When You Reach Me

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I liked this simple story very much. It is written in a clear, insightful way, really getting into the mind of a young girl dealing with life in New York City, friends, school, and staying safe as she treks back and forth to school. I loved the connection with "A Wrinkle in Time", and the ending was quite surprising.



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Mockingjay

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Wow, what a story! Suzanne Collins has completed a trilogy that is pretty amazing. Her story of Katniss Everdeen will haunt me for a long time. This last book is heart-wrenching and grim, but still leaves the reader with a faint glimmer of hope. What an incredible imagination. The series is nonstop action from the first book to the last.



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Olive's Ocean

Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I read this short novel called Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes a while ago. It is a simple story about a few summer days in 12 year-old Martha's life. The title refers to a girl Martha hardly knew, but one summer day Olive's mom visits Martha and gives her a journal that belonged to her daughter. Olive died in a bicycle accident. This whole incident changes Martha. It was simply written, and part of the story takes place on Cape Cod, one of my favorite places.

Check it out--it's in our library.



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The Sacrifice

The Sacrifice by Diane Matcheck




During a very warm 4th of July summer afternoon, I finished an interesting book called The Sacrifice by Diane Matcheak. This book had been hanging around my office for over a year, and I finally cataloged it and decided to read it. I love books about the Native American experience, and so this was right up my alley.



The Indian girl has no name at the beginning of the story. She is considered an outcast among her people, because her mother is dead, her twin brother was killed in a raid, and her father, who was once a great warrior, is no longer important among his people. The girl has trained herself to become a great warrior, and wants to prove herself in her village.



The setting is out west in Montana, Wyoming and Nebraska. Her people are Apsaalooka, or Crow, and although most girls did not become warriors, it was not forbidden to do so.



The ending was so exciting, I could not stop reading it until I was done. I heartily recommend this book--really--give it a chance!



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Rikers High

Rikers High by Paul Volponi

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This was a revealing tale of what it's like to be a young man behind bars.

The author, Paul Volponi knows of what he writes, because he was a teacher of incarcerated teens.

The language and action are authentic, the violence ever-present. The reader is allowed to get inside Martin's head, as he goes to court, then only to find himself back on Riker's Island, disappointed, but willing to do anything to get "home".



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Ruined

Ruined: A Ghost Story by Paula Morris

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A good ghost story, set in one of my favorite cities, New Orleans. Rebecca's dad is going to China for a year, and so she must stay with an aunt in New Orleans for an entire school year. She is a New York City girl, and she can't get the hang of all the "family" traditions in New Orleans. When she meets the ghost of a murdered 16 year-old black girl, who was killed over 150 years ago, Rebecca realizes that the snobby rich girls in her school are hiding an old family secret, which includes a curse that still seems to be lurking on some of the old families.



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American Born Chinese

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a graphic novel, but not for kids. It was really funny and very cleverly done. American Born Chinese is actually three stories: the first is about Jin Wang, who moves to a new neighborhood with his family only to discover that he’s the only Chinese-American student at his new school; the powerful Monkey King, subject of one of the oldest and greatest Chinese fables; and Chin-Kee, almost a racist stereotype, who is ruining his cousin Danny’s life with his yearly visits. Their lives and stories come together with an unexpected twist in this action-packed modern fable. There is now a sequel, which I would like to read.



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Escape Under the Forever Sky

Escape Under the Forever Sky by Eve Yohalem

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Lucy's mom is the American ambassador to Ethiopia. Lucy loves adventure, animals and nature, and so this situation sounds perfect. Well, it would be, but Lucy's mom is super strict, and will not allow her to do anything except go to school. Well, being a 13 year-old, she finds a way to get around her mother's orders, and ends up in a life-threatening predicament.
This is a good adventure, with lots of Ethiopian culture thrown in. It's a fast read, that both boys and girls should enjoy.

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Catching Fire

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Terrific! Usually, sequels are not as good as the original book, but this story ends leaving you panting for the third book! Thanks to the author, Suzanne Collins, for writing a terrific adventure/sci-fi series that is not dumbed-down for young people.

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The Trouble Begins at 8: A life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West

The Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West by Sid Fleischman

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


An easy to read biography of an American literary legend, with great illustrations and photographs. I learned a few disturbing facts about Mark Twain, but all-in-all, I learned that he led quite an adventurous life.

