Williams, Marcia. Les Miserables.

Williams, Marcia.  Les Miserables.  Random/Candlewick Press  2014  unp  $17.99  ISBN 978-0-7636-7476-2  ms  Graphic novel  VG-BN

Marcia Williams does an excellent job of making Victor Hugo’s massive classic accessible to middle-school readers.  This easy-to-read adaptation is guaranteed to hook young readers who are not yet ready to tackle the original.  The number of illustrations, arranged in cartoon format, varies on each page depending on the place in the story.  The adapted narrative is told under the panels while the character’s comments are given in the word bubbles.  The text is spiced with dramatic anecdotes and the tone is true to the story.  The drawings reflect the personalities of the individuals, with the “good” people having sweeter looks than the evildoers.  Each has distinctive features and is readily recognizable throughout the book.   This graphic novel does a very good job of providing an introduction to the story.     

Summary: Marcia Williams does an excellent job of making Hugo’s massive classic accessible to middle-school readers.  This easy-to-read adaptation is guaranteed to hook young readers who are not yet ready to tackle the original.        

Les Miserables                                                    --Susan Ogintz

Williams, Julie. Drama Queens in the House.

Williams, Julie.  Drama Queens in the House.    Macmillan/Roaring Brook Press  2014  426p  $17.99     ISBN 978-1-59643-735-7  ms/hs  Realistic fiction  VG 

Jessie is a talented sixteen-year-od who is struggling to discover her place in the world.  To say that Jessie, who is growing up in the theater, is surrounded by drama is an understatement!  When she discovers that her father is cheating on her mother with another man, her safe world comes apart.  Jessie’s mom retreats from everyone, including Jessie, who is left to deal with the issues alone.  How should she deal with her parents’ separation/divorce?  How can she come to terms with her dad being gay?  Is her religious aunt correct? Is it the end of the world?

Some characters are so over-the-top that credibility is lost, and yet the emotions and relationships ring true.  Desperate to keep her family together, Jessie faces one betrayal after another.  Williams does a better job in sensitively handling the issues surrounding Jessie's father's homosexuality than she does in portraying the fundamentalist, religious aunt.  Yet, when Jessie changes her perspective and broadens her definition of family, she ultimately comes to a place where she is comfortable in her own skin and with her family's newly forged relationships.  And in doing so, she broadens the reader's view as well.

Summary: Jessie grew up surrounded by method actors and drama at the Jumble Players Theater run by her parents.  But when her safe world begins to come apart, Jessie has to determine her place in all the chaos. 

Family-Fiction, Theater-Fiction                             --Hilary Welliver

Williams, Carol Lynch. Waiting.

Williams, Carol Lynch.  Waiting.    Simon & Schuster/ 352p  16.99 978-1-4424-4353-2 hs/adult          VG-BN Realistic Fiction    

London’s brother Zach has killed himself and the family is bereft.  Mother has alienated herself from London, Father is useless due to his own inner conflicts, and London finds herself alone and suffering.  Not only is she floundering at home, but she also finds her peers to be alienating her at school!  There is just too much pain surrounding her!  Williams uses a free verse style that allows the reader to feel London's ongoing turmoil.  Interestingly, Williams keeps the reader on the edge of his/her seat for 178 pages, just getting into London’s head.  As London renews a relationship with Taylor, her brother’s best friend. she also finds solace in her new friendship with Jesse (Taylor's rival) and Lili.  The story of the suicide comes out very slowly, but this serves to add drama to the rising action.   Zach has hanged himself out of frustration over the loss of something huge; however, he was depressed before the inciting incident ever occurred.  London’s refusal to accept her mother’s blame and hatred leads her to self-awareness and healing, and that is the overall message that the reader gleans from this book. 

Small errors:  page 41, "his says hello" seems to be incorrect contextually.  On page 119, “The second I in calculus” is difficult to comprehend.           

Suicide-Fiction, Family Conflict-Fiction        --Martha Squaresky

Williams, Maiya. The Fizzy Whiz Kid

Williams, Maiya The Fizzy Whiz Kid
Amulet see Abrams, Harry 2010 273p 16.95
978-0-8109-8347-2 elm/ms Fame-Fiction VG


This amusing novel describes the transformation of Mitchell Mathis from outcast to Hollywood superstar.
Mitchell Mathis has just arrived in Los Angeles and is about to enter the Cecil B. DeMille Elementary School. Only child of academic parents, Mitch has never seen a movie nor watched any television. Thrown into a classroom filled with the offspring of the Hollywood elite, Mitch stands out like a sore thumb especially after his etymologist father shows up at parents’ day as Roach Man. Mortified, he is determined to change his life and enters an open casting call for a soda ad. Naturally, he is chosen to be the Fizzy Whiz Kid and his life has become golden. Of course, his sudden fame comes with the requisite problems and Mitch has to decide what is really important in his life.
Witty and amusing, this book will hold the interest of its readers. The Hollywood scene as experienced by an outsider is cleverly done and, while the plot is lightweight and the secondary characters fairly unrealistic, the book hits the mark perfectly when it describes the angst of changing schools mid-semester and the emotions felt by Mitch and his friends. It goes on to prove the old adage that you should be careful of what you wish for… you might get it.
Realistic Fiction Ogintz, Susan

Williams, Judith Forensic Scientist.

Williams, Judith Forensic Scientist.
Enslow 2009 128p 31.93 978-0-7660-3051-0 ms/jr
Wild Science Careers (Enslow)

By a series of individual career profiles, each involving a specific case, the jobs of different forensic scientists are examined. A very readable and informative exploration of careers in forensic science. Each career is examined as a case study, with background information about the career, and a demonstration of what each scientific field encompasses. The cases pose a “mystery” and then go on to show how the forensic scientist helps to solve the case. The forensic careers profiled are: criminologist, forensic pathologist, forensic entomologist, forensic chemist, physical anthropologist.

Color photos and interesting text boxes complement the text. A chart at the end of the volume shows the education and salary for each career. The only problem is that it is not continuous, being interspersed with other text. Chapter Notes, a glossary, bibliography and index complete the volume. All in all, a attractive and useful resource for middle and lower high school readers. PN