Book Review: The Academie, by Susanne Dunlap (2012, Bloomsbury)

Recommended for ages 14+

Eliza Monroe, the daughter of future President James Monroe, is sent to finishing school in Paris by her mother. There, she meets Hortense de Beauharnais, daughter of Josephine Bonaparte – Napoleon’s stepdaughter, and Caroline Bonaparte, Napoleon’s youngest sister. The two young women dislike one another; Napoleon’s family feels he married beneath him when he married Josephine. Eliza falls in with both girls but ends up caught in the middle.

Told against the backdrop of Napoleon’s rise to power in France,The Academie is told from the points of view of Eliza, Caroline, Hortense, and a young woman, Madeleine, whose life intersects with the girls when she falls in love with Hortense’s brother Eugene, one of Napoleon’s officers.

The story, written in first person from four different points of view, is a piece of historical fiction based on some historical accuracy. Eliza Monroe did attend finishing school in Paris at the same time as Hortense de Beauharnais and Caroline Bonaparte. Reading like Mean Girls set in post-revolutionary France, there is not a lot of plot to work with, and the characters are not terribly well-developed. The book seems to concentrate on the romantic relationships that all four young women are trying to cultivate, with the story of Napoleon’s rise thrown in just enough to provide historical background to the story.

Susanne Dunlap writes historical YA fiction. Her website offers information about her other books, author information and availability for school visits, and a link to her blog.

Book Review: Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson (1999, Penguin)

Recommended  for ages 13+

Melinda Sordino should be enjoying her freshman year of high school; instead, she finds herself ostracized because she called the police after she was raped at a party she was at over the summer. No one knows about the rape – they just know that Melinda ruined their good time.

Her best friend turns on her. Her rapist, an older student at the school, winks at her, tries to talk to her, enjoying the power he feels he has over her. Her parents attribute her withdrawl, skipping school and failing grades to a plea for attention and show no sympathy. Melinda copes by blocking much of the night’s events out and stops speaking almost entirely. One of the few people she seems to be able to speak with is her lab partner, David, a student who has no problem speaking up for himself and urges her to be more assertive. When her former best friend begins dating her rapist, Melinda knows that she must find the courage to break her silence.

Written in the first person, Speak is told from Melinda’s point of view. The reader gets her sense of isolation as she goes through the motions of day-to-day living, haunted by her rape but not quite dealing with it. It’s on the periphery of her memory, but she tries to move past it on her own rather than relive it. The most developed character we encounter is Melinda, but it isn’t an issue – she’s the person we need to know best; we know whatever she needs us to know about the other people around her. She has a scathing wit that endears her to the reader and shows a glimpse of the pre-assault Melinda. Readers may know someone who has been assaulted, have been assaulted themselves, or need to understand what happens in the aftermath of an assault, and Speak is a book that should be read by teens, parents, and educators alike to facilitate conversations. The 10th Anniversary edition of the book includes a list of resources for sexual assault survivors, a discussion guide, and the author’s comments about censorship and on Speak ten years later.

Speak has received numerous awards  and accolades. It was a National Book Award Finalist (1999); received the Golden Kite Award for Fiction from the Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI)  (2000); Horn Book Fanfare Best Book of the Year (2000); American Library Association (ALA) Best Book for Young Adults (2000);  Printz Honor Book (2000); Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults (2000); Fiction QUick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (2000); and was a New York Times Paperback Children’s Best Seller (2001, 2005).

Author Laurie Halse Anderson writes realistic fiction for teens. Her website offers links to her blog, media, She also provides book club information for teachers and students interested in discussing her books event information, in addition to advice on addressing book challenges, research, and the writing process. She has a discussion board where teachers can collaborate and talk with the author. She also has a Facebook page.

Movie Review: War Horse (2011, DreamWorks Studio)

Rated PG-13

War Horse is a movie inspired by author Michael Morpurgo’s 1982 novel. Taking place in World War I-era England, the story focuses on Albert (played by Jeremy Irvine), and English teenager his horse, Joey. His father, Ted (played by Peter Mullan), son of a Boer War veteran and failing farmer, purchases Joey at an auction and Joey trains him to be a successful plow horse. When Albert’s father sells Joey to the army for the war effort, he is heartbroken. He begs Captain James Nicholls (played by Tom Hiddleston) not to take Joey, but to no avail. Nicholls promises that he will do his best to return Joey safely when the war is over.

