Shattered Star by Charnan Simon-OPTIONAL

Simon, Charnan, Shattered Star. Darbycreek, 2011. Language: G, Violence: PG-13, Sexual Content: PG-13

Cassie is the star singer of her Glee Club. Her family, however, has a hard time making ends meet and Cassie is often finding herself stretched between Taco Shack, her school, and her family needs. When America’s Next Star comes to town, Cassie decides to keep it a secret from her friends and family that she’s auditioning. She gets discouraged by the line, however, and ends up deciding to take her chance with a man named Mr. King claiming to be a talent scout. Mr. King, however, is causing Cassie to miss Glee Club and, at times, class. Will Cassie decide what’s best for her or will she ruin her life chasing after the wrong dream for her? Which dream is best for her?

A clean, urban fiction book for fans of the genre. The issues are realistic. The characters are likable and relatable to. Readers who like urban fiction, school stories, want to become a singer, or like books addressing teen issues will enjoy reading this book. MS, HS. OPTIONAL. Reviewer: Kira M, Youth Services Librarian, WHI Public Library.

From Jazz Babies to Generation Next by Lauren Edge-ADVISABLE

Edge, Lauren, From Jazz Babies to Generation Next. Twenty-First Century Books, 2011. INFORMATION

Can you imagine a world without teenagers? Before the 1900s, the word teenager was non-existent. At an early age, what one would consider teenage years, boys and girls were sent to work in mills, factories, and other industry facilities to bring money home to their families. Throughout the 1900s, that transitional stage has evolved.  Each generation adding their own flavor to what it means to be a “teenager.”

A fun, informative book on how teenage years came to be. The layout is well-done. The text and information is well-presented. The photos and illustrations are complementary to the text. Readers interested in culture, fashion, history, and non-fiction will enjoy reading this book. MS. ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Jessica M, Library Media Specialist, Olympus Jr. High.

The Little Black Book of Violence by Lawrence Kane and Kris Wilder-ADVISABLE

Kane, Lawrence and Wilder, Kris, The Little Black Book of Violence, YMAA Publications, 2009. INFORMATION.

In America, 80% of the violent crimes committed by men. Men are also twice as likely to become the victims of aggressive behavior. Violence, no matter how trivial, has the potential to escalate into a grave situation. This is the reason why Lawrence Kane and Kris Wilder, martial arts experts since the 1970s, have written this book. Inside, young adults will find self-defense tips and techniques, street survival behavior, and tricks for de-escalating street fights.

This no-nonsense guide to violence is a great addition to a library’s collection. The layout is well-done. The information provided is practical, helpful, and easy to learn. Readers who are interested in self-defense, martial arts, or are looking to become street smart will enjoy and learn a lot from reading this book.MS. ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Kira M, Youth Services Librarian, WHI Public Library.

Pretty Little Devils by Nancy Holder-ADVISABLE

Holder, Nancy, Pretty Little Devils. Razor Bill, 2006. Pgs. 271. Language: PG-13 (18 swears, no “f”s). Violence: PG-13, Sexual Content: PG-13

Popularity has been the one thing that Hazel has always wanted and Hazel’s high school junior has finally given her the chance. When Sylvia, one of the most popular kids in school, accidentally spills something on Hazel’s expensive, designer knock-off shirt, she invites her to a secret soiree that only the popular kids ever know about. When the girls take to Hazel right away, she’s thrilled to become a part of Pretty Little Devils (the name the popular girls call themselves). Things are not what they seem, however. At the babysitting jobs the Pretty Little Devils give her, bizarre things start happening. A cat goes missing, a horse in murdered, and some of the babysitters and their boyfriends are showing up dead. Now Hazel is getting weird phone calls at her babysitting job and weird texts saying she could be the psychopath’s next victim. Can Hazel solve the mystery of the psychopath before she becomes one of the victims?

A suspenseful horror story for horror fans. The characters are likable and memorable. The plot is intense, well-developed, and really creepy. Hard-core horror fans who like realistic fiction and mysteries will enjoy reading this book. MS, HS. ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Kira M, Youth Services Librarian, WHI Public Library.

Mary Mcguire by Kate Messner-ADVISABLE

Messner, Kate, Marty McGuire. Scholastic, 2011. Pgs. 136. Language: G, Violence: G, Sexual Content: G

Marty McGuire is a total tom-boy. Her favorite thing to do is go to the bond with the boys in her class and look for frogs. When Marty gets casted in the class play as the princess in the Frog Prince, she is upset that she has to dress in a dress and kiss a bean frog in the production. Can Marty find a way to make the role unique to her and still be a princess?

