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New Teen Books April/May 2008 |
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You Know Where to Find Me
by Rachel Cohn
Published 2008
ISBN: 9780689878596
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Reviews:
REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 12/24/2007
Cohn (Gingerbread) delves into her darker side as she probes a teen's suicide and the painful repercussions for her loved ones. After her best friend and first cousin, Laura, kills herself with an overdose of prescription drugs, 17-year-old Miles is shattered: the person Miles believed would always be there for her has left without even saying goodbye. And when her flaky mother flees town to mourn with her boyfriend in London, Miles is left alone with Laura's father to endure a summer of grief at his D.C. estate. A prescription-drug addict herself, Miles must embark upon a journey of self-discovery if she is to survive. Cohn once again excels at crafting a multidimensional, in-the-moment teenage world, this time without recourse to her usual witty style. There is a bleakness to her language that superbly suits this sad, somber tale. Her work is heartbreaking, at times excruciating to read, but it rings with authenticity. In pursuing Miles's responses, she spares few details, neither the methods via which Miles and Laura procure their pills nor the actual medical causes of Laura's supposedly peaceful death. The tragedy of teen suicide has been the subject of countless novels, yet rarely has it been discussed with such gritty realism. Ages 12-up. (Mar.)
03/01/2008 REVIEW: School Library Journal
Gr 8 Up-Miles is wry, sarcastic, and smart, an almost-18-year-old Goth with a weight problem and a growing addiction to pharms. She and her "golden" cousin, Laura, were raised like sisters on their Georgetown estate, she in the carriage house out back with her mom, Laura in the main house with her wealthy gay father. In a first-person narrative peppered with flashbacks and essays written for school, Miles tells of Laura's suicide and a summer spent grieving. It's a story of Miles's changing perceptions of the people in her life: of Laura herself; Miles's best friend, Jamal, with whom she's falling in love; Jamal's affluent black family; Laura's grief-stricken father; and Miles's own parents (an artist mother who runs off to a boyfriend in London, and a formerly alcoholic, absentee father who shows up to watch over her). Cohn tackles a lot here: clinical depression, suicide, drug addiction, homosexuality, grief, Washington, DC 's racial and social stratifications, and the political fight for District statehood. Fans of titles such as Cohn's "Gingerbread" series and Pop Princess (2004, both S & S) will find a darker, more wrenching and poetic narrative, but may also get lost in the book's overabundance of social and political themes and wish for more insight into the relationship Miles mourns. While Cohn's characterizations occasionally teeter toward stereotype, the story's evolving relationships keep it compelling enough to propel readers through to its dramatic conclusion.-Riva Pollard, formerly at The Winsor School Library, Boston
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Saving Juliet
by Suzanne Selfors
Published 2008
ISBN: 9780802797407
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Reviews:
REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 02/04/2008
Selfors (To Catch a Mermaid) injects an angst-ridden 17-year-old Manhattan actress into Shakespeare's star-crossed romance, yielding hilarious and often very clever results. Mimi loathes her role as Juliet, but she feels pressured to continue acting in order to save her family's theater. When she is magically transported into Shakespeare's play, she instantly connects with Juliet, who is being pressured to marry Paris to save her family's name, and she becomes determined to give Juliet a "happy ending." There are plenty of twists as Mimi meddles with Shakespeare's characters (she begins a romance with smooth-talking Benvolio, for example). The author even plays off traditional plot points, providing original versions of the infamous balcony scene and the potion that mimics death. Readers will have fun with the characters, from a womanizing teen heartthrob who inadvertently travels back with Mimi (and reworks a pop song with Mercutio) to a spirited Juliet, who starts a rumor about a boil on her bottom to try to discourage Paris. Mimi herself is an honest, savvy narrator; she relates much of Shakespeare's plot to readers, and occasionally addresses them directly (e.g., "Turn the page for the grand finale"). The book ends a bit quickly, but after so much drama, readers will welcome the neat, happy conclusion. Ages 12-up. (Feb.)
