The Indianhead Federated Library System presents
Starred Reviews
New and Notable Books for Young People
March 2008 * Eau Claire, WI
The books in this newsletter were given starred reviews by the following periodicals: School Library Journal (SLJ), Publisher’s Weekly (PW), Booklist (BL), Horn Book (HB), Voices of Youth Advocates (VOYA) and Criticas (CR). Library binding prices and ISBNs are noted. Quotations have been taken directly from the reviews. This selection tool has been created to assist IFLS library staff wade through the 5,000-5,500 children’s and young adult titles published each year. Librarians should consider which of the following books best fit their collection and clientele.
Picture Books
Beaty, Andrea. Doctor Ted. Illus. by Pascal Lemaitre. S&S/McElderry, $14.99 (978-1-4169-2820-1)
(PreS-gr.3) “Doctor Ted...detects gingivitis in his principal and prescribes a full-body cast...an earnest bear cub...unwavering self-assurance in the face of adult certitude is too much fun...breezy story about pretend play that’s laugh-out-loud funny...prose is snappy but sympathetic...pictures...give every page plenty of punch.” (PW)
GN Cammuso, Frank and Jay Lynch. Otto’s Orange Day. Illus. by Frank Cammuso. Raw Junior/TOON, $12.95 (0-9799238-2-4)
(K-gr.2) “...gives emerging readers a high-quality comic that is both loads of fun and easy to read...simple, archetypal story: Otto, a little orange-loving cat, wishes everything was orange...genie grants his wish...fresh, energetic, and lively...sure to engage a new generation in the art form; kids will want to read it once, then return to it again and again.” (BL)
Crow, Kristyn. Cool Daddy Rat. Illus. by Mike Lester. Putnam, $16.99 (978-0-399-24375-2)
(PreS-up) “...hip ode to jazz (and scat...)...catchy beat...kinetic cartoon art adds verve and wit...Bass player Cool Daddy Rat...perform in the big city...son Ace stows away...little rat tags along to the various gigs...undercurrent of scat...will be a read-aloud heaven for jazz-loving adults, giving kids an addictive first taste of the pleasures to be had.” (PW)
Gorbachev, Valeri. Christopher Counting. Philomel, $15.99 (978-0-399-24629-6)
(PreS-gr.1) “Few children will be able to resist the appeal of Christopher Rabbit...From the minute Ms. Goat begins counting...until he falls asleep in the evening, Christopher seeks out things to count...simplicity...sets it apart...deliberate pace is a perfect match for the pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations that allow Christopher’s joy to dominate the spreads...downplaying the items and focusing on the act itself...” (SLJ)
GN Hayes, Geoffrey. Benny and Penny: in Just Pretend. RAW Junior/Toon, $12.95 (978-0-9799238-0-7)
(PreS-up) “...mouse siblings...comic book cum easy reader...Jazzy, multipanel layouts...simply worded episodes about an eager younger sister and a stand-offish brother...Benny initiates a game of hid-and-seek, with no intention of seeking—at least, until Penny disappears...cozy panels...close-range perspective gives...good look at...facial expressions, supplying the context for the dialogue...lever beginning readers right into the story.” (PW)(BL)
Kimmelman, Leslie. Everybody Bonjours! Illus. by Sarah McMenemy. Knopf, $16.99 (978-0-375-84443-0)
(K-gr.3) “...light-as-a-soufflè salute to the City of Lights. On vacation with her parents...and little brother, a girl embraces her role as tourist...barge trip...top of the Tour Eiffel and Notre Dame...chic boutique...mixed-media images...stylish yet timeless mèlange of ...whimsy and affectionate reportage...illustrated afterward offers...additional information on each of the sites...” (PW)
Lehman, Barbara. Trainstop. Houghton Mifflin, $16 (978-0-618-75640-7)
(PreS-gr.3) “...wordless fantasy...subway excursion...takes an unexpected turn...train magically arrives in an idyllic countryside, where it is flagged down by a tiny, toylike figure...girl discovers a Lilliputian world in need of a hero...girl neatly rescues... hops back on the train home with no one the wiser...crisp, clean drawings and comics-style framings generate visual momentum...brings an element of mystery, or at least a playful challenge, to the way readers look at the world around them.” (PW)
Lord, Janet. Albert the Fix-It Man. Illus. by Julie Paschkis. Peachtree, $15.95 (978-1-561454-334)
