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Icecore by Matt Whyman

Published January 6, 2009 Adventure , RAC , Realistic Fiction 2 Comments
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 14 and up

# of Pages: 305 p.

RAC List: Yes

Carl Hobbes was mysteriously picked up on his way home from school and informed that he is being investigated for stealing gold bars from Fort Knox. He admits to taking a challenge issued to him by a chat room to find flaws in the security system, but denies having anything to do with the theft. He is taken to Icecore, a frozen detention center in the Arctic Circle for questioning. Carl is told that with his cooperation the United States won’t press charges, but after arriving in this place he quickly realizes that he may have been set up. The guards abuse the inmates, the inmates are kept in cages, and there are vicious dogs waiting to tear into them if they make a false move. As Carl begins to realize his dire situation, an unexpected even occurs in which he begins to worry more about his survival than his freedom.

For students who like to read spy type novels this book will keep their attention for the entire story. National security, detention centers, interrogation techniques, undercover spies, and even hardened criminals are all topics that are touched on in this exciting story. The middle lagged a bit and the ending may not please all readers, but it is still worth a read for fans of The Bourne Series or The Sleeper Code Series.

Revelations by Melissa De La Cruz

Published December 16, 2008 Fantasy , RAC 1 Comment
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Genre: Fantasy

Age Level: 14 and up

# of Pages: 264 p.

RAC Book: Yes

Revelations is the third in this Blue Bloods series. This book follows closely where Masquerade ended, with Schuyler now living with the Force family and hating every minute. She tries to contact her grandfather, Lawrence, whenever possible, but this becomes more and more difficult as he must travel away to Rio de Janeiro in order to deal with a possible threat from the Blue Bloods’ biggest enemy: the Silver Bloods. Meanwhile, Schuyler and Jack force become involved, which causes problems because he is meant to be with Mimi for all eternity and she is not about to let him break their bond. Bliss is dealing with her hurt feelings from when Dylan abandoned her and she must decide how to help him when he returns in a serious mental state.

Although much too short, this book is just as thrilling as the previous two. The characters seem to grow and develop more with each book, which helps the reader to understand all points of view as this story unfolds. This story has action, betrayal, lover’s trysts, murder, friendship, and even shocking plot twists. For fans of the first two novels or any type of fantasy or vampire fiction they will devour this book and finish it wanting more.

Hacking Harvard by Robin Wasserman

Published December 9, 2008 RAC , Realistic Fiction 1 Comment
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age level: 14 and up

# of pages: 320 p.

Three intelligent best friends enter into a bet that they can get anyone into Harvard. Max wants to do the bet for the substantial monetary prize. Eric does it to prove that the college applications system is flawed. Schwarz does it because he always does what he is told. The opposing team chooses a deadbeat slacker (Clay) from the senior class and they all get to work. First of all, they have to plan how to get Clay a great score on his SATs. Then, they need to train him for his college interview. Finally, they need to fix his current transcript. The entire time, though, as things continue to go wrong they can’t help but feel like they are being sabotaged. Plus, Eric starts to have second thoughts as he begins dating a girl who desperately wants to get into Harvard. He worries that if they do succeed in getting Clay in that will mean that one deserving person who would have gotten in will now be rejected. He begins to wonder which is more important: fairness or exposing a flawed system.

This fun story follows the many ups and downs as the characters navigate this difficult task. Obviously, this is a fictional story and in no way a how to manual for getting someone into an Ivy League school. At times the language can be a bit strong, but these are teenage boys and therefore the dialogue feels realistic. As the boys begin to think about their own futures it becomes clear that they are as confused as every other teenage student, despite their high IQs. A smart read about students who have high aspirations, but do not always know how to best use their intelligence.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Published December 4, 2008 Fantasy , RAC 4 Comments
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Genre: Fantasy

Age Level: 14 and up

# of Pages: 485 p.

RAC Book: Yes

One night when Clary Fray is at a party with her best friend she sees three strange looking teenagers kill another strange looking teenager. When she realizes that no one but her can see any of them she begins to get confused and looks to her mother for answers. Instead, her mother tells her they must go away for the rest of the summer. Clary runs off after fighting with her mother about this abrupt change in plans and ignores her mother’s repeated messages to come home. When she finally feels ready to talk to her mom she answers her phone to her frantic and scared mother begging her never to return home. After that no one can find a trace of her mother. Now Clary has to discover who her mother really is and what she has been hiding from Clary all these years. She also has to figure out who would take her mother and for what purpose. Is there a way to save her mother or is Clary on her own in a new world with people she never dreamed existed?

