STARTED & FINISHED: 
Westerfeld, Scott. (2018). Spill Zone #2: The Broken Vow. New York: First Second/Roaring Brook.

[.]

STARTED:
Springstubb, Tricia. (2015). Moonpenny Island. New York: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins.

[Just one of my absolute favorite books, which I try to read every year.]

*

FINISHED: 
Westerfeld, Scott. (2017). Spill Zone. New York: First Second/Roaring Brook.

[.]

STARTED:
Holm, Jennifer L. (2017). Swing It, Sunny. New York: Scholastic.

[.]

*

FINISHED:
Neuvel, Sylvain. (2017). Waking Gods [The Themis Files: Book 2]. New York: Del Rey/Penguin Random House.

[.]

STARTED:
Tynion IV, James. (2017). The Backstagers: Volume 1: Rebels Without Applause. Los Angeles: BOOM! Box.

[.]

*

There were a few books in between this post and the last, I just need to remember what they were...

FINISHED:
Pfeffer, Susan Beth. (2013). The shade of the moon. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

[.]


STARTED:
Lawrence, Caroline. (2013). P.K. Pinkerton and the petrified man. New York: Penguin/Putnam.

[.]

*

FINISHED:
Hunter, Erin. (2012). Survivors: the empty city. New York: HarperCollins.

[After surviving a catastrophic natural event that has left the city in ruins and caused all humans (a.k.a. longpaws) to evacuate leaving the city desolate, Lucky escapes from the cage in the “Trap House” where he found himself and sets out to fend for food and shelter.  Lucky eventually comes across, and grudgingly agrees to “lead”, a diverse pack of wayward dogs who were all pets before The Big Growl and now don’t know how to survive on their own, and ends up training his long-lost sister to become the leader of the group.  In this dystopian dog story (dystopian stories aren’t just for humans anymore!), the Erin Hunter consortium (in this case, Gillian Philip) turns its eye to canines after its success with cats (Warriors) and bears (Seekers).  This one continues to spread the messages of Earth preservation and spirituality found in the other series, but the plot wanders as aimlessly as the pack of dogs, a lot is left unexplained (What caused The Big growl?  How did all of the human evacuate so quickly?  Why was Lucky in the the “Trap House” to begin with?), and there are some ridiculous exchanges between the pups.  For instance, when one of the dogs suggests putting the food they have scavenged into the cold river and calling it a “cold-box”, one of the other dogs remarks, “But can we call it our ‘river-store’?  Instead of a cold-box?”  The first replies, “Well, I don’t see why not.  That’s a much better name anyway.  More… more doggish.”  Sure, because it seems more “doggish” for an animal to have a complicated system of bartering goods than to be able to recognize a basic sensation and a simple shape…  That said, it is interesting to get to see Lucky turn from staunch loner to reluctant leader over the course of his journeys (as seems to be par for the course for Hunter’s protagonists) and ultimately try to get the former “pet dogs” to be self-sufficient.  A cliffhanger ending ensures that Hunter enthusiasts will pick up the next installment when it is released this coming spring.]

STARTED:
Meloy, Colin. (2012). Under Wildwood. New York: Balzer + Bray.

[Reviewing for ACL... but this doubles as a pleasure read because I loved the first book...]

*

FINISHED:
Walker, Karen Thompson. (2012). Age of Miracles: a novel. New York: Random House.

[Julia is on the cusp of her 12th birthday when the world changes:  the Earth's rotation begins to slow down causing the days to become longer.  Soon, the length of a day gets so long that the government steps in and decides that we should continue to live in a 24-hour cycle, with those who would rather continue to live by the rising and setting of the sun being labeled as outcasts who are forced to form their own communities.  In addition, everything we know about gravity and the Earth's magnetic fields begins to change, birds start falling from the skies, the tides are more extreme, whales beach themselves en masse, too much/too little sun makes it difficult for crops to grow, and a sickness strikes a number of the world's citizens.  This is the not-so-perky backdrop to Julia's typical preteen life navigating first love, her father's secrets, piano lessons, soccer practice, and difficult friendships with other girls.]

