Between The Lines

Between The Lines by Nikki Grimes, 216 pages

“Darrian dreams of writing for the New York Times. To hone his skills and learn more about the power of words, he enrolls in Mr. Ward's class, known for its open-mic poetry readings and boys vs. girls poetry slam. Everyone in class has something important to say, and in sharing their poetry, they learn that they all face challenges and have a story to tell-whether it's about health problems, aging out of foster care, being bullied for religious beliefs, or having to take on too much responsibility because of an addicted parent. As Darrian and his classmates get to know one another through poetry, they bond over the shared experiences and truth that emerge from their writing, despite their private struggles and outward differences.” This book almost makes me like poetry.  Grimes’s characters have some interesting things to say about poetry that I actually agree with.  I can’t say that I like the poems in this book better than others I’ve read, but I really enjoy the story and I may be able to better appreciate poetry in the future. This is a great book for teens who like realistic fiction, regardless of whether or not they like poetry.

Life According To Og The Frog

Life According To Og The Frog by Betty G. Birney, 150 pages

“The adventures in Humphrey's Room 26 are hopping back into the spotlight, from the perspective of Og the Frog!  When Og the Frog first comes to Room 26, he doesn't know what to think. He misses his friends from the pond, there are all kinds of strange noises, and the water is his tank just might be too clean (you know, a little muck never hurt anyone). But the furry, squeaky fellow living next to him is endlessly entertaining, the kids sure are friendly, and--BING, BANG, BOING!--they put big fat crickets right into his tank. All of this gives Og lots of ideas for one of his favorite pastimes--making up poems and songs. But he gets stumped when talk turns to sending him back to the pond. Will he have to say good-bye to Tabitha whose whole life just changed like his? Or Mandy who just started seeing the bright side of things with his help? And Humphrey, who he's finally beginning to figure out? Og's frog's-eye view of the world is curious, sympathetic, and poetic, and the perfect companion to The World According to Humphrey.” This is a cute series for younger chapter book readers.  I liked this addition to the series and kids who like animal stories will probably like the series in general and this book in particular.

American Street

American Street by Ibi Zoboi, 324 pages

“On the corner of American Street and Joy Road, Fabiola Toussaint thought she would finally find une belle vie--a good life. But after they leave Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Fabiola's mother is detained by U.S. immigration, leaving Fabiola to navigate her loud American cousins, Chantal, Donna, and Princess; the grittiness of Detroit's west side; a new school; and a surprising romance, all on her own. Just as she finds her footing in this strange new world, a dangerous proposition presents itself, and Fabiola soon realizes that freedom comes at a cost. Trapped at the crossroads of an impossible choice, will she pay the price for the American dream?” I liked this book but not as much as I wanted to.  This is a good book for teens who want gritty, realistic fiction.

Well, That Was Awkward

Well, That Was Awkward by Rachel Vail, 314 pages

“There are unexpected consequences when thirteen-year-old Gracie sends texts pretending to be her bashful best friend, Sienna, and their friend Emmett starts texting back pretending to be shy A.J.” Vail’s books manage to be serious and light-hearted at the same time.  She deals with issues that are very real for the age group but manages to not make them dark.  I would highly recommend her books for kids who like realistic fiction.

Bronx Masquerade

Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes, 167 pages

“While studying the Harlem Renaissance, students at a Bronx high school read aloud poems they've written, revealing their innermost thoughts and fears to their formerly clueless classmates.”  I thought I’d read this before because I’ve read a lot of Nikki Grimes’s books but I hadn’t.  Although I don’t care for the poetry format and only really liked a couple of the poems that the kids shared I liked what was happening in this story otherwise.  The revelations that the students were sharing with their classmates and the way they came together as a group made for a great story.  I would give this to reluctant teen readers because the format lends itself well to reading a small amount at a time and the book is not very long, which will appeal.  This is definitely a book for teens who like realistic fiction.