03/01/2008 REVIEW: School Library Journal
Gr 8 Up-Mimi Wallingford's famous theater family includes a renowned Shakespearean actress. The teen herself has performed since the age of three, and is constantly reminded by her mother that the family's reputation (and the financial stability of the Wallingford Theater) rests upon her shoulders. Mimi, however, would rather major in pre-med at UCLA than study acting. When she is cast as Juliet opposite teen-idol Troy's Romeo, the two are transported to medieval Verona via a magical Shakespeare charm where they meet the real Juliet, an unpretentious, freckle-faced girl of 13. As Mimi begins to see the parallels between the situation with her mother and Juliet's being pressured by Lady Capulet to marry Paris and save the family's fortunes, she resolves to help Juliet escape. Troy and Mimi get involved in a series of misadventures as she attempts to give Romeo and Juliet a happy ending and return to Manhattan. The book's premise has considerable potential, but it is not entirely realized in the uneasy mix of chick-lit humor and Shakespeare's story. Mimi's present-day situation is not believable, and her controlling mother is too exaggerated a character. However, the humor and the attractive cover might win this title some fans, so this would be worth purchasing where Shakespearean adaptations such as Tui T. Sutherland's This Must Be Love (HarperCollins, 2004) have been popular.-Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ
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Freak
by Marcella Fleischman Pixley
Published 2007
ISBN: 9780374324537
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Reviews:
REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 11/05/2007
First-time novelist Pixley crafts a disturbing tale that taps into the harsh reality of what it means to be a middle-school outcast. Twelve-year-old Miriam Fisher, who enjoys reading the dictionary in her spare time, has always been labeled an "alien" at school and tormented by the popular girls. Her older sister, Deborah, has been her one true friend-but now Deborah has transformed from an uncool ugly duckling into a popular swan and no longer has time for her kid sister. Things fall apart when her sister begins dating the guy she has an enormous crush on. In the most powerful scene, Miriam lashes out in a stunning act of self-destruction. Readers will feel her horror at what she's done to herself: "I looked more like a reptile than a human. I stared at my reflection in the mirror and watched the naked eyes grow wide and terrified." Only when she hits bottom does Miriam finally discover her inner strength and stand up boldly for herself and ultimately for one of her tormentors in desperate need of help. Pixley doesn't cut corners: Miriam is not all that sympathetic. She's quirky, monopolizes conversations and includes herself in others' plans. But the accomplished writing moves readers well beyond easy likability. Observant and tough, Miriam's voice has a knife edge that tears past the surface. Ages 12-up. (Oct.)
11/01/2007 REVIEW: School Library Journal
Gr 7-10-Pixley hits the nail on the head when it comes to middle-school misery. Miriam Fisher is a heroine in a misfit's body, with a popular older sister and artsy, intellectual parents who encourage her nonconformist lifestyle and choose to believe that her life is hunky-dory. When high school senior and handsome thespian Artie Rosenberg comes to live with them while his parents are on sabbatical in India, Miriam's life spirals out of control. The "watermelon girls" at school (so named for the flavor of their lip gloss) taunt her about her looks, her awkward manner, and her crush on Artie, which, it turns out, is not so secret, thanks to her sister. Jenny Clarke, their leader, is cruel to Miriam on a daily basis, humiliating her in the cafeteria, on the bus, and during class. The protagonist records her joys and sorrows in her journal, which she carries with her constantly, adding poetry and soulful entries as they occur. Through unexpected circumstances, Miriam ends up shaving her head and saving her nemesis from a terrible fate, therefore empowering herself and redefining her identity. Like Virginia in Carolyn Mackler's The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things (Candlewick, 2003), Miriam changes her mind about what makes someone beautiful, popular, or confident. This is a powerful look at middle school angst and transformation from a new YA author to watch.-Nora G. Murphy, Los Angeles Academy Middle School
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The Battle for Skandia
by John Flanagan
Published 2008
ISBN: 9780399244575
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After Ranger's apprentice Will battles Temujai warriors to rescue Evanlyn, Will's kingdom of Skandia joins forces with rival kingdom Araluen to defeat a common enemy.
