Archive Page 37

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  She feels it is unfair and outdated to exclude women from a group where life long connections are formed that would positively impact future careers.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.

Envy by Anna Godbersen

Published January 21, 2010 Historical Fiction , RAC , Romance 1 Comment
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Genre:  Historical Fiction/Romance

# of Pages:  405

RAC Book:  Yes

In this sequel to Rumors Elizabeth and Diana Holland are still reeling from the shocking murder of Elizabeth’s husband, Will, as well as the surprising wedding of Diana’s beloved Henry to Penelope.  Elizabeth refuses to be seen in public despite the urging of her mother who wants her to get back into society.  Diana is refusing to receive any correspondence from Henry as he tries to explain his behavior.  Eventually, Diana relents and believes his reasons for marrying Penelope, but quickly realizes that it is unlikely they will ever be together.  As hard as Henry pulls away from the marriage, Penelope finds ways to force him back in and eventually they must face off in order to see if the marriage will last.  Meanwhile, Lina must find a way to hold onto her newly acquired status and is surprised at what lengths she will go to in order to live in the same circles as the Holland sisters.  Finally, as Elizabeth deals with her unending sadness over losing Will she starts to wonder if there might not be another reason for her poor health.

This third installment of the Luxe series picks up where Rumors left off and reveals everyone’s motivations as they struggle to keep what they want in this elite Manhattan society.  The ending again packs a punch as two main characters make surprising choices.  Readers will look forward to the fourth installment when it will be revealed if any of these characters will actually get to be happy in this difficult society.

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

Published January 15, 2010 RAC , Realistic Fiction 2 Comments
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

# of Pages:  382 p.

RAC:  Yes

Marcus and his friends choose to skip school and go downtown in order to participate in a tech savvy scavenger hunt type game and are caught in the middle when terrorists blow up the Bay Bridge in San Francisco.  Marcus and his friends pull out of the crowd running for cover in order to get medical attention for their friend, Darryl, who was injured after the blast.  Instead of going to a hospital, however, they were transported by Homeland Security to a facility in which they were detained, questioned, and tortured for information on the terrorist attack.  Marcus had several items on him that they wanted access to and when he refused to give them passwords they would use terrible tactics to get him to talk.  His parents were not notified of his whereabouts and he was not allowed to consult with an attorney.  When they finally released him a few days later he was warned not to tell anyone what had happened or else they would come for him again.  Marcus vows to wage war on any government who thinks they can take away the rights of its citizens in the name of security.

This story asks the reader to think about what he or she would do in some difficult situations that are only slightly exaggerated.  The book portrays this world of suspicion and doubt in a way that anyone could see it actually happening.  The question is what would you do if you felt your rights were being stripped illegally?  Marcus’s story encourages communication and discussion about government control and inalienable rights.  Students who like espionage novels will like the technology and creative plans Marcus uses in order to try and reveal the truth.  Highly recommended.

Seeing Redd by Frank Beddor

Published January 12, 2010 Fantasy , RAC 2 Comments
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Genre:  Fantasy

# of Pages:  371

RAC:  Yes

In this sequel to The Looking Glass Wars, Redd is struggling to find her way back to Wonderland in order to battle her niece, Alyss, for the throne.  Meanwhile, Alyss is trying to rebuild Wonderland after Redd’s reign of terror and destruction.  Alyss wonders if they will ever be the happy and secure place that Wonderland once was.  Dodge, Alyss’s best friend, is now the head of security and desperately wants to find time alone with Alyss (which is difficult now that she is queen) so that he can tell her how much she means to him.  Hatter Madigan is holed up in a cave far away mourning the loss of the love of his life without plans to ever return to combat until a diary with a surprising message convinces him otherwise.  When Wonderland is attacked and Alyss’s personal bodyguard is taken captive Alyss must decide if it is Redd or if a new nemesis has in fact revealed himself.

This sequel is action packed and every bit as exciting as the first.  Alyss’s struggles as queen are believable despite taking place in a fantasy world.  Readers can identify with many of the characters because their motivations and feelings are written in a way that anyone can understand why they feel the way they do.  The ending is a bit abrupt, but luckily the third installment is ready to pick up where that one leaves off.  Recommended for anyone who loves fantasy and fantasy series such as The Lightning Thief or Maxiumum Ride.

