Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick. Balzer + Bray, 2012. 216 pages.

Cambodia, 1975. told in the 9 year old voice of co-author Arn Chorn-Pond, founder of Children of War. McCormick at her best-- compelling and beautifully written horrors. Quick read. Fiction, issue book, reads like nonfiction. Recommend for everyone.

Trickster: Native American Tales- A Graphic Collection by Matt Dembiki. Fulcrum Books, 2010. 220 pages.

Graphic compilation of native american trickster tales-- rabbit, raven, raccoon and coyote-- trickster tales from many native peoples, each retold by different authors and illustrators. I love folktales, trickster tales in particular and this compilation, while  necessarily uneven-- all those different writing and illustration styles-- is still very well done. The graphic format enhances the volume-- it is very tough to get most middle schoolers to pick up a volume of folklore. I loved it. A winner. BPL_BPS summer reading myths and legends- 6th - 8th grade.

Secret Saturdays by Torrey Maldonado. G.P. Putnum's Sons, 2010. 195 pages.

The Odyssey: a graphic novel by Gareth Hinds. Candlewick Press, 2010. 249 Pages

Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman. Harper, 2009, 117 Pages

The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary by Candace Fleming. Scwartz & Wade Books, 2008. 181 pages.

Nonfiction the way it should read! Fleming created this beautiful look at Abraham and Mary Lincoln as a 19thcentury scrap book complete w/ period photos, newpaper articles, letters, and other related bits of art, objects and ephemera -- and yet continues to tell the biographies of the 2 people and the times in a well written, easy to read and magnificent to look at oversized book. Something for everyone, complete w/ index and timelines and source list of books, websites and photos to satisfy the most enthusiastic young historians. Stands with the best Lincoln bios and photobooks. YES!

Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman. HarperTeen, 2000. 112 pages.

14 year old Shawn McDaniel is paralyzed totally-- unable to even move his eyes. But unknown to his family, his mind sharp and he is fully aware of what goes on around him. He thinks his father is trying to kill him, but he has no way to tell anyone.
Fast paced and well done, this HILO is told in the voice of Shawn himself. a winner for boys and reluctant readers and everyone else. several in series, great for bookclubs.

The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex. Hyperion, 2007. 425 pages

Upper Elementary/Early Middle-- fast paced and very well written, cleverly put together this fantasy has all the right elements-- a strong orphan-ed type heroine who sets out with a good natured and misunderstood alien on a quest to save the world and her family. A long book for this age- 400 pages. Funny and well done for strong readers-- due to length, mostly.

Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah. Scholastic, 2007. 360 pages.

When 16 year old Amal decides to wear the hijab full time-- including to high school--all her well thought out plans had not prepared her for the reaction she gets; reactions from her friends, her enemies, her family. This well written and fast moving book is Abdel-Fattah's first and best work. Funny, believeable and strong females from this Australian import. Highly recommended.

Escape to Gold Mountain: A Graphic History of the Chinese in North America by David H.T. Wong. Arsenal Pulp Press, 2012, 233 pages.

Graphic history of the Chinese in North America. Not nonfiction exactly, as the history is told through the experience of one family-- but certainly a true story at its core--little is written of the shameful treatment of Chinese immigrants in the US and Canada. Wong's graphic reads like a history and feels very YA-- in every positive sense, but will no doubt appeal to adults too. I always say i love a graphic memoir-- but i love a well done graphic history too.  Read it.

Black Potatoes: the story of the Great Irish Famine, 1845-1850 by Susan Campbell Bartoletti. Houghton Miffin Company, Boston, 2001 180 pages.

Bartoletti is a well known and highly respected writer and researcher of History for  children. Social history of the Irish Potato Famine. Good scientific explanation and first person account of famine, as well as explaination of British political policies that caused the famine and caused mass exodus from Ireland.

The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler. RazorBill, 2011. 356 pages.

The story line-- that in 1996 Emma Stone installs AOL on her new computer and, inexpicably, finds her facebook page from 15 years in the future-- promises more than it delivers. The writing and the plot were mediocre at best. EEEh, its alright.

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. Vintage Contemporaries, 1991. 110 pages.

Originally published in 1984, The House on Mango Street, a YA coming of age classic, reads and feels as fresh as if it were written today. Cisneros reveals Esperanza's world through a series of short, vingettes that read like poetry-- sparse and powerful  with well chosen words. We experience life on Mango Street-- we see  and smell  and feel ---as if we lived there with Esperanza, and Marin and Nenny.  This book lives up to its well deserved reputation.

