FINISHED:

Barry, D., & Pearson, R. (2008). Science fair. New York: Disney Editions.

[.]

STARTED:
Benioff, David. (2008). City of thieves. New York: Viking/Penguin.

[Got this for Brian to read because I heard good things about it, but decided to read it as well because I LOVED 25th Hour (the movie).]

*

FINISHED:

Abbot, Tony. (2005). Kringle. New York: Scholastic.

[Ugh. Extremely disappointed in this one. Number one, it spent way too much time on just one part of his life - fighting goblins, who were building some doomsday device, while trying to save some kids - instead of (I had HOPED) making fun stories up to explain some of those things that we all know about Santa... maybe I was just expecting something more kid friendly... More importantly, I was disappointed that it got all "religious-y". NEVER did I imagine, picking the book up, that there would be a character who talked (for multiple pages) about the STORY of the "Christ child". That said, I would NEVER recommend it to a child at the public library as it isn't as "inclusive" as I assumed it would be. I guess he was truly going for the SAINT Nicholas thing...]

STARTED:
Barry, D., & Pearson, R. (2008). Science fair. New York: Disney Editions.

[Haven't read any of their Peter Pan novels and thought this one looked like it would be fun.]

*

Christmas Book 2009

Kohara, Kazuno. (2009). Here comes Jack Frost. Venice, CA: Roaring Book Press.

[LOVED her Ghosts in the House from last year. Though this one lacks some of the quirky fun of her previous book, it's still graphically amazing, this time rendered in cool blues and white. A great winter tale that I'm pleased to include and preserve as part of my Christmas picture book tradition.]

*

FINISHED:

Clements, Andrew. (2009). Extra credit. New York: Atheneum/Simon & Schuster.

[.]

STARTED:
Abbot, Tony. (2005). Kringle. New York: Scholastic.

[Thought I'd get in the holiday spirit.]

*

FINISHED:

Alexander, Lloyd. (1968). The high king. New York: Henry Holt and Company.

[.]

STARTED:
Kinney, Jeff. (2009). Diary of a wimpy kid: Dog days. New York: Amulet/Abrams.

[I find these amusing.]

*

FINISHED:

Kinney, Jeff. (2009). Diary of a wimpy kid: Dog days. New York: Amulet/Abrams.

[.]

STARTED:
Clements, Andrew. (2009). Extra credit. New York: Atheneum/Simon & Schuster.

[A new Andrew Clements book!]

*

FINISHED:

Niffenegger, Audrey. (2009). Her fearful symmetry. New York: Scribner.

[Twin girls, upon reaching their 21st birthday(s), inherit an apartment in London owned by their mother's twin who recently passed away. After moving in they interact with the man downstairs who was their aunt's lover, an OCD hoarder agoraphobic upstairs, and a large old cemetery right outside their door. The girls are unsure of where they want their lives to go and are dreadfully unable to do anything without the other one around Secrets abound and supernatural occurrences in their apartment slowly draw the twins apart until one makes a drastic decision in an effort to permanently cut ties with her sister. Not bad... it kept me pretty well engaged but not super compelled to keep reading. In truth, I much preferred The Time Travelers Wife - it just seemed to have more of a central story to push everything along. Here, there are a couple of characters who just seem there to pad the novel and the whole thing lacks a real central storyline. I enjoyed it for the most part, but thought that it had so much potential that wasn't quite reached.]

STARTED:
Alexander, Lloyd. (1968). The high king. New York: Henry Holt and Company.

[Finishing up the series... finally.]

*

FINISHED:

Anderson, M.T. (2005). Whales on stilts. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, Inc.

[.]

STARTED:
Niffenegger, Audrey. (2009). Her fearful symmetry. New York: Scribner.

[.]

*

FINISHED:

Hague, Michael. (2008). In the small. New York: Little, Brown and Company.

[.]

*

FINISHED:

Dashner, James. (2009). The maze runner. New York: Delacorte/Random House.

[LOVED THIS. BEST YA BOOK OF THE YEAR, in my opinion.

