Gathering Blue

Gathering Blue, Lois Lowry
Delacorte Press

Also by the Author:
The Giver
Messenger
Number the Stars (tween)
Gossamer (tween)


Summary: Kira, newly orphaned and lame from birth, is taken from the turmoil of the village to live in the grand Council Edifice because of her skill at embroidery. There she is given the task of restoring the historical pictures sewn on the robe worn at the annual Ruin Song Gathering, a solemn day-long performance of the story of their world's past. Down the hall lives Thomas the Carver, a young boy who works on the intricate symbols carved on the Singer's staff, and a tiny girl who is being trained as the next Singer. Over the three artists hovers the menace of authority, seemingly kind but suffocating to their creativity, and the dark secret at the heart of the Ruin Song. With the help of a cheerful waif called Matt and his little dog, Kira at last finds the way to the plant that will allow her to create the missing color--blue--and, symbolically, to find the courage to shape the future by following her art wherever it may lead.

Personal Review: The mystery of this civilization kept me reading. I wanted to find out what was going to happen to Kira and Thomas, and what had happened to these mysterious people who were taken to “the Field” and taken by “the beasts”—especially since many people started saying there weren’t any beasts. I also thought it was an appropriate metaphor that the beasts were actually human beings, acting like animals. An interesting book.

Cautionary Notes: None unless talk of death would bother someone.

Stargirl

Stargirl, Jerry Spinelli
Laurel Leaf

Also by the Author:
Eggs
Loser
Maniac Mcgee (all three ages 9-12)


Summary: Stargirl is the new girl in school, but she is different. She wears long pioneer dresses and plays the ukulele at school. She has a pet rat, and spends her time doing nice things for perfect strangers. She is weird, and Leo falls in love with her. At first, so does the entire school. It takes some time, but they are soon following her lead, and making her a cheerleader. However, when she starts cheering for the BOTH teams, and showing up at stranger’s funerals, the student body turns on her. They start to shun her, and Leo, as her boyfriend, is shunned as well. Although she seems oblivious to it, Leo is very much affected by the shunning, and tries to get her to be “normal.” She loves him so much that for a time she tries it, but it doesn’t work, so she goes back to being who she was before. It ends their relationship because Leo needs acceptance from others too much to be shunned. Stargirl continues to be who she is, and at the end of the year, she disappears after a fantastic showing at the Commencement dance. She leaves an impression on all who knew her, however, especially Leo.

Personal Review: I loved the portrayal of Stargirl as someone who is different, and how the whole school changed for the better when they accepted her. It is a lesson many teenagers could learn from at the difficult stage in life called high school. This book made me want to be more like her in some ways, and made me recognize myself in Leo, and in the other students. It was a quick read with a powerful message.

Cautionary Note: None, unless you are offended by quirkiness.

Here's a little preview for the sequel Love, Stargirl...the story from Stargirl's point of view!

Girlfriend Material

Girlfriend Material, by Melissa Kantor

Hyperion Book CH

Also by the Author:

The Breakup Bible

Confessions of a Not It Girl

Summary: Kate is a high school junior forced to travel 3,000 miles away to Cape Cod to stay with her mother and her "best college roommate", Tina, for the summer. Her mother is having marital problems, and just needs some "me time"...but Kate is along for the ride. And she isn't exactly best friends with Tina's daughter, Sarah. It is shaping up to be one of the worst summers of her life...far from friends, writing clubs, tennis and fun in Salt Lake City. That is, until Sarah's cute, witty friend Adam starts drawing Kate into the fold--and seems intrigued. With Adam around, Kate feels like she just might have a bit of heartbreaker potential. But when a breezy summer romance quickly grows more complicated can Kate keep pretending her relationship with Adam is just a carefree fling? Or will she take the risk and tell him her real feelings? Suddenly Kate is asking herself a question she never thought she'd stoop to: Is she girlfriend material?

Personal Review: This is a fun book to read about teenage relationships, both romantic and familiar. Kate is insecure with her "coolness" factor, but is able to relate to a new group of friends by just being herself, and talking about what she enjoys. Teenagers would be able to relate to this book, especially the awkward and real relationship parts.

Cautionary Note: None that I can see.

War Is...

War Is...: Soldiers, Survivors and Storytellers Talk about War

by Marc Aronson (Editor), Patty Campbell (Editor)
Mass Market

Summary: In his provocatively titled introduction, “People Like War,” Aronson writes: “If we ask people to fight for us—as we always have and always will—we owe them the respect of listening to them.” Though differing (passionately) about war’s inevitability, his coeditor, Campbell, feels likewise, and joins him in presenting a gathering of reminiscences, interviews, letters, published articles, and literary works that brilliantly convey war’s terrible appeal as well as its realities and lasting effects on those whose lives are personally touched by armed conflict. Contributions include Ernie Pyle’s eloquent account of wreckage on a D-Day beach, a Vietnam vet’s nightmarish memories of combat, jokey letters home by Campbell’s naive doughboy father, scathing accounts of sexual harassment in Iraq and elsewhere from several female ex-GIs, and a disturbing indictment of recruiting practices in today’s high schools. Anyone considering enlistment will find these pieces (not to mention the many titles provided in the ample but not indigestible lists of war fiction and nonfiction at the end) to be mesmerizing reading. With this collection, Aronson and Campbell have provided an uncommonly valuable source of hard information and perceptive insight.