(PreS-gr.2) “Albert’s neigbors call him the “Fix-It Man” because he can repair anything...One morning Albert wakes up with a horrible cold...In a warm, closing spread, Albert enjoys the care and support of the many neighbors that he has helped...rhythmic, simple text is perfectly cadenced for reading aloud...cheerful illustrations...reinforce the sense of the close-busy community working together...” (BL)
Paul, Ann Whitford. If Animals Kissed Good Night. Illus. by David Walker. FSG/Kroupa, $16.95 (978-0-374-38051-9)
(PreS-gr.1) “There are probably not enough synonyms for ‘cute’ to cover this...text exudes the affectionate silliness of a beloved bedtime ritual, complete with nonsense sounds...great emotional mileage from...rounded, stuffed toy-like shapes, velvety colors...characters radiate unconditinoal love...” (PW)
Ray, Jane. The Apple-Pip Princess. Candlewick, $16.99 (0-7636-3747-5)
(PreS-gr.2) “...celebrates the transforming power of growing things...beautiful, original fairy tale. A once-green kingdom turns into a barren dust bowl after the queen’s death...King...challenges his three daughters...creator of the best project will rule the kingdom...youngest...plucks a tiny apple seed from a box...that belonged to her mother...seed’s sprout inspires more planting, and soon the kingdom becomes a lush paradise...rich language and sure pacing...Mixing color photos into...elaborately decorated illustrations...” (BL)
GN Rosenstiehl, Agnès. Silly Lilly: And the Four Seasons. RAW Junior/Toon, $12.95 (978-0-9799238-1-4)
(PreS-up) “...Toon Books, an innovative line of early readers presented in comic format...little marvel of distilled storytelling...seasonal vignettes...spry young girl in familiar situations that give free rein to her curiosity and love of action...draws us directly into Lilly’s emotional world...expressive action poses double as telltale clues to the child poised to begin decoding the printed word independently...” (PW)
Rumford, James. Silent Music: A Story of Baghdad. Roaring Brook/Porter, $17.95 (978-1-59643-276-5)
(PreS-gr.3) “Art sings...visual celebration of Arabic calligraphy...collages of floral and geometric designs and flowing lights deftly echo Arabic language and patterns... Spreads incorporating stamps, money and postcards reinforce the Baghdad setting...Like his hero...Yakut, who wrote through the destruction of Baghdad in 1258...Ali turns to calligraphy during the bombing of Baghdad in 2003...” (PW)
Schwarz, Viviane. Timothy and the Strong Pajamas. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine Bks., $16.99 (978-0-545-03329-9)
(K-gr.2) “Timothy Smallbeast longs to be big and strong...only when he wears his favorite pajamas, repaired by his mother with “PATCHES of POWER and the BUTTONS of BRAVENESS”...becomes the superhero of his dreams...catches a falling elephant...rescues a princess...carries a huge bear into the ‘deep dark forest.’...pajamas rip and his power disappears...all those recipients of his help now come to his aid.. . illustrations...especially dynamic...” (SLJ)
J Fiction
Baseball Crazy: Ten Short Stories that Cover All the Bases. Edited by Nancy E. Mercado. Dial, $16.99 (978-0-8037-3162-2)
(gr. 3 and up) “...collection of 10 stories. Baseball unifies the entries, but there the similarities end...impressive array of voices and styles...memorable young characters...readers will be drawn in by the masterful storytelling.” (PW)
Birdsall, Jeanne. The Penderwicks on Gardam Street. Knopf, $18.99 (978-0-375-84090-3)
(gr. 4-8) “...Aunt Claire has come for a visit, bringing with her a letter from their late mother that encourages their father to date...immediate crisis ensues...implement the ‘Save Daddy’ plan...set him up with perfectly dreadful women so that he will not want to date again...numerous subplots...Laugh-out-loud moments abound and the humor comes naturally from the characters and situations...a book to cherish and hold close...” (SLJ)
Cheng, Andrea. Where the Steps Were. Boyds Mills/Word-Song, $16.95 (978-1-932425-88-8)
(gr. 1 and up) “...spare, eloquent novel in verse...bold block prints...captures the moods of five inner-city third-graders...school’s impending demolition...personal issues at school and at home...Using very few words...conveys complicated back stories... Mixing sad and uplifting images...” (PW)
