Berlatsky, Noah. Transportation Infrastructure.

Berlatsky, Noah.  Transportation Infrastructure.  Cengage/Greenhaven    2012  118p $24.95 978-0-7377-6542-7  series: At Issue #12  ms/hs    VG-BNS   

This book presents pro and con opinion pieces related to the need for improved infrastructure sponsored by national debt. Since many articles center around the party platforms of the 2012 election, the book may seem dated within a year or two.  Grades 7-12.      

      Although the title refers to transportation infrastructure projects, there is a broader mention of crumbling schools, water treatment plants, sewage disposal systems, and other aging systems in large metropolitan areas.  The articles, taken from a variety of magazines and journals representing divergent points of view, discuss the sometimes flawed studies cited by people who support the urgent need for upgrades, the economic impact (or not) of government-funded projects, the political pork included in federal proposals, and the environmental effects of new projects.  Students will find facts and figures to support either side of the argument on whether infrastructure projects are an appropriate use of federal money and whether the projects actually solve problems.  Issues receiving special attention include mass transit, high-speed rail, bridges, and the privatization of roadways.  This book is a good jumping-off place for students who need to write a pro/con paper on government.     

At Issue provides pro/con articles taken from a variety of journals, most published within the last three years.  A summary of the article appears at the beginning of each chapter.  An annotated list of organizations to contact, bibliography and index complete each book.    

Infrastructure Improvements                                --Lois McNicol

 

Engdahl, Sylvia. Electronic Devices.

Engdahl, Sylvia.  Electronic Devices.  Cengage (Gale/Blackbirch/Greenhaven) 2012 143p     $29.68  978-0-7377-5825-2  series: Teen Rights and Freedoms ms/hs  E-BNS  

This book is an amazing compilation of 16 controversial and contemporary issues relating to teenagers’ use of electronic devices, written by a variety of contributors.  Issues include academic cheating with phones, texting while driving, using phones for educational purposes, sexting, addiction to violent video games, and many more.  Some of the articles are presented in full, whereas others, like Susan Maushart’s, are excerpts that leave the reader wanting more!  Maushart’s issue was the imposition of an electronic media ban on her household and the conflicts that arose as a result.  Other contributors are authority figures rather than laymen, making for a nice variety.  Actual court cases are mentioned as well! 

The book represents a very high interest level, especially the chapter about addiction.  Parents can now track their children, which can be both an advantage and a disadvantage as pointed out by the author of this chapter.  Parents, educators and psychologists alike need to read the chapters pertaining to the dangers facing our young people who overuse electronics, who abuse them and who do not know their rights under the law.  Everyone will find something of interest in this book, whether reading for pleasure or for researching cutting-edge information about a very controversial topic.  Extra features include a timeline of inventions and other dates of interest, an extensive resource list, an index, and a list of organizations to contact.

There are several errors in comma usage in the table of contents; however, they do not detract in any way from the excellent BON (“Book of Note”) recommendation.     

The series includes books about the free press, religion, social networking and other topics.  There is a great variety of contributors to each book offering interesting accounts of the numerous issues relating to each topic.  Each book offers an extensive list of resources at the end, names and addresses of agencies to consult, and a thorough index.  

Electronic devices                                   --Martha Squaresky

Faulk, Michele. Case of the Rusty Nail.

Faulk, Michele.  Case of the Rusty Nail.  Enslow      2013  48p   $23.93      978-0-7660-3949-0 series: Body System Disease Investigations  ms      E-BN

Nervous-system diseases are examined by a disease investigator in much the same fashion that the series Crime Scene Investigators examines crimes. The diseases highlighted in this book are tetanus, malaria, botulism, rabies, and meningitis.

With bright illustrations and a very engaging text, Dr. Faulk takes the reader through the scientific method of investigating nervous-system illness. Each case investigated begins with the “crime” (i.e., on page 20) and what happened to the patient prior to his or her illness.  The clues and suspects (i.e., on pages 21-22) are then analyzed and investigated, with evidence being tested (pages 23-24) and a verdict, or conclusion, being drawn (page 24). “Justice” (page 25) is served when the treatment for the disease is determined and begun.  Each of the nervous-system diseases in this book follows the same investigative pattern, making it very easy for students to follow the material presented.  The book then tests whether the reader has learned the information to conduct his or her own investigations in a section called “You Solve the Case.”  The book concludes with a glossary, a list for further reading (print and web), and an index.

