Skovron, Jon. Struts and Frets.
Amulet see Abrams, Harry 2009 287p 16.95 978-0-8109-4174-8 hs/adult Sammy plays in a rock band and wants to make music his life’s work. He has to cope with the ins and outs of working with a band, his grandfather’s lapse into dementia, his burgeoning love life, and his mother’s discouragement of his dream. This book is a good coming-of-age story with realistically drawn characters. The language, while a bit raw, reflects the way that teens often speak to each other, especially boys, but it may be offensive to some. It will appeal especially to teens who are seriously into popular music, and has references to real bands and real songs, which will enhance the appeal. The “struts and frets” reference by Shakespeare is explained in the text. Kennedy, Carol
Showing posts with label teenagers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teenagers. Show all posts
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Warman, Jessica. Breathless.
Warman, Jessica. Breathless.
Walker & Co 2009 311p 16.99 978-0-8027-9849-7 ms/hs Katie loves to swim, in fact it is the only thing that seems to bring calm and meaning into her turbulent home life. But under her popularity at her new boarding school and budding romance, lies a secret that Katie is afraid will tear her newly invented life apart. In this debut novel, Warman establishes herself as a welcome new voice in YA fiction. Katie has a lot on her plate, a schizophrenic older brother who is incarcerated in a prison for the criminally insane, parents who retreat intowork and alcoholism to deal with their problems. When she is sent to a boarding school, she retreats to the one thing that calls her otherwise chaotic life - swimming. She slowly begins to reinvent herself, only to have the secret she so desperately wants to keep (her brother) brought out into the open. Themes of friendship, love and self-worth are woven seemlessly into this coming-of-age, coming-to-grips story that will resonant with older middle school and high school readers. Nominated for 2010 Best Books for Young Adults. Conflict Naismith, Pat
Walker & Co 2009 311p 16.99 978-0-8027-9849-7 ms/hs Katie loves to swim, in fact it is the only thing that seems to bring calm and meaning into her turbulent home life. But under her popularity at her new boarding school and budding romance, lies a secret that Katie is afraid will tear her newly invented life apart. In this debut novel, Warman establishes herself as a welcome new voice in YA fiction. Katie has a lot on her plate, a schizophrenic older brother who is incarcerated in a prison for the criminally insane, parents who retreat intowork and alcoholism to deal with their problems. When she is sent to a boarding school, she retreats to the one thing that calls her otherwise chaotic life - swimming. She slowly begins to reinvent herself, only to have the secret she so desperately wants to keep (her brother) brought out into the open. Themes of friendship, love and self-worth are woven seemlessly into this coming-of-age, coming-to-grips story that will resonant with older middle school and high school readers. Nominated for 2010 Best Books for Young Adults. Conflict Naismith, Pat
Halpern, Julie. Into the Wild Nerd Yonder.
Halpern, Julie. Into the Wild Nerd Yonder.
Feiwel and Friends, 2009 247p 16.99 978-0-312-38252-0 secondary When high school sophomore Jessie's long-term best friend transforms herself into a punk and goes after Jessie's would-be boyfriend, Jessie decides to visit "the wild nerd yonder" and seek true friends among classmates who play Dungeons and Dragons. High school sophomore Jessie Sloan loves math, sews her own unique skirts and has had a longtime crush on one of her older brother’s band-mates. What saves Jessie from the dreaded nerd label is her entree to her brother’s punk rock band. Her two best friends, Bizza and Char, use their friendship with Jessie to become the band’s biggest groupies, with Bizza going so far as to giving Jessie’s crush a blow job and getting an STD from him in return. Realizing that she and her friends have grown apart, Jessie searches for new friends but is dismayed that the group she seems to click with are the Dungeon and Dragon playing nerds and in the social strata of high school, association with them will “further my downward spiral into the position of First Official Dork.” As she tells her father, “I don’t want to be a nerd” and she struggles with the concept of cool and making peace with her inner nerd. She becomes more confused by her attraction to Henry, who wears his pants too short and his gym shoes too white. Jessie’s eye-opening journey from mathlete punky kid sister to Imalthia the D&D fighter who swings a big sword is honest and uncontrived. She is an engaging character, honest, direct and at times confused by the choices she must make. The plot mirrors the search for identity that many teens face in high school, with confusion that sex and alcohol define popularity and an unexpected realization that not all stereotypes are true. Halpern, through Jessie, makes it clear to readers that some choices have disastrous consequences and that in light of that, nerd-dom isn’t so bad after all. Note: brief but frank discussion and language of STD’s and a sex act make this book appropriate for high school readers. Zajko, Rosanne
