Ten Things I Hate About Me by Randa Abdel-Fattah - ADVISABLE

Abdel-Fattah, Randa Ten Things I Hate About Me, 304 p. Orchard (Scholastic), January 2009.

Language - G

MS - ADVISABLE

For years now, Jamilah has been able to hide the fact that she is Lebanese and Muslim from the students at her Aussie school. But "Jamie" is feeling a little bit lonely and a little confused about who she really wants to be. Between a popular boy who is taking notice of her and an anonymous online friend, Jamie is seriously conflicted. She wants her strict dad to trust her and she wants the world to accept her as herself. Now if she could just figure out who she is, she might be able to present herself to the world.

I really like Jamilah; she is a modern, fun and parent-respecting young lady who really is trying so very hard to be the best she can be. She makes mistakes with her friends and takes risks and she doesn't have a potty mouth, even during the hard, stressful times. If your students haven't read Abdel-Fattah's debut novel, Does My Head Look Big In This?, then you'd better order both books right away!

Cindy, Library-Teacher.

Hurricane by Terry Trueman - OPTIONAL

Trueman, Terry Hurricane, 144 p. HarperCollins, 2008.

Language - PG

EL, MS - OPTIONAL

Back in 1998, a killer hurricane struck the country of Honduras and wreaked havoc up and down the coast and further inland than the people have ever seen. José and his family live in a tiny village and disaster is about the strike. How many people in their village will be alive by morning and how will they be able to survive the next few days, let alone rebuild.

As poignant as José's plight is, I can only hope that America kids will respond to his world, even if it is so different from what they know. There are a handful of swears, but it all fits together. This would be a good read-aloud option if you need something short. I especially liked the speedy response from the Honduran government - it's a nice contrast to the after math of Hurricane Katrina.

Cindy, Library-Teacher

The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti - ADVISABLE

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell The Boy Who Dared, 192 p. Scholastic, 2008.

Language - PG, Violence - PG.

MS - ADVISABLE

Helmuth Huebner was a just a young German boy during the early days of Hitler's rise to power. As the pressure of the beginnings of WWII ramp up, Helmuth's mother remarries - a military man fairly high within Hitler's power structure. While Helmuth joins the Hitler Youth as a way to please his mother and look like he is doing what is expected of him, a part of him keeps wondering whether all of this is right. When he "borrows" his soldier brother's contraband radio, a different world opens up and Helmuth is determined to make a difference and open his countrymen's eyes to the truth. Aided by two friends from his church, they undertake a daring plan - a plan that could very well get them executed for treason.

I have read Helmuth's story before; one of his companions lives in Utah and wrote a YA novel about his experiences a few years ago. Bartoletti handles the Mormon aspects of the book just right - not preachy, just what you need to understand. World War II should not be forgotten and Helmuth deserves to be remembered.

Cindy, Library-Teacher.

Ghost Letters by Stephen Alter - OPTIONAL

Alter, Stephen Ghost Letters, 227 p. Bloomsbury, 2008.

EL, MS - OPTIONAL

Gil has been kicked out of his boarding school and sent to live in a big, creepy house with his grandfather until his parents can figure out what to so with him. Gil meets Nargis, a girl from India, and they stumble immediately upon a peculiar mystery that involves a bony hand that appears when it wants to, a ghostly postman who delivers dead letters and a beautiful blue glass bottle that instantly exchanges messages between Gil and Sikander, a boy who "lives" in India 100 years before Gil's present day. Sikandar needs Gil's help, but what can Gil do from the future? The whole plot revolves around three very important letters.

Did I mention the genie? Creepy and a romp, suspension of disbelief is definitely necessary to enjoy this light-hearted read.

Cindy, Library-Teacher

The Crimson Thread by Suzanne Weyn - ADVISABLE

Weyn, Suzanne The Crimson Thread (a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin), 207 p. Simon, 2008.

MS, HS - ADVISABLE

New York, 1880. Bridget and her family are frsh off the boat from Ireland and in need of jobs. After a few false starts, Bridget's Da finds her a position as a dressmaker's assistant at the same mansion that he works at. Unfortunately, Da's boasting ways put the newly renamed "Bertie" in a predicament, when he brags that she can create a beautiful dress in just one night. Even though Bertie is not sure what price she will have to pay, she accepts to help of a mysterious young man who always seem to be close by.

Without referring to dwarves or magic, Weyn weaves a magical tale about the nature of love and human kindness. I love the creativity of the authors involved in the Once Upon a Time series; I never get tired of reading their different permutations of these classic tales. I wish I were half as clever.