This fantasy story is the first in a series. Clary’s story follows many twists and turns as she tries to help find out what happened to her mother. The mysterious teenagers she met at the beginning all help her to understand this new world of shadowhunters, vampires, and werewolves she has just discovered. The ending is satisfying and packs a lot of surprises that will make the reader want to read the second one immediately after finishing. A good read for fantasy lovers.

The Entertainer and the Dybbuk by Sid Fleischman

Published December 2, 2008 Historical Fiction , RAC Leave a Comment
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Genre: Historical Fiction

Age Level: 15 and up

# of Pages: 180 p.

RAC Book: Yes

A dybbuk is a Jewish ghost or spirit. The story takes place shortly after WWII and follows an entertainer who travels around with a dummy and performs in different clubs. He is not terribly talented and many people complain about seeing his lips move. One night he returns home to find a ghost of a young boy in his closet. The boy claims to be a dybbuk who will not leave until he has finished what he came for. Despite the efforts of the man to ignore the dybbuk, he insists on inhabiting the body of the dummy which makes the entertainer’s show a great success. The man feels nervous, however, because he knows his success is directly linked to this dybbuk and he is worried that he will have to do things he does not want to do in order to please this spirit in the future.

Although the Holocaust is over in this story, the effects of it linger on in every character and location in the story. The dybbuk is a victim of the Holocaust and feels like he has some tasks to complete before he can relax in the afterlife. The book is not very long, but it is not for someone looking for a quick read because of the many serious issues that are discussed. Also, someone with a background of the Holocaust will get more out of it than someone who does not know much about this time period. This is a good story about Europe post WWII, which is a time most students probably have not read much about.

Saturday Night Dirt by Will Weaver

Published November 25, 2008 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Sports 1 Comment
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Genre: Sports Fiction

Age Level: 14 and up

# of pages: 163 p.

RAC Book: yes

This story about car racing follows many different characters as they prepare for a night of racing at Headwaters Speedway. Melody Waters is the track manager as well as the daughter of the racetrack owner. The track is in serious financial trouble due to several rained out nights and Melody is determined to make tonight a success despite the rain in the forecast. Trace Bonham is concerned that his car is simply not driving correctly despite his mechanics reassurances that it should be in working order. He starts to worry he may not have what it takes to be a good driver. Beau Kim does not have the money to buy a car of his own and has made one out of parts that have been discarded by other drivers. He hopes to remain competitive even with a car of far lower quality than everyone else’s. The story also focuses on the people who work at the racetrack and some of the fans.

For fans of car racing this book will keep their attention. It moves quickly and has a fair amount of racing action. For readers not familiar with this racing world, however, some of the racing rules and traditions may seem odd or confusing. The different perspectives of the characters are interesting, but none of them get fully introduced to the reader since there are so many that the author juggles. Recommended for fans of car racing, but most other readers will want to keep looking.

Lush by Natasha Friend

Published November 21, 2008 RAC , Realistic Fiction 11 Comments
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 14 and up

# of Pages: 178 p.

RAC Book: Yes

Samantha struggles with the fact that her father is an alcoholic. He is a successful architect who often comes home late or not at all due to his drinking habits. Her mother is constantly making excuses for him and trying to tell her that everything is okay, but Samantha does not believe this and starts to grow distant from him. After a binge he is always apologetic and promising change, but Sam quickly learns that his word means nothing. Her little brother is young enough that he doesn’t understand what is going on, but Sam tries to protect him from it nonetheless. She begins leaving notes for someone in the library she believes might be able to help her, but the person responding to her notes is not who she thinks it is. As she deals with some bullying at school the situation at home continues to get worse. The worst part is that she starts to wonder if she could have the same tendencies as her father.

Alcoholism is a very serious topic for young adults, but this story relates the topic best to teenagers and what it can be like to live with an alcoholic. This book discusses the warning signs, the symptoms, and even the steps needed to begin overcoming this disease. Having said that, it never gets preachy or gives the impression that something of this nature can be fixed quickly. Communication is stressed as being very important to helping a family member work through this problem. A good book about a serious subject.

Lemonade Mouth by Mark Peter Hughes

Published November 18, 2008 RAC , Realistic Fiction 11 Comments
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 13 and up

# of Pages: 338 p.

RAC Book: Yes

Written as an inside story about the famous music group Lemonade Mouth, this book follows the five bandmates and tells the story of how Lemonade Mouth came to be. Wen, Charlie, Mo, Stella, and Olivia were all thrown into detention one fateful day and the idea of a band started to take shape. As they begin to meet after school in the music room, which is located in the dingy basement, they start to realize that anyone who has activities located in this portion of the building (including A-V, choir, band, etc.) start to become labeled as freaks in the high school. Life gets more difficult for them when they get equal playing time to the popular high school band, Mudslide Crush. The members of that band resent having to share school functions and plan to make life difficult for this group of freshmen. Despite all the difficulties, however, Lemonade Mouth soon gains unprecedented popularity and they try to use that popularity toward promoting causes they believe are important.