Thomas wakes in a freight elevator to find himself in the middle of a wide glade surrounded by towering, vine-covered walls, without any memory of who he is or where he may have come from. Similarly, the other boys he comes to meet in the Glade have no idea how they got there or how to get out: there are doors in the walls which lead to various mazes, but the mazes change every day and are filled, at night, with hideous beasts they have named Grievers. When a girl appears in the elevator the day after Thomas arrives remarking, “Everything is going to change,” Thomas and the other boys, some with hostile accusations, begin to wonder if this all doesn’t have something to do with him. Thomas is a likeable character through whose eyes the reader gets to also experience and unravel the bewildering events, and sprinkled throughout are bizarre and intriguing clues to who or what may be behind the maze (beetles with the word WICKED printed on their backs? a cliff in the middle of the maze which leads to nowhere?) which will keep readers enthralled and guessing. Dashner’s novel, the first in a trilogy, is a page-turning dazzler with chapter cliffhangers which demand continuing on to the next chapter. Definitely hand this one to those who are thirsting for other dystopian thrillers like Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games (Scholastic, 2008).]

STARTED:
Anderson, M.T. (2005). Whales on stilts. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, Inc.

[.]

*

FINISHED:

Peck, Richard. (2009). A season of gifts. New York: Dial/Penguin.

[.]

STARTED:
Dashner, James. (2009). The maze runner. New York: Delacorte/Random House.

[Read good things about this one - plus, the premise seems like a winner.]

*

FINISHED:

Look, Lenore. (2009). Alvin Ho: allergic to camping, hiking, and other natural disasters. New York: Random House.

[.]

STARTED:
Peck, Richard. (2009). A season of gifts. New York: Dial/Penguin.

[.]

*

FINISHED:

Lethem, Jonathan. (2009). Chronic city. New York: Doubleday.

[.]

STARTED:
Look, Lenore. (2009). Alvin Ho: allergic to camping, hiking, and other natural disasters. New York: Random House.

[.]

*

FINISHED:

Levithan, David. (2003). Boy meets boy. New York: Knopf/Random House.

[Liked this one a lot because it - as is always welcome - dealt with homosexuality as mostly a non-issue. It was a teen romance novel in which the main protagonist happened to be gay.]

STARTED:
Lethem, Jonathan. (2009). Chronic city. New York: Doubleday.

[Read about this one in a "Best Upcoming Books of the Fall" article.]

*

FINISHED:

Dahl, Roald. (1970). Fantastic Mr. Fox. New York: Knopf/Random House.

[.]

STARTED:
Levithan, David. (2003). Boy meets boy. New York: Knopf/Random House.

[Recommended by a friend and colleague.]

*

FINISHED:

Standiford, Natalie. (2009). How to say goodbye in robot. New York: Scholastic.

[Review to come...]

STARTED:
Dahl, Roald. (1970). Fantastic Mr. Fox. New York: Knopf/Random House.

[Thought it was about time that I read this one, what with the movie coming out and all.]

*

FINISHED:

Lieb, Josh. (2009). I am a genius of unspeakable evil and I want to be your class president. New York: Razorbill/Penguin.

[Review forthcoming...

Seventh-grader Oliver Watson has everyone fooled: while it would appear that he’s just shy of being a complete moron, in reality Oliver is the 3rd richest person in the world (although it is a recovering alchoholic named Lionel Sheldrake who acts as figurehead for Oliver’s business dealings) with a secret lair under his parents house and countless minions (many of whom he doesn’t even know) who will do ANYTHING that Oliver wishes with just a whisper. What Oliver wants right now is to be 8th grade class president in order to stick it to his distant father who brags about having been class president back in his schooling days. Former “Daily Show” producer Lieb has crafted a laugh-out-loud debut novel loaded with hilarious footnoted asides, bizarre situations, unbelievable gadgets, and a teacher who Oliver messes with by having messages printed on the teacher’s cigarettes. Although, for many, Oliver may come off as a bit nihilistic, despicable, and narcissistic, he is somewhat redeemed in a heartwarming ending. Perfect for any young adult (or adult) who feels like an outsider and wishes they could rule the world.]

