Book News

As you know, I rarely (ok, never) post anything other than book reviews, since this is pretty much a single subject blog. But when there is exciting book news, I can’t help myself.
First exciting tidbit: There is a new series coming out next September called 39 CLUES. It will be written by different authors, but will have one main story arc. The first two books are going to be written by two of my favorite authors, Rick Riordan (THE LIGHTNING THIEF books) and Gordon Korman (SON OF THE MOB & SCHOOLED). The series will have online game tie-ins, blogs written by the characters, maps, puzzles, treasure hunts & videos. Sounds like a pretty big deal.
Here’s more on it: http://www.greenlakelibrary.org/kidslit/archives/017071.html
And what Rick Riordan has to say http://rickriordan.blogspot.com/

By the way THE LIGHTNING THIEF, BOOK 4, called THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH comes out May 2008. can't wait!











Second tidbit is that ALA will be doing a live webcast again this year to announce the big ALA Book Awards. It’s at 5:45am (mtn time) on Jan 14th. Here’s the link for that: http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/december2007/ymawc08.htm
Go early because otherwise the site gets overloaded & you completely miss it. (Like me, last year.)

Susan Beth Pfeffer. LIFE AS WE KNEW IT

I had heard so much about this book that I hoped it would measure up. It surely did.
Miranda, her family, and everyone else on her entire street are out one night watching a meteor that is on a collision course with the moon. It’s an astrological event that people wanted to see up close. Miranda isn’t that interested, but all her teachers have assigned homework about it, so she’s out watching with everyone else. The world gasps as the meteor hits so hard that it pushes the moon much closer to the earth. At first, people aren’t sure what this means. Then in the following days, tsunamis devastate both coasts of the US, as well as places around the world. Entire cities of people have died. Suddenly Miranda’s mom pulls her out of school to go buy all of the groceries in the store. They start stockpiling, because the future is unknown. Volcanoes all over are erupting because of the new gravitational pull from the moon. The sky becomes grey with ash. Schools close. People leave town. This is Miranda’s diary of the events going on. The atmosphere is grim and eerily realistic. It makes you nervous like after watching DEEP IMPACT or some other disaster film.
It also makes you appreciate running water, electricity, and above, all food. It also took me back to the atmosphere in Houston when we had evacuate during Hurricane Rita. People were freaking out on the highways and at gas stations. Yikes! Definitely a must read. No wonder there was so much talk about this book.

WOW! Check out the cover for the companion novel (out in June 08)




It's called THE DEAD AND THE GONE

How awesome is that cover?




More about Ms. Pfeffer. She's written quite a lot of books: http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/p/susan-beth-pfeffer/


And her blog is here: http://susanbethpfeffer.blogspot.com/

Nancy Etchemendy. THE POWER OF UN

Wouldn’t you love the power to go back in time and “undo” events in your life that? Like a bad or tragic event? Gib is visited by a strange old man, who smells like lightning, one night in the woods. The man gives him a home-made looking device that looks like a remote control. He calls it an “unner.” He tells him to be careful with it and then leaves. Gib is curious, but then goes about his life. A tragic event happens later that night and Gib decides to “undo” it by going back in time. But, things are happening differently and he’s worried he’s changed the wrong events. Will he be able to change the inevitable, or are some things meant to happen? This was one of those suspense filled novels that I couldn’t put down. I had to finish it at once! It’s a great way to sample Science Fiction, if you aren’t sure you like Sci-Fi. You’ll like this one.

Ally Carter. CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO SPY

Yay! I’ve been waiting to read this sequel for a while. We’re back with Cammie Morgan at her spy school, the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women. Cam’s dealing with the fallout of breaking up with her boyfriend Josh from last semester and being debriefed at CIA headquarters when she hears the strangest news of all. There had been rumors, but now they hear that there is, in fact, a spy school for boys too, called Blackthorne. Apparently someone has decided it would be a good idea to have some of the boys come and stay at Gallagher for a semester. The girls aren’t sure what to make of this. Of course, it means dressing differently, acting differently, and who knows what else. Plus, can these boys be trusted? Cam and her friends are certainly going to investigate. This was just a much fun as the first book!

