Thumbs Up 2009

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr

2009-02-23T14:49:00.001-05:00

Jennifer Harris was able to change her life after her only friend, Cameron, moved away when she was 9. She lost weight, changed her name, and moved. Now she is 17 and senior and high school, has a boyfriend and tons of friends but now Cameron has returned turning her life upside down. Secrets come out about his abusive father. They have to confront past memories with out letting anyone else know. Cameron ends up staying with her parents while they try to get everything straightened out but in the end he decides to return to California (where the rest of his family is) to help his brothers and sisters. A quiet novel about the strength of childhood friendships

Chanda's War by Allan Stratton

2009-02-23T14:47:00.001-05:00

This compelling book tells the story of Chanda, who due to her mother's recent death, is responsible for the well-being of her brother and sister. Encouraged to make amends with her estranged family, Chanda travels to a nearby town from which her brother and sister are stolen by a group of rebels. This book is, in large part, a book about child soldiers in war-torn Africa. More than that, however, this is a family story and one of courage and adventure. The narrative is well-constructed and Stratton keeps you wondering with each page what is going to happen.

Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott

2009-02-23T14:46:00.003-05:00

Danielle has never known a life without stealing. She and her mother live on the run, stealing silver, and never letting anyone know the real them. Then they come to Heaven, and Danielle starts gets a taste of what she has never had, realizing that she wants a life without stealing, without silver, and without fake names or IDs, she just wants to be normal. But, will she ever be able to?

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

2009-02-23T14:42:00.002-05:00

Kidnapped at 10 from a school field trip, and held captive by a psycho child molester until age 15, "Alice" has to choose her replacement, knowing she would rather be dead than alive.

Mexican Whiteboy by Matt de la Pena

2009-02-23T14:37:00.003-05:00

Danny is spending the summer in National City with his Mexican relatives while his mother tries out living with her new boyfriend in San Francisco. Danny has essentially stopped talking; his heart is broken by his father's abandonment three years earlier. The only thing that Danny really seems to care about is baseball, yet even his passion and talent for the game can't earn him a spot on the team at his private prep school back home. During one intense summer Danny comes to terms with his depression and anger, perfects his game, hangs out with his cousin Sofia and her crew of tough-yet-caring gangsta friends, finds first love, and discovers what really happened with his father.

Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks by e. Lockhart

2009-02-23T14:32:00.001-05:00

This is one of those boarding school books I loved as a teen,
with a new twist. Frankie gets the hot guy as her boyfriend,
but instead of losing herself, she actually finds herself. There's a
lot of intrigue, too, because there's a secret society and a mystery to solve.

Venomous by Christopher Krovatin

2009-02-23T14:17:00.005-05:00

Chris Krovatin (rhymes with "Satan") has written a touching, humorous, meaningful novel profiling Locke (stockinbarrel), a teen with a huge anger problem which he refers to as his alter ego, Venom. Locke beats the s*** out of people--so bad, they are barely alive after! Locke also loves his little brother and wants to set a good example for him. The novel alternates between Locke's story and the story of Venom, which of course becomes the story of Locke as well. Along the way, Locke makes some friends, falls in love, beats somebody up, gets a tattoo, and basically lives his teenaged life.

Playing with Matches by Brian Katcher

2009-02-23T14:16:00.002-05:00

Leon has faced his share of bullying in his 17 years but he still manages to keep his odd sense of humor though he never seems to get the girl. His new locker neighbor has seen even more bullying. When Melody was a child she was severely scared when a kerosene lamp exploded in her face. They soon become fast friends and then a little more though he does deny it for awhile. But he still holds a flame for the class beauty Amy and it soon lands him in the fire.

Last Exit to Normal by Michael Harmon

2009-02-23T14:14:00.002-05:00

When Ben is a young teen his father tells both him and his mom that he is gay. Bens mom splits and Ben is left with his father, feeling like his very existence is a result of his dads lie. Now Ben is 17, and after he has been acting out with drugs, drinking, etc, for the last few years His father with his boyfriend Edward, also known as Ben's "Momdad", make the decision to move the family out of Spokane to rural Montana so they can live with Edwards rather strict mother, in the hopes that a new life will help straighten Ben out. Unfortunately the whole family sticks out like a sore thumb and Ben does not really fit in very well as the only skateboard punk in a town full of cowboys. As if this is not enough, he soon starts to realize that there are some dark secrets involved with his 11 year old neighbor Billy. Now Ben has to try and come to grips with his own situation all the while trying to fit in to his new surroundings and try to help his young neighbor.

Paper Towns by John Green

2009-02-23T14:12:00.002-05:00

Quentin is only weeks away from graduating high school, moving on to a good college and starting a successful life. However, he hits a little snag before that can happen. The unrequited love of his life, Margo Roth Spiegleman, who just happens to be his neighbor and childhood friend, un-expectantly shows up at Quentin’s window in the middle of the night. This visit sparks a night of pranks, revenge, and fun. It is one of the best nights of Quentin’s life, but it also sets him on a mysterious search that will change how he looks at the world forever.

Two Parties, One Tux, and a Very Short Film about the Grapes of Wrath by Steven Goldman

2009-02-23T14:08:00.004-05:00

Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecilia Galante

2009-02-23T14:06:00.002-05:00

Agnes wants to be a saint. Honey is absorbed by learning about and seeing butterflies. They live in a religious compound, Agnes has two parents and a brother on the compound and Honey is an orphan. The brainwashing and blind following of the seemingly hypocritical "father" of the group is bile-fetching.

It is amazing that Honey would have such a sense of self and right despite the limited positive adult role models among the brainwashing. The alternatives to living in the commune could have been more detailed, but perhaps that would have come across as preachy. Although Honey saw the hypocracy of Veronica and Emmanuel, no other Believers question it. Following the events in Eldorado, some folks might be up in arms against this book, others against cult communes.

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George

2009-02-23T13:54:00.004-05:00

Based on a Norse Myth, a young girl, whose mother neglected to give her a name, has an encounter with the White Deer and can now talk to animals. A White Bear, called an isbjorn asks her to come away with him for a year in exchange for making her family wealthy. She goes with him to an ice palace and learns that everyone there is under an enchantment woven by the troll queen, of whom they are all terrified. She doesn't quite make it the year and tries to undo the consequences of her disregard of the instructions given her.

Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

2009-02-23T13:53:00.002-05:00

Bod's family was killed by the man Jack. He now lives in the graveyard that he toddled to the night his parents were killed and is protected by the ghosts that haunt the graveyard and his guardian who is neither living or dead. Jack is still after Bod but can only get to Bod if he leaves the graveyard. This book has been my favorite so far. The story is full of quirky characters and is full of snap shots of Bod's life from the night his parents were murdered through to the night when it was safe for him to leave and live his life.

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

2009-02-23T13:52:00.002-05:00

Fantastic techno-geek adventure wherein Marcus (a consumate hacker and rule breaker) is the target of intense scrutiny by the Department of Homeland Security. Rather than lie low and let the DHS run his life, Marcus and friends fight back by waging a cyberwar on an alternate internet. Fast paced, very hip, great teen appeal.

Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor

2009-02-23T13:50:00.003-05:00

Twelve year old Addie's parents' recent separation has split not only her father-in-law and mother, but Addie from her step-siblings. A driving force between the break-up is likely whatever mental illness drives her mother to spend all her waking hours on the Internet looking for "business opportunities". Dwight, the step-father, has without obligation sprung for a yellow trailer in the city in which mother and daughter will live, and sends monthly checks that usually catch flight once they're in "Mommers'" hands. At a service station across the street friom the trailer, Addie befriends Soula and Elliot. Soula is in chemo, and Elliot dates the owner of a local restaurant. When her mother's business opportunity finally arrives, Addie is often left home alone for days on end. She even resorts to packing empty cereal boxes with thumbtacks to cover when her grandfather comes over to check up on her. She has managed to mature beyond her years, but maturation isn't enough to avoid a terrible accident that will eventually alter her and her family's way of life.

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

2009-02-23T13:43:00.004-05:00

Katniss Everdeen lives in District 12. She helps take care of her mother and sister by hunting, even though it is illegal. When the drawing for The Hunger Games comes up, 12 year old Primrose Everdeen, sister of Katniss, is called to be the girl representative for District 12, Katniss runs up to take her place. Now Katniss is literally in the game of her life, can her hunting and survival skills keep her alive, when 23 other people are hunting to kill her and claim victory for their district?

Debbie Harry Sings in French by Megan Brothers

2009-02-23T13:41:00.004-05:00

When we meet Johnny he is in the middle of an drunken, goth dressing teenage-hood. He plummets into self destructive behaviors, that eventually lead to his mother sending him to live in South Carolina with an uncle he barely knows. As Johnny tries to set his life back on track, he becomes obsessed with Blondie singer Debbie Harry. So much so that he begins to realize he is actually longing to be her. But Johnny is pretty sure he isn't gay, especially since he's really into ubercool Maria.

The Compound by S.A. Bodeen

2009-02-23T13:33:00.003-05:00

The Compound by S.A. Bodeen

This first novel by author Bodeen is a truly gripping thriller. Eli, 15 years old, and most of his family have been locked away for the last six years in a massive underground shelter built by his billionaire father. Life on the outside has been destroyed by a nuclear war that also claimed the lives of Eli's twin brother and grandmother who were unable to make it to the shelter in time. They have 9 years to go before the door to the shelter can be unlocked but they are running out of supplies and won't last much longer. But then Eli makes a shocking discovery that changes everything.

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

2009-02-23T13:30:00.001-05:00

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
As the Revolutionary War begins, thirteen-year-old Isabel wages her own fight...for freedom. Promised freedom upon the death of their owner, she and her sister, Ruth, in a cruel twist of fate become the property of a malicious New York City couple, the Locktons, who have no sympathy for the American Revolution and even less for Ruth and Isabel. When Isabel meets Curzon, a slave with ties to the Patriots, he encourages her to spy on her owners, who know details of British plans for invasion. She is reluctant at first, but when the unthinkable happens to Ruth, Isabel realizes her loyalty is available to the bidder who can provide her with freedom.

2009-02-23T13:23:00.002-05:00

Top Twenty Titles Announced!
We have chosen the top 20 titles for Thumbs Up!
They are:
Anderson, Laurie Halse. Chains
Bodeen, S.A. The Compound
Brothers, Meagan. Debbie Harry Sings in French
Collins, Suzanne. Hunger Games
Connor, Leslie. Waiting for Normal
Doctorow, Cory. Little Brother
Gaiman, Neil. Graveyard Book
George, Jessica Day. Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow
Galante, Cecilia. Patron Saint of Butterflies
Goldman, Steven. Two Parties, One Tux, and a Very Short Film about the Grapes of Wrath
Green, John. Paper Towns
Harmon, Michael B. Last Exit to Normal
Katcher, Brian. Playing with Matches
Krovatin, Chris. Venemous
Lockhart, E. Disreputable History of Frankie Landau- Banks
Pena, Matt de la. Mexican White Boy
Scott, Elizabeth. Living Dead Girl
Scott, Elizabeth. Stealing Heaven
Stratton, Allan. Chanda’s Wars
Zarr, Sara. Sweethearts
I'll set up a new post for each of these titles so we can start blogging fresh!

Falling Hard edited by Betsy Franco

2009-02-05T18:21:00.003-05:00

Falling Hard is a collection of 100 love poems by teenagers. A few of these have been published previously, most have not. A very interesting collection and a range in quality (in my opinion). A view of love from many angles. Includes poems from gay/lesbian/bi viewpoints. There were a few that I really liked and it is a neat collection for teens to hear about love from other teens . . . but as a whole, I think not Thumb's Up. Nay

March Toward the Thunder by Joseph Bruchac

2009-02-04T20:35:00.004-05:00

The story of 15 year old Louis Nolette, an Abenaki Indian from Canada, who joins the Irish Brigade during the Civil War. Meeting up briefly with several prominent historical names such as Abraham Lincoln, Clara Barton, and Walt Whitman as well as touching on issues of the times: a hidden female soldier, black soldiers, the war doctors, and the destructive force of of bombs (such as they were), this story was a very good historical novel that not only makes you feel like you are there and seeing war from their time frame but that also has historical notes and a bibliography at the end. I vote Yay.

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George

2009-02-03T16:16:00.003-05:00

The Shepherd's Granddaughter by Anne Laurel Carter

2009-02-03T15:25:00.002-05:00

Amani, a Palestinian girl, dreams of being a shepherd like her grandfather, and though it is a dying occupation, she is home schooled and her grandfather teaches her the craft. After his death, she starts school determined to learn English so she can communicate with the settlers that are taking over the land where her sheep graze. Her father is arrested and she makes friends with a settler's son. Both are powerless. A quick read that sheds light on a current topic, giving it a human side. Good book but timely not timeless. I'm nay.

Caught Between the Pages by Marlene Carvell

2009-02-03T14:52:00.003-05:00

PJ Barnes is, in many ways, a typical high school student. At least the kind who is this close to failing - because he doesn't care. Not a lot of friends and not doing his homework - things start to unwind the day he finds that he has his teacher's journal. Reading it and dealing with life: druggies pressuring him (not to take drugs though), the jerk captain of his soccer team, his mentally not present step-father, and his mother getting in a car crash. What would YOU do? A fun read - reminded me of my brother (reasons for not doing homework). But not TU. Nay.

The Lab by Jack Heath

2009-02-03T13:43:00.003-05:00

Six of Hearts is a 16 yr old secret agent superhuman. He's the best of the Deck and determined to "uphold justice in a completely corrupt world." as a toddler he escaped from a lab in which he was created and one of his clones is actually one of the Jokers (the Deck's leaders). He gets caught on one of his most dangerous missions ever: freeing hostages from a robot factory that will soon be killed. Some of the italicized dialog radio communication was difficult to keep strait who was talking. Great action, fun read from a new Aussie author. Good but not quite TU.

Black Box by Julie Schumacher

2009-02-02T15:53:00.003-05:00

When Dora, Elena's older sister, is diagnosed with depression and has to be admitted to the hospital, Elena can’t seem to make sense of their lives anymore. At school, the only people who acknowledge Elena are Dora’s friends and Jimmy Zenk—who failed at least one grade and wears blackevery day of the week. And at home, Elena’s parents keep arguing with each other. Elena will do anything to help her sister get better and get their lives back to normal—even when the responsibility becomes too much to bear.

