all its subsequent volumes. It is well written and has appeal to many age groups, from youth to adult.

--Brandon

P.S. from Melissa--even if you don't think you'll like Manga, give one a try! You might really be surprised!

Burning City by Ariel Dorfman

2009-06-18T09:16:00.002-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Brandon!

Burning City is the story of Heller Hyland, a delivery boy of bad news. No one knows why, but Heller is the best at delivering bad news for his company, Soft Tidings, whose motto is “news with a personal touch.” For some strange reason, Heller is the best at giving drastic news while empathizing with the recipients enough to inspire them to mellow reactions, rather than outrage, depression, etc...

Burning City follows Heller’s various work experiences, whilst he lives with his grandma and grandpa in New York City while his parents are away on business. The story focuses on Heller’s job, but also incorporates a side stories detailing Heller’s love interest, Silvia, and his friendship with a “interesting” street vendor, Salim. Heller met Silvia at the coffee shop where she works and Salim in a random encounter on the streets of New York.

Heller is a bit of a troublemaker, as he shuns his company-mandated use of Rollerblades, various traffic laws, and the local police force.

Burning City was a good book, but not one that I would read over and over. It was written well with a driving story and would be a good read for anybody with some spare time on their hands.

--Brandon

P.S. from Melissa--Isn't the cover awesome?

So, You Wanna Be a Comic Book Artist? by Amara D. Amara

2009-06-16T11:48:00.003-05:00

A guest review by Teen Room Staff Brandon!

Like most kids, my choice of career path, (when i was younger), bounced around more than a small child hyped up on Pixy-Stix. At one time or another in my life I wanted to be a firefighter, a policeman, an actor, and of course, a comic book artist. Oftentimes, I’d bike on over to the local library to research my “dream job.” It was at one of these times that I discovered the book; So, You Wanna Be A Comic Book Artist? To an aspiring artist, it became a miniature bible.

So, You Wanna Be A Comic Book Artist? goes through several comprehensive chapters detailing the steps it would take to become a comic book artist. The book starts with the basics, such as creating a studio (or just a space to draw in), or tips for illustrations and character creation, then progresses to more intricate facets of writing and illustrating comic books. The later chapters of the book detail self-production of comics (known as zines), submitting your work to publishers, and information about where the industry of comic book artistry is headed.

Although I no longer aspire to become a comic book artist, I do recommend this book to any aspiring artist. It was easy to read with many inserted articles, such as artist profiles of amateurs as well as professionals, tips from the pros, and general fun facts about comic books and their authors.

--Brandon

Seek by Paul Fleischman

2009-06-13T11:09:00.004-05:00

Rob Radkovitz has spent his whole life only knowing his radio announcer father through a cassette tape his father made for him right before leaving. Lenny, Rob’s father, wasn’t ready to be a parent. Rob was raised by his single mother, living with his maternal grandparents. In their house, he has been treated as an adult. His interests are encouraged and treated with respect, but he is dissatisfied, feeling the absence of his father greatly. As he grew up, Rob became increasingly obsessed with locating his father over the radio. Because his father was originally from Louisiana, he accumulates information about the state, even weather reports. He eventually owns more and more high-tech radio and broadcasting equipment, and develops great skills navigating the airwaves, gradually increasing the distance he is able to search. Eventually he and his friends broadcast their own independent station, only to have Rob’s father respond to a call-in they request from their listeners. Finally achieving the contact he thought he wanted, Rob must decide if he wants his dad in his life.

Written as an autobiography for a class assignment, and told in a multi-voice format, the book is record of memorable sounds for Rob Radkovitz. At first the multi-voice format was frustrating. It disrupted my ability to read smoothly, and forced me to go back several times so that I could be sure I had attributed something to the correct character. I think it would be a very good audiobook.

Eventually I got caught up in the story, and I really enjoyed the main character, Rob. He was written as such an interesting person, and I found myself wishing that he would locate his dad. When his father finally did phone him, I was so happy for him. Part of me was hoping for the Disney-style happy ending where he’d have this great relationship with his father, but part of me was hoping that he would be able to accept that this man didn’t need to be part of his life. (I'm not telling what actually happens--you have to read it yourself!) I also appreciated the addition of characters, like Rob's grandparents, who added necessary humor to a book that could have been quite sad.

I would absolutely recommend this book.