STARTED:
Standiford, Natalie. (2009). How to say goodbye in robot. New York: Scholastic.

[Reviewing for ACL.]

*

FINISHED:

Hautman, Pete. (2009). How to steal a car. New York: Scholastic.

[Review to come...

One evening while hanging out at the mall with her best friend, Kelleigh witnesses a gentleman unknowingly drop the keys to his car and, on a bored whim, Kelleigh picks them up and decides to go for a joyride. Without guilt, remorse, or malicious intent, Kelleigh ends up taking more cars around the block for a spin and, eventually, even decides to help a schoolmate car thief. What makes this all so confounding is that Kelleigh is really a good girl with good grades, typical boy problems, and whose family eats at the dinner table together every night, thus begging the question, “Well, why does she decide to start stealing cars?” The novel also brings up intriguing questions of moral right and wrong when we discover that Kelleigh’s father, a lawyer, is defending a likely rapist with a less than airtight alibi, as well as depicting the process of growing up and learning the realities of adulthood: mainly, that adults are capable of fault and often make bad decisions themselves. Clocking in at a brisk 176 pages, this would be a strong choice to hand to a reluctant female high school reader. (Reviewed from ARC)]

STARTED:
Lieb, Josh. (2009). I am a genius of unspeakable evil and I want to be your class president. New York: Razorbill/Penguin.

[Reviewing for ACL.]

*

FINISHED:

Gaiman, Neil. (2008). The graveyard book. New York: HarperCollins.

[I was actually much more impressed with this one that I thought I might be. The novel begins with a family of 4 being murdered by a mysterious stranger. Well, actually, only 3 are murdered - the baby boy crawls out of his crib, out the front door, and into a nearby graveyard where he is taken in and raised by the (eccentric) ghosts of the graveyard's inhabitants. Somewhat episodic, Bod (his "adoptive" parents name the boy Nobody Owens) wanders the graveyard finding treasure in an old tomb, helps to get a gravestone for a witch, befriends a young girl, eventually attends school (though is careful to keep a low profile), and learns life lessons and tricks from the local ghosts. Naturally, there is a thread of dread throughout knowing that the tall dark stranger who murdered Bods parents is searching for Bod in order to finish the job. A ghostly take on Kipling's "Jungle Book" stories that satisfied my need to read something Halloween-seasonal.]

STARTED:
Hautman, Pete. (2009). How to steal a car. New York: Scholastic.

[Reviewing for ACL.]

*

FINISHED:

Curtis, Christopher Paul. (1999). Bud, not Buddy. New York: Yearling/Random House.

[Damn, this guy can write.]

STARTED:
Gaiman, Neil. (2008). The graveyard book. New York: HarperCollins.

[Was trying to find a good one to read for the Halloween season and this one jumped off my shelf. I buy the Newbery and Caldecott winners each year, so I've had it sitting around and have been meaning to get to it.]

*

FINISHED:

Stead, Rebecca. (2009). When you reach me. New York: Wendy Lamb/Random House.

[This one did not disappoint - HIGHLY enjoyable. While I didn't find the big reveal all that surprising, I'm sure that a younger reader would be mystified and have MANY questions. Miranda is a young teen growing up in the late '70s with her mother and her mother's boyfriend. Along with helping her mother prepare for an appearance on the game show "The $20,000 Pyramid", Miranda is dealing with a best friend who seems to be slipping away and trying to figure out what is going on with mysterious notes that appear for her which seem to have knowledge of events that have yet to happen. This is a brilliantly crafted puzzle with little clues and facts being dropped here and there about these mysterious notes, while also being an effective novel about friendship and how kids treat each other while in their early teens. Completely readable and thought-provoking, this one makes you want to read it all over again once you finish the last sentence.]

STARTED:
Curtis, Christopher Paul. (1999). Bud, not Buddy. New York: Yearling/Random House.

