The Enemy by Charlie Higson - ESSENTIAL

Higson, Charlie The Enemy, 448 p. Hyperion, 2010.  $16.99.  

Language:: PG-13 (25 swears, no ‘f’); Violence: PG-13 (oh yes – scary).  

For a year and a half, Arann, Maxie and an assorted crew of children have been eking an existence out of the Waitrose grocer – keeping safe, scrounging for food and keeping away from the enemy – the Strangers.  Every person over the age of sixteen contracted to a debilitating disease – and now packs of them shamble around looking for victims – or food.  After 18 months however, most of the dumbest have been eliminated and there seems to be a smarter version still around.  When the kids are told of a safe haven in Buckingham Palace, they have to decide whether they will make the daring run across the city.  Danger comes in many guises.  

Higson's novel takes the zombie idea and raises it to new heights of greatness.  If it weren’t for the buckets of blood, I would recommend this to a much wider audience.  

MS-OPTIONAL; HS – ESSENTIAL. Cindy, Library Teacher.

The Clockwork Three by Matthew Kirby

Kirby, Matthew The Clockwork Three, 400 p. Scholastic Press, October 2010.  $17.99.  Content: G (allusions to abuse, but nothing graphic).  Guiseppe came to America with dreams of making a better life for himself and his family.  Instead he is laboring all day to earn them pennies necessary to please his padrone, his owner.  Hannah is only a maid in a grand hotel, but when she attracts the attention of an eccentric guest, she may be out on her ear, putting her whole family in jeopardy.  Frederick is the apprentice to a clockmaker, but his heart is set on much grander things than common watches.  The three will meet under dramatic circumstances and have the chance solve a couple of deep mysteries that could change all of their lives for the better.  Kirby’s book has danger and excitement and mystery – however, it doesn’t have that spark that is catapult it to greatest.  Interesting, yes, but one copy will do for most libraries.  EL, MS – OPTIONAL. Cindy, Library Teacher.

The Boneshaker by Kate Milford

Milford, Kate The Boneshaker, 372 p. Clarion (Houghton), 2010.  $17.00.  Violence: PG (plenty of danger, and references to the devil) .  Something is wrong at the crossroads outside of Natalie Minks’ little town – if you drive through in a wheeled conveyance, you will undoubtedly lose a wheel – and always the front left.  And then there is Old Tom, a negro man, who has a way with a guitar and an old story that circulates about him and a supposed encounter he had one night with the devil at the old crossroads.  Then a traveling medicine show comes to town – they’ve lost their front left wheel and will need to stay in town until Natalie’s father can fix it or replace it.  But Natalie feels to her bones that there is something very wrong with the whole show, its menacing leader an the very peculiar people (or things?) which populate it.  She will risk her life, or maybe her soul, in order to solve the mystery and save her town. Natalie and her friends are very engaging, the mysteries and the danger are palpable, but I’m curious to see how such an old-fashioned book will actually do with today’s audiences.  EL – OPTIONAL. Cindy, Library Teacher.

The Cat’s Pajamas by Wallace Edwards

Edwards, Wallace The Cat’s Pajamas.  Kids Can Press, 2010.  $18.95.  PICTURE BOOK.  The first thing that will grab your eye is Mr. Edwards’ gorgeous, detailed illustrations.  Each is meant to literally illustrate an idiom, while also alluding to its intent.  In the back of the book is a handy list with the actual meanings.  While this book could be used with many different age groups, this is a gorgeous book that would also make a beautiful gift for a word-ivore, too.  Show this one to your Language Arts teachers.  EL, MS, HS – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library Teacher.

What the Ladybug Heard by Julia Donaldson

Donaldson, Julia What the Ladybug Heard illustrated by Lydia Monks 32 pgs. Henry Holt and Company, 2010. PICTURE BOOK. $16.99. 

Like any barnyard, this one is full of noise from all of its animals....all of them except the ladybug who never says a word. But just because the ladybug is quiet doesn't mean she can't see and hear! After overhearing two men's plan to steal the prize cow, she decides she better speak up and comes up with a plan of her own! 