Over the course of the war, Joey and another British horse, Topthorn, change hands several times, ultimately pulling heavy machinery for the German army where they endure injury and exhaustion. The war rolls on and Albert, now of age,  has enlisted and searches the battlefields looking for Joey. During one battle, Albert is temporarily blinded by mustard gas at the same time Joey, cornered by a tank, panics and stampedes into a field of barbed wire. Both end up at the same infirmary – will the horse and his boy finally be reunited?

War Horse is a beautiful, brutal movie addressing war, friendship and family. The movie never shies away from the horror of war – viewers see the inhumanity of trench warfare and mustard gas; there is human and equine carnage, and we see the emotional toll of war. Joey’s journey ties several storylines together. We see the difficult relationship between Albert and his father, the friendships Albert has at home, but most important is the love between the boy and his horse. We never stop believing that Albert entered the war with the purpose of finding Joey and bringing him home.

War Horse received many awards, most notably, the American Film Institute Film of the Year (2011) and Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Cinematography (2011); it was nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture (2011); and for five British Academy Film Awards including Best Cinematography (2011).

Steven Speilberg is an award-winning director and producer. He has won Best Director Academy Awards for Schindler’s List (1993) and Saving Private Ryan (1998); his best-known movies includeJaws (1975), E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), the Indiana Jones movies with Harrison Ford (1981-2008), andJurassic Park (1993). His is also a co founder of the DreamWorks movie studio.

Book Review: Getting It, by Alex Sanchez (2006, Simon & Schuster)

Recommended for ages 14+

Fifteen-year old Carlos is a virgin, and it is driving him crazy. All of his friends have had sex at least once, and all he can do is moon over Roxy, the most gorgeous girl in school. He has no idea how to make himself more attractive to the opposite sex, but when he catches an episode of the television show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, where a group of gay men give a straight man a complete makeover, he’s got an idea. He approaches Sal, a gay classmate, with his Queer Eye idea, and Sal agrees – provided Carlos helps Sal get a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) started at their school. Carlos is uneasy about it, but agrees.

As Carlos spends more time with Sal, his horizons broaden, and he realizes that his friends’ homophobia is out of line. When the school pushes back against the GSA plan, Sal expects Carlos to step up and keep his promise – on the same day that Roxy invites Carlos over for a “hookup”. Carlos learns that doing the right thing is not always the easiest thing.

Alex Sanchez writes teen romance, primarily focusing on gay teens and their journeys toward self-acceptance. With Getting It, Sanchez gives readers a straight protagonist on his own journey. Starting out as part of a group of loud, hormonally amped-up teenage boys, Sanchez quickly establishes Carlos as a sensitive, different part of the group. He also gives Carlos problems that readers can relate to: his divorced parents do not have an amicable relationship; his father’s new wife and baby take precedence; and his mother’s relationship with her boyfriend can be uncomfortable at times. When Carlos is able to overcome his own prejudices to reach out and befriend a gay teen, it sends a message to readers of both genders. Gay teens will identify with or be inspired by Sal, who comes from a supportive family and knows who he is: out, proud, and interested in helping his community. He sees in Carlos a chance to build bridges between the gay and straight communities at school, and in doing so, teaches Carlos that his own feelings of self-worth are important.

Getting It was the Myers Outstanding Book Award Winner (2007); took second place for Best Young Adult Fiction (English) at the 9th International Latino Book Awards, and was a  New York Public Library “Book for the Teen Age” (2007).

Teen author Alex Sanchez is a passionate GLBT advocate who tours the country speaking to librarians and students about the importance of tolerance and Gay-Straight Alliances in schools. His website provides resources for gay youth on coming out and getting help; links to information about being gay and spiritual; and links about banned books and censorship. He also provides his bio, information on his books, and contact information for any educators interested in speaking with him or inviting him to speak.

Book Review: Wintergirls, by Laurie Halse Anderson (2009, Penguin)

Recommended for ages 14+

When Lia’s estranged friend Cassie is discovered dead in a hotel room, Lia learns that Cassie’s long-standing struggle with bulimia has finally taken its toll – will she finally be able to seek help for her own eating disorder, or will she experience the same fate? Wintergirls is the story of a teenage girl’s struggle to overcome an eating disorder while coming to terms with her friend's death.

Lia and Cassie were best friends with a deadly competition:  who could be thinner. Their parents separated the two after a near-fatal accident; months later, Lia learns that Cassie’s body has been discovered, alone, in a hotel room; she also discovers that Cassie called her cell phone 33 times on the night she died. Already fighting her inner demons, Cassie’s death haunts Lia.

Lia lives with her father, stepmother and stepsister because she cannot get along with her mother. She distances herself from her parents, referring to them as Dr. Marrigan and Professor Overbrook. While her parents love her and appear concerned about Lia, they also appear detached from her. Lia’s stepmother, Jennifer, seems to bear the burden of Lia’s care. Jennifer’s daughter, Emma, is one of the only people Lia has genuine feelings for.