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Chains

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Well, Laurie Halse Anderson has done it again--written a really good historical fiction novel, that leaves you wanting more. And guess what? It seems as if there will be a sequel. Isabel's story is exciting, heartbreaking, and at the end, hopeful. As a young female slave in New York just at the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, we see Isabel as an intelligent girl, looking for her chance to escape from her horrible owner, amid the chaos of the war for independence. What a wonderful way to learn about this important period in American history!

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Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


This was an awful story. It was disgusting and absurd. In the beginning, I laughed at some of the more gruesome antics, but then it got to be ridiculous. Written in the style of Jane Austen, which could be a big turn-off to most teens, I would not recommend this book to anyone!

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Revenge of the Whale

Revenge of the Whale: The True Story of the Whaleship Essex, Adapted for Young People from In The Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was a wonderful book about whaling, way back in the 1820's.
It is a nonfiction book, but reads as easily as a novel. The book tells a story of a whaling ship from Nantucket that was actually attacked by a huge whale in the Pacific Ocean, and as a result the ship sunk. The horrified crew knew it would take a miracle for them to survive, as they were a thousand miles from any land. The crew, now in three small boats, set sail for land, and the adventure is told in an exciting way. Of course, they actually had to resort to cannibalism,in order for some of the men to survive.
Having been to Nantucket a few times, and having been on many whale watches off of Cape Cod, this book brought the smell of the wind and the sea to life for me. It is also a look into what makes some men brave, and what lengths some men will go to survive against all odds.

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Crossing the Wire

Crossing the Wire by Will Hobbs


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
An interesting tale of a young Mexican teen who has decided he needs to come to the US in order to help his family. He knows it is dangerous and illegal, but he feels has no choice but to cross the border illegally. The danger, the hardships, are all here, and told from the perspective of a teen who has led a fairly innocent life up to now, this story can lead to some really good discussions.

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Box Out

Box Out by John Coy


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I usually enjoy sports stories, but I wasn't thrilled by this one. I didn't care enough about the characters. Liam is a sophomore on his high school JV basketball team, and is called to play varsity. He gets all upset with the coach leading the team in prayer, and I just didn't buy it. He ends up quitting the team, and helping out with the girl's basketball team.

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Hurricane Song: a novel of New Orleans

Hurricane Song by Paul Volponi


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
An interesting novel that takes place in the few days that Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc on New Orleans. Miles, a 12-year old, has gone to live with his musician father. He's almost sure that his dad loves his trumpet more than his own son. Once they get news of the massive storm, they are forced to seek refuge in the Superdome. And there, the nightmare begins.

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Flight to Freedom

Flight to Freedom: First Person Fiction by Ana Veciana-Suarez


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really liked this book. The story of Cuban-born Yara, starts out in Havana, 1967, where the regime of Castro is making life miserable for all those who oppose the Communists. Her family has decided to flee Cuba and head to Miami. This is a story based on the author's life, and it reads very true. An interesting glimpse into life during the 1960's, life for a family caught in-between two cultures--told from the heart of an 8th grade girl.

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Chasing Lincoln's Killer

Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I could not put this book down. An amazing account of the 12 days following Lincoln's assassination, with very cool photos to accompany the text. It reads like a murder mystery, and I had to keep telling myself that John Wilkes Booth's despicable act brutally ended the life of one of the most important people our nation has ever known. This is a great companion read to Ann Rinaldi's book, "An Acquantaince with Darkness".

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Found

Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A very good story from Margaret Peterson Haddix, who brought us "Among the Hidden". This book will also be a series,her sequel "Sent" is already out. This science fiction tale has a couple of 13 year-olds who have gotten mysterious letters saying simply "You are one of the missing". We know from the start that 13 years before, a plane landed at an airport with no crew, no adult passengers, just babies. A page-turner, for sure.

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How I Live Now

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
An interesting story about terror attacks, anorexia, young love, the English countryside, and the resiliency of kids learning to cope with whatever the world throws at them. Daisy, an anorexic 15 year-old who has been banished to England to live with her aunt and cousins because of her "wicked step-mother", finds herself in a country taken over by "the enemy", leaving the kids on the family farm with no electricity, Internet or phone service. A well-written story, the author has the dialogue and thoughts of the teen down perfect.