Well-written, the series of four “body system disease investigations” can provide either general reading or valid, well-documented research information that would be a good adjunct to middle-school health classes.  

Nervous system – Infections                                   --Lynn Fisher

Federle, Tim. Better Nate Than Ever.

Federle, Tim.  Better Nate Than Ever.     Simon & Schuster/ 2013  275p  $16.99  978-1-4424-6091-1  ms/jr  Realistic Fiction      VG   

Thirteen-year-old Nate lives to win a role on ET: The Musical on Broadway.  His best friend Libby encourages him to take a bus to New York City, where he learns that his dream will not be easy to achieve.   With his parents away and big brother Anthony at a track meet, Nate’s chances of escaping Jankburg, Pennsylvania, are excellent.  He has it timed perfectly.  However, he greatly underestimates all of the obstacles he will encounter when he arrives in New York City!  Instead of falling flat on his face, Nate combines his comedic resourcefulness with his creativity and lands a call-back!   Examples of his obstacles include having no formal dance experience, having no formal acting experience and having no parent to sign for him!  Just when he departs the audition dejectedly, his Aunt Heidi appears and signs for him, and he gets a chance to audition.  (Back home, Libby aptly problem-solved his biggest obstacle  by telling Anthony what was transpiring in New York City, and together they found out the whereabouts of the savior Aunt Heidi.)  Armed with a parental figure, Nathan auditions, and he succeeds in getting his callback by acting out every role in the scene! 

Everybody who has a dream that seems to be insurmountable will profit by reading this book!  Nate’s tenacious spirit combines with some luck and some talent to help him bounce back after several rejections.  In the end, there is no end!  The phone call with the decision of a lifetime does not tell the reader whether or not Nathan got the role, and the reader will have to wait for Book Two.  If there is no promise of a second book, readers will be disappointed.  Nevertheless, the New York City adventures combined with Nate’s sense of humor and side comments are certain to entertain!       

Show business – Fiction                   --Martha Squaresky(2), Martha

Halpern, Julie. Have a Nice Day.

Halpern, Julie.  Have a Nice Day.   Macmillan/ Feiwel & Friends   2012  325p  $16.99      978-0-312-60660-2   ms/hs  (Grades 7-12)  Realistic Fiction      VG   

In this sequel to Get Well Soon, Anna is fresh out of a three-week stay in a mental hospital to which her family committed her when she showed erratic behavior linked to depression and panic attacks.  Concerned about how she will be received at school and how she will make up her school work, Anna hesitantly reenters school and suffers some of the same symptoms that landed her in the mental ward.  With the understanding of her best friend Tracy and her younger sister Mara, Anna slides into a new “normal” and continues her recovery.  Her parents’ divorce, group therapy, reading Catcher in the Rye in English class, and the usual high-school activities associated with the homecoming dance all provide insight into her life while she was a patient, as well as her current life as a typical high-school student.  Romance, at the mental hospital, at her outpatient group-therapy sessions, and in high school, creates a chain of healthy emotions that will lead Anna into feeling better about herself.  Humor, often tinged with scatological references and typical teenage sexual innuendo, show Anna to be a brash, outspoken, and yet sometimes insecure person, who yearns to have a normal life, whatever that means.  For those who read the first book in the series, Anna’s journey comes full circle.  Those new to the series will discover unique characters that become endearing by the book’s end.

Mental illness - Fiction                                    --Lois McNicol

Hardy, Melissa. Geomancer’s Compass.

Hardy, Melissa.   Geomancer’s Compass.    Tundra Books      2012  254p  $17.95  978-1-77049-292-9       ms/hs  Supernatural      VG-BN

When Miranda’s grandmother dies, she inherits the “geomancer’s compass”, a mystical device that will aid her in removing the curse that has caused much strife and dysfunction within her family.  Through this device and its mystical powers, the author examines a Chinese-American family, its familial expectations and its traditional values as it moves forward into the future.  This well-written novel demonstrates that the relationships Miranda develops with her cousin and deceased grandfather allow her to find herself.  In many ways this is a coming-of-age novel with serious, mystical overtones.  The characters are fleshed out and the plot moves quickly.  Teenage girls and boys alike will become engrossed in the mystery, action and fantasy.  This book was a one-sitting read; I couldn’t put it down.           

