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Night of the Howling Dogs by Graham Salisbury

Published March 24, 2009 Adventure , RAC , Realistic Fiction 8 Comments
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction/Adventure

Age Level:  14 and up

# of Pages:  191

RAC Book:  Yes

This book is based on a true story about a Boy Scout Troop who go into Halape, Hawaii for a weekend campout.  When an earthquake strikes unexpectedly and causes a tsunami, the boys’ survival skills are put to the test.  All of the boys are put in peril and although some of them do not get along, must work together in order to survive.

The fact that this story is based on fact makes it all the more exciting and adventuresome.  As the boys strive to survive this ordeal they come to learn a lot about themselves and each other and begin to appreciate each of their different backgrounds.  Readers who enjoy reading about true survival stories should not miss this one.  It is mainly catalogued as fiction because a few minor details have been changed, but the body of the story is based on fact.  Overall, this is an exciting and suspenseful journey.

Confessions of a Serial Kisser by Wendelin Van Draanen

Published February 10, 2009 RAC , Realistic Fiction 3 Comments
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Age Level:  13 and up

# of Pages:  294 p.

RAC Book:  yes

Evangeline is going through a difficult time as her parents have recently separated due to her father’s infidelity and she cannot bring herself to even look at him let alone talk to him.  Her best friend, Adrienne, is very supportive but is also very involved at school and is therefore not around as much as Evangeline would like.  After reading one of her mom’s romance novels Evangeline decides that what she needs is a true “crimson kiss.”  In order to find her perfect kiss she begins going around kissing random people and soon gets a reputation.  As rumors swirl about her she must decide what it is she is really looking for and how she can center herself before spinning completely out of control and losing everyone she cares about.

This story is about a girl who is struggling with her parents’ separation and finds herself trying to look for things in life that she thinks she wants.  In the end, she discovers that she does not even really know what she wants and she must face some of the difficult situations she has been trying so desperately to avoid.  The main situation being that she refuses to speak with her father even after his repeated attempts to communicate.  The story is entertaining and will be popular with teenage girls.

Kiss Me Kill Me by Lauren Henderson

Published February 3, 2009 Mystery , RAC , Realistic Fiction 8 Comments
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Age Level:  14 and up

# of Pages:  260 p.

RAC Book:  Yes

Scarlett Wakefield goes to an exclusive private school called St. Tabby’s where she has two best friends and aspires to be an Olympic gymnast.  She is shocked when one day the elite group of girls in the school asks her to join them for a party.  She immediately drops her best friends in favor of this new group which causes a permanent rift.  When she is at the party she ends up kissing one of the most popular boys in school and he unexpectedly dies of an allergy attack.  No one is able to understand why he had this reaction and why he did not have his epinephrine pen on him.  She soon becomes blamed even though there is no proof that she did anything wrong.  Her life becomes so miserable that she is forced to move away and go to the private school her grandmother is headmistress of.  As she relives that horrible day when Dan died she cannot seem to stop punishing herself.  One day she receives a mysterious note in which she realizes that there is much more to this incident than she knows and she is determined to find out what it is.

This story is interesting and captures the reader’s attention from the beginning.  Anyone can identify with the feelings Scarlett has throughout the book.  The mystery element also becomes intriguing as most readers will not know right off what actually caused Dan’s death.  The only issue with the story is that the ending is unsatisfying and feels unfinished.  Whether a sequel is planned or not does not excuse the fact tht the ending feels too abrupt.

My Life: The Musical by Maryrose Wood

Published January 27, 2009 RAC , Realistic Fiction Leave a Comment
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 14 and up

# of Pages: 228 p.

RAC Book: Yes

Emily and Philip are two best friends who love the musical Aurora. They have accumulated a substantial debt going to see it every weekend for three years. Now they are shocked to learn that their beloved Broadway musical is set to close and there are no more tickets to be had.  Emily had borrowed all of their money for these tickets the last three years from her grandmother, who now wants to elope with her boyfriend and would like her money back.  This puts Emily and Philip in a bad situation as they have no way of paying this back and they can’t tell their parents because they never told them where they were going every weekend.  Can they manage to see their favorite show one more time or has their obsession ruined their lives forever?

