SCLS Reads

black box

2008-11-10T12:33:00.004-05:00

black box

by Julie Schumacher

How far should we go to protect the people we love? Sisters Dora and Ella have always been close. Now Dora is diagnosed with depression and has to be admitted to the hospital. Ella feels alone and helpless. Home has become a fighting ground for her parents and she feels alone at school. How much of this is her responsibility?

Impossible

2008-10-01T09:37:00.004-04:00

Impossible

by Nancy Werlin

Inspired by the lyrics to the ballad "Scarborough Fair", Werlin tells the story of Lucy, a seventeen year old girl whose family has been cursed with the promise of eventual madness. In order to break the curse and free her unborn child from this curse, Lucy must complete the three impossible tasks enumerated in the song: make a magical shirt without any seam or needlework, find an acre of land between the salt water and the sea strand, plow it with just a goat's horn and sow it with one grain of corn.

It is an interesting premise. Although the setting and characters are contemporary, the reader must be willing to suspend belief and enter into the world of fantasy and romance. But if you're willing to do that, it makes a wonderful read.

Handcuffs by Bethany Griffin

2008-07-15T21:02:00.002-04:00

Parker is called the ice princess - she tries to hold herself apart from the rest of the students in her high school. But one student uses her blog to bully and shame her. Trouble in school, trouble with her boyfriend, trouble at home - who is she and what does she want?

- Jeri

Absolute Brightness

2008-07-14T15:46:00.001-04:00

Absolute Brightness by James Lucesne

Leonard Pelkey comes to live with Phoebe, Deirdre, and their divorced mother. This strange boy enters into their lives and the lives of the people in the small New Jersey town of Neptune and they begin to see themselves in new ways. Suddenly Leonard disppears. As Phoebe and her family search for him, they make discoveries about their family, their friends and themselves that cause them all to wonder what evil is. What is darkness and what is light and what is absolute brightness? A story worth reading and rereading.

Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott

2008-07-02T11:26:00.000-04:00

Danielle and her mother move from town to town, never staying anywhere, never having a home. Her mother is a thief, specializing in stealing silver from rich people's homes, and that is what she is raising Danielle to be. Until they reach a town called Heaven, where for the first time, Danielle meets people who want to be her friends and has a place she wants to stay.

- Jeri

Black Box by Julie Schumacher

2008-07-01T11:08:00.000-04:00

What happens to a family when a teenager is diagnosed with depression? How do the different family members deal? This short book is the story of one family, and two sisters.

Jeri

Saga by Conor Kostick

2008-06-23T14:50:00.003-04:00

This is a sequel to Epic. Saga is the name of a world founded by humans hundreds of years ago as a game - but the game evolved and turned into a real world. Then the humans of new earth access it as players, brought in by Saga's ruler, the Dark Queen, in a bid for immortality.

- Jeri

Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd

2008-06-23T14:47:00.002-04:00

Fergus is digging for peat with his uncle when he discovers a body in the bog. His life is already in turmoil, as is life in Ireland in the 1980s - he is sitting for his examinations for a place in university, his brother is a hunger striker in prison, his father and uncle favor the Irish nationalists and his mother is trying to keep the family whole. Enter a girl named Cora and her mother, who stay with his family while studying the body which seems to speak to Fergus in his dreams.

This book has a great sense of place and time, describing recent history in a reachable manner.

Jeri

Lock and Key

2008-06-20T14:57:00.003-04:00

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

The only life Ruby has known is the strange existance with her mother: always on the move, never asking for or offering help, never developing any close relationships. Ruby's life changes and her perceptions are quesitons when her mother suddenly decides to abandon Ruby. Many interesting questions are explored in this book: Can you really wipe the slate clean, turn your back on everything, and start a new life? Is it as easy to accept help as to offer help? What does it mean to be a family?

A sweet story. Many interesting characters and even more interesting ideas.

All We Know of Heaven by Jacquelyn Mitchard

2008-06-16T13:38:00.002-04:00

I sat down and read this in one day.