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A Curse Dark as Gold
by Elizabeth C. Bunce
Published 2008
ISBN: 9780439895767
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Big Fat Manifesto
by Susan Vaught
Published 2007
ISBN: 9781599902067
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REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 01/07/2008
High school senior Jamie Carcaterra is not just fat; as she puts it, "I am THE Fat Girl, baby." In an attempt to enlighten fellow classmates about the indignities and injustices she faces daily, Jamie writes a weekly feature for her high school paper and calls it the Fat Girl Manifesto. The manifesto could land her a journalism scholarship for feature writing, which she desperately desires. Vaught (Trigger) upends stereotypes about fat girls via Jamie's bracing, take-no-prisoners columns and in Jamie's first-person account of her year. The supremely confident Fat Girl persona is hard to resist, and more believable than many of the situations the author piles on: the fat boyfriend who undergoes risky gastric bypass surgery and suffers complications; the overblown media reaction to Jamie's columns; the blossoming romance with the handsome high school paper's editor-in-chief. The novel reads in places more like a rant than an emotionally involving story, and much of the Fat Girl Manifesto will be familiar (vanity sizing, the ineffectiveness of fad diets, etc.). But teens who persevere will be rewarded with some priceless scenes, such as Jamie and friends going undercover to document the discriminatory behavior of sales clerks in a clothing boutique; and with carefully prepared revelations, especially Jamie's eventual awareness that she may be more limited by her anger than by her weight. Thought-provoking and, frequently, vigorous. Ages 12-up. (Jan.)
01/01/2008 REVIEW: School Library Journal
Gr 9 Up-High school senior Jamie Carcaterra doesn't apologize for being fat. In fact, she proclaims her fatness from the rooftops-or from the pages of her school newspaper, to be exact, in an attempt to win a college journalism scholarship. Jamie explores issues such as discrimination, health, stereotypes, and more in this engaging novel, which includes her columns as well as her first-person narrative. Despite her outspokenness, the teen nevertheless struggles to come to terms with her weight-refusing to eat in public and feeling a mixture of shame and anger when an insensitive doctor examines her. It's her boyfriend's decision to have weight-loss surgery, however, that drives the plot. His medical trials raise questions for Jamie, and for readers. Is obesity more dangerous than surgery? Is it worth risking your life to be thin? While Jamie and her friends sometimes come across as overly quirky and eccentric, readers will generally root for these appealing outsiders. Jamie is a strong, interesting character who grows over the course of the novel, recognizing her own contradictions. This is a powerful story for readers of any weight.-Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library
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I Heart You, You Haunt Me
by Lisa Schroeder
Published 2008
ISBN: 9781416955207
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Reviews:
03/01/2008 REVIEW: School Library Journal
Gr 7-10-Fifteen-year-old Ava had never been to a funeral until her boyfriend died. She is quickly consumed by sorrow and overwhelmed with the guilt that she, the unadventurous one, dared Jackson to dive off the rock in the first place. Unsure how she can possibly go on without him, she soon discovers that his spirit hasn't gotten very far. When she begins to feel his presence in various manifestations around her house, she holes up and spends all her time with "Jackson," unwilling to let him go. Ultimately, she realizes she will never live a normal life if she doesn't move on, but must figure out how to let him know. Told in Ava's voice, this novel-in-verse captures the all-consuming nature of intense teen love. Beyond Ava, though, the characters are only shallowly realized and a somewhat hackneyed plotline-a ghost can't leave unfinished business-is presented without any new spice. Still, this is a quick and agreeable, if not earth-shattering, read.-Jill Heritage Maza, Greenwich High School, CT
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Exodus
by Julie Bertagna
Published 2008
ISBN: 9780802797452
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Reviews:
03/01/2008 REVIEW: School Library Journal
Gr 9 Up-In this epic tale of global warming and environmental disaster set at the dawn of the next century, 15-year-old Mara has lived with the realization that the world is drowning. Growing up on Wing, she has watched her North Atlantic island become smaller each year, and people have long ago abandoned technology in their struggles to subsist. After a particularly bad ocean surge, another part of the village is lost. This spurs Mara to convince the villagers that they will have a chance at a new life in the Sky Cities, which she has located on the now-defunct version of the Internet. After a grueling journey, the refugees find themselves locked out of the city by a giant wall. As sickness and disease claim some of her people, Mara decides to find a way into the city to save them. Through the netherworld (under the city), the teen has encounters with the ratbashers (urchins) and the Treenesters. The Treenesters think that Mara is The Face in the Stone that will save them. Ecologically conscious teens will embrace this girl who is destined to save humanity.-June H. Keuhn, Corning East High School, NY
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The Night Tourist
by Katherine Marsh
Published 2007
ISBN: 9781423106890
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Reviews:
REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 10/08/2007
Marsh, a New Republic editor making her children's book debut, reworks the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in a supernatural tale about a 14-year-old boy's quest through an underworld in New York City, in search of his late mother's spirit. After introverted ninth-grade prodigy Jack Perdu is involved in a near-fatal accident, he is sent to see a specialist in Manhattan. There he meets Euri, a self-proclaimed "urban explorer" who reveals herself to be a ghost-part of a vast and complex community of people who have died in NYC. (Euri tells Jack that he might be able to find his mother if she has not completed her unfinished business in the world and "moved on" to Elysium, which is "somewhere in the Hamptons," by her best guess.) Euri becomes his personal tour guide as they explore the city by night, when ghosts can leave the underworld to roam unseen. The pair tries to avoid capture by underworld authorities as they seek Jack's mother, in the process unraveling mysteries surrounding his parents' relationship and Jack's ability to infiltrate the spirit world. Mixing numerous references to mythology and classical literature with deft touches of humor and extensive historical details (former mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, Dylan Thomas and corrupt police captain "Clubber" Williams, among others, make cameo appearances), this intelligent and self-assured debut will compel readers from its outset, and leave them satisfied as it explores universal themes of love, loss and closure. Ages 10-up. (Sept.)