Rumors by Anna Godbersen

Published December 15, 2009 Historical Fiction , RAC , Romance Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Historical fiction/Romance

# of Pages:  423 p.

RAC Book:  Yes

In this sequel to the Luxe, the wealthy elite of New York in 1899 continue to socialize and gossip through life.  In the last book Elizabeth faked her own death in order to head west with her true love, Will, who is considered beneath her station.  Meanwhile Diana, her younger sister, has fallen for Elizabeth’s former fiancee, Henry.  He is reluctant to start a relationship because he does not know Elizabeth is really alive and believes that one day Diana will come to resent him for marrying his fiancee’s sister.  Penelope is still trying to decide how to get Henry to marry her and will stop at nothing to get what she wants.  Lina still plans on chasing Will, but is having a little fun with some newfound money first.  She wants everyone to forget she was once a maid and to accept her as one of their own, but simply having money does not get you accepted in this elite world.

For those that enjoyed the first installment of this series, this is  a must read.  The action in the plot moves along at a quick pace in a way to keep readers interested right up to the end.  Nothing is as it seems and twists and turns keep the characters from getting what they really want.  Plus, a surprise at the end will leave everyone wondering what is next for the Holland sisters (Elizabeth and Diana).  All in all, a fun and interesting story that will leave readers wanting more.  Fans of Gossip Girl and other books about the young and wealthy in today’s world will like this similar story set at the turn of the century.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Published December 7, 2009 RAC , Science Fiction 1 Comment
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Genre:  Science Fiction

# of Pages:  374 p.

RAC Book:  Yes

This book, set in the future, follows a society in which every child ages 12-18 must be placed in a yearly drawing to “win” a chance to play in the hunger games.  The hunger games is a fight to the death in a challenge filled arena for everyone to watch via television.  Each district (12 in all) must send one boy and one girl to compete in the games.  Of course, no one in the capitol has to fight in the games.  Katniss lives in district 12 and takes care of her family by illegally hunting and gathering so that they do not starve.  Her father was killed in a mine explosion and she feels it is up to her to take care of her mother and sister.  Therefore, when her little sister’s name is called she knows she cannot let it happen and volunteers to take her place.  Peeta, the boy chosen to go with her seems to have some strange ideas for winning the affections of the audience and Katniss is not sure whether or not he is being honest or a very good liar.

The hunger games has a similar feeling of government control as the Giver or Uglies, but these games are extremely violent and show no mercy to the children forced to play it.  As Katniss tries to maneuver her way through this difficult game in order to survive, she must come to terms with the fact that if she wants to live others have to die.  The conditions of the districts, Katniss’s in particular, show that this government has no problem withholding food or supplies if it means that there are no thoughts of rebellion among the citizens.  At one point Katniss ponders what it would be like not to have to worry about starving every minute of every day.  She wonders what those people must do with all that time.  Some serious issues are discussed, but in a way that is exciting, suspenseful, and shocking.  This one is definitely a page turner and one that could lead to some very good discussions.

The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa De La Cruz

Published December 2, 2009 Fantasy , RAC Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Fantasy

# of Pages:  369 p.

RAC List:  Yes

In this fourth installment of the Blue Bloods series, Schuyler is on the run with her human familiar, Oliver.  She is afraid for her safety since the Conclave refused to believe her story about how her grandfather was murdered in the last book.  She is choosing not to choose between Oliver, her best friend, and Jack, whom she believes might be her soul mate.  Bliss is struggling with the loss of her mother and sister, while attempting to take control of her own mind from the “visitor” who sometimes chooses to take over her body and perform terrible deeds.  After the attack on the blue bloods in the last book, everything seems up in the air and no one knows exactly where they should turn for support.  Mimi and Jack are each avoiding the fact that they were somewhat relieved when their bonding ceremony was postponed.  Can the blue bloods fight the silver bloods if they do not know who they are really fighting?  Or what the plan of attack will be?  Will Schuyler be able to save the blue bloods through the Van Alen Legacy?

There are many things going on in this book, which made it move quickly.  At the same time, there was so much going on that sometimes important elements to the plot were revealed and they did not seem to get the shock they deserved because there was too much going on around it.  The characters are still strong and the readers will want to know what happens to each of them.   Of course, this book sets up another book to follow with many questions unanswered and people in limbo.   Students who have followed this series from the beginning will enjoy the book, but may be somewhat frustrated that more has not been resolved.  As the target audience grows up, they will fail to continue to follow this series.