***

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

2009-06-12T10:30:00.000-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room staff Lydia!

One hundred years from now, the United States has undergone a second civil war called “The Heartland War,” to finally satisfy both Pro-life and Pro-choice supporters. The result is “The Bill of Life.” This bill protects all children, born and unborn, under the age of thirteen. As an alternative, parents may choose to abort a child between the ages thirteen and eighteen, as long as the child’s life does not technically end. Rather, each and every part of the child is kept alive, only in a separated form. Through the parts provided by “unwinds,” medical technology has become incredibly advanced, allowing such practices as limb and spinal cord transplants.

Connor, a rebellious 16-year-old, has found the unwind papers, signed by his parents and runs away in an effort to survive to eighteen. Risa, a ward of the state, is to be unwound to cut costs at the orphanage, but thanks to a bus accident, escapes. Lev, the youngest child of 10, is his parents tithe. He accepts his place as an offering to help others and is outraged when a mad unwind drags him from the family car and kidnaps him, mere miles from the harvest camp.

Will Connor and Risa survive to eighteen? Will Lev change his mind about the practice of unwinding? Unwind will keep readers on the edge of their seats following Connor, Risa and Lev as they learn whom they can trust in this world in which they’re fugitives.

--Lydia

Zombie Haiku by Ryan Mecum

2009-06-09T09:28:00.001-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room staff Nick!

“The city is dead.
Streets are just filled with people
who aren't quite people.”

Zombie Haiku is a contemporary work about a present day zombie apocalypse written entirely in haiku form (5, 7, 5). The book begins with a survivor who faces life against the zombie horde. The book takes us through his struggle against them, until he is bitten and eventually joins the zombie menace. The haiku's continue from the perspective of the zombie for the rest of the book. It includes illustrations which help accentuate the brutality of zombies and the distress of the survivors.

I enjoyed the oddity that this book brought about. I thought the haiku story telling, although sometimes hard to follow gave the book something different. Although at a 140 pages it was a short read, it is definitely worth the laughs for a poetry or zombie lover.

--Nick

Freshman: A Novel by Michael Gerber

2009-06-02T09:25:00.002-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Brandon!

Hart Fox does not have ridiculously wealthy parents. Nor are his parents alumni of the nearby Stutts University, a prestigious ivy league college. Hart is just a run-of-the-mill hard working student trying to achieve acceptance to his dream school. When the end of the year arrives, he finds out he got accepted….but his place in the incoming freshman class was basically bought by a classmate’s father who offered to fund a new chemistry building. Simply put, though, Trip (Hart’s classmate), is all brawn and no brains. He barely passed high school, so he would never survive at Stutts, but his dad, Burlington Darlington III, is running for governor and needs to keep his family, including his son, as a help, rather than a hinderance to his campaign. So he employs Hart to do Trip’s homework and take his classes for him. In return, Mr. Darlington will pay for Hart to attend Stutts. Finally Hart is introduced to the Stutts atmosphere, and he is nearly overwhelmed. In his first year he makes a clear enemy in Trip Darlington, makes friends with the local outcasts, the staff of the college humor paper, The Cuckoo, and even finds love (albeit with an undead vampire who has been attending Stutts for 150+ years). He survives his year at Stutts despite Trip’s attempts to get him expelled, Mr. Darlington’s attempts to cut his funds, and various fraternities attempts to kill him.

I enjoyed Freshman immensely, and highly recommend it, especially to those seniors who are going to be freshman next year. It provides a refreshing reminder that freshman year could always be much worse.

--Brandon

Where the Wild Things Are

2009-05-28T10:57:00.002-05:00

Check it out! One of the most beloved books of all time, Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are, is being made into a movie, set to release this fall.

Piano for Dummies by Blake Neely

2009-05-22T10:05:00.001-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room staff Jeremy!

Piano for Dummies by Blake Neely is an incredible guide to both the basics and more advanced styles of piano. Blake Neely takes the reader through an enormous range of amazing descriptions, witty comments, and wonderful ways to remember chords and key positions. The book also includes a list of scales that also includes pictures showing where the fingers should go on the keyboard. The back of the book even includes an index of some of the more well known piano players including Billy Joel and Elton John.

I am currently using this book to try to teach myself how to play piano, and to be honest it’s going fairly well. I’m progressing at a slow rate, but that’s due to a need to do homework and play my guitars rather than learn piano. I plan on dedicating a lot more time to piano this summer, and with this book as my guide I should become fairly proficient.