Couloumbis, Audrey. Love Me Tender. Random, $16.99 (978-0-375-83839-2)
(gr. 3-7) “...winning, witty portrayal of a slightly neurotic American family...13-year-old Elvira is horrified when her father leaves home...Elvis impersonation competition...worries that he won’t come back...concerns shift...long-estranged... grandmother...ample opportunity to reflect on families...tart characterizations, lively dialogue...frank narration...credible and buoyant.” (PW)
GN Gaiman, Neil. Coraline. Illus. by P. Craig Russell. HarperCollins, paper, $18.99 (978-0-060-82543-0) lib. ed., $19.89 (978-0-060-825447)
(gr. 4-7) “...adaptation of ...Coraline...virtuoso adaptation, streamlining passages that function best in prose and visually highlighting parts that benefit most from the graphic form...realism...preserving the humanity of the characters and hightening horror, even as Gaiman’s concise storytelling ratchets up the eeriness...loses none of Coraline’s original character...readers...will greatly appreciate the opportunity to explore the story in a successful new way.” (BL)
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. The Missing: Found. Simon & Schuster, $15.99 (978-1-4169-5417-0)
(gr. 3-7) “...tantalizing opener to a new series...As the novel begins...a plane carrying 36 babies, and no one else, not even a pilot, shows up without warning...Fast-forward 13 years, and two 13-year-old friends, Chip and Jonah, are receiving mysterious notes...boys investigate and discover that the FBI was involved with their adoptions... track down other adoptees...among the most famous missing children in history...and get sent back in time...” (PW)
Henkes, Kevin. Bird Lake Moon. Greenwillow, $16.89 (978-0-06147-0783)
(gr. 5-7) “Mitch Sinclair, 12, is at Bird Lake because his parents are divorcing...tense moments with his grandparents...Spencer Stone and his family...arrive. Spencer and younger sister love the lake, but it’s also the place where their barely remembered brother, Matty, drowned...story is spare...every word counts...writing is as evocative as it is precise...Emotions are just as carefully carved...” (BL) (SLJ)
GN Morse, Scott. Magic Pickle. Scholastic/Graphix, paper, $9.99 (978-0-439-879958)
(gr. 2-4) “Imagine...Jojo Wigman’s surprise when a supersecret, superpowerful government weapon, Weapon Kosher, comes popping through her floor after decades in suspended animation...takes on enemies...instead of helping out with school-bully Lulu...irresistibly goofy premise...layers on sly humor, astute references, and blazing action...concludes with a smart-alecky “How to Draw Produce” section...” (BL)
Park, Linda Sue. Keeping Score. Clarion, $16 (978-0-618-92799-9)
(gr. 4-7) “...Korean War-era novel...powerful attempt to grapple with loss. Margaret Olivia Fontini, named after Joe DiMaggio...loves Brooklyn’s beloved... Dodgers...new fireman arrives at her father’s station...allegiance to the arch-enemy Giants...teaches her how to score the game...when Jim is drafted and sent to Korea, he and Maggie write, until Jim’s letter abruptly stop...shows unusual sensitivity in writing about war...atrocity...” (PW) (VOYA 5Q3P)
Parkinson, Siobhàn. Blue Like Friday. Roaring Brook, $16.95 (978-1-59643-340-3)
(gr. 6-9) “...Irish novel...boy...synaesthesia...narrator Olivia...pull a mean prank on Alec, Hal’s mother’s live-in boyfriend, never guessing that Hal’s mother is one step ahead of them the whole time, with a plan of her own to help Hal come to terms with his father’s death years ago and with Alec’s presence...bring together the comic and the heartbreaking without ever manipulating readers...Memorable, wise, and thoroughly entertaining...” (PW)
Preller, James. Six Innings. Feiwel and Friends, $16.95 (978-0-312-36763-3)
(gr. 4-9) “...perceptive group portrait of boys who play Little League baseball. The structure couldn’t be more hackneyed-a championship game with everything on the line...makes it fresh with insightful sketches of each member of the...team...outcome is predictable but the journey is nailbitingly tense. Kids will be nodding in agreement at the truths laid bare...” (PW)(VOYA 5Q3P)
Soto, Gary. Facts of Life: Stories. Harcourt, $16 (978-0-15-206181-4)