This is a cute story about young adults who love musical theatre.  It is not fast paced or full of action, but students who enjoy the arts will find it amusing and fun to read.  Some young adults identify with activities such as sports and others enjoy the performing arts.  This is a book for those students who cannot live without the performing arts.  For students who do not know anything about Broadway and musicals they will learn a lot about this form of entertainment from this book.  This is a good book for those wanting something light that is not a romance.

Losing Forever by Gayle Friesen

Published January 13, 2009 RAC , Realistic Fiction 1 Comment
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 13 and up

# of Pages: 247 p.

RAC Book: yes

Jes is struggling with every aspect of her life. She is still dealing with the death of her younger sister and subsequent divorce of her parents. Meanwhile, her mother is engaged to be married again and her new fiancee has brought his teenage daughter to live in Jes’s room. Jes’s best friend is smitten with her new boyfriend, which makes Jes feel unneeded and forgotten. Everyone keeps trying to include her in their plans, but she doesn’t feel like she belongs anywhere anymore. Can she ever communicate her feelings to those she loves without alienating everyone around her?

This story appears very simple, but resonates with many teenagers who feel like life is passing them by while they try to make sense of what is around them. Teenagers go through many changes with friends and family and often need time to process and adjust to all of these changes. This story finds an audience and conveys a story that the audience can truly relate to. Life is never easy and people often respond to major life changes in different ways. It’s important for young adults to have characters like this one to read about in order to better understand their own feelings about major life changes.

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.

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.

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.

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Published July 8, 2008 Fantasy , RAC Leave a Comment
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Genre: Fantasy

Age Level: 14 and up

# of Pages: 328 p.

RAC Book: Yes

Aislinn has a secret that only her grandmother knows and that is that she is able to see faeries. All of the women in her family have always been able to do this and so Aislinn was trained at a young age to pretend like she cannot see them, because if the faeires know they are seen they will torment the human who has that gift. Unfortunately, one day Aislinn notices that two faeries keep following her and becomes alarmed enough to tell her best friend, Seth. Seth tries to help her figure out what the faeries want and how to get them to leave, but of course the problem is much more complicated than they anticipate.

Keenan is the Summer King, but his power has been bound for many, many years. Unless he can fulfill his mission and find the girl destined to rule alongside him he will never get his power back and catastrophic things will happen to everyone in the world, faeries and mortals alike. Standing in his way,is his mother, Beira, who is the Winter Queen. She is a cunning and deceitful villain who will stop at nothing to win.

Fans of any fantasy series such as Twilight will enjoy this book. The plot is unique and original and contains a lot of mystery, action, and adventure. There are many rules in place that the characters have to abide by in order to win, which makes the plot complicated and unpredictable. So far it has already caught the attention of many students and I think will continue to pull in readers as word spreads. A must read for fantasy lovers.

The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie by Jaclyn Moriarty

Published June 24, 2008 RAC , Realistic Fiction 2 Comments
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Age Level:  14 and up

# of Pages:  494 p.

RAC Book:  Yes

Bindy Mackenzie is a very studious and conscientious high school student.  She is the type who always gets the highest grade in the class and is not afraid to tell anyone what she thinks.  Due to her frank and curious nature she has sometimes alienated students around her.  This year all juniors are required to take a Friendship and Development (FAD) class that she finds useless and a waste of time.  The class asks her to look back at her own life so far and reflect on what she sees.  She finds that she is not happy with her relationships and becomes obsessed with making friends in her (FAD) class.  As she focuses on this more and more she loses sight of everything that was previously important to her.  She also starts to get really sick.  Can she pull herself together to become the person she realizes she wants to be or is it too late?