Feiwel and Friends, 2009 247p 16.99 978-0-312-38252-0 secondary When high school sophomore Jessie's long-term best friend transforms herself into a punk and goes after Jessie's would-be boyfriend, Jessie decides to visit "the wild nerd yonder" and seek true friends among classmates who play Dungeons and Dragons. High school sophomore Jessie Sloan loves math, sews her own unique skirts and has had a longtime crush on one of her older brother’s band-mates. What saves Jessie from the dreaded nerd label is her entree to her brother’s punk rock band. Her two best friends, Bizza and Char, use their friendship with Jessie to become the band’s biggest groupies, with Bizza going so far as to giving Jessie’s crush a blow job and getting an STD from him in return. Realizing that she and her friends have grown apart, Jessie searches for new friends but is dismayed that the group she seems to click with are the Dungeon and Dragon playing nerds and in the social strata of high school, association with them will “further my downward spiral into the position of First Official Dork.” As she tells her father, “I don’t want to be a nerd” and she struggles with the concept of cool and making peace with her inner nerd. She becomes more confused by her attraction to Henry, who wears his pants too short and his gym shoes too white. Jessie’s eye-opening journey from mathlete punky kid sister to Imalthia the D&D fighter who swings a big sword is honest and uncontrived. She is an engaging character, honest, direct and at times confused by the choices she must make. The plot mirrors the search for identity that many teens face in high school, with confusion that sex and alcohol define popularity and an unexpected realization that not all stereotypes are true. Halpern, through Jessie, makes it clear to readers that some choices have disastrous consequences and that in light of that, nerd-dom isn’t so bad after all. Note: brief but frank discussion and language of STD’s and a sex act make this book appropriate for high school readers. Zajko, Rosanne
McClintock, Norah. Picture This.
McClintock, Norah. Picture This.
Orca 2009 109p 9.95 978-1-55469-138-8 ms/hs
Orca Soundings
Murder mystery involving an at-risk teen who joins a photo workshop at the local rec center and is stalked for his camera. What do the photos contain and who wants them? Ethan has to figure this out before he becomes a murder victim. This engaging murder mystery involves Ethan, an at risk teen who lives in a foster home. He joins a local recreation center photography program. He finds he has a talent for photography and takes pictures to illustrate freedom on the digital camera that his kindly foster parents bought him for his birthday. However, after taking several photos in the woods, he is threatened and stalked by someone who is trying to get to the photos that are on his digital camera. He doesn’t know why this is happening. He does know that he must find out why this person wants his camera or else he will become a murder victim. McClintock does an excellent job of telling the story from the perspective of a teenage boy who has had a hard life but is trying to turn his life around. The writing is pithy yet absorbing and will keep the reader turning pages to find out what is going to happen next. The attractive cover will entice teen readers. This title is recommended for middle and high school libraries that need fiction books that will be interesting to boys and for those libraries that need high interest titles. This title is one of the Orca Soundings series and is recommended for Tristate Books of Note. Weinraub, Tina
Orca 2009 109p 9.95 978-1-55469-138-8 ms/hs
Orca Soundings
Murder mystery involving an at-risk teen who joins a photo workshop at the local rec center and is stalked for his camera. What do the photos contain and who wants them? Ethan has to figure this out before he becomes a murder victim. This engaging murder mystery involves Ethan, an at risk teen who lives in a foster home. He joins a local recreation center photography program. He finds he has a talent for photography and takes pictures to illustrate freedom on the digital camera that his kindly foster parents bought him for his birthday. However, after taking several photos in the woods, he is threatened and stalked by someone who is trying to get to the photos that are on his digital camera. He doesn’t know why this is happening. He does know that he must find out why this person wants his camera or else he will become a murder victim. McClintock does an excellent job of telling the story from the perspective of a teenage boy who has had a hard life but is trying to turn his life around. The writing is pithy yet absorbing and will keep the reader turning pages to find out what is going to happen next. The attractive cover will entice teen readers. This title is recommended for middle and high school libraries that need fiction books that will be interesting to boys and for those libraries that need high interest titles. This title is one of the Orca Soundings series and is recommended for Tristate Books of Note. Weinraub, Tina
Girl Force.