Cassie’s death upsets Lia’s already tenuous hold on good health and she begins a downward spiral. She becomes obsessed with Cassie’s final hours and visits the hotel, meeting Elijah, who works there and spent some time with Cassie; she avoids food and lies to her family, and cuts herself. Bent on self-destruction, it seems like only a matter of time before Lia joins Cassie.

Wintergirrls is more than a story about eating disorders; it is a story about dysfunctional families, friendship, and the crisis of self-image. So consumed with their own lives, Lia’s family is unable to reach her; something she interprets this as their being disappointed in her. As a result, she holds them at arm’s length, refusing to refer to them as “mom” or “dad” for most of the story. She constructs a relationship with the reader by looking back on when she was a “real girl”, living her parents’ miserable marriage and divorce and the feelings of disappointing her family – readers see Lia’s path.

Lia’s messy internal dialgoue – rambling, run-on sentences and use of strike-out text to illustrate how she censors even her own thoughts – further allows the reader into her conflicted mind. The characters are well-developed and draw the reader in – maybe one of us knows a Cassie or a Lia? No eating disorders are necessary to create a relationship with the characters here; a day of just not liking oneself is enough to understand what’s going on. Wintergirls is a powerful book that carries multiple messages; it is an important read for teen girls and boys alike, and any parents that want to understand what goes on in the teen mindset will certainly benefit from sitting down with this book.

Wintergirls has received numerous accolades, including designation as a Junior Library Guild Selection; New York Times Bestseller List; American Library Association (ALA) Best Book for Young Adults; ALA Quick Pick for Young Adults; Amelia Bloomer Project; New York Public Library’s 2010 Stuff for the Teen Age; School Library Media Association Young Book Award Nominee 2011; and has won numerous state awards.

Author Laurie Halse Anderson writes realistic fiction for teens. Her website offers links to her blog, media, She also provides book club information for teachers and students interested in discussing her books event information, in addition to advice on addressing book challenges, research, and the writing process. She has a discussion board where teachers can collaborate and talk with the author. She also has a Facebook page. 

Book Review: Trapped, by Michael Northrup (2011, Scholastic Press)

Recommended for ages 13+

Seven teenagers find themselves trapped in a rural Massachusetts high school during an unprecedented blizzard. Scotty Weems, a 15-year old basketball player, and his friend Pete make the decision to stay, despite the early dismissal, to help his friend Jason work on a go-kart project in shop. Jason promises that his father will pick them up, and that his 4×4 can get through the snow and before the storm gets too bad.

By the time the boys finish, the storm is in full force. No one’s cell phones are working and a look outside quickly brings home the realization that no one can get to them. Seven students – five boys and two girls –are stuck in the school building with a teacher, Mr. Gossell, who is clearly annoyed at having to stay behind for the late teens. Frustrated, Mr. Gossell attempts to make it to his car and is never seen again, leaving the teens to fend for themselves as they wait for the storm to break and for rescue. Tensions rise as conditions worsen and the storm refuses to let up. The teens are faced with an difficult position: to stay in the school and risk running out of heat and food, or to try to venture out and get help, and risk freezing to death in the snow.

Trapped builds slowly, creating tension as the blizzard worsens and the teens’ sense of isolation grows. There is not a lot of character development, which makes it difficult to invest in any of the characters. Despite being the main character, the reader knows hardly anything about Scotty; his friends Jason and Pete appear to be there solely to provide scenarios for Scotty to react to. Elijah and Les are the “troublemakers” or “bad kids”, and Krista and Julie are there for touches of brief romance. Just as Mr. Northrop has built sufficient interest and gets the reader to commit to the story, it ends – while I wouldn’t call it a rushed ending, it definitely left me feeling like I’d been left hanging.

Trapped has received numerous accolades, including designation as an American Library Association/YALSA Readers’ Choice List selection (2012); ALA/YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers (2012); Indie Next List selection (Spring 2011); Barnes & Noble “Must-Read for Teens”; TAYSHAS (Texas) High School Reading List selection (2012); Readers’ Choice List selection in Pennsylvania and Virginia; and StorySnoops “Best of 2011″ pick.

Author Michael Northrop ‘s website offers links to his blog, his books, and event information. He also has pages on Facebook and Twitter.