--Jeremy

Belle : a retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" by Cameron Dokey

2009-05-20T17:28:00.004-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Valerie!

There was always more to the story of Beauty and the Beast than Disney® decided to show us. Annabelle grew up in a wealthy family where her siblings are what her Mother always wanted in her children, and she can’t ever live up to her standards. Her father is the only one who understands her. Her name means beauty, but with her gorgeous sisters around to cast their shadow over her, her name only ridicules her further. Even though there is enough trouble in her life already, storms churn over the oceans making it impossible for her father’s merchant ships to return home. Annabelle’s wealthy family is pushed into a life of poverty. Traveling through the deep forest, she travels to her new home, where her world is flipped upside down. A few months later, her father hears word from the city that one of his ships made it safely home from the storms, and begins the three day journey back. When Annabelle’s father returns home, he’s holding a secret that not even he’s sure is real. An adventure is in store for Annabelle and her family, one that will change everything forever.

Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairy tale. I have read at least seven versions of the story, but this version is one of my favorites. Cameron Dokey added more magic and love to the original story, and even though this is a short book, it captures your attention and your heart.

--Valerie

Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson

2009-05-15T09:14:00.005-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room Staff Valerie!

Scarlett grew up in inter-city New York in a hotel run by her middle class family. She has an older sister who is dating a wealthy man from the close knit circle of New York’s businessmen, a young sister who has recently battled cancer, and an older brother trying to find work as a stunt actor on Broadway. On Scarlett’s fifteenth birthday, her world takes a sudden twist. She is assigned a room of the hotel to take care of, and a woman shows up to occupy it for the entire summer. This new guest changes the entire family, and teaches them about Broadway, family, love, revenge, and caring about each other. Suite Scarlett is a book you won’t want to put down. Maureen Johnson lets you connect fully with the different characters, and has created the perfect read for summer.

I loved this book because I experienced so many emotions while reading this book. I felt sorrow, anger, joy, and laughter. This book was a story of a girl who gets to see what life is like outside of her small hotel. I caught a glimpse of New York from an insider’s view, and I connected with every character of this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a fun summer read. In this book, you can experience so many stories in one.

--Valerie

P.S. Check out both cool covers!!

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

2009-05-11T09:59:00.004-05:00

A guest review by Teen Room Staff Jeremy!

The 15 year old resident of Carvahall, Eragon, starts the book by finding a strange blue stone while traversing The Spine, a mountainous area outside his home. The world in which this novel takes place is known as Alagaësia, under the control of Galbatorix, a fallen Dragon Rider, now evil. These dragon riders used to be the peace keepers of the world, but when his dragon died, Galbatorix went mad and killed his fellow riders. The blue stone eventually hatches into Saphira, Eragon's dragon. He tries to keep her a secret, but in vain, because the empire learns of her and tries to take her, but instead end up murdering Eragon's uncle. Eragon and Saphira escape, along with Brom, a local story teller. Together the three set off to both avenge Eragon's uncle and for Eragon to learn more about his dragon and his mysterious past.

This book is incredibly well written, full of drama and humor, horror and magic. It was great to follow Eragon and Saphira along their journey, watching as they grew and matured. I would certainly recommend this book to any avid Fantasy readers out there.

-Jeremy

The Compound by S.A. Bodeen

2009-05-05T09:56:00.003-05:00

While on a camping trip one night nine-year-old Eli, his billionaire father, and his family are alerted of a pending nuclear attack, and rush to the safety of an underground compound that Eli’s father has built to house the family in case of nuclear war. Only after the door is sealed, Eli realizes that his Gram and his twin brother Eddy didn’t make it into the compound. And Dad won’t open the door. Heartbroken, Eli finds that Dad has created a world very similar to their life above ground. There’s a gym, a library, a media room with more CDs and DVDs than Eli could ever watch or listen to in fifteen years. And fifteen years is the amount of time they need to spend in the compound to outlast the nuclear fallout. Six years pass, and in spite of Dad’s planning for every contingency, the family’s situation has become dismal. Eli has created a routine for himself that involves as little contact with his family as possible. He can’t bear to think about his brother Eddy, and distances himself as much as he can. The family’s food supplies have started to dwindle and the livestock that was supposed to sustain them has died. Dad has a plan involving something called “The Supplements,” but Eli is sure that he wants nothing to do with it. One day, Dad gives Eli a CD with a faulty label. As Eli peels it away, he sees that it was recorded only a few weeks ago. But if that’s true, how did his Dad get it? And what is happening in the outside world? Was there really a nuclear threat, or is the family captive for another reason?