Goldstein, Nikki. Girl Force.
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2009 224p 14.99 978-1-59990-354-5 ms/hs This is a guide for teenage girls that focuses on health, beauty and self-esteem. It is based on the Ayurvedic philosophy, which divides people into three basic body types, and the theme of these three types is consistent throughout the book. At times the book seemed too “cute”, using words like “babelicious” and “balanced” without really defining them. The repetition of the term “Girl Force” was a bit overdone, as well as the constant mention of pop-culture icons. However, this book will appeal to some girls, and it provides some useful information, including yoga exercises, stress-reducing techniques, advocacy of natural foods, and the names and addresses of social agencies and hotlines. Kennedy, Carol
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2009 224p 14.99 978-1-59990-354-5 ms/hs This is a guide for teenage girls that focuses on health, beauty and self-esteem. It is based on the Ayurvedic philosophy, which divides people into three basic body types, and the theme of these three types is consistent throughout the book. At times the book seemed too “cute”, using words like “babelicious” and “balanced” without really defining them. The repetition of the term “Girl Force” was a bit overdone, as well as the constant mention of pop-culture icons. However, this book will appeal to some girls, and it provides some useful information, including yoga exercises, stress-reducing techniques, advocacy of natural foods, and the names and addresses of social agencies and hotlines. Kennedy, Carol
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Soto, Gary. Partly Cloudy: Poems of Love and Longing.
Soto, Gary. Partly Cloudy: Poems of Love and Longing.
Houghton Mifflin/Clarion/Graphia/Kingfisher 2009 100p 16.00 9780152063016 jr/sr
A hundred pages of love and longing. Partly Cloudy is a book for all teens; boys and girls. The girls have the part of “A girl’s tears, her song” and the boys have the part of “ A boy’s body, his words”. Poems of the heart for boys and girls. A hundred pages of love and longing. Partly Cloudy is a book for all teens; boys and girls. The girls have the part of : A girl’s tears, her song and the boys have the part of: A boy’s body, his words.
The poems are refreshing and simple conveying the messages in a heartfelt manner. The book Partly Cloudy is a book that is best describe in this manner
“Love is like weather:
sometimes stormy,
sometimes sunny,
sometimes partly cloudy.
And so the poems are such that they will capture the teens heart and say in words what they feel. Gary Soto has been able to write simple versus that say so much and talk about everything from a bruised heart, a yearning heart, and a first love. Poems of the heart for boys and girls. I suspect the book will not be on shelf very often. Magna Diaz
Houghton Mifflin/Clarion/Graphia/Kingfisher 2009 100p 16.00 9780152063016 jr/sr
A hundred pages of love and longing. Partly Cloudy is a book for all teens; boys and girls. The girls have the part of “A girl’s tears, her song” and the boys have the part of “ A boy’s body, his words”. Poems of the heart for boys and girls. A hundred pages of love and longing. Partly Cloudy is a book for all teens; boys and girls. The girls have the part of : A girl’s tears, her song and the boys have the part of: A boy’s body, his words.
The poems are refreshing and simple conveying the messages in a heartfelt manner. The book Partly Cloudy is a book that is best describe in this manner
“Love is like weather:
sometimes stormy,
sometimes sunny,
sometimes partly cloudy.
And so the poems are such that they will capture the teens heart and say in words what they feel. Gary Soto has been able to write simple versus that say so much and talk about everything from a bruised heart, a yearning heart, and a first love. Poems of the heart for boys and girls. I suspect the book will not be on shelf very often. Magna Diaz
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Jinks, Catherine. The Reformed Vampire Support Group.
Jinks, Catherine. The Reformed Vampire Support Group.
Harcourt Brace 2009 362 17.00 978-0-15-206609-3 ms/hs
Wry, humorous take on the vampire life. Fifteen year old (since 1973) Nina hates being a vampire, dislikes the other vampires in her support group and like other vampires is sickly, struggling financially, and dedicated to not inflicting this condition on any others.
When one of her own is killed, an adventure ensues that has her and her comrades rescuing a teen werewolf, fending off two evil mortal (and then not) men, and realizing that being a vampire can be okay. Jenks puts a wry, humorous take on the vampire life.