Friedrich by Hans Peter Richter. Puffin Books, 1987. 149 pages.

School room classic tale of the holocaust translated from the German and told from the point of view of Friedrich's best friend and neighbor, an Aryan youth, whose first name we never learn. A chronological listing of memories, vingnettes, of the life of Friedrich and his family from 1930 through 1942, told in a factual, reporter style. We see as things turn to bad and worse for the jewish family, but the narrator only reports what happens- leaving it to us to guess the meaning or to feel the emotion. A quick read, a classic and very well done. great for discussion and to recommend. A chronological listing of historical events at back. 12+

Ten Things I Hate About Me by Randa Abdel-Fattah, Scholastic, 2010. 297 pages.

Travel Team by Mike Lupica. Puffin Books, 2004. 274 pages.

12 year old Danny eats, drinks and sleeps basketball. And he is a great player-- despite his very, very small stature. Basketball defines him- in no small part- because it is the only way he and his dad relate to each other. His Dad, divorced from Danny's mom and living across the country, was a local basketball phenom who is still legendary in Danny's Connecticut town but who tragically lost it all his first year in the majors when he crashed his car in a drunk driving accident that ended his sports career and almost ended his life. When Danny is not chosen for the 6th grade travel team because of his small size- the team his legendary dad brought to its only state championship victory, Danny is devasted. But thanks to Aly, Danny's mom,
 (who is the rock in his life and throughout this story) Danny and his Dad reconnect and start their own travel team for all the kids who were unfairly denied a team spot by the parents (Dads) who run the league.  A story about redemption, new beginnings, over coming adversity, trying hard, good sportsmanship, fairness, life, bouncing back and telling truths. A good story for any kid-- advanced 5th graders and up. A great book for basketball fans. Well written. i enjoyed it, and it has the exact amount of truth and feel good to be a great choice for bookclubs too.

The Sister's Grimm: The Fairy Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley.Amulet Books, 2005. 284 pages.

Two sisters, Daphne, 7, and Sabrina Grimm, 11, find themselves in a series of awful foster homes after their parents (and only living relatives) inexplicably disappear. The real story starts when the girls are dropped off with a new foster mom who turns out to be their grandmother Grimm, an Everafter  who lives in an isolated and strange little town in upstate New York filled with mythic and fairy tale characters. Snow White is a school teacher, Prince Charming the Mayor, The 3 Pigs are Police. The sister's Grimm must get used to their new life while solving a crime involving a destroyed farm house and a huge foot print, while saving their Grandmother from a kidnapping Giant.  Part mystery, part fractured fairy tale, part adventure the story is delightful, but long and windy-- take note because not all 4 to 6 graders will be ready for a thick twisty plot and 300 pages. But for those that are the book is a clever and funny and satisfying. series.

Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff. Henry Hold & Co. 1993, 200 pages.

First person narrative written in verse. LaVaughn is 14 and wants to go-- is determined to go-- to college. She has lots of support from her mother and her teachers and while it will not be easy, she is going to get out. LaVaughn agrees to babysit for  17 year old single mother -2 kids- Jolly because she needs to save money for college. Jolly, with no support, is, of course, a mess. Their unlikely friendship helps Jolly find her way to a better life and gives LaVaughn some important life lessons.

I am glad is stuck with this book-- it was recommended by a young patron. Initially, i thought i knew where the story was headed-- yadddah yaddah yaddah-- but i was wrong. The story is not new but it is very real and is told in an honest and truthful way that is hopeful without being deceptively simple or trite. I really enjoyed it and just added the rest of the trilogy to the ya collection. And the verse style really enhances the telling. 

Keesha's House by Helen Frost. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 2003, 116 pages.

A novel in verse, told in the voices of  at risk teens in crisis. Most feel they cannot go home-- 'Keesha's house' offers  safety and a chance to pause and try to pull yourself together.
 The book is brief but full of story and emotion, the teens who give voice are varied in race, class and issues-- it will speak to teens on many levels.

An added surprise for me was that the author includes backpages that recount the sestinas and sonnets she employed in creating Keesha's House.  Real poetry with organized rhythm and meter in voices so compelling and current that we did not even notice. Well done and very impressive. Printz Award.

Shine by Lauren Myracle. Amulet Books, 2011. 359 Pages.

