Orenstein, Denise Gosliner. Dirt.

Orenstein, Denise Gosliner. Dirt. Scholastic Press  2017  212p  $16.99  ISBN 978-0-545-92585-3    elem/ms     Animal Stories  VG-BN         

Yonder is eleven. Her mother has died and her father is sunken in depression and she will not speak. She is teased at school and lonely.  Her only friend is Dirt, the overweight Shetland pony belonging to her mean next-door neighbor. When a sign goes up offering Dirt for sale for horse meat, Yonder takes action. She cleans out her bedroom and brings Dirt into the house. However, social services get involved and Yonder is taken to a foster home. She runs away. Tracking down the buyer of Dirt, she discovers a failed zoo that is mistreating the animals. Yonder shows great courage and perseverance to rescue Dirt and the other animals. She has exciting adventures and learns how to trust again. The ending is hopeful.
 

Girls and animal lovers will gravitate to this title. The reader will want to cry, rail out at injustice and finally cheer for Yonder.  A great read for grades 3-7.  

Summary: Yonder has her troubles but moves a Shetland pony named Dirt into her house to prevent the sale of him for horse meat.  Adventure ensues as she rescues Dirt and other animals. 

Horse Stories                                                                                                  --Joan Theal

Moldavsky, Goldy. Kill the Boy Band.

Moldavsky, Goldy.  Kill the Boy Band.  Scholastic Press/Point     2016  312p  $17.99  ISBN 978-0-545-86747-4  hs  Conflict       VG   

Kill the Boy Band is a truly unique book that covers a genre that does not have much written about it in fiction: that of obsessed mega-fans of celebrities. Four high-school girls share almost nothing except their obsession for the British boy band the Ruperts (so named because all four members have the first name “Rupert”). This is a dark comedy, an action-adventure with hilarious moments pertaining to finding ways to get a personal experience with the boy band members. Small digs at reality-based talent shows, obsessed fans, fan fiction, and rpf authors (Real People Fiction) make this a fun romp, unless you happen to be a mega-fan and become offended. For the uninitiated, this is an eye-opening look at the world of obsessed teenage fans and their ethics or lack thereof. When the four girls check into a hotel that will house the boy band, they find a way to be on the same floor as the band and inadvertently kidnap one of its members. Without giving away the hijinks, there is nonstop action after about the first 50 pages, unbelievable unexpected plot twists that make sense in the world of obsessed fans, and conflict what the girls should do to resolve their potentially criminal acts. A note: there are swear words, some even translated from Spanish. This is a story of nice girls, but of nice girls who become vicious when they ignore their better instincts.      

Summary: When mega-fans of a boy band devise a way to get close to the singing stars by booking a room in the band’s hotel, mayhem ensues. Kill the Boy Band provides a unique look at mega-fans and what drives them.  Much dark comedy and lots of puns about songs and movies. Grades 10+. 

Boy bands-Fiction, Fan Fiction                        --Lois McNicol

Rice, Luanne. The Secret Language of Sisters.

Rice, Luanne.  The Secret Language of Sisters.  Scholastic Press/Point  2016  336p  $18.99  ISBN 978-0-545-83955-6      ms/hs  Realistic fiction        VG 

High-school junior Roo stops to take a few photographs on the way to pick up her impatient younger sister, Tilly, photography being her passion. Shortly after that, Roo has a near-fatal accident as she texts her sister that she is a few minutes away. In the hospital, Roo has a stroke and the doctors believe she is in a coma. Tilly eventually figures out that her sister is able to communicate through eye movements, leading to a diagnosis of locked-in syndrome. Roo is paralyzed but can hear and see. She is transferred to a Boston hospital where a young English doctor creates a computer program that allows her to communicate and continue with her photography. As Roo faces a new future that is not what she imagined it would be at an Ivy League university, her family struggles to adjust as well. Roo and her boyfriend Newton deal with their already fragile relationship, and Tilly finds herself suddenly drawn to Newton in a romantic way. Isabel, Roo’s best friend, shares the news with Tilly that it was her text that Roo was responding to when she crashed. Once this news comes to light, Tilly is frequently blamed, by herself and others, because she shouldn’t have been texting someone she knew was driving. She is only told a few times that the responsibility was Roo’s to avoid texting while driving. The story has a relatively happy ending and is a good addition to a collection to reinforce the “don’t text and drive” mantra.  

Summary: High-school junior Roo nearly dies in a car accident while on her way to pick up her young sister as she texts her that she is nearly there.    

Sisters-Fiction, Automobile accidents-Fiction                                                                     –Stephanie Pennucci

Catch a Falling Star.

Culbertson, Kim.  Catch a Falling Star.  Scholastic Press/Point  2014  300p   $17.99  ISBN 978-0-545-62704-7  ms/hs      Realistic fiction  E-BN

This is a fantastic book for the girls, whether shy or outgoing, giddy over pop culture icons or unsure about what their future may hold.  Carter is a small-town girl who gave up on dancing even when she was offered a New York City scholarship in her sophomore year.  In the summer before her senior year, a movie is set to be filmed in her home town.  Because of her lack of interest in the filming going on in town, the manager of the movie’s lead, a teen heartthrob along the lines of Justin Beiber, asks Carter to pretend to be the lead’s girlfriend for the summer.  She accepts  his offer in order to provide money to help her family pay off her brother’s gambling debts.  An astronomy blog provides a plot device that uses astronomy facts and nighttime stargazing to illustrate the similarities between people, including famous Hollywood stars, and stars in the sky.  With humor and seriousness in appropriate places, this book settles into a comfortable contemplation of who people really are, instead of how others see them, the fact that people are scripting their lives via social media, and how we are all affected by our past and present actions and experiences, as well as how we can make choices that will affect the evolution of our futures.  The author provides exquisite visual descriptions of locale and the night sky, as well as a plot that races along to the end.         

Summary: Carter is hired to serve as girlfriend for a teenage actor who is filming a movie in her town, and her whole world turns upside down.  People are not always what they seem.  Believable characters who contemplate who they really are.  Inspirational! Grades 7+.    

Movie stars-Fiction, Astronomy-Fiction                      --Lois McNicol

Better Off Friends.

Eulberg, Elizabeth.  Better Off Friends.  Scholastic Press/Point  2014  278p  $17.99  ISBN 978-0-545-55145-8  hs  Realistic fiction  E-BN    

Macallan and Levi become instant best friends after bonding over a favorite British sitcom on the first day of seventh grade. Macallan lost her mother to an automobile accident the previous year and Levi is a California native experiencing slight culture shock after his family moves to Wisconsin.  Their instant connection makes dating complicated as they move through high school, as everyone assumes their closeness means they are in a romantic relationship.  The story alternates between light, funny moments and the serious emotional challenges of growing up and first relationships.  Each chapter begins with a brief back-and-forth between the two main characters commenting on the events in the previous chapters, reminiscent of the interview scenes in the movie When Harry Met Sally.  This story will entertain those looking for a light romance novel.               

Summary: Macallan and Levi become instant friends in seventh grade after bonding over their love of a British sitcom. The pair have difficultly dating through high school, as others frequently assume they are a couple. Gr 9-12   

High school-Fiction, Friendship-Fiction         --Stephanie Pennucci