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Deep and Dark and Dangerous

Deep and Dark and Dangerous: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a scary, page-turner of a ghost story. Ali is a 13 year-old girl who is asked to babysit her young cousin for the summer, while her artist aunt wants to work on her painting. They are in a cabin in Maine, a cabin that Ali's mom and aunt used to visit every summer as young girls, until a tragic drowning accident. Now, Ali's mom and aunt can't (or won't) discuss that long-ago summer, but Ali is drawn into the mystery by forces beyond her control. A good, well-written, creepy ghost story.

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The Boy Who Dared

The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Wow, this book was both frightening and inspiring. This is a story based on the real life of Helmuth, a teen-ager who was a reluctant member of the Hitler Youth. The story is told in flashbacks, as Helmuth is facing his execution for crimes against the Nazi government. The photos in the book, especially a close-up of Helmuth, with very sad eyes, make the story even more chilling. This is a great addition to any young person's historical fiction collection. Bartoletti does a great job in depicting what life was like for those Germans who disagreed with the Nazi regime.

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Rules

Rules by Cynthia Lord


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a young girl's story of what it is like to have a sibling with Autisim. Catherine loves her brother, David, but because he is autistic, every aspect of her life is touched by him. Having friends over, going to a store, simple things that we take for granted, are hurdles in Catherine's life, because when you are a teen-ager, EVERYTHING matters. I admire Catherine's character, because in a similar situation, I don't know if I would have acted as couragously as she did.

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Fire From the Rock

Fire From the Rock by Sharon M. Draper


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
A good story for young people, that explores the changing world of integration during the 50's. Sharon Draper gets inside the head of an 8th grade girl, who has been "chosen" to go to Central High in Little Rock. The young lady loves her friends, and really wants to go to the "colored" high school, where she would be able to participate in clubs, go to the dances, and so on. She is also afraid that she is just not brave enough to be up to this task.

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Devil on My Heels

Devil on My Heels by Joyce McDonald


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The setting is 1959, central Florida. Dove is a teenager, and her life has become quite complicated. She is good friends with a young black man, and that is not a good thing, because the KKK is a force to be reckoned with in her town. Lots of tension, drama and suspense in this page-turner, as she deals with suspicions about her own father. Is he a member of the dispicable KKK, too?

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Al Capone Does My Shirts

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I read this book back in 2008, but never got around to discussing it in my blog. This story is both funny and serious at the same time. The setting is during the 1930's, when Al Capone is a prisoner at Alcatraz. Well, curiously enough, the guards and their families really lived on the island of Alcatraz at that time, and this story is about a young man, and how he copes with a sister who has major problems (autisim?) and how he makes friends at his new school. It's a good read, with the family problems, gangsters, and Alcatraz looming in the background.

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An Unlikely Friendship

An Unlikely Friendship: A Novel of Mary Todd Lincoln and Elizabeth Keckley by Ann Rinaldi


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was another incredible work of historical fiction by Ann Rinaldi. I learned some very interesting facts about Mary Todd Lincoln's childhood, that really added to my better understanding of the wife of my favorite American. Rinaldi gives the reader a look at life in the south from two very different perspectives, a young girl of privelige, and a young slave named Elizabeth. Elizabeth had an amazing life, overcoming all kinds of obstacles, to become a friend to the First Lady. A wonderful read.

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The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wow! I began this book last Sunday, and could not put it down. What an exciting, suspense-filled roller-coaster of a read. This futuristic story of an evil government that pits 24 young people against each other to the death, introduces us to a memorable young woman named Katniss. Her bravery and resourcefulness as she takes her younger sister's place in The Hunger Games makes her an unforgettable character. This was an amazing book.

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This Full House

This Full House by Virginia Euwer Wolff


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I so enjoyed this final entry in the "Make Lemonade" trilogy. I started this series a few years ago, when LaVaughn was an innocent 9th grader who knew she wanted to go to college, no matter that she and her mom were struggling to make ends meet. This novel begins with LaVaughn in her final year of high school, trying to do her best in a special women in science program, that will help her get into college. There is an interesting turn of events involving Jolly, the young mother she has been babysitting for since 9th grade. Great story!

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