[Been on my list of ones to read for quite awhile - especially since I LOVED Elijah of Buxton.]

*

FINISHED:

L'Engle, Madeleine. (1962). A wrinkle in time. New York: Dell/Yearling.

[.]

STARTED:
Stead, Rebecca. (2009). When you reach me. New York: Wendy Lamb/Random House.

[Yippee! Looking forward to it!]

*

FINISHED:

Hicks, Clifford B. (1963). Alvin's secret code. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

[A fun little classic. Alvin, his pestering sister, and his best friend find a cryptic note in the gutter one afternoon. Naturally, they believe it to be some secret spy note and set forth to break the note's code. Along with the assistance of an old invalid in the neighborhood who is somewhat of an expert on codes, the trio learn about different kinds of secret codes including how some retail establishments code their wares. The main narrative here involves the trio helping a woman to find a lost "treasure" from slave days which the woman hopes will help her fund her ailing orphanage. FUN, informative, and interactive. PLUS, there is a whole series of tales of Alvin and his gang to entertain and amuse! Encyclopedia Brown, watch out...]

STARTED:
L'Engle, Madeleine. (1962). A wrinkle in time. New York: Dell/Yearling.

[I've NEVER read this one before... I KNOW!! I'm actually reading it in preparation for reading "When You Reach Me".]

*

FINISHED:

Rodgers, Mary, and Hach, Heather. (2009). Freaky Monday. New York: HarperCollins.

[Well, this one lacked SO much of the dry wit and humor of the Rodgers' originals from the '70s and '80s. Here, Hadley is a star middle school student who feels self-conscious, is EXTREMELY jealous of her older sister's beauty, and realizes that she has thrown herself so much into her studies that she really has no social life. Ms. Pitt is the ultimate English teacher: progressive, thought-provoking, and LOVES each of her students dearly. One morning, after Hadley's failed report on "To Kill a Mockingbird", these two switch bodies and spend a day in each other's shoes. Hadley, as Ms. Pitt, has to deal with school administrators, an English department head interview, and the advances of a fellow teacher. Ms. Pitt, as Hadley, has to deal with Hadley's upset sister, a school dance, and the (hopeful) advances of a fellow student. While Hadley's story is interesting - she really is a deep, intelligent girl in the middle of an existential crisis - but there's no real reason for these two to switch like there was in the original stories. Stick to the classics, I say.]

STARTED:
Hicks, Clifford B. (1963). Alvin's secret code. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

[Shelving at the library I come across SO MANY books that look interesting. This is one that kept popping up - admittedly, it is the artwork by Bill Sokol that really drew me in...]

*

FINISHED:

North, Joan. (1965). The cloud forest. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.

[.]

STARTED:
Rodgers, Mary, and Hach, Heather. (2009). Freaky Monday. New York: HarperCollins.

[This is apparently the year where I read all of the Rodgers body switching books - and here's a BRAND NEW one!]

*

FINISHED:

Westerfeld, Scott. (2009). Leviathan. New York: Simon & Schuster.

[My ACL review posted here soon. I LOVED it, though.

After Prince Alek’s parents, Archduke Ferdinand and Princess Sophie, are murdered in Serbia he is whisked away by fellows of the court for safety purposes aboard a metal walking machine. Meanwhile, a girl named Deryn poses as a boy, Dylan, so that she may join the Air Service and fly aboard the Leviathan, an organic, hydrogen powered, genetically created whale-beast. Alek and Deryn’s parallel stories finally converge (halfway through the novel) when the Leviathan crashes on a mountain glacier near the outpost castle where Alek is being hidden away from possible assassins, and both have a secret about their true identities to keep from each other. This is an alternate take on the events surrounding WWI wherein this time, in addition to war breaking out between countries, there is a divide between the Clankers, who rely on man-made oil and metal war machines, and the Darwinists, who have aircraft and vehicles born of genetically combined and modified beasts. In the end, Westerfeld has Alek and the other Clankers, and Deryn and the other Darwinists, being forced to combine their efforts and their machines while leaving plenty of unanswered details (such as some mysterious eggs that the Darwinists are keeping safe) for further installments of a planned series. Westerfeld, author of the Uglies series (Thorndike, 2005-2008) has constructed a richly detailed steampunk world with vivid action sequences to match, and it’s all augmented by Keith Thompson’s intricate illustrations. This one has great crossover appeal for boys, girls, and fans of science fiction, fantasy, and historical fiction – and all will be hungry for Westerfeld’s next tome in this exciting new series.]

