Archive Page 36

The Sweetheart of Prosper County by Jill Alexander

Published April 6, 2010 RAC , Realistic Fiction Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

# of Pages:  212 pages

RAC Book:  Yes

Austin is a fourteen-year-old girl who lives in Texas with her mom.  Her father died six years earlier in an accident on Christmas Eve, which has left her mother a little traumatized and overprotective.  There is a family of bullies who think they can do anything in the town because they have money.  One in particular likes to criticize Austin at every chance he gets.  As Austin deals with the bullying, she decides that she wants to be the sweetheart of prosper county so that she can ride in the parade and no one could ever make fun of her again.  In order to do this she must raise a chicken to enter in the county fair.  It’s a very long process to raise a chicken and get him ready for the county fair, but Austin believes if she does this it will be the first step toward becoming somebody in this town.  Will she ever feel the courage to stand up for herself?

This heartwarming story follows a girl who has many things to deal with including a mother who has withdrawn from her life, and a terrible bully who thinks he can do anything because his father owns the corrupt mayor.  As she grows up and matures, she begins to see that she is the only one who can really change things for herself.  The characters are well-developed and fun to read about and the plot is so interesting and fast paced that anyone will want to know more about county fairs and raising animals.

Hold Still by Nina LaCour

Published April 2, 2010 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance 1 Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

# of Pages:  229

RAC Book:  No

Caitlin is having a difficult time coping with the suicide of her best friend, Ingrid.  Her parents keep trying to help her by creating projects for her and offering her space, but she cannot seem to feel normal again.  When a new girl in school, Dylan, tries to befriend her Caitlin feels guilty for having fun with someone else.  One day, Caitlin discovers Ingrid’s journal under her bed.  Slowly, she reads each entry and learns a lot about Ingrid she never knew.  She feels bad that Ingrid did not feel she could talk to her about her issues and wishes she could have helped, but also realizes she must begin to put her life back together.  She picks up her photography again and begins building a tree house in order to show everyone she is moving on, but not forgetting.

This book does have a few graphic scenes and some raw language, but many students will really identify with it.  The different feelings Caitlin has are portrayed so realistically that any reader feels like he or she has experienced this terrible loss.  Caitlin’s slow progression toward acceptance and healing feels natural and healthy and the people along the way who help her are engaging side characters.  Anyone who enjoyed Thirteen Reasons Why will enjoy this title as well.

How to Steal a Car by Pete Hautman

Published March 29, 2010 RAC , Realistic Fiction Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

# of Pages:  170 p.

RAC Book: No

Kelleigh Monahan is a teenage girl who happens to see a man drop his keys in a mall parking lot one day.  Instead of telling him and returning the keys, she keeps them.  One day she notices the man’s car a few blocks from her house and decides to take his car for a spin.  She picks up her friend and they go joy riding for awhile before returning it.  When another friend hears of this joy ride he asks her to steal the car of a class bully so that he can get back at him.  Before she knows it, she has acquired a bit of a reputation as a car thief.  When she is faced with the possibility of making some cash by stealing cars she does not immediately dismiss the idea.  Is she prepared to face jail time for this new passion?

Kelleigh does not feel like a fully developed character.  Her motivations are unclear and despite some close calls she still wants to continue in the car theft business.  The end is abrupt and many readers will feel like they were left without a concrete conclusion.  The fun and excitement of being a car thief was explored without too much of the possible negative outcomes.

DupliKate by Cherry Cheva

Published March 25, 2010 Fantasy , RAC , Romance Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Fantasy

# of Pages:  242

RAC Book:  Yes

Kate is highly stressed as she heads into finals week before Christmas break.  She has to finish her college essay, retake the SATs, finish building a robot for her Science final, and prepare for and take her finals.  Meanwhile, her boyfriend is getting annoyed that she hasn’t been spending as much time with him lately even though she is trying to get into Yale to be with him.  One night while on her computer, she accidentally opens a simulation program she has not looked at in years.  The next morning she wakes up to find she has a clone.  Naturally, this bothers her, but she is so busy she keeps pushing Rina aside.  As Rina tries to help Kate get everything done she begins to let her, but only with things that are not graded.  As Rina begins to take over Kate’s life she realizes that Rina’s intentions may not be completely innocent.

This light book moves quickly and will keep the interest of young students who generally like Meg Cabot or Kate Brian books.  The character of Kate does try to avoid cheating by using her clone, which is nice considering many teens would use this as an opportunity to sleep in and still get good grades.  As Kate evaluates all of the goals she has set for herself she completely turns everything upside down near the end and there is not a lot of content in the story to explain why.  All in all, it’s a very predictable read, but those who want something light should enjoy it.