Two girls, best friends who look alike are in a car accident. One dies - and the other is so severely injured she is unrecognizable. Which one is dead? And who is the brain injured girl lying in a coma? A case of mistaken identity tears families and friends apart as the survivor slowly rehabilitates after a brain injury.

Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers

2008-06-02T14:19:00.002-04:00

A young man from Harlem joins the army, against his family's wishes, and finds himself in Iraq in 2003 as part of a civil affairs unit. He works on figuring out why he is there, why there is war and who the good and bad guys are while trying to stay alive.

Robin Perry, the young man, is the nephew of Richie Perry, the protagonist of Myer's Fallen Angels. I didn't find this book as terrifying as Fallen Angels - but it is current, and for kids who think Viet Nam is ancient history, the story of a young soldier in a confusing war is very powerful.

- Jeri

Slow Storm

2008-05-30T12:33:00.006-04:00

Slow Storm by Danica Nogorodoff

I love the watercolor cover of this book, which sets the mood for an story of connection, choice and chance. When a tornado touches down in Kentucky and lightening strikes a barn filled with race horses, the lives of a firefighter Ursa and an illegal immigrant Rafi connect in an unusual way. A haunting story of longing. A haunting story of home.

Life Sucks

2008-05-30T12:15:00.005-04:00

Life Sucks by Jessica Abel, Gabe Soria, and Warren Pleece

Life is hard for Dave, who works the graveyard shift at a convenience store, dealing with his friends who stop by for "free" beer and dreaming about the Goth girl who frequently stops by with her friends. Readers soon realize that things are even more difficult for Dave. He has been bitten by his boss and against his principles, is now a vampire. Dave bravely attempts to fight against his fate by drinking only bottled plasma from the local blood bank and developing a relationship with the girl of his dreams. Can he make this work?

I was reading this book on the train without my glasses, and it was tough going with the small print. However, I was determined to find out what happens, so persevered, in spite of some serious eyestrain and a headache. Very interesting ending.....

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

2008-05-24T11:53:00.002-04:00

Frankie is a student at an exclusive boarding school. Her boyfriend, Matthew, is a member of a secret, male-only society which has existed at the school for generations. Frankie wants to be included, or at least not be treated like a cute little accessory. Tired of being lied to and left out, she infiltrates the group and directs them in pranking the school administration.

I didn't think I would like this one as much as I did. I am still thinking about Frankie, trying to figure out who she is and how responsible she really was for actions others agreed to take without coercion.

2008-05-21T12:31:00.003-04:00

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

2008-05-21T12:14:00.002-04:00

Wrong place, wrong time - when Marcus is rounded up by the Department of Homeland Security after a terrorist attack on San Francisco, his refusal to unlock his cell phone makes them think he's a terrorist - no rights, no access to justice. After he's released, it looks like all of the city is being treated as an enemy combatant - random security checks and constant surveillance is becoming a way of life, and the adults in Marcus's life want to believe that it's "for the greater good" and that "if you're not doing anything wrong, you won't have anything to hide." Marcus knows there's something wrong going on, and he sets out to use his cryptography and hacking skills to bring DHS's activities to light.

This is an adventure story mixed with healthy doses of coming-of-age and how-to. Doctorow writes a believable, engaging story populated with realistic characters and well-explained tech. You learn a lot while reading this, but you don't feel lectured to, and Marcus is an excellent guide to modern techno-culture.

Runemarks by Joanne Harris

2008-05-19T13:40:00.003-04:00

Maddy is born with a runemark - a magical kind of birthmark. Turns out she is the granddaughter of Odin, and one of a new generation of Norse gods. The book tells Maddy's story as she attempts to save Odin from death and prevent the destruction of the nine worlds of Norse mythology by a new religious order that wants to take the old gods down.

Mention of an as-yet unknown brother probably indicates a sequel to come.

This book is 526 pages long, and does not move quickly. The Norse gods and the townfolk are all given distinct personalities and many of their disagreements and ill feelings towards each other are alluded to or described.

