FINISHED:
Moore, David Barclay. (2017). The Stars Beneath Our Feet. New York: Knopf.

[.]

STARTED:
Burkey, Mary. (2013). Audiobooks for Youth: a Practical Guide to Sound Literature. Chicago: ALA Editions.

[Gearing up for the ALSC Notable Children's Recordings committee.]

*

FINISHED:
Clements, Andrew. (2014). The map trap. New York: Atheneum/Simon & Schuster.

[Alton is a fiend for maps, finding a way to turn the personalities of those around him into maps.  After his maps - some of which may be embarrassing to some of his subjects, like his first-year teacher whom he got into trouble - go missing, Alton has to follow the demands of a ransomer to get them back.  Not one of my favorites in the Clements cannon, but those who are already into his slimmer (this one is just 144 quick pages) school stories should enjoy this one.  Never mentioned in the text, I'm still wondering if Clements intended for the character of Alton to lie somewhere on the Asperger's spectrum, what with his obsession with maps and general inability to relate to his peers.]


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

[Rereading before seeing the movie.  This was my FAVORITE book of 2009, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it translates onto the big screen.  The book itself is so cinematic already, that it seems like the transition should be a pretty smooth one.]


*

FINISHED:
Lawrence, Caroline. (2012). The Case of the Deadly Desperados: Western Mysteries, Book One. New York: Putnam.

[ P.K. Pinkerton, a 12-year old, half Lakota indian living out in the Wild West in 1862, comes home one afternoon to find his foster parents slain and now on the run from outlaws who are after a piece of paper that P.K.’s mother entrusted to him on her deathbed; a piece of paper that would grant the bearer land believed to contain a large natural deposit of silver.   After hopping a stagecoach, P.K. finds himself in Virginia City and continually getting side-tracked on his way to get his paper notarized by engaging in a host of adventures including spending the night in an opium den while keeping watch over a prostitute, helping a guy cheat at poker, dodging bullets while disguised as a girl, and, ultimately, deep in a mine.  The first paragraph of the book reads, “My name is P.K. Pinterton and before this day is over I will be dead,” and it’s full speed ahead from there on out, with most chapters ending in classic “How will he possibly get out of this situation?” cliffhangers.  Lawrence draws a vivid and realistic depiction of the old West by including the rampant racism against Native Americans and Chinese during that time, and not shying away from gruesome details (scalping, chopping off a finger, etc.) or the fact that “soiled doves” (prostitutes) and opium dens existed in the city.  And, P.K.’s character is kept interesting and given depth by the fact that, although it is never explicitly spelled out – likely because it was never identified at the time – he is clearly operating somewhere on the autism spectrum, having a photographic memory, an amazing talent with numbers, and constantly having to consult his mental notes on what people’s various facial expressions might indicate about their motivations.  This is an explosive, nonstop beginning to what should be a rip-roaring, fun new series.  Includes a glossary of colloquial language used at the time and places and people (including Sam Clemens [a.k.a. Mark Twain]) referenced in the novel [Review based on ARC.] .]

STARTED:
Dumon Tak, Bibi. [Laura Watkinson, translator] (2011). Soldier bear. Grand Rapids, MI.: Eerdmans.

[.]

*

FINISHED:
Williams, Michael. (2011). Now is the time for running. New York: Little, Brown.

[.]

STARTED:
Lyga, Barry. (2011). Mangaman. New York: Houghton Mifflin.

[Reviewing for ACL.]

*

FINISHED:
Erskine, Kathryn. (2010). Mockingbird. New York: Philomel.

[.]

STARTED:
Alexie, Sherman. (2007). The absolutely true diary of a part-time indian. New York: Little, Brown and Company.

[Been on my list for awhile.]

*

FINISHED:
Houtman, Jacqueline. (2010). The reinvention of Edison Thomas. Honesdale, PA: Front Street/Boyds Mills.

[My review for ACL:

After a neighborhood school crossing guard is laid off, science wiz Edison Thomas, fearing for the safety of the other school children, attempts to construct a contraption that can that can take the place of a human at the intersection. Though never mentioned outright, Edison clearly lies somewhere on the high funtioning end of the Asperger’s/autism spectrum as he has weekly visits with a school therapist to help him distinguish facial cues, and is constantly baffled by figures of speech. Thus, scattered throughout the text are fun random facts and figures (all detailed in an appendix) from Edison’s cluttered brain which loosely pertain to situations/conversations in which he’s found himself. One of the strongest elements of Houtman’s tome is that it deals with the topical issue of bullying: Edison is unware, until it is brought to his attention by a new friend, that another boy whom he believes to be a friend is actually ridiculing Edison and attempting to get him in trouble. A strong novel of friendship and understanding, but one that will likely have limited appeal.]

STARTED:
Pullman, Philip. (2010). The good man Jesus and the scoundrel Christ. New York: Canongate/Publishers Group West.

[It's a blasphemous new Philip Pullman!]

*

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...]

*