(gr. 6-9) “...amiable stories involving Hispanic youth...beautiful little snapshot of a small moment in the characters’ lives...characters walk with grace and dignity... uplifting, even those about people trapped in their surroundings...whisper of encouragement to young readers on the precipices of great change...” (VOYA 5Q4P)
GN Steinberg, D.J. Sound Off! Illus. by Brian Smith. Grosset & Dunlap, paper, $5.99 9978-0-4484-46981)
(gr. 3-5) “Daniel, almost 10, is a lively, thoughtful child...born with ‘no indoor voice’...shatter glass...meets a handful of other children, each of whom has a different peculiarity...eventually revealed as a superpower. Bursting with action, color, and intriguing characters...works in every way...visual wit...is on display without sidetracking the story...pacing and plotting are superb...Tension builds carefully...Kids will anxiously await Daniel’s next adventure.” (BL)
Stine, R. L. Goosebumps HorrorLand: #1: Revenge of the Living Dummy. Scholastic, $5.99 paper (978-0-439-91869-5)
(gr. 3-7) “...first book of a new, deliciously chilling 12-book series...broken into two equally enjoyable sections—a standalone story and the first installment of what already reads like a ghostly serial at its spookiest...same tried-and-true style as the older Goosebumps stories...two smart yet vulnerable kids as they try to bury...an evil ventriloquist’s dummy with a mind of its own...All the essential tricks of the trade to keep readers up at night are front and center...should easily garner a new crop of scare-addicts.” (PW)
Stone, Phoebe. Deep Down Popular. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine, $16.99 (0-439-80245-8)
(gr. 5-7) “Sixth-grader Jesse Lou is consumed by thoughts of Conrad Smith...Conrad is popular...Jesse Lou has only ‘maybe-when-I-feel-like-it’ friends...Conrad starts wearing a leg brace...gives Jesse Lou an opening. Soon she, Conrad, and quirky fourth-grader Quentin... outlandish plot to save Bailey Hardware from big-box store...ode to love in many forms...strong-rough-edged purity of a young poet...longing and laughter...” (BL)
Wynne-Jones,Tim. Rex Zero, King of Nothing. Farrar/Melanie Kroupa, $16.95 (0-374-36259-9)
(gr. 4-6) “...continues the saga of imaginative sixth-grader Rex Norton-Norton...preoccupied with a new set of mysteries: a vindictive substitute teacher; a missing address book...Mr. Norton-Norton’s secretive behavior...Set in Ottawa in 1962...well-crafted, eccentric characters, laugh-out-loud humor...1960s culture...Serious themes abound...tempers them with hilarious family and classroom scenes...” (BL)(HB)
J Nonfiction
Alexander, Sally Hobart and Robert Alexander. She Touched the World: Laura Bridgman, Deaf-Blind Pioneer. Clarion, $18 (978-0-618-85299-4)
(gr. 3-6) “In the early 1840s, Bridgman was known throughout the world for her educational accomplishments despite her disabilities...overshadowed by Helen Keller 50 years later...Bridgeman’s education...laid the foundation for Keller’s accomplishments... and for the education of Deaf-Blind children even today...meticulously researched...terms children will understand...Details...allow readers to connect her story with their own lives. Photos and illustrations...give context...afterword...describes the medical and technological advances that affect Deaf-Blind individuals today by introducing Deaf-Blind coauthor Sally Hobart Alexander.” (SLJ)
Capaldi, Gina. A Boy Named Beckoning: A True Story of Dr. Carlos Montezuma, Native American Hero. Carolrhoda, $16.95 (978-0-82257-6440)
(gr. 2-4) “...As a child in 1866, Carlos...a Yavapai Indian living in the Arizona territory, was kidnapped by an enemy tribe...purchased by Italian photographer Carlo Genitle, who...raised him as his son... went to college at the age of 14...medical school, eventually returning to Arizona to help his people and find his family...incorporating information from interviews, articles and speeches...uses Carlos’ own words to draw the reader close. Attractive watercolor paintings...cleverly uses photographs placed in the margins...extensive afterword, source note...bibliography ...fresh and fascinating.” (BL) (SLJ)
Cherry, Lynne and Gary Braasch. How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate: Scientists and Kids Explore Global Warming. Photos by Gary Braasch. Dawn, $17.95 (978-1-58469-103-7)