The Hunger Games

2008-05-13T16:23:00.002-04:00

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The latest trilogy from the Underlander series author of the begins with The Hunger Games. Set in the future where the national sport is a televised form of gladiator/survivor, young teens compete to the death. Sixteen year old Katniss offers to take her younger sister's place in this year's "games." She must use her physical ability, cunning, and judgement to decide whom she can trust and whom she must kill. The book contains death, violence, and a great surprise. I'm looking forward to the next volumes in the series.

We Are the Ship

2008-05-13T14:19:00.003-04:00

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball

by Kadir Nelson

A history of Negro League baseball told through the eyes of a fictitious team player, this book is brimming with information. However the strength of this book is the illustrations. The images are so real, so powerful and so compelling that you are immediately drawn in. I loved poring over the pages, learning more about each player as a viewed the strong images of outstanding athletes. The narrative sparkles in some spots and seems a like a tedious list of names, dates, and events in other places. The author has carefully researched his subject that includes end notes, an index, and other documentation.

Freeze Frame

2008-05-13T14:12:00.003-04:00

Freeze Frame by Heidi Ayarbe

Kyle and his best friend Jason are in the shed when a gun goes off and Jason is dead. What happened? Kyle can't remember and searches for answers as he attempts to create a "movie" of that moment in the shed. A first person narrative that had me in it's grip from the start and it never let up. Powerful story!
Note: I liked the relationship that Kyle has with Mr. Cordoba the librarian. It was a refreshing change from the standard brief scene, "kid goes to the library to look up information" that appears in most YA books. Bouquets to Ayarbe.

A Thousand Never Evers by Shana Burg

2008-05-12T13:50:00.002-04:00

Addie is 12 when being black in Mississippi hits her with full force. Until then, she has lived in the protection of her family in a small Mississippi town. But that year, Medgar Evers is murdered, four girls die in a church fire and Addie's uncle Bump is charged with a crime he did not commit. Addie also learns that this is not the first time racism has affected her family.

This book places the readers solidly in the the early '60s. In the first part of the book, the author stresses what it was like in the segregated South. The stressed relationships between the races are clearly drawn.

The author includes historical notes.

Jeri Cohen, Patchogue-Medford Library

Snakehead by Ann Halam

2008-05-07T10:16:00.000-04:00

A retelling of the story of Perseus, Andromeda and the Medusa. Andromeda, a brilliant scholar, is to be sacrificed to the sea god. Perseus must conquer the Medusa before he can save Andromeda and his war-torn country. This retelling mixes in some modern elements. For example, when Perseus goes to meet his father Zeus, it is on a modern-day yacht. Halam also uses elements of other Greek myths to move her story along - Andromeda and Perseus are given a lift by Jason and the Argonauts.

Jeri Cohen, Patchogue-Medford Library

A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce

2008-04-28T13:43:00.003-04:00

Names have power. Knowing Rumplestiltskin's name allowed the miller's daughter to keep her child - we all know that story.

This is a version of a similar story, set in England about 200 years ago. After her father's death, a bargain with a mysterious, ghostly figure allows Charlotte Miller to keep her family's mill going. But the mill seems to have a mind of its own. Charlotte knows she needs to set things right, and must figure out how to save the mill, the village and her own family.

This is a well-written, detailed fairy tale, although the family connections seem a bit convoluted in the last chapter where everything winds together. Fans of retold tales should enjoy the story.

- Jeri Cohen, Patchogue-Medford Library

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd

2008-04-16T14:24:00.002-04:00

Someone gives Salim a ticket for the London Eye (a huge Ferris wheel in London). His cousins Ted and Kat see him get on - but he doesn't get off.

Where can Salim be? The police are called in, but the adults don't seem to be solving the crime. Ted, with his "special brain", comes up with some possible solutions to the mystery.

This well-written mystery is by the author of last year's Swift Pure Cry. One of the main characters suffers from an unspecified syndrome which he says makes him think "differently" (the descriptions make it sound like Aspergers). The resolution of the mystery may be too easily wrapped up for adult readers, but for the younger teens, it's perfect.