STARTED:
North, Joan. (1965). The cloud forest. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.

[Recommended as a classic favorite by a colleague.]

*

FINISHED:

Crutcher, Chris. (2009). Angry management: Three novellas. New York: Greenwillow/HarperCollins.

[ACL review to come...

An overweight teen takes a facially scarred girl to Reno to confront the mother that abandoned her with an abusive father; a goth girl who writes for the school paper fights censorship and falls for the school jock while looking out for her foster sister; and a gay, African American student in a white, rural school finds a pink noose on his locker. These three short stories comprise Crutcher’s latest which also happens to bring back and throw together characters from some of his earlier novels. It’s all quite timely and important, but at the same time overly ambitious, incredibly didactic and message-y: even a devout Christian gives a monologue on how racism and homophobia are wrong (“Jesus didn’t care whether you were some other color than pasty white, or whether or not you were gay. His Father made them and He loved them all.”) In addition, there is a bracketing device involving a teen counselor which goes nowhere and has very little to do with the stories themselves. While it’s appreciated that Crutcher has brought up for discussion a number of pressing issues, it feels a bit overstated and preachy.]

STARTED:
Westerfeld, Scott. (2009). Leviathan. New York: Simon & Schuster.

[Reviewing for ACL.]

*

FINISHED:

Beil, Michael D. (2009). The red blazer girls. New York: HarperCollins

[.]

STARTED:
Crutcher, Chris. (2009). Angry management: Three novellas. New York: Greenwillow/HarperCollins.

[Reading to review for ACL.]

*

FINISHED:

Cooper, Susan. (1965). Over sea, under stone. New York: Simon & Schuster.

[.]

STARTED:
Beil, Michael D. (2009). The red blazer girls. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

[With a title and cover like the ones this has, how could I possibly resist?]

*

FINISHED:

Korman, Gordon. (2001). Island: Escape. New York: Scholastic.

[I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this short series. Really, they took no time at all to read (perfect for reluctant readers!), the kids were varied in their personalities and knowledge-bases, and there was a decent amount of action and suspense. Six young people who have been deemed as "troubled" for various reasons by their families converge on a small boat for an "Outward Bound"-ish adventure. Soon after setting sail, the weather turns nasty, the ocean waves begin to swell, and then all hell breaks loose with the kids eventually finding themselves stranded on a (seemingly...) deserted island. Will and Lyssa are violently feuding brother and sister, Luke is the smart and misunderstood (and framed!) hero, Ian is the TV kid whose survival know-how comes from watching countless hours of the Discovery Channel, Charla is a super-fit all-sports star, and J.J. is the delinquent and spoiled son of a famous Hollywood actor. Together these 6 battle the elements, each other, and... other things (don't want to spoil the fun!!)... in this breezy, tense, and compelling survival series. I think I may try one of Korman's other short series.]

STARTED:
Cooper, Susan. (1965). Over sea, under stone. New York: Simon & Schuster.

[Thought that it was about time I gave this classic series a try - seems like it should be right up my alley.]

*

FINISHED:

Korman, Gordon. (2001). Island: Survival. New York: Scholastic.

[.]

STARTED:
Korman, Gordon. (2001). Island: Escape. New York: Scholastic.

[.]

*

FINISHED:

Korman, Gordon. (2001). Island: Shipwreck. New York: Scholastic.

[.]

STARTED:
Korman, Gordon. (2001). Island: Survival. New York: Scholastic.

[.]

*

FINISHED:

Teague, Mark. (2009). The doom machine.. New York: Blue Sky/Scholastic.

[.]

