Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Waiting by Carol Lynch Williams



London, the narrator of Carol Lynch Williams’ novel in verse Waiting, lives in Florida with her parents and with the memory of her late brother Zach hanging over her family. Her mother has not spoken to her since Zach’s death. Her father seems warm by comparison, but it is obvious Zach’s death has also deeply affected him. London has a strained relationship with Taylor, her former boyfriend who was also a friend of Zach’s and soon starts to develop feelings for Jesse, the new guy at school. In her grief-stricken state, London rarely makes good choices when it comes to Taylor and Jesse.

 London’s parents are former missionaries and she and Zach became best friends as their family traveled from country to country together. Zach’s death strains the religious beliefs of all three surviving family members. London constantly questions her faith. Her mom has quit going to church altogether while her dad continues to work for the church and hold on to his belief that Zach’s death was all part of God’s plan.

Williams is very slow to reveal how Zach died and this helps build tension in the novel. It also makes Waiting a novel about how people deal with the death of a loved one instead of a novel about why someone died. Waiting is an honest and moving look at a difficult subject.

John

Monday, February 18, 2013

Because It Is My Blood by Gabrielle Zevin


Because It Is My Blood is the second novel in Gabrielle Zevin’s futuristic Birthright series following All These Things I’ve Done. Zevin continues the story of Anya Balanchine, who is a part of the Balanchine crime family. The Balanchines have made their money selling their own brand of chocolate, which is illegal in the late twenty-first century America Zevin sets the book in. Along with the crime family drama, Anya’s relationship with on again, off again boyfriend Win— whose father is running for district attorney—continues and leads to many complications for her. Among these are Win’s father getting her sent back to a juvenile detention center on trumped up charges in order to help his campaign. Her brief imprisonment leads her to break out, with quite a lot of assistance, and end up on a cacao farm in Mexico.

Because It Is My Blood was not quite as strong as the first book in the series, mainly because the plot meanders somewhat when Anya is hiding in Mexico. However, the ending was very strong and Zevin has set up what should be an exciting final book in the series.

John

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Romantic Reads

Okay, love doesn't always suck. Enjoy the romance. Happy Valentine's Day!

Love? Maybe by Heather Hepler
Just because Piper's birthday is on Valentine's Day does not mean she's a romantic. In fact, after watching her father and then her stepfather leave, she's pretty sure she doesn't believe in love at all. Then her friends concoct a plan to find them all Valentine's dates, and somehow Piper finds herself with the most popular guy in school. But true love never follows a plan and a string of heartfelt gifts from a secret admirer has Piper wondering if she might be with the wrong guy.

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not: loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them. Until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik
At Coral Tree Prep in Los Angeles, who your parents are can make or break you. Case in point: As the son of Hollywood royalty, Derek Edwards is pretty much prince of the school--not that he deigns to acknowledge many of his loyal subjects. As the daughter of the new principal, Elise Benton isn't exactly on everyone's must-sit-next-to-at-lunch list. When Elise's beautiful sister catches the eye of the prince's best friend, Elise gets to spend a lot of time with Derek, making her the envy of every girl on campus. Except she refuses to fall for any of his rare smiles and instead warms up to his enemy, the surprisingly charming social outcast Webster Grant. But in this hilarious tale of fitting in and flirting, not all snubs are undeserved, not all celebrity brats are bratty, and pride and prejudice can get in the way of true love for only so long.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be too if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home. As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna has long awaited?

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything? Today should be one of the worst days of Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row. A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker
Sophomore year broke Clementine Williams' heart. She fell for her best friend's boyfriend and long story short: he's excused, but Clem is vilified and she heads into summer with zero social life. Enter her parents' plan to spend the summer on their sailboat. Normally the idea of being stuck on a tiny boat with her parents and little sister would make Clem break out in hives, but floating away sounds pretty good right now. Then she meets James at one of their first stops along the river. He and his dad are sailing for the summer and he's just the distraction Clem needs. Can he break down Clem's walls and heal her broken heart?

Kimberly

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

More Anti-Valentine's Day Books

Here are some books about why love sucks...just in time for Valentine's Day. 

Just One Day by Gayle Forman
Allyson Healey's life has been carefully planned out by her parents until a single event comes to define a year in Allyson's life. Underwhelmed by her postgraduation trip to Europe, she makes the uncharacteristic decision to follow Willem, a Dutch actor she's just met, to Paris for a single day. When Willem disappears the next day, Allyson is left trying to discover the truth of what happened. Back in the U.S., Allyson begins to break away from her mother's expectations, realizes her passion for theater and language, and tries to gather clues about Willem's whereabouts. This tale offers the perfect blend of mystery, drama, and an evocative portrait of unrequited love.