In this book, the vampires are sickly, struggling financially, and dedicated to not inflicting this condition on any other people. The story is told from the perspective of Nina, a fifteen year old (since 1973) vampire who hates being a vampire. She is repulsed by having to feed on the blood of guinea pigs, loathes having to sleep in a dark space all day, and dislikes most of the members of her Reformed Vampire Support Group. The support group meets weekly under the leadership of Father Ramon, a Catholic priest, and they are committed to refrain from biting any humans. When one of their own is staked, they know they must find the slayer who now knows where they all live. The group holes up in Nina's mother's house since it is deemed safest place and with a silver bullet as their only clue, Nina and some of her group set out to track down the killer. Along the way, they free a captured teen werewolf who is forced to fight and kill other werewolves in a pit for the amusement of the audience. Many adventures ensue with the outcome that Nina falls in love with one of her fellow vampires. This title is humorous, gory, audacious, and suspenseful. It will be an excellent addition to middle and high school library collections of vampire genre fiction. Recommended for Tristate Books of Note. TW.
Harcourt Brace 2009 362 17.00 978-0-15-206609-3 ms/hs
Wry, humorous take on the vampire life. Fifteen year old (since 1973) Nina hates being a vampire, dislikes the other vampires in her support group and like other vampires is sickly, struggling financially, and dedicated to not inflicting this condition on any others.
When one of her own is killed, an adventure ensues that has her and her comrades rescuing a teen werewolf, fending off two evil mortal (and then not) men, and realizing that being a vampire can be okay. Jenks puts a wry, humorous take on the vampire life.
In this book, the vampires are sickly, struggling financially, and dedicated to not inflicting this condition on any other people. The story is told from the perspective of Nina, a fifteen year old (since 1973) vampire who hates being a vampire. She is repulsed by having to feed on the blood of guinea pigs, loathes having to sleep in a dark space all day, and dislikes most of the members of her Reformed Vampire Support Group. The support group meets weekly under the leadership of Father Ramon, a Catholic priest, and they are committed to refrain from biting any humans. When one of their own is staked, they know they must find the slayer who now knows where they all live. The group holes up in Nina's mother's house since it is deemed safest place and with a silver bullet as their only clue, Nina and some of her group set out to track down the killer. Along the way, they free a captured teen werewolf who is forced to fight and kill other werewolves in a pit for the amusement of the audience. Many adventures ensue with the outcome that Nina falls in love with one of her fellow vampires. This title is humorous, gory, audacious, and suspenseful. It will be an excellent addition to middle and high school library collections of vampire genre fiction. Recommended for Tristate Books of Note. TW.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
The jigsaw puzzle of life.
Ephron, Delia. Frannie in Pieces.
Harper Teen, 2007. 374p $17.89 978-0-06-074717-6
Realistic Fiction
Frannie in Pieces by Delia Ephron is the story of a fifteen-year old girl, Frannie, whose father has recently died. Her parents are divorced and Frannie had cherished her time with her dad and identified strongly with him. When she goes though her dad’s studio after his death, she finds a fancy wooden box with her own name on it hidden away. Inside it is a handmade jigsaw puzzle. She believes it is a present for her and keeping it hidden from her family, she begins putting the puzzle together. In the wee hours, sleep deprived after working on the puzzle for hours, Frannie finds herself in the puzzle. By the conclusion of the story, she has sorted out some things pertaining to the puzzle and to her life.
Ephron writes in a fairly realistic young teenage voice. The story holds the reader’s attention and entertains. The story contains humor, mystery, romance, and some magical realism. Lessons about relationships with family and friends are sensitively presented. It is a quick and easily read.
CFM
Harper Teen, 2007. 374p $17.89 978-0-06-074717-6
Realistic Fiction
Frannie in Pieces by Delia Ephron is the story of a fifteen-year old girl, Frannie, whose father has recently died. Her parents are divorced and Frannie had cherished her time with her dad and identified strongly with him. When she goes though her dad’s studio after his death, she finds a fancy wooden box with her own name on it hidden away. Inside it is a handmade jigsaw puzzle. She believes it is a present for her and keeping it hidden from her family, she begins putting the puzzle together. In the wee hours, sleep deprived after working on the puzzle for hours, Frannie finds herself in the puzzle. By the conclusion of the story, she has sorted out some things pertaining to the puzzle and to her life.
Ephron writes in a fairly realistic young teenage voice. The story holds the reader’s attention and entertains. The story contains humor, mystery, romance, and some magical realism. Lessons about relationships with family and friends are sensitively presented. It is a quick and easily read.
CFM
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