Marc Aronson thinks war is inevitable. Patty Campbell thinks war is cruel, deceptive, and wrong. But both agree on one thing: that teens need to hear the truthful voices of those who have experienced war firsthand. The result is this dynamic selection of essays, memoirs, letters, and fiction from nearly than twenty contributors, both contemporary and historical — ranging from Christian Bauman's wrenching "Letter to a Young Enlistee" to Chris Hedges's unfl inching look at combat to Fumiko Miura's Nagasaki memoir, "A Survivor's Tale." Whether the speaker is Mark Twain, World War II correspondent Ernie Pyle, or a soldier writing a miliblog, these divergent pieces look war straight in the face — and provide an invaluable resource for teenagers today

Vietnam War (Best Images Ever!) - The most popular videos are a click away

Personal Review: Reading this book really affected me. I had not considered before the deep and lasting affects war can have on the soldiers forced to participate in it. I have several friends who are in various branches of the military, and after reading these personal accounts I felt very deeply for these people, and wish that we were mature enough to avoid war. I used to think like Mr. Aronson and believe that war was inevitable, but it really is a horrible thing that must be avoided at all costs.

Cautionary Note: This book is about war, and contains graphic descriptions of the horrors of war. It also contains language commonly used by soldiers.

Dramarama

Dramarama, by E. Lockhart
Hyperion Book CH

Also by the Author:
The Disreputable History of Franki Landau-Banks
The Boyfriend List


Summary: Sarah is a big-boned girl with an awkward style, living in Brenton, Ohio. Then one day she meets Demi, a kindred spirit. Though he is black and gay, they find they have a lot in common, one thing being their love for the theater. They both apply for and are accepted to a summer drama camp, where they are free to either be who they really are, ore re-invent themselves. Demi, finally able to revel in his gayness, explodes in the lime light, showing how talented he really is. Sarah, however, changes her name to Sayde and tries to become someone new. She ironically auditions with the piece "Popular" from Wicked, but soon realizes that she is not as talented or experienced as the other students, is put in the straight Shakespeare play, and begins to feel inferior, especially to Demi. This is a story of discovering who you really are, and accepting or rejecting that. It twists and turns through interesting characters, love, lies, friendship and drama as the characters learn lessons only drama camp can teach them.




Personal Review: I really enjoyed this book, and was caught up in all the drama and excitement. I love the theater, and can also relate to Sayde very well as I sometimes don’t feel good enough, or like I fit in. But it is a good book about friendship and being who you really are, and would be a good message to high school students. Many could likely relate to Sayde, especially if they love drama.

Cautionary notes: It discusses teenage sexuality in many parts of the book, and isn’t shy about it. It doesn’t get graphic, but those parts may offend some readers.

Hurricane Song

Hurricane Song, by Paul Volponi
Viking, Penguin Group

Also by the Author:
Black and White
Rooftop
Rucker Park Setup


Summary: In the wake of his mom’s remarriage, Miles moves to New Orleans to be with his father, a professional musician, who lives and breathes jazz. Miles, who has always resented his father’s single-minded devotion to jazz music, focuses on making his new school’s varsity football team and dreams of someday playing a cichampionship game in the Superdome. That dream becomes a nightmare when Miles, Pop and his uncle Roy must seek refuge there from the advancing storm that will become Hurricane Katrina. The story describes the horrors that take place in the Superdome, and the destruction that they find outside when they finally get out.



Personal Review: I thought this was a well written book that described the horrors of the hurricane. I have seen first hand the aftermath of a hurricane, and cannot imagine what those people went through in Katrina which was much worse than the one I went through. Also this is a very descriptive narrative of what those people went through who were unable (or too stupid) to get out before it hit. It made me feel for them.

Cautionary Notes: Contains language, and gang violence, and is very descriptive of the horrible situation they were living in, such as the bathroom situation, etc.

The Chocolate War

The Chocolate War,

by Robert Cormier
Pantheon Books

Also by the Author:
Beyond the Chocolate War
I Am the Cheese

Summary: Does Jerry Renault dare to disturb the universe? You wouldn't think that his refusal to sell chocolates during his school's fundraiser would create such a stir, but it does; it's as if the whole school comes apart at the seams. To some, Jerry is a hero, but to others, he becomes a scapegoat--a target for their pent-up hatred. And Jerry? He's just trying to stand up for what he believes, but perhaps there is no way for him to escape becoming a pawn in this game of control; students are pitted against other students, fighting for honor--or are they fighting for their lives? This novel does not end happily ever after, it ends with reality, that those who are in power can abuse it, and remain untouched.
See a video book trailer here.