A cute, quick for early chapter book readers. The characters are fairly well-developed. The plot is memorable and holds the reader’s interest with easy to follow twists and turns along the way. Readers who like humorous books, friendship stories, and realistic fiction will enjoy reading this book. EL(K-3). ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Kira M, Youth Services Librarian, WHI Public Library.

Look at Lucy by Ilene Cooper-OPTIONAL

Cooper Ilene, Look at Lucy. Random House Books, 2009. Pgs. 101. Language: G, Violence: G, Sexual Content: G

Bobby is extremely shy, but very proud of his beagle puppy, Lucy. When a local store has a pet contest to find their next spokes-pet, he happily enters Lucy. The competition is stiff, but he knows Lucy is the best pet in town. Things are great until he finds out that the pet that wins will be featured in a TV commercial with their owner. Will Lucy win? If so, will Bobby be able to overcome his shyness for Lucy?

A cute, quick read for early chapter book readers. The characters are memorable and likable. The story is cute and endearing. Readers who are animal lovers will enjoy reading this book. EL(K-3). OPTIONAL. Reviewer: Kira M, Youth Services Librarian, WHI Public Library.

Lucy on the Ball by Ilene Cooper-OPTIONAL

Cooper, Ilene, Lucy on the Ball. Random House Books, 2011. Pgs. 102. Language: G, Violence: G, Sexual Content: G

Lucy is Bobby’s pet beagle puppy. She’s as cute as can be, but she’s really bad at minding her owners. When Bobby gets asked to join the soccer team by his friend Shawn, Bobby reluctantly agrees since he’s extremely shy and not really into sports. At practice, however, Lucy decides she likes playing soccer too. The coach takes to Lucy and lets her be the mascot, but only on the condition that she learns some obedience. Can Bobby train Lucy or will Lucy have to stay at home?

A cute, quick read for early chapter book readers. The characters are endearing and likable. The plot is easy to follow for those starting to read chapter books. Readers who like animals and sports like soccer will enjoy reading this book. EL(K-3). OPTIONAL. Reviewer: Kira M, Youth Services Librarian, WHI Public Library.

Day of Deliverance by Johnny O'Brien - ADVISABLE

O’Brien, Johnny Day of Deliverance. Templar Books, 2010. Pgs. 183.

Language: G, Violence: PG, Sexual Content: G

Jack Christie and his sidekick, Angus are back and this time they’re going back in time to save Queen Elizabeth I. The megalomaniac, Pendleshape and his Revisionists are back and want to change history to their evil advantage by making the Spanish Armada become the dominant military in western history. In the time transfer, however, the two end up lost in 16^th century England with a group of players on their way to the castle to command a performance for Queen Elizabeth I. Just before the defeat of the Spanish Armada, arrive to discover a more sinister plot than they originally thought. With the Spanish Inquisition sending assassins to kill Elizabeth and the Revisionist goons on their tail, Jack and Angus will have to rely on their memory of history, bravery, cleverness, and everything they’ve got to thwart Pendleshape. Can the two friends save Queen Elizabeth I and keep history the way it’s supposed to be or will Pendleshape succeed in his evil plans?

Gore-splashed throughout the book, but a great fast-paced read for reluctant readers. The characters are well-developed. The plot is fast-paced and intense. Readers who like spy novels, adventure, historical fiction, and time travel will enjoy reading this book.

MS - ADVISABLE

Reviewer: Kira M, Youth Services Librarian, WHI Public Library.

Toby and the Secrets of the Tree by Timothee de Frombelle –NOT RECOMMENDED

De Frombelle, Timothee & Illustrated by Place, Francois Toby and the Secrets of the Tree, 432 pgs. Candlewick, 2010. $13.06.
The long lost hero Toby is traveling back from the land of the Grass people to his homeland, the land of the Tree people. The going is really tough considering his size, which is extremely tiny, even smaller than an ant, just like all the people that populate this story. Back at home evil has run taken over in a number of ways. A former friend Leo Blue has captured a dear friend Elisha, and is trying to force her into marriage. An evil taskmaster, Joe Mitch has enslaved grass people and with their labor is trying to kill the tree itself. He also has captured Toby’s parents. Worst of all, the Tree itself, nearly an entire world for the Tree People, might not survive. Toby must hurry if he is to save all that loves.
A second book to a series, this story cannot act as a stand alone, as no effort was made to ingratiate new readers. It took me quite a few tries to get started with this story, since the plot didn’t entice me in and I had to get to know the huge host of characters rather quickly. A student would find this a huge chore, without having read and enjoyed the first book. The plotline was complicated, taking in the intricacies of the first book as well, and I didn’t find it appealing. With character names like Pussykinska and lines mentioning Haute Couture fashion, the overall theming fell flat. Also most of the ‘bad guy’ characters were buffoon style, and I found their antics to be annoying and hard to read. This book is too complicated for older elementary students but too boring and childish for junior high. Not recommended.
EL –No. Reviewer: Stephanie MLIS graduate.