Wish You Were Dead by Todd Strasser

Published March 22, 2010 Mystery , RAC , Realistic Fiction 1 Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction/Suspense

# of Pages:  236 p.

RAC Book: Yes

Madison lives in a wealthy, safe neighborhood where no one ever thinks anything bad could possibly happen.  When an anonymous blogger writes that she wishes one of the popular girls, Lucy, would die she disappears.  As the community frantically tries to find out what happened to Lucy, Madison must deal with her guilt over being the last one to see her.  When the blogger then starts singling out others and more disappear, the entire community begins to panic instilling curfews and chaperones on all the teenagers.  Meanwhile, Madison is receiving mysterious notes and she often feels like she is being followed.  Could she be the next victim?  Will she be able to figure this out before it is too late?

This story touches on the issue of bullying and how even minor comments and actions can have lingering effects.  The suspense and mystery will keep even reluctant readers interested, while at the same time providing several good topics for discussion in small groups.  How involved should parents and teachers be with bullying?  How should bullies be punished?  Should the victims take any responsibility?  What could you do if you see a student getting bullied?

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Published March 9, 2010 Fantasy , RAC , Romance 2 Comments
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Genre:  Fantasy/Romance

# of Pages:  392 p.

RAC list: Yes

When Grace was little she was attacked by wolves, but was saved by a wolf with yellow eyes.  Ever since then Grace has watched out her window for her wolf with yellow eyes and often sees him in the winter.  After a local teenager is attacked and killed, the town immediately tries to hunt down all of the wolves.  As Grace tries to stop them she finds an injured boy with yellow eyes.  She quickly realizes that this is in fact her wolf and wants to get to know him as a human, but unfortunately, his time is running short and soon he will have to change back…maybe forever.

This romance story reads similarly to the Twilight series, but this book is more romance and less action.  Grace and Sam’s relationship is sweet and endearing, but the book itself takes a rather leisurely pace.  Many of the plot twists are predictable and the final resolution seems much too quick, but fans of Bella and Jacob will not be able to put this one down.

Books on Bullying

Published March 5, 2010 Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Click on the following link in order to view my video on books that include themes on bullying.  Some of the bullying is by other students, some is by parents, and some is even by the government.

Bullying.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Published March 3, 2010 Adventure , Fantasy , RAC 1 Comment
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Genre:  Fantasy

# of Pages:  391

RAC Book:  Yes

In this sequel to The Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta have returned home to district 12 but life is not as easy or calm as Katniss hoped it would be if she survived the games.  Their previous fears of starving or failing to feed their families have been relieved as they now have plenty of food and money due to their winnings, but there is an uneasiness as Katniss realizes she may be in trouble with the Capitol for breaking the rules and managing to have two survivors of the vicious games.  Her fears are turned into reality when she receives a surprise visit from the president of the Capitol.  He warns her that if her and Peeta do not convince everyone that they are in fact in love, then the lives of their family and friends may be in danger.  Katniss was surprised to learn that her act of defiance that allowed her and Peeta to survive the games was seen as a first step of revolt to some of the districts.  Since then they have followed suit and established uprisings that the Capitol does not approve of.   As Katniss tries to squelch the uprisings by acting more in love with Peeta than she could imagine, she can’t help but wonder what will happen if she fails and the Capitol blames her for the beginnings of a revolution?  What’s worse, she starts to wonder if she really wants to squelch the uprisings at all or if she would be willing to give her life in order to make life better for those who come after her.

This sequel delivers all the action, surprise, suspense, and passion as the first one.  The year following Katniss’s triumph in the games is full of heartache and worry as she wonders who is watching her and what they will do to her family if she angers them.  Her life is completely changed, but not necessarily in a better way.  As she tries to help those around her she is in no way prepared for the role that will be thrust upon her in the next hunger games.  Anyone who liked the first installment of this series will devour this one and will have a difficult time waiting for the release of the next one.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Published February 26, 2010 Fantasy , RAC 2 Comments
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Genre:  Fantasy

# of Pages: 471

RAC:  Yes

2010-2011 Iowa Teen Award Winner

Katsa lives in a world where some people are born with special powers called Graces.  Katsa believes her grace to be one for killing and hates herself for fulfilling the terrible tasks her King makes her do.  One day she meets a man named Po from another country who is looking for his grandfather who was kidnapped.  Katsa had already rescued the old man, but they did not want to release that information due to the fact that they still do not know who kidnapped him in the first place.  As Katsa and Po start to investigate who might want to hurt his family, they become fearful that they may have to save everyone from a corrupt king using an immoral grace.