Jeri Cohen, Patchogue-Medford Library

My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins & Fenway Park by Steve Kluger

2008-04-14T15:41:00.003-04:00

This is the basic summary.. but it is SO much more than this...

Meet T.C., who is valiantly attempting to get Alejandra to fall in love with him; Alejandra, who is playing hard to get and is busy trying to sashay out from under the responsibilities of being a diplomat’s daughter; and T.C.’s brother Augie, who is gay and in love and everyone knows it but him.

I just finished reading this wonderfully inspiring book and could not put it down from the moment I picked it up. Steve Kluger truly captures all of the emotions in the three main characters, their coming of age, and there are moments in this story that will have you laughing out loud, standing up and cheering and breaking down and crying. Written by the three main characters in the form of a paper for their 11th grade English class, the novel documnets their
"most excellent year" which was their freshman year of high school. If you are a lover of baseball, theatre and old movies, you will truly enjoy this novel. I can't wait to see what Steve Kluger has up his sleeves next. Oh and just be sure you have a couple tissues handy while your reading!

-Joanne Albano

Commack

Saving Juliet by Suzanne Selfors

2008-04-14T14:14:00.002-04:00

Mimi wants to be a doctor, not an actress. But Shakespearian theater is the family tradition, and her mother is forcing her to do it.

She receives a pendant, supposedly containing ashes from Shakespeare's quill, as a gift. Mimi finds herself transported to the Verona of Romeo and Juliet, stuck between the feuding Capulets and Montegues. But Mimi is determined to do what she can to make sure that the story of Romeo and Juliet has a happy ending.

Chick lit with a twist, incorporating a little bit of magic and time travel. Both the female main characters, today's New York City girl and yesterday's heroine of Verona, get their guys.

- Jeri Cohen, Patchogue-Medford Library

Airman by Eoin Colfer

2008-04-10T09:50:00.003-04:00

Conor witnesses the murder of the king, and is thrown in prison as a traitor. He is kept in the lunatic wing and sent to mine diamonds on a prison island. He believes his family must hate him. Only his dreams of flying keep him going until he manages to escape. Then he must use his flying machines to save the kingdom.

This fast-paced adventure features inventions, princesses, murder, duplicity, danger, martial arts and swordplay. The main character not only survives, he achieves his dreams and rescues a kingdom.

- Jeri Cohen, Patchogue-Medford Library

2008-04-08T14:46:00.002-04:00

The Unspoken
Thomas Fahy

***Five years ago, 11-year old Allison and five friends burned Jacob Crawley's cult compound to the ground in order to escape his tyranny and abuse. Now, Allison returns to Meridian, North Carolina for the funeral of one of the six who died in a supposed drowning accident.
Problem is, Harold's body was found 30 miles away from any body of water. And now, one by one, Allison's friends are being gruesomely murdered and mutilated and it is up to Allison to find out who is behind the killings. Or, is Jacob's prophecy coming true from five years ago; that each teen would die of their worst fear in five years?
This is a fabulous read if you like thrillers and gore. Similar to Friday the 13th movies, this book involves a camp (compound), friends disappearing one by one, and a psychopath on the loose killing in the most demonic fashion.

-Lori Ludlow, Babylon Public Library

The Missing Girl

2008-03-28T16:36:00.002-04:00

The Missing Girl

by Norma Fox Mazer

A family of five sisters: Beauty, Mim, Faithful (who has changed her name to Stevie), Fancy, and Autumn lead a somewhat dysfunctional life in a home where dad is disabled and has lost his job. Told through the alternating voices of three sisters, we learn about the stresses in their personal and collective lives. A narrator brings us into the mind of the deranged man who stalks them and the terror that eventually comes into this family. We learn how each girl copes with the kidnapping that takes place and the effect this has on the family. I thought the individual voices of each girl were well-defined and the the mind of the predator was terrifying. I kept thinking, how could someone even imagine his thoughts!