This story is told through Bindy’s journal and includes diary entries, memos, emails, essays, and even transcripts of conversations she has heard.  Bindy records every thought and interaction she has every day.  As she struggles with her home life, school life, and health her journal ramblings can seem a little superfluous but in the end everything makes sense as the surprising ending unfolds.  Students who make it through some of the mundane chapters will be pleased with how the story ends and will appreciate why the mundane portions of the book were important in order to piece together what happens to Bindy.  The story also discusses many issues that teenagers face everyday and shows students that there are many ways to deal with those issues, some more effective than others.

 

Inkspell by Cornelia Funke

Published June 13, 2008 Award Winners , Fantasy , RAC 1 Comment
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Genre:  Fantasy

Age Level:  12 and up

# of Pages:  635 p.

RAC Book:  Yes

In this sequel to Inkheart, Meggie is living with her aunt Elinor, her father Mo, her mother Resa, and the reader Darius.  Meggie desperately wants to visit the Inkworld where her mother lived for so many years.  She has heard about the magical creatures and interesting characters and landscape and desperately wants to go, but she knows her father would be upset.  Mo doesn’t even like talking about that place.

Meanwhile, Dustfinger has found someone who claims to be able to read people into books.  He wants to go back along with Farid, but in the end only Dustfinger goes.  Farid finds out it was a trick set up by Basta, the villain who got away in the first book.  Now Farid sets out to find Meggie in order for her to read him into the story to reunite with Dustfinger.  When Meggie hears his proposition she decides to write herself into the story as well.  This is just the beginning of an ever evolving story.

This story takes place mainly in the magical world depicted in the book Inkheart, unlike the first book that took place in the real world.  Many new characters are introduced and familiar characters change and evolve.  The twists and turns of the story make sense and instill a fun sense of adventure and a hint of fairy tale aspects.  The book was long and despite that the ending seemed rushed.  It is clearly set up for another book to follow this one.  If that was the intention all along Funke should have cut off this story a little sooner.  It seems like she had a hard time deciding where to end this one and begin the next one.  Those who liked the first one will probably like this one even more because this new world is fun and exciting.

 

Amazing Grace by Megan Shull

Published June 5, 2008 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Sports 10 Comments
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Genre: Realistic fiction/Sports

Age Level: 13 and up

# of pages: 247 p.

RAC Book: Yes

2008 Iowa Teen Award Winner

Grace “Ace” Kincaid is a world renowned tennis player known not only for winning major competitions like Wimbledon, but for her many endorsements and modeling jobs. One day Grace decides she is very unhappy with her life and asks her mom if she can quit everything she is currently involved in, including the US Open. Her mother readily agrees and works on transforming Grace from a blonde bombshell into a red headed punk chick. As part of this plan, Grace must move to Alaska for three months with a friend of her mother’s in order to avoid the paparazzi and relax for awhile. In Alaska Grace becomes Emily and finds the small town of Medicine Hat to be very welcoming and enjoyable despite its lack of the luxuries she has gotten used to. As time goes on she makes a best friend and a finds a special boy, but her past is still chasing her and she must face the life she left behind.

This story is unique and interesting in many ways. It can be hard to imagine why someone would leave her glamorous life for the simple one she goes to, but it is written in a way that the reader understands why she felt she needed to make the changes she did. It’s inspiring for anyone, but especially young adults who are battling all kinds of pressures for their futures. Recommended.

Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings

Published May 29, 2008 Mystery , RAC , Realistic Fiction , Uncategorized 87 Comments
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 12 and up

# of Pages: 208 p.

RAC Book: Yes

2008 Iowa Teen Award Winner

Brady loves living so close to the Chesapeake Bay. His father is a crab and oyster fisherman and he has two best friends, Digger and J.T. One day Brady sees the neighbor’s red kayak out before the boys go to school. He debates whether to yell and tell them it’s too dangerous to be out, but his friends convince him they will be fine. Brady is pulled out of school by his father later that morning because the kayak never returned and it contained the neighbor and her son. Brady had babysat for Ben and wanted to help find him.