Personal Review: I liked this book, and even the fact that the good guy got beat up in the end. It is an interesting tale of abuse of power, and what happens when you stand up to those in power.

Cautionary Note: There is language, teenage boys fantasies and references to masturbation.

The Wee Free Men

The Wee Free Men, by Terry Pratchett
HarperTempest

Also by the Author:
A Hat Full of Sky: The Continuing Adventures of Tiffany Aching and the Wee Free Men
The Carpet People
The Dark Side of the Sun
Strata

Summary: Nine-year-old Tiffany Aching needs magic--fast! Her sticky little brother Wentworth has been spirited away by the evil Queen of faerie, and it’s up to her to get him back safely. She’s already decided to grow up to be a witch, now all Tiffany has to do is find her power. But she quickly learns that it’s not all black cats and broomsticks. According to her witchy mentor Miss Tick, "Witches don’t use magic unless they really have to...We do other things. A witch pays attention to everything that’s going on...A witch uses her head...A witch always has a piece of string!" Luckily, besides her trusty string, Tiffany’s also got the Nac Mac Feegles, or the Wee Free Men on her side. Small, blue, and heavily tattooed, the Feegles love nothing more than a good fight except maybe a drop of strong drink! Tiffany, heavily armed with an iron skillet, the feisty Feegles, and a talking toad on loan from Miss Tick, is a formidable adversary. But the Queen has a few tricks of her own, most of them deadly. Tiffany and the Feegles might get more than they bargained for on the flip side of Faerie!

Personal Review: I know this book is for pre-teens, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was laughing constantly at the dialect of the Wee Free Men, and Tiffany’s response to them. The characters were all great, from Granny Aching and Miss Tick, to Roland and the Queen, each character contributed to the bright adventure of the book, and the humor of the story. A wonderful “faery” tale!

Briar Rose

Briar Rose, by Jane Yolen
Published by: Tom Doherty Associates

Summary: Briar Rose takes the classic fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty and links it to the Holocaust. Rebecca, the youngest granddaughter of her grandmother Gemma's, has grown up listening to Gemma's rendition of Sleeping Beauty. Upon Gemma's death, Rebecca realizes that the story is one of the few clues to Gemma's past, a past that when Gemma is on her deathbead Rebecca swears to discover. Her search carries her to Poland and into the heart of the horrors of the Holocaust, where she finds out that the fairy tale had more truth to it than she knew.

Personal Review: This book is a great way to get teenagers to read about the Holocaust. The set up is intriguing, and engaging, and by the time you get to the more historical part about the Holocaust, you can’t help but continue to read to find out the ending. I could not stop turning pages, and was very convinced that her Grandmother’s life was a twisted version of “Sleeping Beauty.” This is a beautiful book. The camp her grandmother supposedly was in was a camp called Chelmno, and there were actually only 2 survivors, both men.

Cautionary notes: The man who tells the story in the second half of the book is gay, and is not discrete about some of his previous “adventures,” but it makes the story more believable because he was also discriminated and thrown into these camps. The imagery of the Holocaust can also be very shocking, but it makes the story more powerful.

The Wednesday Wars

The Wednesday Wars,

by Gary D. Schmidt
Sandpiper

Also by the Author:
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy
Trouble

Summary: Mrs. Baker hates Holling Hoodhood. There's no two ways about it, as far as he can tell. From the minute he entered her classroom she had it in for him and he's trying not to become paranoid. Now because half the kids in his class are Jewish and half Catholic, every Wednesday Holling (a Protestant through and through) is stuck alone with Mrs. Baker while the other kids go to Hebrew School or Catechism for the afternoon. And what has this evil genius dreamt up for our poor young hero? Shakespeare. He has to read it and get tested on it regularly with the intention (Holling is sure) of boring him to death. The thing is, Holling kind of gets to like the stuff. Meanwhile, though, he has to deal with wearing yellow tights butt-gracing feathers, avoiding killer rats and his older sister, and deciding what to do about Meryl Lee Kowalski, "who has been in love with me since she first laid eyes on me in the third grade," amongst other things. Set during the school year of 1967-68 against a backdrop of Vietnam and political strife, Holling finds that figuring out who you are goes above and beyond what people want you to become.