Book Review: Little Brother, by Cory Doctorow (2008, Tor Books)

Recommended for ages 13+

Little Brother provides a look at a brewing dystopia in the wake of a terrorist attack on California. Influenced by post-September 11th events like the Patriot Act and Guantanamo Bay, Doctorow examines what happens when teens find themselves being hauled off for “questioning” and decide to fight back.

Seventeen-year-old Marcus and his friends are avid gamers who cut class one day to play an ARG (alternate reality game) in their San Francisco neighborhood. As they start their search for clues, an explosion rips apart the Golden Gate Bridge. Thousands are killed in the terrorist attack, Marcus’ friend Darryl is stabbed in the fracas, and the group is arrested and taken to an unknown location where they are separated and interrogated as suspected terrorists. Everyone but Darryl is released several days later, after signing documents that exonerate the United States government of any wrong doing; they are told not to speak about what happened, and that they will be watched. Furious, Marcus decides to fight back by creating the Xnet, an undetectable online service, rigged from his  X-Box.

As the Department of Homeland Security turns the U.S. into a police state, Marcus and his friends become a new version of the Merry Prankters, sabotaging the DHS’ monitoring equipment. When he learns that Darryl is still being held in the secret prison that he and his friends were detained in, he turns to his parents and a journalist to help free him and bring down the DHS, even if it means putting himself at risk.

Little Brother moves at a quicker pace than For the Win, but Doctorow’s tendency to preach/lecture still comes through at points. He gives in-depth information in his narrative on how different technology works, and how Marcus is able to hack various networks and cell phones. It’s part novel, part primer. The story moves along at an energetic pace and I liked the character development. Marcus is a sympathetic character: a normal teen thrown into extraordinary circumstances. He decides to fight back against this invasion of his privacy by using what is available to him – his gift with technology. He does not come across as a superhero; rather, he is conflicted and scared throughout the book, but knows he needs to take a stand. Whether readers agree or disagree with how he justifies his actions will provide good discussion.

Little Brother was a Hugo Award finalist for Best Novel; a New York Times bestseller; won a White Pine Award (2009); a Prometheus Award (2009); and a John W. Campbell Memorial Award (2009).

Cory Doctorow is a passionate advocate for open access and the right to privacy. He makes his novels available for free download on his website, along with links to his blog, articles, and podcast. He also writes for the website Boing Boing and is active on Twitter.

Book Review: Battle Fatigue, by Mark Kurlansky (2012, Walker Books for Young Readers)

Recommended for ages 14+

As a little boy living in post-World War II America, Joel sees war as being called to do a great thing – but as he grows up, he begins seeing things very differently.

Battle Fatigue traces a young boy’s evolution from post-World War II child to Vietnam-era objector. Joel Bloom, a 7-year old boy in 1955, is surrounded by World War II veterans: his father, uncle, and most of the men in his neighborhood served, and he and his friends grow up playing army games where they fight the Germans and the Japanese. While he understands that war changes people – his uncle gets “the stare” and talks about Europe and his father, a veteran of the Pacific Theatre, does not talk about the war – Joel believes that the men in his neighborhood have “done great things and someday I would be called on to do a great thing.”

Growing up, Joel’s experiences influence a shift in his beliefs. Nuclear bomb drills at school scare him and his feelings about Communists are conflicted. He does not understand why America demands some nations get rid of their weapons while we retain ours. Joel sees prejudice in his own neighborhood when he is the only boy in the neighborhood to befriend a German exchange student named Karl. He is troubled more and more by war and the ethics involved as he becomes a teenager and sees the coming Vietnam War – a war he knows will be “his” war. Seeing the shells of people that return from their tours of duty, including a childhood friend of his, disturbs him. In college, Joel becomes part of the antiwar movement and considers running away to Canada when his deferment is up, a decision that disappoints his father.

Battle Fatigue provides a thoughtful look at the evolution of a pacifist. It shows how a child, raised in a post-World War II environment, evolved into a Vietnam protester by showing how a person’s insight changes. Joel questions what he sees around him, from the fear of Communism to the realization that not all Germans, even the children of Nazis, are evil. He discovers that there is no black and white in war, and each war - Korea, Vietnam – comes with increasing shades of grey.

Kurlansky provides good character and plot development, giving us backgrounds on Joel and his family and friends throughout the novel. We get the evolution not only of Joel’s thought, but the friends around him, and we see the human cost of war with Joel’s uncle and friend Dickey. The only issue I had with the book was the overall narrative, which, for a teen novel, seemed a bit simplistic – it read more like a middle grade level book.

Author Mark Kurlansky writes primarily general interest non-fiction for adults. His website offers information about his books, upcoming events, articles, and a gallery of artwork from his books.