The writing in the book is very action driven. In some sections there doesn’t seem to be enough words on the page to fully describe what is happening. I had to reread sections just to make sure I understood at least part of what was going on in the scene. In that sense, I don’t think the writing was very well done. However, the plot really was interesting, and I was impatient to know what was going to happen next. Another criticism I have is that there were a few characters that would be more believable if the author had given them some flaws. Eddy, the twin left behind, was described as being the “good” brother. In all the memories that include Eddy, the reader never sees him doing anything remotely bad. He’s always the hero. I didn’t feel that this was very realistic. Also, Eddy and Eli are supposed to be twins, but I really felt the way their relationship was described, Eddy seemed much older than Eli. I thought that the character of the older sister Lexie was very well done. She was written as a very complete character. She had mean qualities, and a rough relationship with Eli, but she was smart and knew where her loyalties needed to be even if it meant she was in some danger.

I didn’t love this book, but the plot was so intense and unique that I rushed to finish it. I would recommend it.

Mexican Whiteboy by Matt de la Peña

2009-05-01T16:21:00.005-05:00

A guest review from Teen Room staff Brandon!

Sixteen year-old Danny is a confused kid. He doesn’t know which part of his ethnicity he wants to embrace: his Mexican heritage, which he received from his long-lost father, or his Caucasian American background, from his mother, who he lives with. Being brought up essentially white, attending a prestigious private school, living in suburban California, Danny has never fully embraced his Mexican heritage. Then he goes to spend the summer with his cousin in San Diego, and his eyes are opened. He meets many of the locals through a weekly home run derby, which he quickly dominates. Danny is a good hitter, but an even better pitcher. He tried out for the team at his private school, but his usually perfect control deserted him during the tryout. But there in San Diego, on the overgrown, underused practice fields and backstreets and back yards, nobody can touch Danny’s pitching. He befriends the local kids, friends of his cousin’s, and learns that friends often become a stronger family than biological relatives ever can. His newfound friends help him to unravel the mystery of his dad’s disappearance, learn who he wants to become, and uncover his confidence on the pitcher’s mound.

The book is very well written and I enjoyed it immensely. It was fun to see how Danny matured throughout confrontations with his new best friend, Uno, his love interest, Liberty, and his cousin and uncles, who knew his dad’s secret the entire time.

-Brandon

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

2009-04-28T09:04:00.002-05:00

Clay Jensen receives an unexpected package in the mail and finds that it contains several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, a classmate who committed suicide two weeks earlier. As Clay listens to the first tape, Hannah explains that there were thirteen reasons she decided to end her life, and if he was listening to the tapes, he was one of the reasons. Hannah ensured that each of the thirteen people involved will get to listen to the tapes by a carefully controlled threat. If the people involved don’t listen to the tapes and then pass them on to the next person, an outside person will go public with the tapes. Hannah has also provided each listener with a map of important places. Clay spends that night following Hannah’s voice and map as he learns the truth of her pain, and just how he was involved.

The book contains two main voices, Clay’s narration of the story, and Hannah’s recorded tapes. In order to differentiate, the text used italics to denote the recorded vocals. At times this was confusing to read, especially when Hannah’s voice was paired line for line with a thought from Clay. While this is probably a realistic depiction of Clay’s thought process as he listens to the tapes, it was difficult. I think the publisher would have been better off using a different font for Hannah rather than just italics. The other criticism I have for the text is that the main way the reader gets to know Clay is through Hannah’s story, which makes him feel a bit less than a main character. I also had trouble with the dialogue between Clay and Tony, the guy Hannah chose to hold her secret, even though he wasn’t one of the thirteen reasons. I felt that the conversations weren’t authentic; instead they seemed rather contrived. I wonder if the audiobook format might be more successful at telling the story. Have you listened to it? Would you recommend it? Let me know!

I really liked this book, in spite of the fact that the entire time you read, you know that there can’t be a happy ending. Hannah is dead, and that won’t change, regardless of what else happens in the story.

