The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman - OPTIONAL

Shulman, Polly The Grimm Legacy, 325 pgs. Putnam, 2010. Language - G, Sexual Content - PG; Violence - PG; Elizabeth is excited to get a job in hopes that she will finally be able to gain friends. However, she finds a whole lot more than that. Magic and a mystery are now part of Elizabeth's formerly boring life and she's knee deep in trouble, too. With everyone pointing fingers and arguing, it's hard to get anything accomplished, can they over come their differences long enough to save each other and the magic? 

Once you get into it, this book is intense, but everything seems to be worked out too fast and easily. It's still cute and exciting with new magic at every turn. 

MS, HS - OPTIONAL. Reviewer: CCH

Dragon Castle by Joseph Bruchac - ADVISABLE

Bruchac, Joseph Dragon Castle, 333 pgs. Penguin Group, 2011. Language - G, Sexual Content - PG; Violence - PG; Prince Rashko is the only sensible member of the royal family. Unfortunately, his older brother Prince Paulek is in charge when questionable guests arrive and he lets them right in. Now the guests are using enchantments to control Paulek and are abusing their freedom to reek havoc within the castle walls. It's up to Rashko to save the kingdom from the evil plans of their guests by using the power of his ancestor Pavol. But first he has to get back into the castle. 

It was slow at first, but after the evil-doers showed up it finally picked up. I liked switching between Rashko's story of saving the kingdom versus his ancestor Pavol's own heroic story. The last chapter put a fun twist on the story that made it end on such a good note that I already want to read it again. 

MS, HS - ADVISABLE. Reviewer: CCH

Throat by R.A. Nelson - ADVISABLE

Nelson, R.A. Throat, 453 pgs. Alfred A. Knopf, 2011. Language - PG (61 swears, 0 "f"), Sexual Content - PG; Violence - PG-13; Emma hates her curse, who wouldn't? Getting seizures is not the most enjoyable experience, but during a run in with a creepy guy in Georgia, the curse saves her life. Unfortunately, the creepy guy isn't finished with her yet and is tracking Emma down. This forces Emma to leave home, make new friends, and become a criminal, but it's better than the alternative: loosing everything worth living for. 

When I picked up Throat, I didn't expect the tight grip it would have on me--I was expecting to be disappointed with it. It was thrilling to go on the run with Emma and run into new people. It was scary to fight the bad guy and his goons. It was heart-wrenching to leave Emma's family crying. This book has it all, and you couldn't ask for a stronger heroine. 

MS, HS - ADVISABLE. Reviewer: CCH

My Life, the Theater, and Other Tragedies by Allen Zadoff - OPTIONAL

Zadoff, Allen My Life, the Theater, and Other Tragedies, 282 pgs. Egmont, 2011. Language - PG (45 swears, 0 "f"), Sexual Content - PG-13; Violence - G; Adam has family issues, social issues, and self-confidence issues. Adam is a behind-the-scenes guy--literally and figuratively. He can't bring himself to stand up to his brother or Derek, no way is going to get up and stand up to himself and admit he needs to make changes. Adam needs to get his act together and stand up for something in his life, but how can he when everything is falling to pieces? 

Adam's inner conflict causes most of his outer conflicts; I love how real Adam's story is and how you can relate to it. Getting lost in the chaos and drama of Montclair High's thespians is easy and overwhelming. I loved being apart of Adam's growth and gaining some of his strength myself. I only wish I didn't have to be apart of Adam's typical teenage boy thoughts. 

MS, HS - OPTIONAL. Reviewer: CCH

Cold Case by Julia Platt Leonard - OPTIONAL

Leonard, Julia Platt Cold Case, 281 pgs. Aladdin, 2011. Language - PG (3 swears, 0 "f"), Sexual Content - G; Violence - PG; Oz doesn't like his older brother being his boss, but when he has to get up at six in the morning to go into work Saturday morning, is no exception. That's when Oz stumbles upon a crime scene in the restaurant. Oz's older brother is suspected of the murder and is taken to jail, while Oz and Rusty work to solve the mystery--or at least give reasonable doubt--without being killed themselves. 

I enjoyed this murder mystery, but it went by too fast. There were so many things intertwined that it shouldn't have been solved so fast. Plus, when the murderer finally explained to Oz what happened, it was too much information to take in at once and became confusing. 

MS - OPTIONAL. Reviewer: CCH

The Dark City by Catherine Fisher - OPTIONAL

Fisher, Catherine Relic Master: The Dark City, 372 pgs. The Penguin Group, 2011. Language - G, Sexual Content - G; Violence - G; Raffi is the pupil of a reckless keeper, Galen Harn. Although they should stay in hiding, Galen leads them into another risky situation, and this one is a trap. Half by force of their trappers and half of their own will, Raffi and Galen are going to the city where their enemies rule. What could go wrong? 

Adventure, despair, betrayal, and surprises, this book has it all. I was not captivated in the beginning, but it has a way of drawing you in slowly. By the end of the book, I was caught hook, line, and sinker. Now I just need the second one. 