The Difference Between You and Me by Madeleine George
Jesse cuts her own hair with a Swiss Army knife. She wears big green fisherman's boots. She's the founding (and only) member of NOLAW, the National Organization to Liberate All Weirdos. Emily wears sweaters with faux pearl buttons. She's vice president of the student council. She has a boyfriend. These two girls have nothing in common, except the passionate "private time" they share every Tuesday afternoon. Jesse wishes their relationship could be out in the open, but Emily feels she has too much to lose. When they find themselves on opposite sides of a heated school conflict, they each have to decide what's more important: what you believe in, or the one you love?

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler
Min Green and Ed Slaterton are breaking up, so Min is writing Ed a letter and giving him a box. Inside the box is why they broke up. Two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a folded note, a box of matches, a protractor, books, a toy truck, a pair of ugly earrings, a comb from a motel room, and every other item collected over the course of a giddy, intimate, heartbreaking relationship. Item after item is illustrated and accounted for, and then the box, like a girlfriend, will be dumped.

Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald
Sadie is in love: epic, heartfelt, and utterly one-sided. The object of her obsession--ahem, affection--is her best friend, Garrett Delaney, who has been oblivious to Sadie's feelings ever since he sauntered into her life and wowed her with his passion for Proust (not to mention his deep-blue eyes). For two long, painful years, Sadie has been Garrett's constant companion, sharing his taste in everything from tragic Russian literature to '80s indie rock--all to no avail. But when Garrett leaves for a summer literary retreat, Sadie is sure that the absence will make his heart grow fonder--until he calls to say he's fallen in love. With some other girl! A heartbroken Sadie realizes that she's finally had enough. It's time for a total Garrett detox! Aided by a barista job, an eclectic crew of new friends, and a customized self-help guide, Sadie embarks on a summer of personal reinvention.

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
According to her best friend Frankie, twenty days in Zanzibar Bay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy ever day, there's a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there's something she hasn't told Frankie---she's already had that kind of romance, and it was with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.

The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg
Brie's life ends at sixteen: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart--literally. But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend has been keeping a secret about Jacob, the boy Brie loved and lost--and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul. With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on. But how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?

Kimberly

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Nonfiction

Why not read about some incredibly true stories this winter?

One Shot at Forever by Chris Ballard
In 1971, a small-town high school baseball team from rural Illinois playing with hand-me-down uniforms and peace signs on their hats defied convention and the odds. Led by an English teacher with no coaching experience, the Macon Ironmen emerged from a field of 370 teams to become the smallest school in Illinois history to make the state final, a distinction that still stands. There, sporting long hair, and warming up to Jesus Christ Superstar, the Ironmen would play a dramatic game against a Chicago powerhouse that would change their lives forever.

Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different by Karen Blumenthal
From the start, his path was never predictable. Steve Jobs was given up for adoption at birth, dropped out of college after one semester, and at the age of twenty, created Apple in his parents' garage with his friend Steve Wozniack. Then came the core and hallmark of his genius - his exacting moderation for perfection, his counterculture life approach, and his level of taste and style that pushed all boundaries. A devoted husband, father, and Buddhist, he battled cancer for over a decade, became the ultimate CEO, and made the world want every product he touched. Framed by Jobs' inspirational Stanford commencement speech and illustrated throughout with black and white photos, this is the story of the man who changed our world.

This Is How by Augusten Burroughs
If you're fat and fail every diet, if you're thin but can't get thin enough, if you lose your job, if your child dies, if you are diagnosed with cancer, if you always end up with exactly the wrong kind of person, if you always end up alone, if you can't get over the past, if your parents are insane and ruining your life, if you really and truly wish you were dead, if you feel like it's your destiny to be a star, if you believe life has a grudge against you, if you feel so ashamed, if you're lost in life. If you have ever wondered, How am I supposed to survive this? This is how.