STARTED:
Steensland, Mark. (2012). Behind the bookcase. New York: Random House.

[Reviewing for ACL...]

*

FINISHED:
Norriss, Andrew. (2012). I don't believe it, Archie. New York: David Fickling/Random House.

[A week in the incredible life of Archie, the boy who seems to court strange happenings, and the girl whom he meets that wants to be around Archie to see for herself just how crazy things can get for him. Each day, Archie’s mother sends him on an errand from which he always gets sidetracked, with Archie eventually returning home, the errand undone, and his mother exclaiming, “I don’t believe it, Archie!” Monday’s adventures involve a runaway piano and a car that gets covered in gravel; Tuesday revolves around getting accused of killing a dog, though he actually ends up accidentally saving the dog’s life; on Wednesday, Archie helps to save his local library from being bulldozed and turned into a car park when he gets super-glued to the front door; Thursday involves being mistaken for a kidnapped child, etc. This is a mildly humorous, yet unnecessary, episodic Younger Reading title that is frequently maddening – most of the situations in which Archie finds himself could be stopped short if only the adults involved would shut up and let Archie talk. The many British-isms (post [mail], mum, lorry, etc.) may throw some younger readers for a loop, though each double-page spread has at least one pen and ink illustration to help make the text less intimidating. Kind of funny, bizarre, and definitely slight.]

STARTED:
Auxier, Jonathan. (2011). Peter Nimble and his fantastic eyes. New York: Amulet/Abrams.

[.]

*

FINISHED:
Brooks, Albert. (2011). 2030: The real story of what happens to America. New York: St. Martin's Press.

[.]

STARTED:
Silvey, Craig. (2011). Jasper Jones. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

[.]

*

FINISHED:
Napoli, Donna Jo. (2010). The wager. New York: Henry Holt.

[.]

STARTED:
Wallenfels, Stephen. (2009). POD. Honesdale, PA: Namelos.

[Heard great things and read some great reviews. Sounds right up my alley.]

*

FINISHED:
Pfeffer, Susan Beth. (2010). this world we live in. New York: Harcourt/Houghton Mifflin.

[.]

STARTED:
Hunter, Erin. (2010). Seekers: The last wilderness. New York: HarperCollins.

[For some reason, she's got me hooked on this series of hers...]

*

FINISHED:

Baccalario, Pierdomenico. [trans. Leah D. Janeczko]. (2009). Ring of fire (Century quartet: Book 1). New York: Random House.

[.]

STARTED:
Heiligman, Deborah. (2009). Charles and Emma: The Darwin's leap of faith. New York: Henry Holt.

[.]

*

FINISHED:

Byars, Betsy. (1976). The tv kid. New York: Viking.

[.]

STARTED:
Buckley-Archer, Linda. (2006). Gideon the cutpurse: Being the first part of the Gideon trilogy. New York: Simon & Schuster.

[Been on my list for quite awhile.]

*

FINISHED:

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

[.]

*

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:

Pfeffer, Susan Beth. (2006). Life as we knew it. Orlando, FL: Harcourt.

[I had been told by a couple of people that this one is better than The Dead and the Gone, but I think the opposite - maybe it depends on which one you read first, eh? Don't get me wrong, I was still compelled by Miranda and her family's story, but I thought that Alex's tale was tighter and moved along better. I mean, not a whole lot really happens in this one when you really think about it. It all pretty much takes place in Miranda's family's house - thinking about food, mom and brothers get sick, electricity comes on and goes off, they need to wash their clothes by hand in melted snow, they've got cross-country skis, Miranda goes ice skating, there's an older neighbor and Miranda has a friend who has gone off the deep end into crazy religiousness. I just thought there was a sense of more at stake in Alex's life. Supposedly, there's a third book coming and I am looking forward to it.]


STARTED & FINISHED:

Kibuishi, Kazu [Ed.]. (2008). Flight: Explorer, Volume 1. New York: Villard.