Malcolm Under The Stars

MalcolmUnder The Stars by W.H. Beck, 257 pages

This is the sequel to Malcolm at Midnight, which I liked a lot.  In this adventure, Malcolm, the rat in Mr. Binney's fifth grade classroom, discovers more problems at his beloved McKenna School.  This time the problem facing the Midnight Academy, the group of classroom animals from the school whose mission it is to protect the teachers and students, is larger than any they have ever seen before.  The school has significant problems that will cost a lot of money to fix and the board is discussing the possibility of closing the school.  This is devastating to the animals and to several of the kids and teachers as well.  There is one hope for the Midnight Academy; the promise of a legendary treasury hidden by Ernie Bowman, a former employee of the school.  If the Academy can find it, it may be enough money to save the school.  I really enjoyed this, maybe even more than the first book.  I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes animals, especially with a fantastical bent.  This is probably best for fourth through sixth grade.

Fuzzy Mud

Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar,181 pages

Tamaya has to walk to and from school with her neighbor, Marshall.  However, Marshall has decided today to go home through the woods because another boy, Chad, threatened to beat him up.  The kids aren't supposed to go in the woods but Tamaya decides to follow Marshall because either way she'd be breaking the rule.  Unfortunately, Chad also finds them in the woods and tries to make good on his threat.  Tamaya is scared but picks up a handful of mud and throws it in his face, giving her and Marshall time to get away.  Later that night Tamaya gets a rash on her hand.  And the next day Chad isn't at school.  This was a lot scarier and less funny than Sachar's usual books but it was a great story and I would recommend it to any elementary age kid that likes realistic fiction.

Silver

Silver by Chris Wooding, 313 pages

“The final exam is survival.  Paul is the new kid at Mortingham Boarding Academy, and he has a dark secret.  Caitlyn admires Paul from afar and resents that he only has eyes for Erika.  Erika thinks that she and Caitlyn are best friends, but she's wrong.  Adam is a bully with a major chip on his shoulder.  Mark is outgrowing his old friends but doesn't know how to make new ones.  In a few short hours, none of this will matter. Without warning, a horrifying infection will spread across the school grounds, and a group of students with little in common will find themselves barricaded in a classroom, fighting for their lives. Some will live. Some will die. And then it will get even worse.”  This was a totally creepy science fiction horror story for teens that I would highly recommend.  Once I got started I didn’t want to put it down.

Peas and Carrots

Peas and Carrots by Tanita S. Davis, 279 pages

Dess is a foster kid who has just come to stay with Hope and her family.  Hope's family has been taking care of Dess's little brother, Austin, for a while now and everyone has agreed that Dess should be with them also.  Dess and Hope are both sophomores and Hope's mom and the other adults at school seem to think that they should be best friends but the two of them are just like oil and water.  Dess can't stand that Hope seems so wimpy and Hope thinks that Dess is pushy and mean.  But the other kids at school like Dess and Hope keeps trying to be understanding and nice, even when she thinks Dess is being mean.  Is it possible that the two of them could ever be friends?  I really liked this book and I think that it would have a lot of teen appeal.

Waiting for Tomorrow

Wishing for Tomorrow by Hilary McKay, 273 pages

This is a sequel to A Little Princess by Frances Hogdson Burnett.  It has all of the characters from the original book, pretty much, except that Sara, the heroine of the first story, is only present in letters that she is sending to Ermengarde.  Ermengarde misses Sara terribly, but is hurt that she didn’t share the magic with her, and doesn’t really return her letters.  Her hurt almost causes her what would be one of the biggest regrets of her life.  We also get to see Lavinia, who was kind of a bully, grow into herself, and Lottie, who was barely out of babyhood, grow up quite a bit.  Even Miss Minchin, who was definitely the villain in the previous book, turns out to be not so awful in this book.  It’s not a bad story, but there’s very little conflict, compared to the last story, so it’s not really that interesting.  Kids that really want to know what might have happened next will get some satisfaction from this story but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone else.