Honeybee

2008-03-28T16:18:00.003-04:00

Honeybee

by Naomi Shihab Nye

This collection of poems and prose deals with many of Nye's views on social issues, the environment, religion, her poetry, family, and politics. I personally enjoyed many of her thoughtful reflections on life. "Museum" was funny and thought-provoking. Every librarian and book lover should read "Before I Read the Kite Runner". If you have heard her speak, you may have heard the genesis for "Accuracy" and "Gate A-4". While I loved these poems, I had a hard time picturing the teen audience who would understand and enjoy them.

How to Build a House

2008-03-28T15:53:00.003-04:00

How to Build a House

by Dana Reinhardt

Harper is a young girl whose family has fallen apart, and not for the first time. Her mother died when she was two years old. When her father married Jane four years later, she built a close relationship with Jane and her daughter Tess. Now Jane and Tess have moved out and Harper's relationship with long time friend Gabriel has deteriorated into something Harper can't understand. Harper decides to leave it all and spend a summer in Tennessee, as part of a youth project to rebuild a home devastated by a tornado. As Harper learns to build a home, she also begins to understand how to build and rebuild relationships. I liked this sweet little book.

Wake by Lisa McMann

2008-03-28T13:55:00.000-04:00

***Ever wish you could get inside somebody else's head? Wonder what they're thinking about? Wonder what they're dreaming about? Well, Janie actually can. Janie doesn't have dreams of her own. She falls into others people's dreams whenever she is near enough to someone that is sleeping. She is like a voyeur, watching the dreams, unable to escape them.
When she has a sleepover at home, she finds out that Melinda has a crush on Carrie, and that Carrie was somehow involved in a young boy's drowning. During study hall and in the library at school, when other students are napping, she sees their sexual fantasies, their stress over public speaking (everyone is in their underwear dream), and their nightmares.
Unfortunately, this ability is more a curse than fun and games, because every time Janie comes out of someone's dream, she is left sick and exhausted. Then one day, she's in someone else's dream by herself. It's not her dream, but no one else is there! This is a new experience for Janie. How can she have fallen into someone else's dream alone? She's alone with a hideous monster that has knives for fingers! Then another Janie steps out of the Janie in the dream. But before the monster can attack Janie, it turns into a boy from school. And later, Cabel is able to talk to Janie in his dreams.
Wake is another easy read with few chapters but many short sections. The story is told in the third person. All the characters are easily likeable. Janie and her two closest friends, Carrie and Cabel, are pretty much parent-less, but are still pretty decent people.
If you enjoy Wake, stay tuned for the next installment of Janie's life, where she learns how to help people in their dreams, in FADE.

--Lori Ludlow/Babylon Public Library

Gone by Michael Grant

2008-03-24T14:01:00.003-04:00

It's a normal day in Perdido Beach, California. Then, suddenly, everyone over the age of 14 disappears. Only children, aged thirteen and under remain, and some of them have developed supernatural powers.

But without the adults, there could be chaos. Who will take care of the infants, where will necessities such as food come from? And, perhaps most important, who will be in charge?

This book sets forth a "what-if" situation regarding a nuclear accident, but gives it a science-fiction treatment. The struggle for control of the town is intense, and a little reminiscent of Lord of the Flies. The characters are well-drawn, and there is a lot of action, made more intense by the characters' strengthening superpowers, such as speed, shooting fire and the ability to teleport.

The ending leaves room for a sequel, with the leading good and bad guys still around, and the situation unresolved.

- Jeri Cohen, Patchogue-Medford Library

The Fold

2008-03-18T16:46:00.006-04:00

The Fold by An Na

Joyce is a girl on a mission: she wants John Ford Kang (JFK) to notice her. After several disastrous attempts shes is offered a new solution: her aunt, Gomo offers her the opportunity to have plastic surgery to create a more western and "beautiful" look.

This book is filled with humorous incidents: the dinner at the family restaurant where she tries to impress John Ford Kang and the yearbook signing poke fun at Joyce's self-absorption. But underlying messages of self image, cultural identity, and family loyalty are also gently explored.

