Caryn

This beautifully fashioned novel tells the story of Brent Bishop, a shallow teen whose drunken attempt at suicide results in the death of another teen girl. At the suggestion of her mother, Brent takes a summer bus trip to the four corners of the United States, building whirligigs along the way as acts of penitence. What makes this book stand out, however, is Fleischman's inclusion of the voices of individuals who are later able to find their own versions of redemption through their interactions with the whirligigs Brent has left behind. These varied and organizationally disjointed voices–we never know exactly when or in what order these characters will appear in the novel–give the novel a depth and texture that will resonate with adults and more sophisticated teen readers.

Maria Tatar explores the history of storytelling for children and the reasons why the books we read as children have such a profound and lasting impact.

While the book is admittedly more of an exploration than an explanation, it felt a bit loose in many places where I would have preferred more focus. That said, Tatar's close readings of Dr. Seuss, Alice in Wonderland, Goodnight Moon, and many other beloved children's stories are thought-provoking. Defintely a must-read for anyone who loves children's literature and the power of storytelling.

Kyra's father has three wives and countless children living in trailers on th eedge of a polygamist compound. Life is mostly good for Kyra until she is ordered by the prophet to marry her middle aged uncle, who already has several wives. The order threatens to uncover Kyra's forbidden visits to the county bookmobile and Joshua, a boy she loves. Dark and chilling, this novel is easily young adult despite Kyra's age because of the subject matter, which includes infant abuse and other violence. At the same time, Willams builds a touching and sweet portrayal of the love and relationships shared within the family.

Twelve year-old Maggie is uncertain what the future will hold as she arrives in New England for another August with her father, stepmother, and new half-sister Linda. Worries that her baby sister will replace her dissolve quickly, however, as Maggie discovers that her father is hiding health issues and his relationship with Joanna, her stepmother, has grown strained. Maggie's only peace comes early in the morning as she walks to the edge of the lake near their summer rental and watches a great blue heron hunt each dawn. She soon finds that even the heron is in danger, and desperately tries to save it along with her family. This quiet, melancholy book is as slow-moving and careful in its pacing as the heron that Maggie watches with such admiration. It works well in this context, as Maggie herself is a contemplative and serious girl who is careful before she speaks or acts. I enjoyed Avi's exploration of relationships within nontraditional families–who would have thought that stepmothers aren't always evil?–and though the ending left much to be desired in terms of resolutions for Maggie's family situation, it is nonetheless highly satisfying.

GARY PAULSEN

Paulsen throws readers right into the thick of things when Brian, the lone passenger in a private turboprop plane, must crash-land it in the middle of the Canadian Wilds when the pilot has a heart attack midflight. For nearly two months, Brian must fend for himself, armed only with the hatchet his mother gave him as a parting gift before his fateful flight. Paulsen does a great job building intensity during the plane wreck, and once Brian is surviving on the lake, there is a great sense of pacing between long quiet moments and the sharper intensities of attack and hunger that come with surviving off the land. I first read this book back in elementary school and remember thinking it was okay. This time around, I can really see the appeal the book has for boys–bears, porcupines, fishing, fool birds, even a moose attack. It might even see a resurgence as contemporary survival shows like Man vs. Wild or Survivorman become more and more popular.

In this sequel to The Giver, we meet Kira, part of a dystopian society where any malformed or diseased person is left out to die. Kira, who has a club foot, was spared at birth by her mother's political clout, but now that she's dead, Kira must find a way to make herself indispensable or will suffer death by starvation and exposure. Fortunately, she is skilled with needlework, and is recruited by the village elders to refurbish an ancient robe depicting the history of the people. As she learns the art of dyeing thread, Kira uncovers dark secrets about the leadership and her society. While I very much enjoyed this novel, it didn't have quite the impact that The Giver had on me, possibly because the climax wasn't as intense. Recommended for anyone who enjoys dystopian literature.

Monster is the story of black teenager Steve Harmon, who is incarcerated and treated as a murderer before and throughout his trial without a single shred of physical evidence. The story follows Steve's trial, where he is accused of acting as a lookout for a convenience store burglary gone wrong, the proprietor shot dead. Myers tells the story in multiple formats, but most often as a screenplay or from Steve's journal. It's an eye-opening account of both the prison system and the courts. I'd recommend this book for both male and female teens in high school, though boys may like it better.

LAURIE HALSE ANDERSON/PRINTZ

Melinda's high school experience is horrific, to say the least. After she calls the police during a party over the summer, she becomes a social pariah. But nobody knows the truth, which is that she was raped at the party by an upperclassman. The story follows her through her ninth grade year's failures, and at times it seems as though nothing will ever get better. Anderson is a whiz when it comes to generating memorable and unique nomenclature (Mr. Neck, school cliques, etc), and her short, choppy writing style punctuates Melinda's pain with every sentence. What surprised me, however, is that for a book with such heavy subject matter and with so frustrating and broken a protagonist, the book is funny. Recommended for older female teens.

MEG CABOT, ROMANCE

Meg Cabot's Avalon High is a fun take on Arthurian legend, where Arthur, Lancelot, Guinevere and company are reborn in contemporary Washington, D.C. to battle the forces of darkness once more. So where does the new kid, Ellie Harrison, fit in? Dragged to D.C. from Minnesota–thanks to her medievalist professor parents' sabbatical–Ellie (named for Lancelot's wife, Elaine of Shallot, her mother's research obsession) hopes at the very least to find a small niche for herself at school. Imagine her surprise when Will (aka Arthur), the school's star quarterback, notices and befriends her on day one! Things start to go downhill, however, when Will's half-brother Marco (Mordred) decides that he's had enough of his brother. Will Ellie be the passive Elaine of Shallot, or can she choose to be something more to save her love? I'm not much for romance, and Cabot certainly has corny teen romance scenes down to an art. I mean, what girl wouldn't want to date King Arthur reincarnated as the hottest, most popular guy in school? At the same time, I love the Arthurian tradition and thought Ellie was a great “exceptionally acceptable” character with insecurities and guts.