Cindy, Library-Teacher.

The Robe of Skulls by Vivian French - ADVISABLE

French, Vivian The Robe of Skulls, 208 p. Candlewick, 2008.

Language - G

EL, MS - ADVISABLE

Lady Lamorna has the perfect vision of a new gown in her head and has placed the order with the Ancient Crones, but her treasure chest is empty. Meanwhile, Gracie Gillypot is determined to escape the clutches of her mean stepfather and her truly evil stepsister. With the help of a wily bat, she steps right into a great deal of trouble and has to take up a challenge to thwart her own stepsister to avert a greater evil.

While the cover of the book looks evil and dark, it is really light-hearted and reads more like fairytale. If your students like slightly creepy things, they will enjoy this very much.

Cindy, Library-Teacher.

Walking Mary by James VanOosting - OPTIONAL

VanOosting, James Walking Mary, 130 p. HarperCollins, 2005.

MS, HS - OPTIONAL

As far as Pearl Keenan knows, Walking Mary, an old black woman, has been meeting every passenger train entering their town since World War I. Though Pearl has seen Walking Mary all her life, only now, when Pearl is 16yo, does mild interest become a passion, maybe even an obsession. Pearl's younger brother, Frankie, is worried about Pearl, but more for what he dimly suspects is happening to her inside their own home, then for his sister's preoccupation with Mary. When Frankie realizes that it is time to take action, it may just be too late for his sister.

I am may be doing the youth of my school a disservice, but I wonder if the deeper action in this book is too subtle for them to actually catch. They may just think that Pearl is a freak and is ready to go off the deep end any way. A large, active library might find this book getting some circulation, but I don't see it making a huge splash.

Cindy, Library-Teacher.

Ivy by Julie Hearn - OPTIONAL

Hearn, Julie Ivy, 351 p. Atheneum (Simon), 2008.

HS - OPTIONAL

Ivy lives with her aunt and uncle and their extensive amount of children in the the slums of England during the 1800's. As a child, Ivy was taken by a gang of thieves, but returned to her uncle's home after a couple of years. Now, eight years later, an artist has spied the beautiful, ethereal Ivy among the dirty streets and is determined to make her his model, not know that she comes with an addiction. Something about the artist and his household and these new circumstances starts to break through Ivy's fog and she starts to begin thinking and feeling again. Ivy will have enemies and she will have chances, but will she be able to make the choice.

I would consider this book a lighter, female version of Oliver Twist, not so much David Copperfield, with not as great a depth of description, characterization or heart. Another 20 pages to shore up the happy ending would have gone a long way to make me more fond of this work. That being said, it is a good, light read for older students.

Cindy, Library-Teacher.

The Midnight Twins by Jacquelyn Mitchard - ADVISABLE

Mitchard, Jacquelyn The Midnight Twins, 235 p. Razorbill (Penguin), 2008.

Violence - PG (animal abuse); Language - PG (about 35).

MS - ADVISABLE

Merry and Mally are identical twins with an extremely strong dose of twin-telepathy. Twins run in their family, but they don't really think much of it. Born on either side of the New Year, they are not only separated by different birthdays in different years, but their personalities seem to keep them separate at school and at home. But the twin-telepathy actually keeps them intertwined and united. As teens, 13, the pair's closeness and ability take a sharp turn on the night of their birthdays, as the home they are babysitting in catches on fire and they barely escape with their charges and their lives intact. Since the fire, however, communication between the two siblings has become fouled up and the dire portents that Mally is receiving are passing Merry by. The twins don't seem to trust each other any more, which is tearing them up inside, but may also put both of their lives and other girls' lives in danger.

At first I thought this was just going to be a girly kind of book and I was pleasantly surprised when it turned into a "being chased by a psycho" book instead. Then I read the acknowledgements and saw that the author is planning at least two more books with the twins - which is not a bad thing.


SPOILER ALERT -










The only thing I don't get is that the girls' grandmother knew all along that the girls had actual powers, so why didn't she ever sit them down and talk to them about it for real and give them an even better chance? There was still plenty of room for danger. I don't know - that just bugged me. Anyway, this should be an interesting addition for girls who like Cabot's Mediator books or Alane Ferguson's forensics series.

Cindy, Library-Teacher.

Animals Christopher Columbus Saw by Sandra Markle - ESSENTIAL

Markle, Sandra Animals Christopher Columbus Saw, illustrations by Jamel Akib. Chronicle, 2008. PICTURE BOOK.

EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

With simple, concise language Ms. Markle lays out the course and circumstances of Columbus's first journey to find a sea route to China and Japan.

That part by itself would be enough to make this a valuable book to almost any class studying the World Explorers or American Explorers in particular. Instead, however, Ms. Markle has added information on each page about at least one animal that Columbus and crew encountered during that part of the voyage, ranging from the mundane (rats) to the fantastic (manatees thought to be ugly mermaids).

Cindy, Library-Teacher.

Wangari's Trees of Peace by Jeanette Winter - ESSENTIAL

Winter, Jeanette Wangari's Trees of Peace: a true story from Africa. Harcourt, 2008. PICTURE BOOK

EL, MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

By the time that Wangari returns from her college education in America, most of the trees of Kenya had been cut down to make room for modernization. Now she saw that the women of the villages suffered in poverty, due in part to the loss of those trees. Starting with her own back yard and her own village, Wangri plants one sapling at a time and encourages others to join. After thirty years, thirty million trees have been planted, returning a canopy of green to Kenya. In 2004, Wangair was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts.

Buy this book now and give to every science teacher you have! Its message is laid out so simply that the power of its truth has a chance to reach every student.

Cindy, Library-Teacher

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan - ESSENTIAL

Riordan, Rick Battle of the Labyrinth, 368 pgs. Hyperion.

Language - G, Sexual Content - G; Violence - PG-13;

EL, MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

Percy and his friends are back! Camp Half-blood is in Kronos’ sights and the entire camp is in danger. If the enemy can find its way through the Labyrinth, they will be able to bypass the secure borders of Camp Half-blood. Percy and his friends must prevent this. They begin a quest into the Labyrinth and many dangers await them.

Riordan has created yet another exciting volume in his Olympian saga, but this is not the end. Fans will eagerly await his next book.

Allison Madsen~Teen Librarian-SJO Public Librarian

The Key to Rondo by Emily Rodda - ESSENTIAL

Rodda, Emily The Key to Rondo, 333pgs. Scholastic Press;

Content~G

EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

When Aunt Bethany died she left Leo her music box. The music box was a treasured family heirloom. The music that played when the lid was opened was almost hypnotic. But unlike most music boxes this one had 4 rules.

“Turn the key three times only.
Never turn the key while the music is playing.
Never pick up the box while the music is playing.
Never close the lid until the music has stopped.”

Why these rules existed, Leo didn’t know. The sides and top of the music box was painted with various scenes all which Leo knew by heart from the many times he had studied the box. Leo’s life changed the day his cousin Mimi turned the key four times! Characters from the music box came alive into the room! First it was blue butterflies, but the next time it was a beautiful lady all dressed in blue. Little did they know that the lady was an evil queen with evil intentions for Leo and Mimi. The evil queen kidnaps Mimi’s dog and returns to the music box. Mimi insists that they follow and thus begins Leo’s adventure in the land of Rondo.

Emily Rodda has once again created a fabulous fantasy tale for young readers to lose themselves in. This story would make an excellent class read-a-loud.

Allison Madsen~Teen Librarian-SJO Public Librarian

Independent Dames by Laurie Halse Anderson - ESSENTIAL

Anderson, Laurie Halse Independent Dames, illustrated by Matt Faulkner. Simon and Schuster, 2008. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK.

EL – ESSENTIAL, MS – ADVISABLE, HS – OPTIONAL

Slowly the women of the American Revolution are gaining the recognition that they deserve. Anderson’s book brings these women’s storied to the elementary age with her picture book which can be read on several levels. Each page has an illustration, accompanying explanation, a more detailed blurb about a particular woman and detailed information on the timeline running below each page. The information is rich enough that almost every level of American History teacher can use this in their classroom.

Cindy, Library-Teacher.

Teeth by Sneed Collard - OPTIONAL

Collard, Sneed B. III Teeth, illustrated by Phyllis V. Saroff. Charlesbridge, 2008. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK.

EL, MS – OPTIONAL

Collard explores all kinds of teeth in all kinds of mammals in this picture book. The information is helpful without being overwhelming. The only thing I wonder is how it would have looked if the illustrations were photos instead of drawings.

Cindy, Library-Teacher.

Gorilla Doctors by Pamela Turner - ESSENTIAL

Turner, Pamela S. Gorilla Doctors: Saving Endangered Great Apes, 64 p. NON-FICTION. Houghton Mifflin, 2005, 2008.