A good teen read-- not great literature but a dark mystery taking place amid rural poverty, meth addictions, gay bashing, coming of age, hope amoung the hopeless, friendships, secrets, lies, rape and abuse. 17 year old Cat is entering her senior year. She has isolated herself from everyone --including her supportive friends-- because she was sexually abused by a local boy from a powerful family (a theme that runs throught the work). She is compelled to reengage, however, when her formerly best friend, Patrick, is found comatose and near death strung up to a gas pump with the nozzel shoved down his throat and SUCK ON THIS carved into his torso.While the church ladies blame the victim and the sheriff looks for gay bashing outsiders, Cat begins her own investigation, certain the answer is to be found in the local red neck posse and friends who,like all bullies, operate in plain view of the adults who never see a thing. i like the mystery and the setting and the inclusion of gay characters. it is good teen lit but not great-- i solved the mystery long before the book ended and the ending is very very neat and too happy for the rest of the book (left me wondering if publisher or focus group told her to lighten it up at the end.) i am also disturbed by the relationship she ends up having with her abuser. He is not a monster and a little unhappy with the redemption and acceptance of him or of her abuse-- i will think on this for a while. let me know how you see it. still, i will recommend with caveats.


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War Is Boring by David Axe and Matt Bors. New American Library, 2010, 125 pages

Graphic memoir of war correspondent, David Axe. Honest look at the War Machine -- UN Peacekeepers, US Military, Humanitarian Aide workers, local translators and guides, Arms manufacturers, Weapon conventions, journalism, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, East Timor etc-- and of the many issues coming home, reestablishing relationships, living the civilian life. An honest glimpse of war life- at home and abroad. Axe is ambivient about his feelings about war and unable to explain why he does what he does. Works well in graphic form.

Superman Versus The Ku Klux Klan: the true story of how the iconic superhero battled the men of hate by Rick Bowers. National Geographic, 2012.160 pages.

First, the bad news-- the sexy title promises a lot more than it delivers. We get a social history of the US in the early/mid 20th century, we learn about the young men who created Superman, about the publishing and ad business, ww2 homefront, propaganda, etc. We also learn about the KKK history and mid 20th century resurgence. But the stories are presented side by side and do not intersect-- and then only slightly, until the last chapter. AND NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS... Once I got over that, I enjoyed the book. I never expected to be interested in Superman-- I am not a big graphic person and i do not read superhero DC comics at all, but the book is so readable and well written, and the format enhances the text -- text blocks, photos, bold graphics in black and white. And as a quality informational work it also includes an index, source list by chapter and bibliograhy, as well as an afterward detailing what happened to the seminal characters after the final chapter. Recommended with caveats.

Towelhead by Alicia Erian. Simon & Schuster, 2005. 319 Pages.

It is 1991, right at the start of the first Gulf War a 13 year old Jasira is sent away when her mother realizes that Barry, Mom's boyfriend, is behaving inappropriately toward her. Poor Jasira, well developed and looking for love and attention that she does not get from her immature and selfish mother, is easy prey for Barry and every other man, young and old, who she meets. She begs to stay but Jasira is sent to live with her distant and rigid and cold Lebanese father in Texas where she is isolated and vulnerable.   Racism, Sexual abuse, neglect and fear. As disturbing as the book is, it is also compelling and deep-- ending with more hope that it started-- rich and deep with lots of twists and emotional turns. WEll done-- Adult book.

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper.

Words.

I'm surrounded by thousands of words. Maybe millions.

Cathedral. Mayonnaise. Pomegranate.

Mississippi. Neapolitan. Hippopotamus.

Silky. Terrifying. Iridescent.

Tickle. Sneeze. Wish. Worry.

Words have always swirled around me like snowflakes--each one delicate and different, each one melting untouched in my hands.

Deep within me, words pile up in huge drifts. Mountains of phrases and sentences and connected ideas. Clever expressions. Jokes. Love songs.

From the time I was really little-maybe just a few months old--words were like sweet, liquid gifts, and I drank them like lemonade. I could almost taste them. They made my jumbled thoughts and feelings have substance. My parents have always blanketed me with conversation. They chattered and babbled. They verbalized and vocalized. My father sang to me. My mother whispered her strength into my ear.

Every word my parents spoke to me or about me I absorbed and kept and remembered. All of them.

I have no idea how I untangled the complicated process of words and thought, but it happened quickly and naturally. By the time I was two, all my memories had words, and all my words had meanings.

But only in my head.

I have never spoken one single word. I am almost eleven years old.

http://sharondraper.com/bookdetail.asp?id=35

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011. 352 pages.