Carry On

Carry On
by Rainbow Rowell
522 Pages

"Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One who's ever been chosen. That's what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git , but he's probably right. Half the time, Simon can't even make his wand work, and the other half, he starts something on fire. His mentor's avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there's a magic-eating monster running around, wearing Simon's face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here--it's their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon's infuriating nemesis didn't even bother to show up. Carry On - The Rise and Fall of Simon Snow is a ghost story, a love story and a mystery. It has just as much kissing and talking as you'd expect from a Rainbow Rowell story - but far, far more monsters."

This is Harry Potter knockoff and in the first 75-100 pages you'll be wondering if you should stop reading.  It does get better but of course never approaches the level of complexity I would like in a magic series.  Recommended with reservations.  

Princess Academy: The Forgotten Sisters

Princess Academy: The Forgotten Sisters by Shannon Hale, 326 pages

Miri is excited to be able to return home after her year at the palace but just before she leaves she is ordered to go to Lesser Alva and tutor three sisters, cousins of Prince Steffan.  One of them is to be the bride of a rival king as part of a treaty to prevent war.  Miri reluctantly agrees but is dismayed to find three wild girls who are used to trapping caimans and hunting in the swamp who know absolutely nothing about court.  Miri isn't sure that she is capable of making these girls ready to marry anyone, especially a king, but as she gets to know them she isn't sure that she wants them to be ready.  As she becomes friends with Astrid, Felissa, and Sus, she feels it unfair that one of them will be forced into marriage with someone they don't know but if she fails, Miri could lose everything dear to her and be responsible for not preventing war.  I thought this was a good, solid addition to the Princess Academy series.  This could easily be the last book as everything is pretty well wrapped up, but there could be more books also.  Older elementary or younger teens, especially girls, who like fantasy type stories will enjoy it. 

Waistcoats & Weaponry

Waistcoats & Weaponry by Gail Carriger, 298 pages

The third book in The Finishing School series has Sophronia helping her friend Sidheag get back to Scotland to help her werewolf pack.  With help from her best friend Dimity, her sooty friend, Soap and even from Lord Felix Mersey, her sometime love interest. They manage to hijack a train until they attract the attention of some flywaymen and Picklemen.  It will take all of their skills to navigate through their predicament but Sophronia and the others are up for the challenge.  I really enjoyed this latest book in the series and teens, especially girls, who like steampunk will enjoy it also.

Lies We Tell Ourselves

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley, 368 pages

Sarah is one of ten African American students integrating at Jefferson High School.  Nearly the entire white population at school is upset and horrified at this prospect.  The governor shut down the schools and was able to keep them closed until February, so no one started school until the spring.  Sarah and the other students are faced with bullying and harassment every single day.  Of course, Sarah believes in what they’re doing but it’s very hard to go back and face it every day.  To further complicate life for Sarah, there is one white girl, Linda, who is vehemently against desegregation.  Sarah and Linda are forced to work together on a project and the two girls constantly battle about the subject but also come to realize that in another situation, they might actually be able to be friends, or even more.  This was an excellent story that I would highly recommend to any teens interested in books about issues or history and civil rights.

Unfriended

Unfriended by Rachel Vail, 282 pages

When Truly is asked to sit at the popular table she jumps at the chance.  Of course, this means that she has to leave behind her friend, Hazel, who is a little strange and isn’t asked to join them.  Truly is totally excited by her new friends but is nervous about fitting in especially because the girl who invited her, Natasha, was her best friend until 6^th grade.  When Natasha became popular she dropped Truly until now.  But everyone else, Brooke, Lulu and Evangeline are all so nice.  Then strange things start happening online.  First, Natasha is targeted and then Truly.  Will the friendship be able to survive the cyberbullying?  This was an okay book for younger teens who like realistic contemporary stories.