Personal Review: I enjoyed this book, not just because it was entertaining and easy to read and understand, but because it addressed grown up issues (such as death, love, the Vietnam War, and business, just to name a few) from the point of view of a 7th grader. It didn’t avoid them just because it is a Young Adult book, but it showed the coming of age of a young boy, as he begins to recognize and appreciate the affect of these issues in his daily life. I also liked how it integrated Shakespeare with Young Adults. It would possibly be a good introduction to a unit on Shakespeare, to get kids interested and excited about how they, too, can apply Shakespeare to their lives as Holling did.

American Born Chinese

American Born Chinese,

by Gene Luen Yang
Square Fish, First Second

Summary: This book is made up of three individual plotlines: the determined efforts of the Chinese folk story hero Monkey King to shed his humble roots and be revered as a god; the struggles faced by Jin Wang, a lonely Asian American middle school student who would do anything to fit in with his white classmates; and the sitcom plight of Danny, an All-American teen so shamed by his Chinese cousin Chin-Kee (a purposefully painful ethnic stereotype) that he is forced to change schools. Each story works well on its own, but Yang cleverly comibines these parallel tales into a powerful climax that destroys the hateful stereotype of Chin-Kee, while leaving both Jin Wang and the Monkey King satisfied and happy to be who they are.

Personal Review: I enjoyed the storyline of the book, especially how the three stories tie together in the end. At first I was a little distracted by the pictures, and felt like I was reading a comic book, which made it hard to get the full meaning out of the book. However, I soon realized how much the pictures added to the story. They showed the characters' emotions and reactions. In a world of cartoons and Nintendo, teenagers should be able to read and remain undistracted. This is a good book about accepting everyone, about being happy with who we are, and not trying to change ourselves to “fit” in with everyone else.

I Am the Messenger

I Am the Messenger, Markus Zusak
Alfred A. Knopf, New York

Summary: Ed is a 19-year-old loser cab driver, who is only going through the motions of his life... he spends most of his time playing poker with his three friends, and hanging out with his dog, the Doorman. Ed is the son that not even his mother loves. But his life begins to change after he acts heroically during a robbery. After the incident, he begins receiving playing cards in the mail, with messages written on them, usually names or addresses. Ed instinctively understands that the scrawled words on the aces are clues to be followed, which lead him to people he will help (including some he'll have to hurt first). But as much as he changes those who come into his life, he changes himself more.

Here is a virtual summary you can watch.


Personal Review: I was amazed by this book! At first the language and some of Ed’s “fantasies” were a little much to take, but after a while the storyline and the characters took over and I couldn’t put it down. I laughed in some parts, and in others I wanted to cry. It was a really heart-warming and edge-of-your-seat story as Ed becomes the man he can be by helping others. I loved it!

Cautionary Note: Lots of language, and some male “fantasies” but an excellent book.

13 Little Blue Envelopes

13 Little Blue Envelopes,

by Maureen Johnson
HarperTempest (an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers)

Summary: Ginny is a shy, quiet “good girl” teenager who grew up adoring her slightly crazy, artistic aunt, Peg. One day, Peg disappears. She is gone for months, only communicating with the family through the occasional post-card from Europe. One day they receive news that Peg has suddenly developed a brain tumor and passed away. But, the summer that Ginny is 17 she receives a letter from her mysterious aunt, directing her to her old apartment, where she receives a package full of 13 little blue envelopes. Each contains instructions for Ginny that, when followed, lead her on the most amazing summer adventure of her life as she treks across Europe with only a backpack and these mysterious letters from her aunt. Along the way she finds love, adventure and mystery, but most of all, she discovers herself. She spends several days in Paris, check out what she may have seen!


Personal Review: I loved this book! I read it in about 4 hours! I couldn’t stop turning the pages because I couldn’t wait to see what the next envelope contained. The book describes the places Ginny travels in such a way that I can imagine it, and almost feel as if I have jet lag along with her! It keeps a steady pace, and never has a lull in the action, so you are hooked the whole time. I think it would be an excellent book for any young adult, and will definitely recommend it to others in the future!

Cautionary Note: Occasional language, and some teen drinking, but nothing serious.

Listening for Lions

Listening for Lions, by Gloria Whelan
HarperCollins Publishers, 2005

Summary: After losing both of her missionary parents (her father a doctor, her mother a teacher) to an influenza epidemic in their tiny village in Africa, Rachel Sheridan’s whole world changes. She becomes Valerie Pritchard as a greedy couple forces her to pose as their deceased daughter to wheedle money out of their rich father. But, the tables are turned as Rachel captures the old man’s heart, by sharing his love of exotic birds. Though he discovers her deceit, adopts her and gives her a large inheritance. She uses the money to become a doctor and return to her beloved Africa, and the sound of the roaring lions. There she rebuilds the hospital her parents worked so hard for.


Personal Review: I really enjoyed the imagery and morals of this book, though at times the storyline seemed disjointed, like a connecting theme was absent. It almost seemed like three separate stories, rather than one entire book. But I did enjoy the story, and it would be a good light read. This is more of a “tween” book though.