11/01/2007 REVIEW: School Library Journal
Gr 5-9-A literate and luminous retelling of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice set in the underworld of New York City. Ninth-grader Jack Perdu is a precociously gifted classics scholar who lives in New Haven with his father. When Jack is hit by a car, he suddenly finds that he can see and hear ghosts, one of whom leaves behind an odd map of New York City with his deceased mother's name written on it. His father, realizing that Jack has somehow changed, sends him to see a doctor in Manhattan. After obtaining a strange gold subway token from the doctor's office, Jack meets Euri, a mysterious girl seemingly his own age, at the Whispering Gallery in Grand Central Station. When she offers to show him around and he uses the subway token to gain entry to a hidden New York, he quickly realizes that she is dead and that what she is showing him is the ghost world. Jack is determined to bring his mother back to the living world, but as he and Euri journey through the underworld, Jack comes to realize that perhaps he is fated to do something very different. The novel combines classical references to Ovid's Metamorphoses with fascinating details about New York City history and landmarks in a way that is engaging and often humorous. The conclusion of the novel is poignant but inevitable to those familiar with the story on which it is based. Give this book to fans of Delia Sherman's Changeling (Viking, 2006) and Anne Ursu's The Shadow Thieves (S & S, 2005).-Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ
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The Fortunes of Indigo Skye
by Deb Caletti
Published 2008
ISBN: 9781416910077
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Reviews:
REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 02/11/2008
The old saying "Money can't buy happiness" proves true for high school senior Indigo Skye after she receives a $2.5 million tip from a handsome stranger at the suburban Seattle restaurant where she is a part-time waitress. Before long, the pressure is on from friends and family to spend (or not spend) her money a certain way. Although the lesson of this rags-to-riches tale is evident from the beginning, Caletti (Honey, Baby, Sweetheart) builds characters with so much depth that readers will be invested in her story. Indigo's ability to recognize and appreciate what makes other people tick makes her an unusually compelling narrator, even when her values get blown off course. The rest of the cast, all of whom harbor conflicts and aspirations of their own, radiate personality, especially the crew of customers who regularly patronize Indigo's restaurant (they include a man accused of murdering his wife, a heavily tattooed factory worker and a Native American poet with a chemical imbalance). Working from a premise that strains credibility, Caletti spins a network of relationships that feels real and enriching. Ages 12-up. (Apr.)