With bright, energetic illustrations and smooth, rhyming text, this book is sure to please! 

EL-ESSENTIAL. Whitney, Library-Teacher. 

LMNO Peas by Keith Baker

Baker, Keith LMNO Peas 40 pgs. Beach Lane Books, 2010. PICTURE BOOK. $16.99. These fun and energetic peas take you through the alphabet as they show you how they work and play in the ABCs. Each letter is identified with different occupations and/or hobbies people may have such as astronauts, dancers, inventors, hikers, and volunteers. This would be a great book to use as an introduction to a lesson about communities and jobs within the community or a lesson on the alphabet. I like it because it goes beyond the normal kind of alphabet books. The pastel illustrations are cute and light. A darling and apPEAling book for young readers! PRE-K/EL (K-3)-ESSENTIAL. Whitney, Library-Teacher. 

Looking Closely in the Rain Forest by Frank Serafini

Serafini, Frank Looking Closely in the Rain Forest.  Kids Can Press, 2010.  $16.95.  PICTURE BOOK.  Serafini turns his camera to the rainforest.  His gorgeous photographs accompany a guessing game in his latest edition in this series.  Every elementary school in the country should have every book in this series available for their teachers’ use.  EL – ESSENTIAL. Cindy, Library Teacher.

Paper Daughter by Jeanette Ingold

Ingold, Jeanette Paper Daughter, 204 p. Houghton Mifflin, 2010.  $17.00.  Content: G.  Maggie, Chen, sixteen, is determined to fulfill her summer internship at the Seattle Herald even though her father was killed in a hit-and-run just a few weeks earlier.  As she sorts through the papers he has left behind, she finds that the history she thought her family had was probably based on a lie.  As she works on the paper she discovers another mystery, one that may or may not be related to her father’s death.  Maggie feels adrift, rootless, and is determined to solve both mysteries – who is her family actually and was her dad involved in something illegal.  Interspersed with a much older background story involving Chinese immigrants and the Exclusion Era laws from the early 1900’s.  I think this is Ingold’s best novel.  This historic time period is a perfect subject to engage the attention of today’s students – I would love to teach this in an elementary or 7^th grade classroom.  EL, MS – ESSENTIAL. Cindy, Library Teacher.

Mistwood by Leah Cypess

Cypess, Leah Mistwood, 320 p. Greenwillow (Harper), 2010.  $16.99.  Violence: PG.  Isabel, the Shifter, left her king and his kingdom in ruins 10 years ago.  Now the son of the usurper has recalled her to human form and has bound her to his service  But intrigue awaits in this new king’s court; friend is indistinguishable from enemy and Isabel’s shifter self is not so far from the human she pretends to be.  Mistwood is a beautiful story directly aimed at your fantasy happy 9-12 graders who want something a little deeper than the norm.  MS, HS – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library Teacher.

Snap by Carol Snow

Snow, Carol Snap, 221 p. HarperTeen, 2009.  Language: PG (20 swears, no ‘f’).  Madison, 15, is stuck in the crappiest vacation ever.  Instead of Hawaii, she is stuck in “Sandyland”.  Wait – this isn’t vacation?  Surprise!  Her family has gone from riches to rags; they have lost it all.  Madison is reduced to sleeping on a wiffy fold out sofa and hanging out with the locals in this tiny beach town.  Oh, and her camera seems to be taking pictures of dead people.  While the book doesn’t really need the supernatural element to spice up the story – Madison’s and her family problems are quite enough – it does lend a bit of mystery to the whole thing that will attract an audience that needs that bit of a hook.  MS – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library Teacher.