The first book, I'D TELL YOU I LOVE YOU, BUT THEN I'D HAVE TO KILL YOU, has been optioned for a movie (reviewed here April 2006). This doesn't mean that it automatically will for sure be made into a movie, but I sure hope it does. The company who bought the rights also made HOLES, one of my all-time favorite book to movie adaptations. So I have high hopes for this one! If you want to read more about it, check out her cool website:

http://www.allycarter.com/index_ya.html

Adele Griffin. WHERE I WANT TO BE

It’s difficult to say much about this novel without giving too much away, but I’ll try. Jane and Lily are sisters who enjoyed playing together as young girls. As they grew older, they grew apart. Jane has a difficult time around other people. She has a hard time distinguishing between reality and fantasy. Her parents medicate her to help her lead a normal life. Jane really misses her imaginary world and decides to go off her meds, and tragedy strikes. Jane is hit by a car (and I’m not giving anything away, since this info is given to the reader at the very beginning). The story begins with Lily trying to come to terms with her sister’s death while dealing with her own guilt. The story focuses on both sisters, how different they are, and how they relate to each other. It’s an insightful and moving novel.

Chris Crutcher. DEADLINE

Ben Wolf is entering his senior year with big plans. He didn’t plan to just coast and party his last year in school, like most guys. As he put it, “It was my year to read everything I could get my hands on, to speak up, push myself and my teachers to get the true hot poop on the World at Large, so I could hit the ground running.” As it turns out, Ben finds out that he has a disease that gives him only about a year to live. So, he decides to scrap his original plans and dare to take big risks. He’s way too little for it, but he decides to play on the football team at school. After all, what does he have to lose? He also decides to go after the hot girl that he thinks is way out of his league. He doesn’t plan to tell anyone about his diagnosis, so they'll still treat him "normally." But he begins to wonder if it's the right thing to do keeping it from his family and friends. Should he let them prepare?






So, how would you live your life if you only had one year left?

I always enjoy Chris Crutcher’s books, and this one was no different. He deals with major issues with such style, yet without overdoing it. His writing is so distinct and familiar that reading the first page was like being with an old friend again. He has the most awesome way of putting things. Check this out: “Dallas Suzuki may sound to you like a car dealership in Texas, but for the past three years, she has been the single prey in the crosshairs of my Cupid’s bow, and she doesn’t know it because she is way, way out of my league.”
Seriously, what a cool sentence! And the character name, come on- how’d he think that up?
This whole book is full of those kind of awesome sentences (and so are his other books).

Some others to consider by Crutcher:


SLEDDING HILL

STAYING FAT FOR SARAH BYRNES


IRONMAN

Cecil Castellucci & Jim Rugg. THE PLAIN JANES

After a disaster strikes her hometown of Metro City, Jane’s parents are frightened to the suburbs. Jane really misses the big city, but resigns herself to trying to make friends. She finally becomes friends with a few other girls, also all named Jane. Jane decides to shake things up in suburbia. The Janes start an art tribe and try to save the town from the plainness with secret art projects all over town. The cops seem to think they’re defacing property and committing crimes, but the other teenagers are backing them up. Can art really save this town?
I really enjoyed this graphic novel. The art really supports the engaging characters. It was smart & fun!

The author is a pretty cool character herself. Check her out here:

http://www.misscecil.com/

Some of her other books:

Here's the info on the artist: http://www.streetangelcomics.com/

This is a great addition to my graphic novel collection in the library. I’ll be ordering a lot more soon. I already have some great titles in mind, but if anyone has more great ideas for a middle school library, please let me know.