This story was a surprisingly fun book to read. The idea that five virtual strangers, who often feel like they do not fit in anywhere, can come together and touch the lives of so many of their classmates is inspiring. Their road to success is difficult and often plagued with strife, but they keep trying even when things look hopeless. The main characters all have personal issues to deal with as they navigate high school, but never stop trying to make their way through that difficult time. Over time they realize they do not need to try so hard to survive the pressures and trials of high school when they have each other to lean on. This is a fun, entertaining, and many times surprising book that most readers will really enjoy.

Deadline by Chris Crutcher

Published November 13, 2008 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Sports 2 Comments
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 15 and up

# of Pages: 316 p.

RAC list: No

Ben Wolf finds out that he is dying when he goes for his cross country physical the summer before his senior year. He decides not to tell anyone so that he can try to live as normal a life as possible with the time he has left. The doctor cannot tell his parents because Ben is 18 and threatens to sue him. Ben joins the football team instead of the cross country team in order to play one season with his slightly younger brother, the star quarterback. He also goes after the girl he has admired for a long time. As time goes on, and Ben feels the aggressive blood disease catching up with him he begins to question his decision not to tell anyone. He wonders if they will forgive him in the end. Namely, he worries about his brother, father, and mother, who suffers from a bi-polar condition.

A powerful story with a lot of unnecessary language choices. Ben’s decision on how to live out the remainder of his life is an interesting reaction to finding out his illness. Deep down he always felt he would die young and even though he was scared, his desire to live life to the fullest is refreshing and provides all of us with a guide to live by. Many things that happened to him in his senior year would never have happened had he not known he was dying and put himself out there. Hopefully, young readers will feel inspired by this book and try to go after what they want as hard as Ben does. Crutcher once again tackles the difficult issues in a way that teens, especially boys, can relate to.

Fabulous Terrible: The Adventures of You by Sophie Talbot

Published November 11, 2008 RAC , Realistic Fiction Leave a Comment
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 12 and up

# of Pages: 231 p.

RAC Book: Yes

This story is told in the second person point of view, which means that the reader is the main character. You have been a foster child for many years and despite finding a great family you thought you would stay with forever, problems began to arise when you began having your visions again. As a child you had had visions or shimmers in which you could see glimpses into the future. Since it seemed to upset people whenever you told anyone, you stopped discussing your visions at a young age. Unfortunately, when the shimmers begin up again it distresses your new family and so you begin looking for boarding schools to attend. You find one called Trumbull Woodhouse, which is a very exclusive all girls school. Once you arrive, you begin noticing that your shimmers are coming faster now and at the same time someone begins to sabotage your every move. Who would want you to get kicked out? Is there any way to stop this person before it’s too late?

The format of this book is very unusual, but makes for a fun story. As the story goes on and very personal attacks are made against the main character, who is “you” in this story, the reader begins to feel as if it is her getting attacked.  The more that is revealed about this school the more intriguing it gets.  There are similarities to this series and the Gemma Doyle series by Libba Bray, but at this time the level of fantasy is very low.  The ending seemed a bit fast, but immediately flows into the next one in the series.  This series will always keep girls wanting more.  Recommended.

Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham

Published November 6, 2008 RAC , Realistic Fiction 11 Comments
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age level: 14 and up

# of Pages: 276 p.

RAC Book: Yes

Jane, a fifteen year old girl, gets attacked by a shark when her and her family go to the beach one summer day. Despite the fact that there were many people around, the only person to help her was her older brother who pulled her out of the water. Jane ends up having to have her arm amputated, which is extra hard for her because she was a talented artist. The story is told through a variety of poems in which Jane expresses her feelings about every aspect of this catastrophe such as the tape of her getting attacked that was played over and over on the news, the numerous letters she gets from supporters, and even her own feelings about trying to draw again. Jane’s feelings come across as very natural and understandable for a young girl in her position. As time goes on her thoughts reflect her healing process.

This story is honest and compelling in the way it describes how Jane copes with losing a limb in her teenage years. There are many supporting characters who help Jane in her journey to recovery such as her best friends and a young boy who has recently lost a leg that she meets at the hospital. She has a strong support structure around her, but in the end it is up to her to take those important steps toward acceptance. The content is unique for young adult literature and should be very popular among young readers.

