Project 17
by Laurie Faria Stolarz
Published 2007 by Hyperion Books

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780786838561

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Jacket Notes:

Breaking in was easy. Getting out will be harder. High atop Hathorne Hill, near Boston, sits Danvers State Hospital. Built in 1878 and closed in 1992, this abonded mental institute is rumored to be the birthplace of the lobotomy. Locals have long believed the place to be haunted. They tell stories about unmarked graves, cold spots throughout the underground tunnels, and treasures found inside: patients' personal items such as journals, hair combs, and bars of soap, or even old medical records, left behind by the state for trepassers to view.

REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 12/17/2007

An abandoned mental institution serves as the setting for this mildly scary novel, sort of a Breakfast Club meets Blair Witch Project. Senior year of high school finds Derik (La Playa) LaPointe (from Stolarz's Bleed) making a film in hopes of winning an internship at a reality-TV network. Derik assembles a cast of students from different cliques, then, with help from a classmate similarly obsessed with the Danvers State Hospital, sneaks everyone inside the condemned building and plans to film there overnight. Most of the characters are barely acquainted, and each has a different motive for participating in the project (the straight-A student needs to round out her resume to improve her chances at Harvard; the drama geek wants stardom; the outcast hopes to find traces of her grandmother, who died at Danvers). Exploring how these figures interact is the meat of the novel: they mature over the six or so hours encompassed in the book, pairing off and eventually becoming a team, looking out for one another and united in purpose. Although the action reads like a laundry list for a PG-13 horror movie-the timely discovery of a journal, rats, floors giving way when people step on them, etc.-a soupçon of mystery combines with supernatural overtones to move the plot along rapidly. The familiar story arc and devices comfortably contain the chills, entertaining the target audience without hitting any nerves. Ages 12-up. (Dec.)

12/01/2007 REVIEW: School Library Journal

Gr 8-10-In this eerie, evocative ghost story, Stolarz sends five teens into that most beloved of horror-genre locations, the haunted house; here, however, it has been updated into a mental hospital, a change that enlivens the tale and contributes to its truly spooky tone. Each teen begins the overnight expedition with his or her own motivation. Derik hopes to make a film that will win a documentary competition, which might mean a ticket out of a life spent toiling in his parents' diner, and he enlists several classmates to participate in it. Class-clown Chet thinks exploring the hospital might be good for a few laughs-plus, it provides an escape from another night spent with his abusive, alcoholic father. Greta and Tony think only of being cast in Derik's film, which they hope will propel them to stardom. Bookish Liza needs to diversify the extracurricular activities on her college applications, and hopes the film project will fit the bill. And Goth-girl Mimi wants to uncover some evidence relating to her grandmother, who was committed to the institution years before. These motivations fade into the background, however, when the group begins to suspect that something-or someone-is trying to communicate with them, and that the hospital won't let them leave until they listen. Although the characters veer close to stereotypes at the outset, Stolarz infuses them with depth and complexity, revealed as each teen narrates in alternating chapters. Page-turning action, genuine scares, and a satisfying conclusion should make this a hit with teens, particularly those who enjoyed the suspense of Stolarz's "Blue Is for Nightmares" series (Flux).-Meredith Robbins, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School, New York City

Spud--The Madness Continues...
by John Van De Ruit
Published 2008 by Sleuth RazorBill

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9781595141903

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Jacket Notes:

It's one year later, and John Spud Milton's journey to manhood is creeping along at a snail's pace. Nearly 15, Spud is starting his second year at boarding school, and is soon plagued with woman trouble, coerced into expulsion-worthy adventures, and frustrated when his dreams of fame are shattered.

Ten Mile River
by Paul Griffin
Published 2008 by Dial Books

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780803732841

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Jacket Notes:

With spare, moving prose, Griffin makes a stunning debut with this novel about the friendship between two 13-year-old boys, who have escaped foster care and juvenile detention centers to live on their own in an abandoned building located near a Manhattan park called Ten-Mile River.

REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 06/02/2008

Griffin makes a striking debut with this gritty, dialogue-heavy novel about two homeless boys. Ray and José, 14 and 15, have survived foster care and juvenile detention together, and now hide out from their parole officers in a burned-out stationhouse in New York City's Ten Mile River park. They make their way by stealing, working occasionally, and trying to stay under police radar. Ray is bigger and smarter (he reads anything he can, and especially likes physics), but José, "a proven matador," is boss. They are "friends to the end"-until Ray meets and falls for the beautiful Trini, who encourages both boys to go straight, like her. But Ray's view of himself and his understanding of loyalty also leads him to set up Trini with José. As Griffin illuminates Ray's often dangerous world, readers will feel for themselves Ray's dilemma and the difficulties he faces in choosing between José, drawn to the fast buck, and his own desires to make something of himself. The language is tough but convincing, the setting authentic, the characters memorable and their struggles played out with a complexity that respects the audience's intelligence. Ages 12-up. (June)

09/01/2008 REVIEW: School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up-Despite his intimidating build, 14-year-old Ray is a tongue-tied, sensitive street kid with a penchant for reading anything and everything, from Scientific American to Siddhartha. After a stint in juvie, he and his best pal, reckless and charming José, are "on their own and on the run." The teens squat in an old railway stationhouse by Ten Mile River in a wooded area of New York City, stealing what they need to survive and pulling small jobs for extra cash. When they befriend a girl and her hairdresser aunt, they have the chance to make a clean living, but their choices are complicated by their loyalty to one another. Like the works of Adam Rapp and K. L. Going, Griffin's novel is introspective street lit, an illumination of petty crime and parentless childhoods that's more gritty than glamorous. The realistic dialogue, which is often quite graphic and filled with sexual innuendo, propels the plot, and the author specializes in capturing the vernacular: "Psh, I'd go behind m' boy's back like that? Psh, insultin me, man." The boys come to life on the pages, as does their relationship, and their conversations are often laugh-out-loud funny. Though the threat of violence looms through most of the book, the author doesn't quite evoke the shock or fear he's going for. Still, the plot defies predictions, and some memorable scenes and the strongly drawn characters lift the story above other urban tales of woe. Fans of Paul Volponi, take note.-Emily R. Brown, Providence Public Library, RI

Fancy White Trash
by Marjetta Geerling
Published 2008 by Viking Books

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780670010820

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Jacket Notes:

Finding love is simple with the One True Love Plan, in this debut novel--a lighthearted comedy of errors that is as lighthearted and irreverent as its title.

REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 05/19/2008

When a family fight breaks out in the front yard, Abby Savage is next door with a friend who can't avert his gaze. "He has that look in his eyes that explains exactly why Jerry Springer has been on the air for so long," Abby says, with a wry detachment that characterizes her determination to break the Savage family pattern. Her mother is pregnant, (probably) by Steve the Guitar Player, who has also dated Abby's sisters, one of whom is also pregnant, also possibly by Steve. Abby's refuge is best friend and neighbor Cody, a gay teen in denial. She is trying mightily to not fall in love with Jackson, Cody's older brother, the other possible father of her sister's baby. A big soap opera fan, Abby views her life comically through a lens that includes amnesia, babies switched at birth and True Love. The humor bubbles consistently; note that the unsavory adults, underage drinking and harassment of gays (Cody is pelted with "butt plugs" at the homecoming dance) push this first novel to an older readership. Ages 12-up. (May)

Jars of Glass
by Brad Barkley
Published 2008 by Dutton Books

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780525479116

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Jacket Notes:

Teenage sisters Chloe and Shana recall fondly the days when their mother wove stories about kingdoms under the sea. Now that Mom is away--institutionalized for schizophrenia--the sisters react very differently. It's up to them to pull together and form a new definition of family.

Switch
by Carol Snow
Published 2008 by Harperteen

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780061452086

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Jacket Notes:

"Freaky Friday" meets "The Nanny Diaries," in this exciting supernatural tale. Claire has the ability to switch bodies and finds herself trapped in the body of a waify blond nanny. Soon, family mysteries and personal history collide as Claire tries to figure out who she really is.

Dear Julia
by Amy Bronwen Zemser
Published 2008 by Harperteen

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780060294588

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Jacket Notes:

Zemser's laugh-out-loud debut novel combines cross-dressing, yoga, a cable-access cooking competition, impossible dreams, politics, omelets, sibling high jinks, rapid-fire dialogue, and breaking and entering with French food and friendship.

REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 10/06/2008

Two misfits form an important friendship in Zemser's (Beyond the Mango Tree) hilarious-and surprisingly moving-novel. Elaine Hamilton prepares gourmet French meals for her family nightly, writes letters to Julia Child (but does not mail them) and dreams of the Cordon Bleu; Lucida Sans, who named herself after the typeface, occupies herself with "getting attention-and lots of it," as she wishes chiefly to be famous. After they meet (when Lucida accidentally triggers a fire at a town festival), Lucida quickly convinces Elaine to join her schemes, such as punking her rival (and sometimes boyfriend) into performing for a fake audition. Finally noticing Elaine's chef skills, she gets her shy friend to tape a cooking show. Zemser knows how to write kooky: Lucida constantly dresses in costume and her narcissistic sometimes boyfriend writes terrible plays: "Some of them don't even have characters," carps Lucida; over-the-top scenes include a last-minute appearance by Julia Child, who whispers a secret tip in Elaine's ear. Readers will laugh throughout, but Zemser never loses sight of Elaine's frailties and hopes. Ages 12-up. (Oct.)

Joseph
by Shelia P. Moses
Published 2008 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9781416917526

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Jacket Notes:

A National Book Award finalist delivers a hard-hitting story about a 14-year-old boy whose life in a North Carolina ghetto is made difficult by his mother's addictions. If only his soldier father would come home from Iraq, then perhaps Joseph might be all right.

11/01/2008 REVIEW: School Library Journal

Gr 6-8-Joseph Flood's mother's problems with drugs, alcohol, and men have kept them in a near-constant state of chaos. The 15-year-old's loving father tries to help, but his military career and repeated overseas deployments-the latest to Iraq-have made it difficult for him to do much to intervene. The turmoil reaches a new low with a move into a homeless shelter. With the help of a sympathetic and stable aunt and uncle, Joseph must navigate the difficulties of adolescence while learning to handle a mother who is in a continual state of adolescence herself. Despite Moses's earnest efforts at creating a realistic voice for her protagonist, Joseph's story never seems to get off the ground; the first-person narration is flat, too young, and strangely monotone, with none of the authenticity of a real adolescent dealing with a troubled family life. It's unclear who the intended audience is. Short, simple sentences and a limited vocabulary make this slim novel accessible to struggling and reluctant teen readers, but the book's lack of sophistication may fail to hold their interest. Meanwhile, the age of the main character and more teen-appropriate issues like (implied) sex and drug abuse may make the plot too mature for younger readers. Ultimately, Joseph just doesn't ring true as a coming-of-age story.-Meredith Robbins, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School, New York City

Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances
by John Green
Published 2008 by Speak

Paperback, English. ISBN: 9780142412145

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Jacket Notes:

A Christmas Eve snowstorm transforms one small town into a glittering, romantic holiday haven. Three of today's bestselling YA authors whip up a recipe for holiday romance, in this trio of hilarious interconnected tales of love.

Chains: Seeds of America
by Laurie Halse Anderson
Published 2008 by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9781416905851

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Jacket Notes:

At the start of the Revolutionary War, Isabel is sold to a cruel loyalist family, even though she has been promised freedom by her former owner. Soon faced with the choice of working for or against the British, Isabel chooses to work with anyone who can help her.

REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 09/01/2008

Pursuing similar themes as M.T. Anderson's Octavian Nothing, this gripping novel offers readers a startlingly provocative view of the Revolutionary War. Isabel Finch, the narrator, and her five-year-old sister, Ruth, are to be freed from slavery upon the death of their mistress in Rhode Island, but the mistress's unscrupulous heir easily persuades the local pastor to dispense with reading the will. Before long Isabel and Ruth are in New York City, the property of a Loyalist couple, whose abusiveness inspires Isabel to a dangerous course: she steals into the Patriot army camp to trade a crucial Loyalist secret in exchange for passage to Rhode Island for herself and Ruth. But not only does the Patriot colonel fail to honor his promise, he personally hands her over to her Loyalist mistress when she runs away, to face disastrous consequences. Anderson (Speak; Fever 1793) packs so much detail into her evocation of wartime New York City that readers will see the turmoil and confusion of the times, and her solidly researched exploration of British and Patriot treatment of slaves during a war for freedom is nuanced and evenhanded, presented in service of a fast-moving, emotionally involving plot. Ages 10-up. (Oct.)

The Smile
by Donna Jo Napoli
Published 2008 by Dutton Children's Books

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780525479994

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Jacket Notes:

Hers is the most famous portrait in the world. Here, in prose as rich as the high Renaissance, is Mona Lisa's tale--a story of passion, intrigue, loss, and, most of all, love.

REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 08/04/2008

One of the great mysteries, the secret of Mona Lisa's smile, is captivatingly addressed in this fictional history of the woman who posed for Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting. Readers will immediately warm up to Elisabetta, who is down-to-earth and hardworking despite being a member of the nobility. First met when she is just shy of 13, she is shepherded through Florence by her family friend Leonardo, who recognizes her potential: "Mysteries promise in those limpid eyes," he tells her, "as though you're watching and waiting. As though nothing will really surprise you. It's unsettling." Yearning for Giuliano de' Medici, youngest son of the most powerful and influential Florentine family, she reluctantly agrees to marry another man when political upheaval tears her and Giuliano apart; years later, fleetingly reunited, Giuliano commissions Leonardo to paint her portrait. Napoli (Stones in Water) conjures the atmosphere of Renaissance Florence as Elisabetta, a country girl, is introduced to art, culture and conspicuous wealth during her trips to town. The historical detail and the romantic tragedy and redemption will prompt a closer inspection of Leonardo's masterpiece. Ages 12-up. (Oct.)

11/01/2008 REVIEW: School Library Journal

Gr 6-10-In the Florentine countryside, Monna Elisabetta struggles to become the noblewoman she's destined to be. Although her father is challenged to keep his silk business thriving during difficult economic times, Monna's mother is planning to give her an elaborate 13th birthday party in order to meet a suitable husband. But upon Mamma's sudden death, the event is canceled, and Monna turns her grief into preparing meals and working alongside her father. His friend Leonardo da Vinci has introduced her to Giuliano de' Medici, who becomes smitten with her smile. When her father remarries into nobility, Monna is forced into an arranged marriage, despite the fact that she has given her heart to Giuliano. This tribute to the woman behind Leonardo's masterpiece is another wonderfully researched and well-crafted novel from Napoli. Artfully blending fact and fiction, the author tells a tender story of a girl coming of age during a turbulent time. Readers will be moved by the plight of this three-dimensional protagonist.-Kimberly Monaghan, formerly at Vernon Area Public Library, IL

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves
by M. T. Anderson
Published 2008 by Candlewick Press (MA)

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780763629502

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Jacket Notes:

The stunning conclusion to the National Book Award winner and "New York Times" bestseller recounts Octavian's experiences as the Revolutionary War explodes around him. Ultimately, this astonishing narrative escalates to a startling, deeply satisfying climax, while reexamining our national origins in a singularly provocative light.

REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 08/25/2008

With an eye trained to the hypocrisies and conflicted loyalties of the American Revolution, Anderson resoundingly concludes the finely nuanced bildungsroman begun in his National Book Award-winning novel. Again comprised of Octavian's journals and a scattering of other documents, the book finds Octavian heading to Virginia in response to a proclamation made by Lord Dunmore, the colony's governor, who emancipates slaves in exchange for military service. Octavian's initial pride is short-lived, as he realizes that their liberation owes less to moral conviction than to political expediency. Disillusioned, facing other crises of conscience, Octavian's growth is apparent, if not always to himself: when he expresses doubt about having become any more a man, his mentor, Dr. Trefusis, assures him, "That is the great secret of men. We aim for manhood always and always fall short. But my boy, I have seen you at least reach half way." Made aware of freedom-fighters on both sides of the conflict (as well as heart-stopping acts of atrocity), readers who work through and embrace Anderson's use of historical parlance will be rewarded with a challenging perspective onAmerican history. Ages 14-up. (Oct.)

09/01/2008 REVIEW: School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-Octavian, the 16-year-old slave whose story began in The Pox Party (Candlewick, 2006), continues his search for identity in this brilliant, affecting, and philosophical sequel. Octavian and his tutor escape from Octavian's master to relative safety in Boston where Octavian finds work as a violinist in a military band. After hearing of Lord Dunmore's promise of freedom for slaves, he enlists in the Royal Ethiopian Regiment. Following a loss at Norfolk, they then take up quarters aboard British ships, barely fending off starvation and smallpox. Octavian's uncertainty and doubt are tangible throughout. His detailed first-person narration is written in the richly expansive 18th-century prose introduced in volume one. He records the story while reviewing (and revealing to readers) his diary entries from the past year, so that "none of this shall pass from remembrance." He endures abuse, shame, grief, and humiliation, and comes close to despair; however, he is ultimately hopeful that humanity can aspire to more than warring and despoiling. Teens will identify with Octavian's internal tumult, how he experiences events as being acted upon him, and his transition from observer to participant, from boy to man. More than fascinating historical fiction, this is also a thoughtful and timeless examination of the nature of humanity and a critique of how society addresses (or ignores) identity, freedom, and oppression. Anderson's masterful pacing, surprising use of imagery and symbolism, and adeptness at crafting structure make this a powerful reimagining of slavery and the American Revolution dazzle.-Amy J. Chow, The Brearley School, New York City