Jay Asher. THIRTEEN REASONS WHY

Imagine if someone special in your life commits suicide and then proceeds to communicate with you about why she did it. And I’m not talking about ghosts. Clay Jenson gets a mysterious package of cassette tapes in the mail. The note explains that he’s one of the thirteen people who played the biggest part in Hannah Baker’s decision to take her own life and therefore gets to listen to her explaining it all. Clay puts in the first tape, hears Hannah’s voice again, and simply cannot stop listening to her story. He listens to all thirteen tapes in one night. He keeps waiting to see what part he may have played in her decision. The story is gut wrenching, moving and sad. The voice from both the female and male points of view is so truthful and real. This is an incredible first novel by this author. This is one you seriously will not be able to forget.
Here's some more info on the author, Jay Asher:
http://classof2k7.com/interviews/authors/jay_asher/

Francine Prose. BULLYVILLE

I think this is the first book I’ve read where the characters are dealing with a loss from 9/11. Bart’s father worked in the Twin Towers building and went down with them on that tragic day. The odd part is that his mom also worked there. However, that morning Bart had the flu and his mother couldn’t find anyone to watch him, so she stayed home with him. So basically, he saved her life. From then on, he’s called the miracle boy. When the local community hears about Bart, one thing leads to another & he gets a scholarship to the local private school. The adults think this is the greatest thing. But the kids know the truth about Baileywell Prep. They call it Bullyville. The stories say kids have been bullied to the point of insanity or suicide. Bart doesn’t want to go to the school. He’s perfectly fine at his public middle school with his friends. But after everything that has happened, he agrees because he thinks it will make his mom happy. Then the trouble begins. This was a moving book about what it’s like to suffer an amazing public tragedy and then have to endure a private one shortly thereafter. You wonder where the justice is. You also wonder how many other kids are dealing with this type of bullying. My guess is too many.
Her previous book was just as intriguing. It's also about a timely topic, school shootings:

AFTER by Francine Prose

Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout. THE BLACK SHEEP

In a moment of despair, Kendra Bishop fills out an application for a reality show where two teenagers switch places. She figures anybody else's life must be better than hers. After several months go by, she’s forgotten all about it, until a TV crew shows up at her house. Kendra ends up agreeing to do the show. She thinks it will be a nice break from her strict, banker parents. Her parents have her living under so many rules that they have an actual book of rules. She goes to an all girl school, so she never gets to meet guys, let alone date them. She dreams of more freedom and independence. But, when she meets her temporary “new” family in California, she is in shock. The parents are hippies with lots of children and since Kendra's an only child herself, this will be a big adustment. Also, the whole family is obsessed with the declining sea otter population. She begins to wonder exactly what she has gotten herself into. I was attracted to this book because of the intriguing premise. I’m sure most of us have thought about what it would be like to trade places with someone. I enjoyed this look at behind the scenes of a reality show, but mostly I enjoyed the lively characters. From the family members in California to the comical producer, they were all truly wonderful. Plus, there’s a little action and a little romance. I highly recommend it.

Pseudonymous Bosch. THE NAME OF THIS BOOK IS SECRET

This is probably the first book I’ve read where the first few pages are dedicated to the author trying to persuade you away from reading the book for “your own good.”
But when/if you do brave ahead and read the book, you’ll meet Cass and Max-Ernest. Cass is a survivalist, who carries a backpack filled with items she might need in an emergency: flashlight, maps, ropes, etc. Max-Ernest has 2 names because his parents literally could not agree on which name to give him, so they gave him both. He is good at breaking codes, but not so good at making friends, because he’s weird and talks too much. They end up collaborating together to investigate the disappearance of a magician in town. They sneak in his house and find a secret room with an unusual box called the symphony of smells. Then they find a trail of codes and clues about some mysterious things going on at a nearby “spa” that are linked with a missing boy at school. And that’s about all I can tell you, since the book is “secret” and all! But, I will recommend you check out the author’s website just to tempt you into reading this really cool book.
The website for the book: TheNameOfThisWebsiteIsSecret.com
Author's site:
http://www.pseudonymousbosch.com/