(gr. 5-9) “...beautifully photographed global guide offers a look at how research in diverse fields leads to an understanding of the warming climate—and what children and adults are doing about it...”Where We Find Clues About Climate Change”... empowering ‘What Scientists and You Can Do”...immediately and clearly defines all science terms...best served up via its bite-sized chapters...hopeful tone...comprehensive resource lists.” (PW)
Deckker, Zilah. Ancient Rome: Archaeology Unlocks the Secrets of Rome’s Past. National Geographic Investigates. National Geographic, $17.95 9978-1-4263-0128-5)
(gr. 6-9) “...remarkable...history of the empire and the legacy left behind...legend of Romulus and Remus immediately captures readers’ attention...sets the mood for exploring the city, which has literally been built layer upon layer atop its earliest foundations...tenth century B.C...to ...1871...Pictures, maps, graphics, time lines and charts...excellent resource for struggling readers...in-depth enough to satisfy all readers interested in the subject.” (VOYA 5Q2P)
Elliott, David. On the Farm. Illus. by Holly Meade. Candlewick, $16.99 (978-0-7636-3322-6)
(PreS) “A series of brief, often funny poems catch the personalities of farm animals...Unlike the idyllic descriptions found inmost farm animal books...keen observations don’t always flatter the beasts...Woodcuts...softly tinted, spacious...imbued with humor, texture, and the beauties of the natural landscape...unusually interesting choice for farm-animal storytimes.” (HB)
Engle, Margarita. The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom. Holt, $17.95 (0-8050-8674-9)
(gr. 6-12) “clear, short lines of stirring free verse...draws on her own Cuban American roots, including stories from her grandmother, to describe those who fought in the nineteenth-century Cuban struggle for independence...Rosa...nurses runaway slaves and deserters in caves...vicious slave hunter known as Lieutenant Death...switching perspectives personalize the dramatic political history...bibliography.” (BL)
Hahn, Daniel and Leonie Flynn, eds. The Ultimate Teen Book Guide. Walker, $26.95 (978-0-8027-9731-5), paper, $16.95 (978-0-8027-9731-5)
(gr. 7 and up) “...attractive volume...reviews of more than 700 fiction titles, nonfiction, classics, and graphic novels...reviewers/contributors are popular authors, librarians, and teens themselves...Brief entries of one half to one page per title...lively...sorted alphabetically...author...cross-referenced...easier to access than Nancy Pearl’s Book Crush...” (SLJ)
Helsby, Genevieve. Thos Amazing Musical Instruments! W/CD-ROM. Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky, $19.95 (978-1-4022-0825-6)
(gr. 4-9) “With energetic conductor Marin Alsop as a guide...instruments commonly found in an orchestra...friendly accessible tone...large print, ample, colorful illustrations...logically organized...prompted to listen to the accompanying CD-ROM, which features more than 100 musical samples...enthusiasm...is contagious...” (SLJ)
Larios, Julie. Imaginary Menagerie: A Book of Curious Creatures. Illus. by Julie Paschkis. Harcourt, $16. (978-0-15-206325-2)
(gr. 1-4) “...artwork shimmers...verse catalogue of creatures from mythology and folklore...gouache paintings adorn the title of each poem with a gracefully illustrated initial...paintings create a unified whole, stylistically each evokes the country of its beast’s origin...poems...are thoughtful and appropriate...drawing readers directly into the imaginary scene...altogether intriguing collection.” (PW)
Nye, Naomi Shihab. Honeybee. HarperCollins/Greenwillow, $17.89 (978-0-06-085391-4)
(gr. 7 and up) “Bees...could clearly teach us humans a thing or two...82 pieces...poems...short prose pieces...call for us to rediscover such beelike traits as interconnectedness, strong community, and honest communication...poems...distinctively adult vantage point...sense of irony...simple wonder...gem of a collection.” (SLJ)
Prelutsky, Jack. My Dog May Be a Genius. Illus. by James Stevenson. Greenwillow, $18.99 (978-0-06-623862-3)
(K and up) “...exuberant and silly...consistently fresh assortment of light verse and expressive cartoons...more than a hundred poems...real and fictitious animals, outlandish pets, wistfully subversive...Wordplay and nonsense...alliterative... clever art extends the comedy, but never overshadows the text...” (PW)