Book Review: In Darkness, by Nick Lake (2012, Bloomsbury)

Recommended for ages 14+

Trapped in the rubble of the Haitian earthquake, a young gang-banger thinks back on his life and wonders if he will survive, or if he’s already dead.

In Darkness tells the story of Shorty, a teenaged boy trapped in the rubble of a hospital after the 2010 Haitian earthquake. A gang member who killed his first man at 10, Shorty’s violent lifestyle lands him in the hospital after being shot in the arm – right before the earthquake. His hopes for rescue are fading fast. While trapped in the rubble, he recalls his life and drifts in and out of dreams where he becomes Toussaint l’Ouverture, am 18th century Haitian revolutionary. He feels as if l’Ouverture is reaching out to him through these dreams, and this spurs him to survive.

Shorty grew up in a divided Haiti, witnessing a gang attack on his home that ended with his father’s murder by machete and his twin sister’s kidnapping. He dedicates his life to finding her and falls in with the Route 9 gang, becoming the right hand man for Biggie, second in command to leader Dread Wilme. Haitian gang violence was often related to politics – the army that supported Aristede, the Haitian president ousted in the military coup of 2004, became one gang faction, Route 9.

Readers also learn through Shorty’s dreams about the first Haitian revolution, led by 51-year-old slave Toussaint l’Ouverture, in the 18th century. l’Ouverture’s story seems a direct opposite to Shorty’s, with l’Ouverture’s desire for peace and a bloodless revolution contrasting with Shorty’s violent life, but the overall story – leading a revolution to unite the Haitian people – seems, in its own way, similar to what they both desire.

In Darkness is a brutally honest story. Haiti’s troubles did not begin with the earthquake, and Shorty’s narrative makes this abundantly clear. Switching between stories of Haiti’s past and present will provide readers with a strong background on Haiti’s history and provide the beginnings of understanding on the politically motivated violence there. Shorty’s voice is important, because here we have a narrator who is a gang member, a drug dealer, and a murderer, but at the same time, sympathetic and a victim. Haiti’s history is his history. This realistic piece of fiction is a well-written, strong book that should provoke conversations in and out of the classroom on many fronts.

Author Nick Lake’s In Darkness website provides information and excerpts from the book; the site also provides links to the music mentioned in the book and a background on Haiti’s history. The author’s page at his UK publisher, Simon and Schuster, offers limited information on his other books.

Book Review: Dirty Little Secrets, by C.J. Omololu (Walker Books for Young Readers, 2011)

Recommended  for ages 14+.

When you grow up with a hoarder, you learn to bury your own secrets.

Dirty Little Secrets examines the effect of hoarding on a teen. Lucy has almost given up hope on having a normal life; her mother’s hoarding has gotten out of control, making Lucy afraid to have friends, for fear they’ll want to come to her house. She has been bullied and teased, called “Garbage Girl” and forced to change schools. When she is at home, her mother verbally attacks her, making her feel responsible for the mess. Her older brother and sister are out of the house, leaving Lucy to deal with her mother.

Most of Dirty Little Secrets takes place in an eight-and- one-half-hour period where Lucy, who has dared to make another friend and even cultivate a boyfriend, arrives home to get ready for a concert and a date. She discovers her mother dead, a victim of her hoard, and she panics at having her mother’s shame revealed. She knows it will be on the news, and Lucy will be “garbage girl” all over again. Deciding to hold off on calling the authorities until she can clean the house enough to let the authorities in, she gets to work. She decides to hold off on reporting her mother’s death until she can clean the house enough to let authorities in. As Lucy attempts to clean, memories of her mother’s hoarding and its effect on her life come up, giving the reader an inside view of how her mother’s illness affected Lucy’s entire life.

Dirty Little Secrets is a powerful read that provides insight into the effects of hoarding on those who live with hoarders. Lucy is bullied and teased once her mother’s secret gets out; it becomes so bad that she has to leave her school and start over. Her mother verbally abuses her, blaming her for hiding things and making messes. Her siblings are no help. Ms. Omololu’s writing provokes a strong reader reaction, eliciting sympathy for Lucy and frustration with the obstacles in her way. Using a relatively short time frame during which the novel takes place, the author uses flashbacks to provide a depth to the story. The characters have enough backstory to further the plot, leaving the reader possibly wanting more from this fast-moving story. The ending, while appearing a bit rushed, is in line with Lucy’s rising panic throughout the book.

Dirty Little Secrets has received numerous accolades, including the American Library Association's ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers list, ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults nominee, ALA Quick Pick nominee, Texas Tayshas Reading List (2011), Florida Teens Read List, Nominee: South Carolina Young Adult Book Award, Texas Lone Star Reading List, Kentucky Bluegrass Award, Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers, Arkansas Teen Book Award, and the Elliott Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award.