Good book, but lacked some details that would have made me care more about the character. I just found it really hard to believe that Elena had absolutely no friends at all in her school or from her old school. This was a quick read, and I think it has teen appeal, but I am going to say nay for TU quality.

Sucks To Be Me by Kimberly Pauley

2009-02-01T14:52:00.003-05:00

Mina is 16 years old and now has to take Vampire classes in order to decide to either become a bloodsucker, like her parents, or get her memory wiped of all things vampire. At the classes she meets a couple of cute guys, one with more personality than the other. She has great friends, good parents and an odd ball uncle. Really fun read with vampire myths and truths sprinkled throughout and the saga of her Bram Stoker paper. Just not TU. I'm nay though I really liked the book.

Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception by Maggie Stiefvater

2009-01-31T10:14:00.003-05:00

Deirdre is a 16 year old music prodigy and is also painfully introverted until she meets Luke and with a little magic, convinces her into a duet. She soon discovers some magic of her own that leads to the discovery that Luke is a gallowglass, a soulless assassin for the faerie queen. (Her family has been tormented by faeries for generations.) She eventually must choose to risk her own life to free his soul. Good book, great book to recommend to Twilight fans but not TU.

Hippie Chick by Joseph Monniger

2009-01-31T09:59:00.003-05:00

Lolly is used to taking her sail boat out into the bay by herself, but when her boat founders and she is soon seperated from it. Just when she thought it was over for her she is rescued by a manatee and taken to a warm spring in a mangrove island. She was able to warm up and eat some vegetation. Her hippie mother and friends are frantically searching for her but they are following the currents never knowing the manatee took her in the opposite direction. She isn't missing for long though, on the second day she swims with her manatee once more out into the ocean where a helicopter spots her. When the rescuers spot the manatees they carefully rescues her with out scaring them away. But unfortunately a Miami news crew boat sliced into her rescuing manatee. This fictional book was designed as the book she wrote a couple of years after the incident to sell after she went on talk shows, and her story was optioned by a movie studio. I had expected the living with the manatees part of her story to be longer but in general it is a quick read that is definitely a book about the plight of the manatees. Good but I just don't see this as a TU.

The Smile by Donna Jo Napoli

2009-01-31T09:52:00.002-05:00

Monna Elisabetta, 15, will soon be betrothed to a noble of Florence Italy. She betroths herself to Giuliano de'Medici but her father has other ideas. The whole time through her life's good times and bad, from her mother's death through the birth of her children, Leonardo da Vinci is just waiting for her to mature to paint her portrait that he'll never know how famous his Mona Lisa will become. For a portrait that little is known about Napoli presents a great historical what if, who could the woman be. well written and researched. Good book but I'm just not feeling TU.

Suckerpunch by David Hernandez

2009-01-29T21:07:00.003-05:00

Marcus is a teenage boy who thinks about sex a lot - with his friend's mom, with his brother's girlfriend, with the news anchor . . . he also gets wasted a lot. He feels - ineffectual? because he only once jumped his dad to get him to stop beating up his younger brother. At least half the book is about going with his brother to his Dad's apartment (he left the family a year ago) with a starter gun (used in sports to start races kind of gun) to confront their dad and stop him from coming home again. Told in almost a stream of consciousness, the time was continually being flipped here and back again. Marcus is five, he is sixteen, he is seven kind of deal. This was occasionally confusing. I'm surprised (after finishing) that I think that it was rather a good book - almost like a suckerpunch to my senses. However, I found many parts of it distasteful - and I really hope that not all teens live and think like this! I vote maybe.

The Hunt for the Seventh by Christine Morton-Shaw

2009-01-29T09:29:00.002-05:00

Jim and his family have moved to a new estate where his father has gotten a new job as groundskeeper in hopes that it helps all of them cope with Jim's mother's death. Jim and his sister have specific areas where they are allowed to go with in the house and if they are caught it means his father will be fired. Jim soon sees that the estate is haunted by six children and it is left to him to find the seventh to avert catastrophe. He makes friends with an autistic boy Einstein. Come to find out Einstein is the 7th ghost and was killed by Lord Minerva. Good suspenseful book but not TU. I'm nay.

Suicide Notes by Michael Thomas Ford

2009-01-28T09:14:00.004-05:00

Chronicles the 45 day stay of 15 year old Jeff in a psychiatric ward because of an attempted suicide. He'll talk but he doesn't want to talk about his best friend Allie nor about dating and girls in general. But after death of a friend he made in the hospital and sexual encounters with a new guy in the ward, he finally admits to his doctor that he had kissed his best friend's boyfriend and was rejected then rejected again by an angry Allie. It was funny, it was sad, it was really good not great. I'm a nay

Cybele's Secret by Juliet Marillier

2009-01-27T13:18:00.002-05:00

In this companion to Wildwood Dancing Paula has traveled with her father and a load of goods to Istanbul to trade and find "Cybele's Gift." A bodyguard, Stoyan, is hired primarily to protect Paula since one of her fathers friends was murdered. Of course a romance develops and adventure. It has a really slow beginning and I had trouble getting into it. I hadn't read Wildwood Dancing and didn't feel lost. Good not great. I'm nay.

Big Splash by Jack D. Ferraiolo

2009-01-27T13:12:00.002-05:00

Matt Stevens is a 7th grade PI that is hired by Vincent "Vinny Biggs" Biggio who is known for his candy black market. It was also Vinny Biggs that got the candy vending machines banned in the first place. There are Squirt-gun Assassins (they squirt water on kids below the belt). There are the "Outs" the least popular club. When Nikki Fingers is made an Out by an assassin Matt tries to solve the mystery. Fun read but reads young. So I'm a nay.

Dooley Takes the Fall by Norah McClintock

2009-01-26T22:23:00.003-05:00

Dooley has had a checkered past and his reputation precedes him when he begins attending his new High School. One evening, Dooley witnesses someone falling from a bridge - and comes upon the body of one of his new classmates moments later. Suspicions are cast and it isn't long before Dooley is in hot water. A little mystery, a little love - a handful of language and lots of violence leaning this towards the upper tiers of YA - I enjoyed the story - but I don't think it's Thumb's Up.

Nay.

2009-01-26T13:33:00.002-05:00

Sister Wife by Shelley Hrdlitschka

This book does give insight into the practice of polygamy. I'll be honest, though, I have about 100 more books to read than this one and it just doesn't catch my attention right away--so thumbs down.

Everything Beautiful in the World by Lisa Levchuk

2009-01-26T10:06:00.004-05:00

Edna is getting away with a lot since her mother was hospitalized for cancer in this early 80s (dare I say) historical fiction. She is failing Latin, refuses to talk to her mother on the phone let alone see her in the hospital. All the girls in school have crushes on the art teacher, Mr. Howland but it is Edna that has a secret affair with him. But it doesn't stay secret for long after his wife and another teach both figure it out. Her mother forces her from the hospital to go see a therapist which dregs up her insecurity over her autistic brother's death. (Though to me, this plot line seemed a little extraneous). A good book not great. I'm nay.

