Kuhlman, Evan. Brother From A Box.

Kuhlman, Evan.    Brother From A Box.     Simon & Schuster/ Atheneum    304p $16.99 978-1-4424-2658-0       elem/ms     E-BNe         Science Fiction  

Matthew Rambeau knows that his father and uncle are great inventors, but imagine his surprise when he gets a new robot-brother in a box from France!  Family healing, espionage and humorous encounters blend to produce a hilariously creative book! 

Norman the robot is comical and endearing as he attempts to fit into Matthew’s family and school life.  Needless to say, upon Norman’s arrival from France, Matthew’s life changes.  There are two conflicts that must be resolved for Norman to peacefully coexist in the U. S. with Matthew and his family.  First, some family healing must take place.  Mrs. Rambeau lost her first child Lucien soon after delivery, and initially she rejects Norman because he looks exactly like her deceased son.  Next, Uncle Jean-Pierre of France and Matthew’s dad of New York City designed the robot, but Jean-Pierre’s girlfriend Veronique actually built him.  She is disgruntled because they won’t go public with their invention, and she leaves Jean-Pierre.  Espionage, in the form of an attempt to steal Norman, greatly adds to the excitement!  In addition to a perfectly developed plot, the comic element cannot be ignored!  Children will love this book!  Norman’s antics include abilities that are ever more amazing to Matthew as they occur!  Kuhlman has invented a robotic character that every child in the world will want to own, and that is no easy feat!  Forty years ago this book would have been classified as science fiction, but now its premise is believable and in the near future, attainable!  What Kuhlman did that is futuristic is to create a robot that can think and problem-solve for himself, and with each new situation that arises, Norman wins over everyone around him.          

Robots-Fiction, Family-Fiction, Fantasy               --Martha Squaresky

Miller, Sarah. The Lost Crown.

Miller, Sarah.     The Lost Crown.    

Atheneum see Simon & Schuster 2011  448p 17.99 978-1-4169-83408 

secondary   Historical        VG-BN 

A fictionalized account of the final year of the Romanov family of Russia, prior to their

executions.      

Well written and well-sourced, this historical novel recounts

the lives of the entire Romanov family following the Russian Revolution and

elimination of the Tsarist monarchy. The book reads as a diary with each chapter

dated and written by a different Romanov daughter. The author has taken great

pains to be as historically accurate as possible, placing events in their

correct chronology and each characterizing each member of the family true to the

historical record. 

Resources for more information and an extensive bibliography

complete the book along with several pages of photographs. While the book reads

smoothly, some of the words may exceed the understanding of some middle school

students.         Fisher, Lynn

Chibbaro, Julie. Deadly: How do you catch an invisible killer?

Chibbaro, Julie. Deadly: How do you catch an invisible killer?
Atheneum see Simon & Schuster 2011 304p 16.99
978-0-68985-738-6 jr/sr Typhoid epidemic in New York , 1906 VG-BN


16-year-old Prudence has already seen more than enough death in 1906 when she joins the staff of the New York Department of Health and Sanitation and becomes in the investigation of the typhoid epidemic. Advance reading copy of a 2011 copyright novel, this book will probably be nominated for next year’s Best Books for Young Adults. Reminiscent of Anderson’s Fever 1793, this story weaves historical facts and personages (especially Typhoid Mary), into an engrossing narrative of turn of the century New York. The diary format of the novel makes it especially poignant, and the issues of a woman’s place in society, the typhoid epidemic, class prejudice and journalistic sensationalism are all woven seamlessly into the narrative. A thriller, a coming of age novel, and first-rate historical fiction. The only slight flaw in the otherwise engrossing novel is the inclusion of line drawings in the text, supposedly done by the diarist. One would hope that, since this is an uncorrected proof, that when the novel is printed, they place these drawings in the text in such a way as to make them believable as the scribblings of the diarist. Historical Naismith, Pat

Kadohata, Cynthia. A Million Shades of Gray.

Kadohata, Cynthia. A Million Shades of Gray.
Atheneum 2010 216p 16.99 978-1416918837 ms/jr
Y’Tin is a thirteen-year-old boy of the Mountain people living in South Vietnam three years after the US has left the country. He wants more than anything to be an elephant trainer, but warfare with the Viet Cong changes his plans. This story is gripping, as we become involved with Y’Tin and his love for his elephant Lady. The writing flows nicely as the reader learns about village life among the Mountain people in South Vietnam in the late 1970s. The story ends with Y’Tin realizing he must make a life for himself based on his own values rather than those of his father, even if it means separation from his family and his country. Kennedy, Carol

Dark Dude.

Hijuelos, Oscar Dark Dude.
Atheneum 2008 439p 16.99 978-1-4169-480-4 hs

New York City-born Rico runs off to his friend's farm in Wisconsin and realizes that there's nowhere like home. At 15, Rico is a "dark dude"--an outsider, especially a light-complected guy--who doesn't quite fit in with any group. Fellow Cubans (even his famiy!) and African Americans see him as white and he regularly gets beat up in school. When his friend Jimmy nearly dies from an overdose, they hitchhike to Wisconsin where their friend Gilberto rents a farm and started college. Even in the midwest there are good and bad influences (and lots of weed smoked and grown in the 70's).
Rico regularly reads Huck Finn and imagines all kinds of superhero plots. He's a thoughtful kid who figures out how he and Jimmy will succeed. S.Gooden