Author C.J. Omololu’s website offers links to information and reading guides on her books, a link to her blog, and an “After” chapter for anyone who wants to know what happens to Lucy after the climax of Dirty Little Secrets.

Book Review: After the Golden Age, by Carrie Vaughn (2011, Tor Books)

Recommended for ages 16+

You may think that no one is perfect - but what happens when your parents are superheroes?

After the Golden Age tells the story of a dysfunctional superhero family. Celia West is the 25-year-old daughter of two of Commerce City’s greatest superheroes, Warren and Suzanne West, aka Captain Olympus and Spark. Who wouldn't want two superheroes for parents? Celia, for starters – her relationship with her hot-tempered father is strained, having felt like a disappointment to him for not having superpowers. Growing up, she felt that the City and its citizens came before her, and she was a target for kidnappers. At 16, she was kidnapped by the supervillain Destructor; at 17, she ran away from home to join him, further leading to a schism between Celia and her father.

Now a grown woman, Celia has turned her life around and works as a Certified Public Accountant. When the Destructor is captured and put on trial, Celia is called in to trace his money in the hopes of nailing him on tax evasion or fraud, Celia fears that her world will come crashing down again but takes on the assignment and discovers some disturbing links between her family, the Destructor, and the other “super” families in Commerce City. She also finds herself the target of a new super criminal on the rise – can she find out who it is before it’s too late, and will she and her father ever work out their difficult relationship?

After the Golden Age tells the story of a dysfunctional family with a new perspective. While some kids dream about their parents being superheroes, Celia’s reality is quite different from the fantasy. She can never measure up, her parents put other priorities ahead of her, and she rebels. At its heart, it tells a story many families can relate to. While considered an adult novel, Golden Age‘s West family backstory gives it solid YA crossover potential. There is some romance thrown in, along with superhero battles, but at its heart, this is the story of a young woman trying to create her own identity separate from her family’s legacy. The writing is quick-paced and the character development gives the reader enough information to tell the story, with Celia receiving the most developed background – it should hold the reader’s interest, particularly teen females.

After the Golden Age was a nominee for the American Library Association's Alex Award (2012).

Author Carrie Vaughn’s website offers links to more information about her novels and short stories, her blog, appearances, and her biography.

Book Review: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (2011, Crown)

Recommended for ages 14+

A hidden Easter egg. An online video game. A battle between good and evil ensues – but in an infinite virtual world, the egg could be anywhere.

In 2044, the environmental crisis facing America remained unresolved. Unemployment has run rampant through the United States. Many Americans live in trailer park “stacks” – trailers stacked in towers; many citizens work and attend school virtually in a massively multiplayer online role playing environment called the OASIS.

Created by James Halliday and Ogden Morrow – a duo reminiscent of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs – the OASIS is heavily influenced by the 1970s and ’80s, reflecting Halliday’s and Morrow’s pop culture obsessions. When Halliday dies, a message goes out to all OASIS subscribers where he reveals that he has left a final game with an Easter egg – a hidden message – hidden in the OASIS; whoever finds it will inherit his fortune, including a controlling share in his company, Gregarious Simulation Systems (GSS). Egg hunters, or “gunters”, spring up all over the world to take on the quest, but five years after this death, no one has claimed the prize. Enter Wade Watts, screen name Parzival, a high school teenager obsessed with Halliday, the ’80s, and the quest. He manages to find the first gateway, which kicks the race into high gear. The only problem is, others are on his tail, including the villainous Innovative Online Industries (IOI), who want to win the prize in order to charge users for access to the OASIS. Parzival will need help from his friends, Aech (pronounced “haych”), Art3mis, and brothers Daito and Shoto, if he is to succeed – but there can only be on winner.

Loaded with ’80s pop culture references, this is a great adult crossover book for teens. The MMORPG environment will resonate with teen audiences, and the sprinkled ’80s references will bridge the gap between adult readers and teens, particularly in terms of video games, which many may have heard their parents talk about. The writing is fast-paced and fun, with even the darker elements of the book movign along quickly and propelling the plot forward. The character development is only deep enough to continue moving the plot forward, with Wade and Halliday receiving the most character development. The other characters are, for most of the novel, virtual and unknown, only revealed toward the end. Readers will keep turning pages and possibly even check out some of the books, television shows, and video games that the author references.

Ready Player One received an American Library Association (ALA) Alex Award (2012).

