Water Balloon by Audrey Vernick - ESSENTIAL

Vernick, Audrey Water Balloon, 310 pgs. Clarion Books, 2011. $16.99 Language: PG-13; Mature Content: PG-13; Violence: G; It's the beginning of summer and Marley is living at her dad's house due to her parent's separation. Frustrated with the distance from her friends, her dad sets her up with a babysitting job. When things couldn't get any worse, they do.  Her relationship with her best friends is at a point where she wonders if they're really her friends after all but a budding friendship with a guy that lives in her neighborhood is maybe just what she needs. Can Marley handle everything going on or will she burst like a water balloon? Read Water Balloon to find out! 

This book was a a fun read with it's hilarious and heartfelt moments. MS-ESSENTIAL. Student Reviewer: HF

The Sharp Time by Mary O’Connell –NOT RECOMMENED

O’Connell, Mary The Sharp Time, 240 pgs. Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2011. $11.98. (Language-PG13 Swear Total: 6, Violence-PG13; Sexual Content-PG)
After the death of her mother, 18yo Sandinista Jones is very much alone. Although her day to day life is stable –she owns her home and a car and has enough money to pay the bills, her personal life is a shambles –she is utterly alone. When a teacher at her school is “mean” to her, Sandinista stops going to school, gets a job at her favorite clothing store, and contemplates revenge.
Flat out –this book was a chore to read. It was “overly artistic” - never thought I would say that- via a plethora of descriptive words, maybe trying to show us Sandinistas unique world view but the result was just uninspiring and irritating. I detested her obsession with the school teacher that was mean to her. It filled nearly half the book. It was worse than reading a teen’s obsession with a member of the opposite sex –because the teacher was boring and wasn’t even that evil. At one point I swore that if she mentioned her again, I would throw the book across the room. But then I remembered I was a mature adult book reviewer that needed to read the whole thing –but I don’t think teens will have a problem pitching this book after the first few chapters.
HS – NOT RECOMMENED Reviewer: Stephanie MLS graduate.

Amplified by Tara Kelly - OPTIONAL

Kelly, Tara  Amplified  293 pages.  Henry Holt and Company, 2011.  $16.99  Language R (16 “F” words; 24 “God”;  121 other swears); Mature Content: PG-13; Violence: G.  Jasmine decides that she wants to postpone college to work on her music as a guitarist.  As she is leaving Santa Cruz her car breaks down in front of an auto body shop where she meets Shaun.  While her car is getting fixed she tries to find an apartment and applies for a place that is also looking for a band mate.  Jasmine joins C-side as their guitarist and has a lot to learn about performing in front of others and she also has a lot to learn about being herself.  

This book was an enjoyable read, but the swearing was distracting.  I thought the main character was realistic and the story was entertaining.  HS-OPTIONAL.  Reviewer, C. Peterson.

Ivy + Bean: No News is Good News, by Annie Barrows --ADVISABLE

Barrows, Annie.  Ivy + Bean: No News is Good News, illustrated by Sophie Blackall.  127 pages.  Chronicles Books, 2011.  $14.99.  Content: G.  The dynamic duo of Ivy and Bean are back for their 8^th adventure.  The girls are dying for their own ”lowfat Belldeloon cheese in a special just-for-you serving size” in their school lunch.  Both of their parents refuse to purchase the overpriced cheese.  When they see the other kids eating their cheese and playing with the wax that it comes in, they know that they must find some way to get it.  They try a few business enterprises, including selling potions, but it doesn’t work.  Bean’s dad tells them about a local newspaper he wrote and sold when he was a boy.  So the girls go around the block to get subscriptions, with cash in hand they purchase their own lowfat Belldeloon cheese in a special just-for-you serving size, however, Bean’s dad won’t let them have them until they put out their paper.  So the girls spy on their neighbors, get an ugly baby picture, and invent their very own newspaper with surprising results.  The illustrations are frequent and fun.  Author Annie Barrows obviously understands kids and fads.  Fans of Junie B. Jones will be delighted with Ivy + Bean.   EL-ADVISABLE.  Samantha, librarian.