Swiss Mist by Randy Powell

2009-01-26T09:54:00.004-05:00

This book follows Milo from his parent's divorce when he is in 5th grade through his mother's remarriage when he is in 10th. Milo's parent's divorced because his philosopher professor father did psychedelic drugs, cheated and lost the family's savings. The divorce forced his mother to move them into a cheap crime ridden apartment in a suburb of Seattle while she went to school to be a dental aid. She eventually starts dating an old widower friend from high school with 3 kids of his own. Meanwhile Milo's dad sends him sporadic post cards from around the world and eventually has him visit in Arizona. Milo also remembers his favorite 5th grade teacher who would tell tales of her trip to Switzerland and her aunt and uncle but he never understood why she was fired. Finally he sees her speak on her trip at a community college and afterward talks to her only to learn that it was all a lie. She's never been to Switzerland just photo-shopped her picture into stock pictures, she never had a great aunt and uncle and she now works as a topless dancer outside of town. He eventually realizes he is his own person not dependent on his father or who he thought this teacher was. Good book, not great. I'm nay.

High Dive by Tammar Stein

2009-01-26T09:42:00.002-05:00

Arden is an army brat that has travelled the world. Her family owns a vacation home on Sardinia that her parents planned to retire to but her father had died a couple of years before and her mother no longer wants it. And since her mother is now serving in Iraq, Arden travels alone to make one last visit. She meets up with other college students traveling Europe and briefly tags along, making sure to check her email everyday to make sure her mother is OK. Because of her worry for her mother she feels different than the other girls so she leaves and finally arrives on Sardinia. She also slowly comes to the realization that her old friend Peter is worth taking a risk to date him. A good timely book, but I'm not sure about timeless. I'm nay.

The Ghost's Child by Sonya Hartnett

2009-01-26T09:34:00.004-05:00

Maddy is an old lady who tells her tale over tea to a strange boy. Her tale is about her younger years meeting a young man, Feather, and loosing a child. She tries to keep Feather by trying to kill herself but that pushes him away. She sails the world having fantastic adventures to return home and become a doctor. And surprise, surprise the strange boy is the child she miscarried sent to escort her to her next life (saw that one coming from the first page). In the end I don't think this is thumbs up material. For such a short book it is still slow and I don't see it as having wide teen appeal.

Guardian by Julius Lester

2009-01-22T22:06:00.001-05:00

yes. This one is important. Lynching from the viewpoint of a white young man in the south. Kind of predictable, but the prologue was enough to make me a huge fan.

Dear Julia by Amy Bronwen Zemser

2009-01-22T22:00:00.002-05:00

Okay- I'm reading like a mad person, but this one was definitely funny. I think we have a lot of serious books in consideration and would like to see if anyone else found this to be amusing. There is also a bff with 2 moms (important, but not overdone). However, I felt the appearance of Julia Child at the end was kinda cliche and won't generate the kind of teen appeal I'd like. Someone else go read this, please!

Fancy White Trash by Marjetta Geerling

2009-01-21T10:26:00.002-05:00

Abby is trying to avoid making the same mistakes that her mother and sisters have made. After all her mother and one sister are pregnant with the same man's children while another sister is sleeping with him. Her best friend, Cody, is closeted and she is in love with his older brother. Her father moves in after he seperates with his current wife. Fun book but not timeless. I'm nay.

Two Parties, One Tux and A Very Short Film About the Grapes of Wrath by Steven Goldman

2009-01-20T12:37:00.005-05:00

In this funny story, Mitchell's best friend David comes out of the closet (only to him), they take girls to the prom, Mitchell gets dumped and then realizes he is better off dating his sister's best friend. He also turned in a mildly risque film project in place of an essay on "The Grapes of Wrath" because he didn't want to read the book And he still has to come to terms with his best friend being gay. A fun book that I laughed out loud to. And eventually the cover makes sense. In the end, even though I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I'm not sure about its timelessness. I'm maybe.

Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve

2009-01-19T23:39:00.003-05:00

This is a more realistic take on the Arthur legend, told by a young woman named Gwynna, a slave who becomes the servant of Myrddin. Throughout her life with Myrddin she passes off as the Lady of the Lake, a boy solider, and a handmaiden for Gwenhwyfar (Arthur's queen).

There were some plot holes of sorts, the fact that Gwynna keeps switching between being a boy and a girl and yet no one seemed to question it was sort of weak. Plus, Arthur comes off as really horrible. Those problems aside, the story itself was pretty strong, so I give it a maybe.

Steinbeck's Ghost by Lewis Buzbee

2009-01-19T10:13:00.003-05:00

Travis bikes to his local library every Saturday to re-read his favorite books. The library is named after Steinbeck since it is also Steinbeck's home town of Salinas CA. But soon Travis is seeing Steinbeck's characters come to life. Now the library is threatened with budget cuts and he hopes to save it. There is more to the story than just that but ultimately, I think this would appeal the most to teens who have read a lot of Steinbeck, which limits its appeal. I've only read the "the Red Pony" and that was years ago so I got a little bored. Good book but not great. I'm Nay.

Undone by Brooke Taylor

2009-01-19T09:14:00.003-05:00

Serena's wealthy and dark best friend, Kori, is killed in a car accident coming home from a party and the school assignment (five things they would never dream could really happen) leads to the discovery of Serena's father. Serena's mother has always refused to disclose his identity because he was married with kids of his own. Come to find out he is Kori's dad. A little predictable. Good book but not great.

Seaborn by Craig Moodie

2009-01-18T19:44:00.003-05:00

Luke's parents split just as they were to leave for their annual sea voyage. So now it is just Luke and his father. Luke is not looking forward to the boredom. But when a storm catches them it is not boring. His father gets washed overboard and Luke doesn't know if he's alive. Good not great. I'm nay.

Primavera by Mary Jane Beaufrand

2009-01-16T20:07:00.003-05:00

Flora lives during the Italian Renaissance. Thanks to her father's mechanisms and her parents' greed, their family become "traitors" to the city and most are killed. Flora lives, although she too has to eventually leave after having lived as a boy - an apprentice to a goldsmith. The title is based on the painting by Botticelli - who is a character in the novel. Flora (the character in the novel) is supposedly the Flora (goddess of flowers) in the Primavera painting. Although I really wanted to be wrapped up in this story - I liked the plot line a lot - I could just not get into it. There was always just a large distance between what was happening and any emotion. I vote nay.

The Mayflower and the Pilgrams' New World

2009-01-16T17:15:00.002-05:00

I just don't feel that books adapted from adult books fulfill our criteria for best teen book of the year. Plus, the teen interest in this topic is not satisfied. Nay

Vibes by Amy Kathleen Ryan

2009-01-16T11:52:00.002-05:00

This is a story about Kristi, who can read minds. She goes to an alternative high school that has classes such as "Explorations of Nature" instead of Biology. She believes everyone hates her and thinks she's ugly. She has a crush on her ex-best friend's brother. She is so self absorbed that she doesn't realize one of her closest friends is gay. She has kept a cat in her house with out her allergy ridden mother ever finding out. Her father also ran off 2 years before to work in Africa and she blames it all on her mother. But in the end when her father finally returns home she learns there is much more to the story and she starts to open her eyes to what is going on around her. A good book, but not great, that leaves you wondering at the end "so can she read minds?" I'm nay.