04/01/2008 REVIEW: School Library Journal
Gr 9 Up-Indigo Skye, an average high school senior, works part-time as a waitress at a small diner, where she gets to know and love a group of quirky "Irregulars" who frequent the place. She leads a happy but ordinary life until the day a customer, in return for a small kindness, leaves her a $2.5 million tip. This story follows Indigo's struggle to remain true to herself and to fight all the negative side effects of instant wealth. Right from the beginning, Caletti is able to distinguish her extensive cast of characters by relating their memorable and endearing eccentricities. Indigo, especially, is a multilayered and complicated protagonist. Although the premise seems a bit far-fetched, the characters' actions and dialogue keep this story real. Humor is sprinkled in with the more serious, philosophical questions and Indigo's emotions are expertly conveyed. While the theme of money as a potential corrupter is effective, it is stated outright too frequently instead of allowing readers to draw their own conclusions. Filled with rich characters and hilarious interactions mixed with Indigo's astute perceptions of conformity and frivolous wealth, this book encourages thought and examination of what is truly important in life.-Jessie Spalding, Queen Creek Branch Library, AZ
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Tunnels
by Roderick Gordon
Published 2008
ISBN: 9780439871778
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Reviews:
REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 01/14/2008
Although it arrives from the U.K. amid plenty of fanfare-and to fandom here, too (see Galley Talk, Dec. 10)-this first in a planned series seems full of holes, as if its raison d'être were to set up the action for future books. The plot builds on a secret subterranean culture, a cruel, hierarchical English society that is deeply hostile to "Topsoilers." As the book opens, the punningly named Will Burrows and his archeologist father are tunneling beneath a disused train station, as this is Dr. Burrows's passion. Their bond established, these two major characters soon go off in different directions; as they do later, the authors lengthily follow one protagonist and seemingly abandon the others. Dr. Burrows, having discovered underground passages in local cellars, disappears after a quarrel with his useless wife; Will and a friend go after him. Encumbered by verbose and flat descriptions ("His whole being emanated evil, and his dark eyes never left Will's, who felt a wave of dread wash over him.... {Will] was unable to tear his gaze from the sinister man, whose thin lips twisted into a sardonic smile"), the novel is nearly one-third over before the boys enter the underground Colony-where they are promptly imprisoned and tortured. The narrative at last begins to twist and turn, but the authors still have trouble tracking their cast-and because the offstage characters seem to figure so punily in the others' thinking, readers have little incentive to stay invested in their fates. Ages 8-14. (Jan.)
03/01/2008 REVIEW: School Library Journal
Gr 5-9-Pale, stocky Will Burrows, 14, never felt that he belonged at school or at home. In his predominantly self-absorbed family, Will's younger sister, meticulous Rebecca, maintains the house while Mrs. Burrows languishes in front of the TV and stereotypically scattered Dr. Burrows is preoccupied with archaeological paraphernalia. Will is happiest in tunnels he excavates beneath town with the help of friend, and fellow outcast, Chester. Though he and his father share a mutual obsession with archaeology, they separately engage in secret digs and both unearth "The Colony," a dangerous society hidden since the 1700s in an impressive network of tunnels and caverns. Its people have their own theology, social hierarchy, and a disdainful superiority complex. The Colonists and Styx (the more powerful, arrogant, malicious class) fear and revile "Topsoilers," lying in wait for their destruction. Revolutionary, "Topsoil"-friendly thinkers exist but most of the people fall in line in this grimy, Dickensian society. Although the story is slow to start, once Dr. Burrows disappears and Will (with Chester) stumbles into the Colony's perilous outpost, the pace of the adventure picks up. Readers will root for loyal, impetuous, overwhelmed Will as he discovers his roots, faces betrayal, and struggles to save those he cares for. Purchase this for the intriguing plot (including a surprising twist) and subterranean settings. Several still-buried mysteries, fates unknown, and the final gripping chapters promise an anticipated sequel.-Danielle Serra, Cliffside Park Public Library, NJ
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Battle Fleet: Adventures of a Young Sailor
by Paul Dowswell
Published 2008
ISBN: 9781599900803
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Having escaped death in Australia, Sam endures a dangerous sea voyage back to England, where he rejoins the Navy and becomes midshipman on the Victory as it prepares for the Battle of Trafalgar. Sequel to: Prison ship.
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Carpe Diem
by Autumn Cornwell
Published 2007
ISBN: 9780312367923
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Reviews:
REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 09/03/2007
Take a traveler as reluctant as Anne Tyler's accidental tourist and add the number of misadventures found inThe Out-of-Towners, and you have the recipe for Cornwell's hilarious, adventure-packed first novel. Valedictorian hopeful Vassar Spore has her summer all planned out when her bohemian grandmother somehow blackmails her Type A parents into letting her take Vassar backpacking through Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos. So instead of enrolling in AP courses in summer school, Vassar finds herself hiking through jungles with Grandma Gerd and an Asian cowboy chaperone, and battling food poisoning, venom-carrying critters and primitive tribes (one of which holds Vassar hostage). The more humiliations and unwanted surprises Vassar endures, the more likable she becomes, shedding pride and primness along with her obsessive reliance on routine. Her rapid succession of crises, while jaw-dropping, appears more plausible than the family secret that is revealed bit by bit during the course of their travels. Although readers will probably figure out the mystery long before the protagonist does, the exotic settings and the wacky predicaments will exercise a strong enough grip to hold readers' imaginations. Ages 12-up.(Sept.)