As Simple as it Seems by Sarah Weeks

Weeks, Sarah As Simple as it Seems, 192 p. Laura Geringer (Harper), 2010.  $15.99.  Verbena Colter, 11, is bent out of shape when her best friend leaves her for someone else.  Then she discovers that her new neighbor Pooch, a summer visitor, is naïve enough to believe that Verbena is the ghost of a young girl who drowned in the local pond.  Verbena is mad enough, after finding out that she is adopted, to string Pooch along – and a few long summer days are just enough to change everything.  This si the kind of book that teachers and adult will thoroughly enjoy reading, while kids will need more encouragement than that.  EL – OPTIONAL. Cindy, Library Teacher.

As You Wish by Jackson Pearce

Pearce, Jackson As You Wish, 304 p. HarperTeen, 2009.  Language: PG (7 swears, 1 ‘f’).  

Viola and Lawrence have been best friends – and then a couple – forever.  That is, until Lawrence comes out as gay.  Now Viola feels lost, broken - and her heartfelt wish to belong again comes answered by a special power – a jinn with 3 wishes for Viola.  Instead of spending them freely, Viola is cautious, unsure and aggravating Jinn to no end.  Desperate times call for desperate measures and Jinn is being pressured to force Viola’s hand.  Is a little romance in the offing?  

Pearce’s book is a fun, bright read – very original and fresh.  Too bad about the use of the ‘f’ word – without it I would give this a much more whole-hearted recommendation.  

MS, HS – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library Teacher.

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Derting, Kimberly The Body Finder,  336 p. HarperTeen, 2010.  $16.99.  Language: PG-13 (30+ swears, 1 ‘f’); Violence: PG (implied murder); Sexual Content: PG (under the shirt, lust).  Dead things have been drawn to Violet since she was born – literally; dead animals and insects and once she even found a murdered girl in the woods.  Though ten years have passed since that first human body, Violet is no less stunned when another one shows up – a girl Violet’s own age.  The bodies don’t stop with that one, in fact Violet may even be the next target.  The Body Finder in intense and engaging.  For schools that can look beyond the ratings, they will find it is well received.  HS – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library Teacher.

Northward to the Moon by Polly Horvath

Horvath, Polly Northward to the Moon, 256 p. Content: G.  $17.99.  Jane’s stepfather, Ned, has been fired from his job as a French teacher – maybe because he doesn’t actually speak French.  Where are they going? Who knows?  First the group follows a mysterious message to the forests of Canada.  A reclusive group of native people sends them on to Reno, Nevada in search of Ned’s brother.  But the journey doesn’t end there.  Will the trip to Ned’s mother’s home be the final stop on their journey – or is it just another rest stop on a much longer voyage?  This is another of those books that adults like for children – complicated, odd characters populate the pages, while the true meaning is so deep that it will go right over most kids’ heads.  This the kind of book they might read now, but will actually appreciate it when they revisit it as adults.  EL – OPTIONAL. Cindy, Library Teacher.

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Pearce, Jackson Sisters Red, 324 p. Little, Brown, 2010.  $16.99.  Language: PG-13 (25 swears, 2 ‘f’).  Ever since the werewolf broke into their home, killed their grandmother and ruined Scarlett’s eye, the March sisters, Scarlett and Rosie, have been on a crusade to hunt down every last werewolf they can find and kill them dead.  When their best friend, Lucas, arrives back in town all of their lives change in unexpected ways.  The werewolves are coming in greater numbers and the alphas of the packs are in the hunt.  Somewhere there is a potential werewolf and the wolves and the hunters are all determined to get to him first.  Pearce has created some great werewolf action – I have to hope that she has one or two up her sleeve.  HS – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library Teacher.

Orphan! by John R. Weber

Weber, John R. Orphan! 302 p. $16.95.  Sexual Content: PG (inferences only).  On his 13^th birthday, Homer learns that he was adopted from an orphan train when he was just a toddler.  Now, full of angst, Homer drags his best friend, Jamie, onto the train and off the New York City to find his real family.  Friendship awaits as the boys encounter a kind hobo willing to teach them the ropes of the rails, but danger also lurks along the way.  Life in the 1930’s is gritty and immediate and Weber paints a vivid picture of the time.  I think this rivals DeFelice’s Nowhere to Call Home.  You should get this into your teacher’s hands so that they can consider updating their teaching repertoire.  There is a pretty tense scene early on when the boys are captured by a rail detective who has ulterior motives, but nothing happens, the danger is thwarted before the boys are truly imperiled.  EL (4-6), MS – ESSENTIAL. Cindy, Library Teacher.