Leftovers by

2008-03-10T15:12:00.002-04:00

Leftovers by Laura Weiss

***
Blair and Ardith are 14-year-old best friends. Neither has a happy home life, but they have each other to confide in. Blair’s parents are pretty much absent in her life. She is left alone except when her mother is practically pimping Blair out to all her perfect-society upper-echelon friend’s sons in the hopes of climbing the corporate ladder and becoming a judge. Ardith is never alone, as her home is the party house of the block. Both her parents and older brother are alcoholics. Every night is a party with Ardith’s brother’s friends staying the night, having sex in the pool, and pawing her every chance they get. She must hide in her room behind a locked door when she’s home. Her parents don’t care, noting that “boys will be boys”.

How far do these girls have to be pushed before finally striking back? And when they strike back, are the repercussions worth their manipulative ways? Do the ends justify the means? Do they really win in the end?

This story is told alternately by Ardith and Blair. However, it is not until late in the story that you find out to whom they’re telling their story. Should this person spill the beans or keep their secret? Would anything good come of telling their story to the police or should they all remain silent?

Well Witched by Frances Hardinge

2008-03-10T14:15:00.003-04:00

Three friends are short busfare, and take some coins from a wishing well. The witch of the well demands that they fulfill the wishes made by the people who threw those coins in the well. But should all wishes be granted? Sometimes people don't realize what they're really wishing for.

Two of the teens decide that this must stop - the third decides he enjoys having extra power and wants more. But none of the characters are greatly developed and the story jumps around as they find people with wishes. Some research done by one of the characters tells us that the story is based on a legend about Mother Leathertongue, a demon.

- Jeri Cohen, Patchogue-Medford Library

Trouble

2008-02-28T09:29:00.004-05:00

Trouble by Gary Schmidt

If you enjoyed Wednesday Wars, here is a new Gary Schmidt treasure for you to enjoy. This story has the feeling of a tale, told by a master storyteller. Henry lives with his family in Blythbury-by-the-Sea, a home built far enough away from Trouble, that Trouble can never find it. However, one day Trouble comes. His older brother Franklin is hit by a pickup truck whose owner is a young Cambodian refugee. The town seethes with Trouble in the form of anger, grief, and racial tension. Henry decides to take the trip to Mt. Katahdin that he and Franklin had originally planned together. A beautiful tale of friendship, pain, and acceptance. I loved it!

House of Dance

2008-02-19T12:40:00.005-05:00

House of Dance by Beth Kephart

From the author of Undercover comes a sweet story of Rosie, a girl whose father has left and whose mother has become preoccupied with another man. During Rosie's fifteenth summer, she learns that her grandfather is dying. Rosie spends her days with him, sorting through his home and his memories and her nights learning ballroom dancing.

A tender story of love and reconciliation. Bring your handerchief!

The Opposite of Invisible by Liz Gallagher

2008-02-04T12:29:00.000-05:00

The Opposite of Invisible stars Alice, who lives in the background of her school with her best friend Jewel (Julian), who she’s known since they were toddlers. They spend all their time together, sharing their sense of humor and jokes against the school’s in-crowd. Both are content being invisible to their classmates until Simon, of the football in-crowd begins noticing Alice.

Alice and Jewel plan on attending the Bloodbath (Hallowe’en dance) as a joke, but when Simon asks Alice to be his date, it’s no longer a joke. Simon is so hot. And really nice; not like his jock friends. But, what’s with Jewel? Since when is he so proprietary?

Besides dating Simon, Alice is also making new friends. One of them is even a cheerleader! Who’d have thought cheerleaders were real people too? Alice is no longer invisible. She is trying new clothes, letting her hair down (literally), and making new friends. Where does this leave Jewel, who now seems to be dating Vanessa?

Alice has to choose between her best friend and her boyfriend; her former life and her new life. Will Jewel be by her side for whatever she decides?

Written by Lori

Black Rabbit Summer

2008-01-30T13:27:00.001-05:00

Black Rabbit Summer by Kevin Brooks

Brooks has created a gritty mystery. A group of childhood friends get together one last time. The night becomes filled with past regrets and rivalries, drugs, strange new relationships, and mysterious appearances and disappearances. By the next day, one girl is dead and fingers are pointed at Pete, the son of a police officer. The mystery takes some very weird twists and turns. What is real? What is imaged? This book left me hanging.