Waiting for you by Susane Colasanti

Published November 23, 2009 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction/Romance

# of Pages:  322 p.

RAC:  Yes

Marisa and Sterling are two best friends who are determined to begin this new school year right.  They set goals for making friends, getting boyfriends, and succeeding in school.  Marisa is a little apprehensive about this year because the previous year she was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and depression.  She feels she has recovered, but always worries those lonely feelings will come back.  She also desperately wants to date Derek, the popular boy in school, which is why she shuns the romantic advances of her male best friend, Nash.  To top everything off, Marisa learns her parents are going to get divorced.  Basically, nothing goes exactly as she and Sterling planned and Marisa wonders if she can handle so many unexpected obstacles in her life.  The only person who seems able to understand her is this mystery DJ Dirty Dirk,  who broadcasts an anonymous show every night.  Will she be strong enough to ask for help if she needs it?

Marisa’s difficulty with depression is handled very accurately in this story as she struggles to make it day to day without feeling hopeless and alone.  Even though she knows she has a lot to be grateful for, she can’t seem to make herself feel that way on her own.  Jealousy, anger, and confusion are all a part of Marisa’s life, which most teenagers can probably relate to.  As she tries to make sense of those around her she realizes that she does not have to have all of the answers at once, but just needs to keep trying to reach her goals.  Fans of Sarah Dessen will enjoy this one.

Another Faust by Daniel and Dina Nayeri

Published November 13, 2009 Fantasy , RAC Leave a Comment
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another_faust_cover

Genre:  Fantasy

# of Pages:  387 p.

RAC List: Yes

When five children living in four different countries disappear one night at the age of ten no one notices.   Five years later, a mysterious governess arrives in New York City with her five unusual adopted children, who will all attend the exclusive Marlowe School.  Christian is a master athlete and can play and dominate five school sports in one season.  Bice has mastered over 23 languages and is still learning more.  Belle is Bice’s twin and has bargained with the governess to become breathtakingly beautiful.  Victoria wants to have the highest gpa in the school as well as become class President and win the debate tournament.  Finally, Valentin is a poet and likes to manipulate time.  All of these children have “gifts” that were given to them by their governess.  The question is what did they have to give her in order to receive these gifts?

Another Faust plays off of the ideas in Christopher Marlowe’s play Dr. Faustus where a man sells his soul to the devil to get what he wants on earth.  In this case, these five children have made “deals” with their governess in order to get what they want, but some have known what they were getting into and others have not.  There are many interesting issues that get addressed in this book such as the importance of earning your accomplishments instead of cheating to acquire them.  Trust, family, and betrayal are all major themes in this story as well.  Fans of fantasy stories, especially series like the Blue Bloods, will snap this up.

GoldenGirl by Micol Ostow

Published November 10, 2009 Realistic Fiction Leave a Comment
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goldengirl

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

# of Pages:  193

RAC List: No

Bradford Prep is a rich prep school in Philadelphia where Madison, Paige, and Spencer all attend.  When a new student, Regan, begins attending the prep school tensions rise due to the fact that Paige takes an immediate dislike to the new girl.  Madison and Spencer like Regan right away and cannot understand why Paige has such an issue with her.  Spencer feels especially taken by Regan after Regan catches her in a compromising position with her ex-boyfriend and does not tell one person the juiciest gossip in the school.  Once it becomes clear that Paige is not above sabotage, Madison and Spencer quickly learn that Regan and Paige have  a sordid past.  Who should they believe about what actually happened in that past?

Fans of the Gossip Girl series will love this series as well.  The book goes into detail on fashion, trendy hot spots, and of course teen drinking and partying.  Although the book’s plot develops and strengthens over the course of the story, there is still a lot of fluff to this book.  Teens looking for a light teen drama will enjoy it, but anyone looking for more substance should keep looking.