EL, MS, HS – ESSENTIAL

Copious amounts of full-color pictures accompany detailed information about the rewards and challenges of tending to the mountain gorillas of east-central Africa. Instead of being clinical, the book is peppered with first person stories of the gorillas and their doctors which are entertaining and educational to read. Any teacher who covers endangered species will be delighted to know about this book.

Cindy, Library-Teacher

What the World Eats by Faith D'Aluisio - ESSENTIAL

D’Aluisio, Faith What the World Eats, photographed by Peter Menzel, 160 p. NON-FICTION. Tricycle Press, 2008.

EL, MS, HS – ESSENTIAL

From the creators of Material World and Hungry Planet comes this knockout book about what25 families around the world grow, make and buy to feed themselves for a week. Each family is photographed with all of the makings for their weekly meals. Full of details about nutrition and lifestyle without ever being boring.

This book is utterly fascinating and I really want posters of all of the family portraits and the ingredient lists for a fabulous display! I hope that Tricycle comes up with some related materials for this must-have title!

Cindy, Library-Teacher.

Rehab by Randi Reisfeld - ADVISABLE

Reisfeld, Randi Rehab, 225 p. Simon and Schuster, 2008.

Language – R, Sexual Content – PG-13, Violence – G.

HS – ADVISABLE

Kenzie Cross is this week’s Hollywood “IT” girl, with her hit TV series, partying lifestyle and a movie offer. The partying brings Kenzie’s world crashing down and in order to spin the news a bit better, Kenzie’s agent and manager send her into rehab with the permission of her father. But rehab for celebrities is different from others and Kenzie has found herself a party friend. It isn’t until close to her release date that Kenzie realize that she may truly have a problem.

It’s 46 pages in until Kenzie ends up in rehab and another 130 until she acknowledges her problem – leaving only 70 pages for to make any meaningful changes. While I was pleased at the end, I wish the author had given Kenzie’s recovery a few more pages to fully develop; the book came this close to just being another Hollywood partying book of which there are too many right now. If there is even some truth to the representation about the pampered life of celebs in rehab, you have to wonder if any of them really do come out clean. I wouldn’t know. While not as satisfying as Littman’s upcoming Purge, it does give a hopeful look at surmounting drug and alcohol addictions. There are about 30 swears, with a couple “f” that you should know about.

Cindy, Library-Teacher.

Purge by Sarah Littman - ESSENTIAL

Littman, Sarah Darer Purge, 240 (approx.). Scholastic, April 2009.

Language – R, Sexual Content – PG-13.

HS – ESSENTIAL

After a spectacular incident at her half-sister’s wedding, Janie finds herself in Golden Slopes Hospital labeled as a Barfer (as the other inmates call her type of eating disorder). While Janie is resistant to opening up in private or group counseling sessions, she happy to unburden her soul in the pages of her journal. Her journey to self-awareness and relative health is aided and hindered by the diverse cast of characters, whether fellow Barfers, Starvers or the earnest staff of the facility. I

 was so enthralled by Janie’s journey that I had a hard time reminding myself to count the swears. There are plenty of them (more than 100, including “f”), but they don’t hinder the story’s power at all. Some may say that Janie’s breakthrough seems a little forced or faked, but not me. I read it all in less than three hours – I couldn’t put it down. And Janie herself says that her journey is ongoing – she is not cured, for life, only for now. Buy it now, if you can handle the language.

Cindy, Library-Teacher

Trouble by Gary Schmidt - OPTIONAL

Schmidt, Gary D. Trouble, 297 p. Clarion, 2008.

MS – OPTIONAL

Henry’s family is perfect. Well, at least his parents, his sister and his older brother are perfect. Their white bread, tight-knit community is built far away from Trouble (yep, with a capital “T”). Then one day Trouble comes knocking – Henry’s brother is mortally injured in a car accident, by a Cambodian refugee goes to Henry’s own private school. Now his parents are falling apart and his sister refuses to come out of her room. And all Henry can find is anger. Henry decided to take up his brother’s challenge to climb Mt. Katahdin – along the way, however, he encounters Chay, the same young man who hit his brother, who has issues and challenges of his own beyond the accident.

The first chapter of the book reads as stilted and stuffy as the Blythbury-by-the-Sea makes itself out to be – above the human masses. What I really wish is that Chay’s story had been better developed and that we had been allowed to hear his voice. While Henry developed just fine, I think we are really missing books about the lives of new immigrants to America.

Cindy, Library-Teacher.