As the search and rescue teams start heading off down the river Brady learns that the woman was found but was in shock. By chance he finds Ben and tries to resuscitate him while driving the boat back to the ambulance. By the time he gets there they have a pulse and Brady is hailed as a hero for the rest of the day. Things begin to go terribly wrong, however, when he starts to suspect that the kayak sinking was no accident and wonders how he should proceed.

This book was captivating in the way the story was revealed and in how it was explained. Brady faces one difficult decision after another and must decide who he should protect and who he should hurt. His father helps him decide that finding the right decision is easy, it’s just hard to act on it. This book will be a hit with teen boys due to its short and to the point nature, as well as for its interesting content. It would be good for classroom discussions on responsibility and making choices that will affect the rest of your life and many other people’s lives as well.

Blood Red Horse by K.M. Grant

Published May 8, 2008 Award Winners , Historical Fiction , RAC 16 Comments
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Genre: Historical Fiction

Age Level: 14 and up

# of Pages: 277 p.

RAC Book: yes

Iowa Teen Award 2008

In the year 1185, when the book begins, in England there are two brothers and a little girl who all live together in a castle. The two brothers, Will and Gavin, quarrel a lot as Gavin always tries to belittle Will in front of others. Ellie lost her parents at a young age and came to live with them until she is old enough to marry. She and Will get along really well, even though it is understood that someday she will marry Gavin. When Will gets old enough he is sent to go pick out a big war horse, but he finds a red horse that he falls in love with. Even though everyone makes fun of him he works tirelessly to groom and train the red horse, Hosanna, until everyone becomes enchanted with him.

When Will and Gavin are summonsed with their father to go to the king in order to fight in the Crusades, they leave Ellie and a few others in charge of the castle. The war is much more difficult than either of the boys could have imagined and the tension between them is often fierce. Both begin to wonder if they will ever return home. Hosanna manages to keep Will hopeful in times of great sadness. Meanwhile, Ellie is having problems of her own back home.

The first in this trilogy moves at a leisurely pace despite the many things that happen in it. The brothers change and grow a lot on their journey and become very different men than they had previously planned on becoming. The war is also told from the eyes of the Muslims, which provides an interesting way to humanize the other side. The author makes it very clear what the motives for both sides are and why it is near impossible for either side to give up. Hosanna is the tie between everyone in the story. The red horse seems to inspire great things and loyalty where there previously was no hope. A good story for those who like reading about war and life during this time period.

Hot Lunch by Alex Bradley

Published April 17, 2008 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance , Site Meter 3 Comments
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 14 and up

# of pages: 276

RAC Book: Yes

Molly is a somewhat sullen teenager who makes it her mission in life to keep others as far away from her as possible. When she is paired up with a new girl on a school project she does her best to push the girl away until they each decide to do their own project. Since this was not the assignment they get poor grades and get into a big fight in the lunchroom. This leads to a punishment of serving lunches for two weeks. Unfortunately, they fail to improve their behavior and in a bizarre turn of events end up having to run the entire lunchroom until the students vote for five days in a row that their food is better than the previous lunch lady’s.

While there are several reasons why I believe something like this would never happen in a high school, it was a very funny concept. The two main characters, Molly and Cassie, represent a group of high school students who don’t feel they belong anywhere. Cassie uses this fact as incentive to try harder to fit in, while Molly decides to actually try not to fit in. Together they learn a lot about the groups that make up high school while at the same time learning about leadership, nutrition, cooking, and friendship. This incredibly funny book questions some of the processes that have remained unchanged in schools for so long when better options have come along. Students will enjoy the humor and might look at food and nutrition differently after reading this book.

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