Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner

15-year-old Liza has grown up in a world destroyed by war. She knows that Before there were things called Airplanes that flew through the sky; that Cars carried people over Roads; and that trees and plants didn't thirst for human blood. But the war with Faerie changed everything. Faeries turned nature against humans, and, though humans won, the world would never be the same. There are three rules that everyone must abide by in order to stay safe in this new, treacherous world:

Don't touch any stones that glow with faerie light, 
or that light will burn you fiercer than any fire.
Don't venture out alone into the dark, 
or the darkness will swallow you whole.
And cast out the magic born among you, 
before it can turn on it's parents.
When Liza's sister Rebecca is born with skin so light it is almost translucent, eyes silver as moonlight off the river bed, and faerie-pale hair, Father takes her to the hillside and leaves her to die. Soon after, Liza's mother leaves in the night. Now Liza is seeing flashes of vision, and runs away before Father can kill her, too,for being born with magic. Her journey will take her to the Outside, where she will find new friends, learn a different way of living, and undertake a dangerous quest to Faerie to find her mother.

This excellent book is a refreshing new kind of Faerie tale. One that takes the best parts of traditional fairy tales - the adventure, mystery and sense of danger - and gives it an entirely new twist. I highly recommend this book to any teen (or adult) who enjoys adventure, tales of quests, and stories that give us new insight into ourselves and the world around us.

Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer Holm

Our Only May Amelia was a great book about a girl in the 1800s. Her family nags her about being a proper young lady.
~Natalie Crane, age 11

Book Description: As the only girl in a Finnish American family of seven brothers, May Amelia Jackson resents being expected to act like a lady while growing up in Washington state in 1899.

The Missing Book 1: Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Jonah and Chip receive mysterious letters telling them they are one of the missing. With the help of Jonah's sister, Katherine, they go on an adventure to find out who they really are.
~Amica, age 12

Book Description: When 13-year-olds Jonah and Chip, who are both adopted, learn they were discovered on a plane that appeared out of nowhere, full of babies with no adults on board, they realize that they have uncovered a mystery involving time travel and two opposing forces, each trying to repair the fabric of time.

Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

I absolutely loved this book! It's a really calming one to read before bed or for some light reading. It's a sweet tale of a girl who's had a terrible orphan life and is FINALLY adopted and sent off to a gorgeous sea coast cottage in Avonlea only to find out that's it's all a mistake and the couple (Marilla and Mathew) meant to adopt a boy! She wins over their hearts with her livid imagination and knack for terrible mischief and trouble! 5 thumbs up!
~Abigail Thielman, age 13

Book Description: A lonely couple arrange to adopt a boy but instead end up with wide-eyed, quixotic "Anne of Green Gables". A tender and humorous 1934 coming-of-age tale.

Case Closed by Gosho Aoyama

Really good and gives a good sense of mystery.
~Luis Jimenez, age 14

Book Description: Precocious high school student Jimmy Kudo uses his keen powers of observation and astute intuition to solve mysteries that have left law enforcement officials baffled.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Absolutely Normal Chaos by Sharon Creech

Mary Lou Finney has a crazy summer! It's a great book!
~Chere Moulin, age 14

Book description: Thirteen-year-old Mary Lou grows up considerably during the summer while learning about romance, homesickness, death, and her cousin's search for his biological father.

The Last Book in the Universe by W. R. Philbrick

Depressing but great.
~Thalia, age 12

Book description: A thousand years in the future, an earthquake destroys much of the planet, and an epileptic teenager nicknamed Spaz begins the heroic fight to bring human intelligence back to Earth.

Here Today by Ann M. Martin

It was exciting, sad, and made you feel like you were in the book.
~ Jenna Sakawi, age 11

Book description: In 1963, when her flamboyant mother abandons the family to pursue her dream of becoming an actress, 11-year-old Ellie Dingman takes charge of her younger siblings, while also trying to deal with her outcast status in school and frightening acts of prejudice toward the "misfits" that live on her street.

Watching July by Christine Hart

I read this book a while ago. I thought it was really good! I like how she thought she escaped her problems when she had just met them.
~Onyeka Anwah, age 13

Starship: Pirate by Mike Resnik

A witty sci-fi adventure infused with Mike Resnik's sarcastic sense of humor. In which the hero, having become disgusted with the military, has become a pirate but must do so without violating his strict sense of morals.
~Tom Haglund, age 16

Peter & the Starcatchers by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson

It was the most amazing book I've ever read!
~Kailyn Gibbs, age 12

Girlwood by Claire Dean

It's a compelling story about a young girl's coming of age and her response towards hardships. The story revolves around the mysterious Girlwood, a place that can only be found by those who are looking.
~Annabelle Neville, age 12