11/01/2007 REVIEW: School Library Journal
Gr 7 Up-When she is blackmailed into backpacking across Southeast Asia with a grandmother she barely knows, 16-year-old Vassar Spore is reluctant to disrupt a summer devoted to furthering her life plan-to become class valedictorian and win a Pulitzer Prize. The overachieving teen, named for the college she hopes to attend, overhears her parents arguing with Grandma Gerd about a "Big Secret" and is shocked that they've agreed to send her off to the jungles of Malaysia. Vassar arrives at the Golden Lotus guesthouse with a mountain of luggage and a plan to write a novel about the trip for her AAP (Advanced Advanced) English class. As the setting shifts, so does the story's tone, from Vassar's stilted home life and stuffy parents to a vividly described environment and array of colorful characters focusing on her bohemian artist grandmother and a comical Malaysian bodyguard, Hanks, whose Elvis haircut and cowboy drawl both irritate and captivate his charge. Vassar begins chronicling the travel adventures of Sarah, her fictional alter ego, as the trio trek through cities and the lush and humid jungles of Cambodia and Laos while Grandma Gerd offers cryptic hints about the mysterious family secret. Committing a lion's share of cultural faux pas, Vassar accidentally angers one tribal family and is imprisoned by opium-smoking animists. In a climactic episode, she escapes the bamboo dungeon and blindly heads down a dangerously steep jungle mountain. Suspenseful and wonderfully detailed, the well-crafted story maintains its page-turning pace while adding small doses of cultural insight and humor.-Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY
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Lock and Key
by Sarah Dessen
Published 2008
ISBN: 9780670010882
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Reviews:
REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 02/18/2008
Dessen (Just Listen) inverts a familiar fairy tale: what if Cinderella got the prince, the castle and all its accoutrements, but wasnt remotely interested? After her mother abandons her, Ruby Cooper is flying below the radar of officialdom and trying to make it to her 18th birthday, when shes busted by the landlord and turned over to social services. Ruby gets taken in by her estranged sister, Cora, who left for college a decade earlier and never looked back, and Coras husband, Jamie, the wealthy founder of a ubiquitous social networking site. Resentful, suspicious and vulnerable, she resists mightily, refusing the risky business of depending on anybody but herself, and wearing the key to her old house around her neck. All the Dessen trademarks are herethe swoon-worthy boy next door who is not what he appears to be; and the supporting characters who force Ruby to rethink her cynical worldview, among them the frazzled owner of a jewelry kiosk at the mall. The author again defines characters primarily through dialogue, and although Ruby and her love interest, Nate, sound wiser than their years, they talk the way teens might want to - from the heart. A must for Dessen fans, it will win her new readers, too. Ages 12-up.
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The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
by E. Lockhart
Published 2008
ISBN: 9780786838189
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Reviews:
REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 01/07/2008
Big ideas are an essential part of the fun in this sparkling tour de force. Back at her elite boarding school after a summer vacation in which she has grown from duckling to swan, sophomore Frankie starts dating cool, gorgeous senior Matthew and instantly becomes a part of his charmed social circle. Hanging with Matthew and his crowd is a thrill, but Frankie begins to chafe as she realizes that the boys are all members of the secret society to which her own father belonged, the Loyal Order of the Basset Hound, and that not only will they never let her join, Matthew will not even tell her about it. Lockhart (Dramarama; The Boyfriend List) dexterously juggles a number of smart and tantalizing themes-class and privilege, feminism and romance, wordplay and thought, friendship and loyalty-and combines the pacing of a mystery with writing that realizes settings and characters, large and small, with an artist's sure hand. Inspired by a class called Cities, Art and Protest, Frankie concocts a brilliant plan to infiltrate the Bassets and has them carry out a series of pranks that wittily challenge the politics of the school. Girls especially will be interested in this unusual portrait of a heroine who falls in love without blurring her sense of self, even if none of her friends understands her, and in Lockhart's fresh approach to gender politics. An exuberant, mischievous story, it scores its points memorably and lastingly. Ages 12-up. (Mar.)