Anastasia’s Secret by Susanne Dunlap

Dunlap, Susanne Anastasia’s Secret, 320 p. Bloomsbury, 2010.  $16.99.  Content: PG (Russian Revolution).  Anasatsia and her royal family have been exiled to Siberia and are under the control of the Bolsheviks who have seized control of the Russian government.  Even under the watchful eyes of the soldiers, Anastasia seems to find love in a young guard named Sasha.  But if the rebels decree, Anastasia’s entire family will be in danger.  What I liked about this book is that it looks at the years the royal family lived in exile – usually most books gloss right over that time and go straight to the firing squad.  I learned a lot, but was distracted by the romance.  I understand the need for a hook, however.  MS – OPTIONAL. Cindy, Library Teacher.

Tinker Bell's Tea Party by Lara Bergen and A. Picksey

Bergen, Lara and A. Picksey Tinker Bell's Tea Party illustrated by the Disney Storybook Artists 44 pgs. Disney Press, 2008. PICTURE BOOK. $14.99. After a long day at her repair shop, Tinker Bell decides to make a special teacup out of her Never silver. She heads to the tearoom for a cup of tea only to find that she will have to make it herself...or will she?? As soon as her fairy friends find out she is making tea, they all chime in with their advice of what will make the perfect tea....morning dew, four-leaf-clover honey, lavender cream and so on. Before long, Tink discovers that it wasn't as quick and easy as she had hoped to make the tea, but the result--a fairylicious tea party with all of her friends--is far worth it! 
Combined with the classic Disney Fairies illustrations and the fairy-world facts sprinkled throughout, this book will be a hit with fairy lovers! EL-ADVISABLE. Whitney, Library-Teacher. 

Gator on the Loose by Sue Stauffacher

Stauffacher, Sue, Gator on the Loose. Random House Children’s Books, 2010. Pgs. 149. Language: G, Sexual Content: G, Violence: G.

When a gator gets lost in the community swimming pool, the Carters’ Urban Rescue Squad is on the case. When her forgetful grandmother leaves the door open a crack, the alligator escape his new home. With the opening day of a swimming pool at stake and still no home for the gator, the Carters may have met their match. Will the Carters be able to rescue the gator and find it a home?

A short, fun story for animal lovers everywhere. The characters are memorable, the plot is fast-moving, and the illustrations complement the text well. Readers who like animals, rescue stories, and realistic fiction will enjoy reading this book. EL(K-3) / (4-6). ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Kira M, Youth Services Librarian, HUN Public Library.

Fast and the Furriest by Andy Behrens

Behrens, Andy, Fast and the Furriest, Alfred A. Knopf Books, 2010. Pgs. 247. Language: G, Sexual Content: G, Violence: G

Not athletically inclined, Kevin Pugh has always been satisfied to be a couch potato, game-loving, junk food eater. One day while watching some dog agility trials, his dog, Cromwell, takes a fancy to conquering every obstacle known to dog or man instead of going around or avoiding them. When his father won’t pay for Cromwell to explore dog agility training, Kevin’s friend Zach becomes the financier of the dog’s new obsession. With secret training sessions with a mysterious dog trainer at Paw Patch and some changes to his own lifestyle habits, Kevin will attempt to turn his lazy dog into a champion despite his father’s primary objections. Will Kevin succeed in keeping the dog agility training and his new healthy lifestyle a secret from his parents and sister? Will Cromwell get a chance to achieve his dream?

A funny, memorable story about a dog and his boy with a few twists and turns. The characters are well-developed, the dog is entertaining, the plot is well-done. Readers who like dog stories, realistic fiction, and humor will enjoy reading this book. EL (4-6). ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Kira M, Youth Services Librarian, HUN Public Library