Sword by Da Chen

2009-01-15T18:53:00.005-05:00

On Miu Miu's fifteenth birthday, she is not visited by the matchmaker as is custom. Instead she learns the truth of her father's death (he died before she was born) and subsequently leaves on a quest to avenge his death. Meeting up with her betrothed from before birth, Tong Ting, the two work together to kill the emperor (who killed Miu Miu's father). Although they fight bravely, they are no match for the emperor and barely survive. Miu Miu is poisoned in the fight and Tong Ting brings her home to be healed. However, since her quest failed and she still lived, she is to be beheaded for the dishonor she does her family - as is Tong Ting (for aiding Miu Miu) and Miu Miu's mother (her death buys them a painless death rather than a painful one). However, they are rescued by a friend of Miu Miu - a monk. Miu Miu and her mother, Tong Ting and his father, all journey far away to start life anew. The title comes from the fact that Miu Miu's father had been a famous sword-maker and she uses one of his final swords on her business of avenging his death.

I really enjoyed this story and the lyrical language that Da Chen uses. I will definitely be sharing this story with others. It is a very intriguing story and the fight scenes were very reminiscent of some of the martial arts movies like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I really enjoyed it, but I'm not sure that the style is for everyone. I vote Yay.

How to (un)Cage a Girl by Francesca Lia Block

2009-01-14T11:38:00.002-05:00

Slim volume of poetry filled with fairy goddesses, platform heels, father issues, and sexiness. I don't see this as a top contender, but it would be a good add to the collection for poetry loving girls. I'm going to say nay.

I am Apache by Tanya Landman

2009-01-14T08:07:00.002-05:00

Siki, a female Apache, chooses the life of a warrior after watching her little brother's murder. Along the way she encounters the enmity of a male warrior, strives to get the approval of her mentor, and proves herself to be a fierce and loyal friend. Nothing new here. Nay.

Runemarks by Joanne Harris

2009-01-12T19:11:00.003-05:00

Maddy Smith lives in a world based on Norse Mythology - after Ragnarok, the destruction of the gods and the world as it was. She finds out that the gods are still living and that she is the granddaughter of Odin. The new order doesn't allow magic and will "cleanse" the evil (magic-doers etc). Cleansing being an euphemism for hangings. Maddy is born with a rune (or ruin - depending on who you ask) on her hand and has a feel for magic. She has her own place in the town (she lives far from the center of the new order) until one day things happen and she is drawn into an adventure with gods and the like against the current order. I didn't finish the novel yet. It was interesting but just not compelling enough to be a thumb's up winner. I think that I will want to finish the story sometime . . . but a 500+ page novel has to be very compelling to teens for them to read it. I don't think that this is compelling enough for broad teen appeal. I vote nay.

Aurelia by Anne Osterlund

2009-01-12T13:16:00.004-05:00

I couldn't bring myself to finish this book but I'm throwing this out there to let everybody know where I fall. Aurelia is in line to the throne of her kingdom - which is creating bumps along the road at every turn in her life. Her father wants her to marry for the kingdom, while Aurelia would prefer to marry for her match and love. Meanwhile, someone wants Aurelia dead. Her old acquaintance Robert shows up to do some sleuthing in an effort to discover the fiends planning her end. All signs point to the Queen, Aurelia's stepmother. I never found out whether or not this was the case as the suspense wasn't strong enough to pull me into the plot. It is an intelligent book - but it just didn't appeal to me - and I don't think it would have strong teen appeal.

I'm going to say Nay.

Venomous by Christopher Krovatin

2009-01-10T09:52:00.005-05:00

Locke has problems with his anger which he calls venom. And when he does get angry he tends to go overboard. Lately, venom is living closer to the surface and is getting harder for him to cope with. He soon meets and starts dating Renee who is possibly more messed up than he is which helps motivate him into seeing a new therapist. Ultimately has to decide whether to kill the venom, let the venom take over or just come to terms with his anger.

A great book that had me hooked from the start. It is is sprinkled with comic book references and Locke seeing his venom as a comic book character. Each chapter is followed by an illustration and a couple of pages of a comic book story he imagines in his mind. I love Locke's relationship with his younger brother. Really well written with lots of teen appeal. I had it with me at a teen program and the teens were arguing about who was going to read it when I finished. I give this a big thumbs up!

War Is . . . soldiers, survivors, and storytellers talk about war

2009-01-06T18:37:00.003-05:00

This was a thought-provoking and . . . . well, I think Susan Bartloetti put it best (quoted on the back of the book) "This book takes my breath away. It is a gut-wrenching must-read and possibly the most important book (no, manual) kids can read about war. I hope readers of all ages will lose sleep over this book, tossing and turning as they wrestle with complex truths about our dangerous world as told by soldiers, survivors, and others."

I was deeply moved by this work. I do have a question on it's eligibility for Thumb's Up. The guidelines do state that it must be an original work. I do believe that as a whole it is an original work. But it does include items that were previously published - such as some of Ernie Pyle's articles, "Masters of War" by Bob Dylan, and a few others. There were several others copyrighted 2008 but also published elsewhere (I think) and at least one that (again, I think) was not published anywhere else. Is this book disqualified by this set? Or does the fact that it is as a whole, an original work (put together purposefully for young adults) make it eligible?

A maybe.

What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

2009-01-05T10:52:00.001-05:00

After World War II, 15 year old Evie's stepfather returns home from the war and takes her and her mom to Florida during off-season. There they meet Peter, who is 23, and a former soldier who served with her father. Evie is smitten but things begin to unravel as she learns some things that happened during the war that are unsettling. A tragedy occurs and Evie must choose between loyalty to her parents or to Peter.
This was a quick read and though I liked it, I felt Evie ricocheted too quickly between innocence and wise beyond her years, so that I found her unbelievable.
I give this a maybe.

Playing With Matches by Brian Katcher

2009-01-05T09:45:00.003-05:00

Crossing to Paradise by Kevin Crossley-Holland

2009-01-05T09:34:00.002-05:00

Gatty has never been far from her rural English home during the Medievel period but now she finds herself a pilgrim on her way to Jerusalem with an assorted cast of characters. It isn't an easy journey. Members of her group are injured, one dies and she gets separated. It is a good historical fiction story about a girl who grows and finds hope. I liked this story but I don't see it having a broad teen appeal. It is good not great. I vote nay.

Deadville by Ron Koertge

2009-01-04T23:26:00.003-05:00

This is the story of Ryan a boy who has spent two years trying not to exist, after the death of his beloved younger sister Molly. He spends his free time getting stoned with Andy, an overweight high school senior who deals dope, and tries to avoid his parents increasingly strained relations at home. Music is a huge part of his life, but he's been using his iPod less as a musical gateway and more as a shield from the world. Things start to change, however, when the high school popularity queen Charlotte gets thrown from her horse and ends up in the hospital in a coma. Forced to visit her bedside, he begins returning regularly, a kind of therapy for himself as much as an altruistic gesture to a near stranger he has no designs on. Along the way he cleans up his act, meets a great girl and has some enlightening conversations with the 'rents.
I really enjoyed this book. The dialogue was natural, the story and characters were engaging, and the parents were believable (I get tired of crummy descriptions of parents). Koertge throws us a bone with some small miracles and a charming ending, but there are plenty of rough spots to keep the reader on their toes. Yay.