Wendy Mass. HEAVEN LOOKS A LOT LIKE THE MALL

This is one of those books where I jump on it, without reading anything about it, just by the cover & title. How could I not like a book that has “mall” on the cover? Well, it is really an unusual book. After Tessa gets hit by a dodgeball and smashes into the floor of the gym, she wakes up in what appears to be her neighborhood mall or Heaven or both. She knows this mall really well, since both of her parents work there. The mall is empty until she runs into a boy with a nail sticking out of his head. He takes her to lost and found and gives her a bag with an unusual array of items in it. All of the items are from her childhood. Then she begins to remember how each item fits into her life, while simultaneously learning about who she is. She had recently been asked to write a college essay that asked that very question. Tessa now wonders (a) if she likes who she is and (b) if the answer is no, can she change? Nail boy continues to guide and encourage her along the way. One of my favorite parts is when he tells her, “Our lives are shaped by the future, not by the past. Once you decide how you want your life to be, all you need to do is live into that future.” Words to live by?

Gabrielle Zevin. MEMOIRS OF A TEENAGE AMNESIAC

I loved Gabrielle Zevin’s ELSEWHERE, so I was really looking forward to her second novel. One day Naomi Porter falls down the stairs, and then suddenly she can’t remember the last four years. Her best friend, Will, is there to help her. She also has a boyfriend who is ready to resume their life together. The trouble is, Naomi can’t see what she must have seen in this guy. And to make matters worse, she really likes the guy who helped her get an ambulance after her accident, James. How does he fit into her life? In addition to her own drama, Naomi learns that her parents have divorced, and her mom has a three year old daughter with her new husband. While reading, we go on a journey of self discovery with Naomi, which brings up interesting questions. Can everyone else’s memories of your life really fill in the gaps you need? What if you don’t like your life? Do you change it? This was a wonderful book that I found just a fresh and interesting as her first novel. If you haven't read it yet, you should. I have a review of it somewhere on this blog.

Adam Selzer. HOW TO GET SUSPENDED AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE

Wow! This was one of the most hilarious books I’ve read in a long time (well, since the last Gordon Korman book anyway). Eighth grader Leon is in the “gifted” kids group in school. This year they’ve been given the assignment to create health videos to show to the sixth & seventh grades. The topic Leon chose is sex-ed. His teacher warns him to keep it “appropriate.” Leon figures out a way to make it still quite good, even without real nudity. However, the principal and his teacher disagree. Will Leon get his video seen by the students? Well, as we all know, banning something generally means it will get seen by even more people than originally planned. The story is rounded out by a quirky cast of characters. Leon’s dad is a wannabe inventor who blows things up in the garage. His mom makes dinner disasters, on purpose. His friends include a pyromaniac and a communist. This is a fun, well-written, laugh-out-loud book that I thoroughly enjoyed. This is Selzer’s first book, and I look forward to his next one.

Jerry Spinelli. LOVE, STARGIRL

If you loved STARGIRL, like me, you’ll definitely want to read this sequel/companion novel. Stargirl has moved from Mica, Arizona to Pennsylvania with her family. Since her real school experience wasn’t so successful, she is being homeschooled again. This time we learn more about Stargirl, since the novel is through her point of view in letters she writes to Leo. She misses Leo terribly. But, to help ease the pain, she meets a charming cast of characters in her new small town. One of my favorite quotes from the book is from a conversation between Stargirl and one of her new wise friends. Stargirl is worried about the possible future she has with her sort-of boyfriend. Here’s how her friend tells her not to worry about the future, “You’re cheating yourself out of today. Today is calling you, trying to get your attention, but you’re stuck on tomorrow, and today trickles away like water down a drain. You wake up the next morning and that today that you wasted is gone forever. It’s now yesterday.” I enjoyed the company of quirky Stargirl as much as in the original novel.