STARTED:
Korman, Gordon. (2001). Island: Shipwreck. New York: Scholastic.

[Giving the three in this series a go. I don't think I've read anything by Korman before, and this series has always intrigued me. Must be due to my overwhelming love for LOST.]

*

STARTED:
Teague, Mark. (2009). The doom machine.. New York: Blue Sky/Scholastic.

[Reviewing for ACL. Review to follow...]

*

FINISHED:

Wilson, N.D. (2007). 100 cupboards. New York: Random House.

[Henry's parents go missing so he has to move in with his uncle, aunt, and cousins. In the middle of the night, one of the walls in the attic bedroom where Henry is staying begins to crack, revealing a bunch of little built-in doors. Eventually, Henry and his cousin Henrietta find a key in one of the little cupboard doors which opens up the impenetrable door to his grandfather's old room. AND, in grandfather's room is a cupboard door big enough to crawl through - the pair discover that turning a couple of knobs built into the cupboard-filled wall changes where the door in grandfather's room will lead. Liked this one a lot - especially the whole idea of a wall filled with little doors that each open to some other world/dimension: wind and the smell of the forest come through one of the doors, and through another one can be seen yellow walls and the occassional glimpse of a pantleg. Fascinating.]

STARTED:
Wilson, N.D. (2009). Dandelion fire. New York: Random House.

[Moving right on to Book 2 - reading it to see if I deem it worthy to be on the ACL Distinguished Books List for 2009...]

*

FINISHED:

Huxley, Aldous. (1932). Brave new world/Brave new world revisited. New York: HarperCollins.

[Um, this is SO not the book I remember reading in high school English class. Come to think about it, maybe I only read the chapters that I had to do a presentation on. Lots of stuff to think about... Read a bunch of Revisited, but ultimately gave up. I honestly had thought that it was a novel as well - while it is certainly an interesting and thought provoking essay, I just needed to start reading some light fiction again..]

STARTED:
Wilson, N.D. (2007). 100 cupboards. New York: Random House.

[Have heard great things about this one - need to read the sequel, Dandelion Fire, for ACL distinguished list, so I figured it would be a good time to read it.]

*

FINISHED:

MacDonald, George. (1969). The light princess. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

[Well, it doesn't seem like it would fly all that well with youth today. As I started to read it I thought, "This might make a good, short read-aloud..." and then quickly reconsidered. The language was SO antiquated and odd. Many times I not only tripped up on the words, but had a difficult time trying to figure out who he was talking about and/or what was happening. Yes, it's the story of a princess who is born without gravity and discovers that in water she feels "normal". Soon, the evil princess who cursed the disability onto the princess does a spell to drain the lake and kingdom of all it's water. It is then that a roaming prince who has become smitten with the princess volunteers to sacrifice himself to save the princess and kingdom.]

STARTED:
Huxley, Aldous. (1932). Brave new world/Brave new world revisited. New York: HarperCollins.

[An old classic that I remember reading in high school English class and have been wanting to revisit now that I'm older and wiser.]

*

FINISHED:

Barnes, John. (2009). Tales of the Madman underground. New York: Viking.

[Have yet to write my ACL review. Can't believe it took me SO LONG to finish...]

STARTED:
MacDonald, George. (1969). The light princess. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

[Have been wanting to read this short story (here, with Maurice Sendak's stunning illustrations) because Tori Amos is writing a musical based on it.]

*

FINISHED:

Choldenko, Gennifer. (2009). Al Capone shines my shoes. New York: Dial/Penguin.