I always love Jack Gantos-- whether he is Joey Pigza, Ralph, Jackie or has a hole in his heart. A clever, heartfelt and always funny portrayal of Gantos' disfunctional family, neighbors and town. Done well and with love. A fast read. Loved it.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer. NY, Feiwel & Friends, 2011. 390 Pages.

Straight up teen book-- with somewhat of a twist. Cinderella story and first in a series (The Lunar Chronicles), Cinder is a cyborg-- part human/part machine-- living with a mean stepmother and 2 step sisters-- one evil, the other sweet- if immature. Cinder knows little of her past or how she came to need the surgery that both saved her life and condemned her to second class citizenship on this war torn earth of the future. She meets the wildly handsome Prince of New Bejing-- also emperor of the commonwealth of earthen nations and-- surprise!!he is smitten with her, she with him and she fails to tell him she is part cyborg. An evil Lunar Queen is trying to both marry Cinder's Prince Charming and take over the world but once Cinder meets the mysterious scientist looking for a cure to the very contagious plague that is overtaking the earth, she will learn a few things about her past and her future. Not half bad. I liked it inspite of the teeny teenish plot, details and dialogue.
won't bother with the rest of the series but that's just me. some girls will love this.

Sylvia & Aki by Winifred Conkling.Tricycle Press, 2011. 150 pages.

A fascinating story based on true life; Aki Munemitsu and Sylvia Mendez were two young girls living in California during World War II. Aki's family, Japanese American farmers, were forceably relocated to internment and prisoner of war camps for virtually the entire war. During that time, while Sylvia's family, Mexican Americans, leased and worked the Munemitsu farm, Sylvia and her siblings were  denied a seat in school because they were not white. While Sylvia's family fought for and eventually won the right for every child to attend every school, ending school segregation in California, Aki's family were the victims of anti Japanese racism. Both two girls showed incredible courage in the face of unfairness and adversity and remain friends even today.  Epilogue gives additonal historical fact and context. Highly recommend.

DarkRoom: A Memoir In Black and White by Lila Quintero Weaver. University of Alabama Press, 2012. 264 pages.

I love a graphic memoir. Lila Quintero's family moved from Buenos Aires to Alabama in the 1950s when she was 5 years old. How do you live in the segregated south when you are not black or white? The poignant and moving personal memoir of a Latina  growing up  during major civil rights struggles in the segregated and newly desegregated southern united states during the 1950s and 60s.  This memoir started out as a senior project for Quintero who completed her bachelor's degree as an adult at a non traditional program for adults like herself at the University of Alabama.

The Killer's Cousin by Nancy Werlin. Delacorte Press, 1998. 228 Pages.

Psycological thriller a la Lois Duncan's Killing Mr.Griffin. Teenage David, recently aquitted of murdering his girlfriend, moves to Cambridge to finish highshcool where he is not known. He lives with his distant aunt and uncle and his very strange young cousin, and sleeps in the same appartment his other cousin killed herself in. Soon David starts seeing and hearing things, and cousin Lily lets him know he is not wanted. the local locale adds to the fun-- for adults anyway. a page turner.

No Ordinary Day by Deborah Ellis. Groundwood Books, 2011, 160 pages.

A fast paced quick read-- realistic fiction issue book from Deborah Ellis-- well done and powerful. Valli's short life has been very rough-- coal picking and virtually enslaved to a poor family in India. Abused in every way, Valli runs off to live by herself on the streets of Calcutta where she eventually meets a Doctor who convinces her to trust enough to get medical treatment for her leprosy. Sharp and powerfully told in Valli's own voice. All too realistic fiction. I love Deborah Ellis.

Balloons Over Broadway: the true story of the puppeteer of Macy's Parade by Melissa Sweet. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2011.

Fascinating story of Tony Sarg and the origins of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloons. Light on the dates--always an issue for librarians and teachers-- but rich in narrative-- always a plus for kids. Makes this nonfiction informational book very, very readable and accessible to all. i loved it. pair with holiday books, art, engineering, inventions, and any puppet program you may have. Look for the Jim Henson connection. Caldecott Honor. Siebert winner.

SuckerPunch by David Hernandez. Harper Teen, NY. 217 pages.

Dark. Disfunctional family, teens with problems. Domestic Abuse. Very dark. thought i would like it more than i did. could not finish it.