Author Ernest Cline created the Star Wars fan movie, Fanboys. His author website offers links to his blog, information about his books, his movies, and his spoken words books. The Ready Player Onewebsite features a RP1 video games, links to social media, and news.

Book Review: The Dead, by Charlie Higson (2011, Hyperion)

Recommended for ages 14-18

A zombie-like plague is ravaging London. Anyone under 16 is a target. What happens in a world where the adults have turned on the kids?

The second in Charlie Higson’s Enemy series, The Dead is a prequel of sorts to Enemy. The story takes place in London as a worldwide disease outbreak affects people age 16 and over that causes them to attack and consume anyone younger.

The Dead follows a group of students at an English boarding school at the onset of the disease and their journey to find a safer haven. Best friends Jack and Ed swear to stick together, but Jack is frustrated with Ed’s seeming impulse to panic and flee rather than engage.

The group of boys escape the school, liberating other students, including one, Matthew, who now believes that he is God’s messenger. The boys find temporary salvation Greg, a butcher from the countryside, pulls up in a school bus and saves them from an adult attack. He’s traveling with his young son, Liam, and a group of schoolgirls, but Jack sees his erratic behavior and realizes that Greg is sick, too. The group makes their way to the Imperial War Museum in London, meeting a group of boys already living there; they plan to evacuate as a fire engulfing London is closing in and the adults are coming closer. Some of the boys board an abandoned grocery truck and some board a sightseeing boat and head for Tower Bridge and South London, with the intention of meeting at the Tower of London.

The Dead will keep teens turning pages. A fast-paced horror novel, Mr. Higson creates characters with just enough background to give them some dimension, and forms solid relationships between the characters – relationships that readers will relate to. He creates a wide range of characters, including the get-it-done Jack, the cowardly Kwanele, who decides to avoid the reality of their situation by focusing solely on his wardrobe, the bookish Chris, who believes that in order to rebuild society, he needs to save books, and Ed, whose character growth frames the novel as he goes from scared to fierce. The older teens protect the younger boys even as they tease them. The girls are portrayed as boys would see them – shrieking, obnoxious, but oddly attractive at the same time. Boy readers in particular will relate to this range of characters and the fast-paced action.

The Dead was Shortlisted for the Independent Booksellers Book Award (2011).

Author Charlie Higson’s website offers information about his books, book trailers, his schedule, contact information, and television appearances.

Book Review: Between, by Jessica Warman (2011, Walker Children's Books)

Recommended for ages 15-18

Elizabeth Valchar wakes up the morning after her 18th birthday party to discover a body floating in the water. The rest of her party is fast asleep on her father’s yacht – a small group of friends, her stepsister, Josie, and boyfriend, Richie. Elizabeth doesn't quite understand what’s going on, but it becomes all too clear soon enough: the body is Elizabeth’s. She is dead but able to see her family and friends – she’s between two worlds, the world of the living and the dead.

Elizabeth meets another Betweener, a schoolmate named Alex who was killed in a hit and run. Together, they shift between past memories and the present, where Elizabeth learns that she and her popular group of friends weren't the “nice kids” she believed they were: they were entitled, means, and bullied their other classmates, including Alex. Reviewing her life gives her perspective she never had and allows insight into things she never knew about: things like her mother’s death from anorexia, her stepmother’s campaign to take her mother’s place, and Josie’s attempts to do the same thing to Elizabeth. As the two teens shift between past and present, muddled events become clearer and Elizabeth realizes that the awful secret she has been running from is the same secret that ties her and Alex together. She must solve the mystery surrounding her own death and unravel why Alex is so angry with her before she can move on.

Between is a compulsively readable book with cross-genre appeal. It is a murder mystery and a paranormal with elements of realistic fiction as Ms. Warman illustrates the conflict between the popular rich students and the working-class and poor students. The reader witnesses bullying, drug use, and alcoholism from the so-called “good” kids, the rich kids who have everything, and sees how empty their lives are underneath the surface. Even Elizabeth, her family’s golden girl, was heading down a path similar to her mother’s, cultivating an eating disorder and allowing herself to be manipulated by her popular friends. Jessica Warman has a lot to say in Between.

Jessica Warman’s author website links to her blog, provides information about her novels, and includes an FAQ.

Book Review: Soulless: An Alexia Tarabotti Novel, by Gail Carriger (2009, Orbit)

Recommended  for ages 16+

Alexia Tarabotti is a 25 year-old spinster living with her family in Victorian London. Half Italian, half English, she takes more after her deceased Italian father’s side in more ways than one – her intellectual curiosity, her darker skin, voluptuous shape, and her… soullessness. Alexia is a preternatural – soulless, her very touch negates the supernatural powers of the vampires, werewolves, and ghosts that walk the streets of London.