[My ACL review:

After Al Capone does Moose a favor by getting his autistic sister into a special school, Moose receives a note in his laundry saying, “Your turn.” How could a 12-year old boy living on Alcatraz Island in 1935 with his prison guard father help a notorious con? And, should he even help Capone or will this keep him under Capone’s thumb forever? In this worthy follow up to Newbery Honor-winning Al Capone Does My Shirts (Putnam, 2004), Choldenko puts the focus firmly on family relations, friendship, and budding young love. Moose’s gang of friends on Alcatraz are all here again, this time around getting more fleshed out and involved, and the storyline surrounding Moose’s sister Natalie is deftly handled: Natalie, now at the Esther P. Marinoff School, has a firm teacher who gets her to become more socially engaged thus showing Moose, his family, and some of the island inhabitants who don’t understand Natalie that she is capable of much more than they thought. Choldenko, who lives in the Bay Area, includes an author’s note about autism in which she insightfully parallels being autistic with living in a prison, as well as living on an island by oneself, and a note which examines the reality versus the fiction of some of the novel’s events. (NOTE: a captioned map of Alcatraz is to be included in the final printing but was unavailable in the uncopyedited reader’s copy used for this review.) Readers who got caught up in Moose’s adventures on Alcatraz the first time around will love this well-paced sequel.]

STARTED:
Barnes, John. (2009). Tales of the Madman underground. New York: Viking.

[Reviewing for ACL. So far, it's quite good (it got MANY starred reviews...) but a bit over-the-top...]

*

FINISHED:

Meyer, Stephenie. (2005). Twilight. New York: Little, Brown and Company.

[Well, I personally didn't see what all the fuss was about. It took me WAY longer to read than it should have, and, although I can't stand to label it as such, it really came across as WAY too girly-romancey. A lot of talking about feelings and gazing into each other's eyes thoughtfully. I can easily see, though, how so many teen girls LOVE it: Edward is the quintessential "bad boy" type - forbidden and dangerous! - who is too beautiful to resist.]

STARTED:
Choldenko, Gennifer. (2009). Al Capone shines my shoes. New York: Dial/Penguin.

[Reading an ARC of this anticipated sequel - reviewing for ACL...]

*

FINISHED:

Barshaw, Ruth McNally. (2007). Ellie McDoodle: Have pen will travel. New York: Bloomsbury.

[As suspected, this is kind of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" for girls.]

STARTED:
Meyer, Stephenie. (2005). Twilight. New York: Little, Brown and Company.

[It's time...]

*

FINISHED:

Watson, Jude. (2009). Beyond the grave. New York: Scholastic.

[Is it me, or did this one have pretty obvious product placement in it? Praising the fact that the Gap sells t-shirts in a wide variety of colors? Are we REALLY supposed to be able to follow along and solve the clues with Amy and Dan? The two of them seem to be taking leaps in logic and connection - so how are we supposed to keep up? Sure, I figured out the code in the hieroglyphics on a few pages where the page numbers should be, but if I got the cards and all would it really all make some kind of sense??]

STARTED:
Barshaw, Ruth McNally. (2007). Ellie McDoodle: Have pen will travel. New York: Bloomsbury.

[Looks fun.]

*

FINISHED:

Stroud, Jonathan. (2009). Heroes of the valley. New York: Hyperion.

[LOVED. Recommending for the ACL 2009 Distinguished Books list.

Here's what I wrote for the review:

Many years ago, the twelve House heads of the valley banded together to fight off the evil, subterranean Trow. Now, many years later with the Trow at bay, Halli Sveinsson, a stubby and unattractive youth who happens to be in line for the head of his House, sets out to seek revenge against those from another House in the valley whom he witnessed murdering his uncle. Stroud, author of the celebrated Bartimeaus Trilogy (Hyperion, 2003-2006), has crafted an engaging adventure story brimming with action, intrigue, murder, legend, and mystery that borrows heavily from Viking lore. Surprisingly, there’s also a good amount of humor to be found here which serves to make the characters all the more human and believable. A romance bubbles between Halli and Aud, a young “princess” of her House, and Aud helps Halli to question all that he has been taught about the hero of his house, Svein – whose tales are told at the beginning of each chapter. As it turns out, all of the other Houses in the valley have similar stories about their heroes who participated in the conquering of the Trow, each claiming that their House’s hero was the greatest of them all. In addition, the very existence of the Trow is questioned; although no one has actually seen one in generations, everyone has just taken for granted that they exist based on lore. These plot points bring up the timely and important idea of questioning our heroes and what our elders have always told us to worship or fear. What (or who…) are the real demons that haunt us? And isn’t it true that we don’t have to live in the shadows of our heroes but all have the ability to be ones ourselves?]