Into the Volcano by Don Wood

2009-01-04T20:20:00.003-05:00

This title is a highly entertaining graphic novel by award-winning picture book artist Don Wood. Sumo and his brother Duffy are pulled out of school to go to the island of Kocalaha to visit their wealthy Aunt. What they don't know is that their aunt and cousin have planned a trip to the heart of an active volcano to find their mother. If you, like I, use graphic novels to entice reluctant readers, this is a sure-to-please title. That being said, I do feel this title is too young to appeal to our age group so I'm voting Nay.

Leftovers by Laura Wiess

2008-12-31T08:02:00.003-05:00

Leftovers, the sophomore showing by Laura Wiess, will certainly mark her place as an up and coming author with a great ability for telling some of the grittier aspects of being a suburban teen. Ardith and Blair are best friends who have long felt on the outside of society. From the beginning, the reader knows that there has been an act/crime committed by the girls and that they are trying to explain/confess to an injured adult with whom they appear to have an intense, if not intimate, relationship. Told in alternating voices, we learn of Ardith's free-loading, drunk parents who don't protect her from the advances of a parade of males in the house and "poor, rich" Blair's descent from relationship curious teen to abused and angry young woman. Wiess hits the mark with some of the most frank discussion about what societal expectations mean to young women in high school, how friendships at that stage of life take on a super-importance, and what can happen when people feel they must fight to survive through a typical high school.

I give this a YAY. I'd love to see it as top 20, but I don't know if it will be the top book of the year. It is a bit glitzy (MTV paperback format seems to do that to me), but I do think there are truths, that if they are not timeless, are certainly important to understanding modern high school hierarchies.

How Not to be Popular by Jennifer Ziegler

2008-12-29T22:57:00.002-05:00

Sugar Magnolia (aka Maggie) Dempsey has never lived in a place for more than 8 months at a time. Her parents move her around to see the world. This last move saw her leaving a best friend and a first love behind, so, with a broken heart Maggie has decided she can not handle leaving friends and a boyfriend again. She decides she is going to be as unpopular as possible so she won't be able to make any friends that will break her heart this time around.

This book is really funny, Maggie is very likable, but it is also very predictable. Really good book to add to the collection, but I don't really see it being an award winner. Nay.

The Traitor Game by B.R. Collins

2008-12-28T13:57:00.003-05:00

Michael and Francis created a fictional world of Evgard together. Both misfits in their school they are the best of friends but when someone else finds out about Evgard, Michael feels betrayed. It flashes back and forth between the real world and the imagined world of Evgard. It got confusing. Francis is forced out of the closet. I'm a big nay on this one.

The Lost Island of Tamarind by Nadia Aguiar

2008-12-28T13:53:00.002-05:00

Maya is 13 and lives with her parents and two siblings on the sea. All she wants is to live on dry land and go to school like a normal girl. But soon a storm hits and her parents are washed overboard and she, her brother and baby sister end up on a magical island with wild children, pirates and sea monsters. A great adventure reminiscent of Peter Pan. Also very young. I vote nay.

Mexican White Boy by Matt de la Pena

2008-12-27T14:32:00.002-05:00

Loved it! Danny is spending the summer in National City with his Mexican relatives while his mother tries out living with her new boyfriend in San Francisco. Danny has essentially stopped talking; his heart is broken by his father's abandonment three years earlier. The only thing that Danny really seems to care about is baseball, yet even his passion and talent for the game can't earn him a spot on the team at his private prep school back home. During one intense summer Danny comes to terms with his depression and anger, perfects his game, hangs out with his cousin Sofia and her crew of tough-yet-caring gangsta friends, finds first love, and discovers what really happened with his father.

This one is great!

Lucky by Rachel Vail

2008-12-24T00:13:00.004-05:00

"It's all good . . . and lucky Phoebe Avery plans to celebrate by throwing an end-of-the-year bash with her four closest friends. Everything will be perfect—from the guest list to the fashion photographer to the engraved invitations. The only thing left to do is find the perfect dress . . . until Phoebe goes from having it all to hiding all she's lost." (beginning of tease from Harper Collins)

Phoebe is in a rich family. Her friends think she is super lucky about everything. Phoebe accepts this judgment and feels guilty that she doesn't always see herself as so lucky. Phoebe reveres her mom and isn't used to hugging her.

Whoever made the guess that this wouldn't be Thumbs Up material just based on the rich girl loses everything plot line was right. It did have a redeeming speech at the end, but if I hadn't been stuck on a plane without enough other books, I wouldn't have persevered.

Big Thumbs Down. (it may be popular with the Princess Diaries readers) My battery is dying so that's all I have for now. spotty review - sorry

Kingdom on the Waves by M.T. Anderson

2008-12-23T12:38:00.002-05:00

This is part two of the Octavian Nothing story. This is an important story, but it doesn't stand on its own. Octavian escapes from the his "masters" after apparently helping the Rebels during the Revolutionary War. He enlists in Lord Dunmore's British Ethiopian Regiment which promises freedom when the war is over. He find that war is hell and no one keeps their promises. It ends on a somewhat hopeful note, but this is 1776. The Civil War is still 85 years away, so no matter how hopeful it is, slavery still exists. I listened to this and MT Anderson gives a good historical background in an afterword. But I give it a nay for not standing on its own.

Becoming Billie Holiday by Carole Boston Weatherford

2008-12-20T16:42:00.003-05:00

This is a wonderful biography of Billie Holiday, written in prose, with her song titles as poem titles. I really, really enjoyed this book. It reminded me of Our Own, Syliva which really made me want to read more about her. All of our libraries have this biography in juvenile, though. The subject matter is actually quite mature! (you know, prostitution, dropping out of school, drugs, etc) I'm going to give this one a NO, because I don't think it'll win, but if you can buy it for your collection, it would be worth it.

Generation Green by Linda Sivertsen

2008-12-20T10:41:00.002-05:00

This nonfiction book is well done, and of interest to teens. The subject matter is treated well, and the book is easy to read. However, I don't think this is one of the best books for teens. I give it a Thumbs Down.

Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp

2008-12-17T17:50:00.003-05:00

Sutter Keely is the typical fun drunk--life of every high school party! He has had lots of girlfriends along the way, but singles out shy Aimee Finecky to befriend. Sutter's motives are pure, but his actions have unexpected consequences, and in typical teen fashion, he just sort of goes along with what life gives him. Naked girl in his bed? Well, why not do the deed? :) Large 7-up? Why not add some whiskey? This book very realistically portrays the beginning of an addiction, and all the wishful thinking that goes with it. I can easily see Sutter 20 years from now, hanging out at the local bar like his dad, surrounding himself with people who love the good times as much as he.

Sutter profiles the life of his buzz, like any good addict. This book focuses on the upswing of the buzz, Sutter's high school life, and in a way, it shows the downer side of the buzz, the adult fully entrenched in his addiction (Sutter's dad). Very realistic, touching, funny and sad story. I give it a Thumbs Up!