Redd, Nancy Amanda. Body Drama: Real Girls, Real Bodies, Real Issues, Real Answers. Gotham/Penguin, $20 (978-1-592-40326-4)
(gr. 6-12) “...organized into sections labeled skin, boobs, “down there,” hair/mouth/nails, and shape...reasons for a body crisis, suggests how readers can cope with the situation...how to camouflage any embarrassing...flaws. Graphic anatomical photographs...female genitalia...myriad of physical as well as mental health issues... carries her chatty, personal writing style a bit too far...extraneous stuff like ’99 nicknames for boobs’...sure to disintegrate after repeated checkouts...” (VOYA 4Q5P)
Rubin, Susan Goldman. Delicious: The Life and Art of Wayne Thiebaud. Chronicle, $15.95 (978-0-8118-5168-8)
(gr. 5-8) “...tribute to a contemporary American artist reveals the influences behind the man and his work...Thiebaud is often referred to as a Pop artist...rejects that label...realistic tradition...childhood...artistic training...struggle to find his style and gain an audience...Reproductions...Readers will find...brightly colored images...everyday objects accessible and even inspirational...design is a work of art...” (SLJ)
Shulevitz, Uri. How I Learned Geography. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $16.95 (978-0-374-33499-4)
(PreS-gr.3) “...boyhood memories of WWII and shows how he learned to defeat despair. Fleeing Warsaw...1939...eke out a miserable existence in Kazakhstan...One day, Father comes home from the bazaar with a huge map of the world instead of food. Uri, only four or five, is ‘furious’...But...is swept away by exotic place-names...picturing them remote from his hunger and suffering...illustrations shed their bleak, neorealist feel...triumphant afterwards...importance of nurturing the soul.” (PW)
Silverstein, Shel. Don’t Bump the Glump! And Other Fantasies. HarperCollins, $17.99 (978-0-06-149338-6)
(all ages) “...collection of 45 poems...imaginary creatures...intensity of watercolor palatte adds to the fun... “silly doesn’t mean unsophisticated...” (PW)
Smith, Hope Anita. Keeping the Night Watch. Illus. by E.B. Lewis. Holt, $18.95 (0-8050-7202-0)
(gr. 5-8) “...sequel [to The Way a Door Closes]...13-year-old C.J. struggles with his anger, pain and sense of betrayal, unable to forgive Daddy...words are simple... beautiful watercolor pictures of the African American family ... quiet intensity...mainly free verse...also a sonnet...nothing idyllic here, even in the stirring climax...” (BL)
Thomas, Peggy. Farmer George Plants a Nation. Illus. by Layne Johnson. Boyds Mills/Calkins Creek, $17.95 (978-1-59078-460-0)
(gr. 3-6) “...picture-book biography focuses on George Washington’s life as a farmer, inventor, and scientist...parallels between his role as farmer and as leader... enthusiasm for her subject is evident...storytelling-style text...primary sources...several quotes from Washington’s diaries and letters...oil painting support the text while adding a feel of the 18th century...useful back batter...especially enlightening note on ‘George’s Thoughts on Slavery.’...useful for reports...great nonfiction read.” (SLJ)
YA Fiction
Bauer, Joan. Peeled. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, $16.99 (978-0-399-23475-0)
(gr. 7-12) “...high school journalist...New York apple country, Hildy Biddle...town newspaper...stories spread apprehension centered around the local ‘haunted’ house...determinedly digs for the truth to save her town from being swallowed by greedy developers...strong protagonist who wrestles hope from a situation fraught with tribulations...finely drawn cast of major and minor characters...” (VOYA 5Q4P)
Carter, Ally. Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy. Hyperion/DBG, $16.99 (78-1-4231-0005-8)
(gr. 6-12) “...Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women...good spies... East Wing has been converted into a dormitory for the Blackthorne Boys and their arrival changes almost everything. Learning how to be a spy while cute boys are watching is more difficult...sequel...plenty of suspenseful action and supportive female friendships...” (VOYA 5Q4P)
Chappell, Crissa-Jean. Total Constant Order. HarperTeen, $17.89 (978-0-06-088606-6)