Being a spinster is the least of Alexia’s problems right now. Rogue vampires are popping up all over London; known and respected vampiric members of London society are disappearing, and Lord Maccon, the werewolf head of Her Royal Majesty’s Bureau off Unnatural Registry (BUR) is driving Alexia to distraction – and not always in a bad way. When they aren’t driving each other crazy, Alexia and Lord Maccon work well as a team, and discover that there is a sinister plot afoot to bring down vampire society.

Soulless is the first book in Gail Carriger’s Parasol Protectorate series, an adult series with definite teen crossover potential. A steampunk, supernatural adventure-romance set in Victorian England, the book is a fun, sexy romp through London high society with plenty of supernatural creatures to keep readers interested. The pace is light and quick, and the characters are engaging with witty dialogue.

Soulless received an Alex Award (2010) from the American Library Association (ALA), and was nominated for both a Compton Crook (2010) and Locus (2010) Award.

Gail Carrriger’s Parasol Protectorate series is being released in manga format; she also has a YA series, Finishing School, set in the same universe. Her website offers links to her blog, information about her books, steampunk, a press kit, and an FAQ.

Book Review: The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth, by Alexandra Robbins (2011, Hyperion)

Recommended for ages 16+.

If you think the popular kids’ table is the table you need to be sitting at, think again.

The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth is journalist Alexandra Robbins’ look at how the “cafeteria fringe” – the groups of kids outside the popularity sphere – are often the teens who find success after high school.

Robbins follows six high schoolers and one teacher from different groups that make up her “cafeteria fringe” – the band geek, the nerd, the loner, the new girl, the gamer, the weird girl, and the “popular bitch” - and weaves their experiences throughout a regular school year with sociological research on conformity, popularity, and changing perceptions. She comes up with some interesting insights, most notably, her  “Quirk Theory”, which posits that  the characteristics that lead tweens and teens to exclude each other socially in school are the same characteristics or skills that will be valued and admired in those same students after high school and into adulthood.

Quirk Theory is an interesting concept, and it certainly appears to be grounded in fact, when you witness the success of public figures like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Angelina Jolie, Taylor Swift, and other notable personalities who have come forth about being “different” or “weird”, and therefore excluded or bullied, in school. The book provides an eye-opening look at how cliques rule the school, often ith teacher approval – or, at the very least, without being challenged – and how faculties often have their own cliques.

The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth is an adult book, but should be required reading in high school The case studies alone will reach readers of all groups. It can generate meaningful discussion and perhaps build bridges between students and between teachers and students. Teachers need to read this book in order to stay in touch with what really goes on in school and to be mindful of kids who are excluded.

The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth was a Books for a Better Life finalist (2011); and an Alex Awards nominee (2012). GoodReads designated it the Best Nonfiction Book for 2011.

Alexandra Robbins’ website offers information about all of her books, contact information, author event information, and links to social media. 

Book Review: Forever, by Judy Blume (2007 edition, Simon Pulse)

Recommended for ages 14-18.

Judy Blume’s 1975 classic follows the relationship between two high school seniors, Kath and Michael, and their decision to become sexually active.

Kath and Michael meet at a New Year’s party and begin dating. Michael pushes early on for their relationship to become sexual, but Kath, a virgin, is nervous. As their relationship proceeds, she decides that she is in love with Michael and they make love. They tell each other that their love is forever.

Concerned about their children becoming involved at such a young age, their parents each send Kath and Michael away for the summer. While teaching tennis at a summer camp, Kath finds herself attracted to a fellow counselor and breaks the news to Michael. Michael shows up at the camp to talk to Kath, but she breaks it off with him.

Judy Blume is a classic YA author. Like most classics, Forever‘s subject matter stays current: the same issues that come up in the book, written in 1975, are present in young relationships now. The feelings of first love, the pressures that come with intimacy, and what does “forever” really mean? If anything, with kids maturing more quickly and becoming sexually active at an earlier age, books like Forever are every bit as important now as they were almost 40 years ago. Ms. Blume writes in a language that teens can understand – she never sides with the parents, instead treating them as rational while allwing the reader to see things from Kath’s point of view. She writes internal conflict well. She creates real characters who readers will remember long past their teen years.

Forever has received the ALA Margaret A. Edwards Award for Outstanding Literature for Young Adults (1996). It also appears on the American Library Association (ALA) list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000 at number seven.

Author Judy Blume’s website offers information on all of her books, plus an extensive section on censorship and advocacy.