Helen's Eyes:A Photobiography of Annie Sullivan Helen Keller's Teacher by Marfe Ferguson Delano - ESSENTIAL

Helen’s Eyes: A Photobiography of Annie Sullivan Helen Keller’s Teacher by Marfe Ferguson Delano, 64 pages. NON-FICTION BIOGRAPHY. National Geographic Children's Books.

EL, MS – ESSENTIAL 

There are millions of different biographies on Helen Keller and her discovery of language with the help of her teacher Annie Sullivan. But who was Annie Sullivan and how did she develop the skills necessary to help Helen? In a new biography on Annie Sullivan we learn about Annie from her terrible beginnings in an orphanage to life with Helen after the famous break though at the water pump.

This biography is full of photographs and images of Annie and her writings. This is a must have for any non-fiction collection.

Allison Madsen~Teen Librarian-SJO Public Library

Planet Pregnancy by Linda Oatman High - OPTIONAL

High, Linda Oatman Planet Pregnancy pgs. 64 Front Street

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

MS, HS –OPTIONAL 

16yo and pregnant with no one to turn to, is now reality in the life of Sahara. After that stick turned pink she knew her life would never be the same. This is a crisis that unfortunately too many young girls are faced with. In this short novel of free verse poems, Linda Oatman High let readers peak inside the thoughts and feelings of a teenager forced to make adult decisions and grow up too soon.

While the ratings are low for this title, there is discussion of potent topics such as unprotected sex, false rape accusations, and abortion. This novel is appropriate for more mature 8th and 9th graders, but should probably be housed in a high school or public library.

Allison Madsen~Teen Librarian-SJO Public Library

Dead is So Last Year by Marlene Perez - ESSENTIAL

Perez, Marlene Dead is So Last Year, 192 p. Graphia (Houghton), 2009. 

Content: PG (small amount of violence, creatures of the night)

MS, HS – ESSENTIAL

Daisy is all set to enjoy the summer before her senior year – she has even got herself a job at the local diner, run by an invisible man. But even in summer, things are weird in Nightshade. The freshman football team is acting a bit scary – almost pack-like in their behavior. And Daisy would swear that she saw her father around town, even though he disappeared almost six years ago. Lives will be danger this summer – which may be nothing new for Nightshade, but painful for Daisy to face. 

It looks like there will be at least one more book in the Nightshade series – and I can’t wait! Its hard to believe that a book about creatures of the night can be scary and fun all at the same time, but it's true! 

Cindy, Library-Teacher

Rachel Calof’s Story by Rachel Calof - ADVISABLE

Calof, Rachel Rachel Calof’s Story: Jewish homesteader on the Northern Plains, 153 p. NON-FICTION BIOGRAPHY. Indiana University Press 1995. 

Language: G; Content: PG-13. 

MS-OPTIONAL, HS-ADVISABLE

Finally, a memoir students will be willing to read! This book is the heart wrenching story of a young Russian girl named Rachel and her triumph over life’s challenges. Rachel was left a “half orphan” when her mother died, but when her father remarries, Rachel and her siblings are severely mistreated by their wicked step-mother. To save the family name, Rachel leaves the hardships of her native land to come to American to become the “picture bride” to Abraham. Rachel and Abraham “proof” a homestead in the Jewish settlement of Devils Lake, North Dakota. With little money and scant provisions, the young bride sets up housekeeping in a simple, one room, sod structure which they share for part of the year with Abraham’s parents. Together Rachel and Abraham face one trial after another, and yet these resilient immigrants survive both the internal and external struggles of life. 

The book was originally written in Yiddish as a personal account of her life and not meant for public viewing. Each page is full of end-notes and it is a bit distracting to have to keep referring to these notes, but to skip them would lose a part of the story. I would advise reading the Epilogue to gain a better understanding of the Jewish-American social history (although the final essay could be skipped). At the conclusion of this book the reader will have a greater appreciation for those powerful women settlers of this nation. 

Reviewer: Lorna Parkinson, Library-Teacher, HHS.

Gamer Girl by Mari Mancusi - ADVISABLE

Mancusi, Mari Gamer Girl, 248 pgs. Dutton. 

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

MS – ADVISABLE

When Maddy’s life turns upside down when her parents get a divorce and she is forced to move to Boston to live with her grandma, she takes comfort in a computer game and Sir. Leo. 

I would really like to see this book in our school library. It was so hard to put down. 

Student Reviewer: SA

Sammy Keys and the Cold Hard Cash by Wendelin Van Draanen - ESSENTIAL

Sammy Keys and the Cold Hard Cash by Wendelin Van Draanen, 272 pgs. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2008. 

Content-G

EL, MS -ESSENTIAL

Sammy Keyes always manages to get into the middle of everything. When she supposedly scared someone to death and the man tells her to through away a lot of money, she can't help but become interested in what is going on. All of a sudden she is in a middle of another mystery. I liked this book. The characters in it are very fun and they make me laugh. they do some pretty silly things in this book. The only thing that I did not like about this book was that it had just a few bad words. I really liked it though.