Slam! by Walter Dean Myers

Published November 6, 2009 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Sports Leave a Comment
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slam

Genre:  Sports/Realistic Fiction

# of Pages:  266

RAC:  Yes

Slam is called Slam for a reason.  He can dunk a basketball right in the face of stiff competition.  When he is moved to a new school he has some trouble adjusting.  First, he is now separated from his friends, including his best friend, Ice.  He also has to focus on his grades because if they slip too much he won’t be eligible to play basketball, which is his favorite thing in the world to do.  His new school is much more difficult, so he is having trouble keeping up.  Plus, his coach and some of his teachers think he has an attitude problem, which does not help matters.  As Slam tries to deal with the many aspects of his life there always seems to be a new distraction to get in the way.  Friends from his old school try to convince him that Ice may be into something bad since he has a lot of money to burn all of a sudden.  Slam doesn’t want to see that Ice may be dealing drugs because he knows it could be the end of their friendship.  At the same time all of this is going on, Slam is fighting to get a place on the school basketball team.  Will he ever feel like he has some control over his life?

Fans of Walter Dean Myers will like this book as well.  Slam is a likable character with a lot of difficult, yet believable things going on in his life.  Many teenagers will be able to relate to dealing with friends, school, sports, and family at the same time.  Myers also weaves exciting sports action throughout the story which will make sports fans happy.  Most readers will wish that the story was longer just so they can follow Slam as he navigates through all the different people in his life for longer.  Teenage boys will be reaching for this one.

After by Amy Efaw

Published November 3, 2009 RAC , Realistic Fiction 8 Comments
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after

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Age Level:  14 and up

# of pages:  350

RAC:  Yes

Devon is lying on the couch when her mom gets home from her evening shift at the local supermarket.  She is unresponsive and drifting in and out of consciousness and her mother assumes she is staying home sick.  When police officers come to the door to inquire about a newborn baby that was found in a nearby trashcan her mother tells them that she just got home, but that maybe her daughter saw something.  At this point it is revealed that Devon had recently given birth and no one around her even knew she was pregnant.  She is arrested for attempted murder and taken to the hospital.  Once she is mildly recovered she is sent to jail where she is working with a lawyer to fight to stay in the juvenile court system as opposed to being tried as an adult.  Devon feels ashamed and confused and does not want anyone to know what has happened.  Did she really try to kill her baby?  Had she really convinced herself that she was not pregnant or is that just what her story is?  Why didn’t she reach out to the many people around her who could have helped her instead of pushing all of them away?

Everyone has heard a story about a young girl who gives birth without anyone knowing about it and tries to “get rid of” the evidence.  This book tries look at this situation through the eyes of the young girl.  What was she feeling?  Did she realize what she was doing?  After the event has occurred, the reader follows as Devon comes to terms with her decision and tries to decide how she thinks she should be punished.  The characters are interesting and well developed and the details of the story are revealed in an interesting manner.  The final outcome feels right and satisfactory for a topic as serious as this.  It will be a hit with high school girls.

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Published October 30, 2009 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance 2 Comments
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alongfor ride

Genre:  Realistic Fiction/ Romance

# of Pages:  383 p.

RAC Book:  Yes

Like other Dessen books, Along for the Ride follows a teenage girl, Auden, who is trying to enjoy the summer before her freshman year in college.  Her entire life she has worked hard at academics and let everything else fall away.  Her parents are divorced and both authors and professors, so there has always been a lot of pressure to excel.  Auden’s older brother, Hollis, is more of a free spirit and has been backpacking through Europe for almost two years.  Meanwhile, Auden’s dad recently remarried and had a baby girl.  When life with her overbearing mother gets too difficult she decides to spend the summer with her dad and Heidi in their small beach town.  Heidi is having trouble adjusting to life with a newborn since Auden’s dad spends all of his time locked in his office working on his next book.  Auden meets a troubled young man who seems to open up to her when he won’t talk to anyone else about the horrific event in his past.  As Auden navigates her own life she learns a lot from those around her.

Dessen portrays in this story how easy it can be for anyone to pass judgment on another person while not taking responsibility for his or her own choices.  In the end, many of the characters learn that in order to truly be happy you have to try things that are scary, which can be anything from relationships to riding a bike, even if that means you might fail.  In other words, playing it safe does not make for a satisfying life without regrets.  Auden’s family has always judged anyone who does not consider academics to be the most important thing to be beneath them.  During this summer of enlightenment, Auden begins to see that each person should be able to make his or her personal decisions about how to live life to the fullest and those people should have the benefit of not being judged for those choices.  A page turner!

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