You Know Where to Find Me by Rachel Cohn

2008-12-17T00:11:00.002-05:00

Cousins Miles and Laura grew up like sisters, but as they got older they grew apart. Laura was beautiful loved, Miles ended up heavy and an outsider. Then Laura kills herself and Miles has to deal with life without Laura.

The premise of this book was promising, but I think that there were a few too many things going on. There was a lot of politics about D.C. getting statehood and Miles seemed to be really supportive of that, but then not at times. Also, I got very annoyed that Miles would say she was going to change, to try to make her life better, then not even seem to try. Also, Miles really cares for Jim, Laura's adoptive father, but we don't really get to know him. There are a lot of characters for a book that is just over 200 pages. I am a maybe for this one.

Kendra by Coe Booth

2008-12-15T09:16:00.002-05:00

Kendra has lived most of her life without her mom and looks forward to the day when her mother, Renee, finishes her Doctorate and she can live with her. The day has come but Renee doesn't seem to want her. Kendra is 14 and Renee was only 14 when she had her. And she is at an age when she needs a mother not just her grandmother. Kendra's father tries to be there for her but when she starts to make poor choices that damage her relationship with her best friend she doesn't seem to have anyone to turn to for help. Though a companion to her previous book "Tyrell" this book stands completely alone. This is an excellent book about a girl just looking for love and figuring out who she is. I give this a Yes!

Guinevere's Gift by Nancy McKenzie

2008-12-12T10:01:00.004-05:00

This is the first book in a series about a young Guinevere who is an orphan living on the mercy of her aunt. A prophecy fortold that she would marry a great king so even though people are out to over throw her uncle's kingdom she is under protection, which is good since she is so head strong and has great potential to be a great queen. Good start to a good series not great. nay.

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

2008-12-12T01:22:00.002-05:00

As the Revolutionary War begins, thirteen-year-old Isabel wages her own fight...for freedom. Promised freedom upon the death of their owner, she and her sister, Ruth, in a cruel twist of fate become the property of a malicious New York City couple, the Locktons, who have no sympathy for the American Revolution and even less for Ruth and Isabel. When Isabel meets Curzon, a slave with ties to the Patriots, he encourages her to spy on her owners, who know details of British plans for invasion. She is reluctant at first, but when the unthinkable happens to Ruth, Isabel realizes her loyalty is available to the bidder who can provide her with freedom.

I really enjoyed this book, and while there is a planned sequel (I think based on something at the end of the book) I think that it stands on its own. The biggest teen appeal will be the author's name, but if teens give it a chance I think they could really get into it. The protagonist is a bit young (13) but the story is strong. I give it a Thumbs Up.

Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan

2008-12-11T12:52:00.002-05:00

I don't like writing an entry for a book I haven't finished but it hasn't stopped me in the past and I guess it's not stopping me this time. Liga's life is terrible. She's repeatedly raped by her father and forced fed concoctions designed to make her abort. When her father dies she is already pregnant. after she gives birth she is gang raped and has another child. Living in a world she hates and hates her, she ends up in a different one that is heavenly. There is also a man who is transformed into a bear who briefly lives with her family. I put this down and picked up so many times and only got a third of the way through. Sorry, but I'm a nay.

The Devil's Breath by David Gilman

2008-12-08T09:43:00.002-05:00

In this first book in the Danger zone series, Max Gordon's father is missing somewhere in Africa and Max is determined find him. So he leaves his British boarding school for Namibia. On top of it someone is trying to kill him too. A great adventure that involves Bushman prophecies and saving a people. It reminded me a bit of the Alex Rider books but with a Eco twist. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to those who love adventure but I'm nay for now.

Honeybee by Naomi Shihab Nye

2008-12-03T13:17:00.002-05:00

Nye's poems and short prose make for a quick read, and I've always enjoyed her work since hearing her speak, but I didn't see anything all that special here. A good read for anyone who likes poetry, but a NAY for Thumbs Up.

Wake by Lisa McMann

2008-12-02T00:38:00.001-05:00

Janie falls into other people's dreams as an unwilling witness. Then she becomes a participant in the gruesome, chilling sequences.

The cadence of dialogue faltered when Cabel and Janie spoke about sharing his dream. Most of the details are not from happy dreams. Wake poses an interesting premise told well from older teen perspective. The scene of her heading home after homecoming is sweet. I also like that she recognized Cabel all the way through. Talking to the "new kid" cracked me up and captured the agony and adrenaline rush of puberty. Readers fascinated with dreams and/or psychology will enjoy parts of this journey. I'd like to see how this weighs in with other titles. MAYBE

Saga by Conor Kostick

2008-12-01T10:13:00.002-05:00

Saga has generated sentient beings within its gaming realm dependent on computers back on Earth. Humans unexpectedly have access as players and play by different rules to those within Saga. The Dark Queen is ruthlessly manipulating humans and players alike compromising their survival.

The concept of a world within a world with regenerating players and humans will appeal to gamers, and sci fi readers. There's airboarding (like skateboarding), punk music, pseudo-anarchists (who form a guild) and castes of a dystopia. Although Saga follows Epic, I was able to follow the backstory that was incorporated into Saga without feeling I had missed out on too much.

Interesting messages about authority, loyalty, pain, weakness, understanding, trust and defying the system.

I didn't think I would vote for it when I started the book, but was sufficiently engrossed to now consider it a MAYBE.

The Juliet Club by Suzanne Harper

2008-11-29T14:18:00.003-05:00

Kate is a mixture of her divorced parents. Both parts practicality and passion for Shakespeare. After her heart was broken, she swore off love. But now she was won an essay contest that sends her and her Shakespeare scholar father to Verona Italy for the summer. Classmates are trying to fix her up. She and a fellow classmate are tricking the rest. A lot of Shakespearean twists and turns are sprinkled through out the book. That being said, I can't finish it. I've tried to read it several times now and just get bored. It probably doesn't help that I don't care for Romeo and Juliet and the comedies of Shakespeare's I've read. And this book has a lot of that flavor. I think you have to be familiar with Shakespeare and appreciate him to appreciate this book. I'm nay.

Triskellion by Will Peterson

2008-11-29T12:39:00.002-05:00

I realized that I didn't post on this book. I don't remember a lot of details other than my impression, so to push things along for our December meeting, I'm posting the Kirkus review which nicely sums up the plot (with a few ***spoilerish*** details)

Author Mark Billingham and television scriptwriter Peter Cocks collaborate on their debut novel, the first of a planned fantasy trilogy. Fourteen-year-old New York City twins Rachel and Adam are uprooted to spend the summer in the home of a grandmother they barely know. A group of hostile characters inhabits her isolated English village, lending a mood of mystery and threat. Gabriel, a shadowy outcast teen who readily participates in the twins' shared extrasensory mental dialogue, befriends them but has a plan of his own, aided, inexplicably, by hordes of bees. Digging beneath an ancient chalk circle in the village, a television show archaeology crew recovers part of a three bladed talisman, the Triskellion; a group of evil Morris dancers makes every effort to steal it for their own purposes, as the twins quickly realize that even their grandmother may be plotting against them to protect some long-hidden secret. Told in brief but exciting episodes, the breathless pace helps to make up for the rather flat personalities that people this often suspenseful but somewhat predictable novel. (Kirkus)

Triskellion has flavor of Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising series, and the dark extrasensory abilities of human and animals that Mary Stewart included in some of her books. It will serve as readers advisory suggestions for this genre, but I don't think it is TU award worthy. NAY

Escape the Mask by David Ward

2008-11-29T11:59:00.003-05:00

Escape the Mask by David Ward is the first book in The Grassland Trilogy. The story opens in a cave, a series of holding cells for new arrivals, told from Coriko's perspective. Coriko is suffering a punishment - a night of fear in the cave that is flooded by water to cull the weak. Coriko hisses instructions on how to survive the surging ocean to two new captives. The cells are fuller than normal, and Coriko notices others changes among their captors' behavior.