(gr. 9-12) “Fin craves the solace of numbers and ritual...only safety net in a world marred by high school cliques and the end of her parents’ marriage...mysterious graffiti artist...speak to her and understand the rhythms of her mind...How will Fin find herself in a fog of Paxil, angst and confusion?... manages to bring the audience into the mind of a teen suffering from OCD...gritty...edgy voice.” (VOYA 5Q5P)
Doctorow, Cory. Little Brother. Tor, $17.95 (978-0-7653-1985-2)
(gr. 7-12) “...seventeen year old technophile Marcus Yallow...combination online/real-life...game...Harajuku Fun Madness...seized and vigorously interrogated by the Deaprtment of Homeland Security following a horrific terrorist attack...paranoid society willing to forgo personal freedoms for a sense of artificial security...set into motion a chain of events that initiate...unintended consequences...fast-paced and well-written...gut-wrenching angst, frustration, and terror...humorous observations...will motivate...contemplate free speech, due process, and political activism with new insights.” (VOYA 5Q4P)
Dole, Mayra Lazara. Down to the Bone. HarperTeen, $16.99 (0-06-084310-1)
(gr. 9-12) “After being expelled from her Catholic school for being lesbian, Lauri, 17, is thrown out by her Cuban mom for being ‘abnormal.’...beloved partner...leaves and does her family’s bidding by marrying a man...Lauri gets a job and finds a home with her...friend...begins to wonder if she can fall in love with a guy...has her own prejudices to overcome...dialogue is fast and funny...Supportive precisely because it is laugh-out-loud irreverent...this breakthrough novel is sure to be welcomed.” (BL)
Genesse, Paul. The Golden Cord. Five Star/Gale/Cengage Learning, $25.95 (978-1-59414-659-9)
(gr. 7-12) Dragons and Griffins are not the only dangers facing Cliffton, a secret village...Dwarves enslave humans......Drake...guardian...realizes his destiny as a hunter when two Dwarves arrive in Cliffton...must do everything in his power...to save his people...compelling fantasy full of adventure...dragons...battles...magic...plot is well constructed...characters are wonderful...middle-ages setting...cliffhanger ending...” (VOYA 5Q4P)
Gonzalez, Julie. Imaginary Enemy. Delacorte, $15.99 (978-0-385-73552-0)
(gr.7 and up) “...Jane...quick wit and quirky personality win over readers almost immediately...follows her from elementary school into high school...transforms from an apathetic slacker into an artistic free-thinker...clever details...Jane pens short missives to her imaginary enemy, Bubba (short for Beelzebub), about what’s wrong in her life... ‘Bubba’ writes back...Readers will get a genuine kick out of Jane’s fumblings and successes, both imaginary and real.” (PW)
Grant, Michael. Gone. HarperTeen, $18.89 (978-0-06-144876-8)
(gr. 6-9) “...One moment there are adults, and the next everyone over fourteen is gone...kids realize that they are on their own...chaos and fear...juvenile delinquents...take over Perdido Beach...Caine...power to move things with his mind...Sam...can burn things with light that shoots from his hands...If Stephen King had written Lord of the Flies... Complex issues...new series.” (VOYA 5Q4P)
Hood, Ann. How I Saved My Father’s Life: (And Ruined Everything Else). Scholastic, $16.99 (978-0-439-92819-9)
(gr. 6 and up) “...pitch-perfect comedy...narrative voice is exquisitely if unwittingly funny while true to the perspective of a child. Eleven year old Madeline, who assures readers up front that she’s ‘not even a religious person,’ wants to become a saint...believes that her praying has miraculously saved her father from an avalanche... unintended consequences: her father has subsequently divorced her mother, moved... married...fathered a baby...Rarely has divorce been shown so astutely from a child’s point of view.” (PW)
Padian, Maria. Brett McCarthy: Work in Progress. Knopf, $15.99 (978-0-375-84675-5)
(gr. 7 and up) “...Fourteen-year-old Brett McCarthy...independent-thinking jock...her best friend, Diane, and her spunky grandmother, Nonna...neither beautiful nor brilliant...killer instinct on the soccer field...life is perfect...ill-advised phone prank triggers a falling-out with Diane...Nonna’s diagnosed with pancreatic cancer...Forceful and heartwarming...embraces some well-worn stereotypes...readers will relate to Brett’s missteps and successes.” (PW)