Melissa Kantor. IF I HAVE A WICKED STEPMOTHER, WHERE'S MY PRINCE?

Lucy Norton has several similarities to Cinderella. Her mother died and her father remarried to a woman with two daughters. To make matters worse, her father travels for work every week, so Lucy is left alone with the step mother & sisters, who are awful to her. Seriously, her stepmom makes her serve food and clean up after them. Her life takes a positive spin when she meets and starts dating the “prince” of the school. But, as Lucy to gets to know him, she begins to suspect if he is indeed the prince for her. I couldn’t put this one down. It was laugh out loud funny, romantic and sweet.

Brian Yansky. MY ROAD TRIP TO THE PRETTY GIRL CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

Simon was just kicked out of school, his family relations aren’t good, and to top it all off, his girlfriend just dumped him. So he takes off. He leaves Iowa and heads to Texas to look for his real parents. Along the way, he meets two bums, a girl, and an Elvis impersonator (or he could be the real thing? It’s 1979). They all travel down to Texas together. Each of them are focused on events in their past and wondering how to move on to make a future for themselves. This was a quirky, offbeat novel. And in case you’re wondering, the pretty girl capital happens to be Austin, Texas, according to Simon anyway.

Mette Ivie Harrison. THE PRINCESS AND THE HOUND

Prince George is being groomed to become King. But he has a secret. It’s a secret he shared with his mother, but now she is gone and he has no one to understand him. He has animal magic, which means he communicates with animals. However, his kingdom punishes those with this magic. They think it’s evil. His father has arranged a marriage to the Princess of the nearby rival kingdom in hopes of joining the kingdoms. When George meets Princess Beatrice, he is intrigued by her unique relationship with her hound. Could she have animal magic too? The Princess is indifferent and cold towards him. George wonders if they will ever be able to have the kind of marriage his parents had. And will he ever be able to fully appreciate his animal magic and see it as the gift it truly is?
This was quite a moving novel. Fortunately, it lived up to all the hype I’ve been hearing about it. If you relate to the bonds people form with animals, you will really enjoy it. If you don’t, probably not so much. I personally loved it!

Gordon Korman. SCHOOLED

The setting of SCHOOLED is a middle school called CLAVERAGE MIDDLE SCHOOL. But,the “L” is continually stolen from the sign so that it appears that the school is called C Average Middle School. Also, every year the geekiest kid is nominated to be the 8th grade class president. Then they use the remainder of the year to publically make fun of this chosen kid. Well, this year, they are in for a huge surprise. A kid who has literally never met another living soul, except his grandma, has joined the student body. His name is Capricorn. He has lived on a hippie commune his whole life. The previous super geek, Hugh Winkleman describes Cap him this way, “He wasn’t nerdy in the typical way. He wasn’t a computer geek or captain of the chess club (that was me). He couldn’t speak Klingon; in fact, he’d never even heard of Star Trek. But just one peek at the new guy and you knew that, dweebwise, there was a new sheriff in town.” The kids have picked a new class president. But school will never be the same after Capricorn Anderson serves as president. This is one more in a long line of hilarious books by Korman. I laughed out loud and you will too!
Other hilarious adventures by Korman:
SON OF THE MOB, SON OF THE MOB-HOLLYWOOD HUSTLE,
BORN TO ROCK, NO MORE DEAD DOGS

Melissa de la Cruz. MASQUERADE

This is the sequel to BLUE BLOODS. I was pleasantly surprised that I really, really liked this one, even more than the first. I guess after the TWILIGHT vampire series, I thought I’d have a hard time enjoying another. Well, I was wrong. This one begins with the Committee swearing that the Silver Bloods are no longer a threat after the murders in BLUE BLOODS. But Schuyler and others are not so sure. Since Schuyler’s grandmother has died, she goes to Venice with Ollie to hunt down her grandfather to help them. Finally he agrees to come home to New York and train her to defeat the Silver Bloods. She has some awesome powers. We learn more great details about the history of these families and how they’re all connected. This is a definite read if you enjoyed the first one. I’m feeling a trilogy here.