Ward combines slavery techniques of intimidation, divison, punishment for not reaching quota, and isolation to create a sensory deprivation cut off from the rest of the world for the young captives. The children depend and trust few others than their mates. The book conveys desperation, the best and worst of human nature, and longings for belonging.

For those who want the tension of good/bad, other realms, war and humanity, captive and escape, it could be a readers advisory selection. It has some gruesome images, but not uber grotesque in detail, so seems ok for younger teens who want aspects of war and battle. I don't think the title stands on its own, doesn't have enough depth, and doesn't warrant the TU award. NAY

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

2008-11-22T23:52:00.003-05:00

Metro Survive by Yuki Fujisawa

2008-11-22T16:41:00.002-05:00

This was a fast past, very interesting story. Mishima is a bit of a pushover and ends up getting trapped underground because of an earthquake. He slowly becomes a leader of the others trapped there (although I get the feeling that the transformation isn't yet complete). I had a hard time putting it down. But it definitely doesn't stand alone - being number 1 in a manga series, I can't say I'm surprised by that. I vote NAY.

City of Time by Eoin McNamee

2008-11-21T16:58:00.002-05:00

This is the second in a planned trilogy and I haven't read the first, so it was a little confusing, although there were attempts to explain things. It's a complex story of a society in which time is literally running out. Owen, the grandson of the Navigator who has mapped time, must save the world from the Harsh who want to destroy it. I think if I want to fully understand this world, I need to read the first book. Nay for not standing on its own

The Alcoholic by Jonathan Alter and Dean Hespiel

2008-11-21T16:52:00.003-05:00

I'm not a fan of graphic novels, in general. This book is a depiction of a man, Jonathan, who, after running from the police and burying himself in the sand, reviews his pathetic life. He began drinking at age 14 and his alcoholism followed him until his forties. Even when he doesn't drink for several years, he's not free from the alcoholism. It is a very realistic and cautionary tale. It's supposed be humorous, but I didn't see it. Just very bleak. Besides that, I didn't think it is an appropriate book for teens, and therefore Thumb's Up. It is written from the viewpoint of an adult looking back on his life. Big Nay for me.

Everything You Want by Barbara Sharp

2008-11-15T15:11:00.004-05:00

Emma's family wins the lottery and their family life changes for ever. From the blurb I was looking forward to this book. However, I was disappointed, the storyline seemed weak and I felt that the characters were undeveloped. I am voting NO for Thumbs Up.

Debbie Harry Sings in French by Megan Brothers

2008-11-13T10:35:00.002-05:00

This is an interesting take on some of the gray areas of sexuality and gender. As far as I can recall, it is the first contemporary transvestite teen book I have read. Brothers does a good job of exploring this often misunderstood topic. The writing was good, but not earth shattering. I think this book's importance is more topical than literary, but that that is enough to give it a Yay!

Summer of Naked Swim Parties by Jessica Anya Blau

2008-11-11T12:55:00.003-05:00

Jamie is 14 and is constantly mortified by her pot smoking and naked swimming parents. She feels her parents should be angry when they learn she is sexually active with her 17 year old boyfriend. She wants to scream when her mom wants to compare diaphragm sizes with her.

This book finally made sense to me when I realized it was an adult book with teen appeal. Most of the way through it felt like a book targeted to adult reminiscing about the 70s. Which, ultimately, it is. I think this will have very limited teen appeal. And at times can get pretty graphic. I'm nay.

Beneath My Mother's Feet by Amjed Qamar

2008-11-09T13:18:00.002-05:00

Nazia is a young good Pakistani daughter, goes to school, does what she is told and is looking forward to her marriage to her betrothed. But her father is injured on the job and will no longer work so Nazia is good daughter and drops out of school to help her mother clean houses so they can pay the rent. She soon realizes that she wants more than to be a good daughter. She wants to return to school and not marry her cousin. She learns a lot of lessons and realizes that she must be true to her self. It is definitely a book about empowering women and how they are the cornerstone of the family. I was disappointed in how few positive male characters there were. A good book but I leaning more towards a nay.

Brett McCarthy: Work in Progress by Maria Padian

2008-11-05T09:51:00.002-05:00

Brett is a typical 8th grade girl in Maine. Her mouth gets her in trouble and she loves her grandma, soccer and vocab words. In this book she looses her best friend, her grandma gets sick and she gets banned from soccer. She has to learn who her true friends are. It is a good story that is already out of date as of last night (Nov. 4th). There are several references to 12 states allowing medical marijuana, there are now 13. Each chapter is titled by a vocab word such as "in-ter-lop-er" and vocab words and their definitions are also sprinkled through out the book. One of her classmates doesn't know the word "provoked" which seemed odd to me (but that could be just me.) On the whole it was a good book with a terrible cover. I don't think it does the story justice. I'm nay for now.

Viper Within by Sam Mills

2008-11-03T17:35:00.002-05:00

Jeremiah, a high-school student sociopath has formed a new religion and persuaded a handful of misfit students to join it. Their plan is to kidnap a terrorist and demand that the government meet their demands for her release. Jon is the last member to join this group and he finds himself faltering at the initiation tests required of him. Jon realizes the truth that the kidnap victim is an innocent Muslim student. He begins to disbelieve everything that Jeremiah has ever told the group and tries to help Pradna escape. This is a very powerful, disturbing book. A great deal of violence and torture. Many British references and current events referred to. I am voting NO

The Postcard by Tony Abbott

2008-11-03T15:40:00.002-05:00

One phone call changes Jason's summer vacation and life forever.When Jason's Grandmother dies, he's sent down to her home in Florida to help his father clean out her things. At first, he gripes about the heat, being away from his best friend, but whilst packing up her belongings he discovers some interesting items. He soon discovers a mystery surrounding his grandmother's past.

Together with a new and unusual friend, Dia who is just as excited to solve these clues, they unearth his Grandmother's secret. I'm voting a strong MAYBE on this.It is a little young , but quite the page turner.

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire by Donna Getzinger

2008-10-31T10:07:00.003-04:00

This is a nonfiction book about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911.

This book was a well written and moving account of factory conditions and the union movement of the day that led to the death of 146 people and then its aftermath. Well written with appropriate photographs, I enjoyed this book or at least as much as you can about such a horrible tragedy. The account of the fire itself was horrible. (I was tearing up during certain passages) If I knew it would have more teen appeal I would give it a thumbs up but I don't think it would so I'll have to say nay.