Magic – Fiction, Fantasy – Fiction                       --Lynn Fisher    

Kim, Derek Kirk. Tune: Book 1, Vanishing Point.

Kim, Derek Kirk.  Tune: Book 1, Vanishing Point.  Macmillan/ First Second     2012  153p  $16.99  978-1-59643-516-2  hs/adult (Grade 11-Adult)  Graphic novel  VG   

When Andy Go decides he has had enough of college, he drops out of art school, sure that he will find employment as an illustrator.  When his resumes are rejected, his parents issue an ultimatum that he has to find a job instead of lounging around home.  The jobs he applies for do not fit his vision of himself, but when he realizes he cannot return home without a job, he goes on one last interview and is whisked into a parallel universe where he will be the “human” exhibit at a zoo.  At this point the story stops, “to be continued” in a second volume.  

Andy’s love of his classmate Yumi, his friendship with two fellow art students who have been his best buddies for several years, the high expectations of his Korean parents, and his interest in science-fiction writing all play a part in this wonderfully-envisioned story.  Personalities are well defined.  The art work is excellent and detailed.  The irreverent humor, often aimed at religious icons and body functions, will make young adults laugh but might offend some communities.  Readers will surely clamor for the second volume to see where Andy Go ends up, what his job will entail, and whether he ever returns to earth.

Science Fiction, Parallel universes - Fiction               --Lois McNicol

Latham, Irene. Don’t Feed the Boy.

Latham, Irene.    Don’t Feed the Boy.     Macmillan/ Roaring Brook Press      2012  282p  $15.99  978-1-59643-755-5      elm/ms  Realistic Fiction     VG-BN

The child of zoo-workers, Whit has never left the confines of their protected environment.  All he wants is to escape and experience what he deems to be real life.  He meets Stella, a young girl who experiences real life, which is not so pleasant, and who is trying to escape her circumstances as well. 

Whit and Stella meet under bizarre circumstances one day at the zoo!  Young Whit has no friends except for the workers and animals with whom he resides and, overly protected by his parents, no freedom to leave the zoo.  On the other hand, Stella has all of the freedom afforded a young girl who lives close enough to the zoo to visit it every day.  What makes her visits so unusual is the fact that she is escaping a family situation that is threatening and stifling.  After being injured in a work accident, her father has become addicted to pain medications, and he presents a danger to his family!  He is abusive, and Stella needs the zoo to survive.  Stella’s skills as an artist draw Whit in, and his knowledge and free rein around the zoo draw Stella in.  Their friendship is forged when Stella helps Whit leave the zoo one day, and he experiences his first taste of freedom! 

Young readers will learn lots of information about zoo life, become actively involved in the day-to-day activities at the zoo, and watch a friendship grow.  When Millie, the most popular elephant, dies, the falling action begins, and everything comes to a head when Whit believes Stella to have perished in a barn fire!  The resolution might not satisfy all young readers, but it is meaningful and thought-provoking. 

Friendship – Fiction, Zoos - Fiction                    --Martha Squaresky

Lewis, J. Patrick. If You Were A Chocolate Mustache.

Lewis, J. Patrick.  If You Were A Chocolate Mustache.  Boyd's Mills/Word Song  2012 158p  $18.95  978-1-59078-927-8      elm/ms      Misc. VG-BNe    

Poet laureate J. Patrick Lewis’s book of children’s poems includes creative illustrations with each poem.  There are concrete poems, limericks, tongue twisters, riddles and plays on words.  Topics are varied.  With something for all young readers, this book is sure to entertain!  The topics of the selected poems range from school, zoos and roller coasters to animals, food and ghosts.  Illustrator Matthew Cordell aptly designs a visual aid that supports the text of each poem!  Humor abounds, especially in such poems as “Spotted Park Bench”, in which Lewis says, “I am a park bench.  Ordinary words cannot express my thoughts on birds.”  On a two-page spread, the reader sees a flock of birds “doing their thing” on a park bench!  In another, “Tuna-on-a-Roll,” a live tuna is driving down the beach, talking about how, even though his license is invalid, it beats being in someone’s salad!  Universagrams are both thought-provoking and clever, and baseball-o-grams are equally so.  “Limb-ericks” takes limericks to a new level in that they are all about body parts!  If a teacher hopes to interest young readers in poetry, this book is a must-have!  If a teacher hopes to find a new idea for promoting poetry-writing in class, this book will fit the bill!   Last, but not least, the book is one that can be read over and over again, and this makes it worth the price.       