Pennyroyal Academy

Pennyroyal Academy by M.A. Larson, 314 pages

A nameless girl shows up at the academy in the company of a would-be knight.  He seeks knight training while she hopes to become a princess.  Given the name, Evie, the girl works hard to become a princess who will fight witches, but she has a hard time understanding everything, since, as we find, out she was raised by dragons.  Because knights fight and kill dragons, she is also conflicted about her status at the academy, which also trains knights, and about how she feels towards Remington, who helped her to get to the academy.  The longer Evie is there, the more she feels like she is where she belongs, but others, such as Fairy Drillsergeant and another princess candidate, Malora, seem to disagree.  A fun fantasy that many older kids will probably enjoy.

Confessions of a Bad Teacher

Confessions of a Bad Teacher by John Owens, 244 pages

I picked up this nonfiction book purely on a whim. I was expecting it to be sort stories about teachers getting back at students or embarrassing them in class, that kind of stuff. Being the bad teacher by not setting the proper example. But what I got was a detailed break down of what is wrong with the US school system.

All of the information provided is based of Mr. Owens actual observations in the short time that he was a teacher before he was forced out for not being efficient enough. he tries to bring to light all of the issues that teachers face when trying to teach.

While the problems ranged from not enough funding for special needs students to general corruption at nearly all levels of administration I cannot say that it was an eye opener. Anyone that has paid attention to the news the last 5 years or so have seen stories about various school districts fudging grades, attendance, or something else to get more funding or recognition.

What we don't see with those news stories or even with this book are ways to fix this system besides tearing everything down and starting over.

Despite not being what I expected I stuck with the book. I cannot say if I did it only to complete it or if I actually got something from it. I will say that this is probably the best format I have seen this sort of data present in. Instead of it being presented as hard facts in a stern lecture or thesis, everything is presented through a story that carries you through the book.

Dangerous Deception

Dangerous Deception by Peg Kehret, 192 pages

Emmy’s mom works for a local department store that runs a contest every year that gives entrants a chance to win something from the store.  Each person writes what they most want and why.  Although the contest is only open to adults, this year Emmy happens to see some of the entries and one is from a girl about her age who is asking for food because her little sister cries from hunger every night.  Emmy wants to help but her mom explains that she can’t.  In the past, the store has been able to pass along information to a local charity that is then able to help people like this but this year the charity has already used most of its budget.  Emmy decides to try to help on her own and gets her classmates involved in a group project to feed the girls.  They collect donations and drop them off at their apartment.  Unfortunately, this good deed could end up with terrible consequences when the family seems to disappear and Emmy discovers what could be a criminal in the act in a nearby apartment.  This wasn’t actually a very scary story, it’s definitely more of a realistic fiction with a little bit of scare and adventure thrown in near the end.  However, the realistic part of the book was very good and kids who like that type of story will enjoy this.

Curtsies and Conspiracies

Curtsies and Conspiracies by Gail Carriger
310 Pages


Mildly entertaining, this series deals with the world Carriger created in her Parasol Protectorate series, only set 25 years earlier.  If you have read the earlier series you will recognize some of the immortal characters .  In the second book of this series, Sophronia has finished her first year at Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality which is really training her to be a spy.
 

All I Need

All I Need by Susane Colasanti, 212 pages

All Skye wants is to meet “The One”.  She sees what her parents have and that’s the kind of relationship she wants to have.  But all of the boys she’s met don’t have whatever quality it is she’s looking for.  Then, two weeks before her family is set to leave the beach for the summer, she meets Seth.  Seth is everything she has been looking for.  They spend the rest of that evening together and make plans to meet the next day.  Unfortunately, Seth doesn’t show up and Skye is left wondering what happened.  Actually, Seth was forced to leave early by circumstances beyond his control and since they had not exchanged contact information, he had no way to let Skye know.  Cue a long school year for both of them and a return to the beach next summer, when Seth has just finished his freshman year of college and Skye is about to begin her senior year of high school.  This story follows the two through the ups and downs of a long distance relationship.  This is a nice little story that a lot of teens girls will probably like.