Sometimes It Happens by Lauren Barnholdt - OPTIONAL

Barnholdt, Lauren Sometimes It Happens, 312 pgs. Simon Pulse, 2011. Language – R.  (141 swears, 9 “f”), Sexual Content – PG-13; Violence – PG; Hannah had a horrible start to summer, some amazing summer experiences, and an extremely bad first day back in high school. This summer was supposed to be her and Ava’s last hurrah, their last summer together, but plans don’t always work out. So instead, Ava is going to Maine for the whole summer, leaving Hannah to fend for herself. Not the best idea, but the first of many. Drama isn’t really my thing, so I was surprised by how hard it was to stop reading. At some parts, I was so mad with the characters that I had to leave to cool off—but I couldn’t stay away long. The thing I didn’t like was how the chapters flipped between past and present because it confused me. I also didn’t enjoy all the swearing that kept popping up for no good reason. HS – OPTIONAL. Reviewer: CCH

Flyaway by Lucy Christopher - ESSENTIAL

Christopher, Lucy Flyaway, 329 pgs. Chicken House, 2011. $16.99. Language-G(0swears,0”f”), Sexual Content-G;Violence-G; Iris and her dad share a love for swans that connect them through trying times.  Iris learns that the characteristics of swans can be a metaphor to life.  Her father becomes ill and is hospitalized.  During this time a relationship develops with a boy named Harry who has cancer.  The story brings to life topics such as dying, love for others, family problems, a love for animals, peer pressure and more.  The author pulled you into the life of Iris and her family. She brought out real life emotions and character traits that young children would relate to. Upper EL, MS- ESSENTIAL. Student Reviewer: M. Pierson

Just Your Average Princess by Kristina Springer - OPTIONAL

Springer, Kristina  Just Your Average Princess, 197 pgs.  Farrar Straus Giroux, 2011. $15.99  Language PG (1 hell, 11 God); mature content PG-13; Violence G. Jamie has always dreamed of becoming the pumpkin princess.  She works hard at her family’s pumpkin patch and contributes to her community, so she thinks that she should easily become princess.  However, her cousin Milan shows up with her Hollywood stories and her Hollywood clothes and outshines Jamie.  But the person Jamie cares most to impress, Danny, doesn’t seem to fall under Milan’s spell, because he has his eyes on Jamie.  With an unexpected princess pageant for an ending, this book was a fun and fast read with a good main character.  MS-OPTIONAL.  Reviewer, C. Peterson.

Don’t Stop Now by Julie Halpern - OPTIONAL

Halpern, Julie  Don’t Stop Now, 232 pages.  Feiwel and Friends, 2011.$16.99 Language PG-13 (31 swears, no “F”); Mature content PG-13; Violence G.  Lil and Josh have been best friends since they were freshman in high school, but now that it’s the summer after graduation they don’t know how their relationship is going to change with Lil preparing to go to college and Josh dreaming up his latest plan for a musical band.  When their friend Penny stages her own kidnapping, Lil and Josh decide to go on a road trip to find Penny, and to have one last adventure before responsibility kicks in.  This book has likable characters, fun dialogue and a realistic ending, but it is not a must read.  HS-OPTIONAL.  Reviewer, C. Peterson, teacher.

Sass and Serendipity by Jennifer Ziegler - ESSENTIAL

Ziegler, Jennifer  Sass and Serendipity, pgs. 369. Delacourte Press, an imprint of Random House, Inc., 2011.  $15.99.  PG – Language (20-25 soft-core swears); Mature Content: PG-13 (party with drinking and making-out); Violence: G.

This is a delightful book that follows, more or less, Jane Austin’s “Sense and Sensibility.”  Set in the present, Gabby is the sensible, serious “Elinor.”  She is a 17year old senior and older sister to 15year old Daphne, the “Marianne” character.  Gabby works hard to get good grades and help support their family.  Daphne, ever the cheerleader, goes out to buy a Prom dress, spending money the family doesn’t have, before she even has a date.  Their mother, Liz, is recently divorced and not doing well financially or emotionally.  They are in dire circumstances and being threatened with near homelessness when an unexpected turn of good luck saves them.  Who are the Edward Ferrars, John Willowby and Colonel Brandon characters?  You’ll have to read the book to find out!  I really liked reading this book.  The characters were believable.  It was a breath of fresh air to have main characters that weren’t interested in drugs, alcohol, or premarital sex… or vampires. There were enough unexpected twists and turns in the story to keep me wanting more.  The flaws in this book were:  the plotline didn’t follow “Sense and Sensibility” as much as hoped for; the sisters didn’t come together to overcome adversity as much as expected.  MS / HS – ESSENTIAL.   Mary Jane Burton