Laura Anne Gilman. GRAIL QUEST: THE CAMELOT SPELL

This is the first in a trilogy set in King Arthur’s time. Just before a quest for the Holy Grail was about to begin, a spell has been cast that put all of the adults to sleep in Camelot. Fourteen-year-old squire Gerard has dreamed of being a member of the Knights of the Round Table his whole life. Now, he sees this as an opportunity to find the source of the spell and bring Camelot back to life. He reluctantly teams up with a stable boy, Newt, and the female servant to the queen, Ailis. I had no idea I would be interested in reading about this time period. But it was quite enjoyable. The three main characters are a delight. I’ll look for the other two in this series.

Meg Cabot. VALENTINE PRINCESS.

Valentine Princess is one among many in the Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot. In this installment, Mia finds a diary from a few years back. It was written during her first year of dating her boyfriend, Michael. It was right before Valentine's Day and Mia is worried because it's her first one with an “actual” Valentine, but Michael is opposed to commercialized holidays. She finally gets advice from an unlikely source, her mother. Will Michael finally come around and enjoy the holiday? This is a nice little treat for anytime of year. Enjoy this one or any of the many books in the Princess Diaries series.

ECLIPSE, THE KEY TO THE GOLDEN FIREBIRD

Stephenie Meyer. ECLIPSE
Yea! I’ve been waiting for this one to come out. This is the third in the trilogy by Meyer. The first is TWILIGHT and the second is NEW MOON (reviews below). For me, this one was deeper and richer. You learn more about Jacob’s history, as well as some of the Cullen’s history. Plus, the threats of Victoria and the Volturi are heightened and must be dealt with. Some major decisions are made, but some things are left hanging for book four. I was left wanting more. But I still loved it!






Maureen Johnson.
THE KEY TO THE GOLDEN FIREBIRD
May is the smart daughter in the family, so she is sent to a private school. Her older sister, Brooks, is the beautiful, athletic one, while the youngest, Palmer, is shy, but also a great pitcher. Even though they are different, they have fun spending time together. Then when a tragedy happens in their family, things start to fall apart. May sees bad things happening to her family and feels the burden of being the “responsible” one. Will the family be able to pull together again? In addition to this drama, May’s childhood friend is spending a lot of time helping her learn to drive. She begins to wonder if he is just a “friend” anymore. This was a wonderful book about family and friends. I really enjoyed the characters. The author did a wonderful job of creating real, deep, interesting characters.

DEATHLY HALLOWS, PROM, THE BOYFRIEND LIST, DRAMARAMA

J.K. Rowling.
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS
Well, I finally finished the book. It was really long, plus I was trying to enjoy it, since it's the last one and all. I can't say too much without giving away spoilers. It's quite a different adventure for Harry, Ron & Hermione. A lot of things are revealed, there are plot twists, unexpected deaths, and lots of good things too. I guess that's about all I can say! I thought it was a wonderful ending for the series for a number of reasons (that I obviously cannot elaborate on here). Also, there were many times while reading that I was thinking, "wow, can't wait for this movie..can't wait for that scene to be played out by the actors!" So sad that it's over.




Laurie Halse Anderson. PROM
Ashley is a senior, but couldn't care less about prom. She just wants to graduate and get outta school. Nat, her best friend, is chair of the prom committee and obsessed with the preparations for the "most magical night of her life." Then everything comes crashing down when the math teacher steals the prom money. Nat is desperate, so Ashley suggests that they have the prom in the gym. Ashley gets roped into helping to re-raise the money for prom, but she still doesn't want to actually go to the prom, or does she? I listened to this one on audio, and since the narrator was so good with all of the accents, I laughed out loud many times.