Zora and Me by Victoria Bond-OPTIONAL

Bond, Victoria, Zora and Me. Candlewick Press, 2010. Pgs. 170. Language: G, Violence: G, Sexual Content: G

Growing up with Zora Neale Hurston can be a bit of a headache for Carrie and Teddy. Zora loves to make up stories that are exaggerated. Her latest story is about a local man named Mr. Pendir is part gator. When the three’s guitar-playing friend, Ivory is killed while night swimming at Blue Sink, the neighborhood swimming pool, Zora believes Mr. Pendir is the one who killed him. Does Zora’s story have truth? Can the three friends solve the murder mystery?

A funny, quirky story for young readers. The characters are memorable and well-developed. The plot is slow-moving at first, but picks up with a mystery that is well-crafted. Readers who like historical fiction, friendship, and mysteries will enjoy reading this book. EL (4-6). OPTIONAL. Reviewer: Kira M, Youth Services Librarian, WHI Public Library
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Pelly and Mr. Harrison Visit the Moon by Lindsay Ward -- ADVISABLE

Ward, Lindsay. Pelly and Mr. Harrison Visit the Moon. Kane Miller [EDC Publishing], 2011. $15.99. PICTURE BOOK. Pelly and her dog Mr. Harrison hop into her bathtub, which becomes a rocket and they fly to the moon. Pelly meets an alien girl who looks a lot like her, just greener. Together they play on the moon, defying gravity and roasting marshmallows with the sun to make moon s’mores. Writer/illustrator Lindsay Ward captures with her illustrations the wild, wonder of a child’s imagination. The illustrations on the moon in particular have a childlike feel with cut out words and yellow lined paper. A great book to read aloud. Pre-K, EL – ADVISABLE. Samantha, Public Librarian.

Scorpia Rising by Anthony Horowitz-ADVISABLE

Horowitz, Anthony, Scorpia Rising, Philomel Books, 2011. pgs. 402. Language: G, Violence: PG-13, Sexual Content: G

Alex Rider is back for one last mission. This mission will put him to the final test. Hidden away in a secret British prison lives a young boy named Julius Grief, a messed up, manipulated by Scorpia boy who looks exactly like Alex. Torn between his hatred for Alex and himself, Julius has little chance of getting out of the secret prison until a mysterious benefactor helps him escape. Now Julius has only one goal: revenge.

Scorpia, Alex’s nemesis, has been hired to retrieve a Greek historical artifact from the government. Determined to kill two birds with one stoen, the bad guys decide on a plan that will kill Alex, destroy MI6, and achieve their goal.

Two foes with similar goals. Are the two working together? Will Alex survive with his life on the line?

A fast-paced adventure for reluctant readers. The characters are well-developed. The plot is intense and well-crafted. Readers who are Alex Rider fans or who like adventure, action, spy books, and life or death stories will enjoy reading this book. EL (4-6), MS. ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Kira M, Youth Service Librarian, WHI Public Library

How they Croaked by Georgia Bragg. RECOMMENDED

Bragg, Georgia & Illustrated by O’Malley, Kevin How they croaked –The awful ends of the awfully famous, 192 pgs. Walker Books for Young Readers, 2011. $10.43. NON-FICTION. Content: Language-G Mature Content-PG Violence -PG

This book takes on the deaths of 19 famous people throughout history, from King, to Henry III, to Albert Einstein. Interwoven into a succinct biography of each person are any health problems that contributed to their demise followed by a detailed description of the person’s death. Each chapter is followed by a variety of mini features like medical descriptions, fun facts, and interesting tidbits.
I loved this book and could not put it down no matter how gross the descriptions of health problems and dying got. The language was spot-on and fantastic for older elementary students as well as junior high students. These are the famous people they are studying at school, and it becomes quite apparent that all the interesting stuff is left out of textbooks. The best part is that quite a bit of biographical information is thrown in, so the historical connections are great, and students can learn quite a bit without realizing it. I am still up in the air about the illustrations. The art style is unique and actually really hip, however, students today are a product of a multimedia world. So what I really wanted to see was photos, drawings, and diagrams like DK books offer. Overall I would highly recommend.
Elementary, MS –Recommended. Reviewer: Stephanie MLS graduate.