The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman

2009-04-21T13:52:00.004-05:00

Sally Lockhart’s father has just died, and left behind a message that makes no sense. When she goes to his office in London to ask for help deciphering the message, a man dies of fear, just after hearing her words. Sally soon realizes that her father’s message has a sinister link, one that she must uncover before it hurts someone else, especially her. Sally finds herself pursued by villains she doesn’t even know, as she discovers two different, yet linked mysteries. One involves the deadly opium trade rampant in London’s seamier side, and the other mystery centers around a missing ruby of extraordinary value. Sally also finds some help along the way: a photographer, his actress sister, and their assistant take her in when she has no where else to go; an errand boy, Jim, devotes himself to helping her whenever he can; and an opium-addicted sailor and his curate brother aid her when the sailor’s health is restored. Sally helps her friends too; she is excellent with numbers and becomes an accountant of sorts for the photography shop, even creating a new product line. Sally finds clues along the way in the form of Mr. Marchbanks, a journal, and a mysterious reaction to the smoke of opium—visions of a past experience appear to her when she’s exposed to the smoke. After surviving threats on her life and on those around her, Sally eventually realizes that she must locate the valuable ruby before Mrs. Holland, an old woman who thinks the ruby should belong to her. In the end, Sally discovers that her father wasn’t the man she thought and this mysterious ruby has more power than she could have guessed. She must use the ruby to trick the Mrs. Holland, or she won't survive.

The book is beautifully written. Pullman is a master of very full descriptions and details, which can slow the pace of the book at times. The plot is complex and involves many twists, which also require the reader to slow down to appreciate the situations in which Sally Lockhart finds herself.

I read this book as a teen, and loved it. Rereading it as an adult, I can say that it hasn’t lost a bit of the intrigue that attracted me in the first place. I have recommended this book numerous times, and will continue to do so.

Note that this book is the first of the Sally Lockhart series by Pullman, which has four books.

A Step from Heaven by An Na

2009-04-15T19:46:00.003-05:00

A Korean family emigrates to the United States in search of a better life. Told from the viewpoint of the daughter, the story follows her from age four to age sixteen. She and her family encounter language difficulties, feelings of isolation, a struggle for identity, and an abusive relationship with her father. Young Ju, the daughter, goes to school with no understanding of English, and develops into one of the top members of her class. Apa, the father, begins to resent her acquisition of English and her successful assimilation into American culture. He resents those who understand English, mistrusts the intentions of Americans, and becomes abusive with his family. Uhmma, the mother, adapts much more readily, is able to stay focused on the dream of becoming American and allowing her children to live a better life. She and the children join a church, in order to become more accepted and further assimilated into the culture. Apa; however, holds the family back, punishing them for their successes. Eventually, the struggle to fit in becomes too much for Apa, and he moves back to Korea. The rest of the family remains in America and is finally allowed to develop as Americans.

The book exhibits especially unique literary quality. It challenges the reader through Young Ju’s translation of English, particularly in the early chapters. The intermixing of Korean and the youth of the narrator also provide credibility to the story. Young Ju’s life experience, or lack thereof, pose additional challenges to both the reader’s and Young Ju’s understanding of various situations. In spite of the challenges, the story is engaging and clever. The division of chapters into small vignettes about the family’s experience helps the book flow without seeming too disjointed.

I really enjoyed this book. There were sections that were difficult to get through, such as the various abusive scenes with the father, but by that point in the story, I was so interested and vested in the story that I couldn’t stop. This book would appeal to young adults because of the format of short chapters, which makes is more accessible. Also, the fact that Young Ju doesn’t feel as though she is part of her own family is something that some teens might identify with fairly closely. The most interesting aspect of the book is the way the reader can see Young Ju’s literary and verbal growth and grasp of English as the story progresses. I would absolutely recommend this book to teens and adults.