E. Lockhart THE BOYFRIEND LIST

After having 5 separate panic attacks, Ruby Oliver’s parents insist that she begin seeing a psychiatrist. Ruby’s doctor makes her write out a “boyfriend list” that includes every boy that’s come close to or been an actual “boyfriend.” As the reader, we hear the story behind each boy starting in early elementary school. They aren’t all really boyfriends, unless you count a boy giving you candy and then never speaking to you again. Anyway, what makes this story great is how the author brilliantly intertwines Ruby’s current problems with her life history. She goes back & forth, but somehow it isn’t confusing at all. We see certain patterns in Ruby’s life, and we care enough about her to find out what happens in the end. There is also a little mystery as to what happens to this “boyfriend list.” We get hints along the way that something embarrassing is going to happen. This was a fun read! (yes, the adorable frog on the cover has something to do with the story)

E. Lockhart. DRAMARAMA

Sarah doesn’t feel like she really belongs at her school, nor does she want to. Her school seems pretty vanilla, while she’s mint chocolate chip. Then while waiting to audition for a summer theatre camp, she meets Demi. He seems as alive as her. They both love singing and dancing, and they both dream of performing on Broadway one day. The both attend the summer camp and are introduced to a world of such excitement that they never want to leave. But Sarah isn’t so sure she’s as talented as they thought. Will she make it as a performer? This world was so much fun that I didn’t want to leave. Unfortunately, I can’t sing, so this was the only way I’ll ever get to see musical theatre up close and personal!

I STAY NEAR YOU, NO RIGHT TURN, MISSING YOU, HATERS, DIVA, BRUNETTES STRIKE BACK

M.E. Kerr. I STAY NEAR YOU

I have wanted to read some of Ms. Kerr’s books for a while now, so I thought I’d start with this one. It intrigued me because it depicts three generations of a family woven together by a gold ring. It begins with a poor young girl who falls in love with a boy from the richest family in town. Then the ring follows their children and grandchildren. It’s a touching story about love and friendship, even through the toughest times in life. It was cleverly told through three unusual points of view. I really enjoyed it! I’ll be reading more by this author.





Terry Trueman. NO RIGHT TURN

Trueman’s other books have been some of the most memorable books I’ve ever read (STUCK IN NEUTRAL & CRUISE CONTROL), so I jumped at the chance to read this one. Jordan lost his dad three years before when he committed suicide. He’s turned into a zombie since then. He rarely speaks, only has one friend, and never participates in any activities. One day his mom starts dating a man named Don, who owns a corvette. Jordon becomes interested in the car, and Don willingly starts taking him for rides and teaching him about car maintenance. When Jordan finds out that Don leaves the keys in the car and goes out of town every Wednesday, the urge to “borrow” the car is too great to resist. Suddenly, Jordan finds himself “borrowing” the car on a regular basis. How long will he be able to pull it off before someone finds out? Check it out! You don't even have to like corvettes to enjoy it, but who doesn't like corvettes?

Meg Cabot. MISSING YOU

This is the fifth and final book in a series called “I-800-Where-R-U.” Cabot originally published this series under the pen name Jenny Carroll. You will probably find them in bookstores as Meg Cabot, but many libraries have the original Carroll versions*. Anyway, this is a great series that I’ve recommended to many students over the last few years. It begins when the main character, Jess, gets struck by lightning. Shortly thereafter, she begins dreaming about missing kids. If she sees a kid’s picture, she dreams about where they are. In this final installment, we learn that Jess has just come home from Afghanistan after helping the government find terrorists. After seeing the war up close and personal, Jess is no longer the same person. She’s moved on to New York with her best friend to go to college and hopefully start a new life. When her old boyfriend shows up, she wonders if she will be able to move on or if maybe she wants to keep one part of her past after all. This was a wonderful conclusion to a great, fun set of books.