Summer Ball by Mike Lupica

Published November 4, 2008 RAC , Sports 7 Comments
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Genre: Sports Fiction

Age Level: 12 and up

# of Pages: 244 p.

RAC Book: Yes

In this sequel to Travel Team Danny Walker and his friends go to a summer camp to play basketball for the summer. Danny is nervous from the start because even though their travel team ended up winning the championship there are always people who want to knock you down. When he arrives at the camp he learns that his name was left off the bunk list and he has to room with the younger kids. He takes this news surprisingly well considering the fact that he has issues with people thinking he is younger than he is due to his height. The rival from the championship game, Rasheed, is at camp and they are placed on the same team. Early on in the camp Danny learns that Rasheed and their team coach believe Danny has no place on a basketball court.

Danny Walker has many obstacles in this book considering his success in the previous one. The degree to which his coach dislikes him is amazing considering his ill treatment of Danny begins almost immediately. As Danny struggles with confidence, bullies, and even a homesick younger roommate he considers some drastic measures for escaping but ends up fighting his battles whether her wants to or not. The sports action is as good as ever in this book and fans of sports fiction will enjoy it. The fact that not everyone comes around to Danny’s way of thinking is a good reminder to readers that you will never get along with everyone and you just have to make the best of it. A good sports read.

The Snows by Sharelle Byars Moranville

Published October 30, 2008 Historical Fiction , RAC 1 Comment
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Genre: Historical Fiction

Age Level: 14 and up

# of Pages: 225 p.

RAC Book: Yes

The Snows follows four generations of the Snow family who live in Jefferson, Iowa. The four sections of the book focus on when one of the Snows was sixteen and the turmoil that year brought to the entire family. The first section takes place in 1931 as the Snows struggle through the depression. The second section takes place in 1942 when Cathy Snow gets unexpectedly pregnant and her family has to deal with a teen pregnancy during a time of low tolerance. The third section follows Jill in 1969 during a time of rebellion and protest over the Vietnam War. Finally, the last section connects the previous three sections together when Mona goes home for a family funeral in 2006 and reunites with many family members whom she has not seen much in her sixteen years.

The Iowa backdrop for this story will appeal to any Iowans because there are mentions of specific towns and places that any Iowan will know. The first two sections seem the most compelling as they introduce the family and their dynamic. The section in 1969 reveals some strong language in the protest for the war. The protest is not explored in depth enough for those readers who do not know a lot about this time. The final section is used as a way to pull the four parts together. All in all a nice read, but may be difficult to sell to young adults.

Endgame by Nancy Garden

Published October 28, 2008 Realistic Fiction Leave a Comment
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 15 and up

# of Pages: 287 p.

RAC Book: NO

Gray Wilton and his family have just moved to a new town partially due to his behavior in the previous town. The book is set up so that Gray recounts the events of the past year to his attorney, but the reader does not know why he needs an attorney for a while. Gray began the school year with a positive attitude. He wanted to have good grades and play drums in the band, but despite his best efforts he becomes the target of some ruthless bullies. If that’s not bad enough, he fights with his father a lot because he does not feel he can be honest with anyone regarding the bullies and therefore gets into other kinds of trouble on his own. As the year goes on, things get worse and worse until Gray feels he must take drastic and disturbing measures.

This book focuses on violence in schools. While some scenes in this book may be a tad dramatic, there are probably many students out there who live life with daily fear of getting made fun of or physically injured at school. Gray’s reluctance to seek help starts to seem difficult to understand as things continue to get worse for him. In the end, it is clear that he has no idea what he has really done and what it means for the rest of his life. This is a powerful story that contains no easy answers, but many questions for adults and teens to consider about this difficult topic.

Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen

Published October 21, 2008 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance 8 Comments
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 14 and up

# of Pages: 281 p.

RAC Book: Yes

In one of Sarah Dessen’s early books, Halley struggles through her junior year of high school. Things do not turn out as planned when her best friend, Scarlet, finds out she is pregnant with her boyfriend’s baby. The boyfriend died unexpectedly in a motorcycle accident over the previous summer. At the same time, Halley begins dating a boy her mother disapproves of and they begin fighting constantly. Finally, her grandmother whom she is named after is dying.

Dessen’s work has come a long way in the last ten years. While there is nothing bad about this book, the characters fail to compel readers to continue turning pages like some of her more recent books like The Truth About Forever. Teen readers will still enjoy this one, but the lack of resolution at the end will bother some of them.

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