Pearson, Mary E. The Adoration of Jenna Fox. Holt, $16.95 (978-0-8050-7668-4)
(gr. 9 and up) “Sometime in the near future, Jenna Fox, 17, awakens from an 18-month-long coma following a devastating accident, her memory nearly blank...mysteries ... As memories return...starts picking at the explanation her parents have spun until it unravels...uses each revelation to steadily build tension until the true horror comes into focus...raises the ante in unexpected ways until the very last page. Clues are supplied by the supporting cast...A few lapses in logic...can be forgiven in favor of expert plotting and the complex questions raised about ethics and the nature of the soul.” (PW)
Pullman, Philip. Once Upon a Time in the North. Knopf, $12.99 (978-0-375-84510-9)
(gr. 5-9) “...rip-roaring novella, a prequel to The Golden Compass...Texan balloonist Lee Scoresby...first meeting with the armored bear Iorek Byrnison...quite young...Scoresby...case of injustice that he cannot ignore...appealing characters, an exciting gunfight, insightful political commentary...mysterious documents...should strongly appeal to the author’s many fans.” (VOYA 5Q5P)
Schmidt, Gary D. Trouble. Clarion, $16 (978-0-618-9276-1)
(gr. 7-12) “...Henry Smith wondering who is to blame when his older brother, Franklin, is hit and killed one night while jogging along the highway...alleged driver, Chay Chouan, and his family are immigrants from Cambodia...adds fuel to a fire of sentiment against new arrivals...Henry...discover that he and Chay are more profoundly entangled than he could have possibly suspected...engaging...involves issues of adolescense...literary...social issues...most appropriate for readers fourteen and older.” (VOYA 5Q4P)
Watson, Andi. Glister. Issues 2 and 3. Image Comics, $5.99 ea. Trade pb Issue 2 (978-1-58240-884-2). Issue 3 (978-1-58240-925-2)
(gr. 6-9) “Strange things happen around Glister Butterworth....lives in a contrary sentient house and has a ghost for a best friend...Chilblain Hall, her quirky ancestral manse...is insulted...runs away for a world tour...delightfully bizarre, witty, page-turning storytelling...chock full of absurd details...distinctive fluid lines...”(VOYA 5Q4P)
Audio
Gantos, Jack. I Am Not Joey Pigza. Narrated by Jack Gantos. Listening Library, 2007. Unabr. 4 hours, 47 minutes, 4 CDs, $30 (978-0-7393-5628-9)
(gr. 4-9) “...the irrepressible Joey Pigza makes another memorable appearance in this fourth book...Joey is surprised to discover that his mother and father have reconciled and plan to remarry...Gantos...voice has become synonymous with Joey’s...pacing... drives the story ahead full bore...extending the audience range through audiobooks...” (VOYA 5Q4P)
Landy, Derek. Skulduggery Pleasant. Narrated by Rupert Degas. HarperChildren’s Audio, 2007, Unabr. 7 hours, 30 minutes, 6 CDs, $27.95 (978-0-06-134104-5)
(gr. 5-9) “Twelve-year-old Stephanie inherits the bulk of her Uncle Gordon’s estate...all manner of mayhem. Skulduggery Pleasant, a private detective who also happens to be a skeleton, comes to her aid...Musical intros and outros help set the mood...darkly funny...spot-on voices...” (VOYA 5Q4P)
DVDs
Homeless in Paradise. DVD. Color. 50 min. Produced by Braverman Productions; dist. by New Day Films, 2006, $95 (978-1-574481-488)
(gr. 7-adult) “...realities of the homeless in our cities. Santa Monica, California... Over the course of two years...follows four people...who live in the streets and parks... while examining how the city attempts to deal with the situation...tragedies...city flounders...How can law enforcement be balanced with systematic change...portrays the homeless in a manner that is honest and forthright while also being sympathetic.” (VOYA 5Q3P)
The Tobacco Conspiracy. DVD. Color. In French with English subtitles. 52 min. Produced and dist. by National Film Board of Canada, 2005, $195.
(gr. 7-adult) “...upfront about its point of view and makes no pretense of being a balanced account...powerful...uses a variety of techniques...clips from tobacco-industry executives’ testimony at hearings, ad campaigns for cigarettes and against smoking, interviews...re-enactments of executive strategy sessions...target teens...excellent piece of anti-tobacco propaganda and well worth viewing and discussing with teens. (VOYA 5Q4P)