STARTED:
Watson, Jude. (2009). Beyond the grave. New York: Scholastic.

[Only on Book #4?!? Not really sure why I keep reading these... I guess I just hope that there will be some big payoff in the end which will make it all worth it. If they weren't so short and light I would've given up a long time ago.]

*

FINISHED:

Rodgers, Mary. (1982). Summer switch. New York: Harper & Row.

[Entertaining, but nowhere near my favorite of hers. I was also surprised by the homophobic slurs throughout...]

STARTED:
Stroud, Jonathan. (2009). Heroes of the valley. New York: Hyperion.

[Read the first book in the Bartimaeus trilogy and thought that it was excellent (been meaning to read the other two... but they're a bit intimidating in their size...) - this one's been getting great reviews.]

*

FINISHED:

Augarde, Steve. (2009). Winter wood. New York: David Fickling Books.

[LOVE this series. As I tell everyone, these have that sense of being modern CLASSICS. Just wish that the US edition of this one was consistent with the first two titles which featured Augarde's woodcuts...]

STARTED:
Rodgers, Mary. (1982). Summer switch. New York: Harper & Row.

[Was AMAZED to see this one on the shelves at BPL. Though I knew that the original film of "Freaky Friday" ended with it looking like the father and son would switch bodies, I had no idea that there was an actual book written about it!]

*

FINISHED:

Collins, Suzanne. (2009). Catching fire. New York: Scholastic.

[GOOD STUFF. Probably shouldn't say any more about it until it's actually published...]

STARTED:
Augarde, Steve. (2009). Winter wood. New York: David Fickling Books.

[SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS ONE!! I'm telling you, the first two books in this trilogy are modern masterpieces and I can't wait to find out how it is all wrapped up.]

*

FINISHED:

Hunter, Erin. (2009). Seekers #3: Smoke Mountain. New York: HarperCollins.

[.]

STARTED:
Collins, Suzanne. (2009). Catching fire. New York: Scholastic.

[Got a hold of an ADVANCED READER'S COPY! It's good to be colleagues with veterans in the field...]

*

FINISHED:

Troup, Gary. (2006). Bad twin. New York: Hyperion.

[.]

STARTED:
Hunter, Erin. (2009). Seekers #3: Smoke Mountain. New York: HarperCollins.

[Number 3 - must read right away... she's got me hooked.]

*

FINISHED:

Collins, Suzanne. (2003). Gregor the Overlander. New York: Scholastic

[.]

STARTED:
Troup, Gary. (2006). Bad twin. New York: Hyperion.

[Read this one when it came out a few years ago - it's a novel supposedly written by an author who died on Oceanic flight 815. Reading it again, now that we've been through 5 seasons of "LOST," to see if it resonates any more than it did before.]

*

FINISHED:

Blundell, Judy. (2008). What I saw and how I lied. New York: Scholastic.

[.]

STARTED:
Collins, Suzanne. (2003). Gregor the Overlander. New York: Scholastic.

[Been wanting to read the first one in this series for quite awhile - even before I had heard of "The Hunger Games".]

*

So, I fell behind for, really, the first time in the few years that I've been doing this blog... Really, though, all that I read in the interim is a couple of short story collections for ACL review. Not really worth mentioning...

FINISHED:

Lerangis, Peter. (2009). The 39 clues: The sword thief. New York: Scholastic.

[Slight. So, again (?), we're already on Book 3 and our sibling protagonists have found how many clues? Not many, it seems. With 39 to find, how long is this series?? All I remember about this one is being duped on an airline flight, getting separated from their babysitter and dog, and going around with their uncle (?) to Tokyo. Is all of that even correct?]

STARTED:
Blundell, Judy. (2008). What I saw and how I lied. New York: Scholastic.

[Recommended by a colleague... oh, and it also won the National Book Award...]

*