What They Always Tell Us

2008-01-30T13:19:00.001-05:00

What They Always Tell Us by Martin Wilson

First time author Martin Wilson has created a wonderful story of two brothers: Alex, a high school junior and James, a senior. Alex has become estranged from his family and friends because of an "incident". With touching realism, Wilson recounts Alex's struggle to find his place in a world that doesn't understand him and James' struggle to understand himself and what it means to be a brother. Lots of well-drawn characters in this book. A great read!

Up All Night

2008-01-30T12:59:00.001-05:00

Up All Night

Short story collection by Peter Abrahams, Libba Bray, David Levithan, Patricia McCormick, Sarah Weeks, Gene Luen Yang

This wonderful collection of short stories is based on a night in the life of six individuals, five teens and one monkey. There is something for everyone in this collection: supernatural, realistic fiction, family relationships, friendships, even a comic! One of my favorites was "Code Orange" by Patricia McCormick. This is the story of girl and her relationship with her mother's lecherous boyfriend. Told in the first person, you don't know her name, but can't help but admire her guts and her solution to the problem of Ed, the boyfriend. The last sentence of "Not Just for Breakfast Anymore" is classic! I am also very fond of the first story in the collection. "Phase 2" has such a great ending!

Runemarks

2008-01-28T17:26:00.000-05:00

Runemarks by Joanne Harris

Maddy Smith is born with a Runemark on her palm. When One-Eye, a mysterious traveler sees the mark, he knows that she is a girl of destiny. One-Eye sends Maddy on a quest into Red Horse Hill. Using magic, courage, and her own wits she must not only save herself, but her world.

Based on Norse mythology, this is an epic adventure that is easy and fun to read.

the dead and the gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

2008-01-16T15:05:00.000-05:00

This book parallels the story in Life as We Knew It. Alex lives with his family in Manhattan, and is alone with his younger sisters when the moon is knocked out of its orbit, and storms, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions disrupt the earth and its atmosphere.

How to survive in the big city when your parents are missing, the world is freezing and food and heating oil are practically impossible to find? Long Island is devastated, Queens must be evacuated, and Manhattan is slowly sinking. Who gets the scarce resources that are available, and how do they get them? -- Jeri

Spanking Shakespeare

2008-01-09T13:01:00.000-05:00

Spanking Shakespeare by Jake Wizner 5 stars

Come on, if your parents had named you Shakespeare, what kind of chance would you have of being a successful teenager? Shakespeare Shapiro is a high school senior and he’s got problems. Other than his name, that is. He can’t get a girl (his younger brother has more experience with girls than he does); he has to write his senior memoir and essays for college; his parents are absolute freaks; and his best friend charts bowel movements for fun.

This hysterically funny novel from first-time writer Jake Wizner, is told from Shakespeare’s point of view. It is the story of his woe- is- me life stemming from the day his parents named him. Each chapter of his memoir tells a funny anecdote from his life, with titles like: The Time My Parents Sent Me to a Camp Straight out of Lord of the Flies; The Time I Watched a Pornographic Movie with My Mentally Unstable Grandmother; The Time I Got Hit in the Face by a Baseball at a Yankees-Red Sox Game; and The Time I Visited a Sex Doctor.
Shakespeare is an easily likable character with a great self-deprecating sense of humor. And crazy as his parents are, they are fun.
A nice, light, and easy read.
posted by Lori

Sweethearts

2008-01-08T16:39:00.000-05:00

Sara Zarr, author of Story of a Girl, has created a wonderful story of identity, loss, and friendship. The story of Jennifer, an overweight and friendless young girl, who is befriend by Cameron. A traumatic event binds them together and she is bereft when Cameron suddenly is gone. Jennifer moves, her mother remarries, and she remakes herself in "Jenn" the pretty, popular girl with a good-looking boyfriend. Jennifer must decide who she really is and who her true friends are. I loved this book!