03/01/2008 REVIEW: School Library Journal
Gr 7 Up-Frankie Landau-Banks has always been underestimated. After spending her childhood as a bright but sheltered ugly duckling, she begins sophomore year at her elite boarding school as a swan, catching the attention of senior Matthew Livingston. Frankie is ecstatic, particularly when she learns that he is the leader of the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds, an all-male secret society. She spends most of her time with Matthew and his friends but soon realizes that no matter how smart or funny she may be, she will never truly be a part of the group, simply because she is a girl. This frustrates her to no end. In a remarkable turn of events, Frankie takes control and begins to direct the Bassets, through email, in a series of elaborate school pranks, revitalizing the Order and the student body as well. These ingenious pranks embody the vigor of Frankie's personality, making social commentary on everything from the school's lack of female leadership to its disgusting cafeteria salad bar. Lockhart has created a layered and engrossing story that is as smart and quick as Frankie, combining the thrilling prospect of how she will get caught with her earnest attempts to understand what it means to be an outsider, an underdog, and in love. An empowered female hero like Frankie is a rare and refreshing find. She is the ultimate feminist role model for teens: a girl with guts and imagination who's brave enough to take on the "old boy's club."-Emily Anne Valente, New York Public Library
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The Big Field
by Mike Lupica
Published 2008
ISBN: 9780399246258
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Reviews:
REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 03/03/2008
A smart, modern design sets off the mischievous humor of this square-format book of 14 illustrated nonsense rhymes. Gerda Rovetch, an octogenarian who fled Germany in childhood and is publishing her poems for the first time, brings a recognizably European dark wit to her four-line entries: "There was a man who loved a rat./ He fed it ham till it got fat./ He kept it in his bed at night,/ and rather hoped it wouldn't bite." Lissa Rovetch (the Hot Dog and Bob books) matches the exaggeration in her mother's work with her black ink cartoons: shown in profile, the rat lover's nose is half the width of his head. Meanwhile his lower lip seems to tremble as he gazes at the rat, whose carrot-shaped head attaches to a huge, turnip-like torso. Color and scale play leading roles: the illustrator accents one item in each drawing with a different solid color (the rat is orange, in a characteristically sophisticated shade). On every spread, poem and illustration face each other, each set in identically sized white circles that cover most of the square pages. Strategic use of complementary colors makes the contents pop (the circles for the rat lover are bordered in teal, on lemon background). Good and gleeful. Ages 4-up. (Mar.)
02/01/2008 REVIEW: School Library Journal
Gr 5-8-Lupica offers another heartwarming, action-packed, sports-savvy novel. Keith Hutchinson, 14, plays in the American Legion 17-and-under league with the Boynton Beach Cardinals. His dream includes taking his team to the Florida state finals and sharing his passion with his father, a local shortstop legend whose failed major league career has left him aloof, despondent, and incommunicative. After losing his beloved shortstop position to cocky, talented newcomer Darryl Williams, Hutch becomes a standout at second base and is elected team captain. However, when he finds his father working out with Darryl, jealousy and anger threaten to derail Hutch's dream, team, and family. On and off the field, the teen gains insights from his best friend and teammate, Cody; from his sympathetic and supportive Puerto Rican mother; and from fatherless, fierce competitor, Darryl. Vivid descriptions of pivotal innings and plays, snappy dialogue, and realistic conflicts propel the characters and the story toward the state finals and a father-son breakthrough. Baseball fans will revel in Lupica's exciting sports commentary and Hutch's competitive spirit and emotional highs and lows.-Gerry Larson, Durham School of the Arts, NC
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Twice Upon a Marigold
by Jean Ferris
Published 2008
ISBN: 9780152063825
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After a quiet, happy year in a small town, Queen Olympia regains her memory and initiates new plots and manipulations, as the residents of Zandelphia and Beaurivage, now ruled by Christian, Marigold, and Swithbert, feel the effects of her bad energy.