Poetry, Word play                                    --Martha Squaresky

McMann, Lisa. Crash.

McMann, Lisa.  Crash.   Simon & Schuster/ Simon Pulse  2013  233p  $16.99     978-1-4424-6168-0 hs    Misc. VG-BN

Jules keeps  having visions about a truck that is out of control and crashing into a building which then explodes.  Everywhere she looks the vision appears -- billboards, TV, dreams.  As she investigates the occurrences in the vision, she learns the where and when of the event, as well as the who that is involved.  The question then becomes: “what can she do to prevent it”?  This is the first book in what will evidently be a series.  The characters of Jules, her family, and the family’s nemeses, The Angiotti’s, are well-written and well-developed. The distrust and hatred between the two families is apparent from the start, and the way that that plays into the vision makes for a compelling read.  Jules’s former love for the Angitiotti’s teenage son Sawyer provides the second pivotal point of the book.  The way that relationship concludes is satisfying and realistic, and obviously leads into the second book in the series.  In some ways this story has undertones of Romeo and Juliet, without the finality of death for the two primary characters.  All-in-all, it is a very good read.

Romance – Fiction, Conflict - Fiction                       Fisher(1), Lynn

Piehl, Norah. Choosing a College.

Piehl, Norah.  Choosing a College.    Cengage (Gale/Blackbirch/Greenhaven)    2012 121p   $37.00  978-0-7377-5691-3      series: Issues That Concern You     jr/sr VG-BN

This book includes everything you need to know about higher education, from SAT testing to choosing the right college or university, and it can be read in middle school or when one enters high school.  It will help the student begin to think about higher education and the choices one must make you in selecting the best school for the individual.  So before choosing a college or university, you should check this book out and see how the process works.

In this book you will find different articles on how to choose a school after high school.  The first article is about the SAT scores and how they may affect one’s choices of schools.  It also covers the process you need to follow to prepare yourself for college.  This book gives high-school students thinking of college an overview of the process, things to consider, lists of things to do, searching for schools that will be a good fit, and many tips to consider before choosing your school.  For example, before you visit any school, you should read up on the basic information about it, the majors it offers, what kind of scholarships are available, and what kinds of extracurricular activities they have.  In fact, the more informed you are, the better prepared you will be to ask the right questions to determine if this is the school for you.  If you are an athlete, you should make sure the school of your choice offers your sport; if you are interested in the arts, make sure they have a good arts program. Ultimately, if you go to your visit prepared, you will be able to choose the school you want.  The book includes an appendix, ready-reference facts, a section on financial aid, a list of organizations to contact, and an index.

Colleges – Selection, Universities – Selection              --Magna Diaz

Price, Charlie. Dead Girl Moon.

Price, Charlie.   Dead Girl Moon.   Macmillan/Farrar Strauss  2012  263p  $17.99  978-0-374-31752-2     hs  Realistic Fiction     VG-BN

Grace felt she had no choice but to run away from home, which was nothing but a living hell of sexual abuse and negligent care.  She figured by running away she could find a place where she would work and maybe study, too.  Then she hit a town in Montana that seemed to be okay.  People there did not ask too many questions, and immediately she was placed in foster care.  There she met another girl and a small unruly bratty boy.  The house stunk, but since no questions were asked, she decided to stay a while.  She became friendly with a girl named JJ and another boy who also arrived under suspicious circumstances.  Mick lived with his dad, who was abusive but had not left him behind the way his mother did.

These young adults develop an uncomfortable friendship that brings them together to face scary circumstances that could land them in jail or even in the grave.  Now the trick is staying alive and staying one step ahead of the bad guys, so that they can find the evidence to survive the wave of evil that is slowly coming at them.

This novel is very intense from the first page.  It is not for the faint of heart.  I found it to be realistic and painful, as the characters are flawed teenagers trying to find their own piece of happiness in a world full of evil and greed.        

Murder – Fiction, Crime – Fiction                                 --Magna Diaz