Raiders! The Greatest Fan Film Ever Made by Alan Eisenstock
In 1982, Chris Strompolos, eleven, asked Eric Zala, twelve, a question: "Would you like to help me do a remake Raiders of the Lost Ark? I'm playing Indiana Jones." And they did it. Every shot, every line of dialogue, every stunt. They borrowed and collected costumes, convinced neighborhood kids to wear grass skirts, cast a fifteen-year-old as Indy's love interest, rounded up seven thousand snakes (sort of), built the Ark, the Idol, the huge boulder, found a desert in Mississippi, and melted the bad guys' faces off. It took seven years. Along the way, Chris had his first kiss (on camera), they nearly burned down the house and incinerated Eric, lived through parents getting divorced and remarried, and watched their friendship disintegrate. Raiders! is the incredible true story of how they realized their impossible dream and how their friendship survived all challenges.

Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95 by Phillip Hoose
B95 is a robin-sized shorebird, a red knot of the subspecies rufa. Scientists call him the Moonbird because, in the course of his astoundingly long lifetime, this gritty, four-ounce marathoner has flown the distance to the moon and halfway back! Each February he joins a flock that lifts off from Tierra del Fuego, headed for breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic, nine thousand miles away. B95 can fly for days without eating or sleeping, but eventually he must descend to refuel and rest. However, recent changes at ancient refueling stations along his migratory circuit - changes caused mostly by human activity - have reduced the food available and made it harder for the birds to reach. And so, since 1995, when B95 was first captured and banded, the worldwide rufa population has collapsed by nearly 80 percent. Shaking their heads, scientists ask themselves: How can this one bird make it year after year when so many others fall?


Miles to Go for Freedom by Linda Barrett Osborne
Told through unforgettable first-person accounts, photographs, and other primary sources, this book is an overview of racial segregation and early civil rights efforts in the United States from the 1890s to 1954, a period known as the Jim Crow years. Multiple perspectives are examined as the book looks at the impact of legal segregation and discrimination on the day-to-day life of black and white Americans across the country.

Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin
In December of 1938, a chemist in a German laboratory made a shocking discovery: When placed next to radioactive material, a Uranium atom split in two. That simple discovery launched a scientific race that spanned 3 continents. In Great Britain and the United States, Soviet spies worked their way into the scientific community; in Norway, a commando force slipped behind enemy lines to attack German heavy-water manufacturing; and deep in the desert, one brilliant group of scientists was hidden away at a remote site at Los Alamos. This is the story of the plotting, the risk-taking, the deceit, and genius that created the world's most formidable weapon. This is the story of the atomic bomb.

Regine's Book by Regine Stokke
Regine's blog about living with leukemia gained a huge following in her native Norway, and eventually turned into this incredible book in which she wrote openly about the emotional and physical aspects of her fifteen month struggle to recover, and explained how her disease affected her life. In the course of her illness, Regine had photography exhibits, went to concerts, enjoyed her friends and family, and advocated for registering as a blood and bone marrow donor. She was a typical teenager with an amazing will to live, and the lessons she learned have relevance for all of us.

Friday, February 1, 2013

2013 Award Winners

Earlier this week, several awards were given to honor some of the best books published last year for teens. What do you think of the winners?

Printz Award for excellence in young adult literature:

In Darkness by Nick Lake
Fifteen-year-old Shorty awakens beneath the ruins of a crumbled hospital in Haiti, where his weakening mind begins flashing back through his own violent history, the loss of his twin sister, and his mystical connection to Toussaint Louverture, the nineteenth-century revolutionary who helped liberate his country.




Honor Books:
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Dodger by Terry Pratchett

Morris YA Debut Award for first-time authors:

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
When the death of a royal prince threatens the fragile peace between humans and dragons in Goredd, court musician Seraphina is drawn into the murder investigation. But even as she aids Prince Lucian in his mission to uncover the murderer, Seraphina conceals a dangerous secret of her own—her half-human, half-dragon heritage.




Morris Finalists:
Love and Other Perishable Items by Laura Buzo
After the Snow by S.D. Crockett
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by emily m. danforth

Nonfiction Award

Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin
In this suspenseful combination of science and history, Sheinkin masterfully exposes the international race to develop an atomic weapon and bring an end to World War II. This true-life spy thriller features an international cast of characters and will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Period photographs of key players and an abundance of primary sources bring this well-researched story to life. Sheinkin gives readers insight into what happened with all of the major players after the end of the war. A thought-provoking epilogue on the long term implications of atomic weaponry reminds readers that the results of scientific inquiry have long term implications for everyone.

Nonfiction Finalists:
Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different by Karen Blumenthal
Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95 by Phillip Hoose
Titanic: Voices from the Disaster by Deborah Hopkinson
We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March by Cynthia Levinson

Kimberly