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The Opposite of Invisible
by Liz Gallagher
Published 2008
ISBN: 9780375841521
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Reviews:
REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 01/21/2008
Former children's bookseller Gallagher offers a diverting view of familiar terrain in her first novel. The artistic but in-the-shadows protagonist, 16-year-old Alice, and her more talented pal, a boy named Jewel, are joined at the hip-and have been since they were three. So, when Jewel breaks the rules of friendship and kisses her, she doesn't know what to think-especially because the hunky football player, Simon Murphy, surprisingly locked lips with her, too, just the day before. Now her heart is frantically pounding out "two-guys-at-once-two-kisses-you-have-to-choose," and, she says, "I don't know if my heart can survive that kind of beating." Yes, this story has been told before. But Gallagher infuses the usual fluff with personality, in part via the offbeat Seattle setting. Alice and Jewel are regulars at the Green Bean organic coffee shop, friends with the video store clerk ("Greetings, darlings," he says as they return a Japanimation DVD) and connoisseurs of the indie music scene. Although Jewel conforms to the "Mr. Outsider Artist" label that Alice tags him with, Simon isn't the stock football player (he volunteers at the aquarium and has actual feelings); members of the artsy and popular crowds overlook stereotypes long enough to commingle willingly by the end. The author's voice is strong-she bears watching. Ages 14-up. (Jan.)
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The Overlord Protocol
by Mark Walden
Published 2008
ISBN: 9781416935735
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Reviews:
03/01/2008 REVIEW: School Library Journal
Gr 5-9-If Alex Rider attended a school for bad guys, he'd end up at the Higher Institute of Villainous Education. In this follow-up to H.I.V.E.: Higher Institute of Villainous Education (S & S, 2007), the action doesn't stop for a moment. The story begins with Otto Malpense falling through the sky at a speed "beyond acceptable parameters." It then flashes back two weeks to an assassination attempt on the life of Dr. Nero, headmaster of H.I.V.E., and the adrenaline keeps pumping from there. The mysterious Cypher is plotting some move against Dr. Nero that begins with the murder of Otto's friend Wing and continues with the mobilization of an army of assassins that is both unbelievably fast and nearly indestructible. Everything is connected somehow to the Overlord Protocol, an AI that went rogue and was then destroyed soon after it was booted up 15 years earlier. Now Otto and his friends, along with Dr. Nero and his staff, must work to counter Cypher and his ninjas. Plot twists and startling revelations continue to the very end. The conclusion suggests that a sequel is inevitable. Just-over-the-horizon technology gives this thriller a bit of a science-fiction flavor, and it's sure to appeal to readers interested in novels that combine action and intrigue.-Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Library, Wisconsin Rapids, WI
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The Luxe
by Anna Godbersen
Published 2007
ISBN: 9780061345661
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Reviews:
REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly 11/12/2007
With a quote from The Age of Innocence as an epigraph and an enthusiastic blurb from the creator of Gossip Girl on its back cover, this lavishly produced debut makes no secret of its twin influences. The story opens in 1899 with the funeral of Elizabeth Holland, a well-bred beauty said to have plunged to her death in the Hudson River. The narrative then travels back several weeks, tracing the relationships and events that have led to the somber assembly. This tangled web includes not one but two sets of star-crossed lovers; an upstairs/downstairs romance; a scheming social climber; a bitter servant girl; and oodles of money, all set in a Edith Wharton via Hollywood vision of Old New York. The dialogue has its clunky moments, and the plot twist that drives the tale is telegraphed from the very start, but readers caught up in the fancy dress intrigue are unlikely to mind much: it's all part of the dishy fun. Needless to say, the ending paves the way for at least one sequel. Ages 14-up. (Dec.)
12/01/2007 REVIEW: School Library Journal
Gr 8 Up-In this deliciously soapy novel, privileged teens in Manhattan conduct forbidden romances, betray their so-called friends, and generally indulge in bad behavior. The twist is that it's 1899, and they do so in corsets, silk gowns, and horse-drawn carriages rather than designer labels and sports cars. Eighteen-year-old Elizabeth Holland, daughter of a prominent but secretly impoverished family, is in love with Will, the family's young, handsome carriage driver. When wealthy Henry Schoonmaker proposes, however, her mother pushes her to accept, since Elizabeth's marriage is their only chance to maintain their luxurious lifestyle. Henry, an irresponsible playboy also forced into the loveless engagement, finds himself falling for Elizabeth's rebellious younger sister. To complicate matters further, Henry has been having an affair with Penelope Hayes, Elizabeth's supposed best friend, and Penelope will do absolutely anything to get him back. It's all scandalous, steamy-though never graphic-fun, with just enough period detail to make the Gilded Age come alive. The dialogue and attitudes sometimes seem suspiciously modern, but readers will enjoy the story too much to object.-Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library
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