MS, HS - OPTIONAL. Reviewer: CCH

Evil Roots by Andrew Nance - OPTIONAL

Nance, Andrew Return to Daemon Hall: Evil Roots, 240 pages, Henry Holt and Company, 2011. Language: PG (less than 5 swears, 0 "F") Sexual content: PG, Violence: PG 13. It's been a year since the contest that changed Wade's life forever. A year since the horrifying night spent in one of the most haunted locations in the world. But now there's a new contest. New players, new location. Wade is sure that this time, with Daemon hall burned to the ground, it will be a safe one, but he couldn't be more wrong, and this time, there may be more than just one tragedy.

This book honestly chilled me to the bone. It had a lot of twists that kept me reading until the end, and terrified of the dark long after I turned the last page. Return to Daemon hall was extremely well written and captivating, and Nance did well to keep it, for the most part, teenager friendly. But overall, the plot was much too demonic and had a bad energy to it, especially for someone who believes in evil spirits. As much as I loved the stories and the way it was written, the dark feeling almost makes me want to hide the book in the back of my basement and never think about it again. Of course, for someone who doesn't believe in or is not affected by spirits or demons, it would be an awesome read.  

MS, HS - OPTIONAL Student reviewer: BT

Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf - ESSENTIAL

Wolf, Jennifer Shaw  Breaking Beautiful  Walker and Company $16.99, 2012. Rated PG-13 for mature content. When Allie and her boyfriend Tripp are involved in an accident leaving Tripp dead, all eyes turn to Allie since she’s the new girl in town and Tripp is the most popular boy at school. Allie’s amnesia about the night of the accident seems rather convenient and a detective from another city is brought in to investigate. 

I’m what you would call a reluctant reader and I couldn’t put this book down. I’ve recommended it all my teacher friends and they too have read it quickly and liked it. I hesitated to recommend it to everyone because it does deal with Tripp beating up Allie on a regular basis.  The text is not graphic and written in a way that leaves the imagination to infer the more graphic violence. With that being said I give the recommendation of 

ESSENTIAL - MS, HS. Shauna, reading teacher.

Dear Toni by Cindi Sand-Eveland - ADVISABLE

Sand-Eveland, Cindi Dear Toni.  128 pgs. Tundra Books, $9.95 Rated G. Gene Tucks is a child born of a middle class family just trying to make ends meet. Gene’s teacher gives the class an assignment to write in a journal every day for one hundred days and then the journals will go into a time capsule to be read in forty years. Even though Gene doesn’t know who will be reading her journal she decides to call him/her Toni. Gene shares her struggles with fitting in and her family's struggles to make ends meet with Toni. 

The pages are filled with doodles and pictures complete with captions. It really feels like you are reading a journal. It was a quick and somewhat easy read. EL, MS - ADVISABLE. Shauna, reading teacher.

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

Worst of Friends by Suzanne Jurmain - ESSENTIAL

Jurmain, Suzanne Tripp Worst of Friends: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and the True Story of an American Feud.  PICTURE BOOK.  Dutton (Penguin), 2012.  $17.  At the beginnings of America, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were best of friends.  Somewhere along the way, however, the two’s differences became magnified and they quit speaking to each other about the time John was elected President.  When Tom ran against him and won, that sealed the enmity for more than a decade.  

Read about these two friends-enemies-friends who were so important to the founding of our country.  A great look at a bit of American history.  EL, MS – ESSENTIAL. Cindy, Library Teacher

Storybound by Marissa Burt - ADVISABLE

Burt, Marissa Storybound, 416 p. HarperCollins, APRIL 2012.  $17.  Content: G.  Una has been shuffled from foster home to foster home since she was a baby.  When she finds a hidden book in the local library, she literally finds herself transported to another world.  There she finds the land of Story, a place where the inhabitants lives used to be scripted by the Muses, but with their defeat many years earlier, the characters are supposedly free – at least that’s what the Tale Masters have told them for all of these years.  With Una’s arrival, events have been set in motion that will change Una and Story forever.  Lies will be uncovered – enemies may even be friends.  

The back cover compares this book to Inkheart or the Neverending Story – but since I personally didn’t like either book, I think this is much better.  Interesting without being confusing, dangerous and enlightening.  I am ready for number two already!  EL – ESSENTIAL, MS – ADVISABLE.  Cindy, Library Teacher

Killer Genes by C T Furlong - ADVISABLE

Furlong, C T  Killer Genes, 188 p. Inside Pocket (Lerner), 2010.  $8.  Violence: PG.  The ARCTIC 6 have been separated for a vacation, but when danger rears its head in the form of a deadly virus that has targeted the world’s leaders, it is a case of being in the right place at the right time.  The gang soon reassembles and it is a race between good an evil – can they find the cure, escape and administer it before not only the American President dies, but many others?  Another absurd situation  for the ARCTIC 6, but you can’t help admiring their guts and their genius. EL, MS – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library Teacher

Killer Strangelets by C T Furlong - ADVISABLE

Furlong, C T  Killer Strangelets, 206 p. Inside Pocket (Lerner), 2010.  $8.  Violence: PG.  Iago Johnsonm his sister and his friends are in a life-threatening race to save not only their father, but also the entire human race.  A crazy person has plans to use the CERN Particle Collider to create a reaction will annihilate the world.  And nothing will deviate her from her path – except for six determined young people who are MUCH smarter than every single adult around them.  