[Just a quick little graphic novel filled with a bunch of short stories by a number of different authors/illustrators.]

STARTED:
Augarde, Steve. (2004). The various. Oxford, England; New York: David Fickling/Random House.

[Been on my list for awhile - heard such good things about it and the sequel. It was name-checked in one of the Penderwick books and it renewed my interest.]

*

FINISHED:

Pfeffer, Susan Beth. (2008). The dead and the gone. Orlando, FL: Harcourt.

[LOVED this one - it still haunts me. I thought it was so great that I nominated it for inclusion in the ACL end of the year Distinguished Books list. Here's the review I wrote for ACL:

A meteor has struck the moon, knocking it out of it’s normal orbit, and thus causing catastrophic tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions around the world. As both of their parents were away at the time a tsunami hit the east coast, 17-year-old Alex and his two younger sisters are forced to live through the ensuing devastation in New York City alone, even as the sun disappears (forever?) behind a layer of ash, and dead bodies begin to litter the streets. While many flee New York for the country where they believe things are less dire, Alex and his sisters remain in the city, hopeful that their parents will be able to find them if they happen to return, going to great lengths to find food and warmth. Brilliantly told, we are right there with Alex, only finding out tiny bits and pieces of what is happening in New York and the rest of the world as he does through occasional radio transmissions and the words of others. A companion novel to Pfeffer’s own Life As We Knew It (Harcourt, 2006), this is a harrowing, yet powerful, tale of the lengths that a young man must go through in order to survive and protect his family in a time of crisis and uncertainty. Alex is a complex character, frightened and unsure, yet selfless and strong, forced to make many difficult decisions on his own. Disturbing (Alex and a friend go “body shopping” on Monday mornings, stripping dead bodies of valuables which they can trade for food) and heartbreaking (Alex walks among the unidentified dead bodies being held in Yankee Stadium to see if any of them are his mother), this is a frightening, post-Katrina examination of how things might play out in the event of a worldwide catastrophe. Less science fiction and more actually within the realm of possibility, this novel is sure to linger with the reader long after they’ve put it down.]

STARTED:
Pfeffer, Susan Beth. (2006). Life as we knew it. Orlando, FL: Harcourt.

[Had to read the previously published "companion" novel.]

*

STARTED & FINISHED:

Salisbury, Graham. (2007). Night of the howling dogs. New York: Wendy Lamb/Random House.

[What a surprisingly quick read. It helped that it was a TOTAL page-turner! I didn't even realize that I was a fan of "survival" lit... I'm reviewing it for ACL, so I'll put up the full review here when I've written it. Here's the review [I submitted it to go on the Distinguished list:

In Hilo, Hawaii, in the winter of 1975, a small troop of boy scouts set out to explore a remote, and little explored, volcanic rock beach. Things start out pretty typical for the camping group, but after a night of traditional Hawaiian spirit tales around the campfire, told by some older men on a fishing trip, and the foreshadowing of Dylan, our narrator, hearing a couple of dogs howling in the middle of the night, all hell breaks loose for the scouting troop. A harrowing natural disaster causes the teenage boys to muster up every bit of courage and stamina they have in them in order to save themselves and help the other scouts. Based on a true story, this deftly paced page-turner is the horrible, yet empowering tale of how kids can come together calmly in a moment of extreme crisis in order to survive even the most extreme situations. For fans, especially boys, of survival fiction, this fictional account of an earthquake and subsequent tsunami also includes sharks, swarms of bees, and limited amounts of drinkable water and supplies while contending with broken bones and bloody cuts in the blazing sun, all taking place on an unstable dried lava terrain that threatens to shatter with each step. Interwoven is the story of how Dylan and the “bad, troubled kid” who comes along on the scouting trip are avoiding the fact that they have had a tense, previous encounter with each other. Also included is an Author’s Note, detailing how the author’s cousin was one of the scouts involved in the actual event and how they visited the site of the tragedy a few years after the fact. This is an exciting, quick read that has the potential to fly off the shelves.]

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