Absolutely, Positively Not by David Larochelle

2009-04-07T11:35:00.006-05:00

Steven is a typical teenager: he’s trying to get his drivers license, he feels disconnected from his parents, and he is trying hard to fit in at his high school. But in many ways he is not a typical teenager. He enjoys square-dancing with his mom, he finds himself thinking about his new teacher Mr. Bowman more often than he would like, and he keeps a men’s underwear catalog under his bed! He struggles to prove to himself, and the world that he is not gay by doing anything he can think of: buying Playboy, dating as many girls as possible, even eating lunch with the hockey team! Somehow these schemes go awry: he ends up purchasing a copy of a parenting magazine instead of Playboy, his dates, although numerous, never quite seem right, and the jocks at the hockey team table mostly ignore him. Next he tries wearing a rubber band on his wrist, as a punishment for thinking about Mr. Bowman, but that turns into a trend at his high school, and doesn’t seem to stop him from thinking about his teacher. As he begins to accept that he is gay, he agonizes over “coming out,” especially to his parents. In fact, to avoid telling them, he takes his friend Rachel’s dog Kelly to the prom! When he comes out to his best friend Rachel, he’s horrified to find out that she had guessed it all along. She becomes so supportive that she proposes forming a club. While Steven isn’t ready to broadcast his coming out by joining a club, he does seek out a support group in another town. Steven's next step will be telling his parents, but how will they react? And will he ever find love?

While the vocabulary, dialogue, and style of the writing are not especially distinctive, the topic of the book is timely and unique. The book merits discussion based on the clever way it deals with the topics of homosexuality and acceptance.

I enjoyed this book. There was a great deal of humor presented through the narrator, both in his use of metaphors and the situation in which he found himself. I think the inclusion of so much humor is a nice touch on the part of the author considering the depth and heaviness of this topic has the potential to bring to a book. I think young adults will definitely appreciate the humor in the story, and the way such a serious topic is made accessible to them without taking away any of the intellectual context of the topic. I would absolutely recommend this book.

On a side note, I think that the paperback cover, with the superhero, is way more fun than the hardcover.

Wordle Website

2009-04-03T09:12:00.010-05:00

Here's a very cool website that allows you to create your own tag cloud! Check it out!

http://www.wordle.net

This is the site we used in our April SLAG meeting to illustrate our thoughts on The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Click on the image above to view in a larger format.

*Just remember to be careful! This website doesn't do any filtering so you might run into rather grown-up content.*

I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak

2009-03-31T10:41:00.003-05:00

Ed Kennedy is a 19-year-old cab driver whose life has settled into a pattern of playing nightly card games, having depressing encounters with his mother, and mooning over his best friend Audrey, whom he secretly loves. He is very self-centered and feels quite sorry for himself. The day the mysterious playing card with its cryptic instructions arrives in the mail, it forces him to think about someone else, and eventually to do good deeds. The cards that follow have similar assignments of good tasks for him to carry out. His assignments are not always completely clear; he must research and observe each person. For some, he just needs to give them the push they need to achieve what makes them happy, for others he must show them how to take responsibility, for some he must show other people the value of that person, and still others he just has to be a positive figure in their lives. In the end, he begins to see the effect of his actions, especially on those closest to him. And only one mystery remains, who sent the cards?

The voice of the narrator is the strongest element of this book. He seems to be honest, and the way he speaks is modern and without any sense of forced “coolness.” He is who he is, and doesn’t make apologies for that. The plot is interesting and keeps a reader focused. I think the idea is original, and well executed. The mystery included in the plot saves the book from being too much of a lecture on seeing the problems of the world around you.

I enjoyed this book, but must admit that the ending confused me. I think it ended with some elements of a less than realistic nature which conflicted with the majority of the book. In spite of this, it was a really fun book to read. I think that it would appeal to most Young Adults regardless of gender. The narrator is endearing without being sappy, and I think he tells the story particularly honestly. I also think that his narration is the element of the book Young Adults would appreciate the most. I would recommend it.

What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

2009-03-24T11:18:00.003-05:00

When Evie Spooner’s step-father, Joe, returns from the World War II, she and her family fall back into their old patterns pretty quickly. Joe is doing very well at his business, her mom and grandmother are back to fighting for his attention, and Evie is herself, only in a more grown-up way. In a moment of apparent restlessness, Joe takes the family for a vacation in Florida during the off-season. While staying at a hotel that is almost empty, the Spooners meet Mr. and Mrs. Grayson. Like the Spooners, they are also from New York, and are looking to purchase a hotel in Florida. Joe and Mr. Grayson recognize that they could have a business partnership, and work towards it until it is discovered that the Graysons are Jewish. The hotel staff insists that the Graysons leave, and the deal falls through. Meanwhile, the Spooners have also been confronted by Peter Coleridge, a soldier who knew Joe in the war. Evie begins to fall in love with Peter, despite the obvious discomfort he causes Joe and the less obvious, but equally tense relationship between Peter and her mother. Evie slowly recognizes a web of lies surrounding the three but chooses to ignore it. She is able to avoid the situation for a while, but after a sailing accident, Evie is forced to take someone’s side. Whose will she take?