Fans of Alex Rider will probably enjoy the ARCTIC 6 adventures.  The action is non-stop and heart pounding.  The solutions are mind-boggling and you had better be ready to suspend your belief!  EL, MS – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library Teacher

Abraham Lincoln by Mary Pope Osborne - ADVISABLE

Osborne, Mary Pope Abraham Lincoln (Fact Tracker), 113 p. Scholastic, 2011.  NON-FICTION.  Created as a companion to Magic Tree House #47: Abe Lincoln at Last! This short non-fiction book is a valuable addition to almost any collection.  Now that I have read it, I want to go back and see what other subjects Osborne has covered, but this one was excellent!  I can see my reluctant middle school students using these when they are require to read non-fiction.  And maybe they will pick another one up just for fun.  EL – ESSENTIAL.  MS – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library Teacher

Jennifer Lawrence by Katherine Krohn - ADVISABLE

Krohn, Katherine Jennifer Lawrence: Star of the Hunger Games, 41 p. Lerner, 2012.  $9 (paperback).  Content: G.  NON FICTION.  Ready for The Hunger Games?  As you wait, read this little biography about the actress chosen to play Katniss.  The hardcover price is $20, but may be worth it, as this will probably generate some excitement among the fans at your school.  EL, MS – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library Teacher

The Galahad Legacy by Dom Testa - ESSENTIAL

Testa, Dom The Galahad Legacy, 292 p. TOR, 2012.  $18.  Content: G.  The Galahad is going to explode – if nothing else changes, all of the hard work and sacrifice of the tens and their families and all of Earth will be for nothing.  But Triana has come winging back through the wormhole – bringing with her a visitor.  An alien visitor with an offer and with an ulterior motive.  The offer may save them all, but the motive may tear them apart.  Before they can step foot on the planet of their destination, they have choices to make and heartache to face. 

For all of the teen melodrama of the first books, it was well worth it to reach this last (?) book in the series.  This will never be a big seller – unfortunately science fiction never is – but I thoroughly enjoyed it at its end.  And Testa sets up plenty of wiggle room for many more books, so should he be so inclined.  MS, HS – ESSENTIAL. Cindy, Library Teacher

Sharpshooter by Chris Lynch - ADVISABLE

Lynch, Chris Sharpshooter (Vietnam 2), 185 p. Scholastic, 2012.  $17.  Violence: R.  Once there were four friends – but that was before the war.  Now they are each somewhere, somewhere they can’t be together.  Ivan has always been the one eager for war – and straight he goes into the Army and straight into training as a sharpshooter.  On the ground in Vietnam is much different than picking off targets, but Ivan is in pursuit of his sniper dream.  On his days off, however, he heads out voluntarily with an elite group of marksmen – and what he does there will change him forever.  

Right up to the last seven pages, I was happy – gritty, but happy – and then my dreams were dashed.  Lynch made that step from implied violence to graphic violence – the step that takes this particular book from the upper elementary right past it older middle school or high school.  This may be a good series for your struggling high school readers, but war is a hard subject to make palatable for the younger ones.  MS - OPTIONAL; HS – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library Teacher

Blizzard of Glass by Sally M. Walker - OPTIONAL

Walker, Sally M. Blizzard of Glass: The Halifax Explosion of 1917, 140 p.  Henry Holt (Macmillan), 2012.  NON-FICTION.  In 1917, a ship loaded with munitions for the war in Europe collided with another boat and exploded – strewing debris and leveling building through large swaths of Halifax, killing nearly 2000 people.  But students today know nothing about this devastation. 

If you have a solid non-fiction collection or regional interest, this piece of WWI history is well worth the investment.  A bit dry leading up to the actual explosion – events are riveting afterwards.  MS, HS – OPTIONAL. Cindy, Library Teacher

Once by Anna Carey

Carey, Anna Once, 368 p. HarperCollins, JULY 2012.  $18.  Mature Content: PG-13 (implied sex).  For months Eve has been safe, hiding in a community of women across the bay from the old San Francisco.  But when she hears rumors of Caleb hurt and dying, she risks going in search for him – and walks right into a trap.  Now she has been taken to the City of Sand, before the King, who she finds out is her real father.  He plans for her to take her place beside him as he works to rebuild the old America, being the pretty figurehead as his troops hunt down rebels – including Eve’s love, Caleb.  Eve is stuck between a rock and a hard place as she tries to find her way in this new world – or how to find a way out.  

Book 2 in this series brings forth a few answers but MANY questions and A LOT of anxiety as the story continues to unfold.  Now I have to anxiously await book #3.  I feel sorry for everyone who has to wait until JULY to read this gem.  This is what Kiera Cass was trying to do with her book, but Anna Carey succeeded.  MS, HS – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library Teacher