Student Reviewer: MB

Summer Girls by Hailey Abbott - ADVISABLE

Abbott, Hailey Summer Girls 272 pages. Scholastic.

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

MS-OPTIONAL; HS – ADVISABLE

When Jessica, Greer, and Lara are joined together on a family trip at Pebble Beach, they will have the sibling rivalry and yet the fun that comes with it. Will they get the summer of their dreams?

I think that this book is really good, its more of a chick flick than anything but a good one.


Student Reviewer: SA

The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks - ESSENTIAL

Jinks, Catherine The Reformed Vampire Support Group, 362 p. Harcourt, 2009.

Language: G (6 swears), Violence: G (comical, not violent, though a vampire does get staked).

MS, HS – ESSENTIAL

Vampires are the most boring inhabitants on the earth and Nina should know, she has been one for more that 30 years, permanently stuck at the age of 15. Luckily she can live with her mother, and she has her weekly meetings with the Reformed Vampire Support Group to help her – a group formed to aid each other from fanging any more humans. Then one night the group finds the ashes of the vampire who originally fanged them and as frail as they are, the gang knows that they must seek out the perpetrator, or their very existences may be in danger. So, off Nina heads, with the priest who is their group sponsor and Dave, another teen vampire – heading off into more danger than they could have ever imagine existed.

At first I thought that Nina was going to be so boring that I might have to fang myself to survive the reading – BUT, her adventures became very interesting indeed! It looks like reimagining the vampire mythos is now the norm – and while very different from Twilight and the ilk, Nina and her friends are well worth reading about.

Cindy, Library-Teacher

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya by Nagaru Tanigawa - OPTIONAL

Tanigawa, Nagaru The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, 202 p. Little, Brown, 2009.

Language: PG-13. Violence: PG; Sexual Content: PG-13

HS – OPTIONAL

Haruhi doesn’t know it, but the fate of Earth rests in her hands. Kyon is intrigued by not only Haruhi’s looks, but also her odd, anti-social behavior and manages to create an odd relationship with her.

Just so you know, this is a book that I totally do not get. I read more than 100 pages into and didn’t understand much of the point the author was trying to make. But I have been assured that lovers of manga will love this when they find it.

Cindy, Library-Teacher

Kissed by an Angel by Elizabeth Chandler - ADVISABLE

Chandler, Elizabeth Kissed by an Angel – all-in-one trilogy. Simon, 1995, 2008. $10

Content: G

MS, HS – ADVISABLE

Ivy’s boyfriend has return, in the form of a guardian angel, in order to protect her from the person who murdered him.

You can’t get these three books separately any more, but the idea of supernatural romance is so popular again, that this omnibus is well worth having. The new cover brings out the otherworldliness of the storyline perfectly.

Cindy, Library-Teacher

Shock Point by April Henry - ADVISABLE

Henry, April Shock Point 185 pgs. Penguin Group.

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

MS, HS – ADVISABLE

When Cassie is suddenly curious about her step father and his new medicine, Socom, she suddenly is kidnapped and taken to Mexico to a place for misbehaved children. I think that this book needs to be in all Middle to High School libraries. It keeps you on your toes till the end.

Student Reviewer: SA

Seven Wonders of the Ancient Middle East - ESSENTIAL

Seven Wonders of the Ancient Middle East by Woods, Michael Woods and Mary B. Woods 72 p. NON-FICTION. Twenty-First Century (Lerner), 2009.

EL, MS, HS – ESSENTIAL

Instead of the seven wonders of the whole world, the Woods team have seven books about seven wonders on each of the seven continents. This particular title is about the man-made wonders in the Middle East. Each page has beautiful illustrations of some sort, mostly full-color photographs, and detailed explanations of the history and importance of the places. I think these books are fabulous and could easily supply a unit of study – whether singularly or as a set.

Cindy, Library-Teacher

The Silver Door by Holly Lisle - ESSENTIAL

Lisle, Holly The Silver Door, 386 p. Orchard (Scholastic), 2009.

EL, MS – ESSENTIAL

Genna has found her destiny – to be the Sunrider and free her people and the good nightlings from slavery – and she is trying hard to learn how to accomplish this. Following the instructions of her teacher one day, she and her best friend Catri are, instead, swallowed by a dragon and taken to the Spire, an ancient, now empty, place from where humans used to rule the world. Genna desperately wants to learn her path, but the Spire has ideas of its own – and the two goals may not coincide. If anything, Genna will learn that being the Sunrider means she will have to make very difficult choices.

It is so exciting to see the second book in this series! It is a great series for young fantasy lovers.

CINDY

Stroll and Walk, Babble and Talk by Brian P. Cleary - ESSENTIAL

Stroll and Walk, Babble and Talk by Brian P. Cleary, illustrated by Brian Gable. Millbrook (Lerner), 2008. PICTURE BOOK.