This fantasy story was original and unique in a way that makes the reader want to keep reading.  The story contains interesting and colorful characters as well as an exciting, and at times suspenseful, plot that is full of surprises until the end.  Recommended for students and adults who like fantasy books.  The idea of the graces is interesting and lends an extra layer of intrigue to this tale that will no doubt be around for a long time.

Lipstick Apology by Jennifer Jabaley

Published February 16, 2010 Mystery , RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance 1 Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction/Romance

# of Pages:  321

RAC Book:  Yes

Emily throws a party when her parents are out of town and is not expected to be caught by her Aunt Jolie.  Jolie is not there to keep an eye on Emily, however.  Instead, she is there to inform Emily that her parents’ plane has crashed and her parents have in fact died.  As Emily tries to cope with the loss of her parents, it is only made worse by the discovery of an airplane tray in the wreckage with the words “Emily Please Forgive Me” written on it in her mother’s favorite shade of lipstick.  As Emily struggles to understand what her mother is apologizing for, she is moved to NYC to live with her aunt where she has to begin a new school and try to make new friends.  As Emily tries to navigate dating, high school, and friendships, she can’t help but keep trying to figure out what her mother’s apology meant and if she will ever find out the truth.

This book starts out very dramatic and really draws readers in.  It then moves into a typical teenage book with a new school, bullying, boyfriends who cheat, etc.  Emily’s life is interesting because her aunt is a famous make-up artist, which seems to give her an edge as she enters this posh lifestyle she is not used to.  As interesting as Emily’s new life is, the real draw for this book is the mysterious apology her mother left for her.  Readers will not be disappointed when the reason behind this apology is revealed.  Overall, this is a fun teenage book with romance and mystery.

Witch and Wizard by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet

Published February 12, 2010 Fantasy , RAC 1 Comment
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Genre:  Fantasy

# of Pages:  314

RAC Book:  Yes

Whit and Wisty are brother and sister and believed they lived normal teenage lives.  That is until one day when they are arrested and charged with witchcraft.  There is a new government in their world called the New Order and this government is gathering up anyone it feels to be a threat.  Whit’s girlfriend had disappeared shortly before his own arrest.  They are taken to a terrible prison where they have to fight angry dogs for food and get whipped on a regular basis.  Whit and Wisty do not know anything about witchcraft, but when they get upset they do seem to be able to do impossible things such as stop objects in midair and burst into flames.  As they start to come to terms with the fact that they may in fact be a witch and a wizard, they are faced with the sobering fact that they are to be executed for their crimes.

For fantasy lovers this story is a lot of fun.  Whit and Wisty are interesting and well-developed characters who are dealing with a difficult situation that is similar to the Salem Witch Trials and the Holocaust all at the same time.  They are also concerned with finding their parents who managed to escape getting arrested in the first place.  The beginning of the story definitely grabs the reader’s interest and the crazy events that follow manage to keep it all the way until the ending of this first book in the series, which unfortunately comes too soon.

The Compound by S.A. Bodeen

Published February 9, 2010 RAC , Realistic Fiction 2 Comments
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Genre:  Realistic fiction

# of Pages:  248

RAC Book:  Yes

2010 Iowa Teen Award Winner

Eli and his family rush to a compound one night when they fear there is going to be a nuclear attack on the U.S.  Eli’s dad is a software billionaire and had the compound made with ample square footage and all of the amenities.  Unfortunately, Eli’s twin brother, Eddy, and their grandmother do not make it to the compound in time and his father shuts the door without them.  Six years later the family is having a difficult time coping with the life they have had in this compound.  There were some problems that his father did not anticipate and food is starting to run short.  Eli is not comfortable with some of the choices his family has made in order to survive, but he is most bothered by the loss of his twin and the guilt he feels about their final moments together.  Worst of all, Eli’s dad is as controlling and difficult as ever and Eli wonders if he is telling them the whole truth about their current situation.