Maximilian: The mystery of the guardian angel by Xavier Garza. Cinco Punto Press, El Paso, TX, 2011. 207 pages

Pie by Sarah Weeks. Scholastic Press, New York, 2011. 183 pages.

Alice's aunt Polly is the Pie Queen of Ipswitch Pennsylvania. She has made the town famous with her mouthwatering pies and has touched the lives of everyone with her wit and charm and smarts and kindness. And she is Alice's whole world. This becomes even more clear when Polly dies and leaves the town without Polly, without her delicious pies, without a source of income and with a big mystery-- why would she leave her million dollar pie crust recipe to a bad tempered unlikeable cat named Lardo

Bodies From The Ash: Life and Death in Ancient Pompeii by James M Deem. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 2005. 50 pages.

Deem retells the story of the devastating eruption of Mt. Vesuvius and subsequent destruction of Pompeii in 79 A.D. using lots of photographs, primary sources and side bars and lively text. Very well done and fascinating-- archaeology, science, social history and adventure-- all at once. In addition to photos, includes timeline, bibliography, and maps. Final chapter details the current precarious state of the ruins and raises the question of what would happen if the volcano erupted today. Loved it. Kids do too.

Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going. G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York. 2003. 183 pages.

Troy is Fat Kid-- 17 year old high school senior, 6'1", 300 lbs. While seriously contemplating suicide in a NYC subway station, he meets Curt, a homeless high school dropout and punk rock musician, bone thin, dirty and sickly. And, a legend in Troy's high school. Drug Addict. Curt saves Troy from jumping and insists he become drummer in his nonexistant band. coming of age story, dead mother, damaged, grieving family, Fat Kid full of issues and insecurities, etc. Curt has problems too. Lots of promise in the book but it was just okay-- starts strong but after a few chapters, they all start to sound the same-- then Troy has an epiphany, saves Curt (in a sense), develops a good relationship with his dad and his brother -some very hokey and predictable dialog with the brother, but the poor writing was unusual for the book. even the other predictable parts were written well. I am not recommending it. Too many other books with the same themes that are better. A strong start with no finish.

The Dream Stealer by Sid Fleischman. Greenwillow Books, 2009. 89 pages.

Susana, a young Mexican girl, misses the best friend she left behind when her family moved to a new city. Susana is reunited with Consuelo Luisa in her dreams, until Zumpango, the Dream Stealer, tired of taking people's nightmares, steals the lovely dream for himself. Susana sets off to get it back. Short and sweet, The Dream Stealer is full of rich language and not too scary fantasy. Fleischman includes a great explanation of his inspiration for the story.

The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt: a novel in pictures by Caroline Preston. New York: Ecco/Haper Collins, 2011

A coming of age story. A decade in the life of Frankie Pratt told with pictures and ticket stubs and newpaper clippings and captions from her scrapbook. 1920s, Cornish NH, high school graduation, inappropriate relationship, looking for love, Vassar, love, NY, Paris, NH. Clever and tender and very readable-- and rereadable. so much to see on everypage and i love non linear reading and journal books. Adult book but great for teens-- Alex Award winner. Loved it. Buying it for YA.

Ain't Nothing But A Man: my quest to find the real John Henry by Scott Reynolds Nelson. Washington DC: National Geographic Society, 2008

The youth version of Nelson's highly acclaimed work Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry: the untold story of an american legend, Ain't Nothing BUT A MAN is fascinating, well written and very accessible to upper elementary and middle school students. Nelson follows clues in the John Henry folksongs to separate legend from history and uncover the real man. John Henry's story is the story of african american men in the mid nineteenth century--the civil war, reconstruction, railroads, and prison labor. Highly recommended for kids who love history and for those that think they don't. Includes Aronson's excellent overview of the research process, Nelson's appendices and suggestions for further research and multimedia sources. Summer Reading List, myths and legends, middleschool. Loved it.

Reckless by Cornelia Funke. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2010.

Princess at the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George. New York: Bloomsbury. 280 Pages.

Rich retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, George deftly weaves a fresh tale of Romance, of FairyTale, of Fantasy. A modern twist on an old classic, this well done fairytale will appeal to older middle school girls who may well insist they do not like fairytales. Especially well done. Look for several sequels. 2012 Summer reading list, myths and legends, 6-8.

A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz. New York: Dutton. 256 pages.

Deliciously Creepy and right on point- fairy-tale wise, Gidwitz takes Hansel and Gretel to places we never even dreamed. Clever and rich. Summer Reading list, 2012. middle school legends and myths. 5th grade+.