*She also wrote a great series called the Mediator under the Carroll name. It’s also been reissued under her real name, Cabot. But you will still find copies of the Carroll version

Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez. HATERS

At first glance, this book appeared to be another “mean girls” type of book. But, in reality, it is so much more. Paski’s father comes home one day and tells her that they are moving to Los Angeles. With two great best friends and a new boyfriend, moving is the last thing that Paski wants to do. But, they move and she begins attending a new high school where the popular girls are called “Haters.” Jessica, the leader of this group, hates Paski on sight, because she is pretty and has just attracted the attention of her Jessica's boyfriend. Paski is trying to just be her normal confident self, but in this new world where all the other kids are rich, walk around like models and drive luxury cars, will she ever fit in? I completely enjoyed this book! The characters are wonderful. Paski is a refreshing character with some interesting abilities. I love that she doesn’t conform to her new world, but instead finds confidence to be herself. Check it out! It is recommended for high school and above.



Alex Flinn. DIVA

I’ve read and enjoyed all of Alex Flinn’s books. So, when I heard about this one, I jumped on it. This book is “sort of” a continuation of BREATHING UNDERWATER, but not really. The main character’s girlfriend Caitlin is the main character is this book. Nick is only mentioned a few times, but those few times are significant. But you don’t need to read BREATHING UNDERWATER to enjoy this book. Caitlin fills you in where needed. Caitlin is an opera singer, to the dismay of her cheerleader friends. She wants to go to the performing arts high school in town, but her mother doesn’t support her talent, so she’s afraid to tell her that she auditioned. Even when she is accepted to the school, she doesn’t tell her mother! However, when she does begin attending the school, a whole new world opens up to her. Perhaps she will learn to go after what she wants and not what everyone else expects of her. This was funny, well-written and an all around good time. You’ll love it!

Kieran Scott.
BRUNETTES STRIKE BACK

Annisa has settled into her new non-blonde cheerleading life. She has a boyfriend, she thinks anyway, her friends on the squad consider her a friend, and next week they’re off to nationals! But when she gets to nationals, just when her life should be perfect, Annisa’s new life starts to collide with her old life. Will she be able to put everything back together before they must compete? This was a highly enjoyable sequel! I loved spending time with these characters again. I noticed that a third book will be out this summer! Can’t wait!

NON-BLONDE CHEERLEADER, DEMON IN MY VIEW, BLUE NOON

Kieran Scott.
I WAS A NON-BLONDE CHEERLEADER

Brunette Annisa has just moved from New Jersey to the all blonde school of Sand Dune High in southern Florida. She’s moved many times before but never encountered such direct meanness from the students. Suddenly, the cheerleading squad must replace two of its members. After cheering at her old school, Annisa is determined to make the squad, even though the girls on the team appear to hate her. This is a fun book. Annisa’s courage and determination is refreshing. I enjoyed the quirky characters, especially Bethany. Even the mean girls end up having depth. Read it; you’ll love it! I’m off to read the sequel!

Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. DEMON IN MY VIEW

This book follows IN THE FORESTS OF THE NIGHT. It isn’t a sequel, though. It’s really quite different. I wrote about FORESTS previously. (see below in April) A minor character in that book named Jessica is the main character in this book. Jessica writes vampire books. When the dazzling main character of her book shows up one day at school, she is puzzled. He looks exactly like Aubrey, but calls himself Alex. When another new girl at school says some things to Jessica that only her characters in her books would know, things get really weird. If this vampire world is really real, Jessica must find out. Plus, it might explain some things about her own mysterious past.

Scott Westerfeld.
MIDNIGHTERS #3: BLUE NOON

This is the last in the Midnighters trilogy. I was surprised at how easy it was to get back into this world, since it had been so long since I read the second one. But, I caught up pretty fast. This installment has “midnight” creeping into the middle of the day. Jessica, Jonathan and the rest of the gang are having lunch one day when the “blue time” shows up. They soon begin to figure out that the darklings are planning something big on Halloween. Also, some weird things are happening with Rex, who still has some darkling in him from the previous book’s events. The end is so suspenseful that it had me speed reading to get to the end.