This book was captivating from the very beginning.  There are many surprises throughout as Eli reveals his life in the compound and how they are trying to cope with such limitations.  As Eli takes a stand against their current life and tries to find some answers for how to improve it, he finds some hard and unexpected truths.  A good read for anyone, but boys and specifically reluctant readers will enjoy.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

Published February 4, 2010 RAC , Realistic Fiction Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

# of pages:  345 p.

RAC Book:  Yes

2010 Iowa Teen Award Winner

Frankie Landau-Banks was always known as “bunny rabbit” to her family, but as she enters her sophomore year at Alabaster Academy she realizes that she wants to be known for more than just being adorable.  The most popular senior boy, Matthew, asks her out and she cannot resist dating him.  It begins to bother her that he expects her to be there whenever he asks but never feels bad canceling plans on her in order to be with his friends.  He also shows no interest in her clubs, classes, or friends.  He just wants her to be around and look pretty.  When she learns that he is a member of the secret all male society, the Bassets, she decides to become a member whether they like it or not.  She feels it is unfair and outdated to exclude women from a group where life long connections are formed that would positively impact future careers.  As she infiltrates the group she is surprised by how the group responds to her ideas without knowing they are coming from her.  She wonders if all of her efforts will be worth it in the end.

This book takes a while to set up the plot line with the Bassets, but once it does the story takes off.  The writing style is very sophisticated and can encourage students to think about traditions, unwritten rules, and even grammar that everyone just accepts and never questions.  There are many instances in our lives in which we come across some of these expectations and we often adhere to these rules without thinking about the choices we are making.  Frankie asks people to stand up for ideas and procedures that need to be updated.  This is something all of us could think about.

Scat by Carl Hiaasen

Published January 28, 2010 Mystery , RAC , Realistic Fiction 2 Comments
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction/ Mystery

# of Pages:  371 p.

RAC Book:  Yes

2010 Iowa Teen Award Winner

Scat begins with Nick and Marta in their biology class cringing that they will be called on by Mrs. Starch, who is the meanest teacher in the school.  Instead, she calls on Duane and assigns him a major paper when he admits he failed to do the assignment.  Duane (who’s nickname is Smoke because he has started a few fires in the past) storms out of class and everyone wonders if there will be any repercussions for Mrs. Starch singling him out in class.  The following day, the class takes a field trip to a nearby swampy area.  Around lunchtime they are evacuated due to a small wildfire, but Mrs. Starch sends the bus ahead so that she can return to find an inhaler that a student dropped.  She never returned to school and no one can find her.  Nick and Marta decide to investigate further in order to see if something terrible happened to her when she returned into the swamp.  Meanwhile, Nick’s father returns from Iraq injured and the entire family must come to terms with the fact that nothing will ever be the same again.

Carl Hiaasen has once again created a story in which the characters are interesting and colorful and an environmental issue is discussed.  In this book, Hiaasen addresses some of the endangered animals in the Florida area and the lengths the government and other protection agencies are going to in order to protect these creatures.  The pacing of the story seems natural and the story is revealed in a timely and appropriate manner.  Nick’s father serving in Iraq is something many students can relate to and while there is always hope for his prognosis, he does not return from war unscathed.  Any fan of Hiaasen’s previous books will enjoy this one.

But I Don’t Want To Be a Movie Star by Margaret Pinder

Published January 26, 2010 RAC , Realistic Fiction 1 Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

# of Pages:  250 p.

RAC Book:  Yes

Katriona Shaw lives in England with her parents, but during the summer she is sent to live with her grandmother, Noni.  Noni used to be a major movie star and lives a life of luxury to prove it.  Kat has never felt a strong connection with her grandmother and does not hide the fact that she would rather be home skateboarding with her friends.  Everything changes when Noni finds out she could be up for a part in a movie.  She is supposed to meet with one of the executives about whether or not she would be right for the part and it is all she can think about.  Unfortunately, she falls off of Katriona’s skateboard and sprains her ankle shortly before the meeting.  Convinced she would be unable to audition with a sprain, Noni and her stylist come up with a crazy and ridiculous idea to fool the executive into thinking Noni is in perfect health.  The stylist transforms Kat to look like her grandmother so that she can go to the meeting instead.  Despite Kat’s protests, they convince her to at least try this for her grandmother and she reluctantly agrees.

The plot of this story, while humorous and fast paced, seems a bit ridiculous.  Obviously there are talented people who can transform young people to look older, but it seems unlikely that a granddaughter of 15 could be made to look exactly like her 62 year old grandmother in a way that someone close up would not be able to tell the difference.  This story also has some pacing issues.  For example,  for half of the book Kat is merely a sulky teen visiting her grandmother against her will and then the plot takes a quick turn as they prepare for this Hollywood meeting and ends rather abruptly.  Teens who like funny, silly books will be a fan but anyone looking for more substance should keep looking.

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