While the world knows Darwin for his influential and controversial scientific breakthroughs, this book looks at his life through the lens of his marriage and family. Emma Darwin was not only Charles's cousin, but extremely religious, as well. The fact that their marriage and love weathered their polarized ideological differences through faith, understanding, and mutual respect is an incredible example of love that gives depth and character to a man usually portrayed as stern and anti-Christian. The simply-told narrative and nuanced portrayal of the evolution/creationism debate makes this book accessible to readers from middle grade through high school.

Kids on Strike is a nonfiction account that documents the actions of child workers during the Industrial Revolution. Because many of her sources are drawn from newspaper photographs and articles from the time period, the book is formatted as a series of headlines and and almost-newspaper format. From children working in coal mines to New York paper hawkers (the well-known “Newsies”), Bartoletti illustrates how they organized, what they protested, and the outcome of their strikes. The clear, easy-to-read format and makes this appropriate for middle grade or even upper elementary students, and the photographs are particularly stunning and effective.

When his mother dies, leaving him with nothing but a lead cross–not even a name–Asta's son must go on the run from the town's greedy steward, who has inexplicably labeled him a Wolf's Head and thus authorized to be killed on sight. After meeting the traveling jester Bear, however, the boy learns that the writing on his cross names him Crispin, the son of the area's Lord–which puts him in even more danger than before. Avi places us right in the thick of the Medieval action and sustains it throughout while also managing to fit in progressive ideas such as fair working conditions and personal liberty/property. I really enjoyed reading this novel, and thought that the story was believable and well written. This is a story that will appeal to the middle grade set, boys in particular.

Nine year old Cassie and her brothers Stacey, Christopher-John, and Little Man must walk to school each day while the white students caught the bus to their all-white school in 1930s Mississippi. The Logan family is one of the few black families in the region who own their land, but neighboring white plantation owner Harlan Granger wants it for himself. In an area where race relations are often volatile and always unjust, the Logan children must learn what it means to be strong and proud of their heritage in a world that views them as worthless. I think that this novel is a powerful tool for illustrating not only a dark and difficult time in America's history, but the small personal triumphs that can occur when families stick together and work hard to maintain their dignity. Highly recommended for all readers.

M.T. ANDERSON

In a future, consumer-driven world, America's elite are given brain implant computer “feeds” at birth, which allows them to chat and communicate mind to mind. More importantly, the feeds allow corporations to market personalized products right into their minds, which they can then purchase with a single thought. Titus and his friends go through life using their feeds to lead them from one product-based thrill to the next, until they meet Violet during Spring Break on the moon. Instead of using her feed to speak, she likes to communicate vocally, and even tries to confuse the corporate marketers by ordering a wide range of random products. Titus and Violet begin to date, but Violet's eccentricities become too much for him when her feed begins to malfunction. It was difficult to connect with Titus's voice at first, but I think that that's part of Anderson's point. Without having to do anything for themselves, the feed people no longer know how to think or even speak meaningfully anymore. I'd advise this book for older, more mature teens because of drug scenes, frequent profanity, and (nearly) hopeless ending.

This novel is the story of Christopher, a British teen working to make sense of the world around him through the lens of Asperger's Syndrome. What starts as an attempt to solve the mystery of a neighborhood dog killed by a garden pitchfork culminates in Christopher's terrifying, solo journey on the train to London to reunite with his estranged mother. Christopher's is a fantastically consistent and unique voice, and the structure of the book complements it perfectly: instead of chapters arranged in traditional cardinal numbers (1, 2, 3,), each chapter is a different prime number. We also get math problems, logic puzzles, lists, maps, diagrams, and other visuals that help to illustrate Christopher's often-brilliant thought processes. What I appreciated most about Haddon's writing is that he is able to poignantly portray the emotions of Christopher's struggling family even as Christopher himself lacks the capacity to do so. While this book is classified as YA, I might reserve it for older teens–there is quite a bit of profanity, and many of the issues are heavy–and adults.

ROBERT CORMIER

In this short but intense YA psychological thriller, police interrogator extraordinaire Trent pits himself against 12 year-old Jason Dorrant, suspect in the murder of a 7 year-old neighbor girl. Ethically haunted by his success but driven by ambition, Trent must elicit a confession or Jason walks in the absence of any physical leads in the case. Jason, on the other hand, is trusting, naive, and completely innocent. Who will triumph in the stifling confines of the interrogation room? I thoroughly enjoyed the character development and the intensity of the cat-and-mouse interrogation between Jason and Trent, which showcase Cormier's ability to write a thriller without relying on plot. It also provides depressing commentary on the practice of interrogation with an ending as sad as it is horrifying. Despite the young age of the protagonist, I would reserve this book for older teens and adults.

POETRY

Joyful Noise is a quick, entertaining collection of poems written about various insects. The most interesting part is that they are meant to be recited by two people, sometimes in unison, alternating, or even in opposition. The poems themselves are clever but not necessarily profound; I thought that some were much better than others. I could see reading these poems aloud at school or with family members as entertaining, and the illustrations by Beddows are beautifully rendered.