EL, MS, HS – ESSENTIAL

What English teacher hasn’t had to talk to the students about spicing up their word choice. This quick little picture book gets the topic rolling and also provides a teacher with a great list of words to start with in stretching vocabulary skills. Every book in this series should be used at every level of education. A clever English teacher can use every title for fun, yet necessary lessons.

Cindy, Library-Teacher

How I Learned Geography by Uri Shulevitz - ESSENTIAL

How I Learned Geography by Uri Shuklecitz.  Farrar Straus Giroux, 2008. PICTURE BOOK.

EL, MS, HS – ESSENTIAL

When the author was four, his family fled the Warsaw blitz and landed in what is now Kazakstan. One night, even though the family was starving, Uri’s father brought home a huge world map, instead of the much needed bread. At first Uri was resentful, but the map made his hungry nights more bearable.

Any teacher of geography would appreciate this book as a gift and will share it with their students as an illustration of the power of learning about our world and how even poverty can starve the mind.

Cindy, Library-Teacher

President Obama: The Path to the White House - OPTIONAL

Ignatius, Adi, editor President Obama: The Path to the White House, 96 p. NON-FICTION. Time Inc., 2008.

MS, HS – OPTIONAL

10 essays and a wealth of photographs explore the path that Barack Obama forged to the presidency of the United States. The essay’s are articles pulled from Time Magazine’s coverage during the long campaign and the photos are from Callie Shell, who joined Obama’s entourage early on. Buy this book for the beautiful full-page photos, if for nothing else.

Cindy, Library-Teacher

Sunny Side Up by Marion Roberts - ADVISABLE

Roberts, Marion Sunny Side Up. Wendy Lamb Books, 219 pgs. 2008

Language G, Sexual Content PG, Violence G

EL, MS - ADVISABLE

Sunny Hathaway, 11yo, narrates the story of the summer "when everything started to change, and... change is not my strong point." Sunny is quirky and funny and a very real and loveable character. Her world changes when her mother's boyfriend moves in with them along with his two slightly annoying children and their cat, her father's new wife is pregnant, her best friend starts to like boys, and her grandmother is dying.

The Australian setting and language give the story an interesting flavor and Sunny's personal journey is full of life lessons. Some very frank discussions of Sunny's bum-sniffing dog and her step-mother's pregnancy and nursing may offend some sensitive readers.

Janell Pearce-Mattheus, Youth Services Librarian, Whitmore Library.

Evermore by Alyson Noel - OPTIONAL

Noel, Alyson Evermore, 306 p. St. Martin’s Griffin, 2009. $10

Language: PG-13 (7 swears, 3 “f”)

MS –OPTIONAL, HS – ESSENTIAL

Ever Bloom’s family died in a terrible car accident that should have also killed Ever, but she was saved by a mysterious stranger who never stuck around. Since that day, Ever can see people’s auras, hear their thoughts and know all about them just by touching them. Until, however, Damen comes to town; he has no aura. Around him, Ever can’t hear anyone and she is drawn to him. Danger also seems to be near, as Ever has no idea that she is part of an ages old love triangle – and the other member would prefer that Ever to be dead – forever.

I hate the random uselessness of the few swears in this otherwise fabulous book. While it echoes Twilight faintly, it also is a fabulous book in its own right.

Cindy, Library-Teacher

Talia Talk by Christine Hurley Deriso - ADVISABLE

Deriso. Christine Hurley Talia Talk, 184 p. Delacorte (Random), 2009.

Content: G

EL, MS – ADVISABLE

Talia is constantly embarrassed by the personal stories that her mother tells the entire town on mom’s daily morning talk show. Now, Talia has a chance to turn the tables as she wins the spot as an anchor on her middle school’s daily announcement show. As a 6th grader, she has to learn to avoid the pitfalls of middle school, as two of her close friends have now Talia’s best friend, Bridget as too loud, too childish and too lame for them. Talia doesn’t know what to do.

The girl on the front cover looks older than the main character actually is, but the contents scores right on with the pitfalls of middle school.

Cindy, Library-Teacher

My Name is Number 4 by Ting-Xing Ye - ESSENTIAL

Ye, Ting-Xing My Name is Number 4: A True Story from the Cultural Revolution, 229 p. NON-FICTION. St. Martin’s Griffin, 2009.

Violence: PG; Language: PG. 

MS, HS – ESSENTIAL

Ting-Xing was born in 1952 and spent six years (ages 16-22) living on a rural prison farm being re-educated in the work of a peasant farmer during China’s Cultural Revolution under Chairman Mao. Though Ye’s parents had both dies when she was young, she and her siblings spent all of their childhoods making up for the sin of their father being a factory owner.

High school social studies teachers should look at this memoir as a powerful addition to their curriculum. There are now just a few books being written by survivor’s of the Cultural revolution and they are welcome additions, whether as novels or biographies.

Cindy, Library-Teacher