There’s something about this book and the characters that is so intriguing and different from other young adult books that makes it stand out. The setting for the book is described only as far as is needed to continue the story, but the details are true to the era. The storyline devoted to the Graysons illustrates the alienation of Jewish families even on this side of the war. Evie’s relationship with her mother is complicated—she admires her mother’s beauty, her feminine qualities, and has a strong bond with her, but she also recognizes that her mother is her competition for Peter’s attention. She longs to be like her, but wants to be completely separate too. This dynamic creates almost palatable tension in the final scenes before Evie makes her decision of whose side she will take. In fact, the complexity of her relationship with her mother makes Evie’s decision completely unpredictable.

I find the title really intriguing too, because it seems to imply that there is one single instance that influences Evie’s choices, but instead, I think that there are several things that she sees that sway her decisions. I thought this book was very thought provoking. Would I have reacted in the same way? What about you?

Feed by M.T. Anderson

2009-03-17T09:27:00.004-05:00

Separated into four sections, this futuristic story follows Titus and his friends as they travel to the Moon to party at a nightclub, meet Violet, and live their lives connected to the Feed. In the future, nearly all humans have a transmitter implanted in their heads that provides a constant feed of information, not unlike having a ticker tape constantly running. The Feed also allows them to look up information on the spot, and to converse without spoken words, much like instant messaging. After a strange event at a nightclub, Violet and Titus begin dating. Titus soon finds that her points of view tend to be unique from the norm. Violet openly challenges the Feed by purposefully trying to confuse it. She also has a habit of saying socially inappropriate things to Titus’s friends. She encourages Titus to fight against the Feed. Eventually her Feed becomes defective, causing her to be disconnected from Titus, and the rest of the world. Although Titus sees her goal of challenging the norm, and truly loves Violet, he's not sure he can break away from the Feed.

At first I was frustrated by the futuristic language of this book. I didn’t enjoy trying to figure out the “new” words Anderson had created. But as I read further, it became much less obtrusive. The story itself deals with important topics like conformity, thinking for oneself, challenging the norm, love, and independence. Anderson handles them all by providing a character whose internal monologue is blunt and honest. The reader sees all of his internal struggle without censoring. The book illustrates Titus’s struggles with peer pressure and his quest to fit in, even as he can fully appreciate Violet’s goal of identity independent of the feed. I think that all teens can relate to these issues in some way.

I ended up liking this book a lot, even though I didn’t think that I would. I’m not usually much of a science fiction fan, but this book was written incredibly well. The book forces the reader consider the prevalence of media and pre-fabricated information. Even if this seems to be an ambitious goal for a YA book, it succeeds. I absolutely recommend reading it.

Deadline by Chris Crutcher

2009-03-10T11:36:00.001-05:00

Ben Wolf discovers that he has an incurable illness, and has one year left to live--his senior year of high school. He makes two important decisions. First, he decides to live every day to the fullest, doing things he never expected of himself before. He goes out for the football team, even though he's a cross-country running star. He sets his sights on Dallas Suzuki, a girl who doesn't know he exists, yet. And he befriends an outcast in the town who has trouble with alcohol, and a secret Ben wouldn't have guessed. And for his second major decision, Ben decides that he's not going to tell anyone that he's sick.

I loved this book. Ben Wolf is an easy character to cheer for, and his attitude towards his disease, and the choices he makes are rationalized in such a way that it's easy to agree with him. The story isn't just about Ben. Crutcher deals with so many serious issues and characters all in one story, yet it all fits together like a puzzle. Dallas Suzuki isn't just the girl from the volleyball team that Ben wants to date, she's got issues of her own, and their relationship isn't as easy as a television movie might be. The town outcast Ben befriends has a secret so serious and shocking that it almost stalls Ben from creating the friendship. The relationship between Ben and his parents is painful and hard to read, but it's made up for by his relationship with his coach and his brother. The town bully even has a dark secret, and in the end becomes a character you have sympathy for. The only criticism I had of the book as a whole was the epilogue. I felt that it was unnecessary and took away from the seriousness and depth of the book. Overall, Crutcher does not disappoint. I highly recommend this book.