Smile by Raina Telgemeier

Pages:  214

Intended Audience: Teens and Tweens

Genre: Graphic Novel / Real Life

Notes for parents: None

The Back Cover

Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night, after Girl Scouts, she trips and falls, severely injuring her two front teeth. What follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, surgery, embarrassing headgear, and even a retainer with fake teeth attached! And on top of all that, there’s still more to deal with: a major earthquake, boy confusion, and friends who turn out to be not so friendly. Raina’s story takes us from middle school to high school, where she discovers her artistic voice, finds out what true friendship really means, and where she can finally…smile.

What the Back Cover doesn’t tell you:

This is a graphic novel portraying the author’s real life story.

What’s good?

Raina is goofy and awkward and very relatable. The social and personal horror that follows her bumbling accident is heartfelt – I cheered for her the entire way. The colour drawings are excellent. This engaging story moves quickly and covers aspects of growing up that will be familiar to readers of all ages – boys, trouble with friends, self-esteem, etc.

Best part: When she stands up to her friends!

What’s not so good?

The story is set in the eighties so some readers may be confused by the pop culture references.

Worst part: None

Recommendations þþþþo

This is not a complex story, but it’s quick, easy, and a lot of fun. Highly recommended!

Telgemeier, Raina. Smile. New York: Scholastic, 2010.

The School for Dangerous Girls by Eliot Schrefer

Pages: 341

Intended Audience: Mature Teens

Genre: Real Life / Thriller

Notes for parents: Contains violence, coarse language and mature themes.

The Back Cover

Who knows what goes on behind the doors of The School for Dangerous Girls?

The school’s mission is clear: To take girls who’ve caused trouble and to reform them into model citizens.

Its methods?

No freedom. No medication. No leniency.

No escape.

Some girls are meant to get better. And, as Angela is about to learn, some girls are meant to stay forever.

What the Back Cover doesn’t tell you:

The School for Dangerous Girls is actually called Hidden Oak, a desolate former boys’ school that gets cut off from society when it snows.

What’s good?

This story has a strong beginning, solid characters, and an interesting setting.

Best part: The history of the school.

What’s not so good?

Any hope there was of me liking Angela disappeared when she let the hamster die. In fact, I didn’t like any of the characters, except for, maybe, Carmen. The premise was unoriginal, plot development was very weak, and the story goes completely downhill after Angela is sent to the basement. I would have liked to know more about the girls’ background and about the school’s history, and less about all of the crazy evil that somehow continues. Did every girl who’s ever passed through the school have ridiculously stupid, naïve parents?

Worst part: The hair dye at the end. What was that about?

Recommendations þoooo

I read this book because there were great reviews listed on the back. Kirkus called it “Gripping, violent and terrifying.” Booklist said it was a “page-turner.” Most surprising of all, Newsweek said it was an “acutely observed, smoothly written confection.” Sorry, I don’t agree. I don’t recommend this book.

Schrefer, Eliot. The School for Dangerous Girls. New York: Point, 2009.

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

Pages: 479

Intended Audience: Teens and Mature Tweens

Genre: Dystopian / Science Fiction

Notes for Parents: Contains coarse language and violence

The Back Cover

Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in an overwhelming, never-ending stream of Noise. Just a month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd and his dog, Manchee—whose thoughts Todd can hear too, whether he wants to or not—stumble upon an area of complete silence. They find that in a town where privacy is impossible, something terrible has been hidden—a secret so awful that Todd and Manchee must run for their lives. But how do you escape when your pursuers can hear your every thought?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the first book in a trilogy.

What’s good?

This is a creative, fast-paced adventure with interesting characters, simple storytelling, and lots of action. There’s an excellent dynamic between the two main characters that is interesting to watch unfold. I like how the noise had its own chaotic font, and how animal noise is comically primitive.

Best Part: Manchee! J

What isn’t good?

While I like the fast pace, there is way too much thrown at the characters. There was never time for the characters (or reader) to rest as the one-dimensional bad guys kept coming and coming and coming. I eventually found myself rolling my eyes as yet another chase began…

Worst part: Manchee! L

Recommendation þþþoo

This is an entertaining, fast-paced (have I said that enough?) adventure with a unique premise and lots of promise. There were many unanswered questions and a giant cliffhanger at the end that will hopefully be satisfied in subsequent books in the series. I enjoyed it, and I recommend it.

Ness, Patrick. The Knife of Never Letting Go. Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2009.

The Bystander by James Preller

Pages: 223

Intended Audience: Tweens and up

Genre: real life / social issues

Notes for Parents: Scenes of bullying.

The Back Cover

Eric is the new kid in seventh grade, and he needs new friends. Griffin is cool and popular and wants to be his friend. But Griffin always seems to be in the middle of bad things. And if he doesn’t like someone, they’re in big trouble. The more Eric hangs out with Griffin, the more he ends up in the middle of bad things, too. But he’s just there, just watching while it happens; none of it is his fault. He’d like to do the right thing and stop being friends with a liar and a bully like Griffin. But how can he stop being a bystander without becoming a victim?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

It’s a fairly simple story about a boy who gets mixed up with a bully.

What’s good?

This is a thought-provoking and realistic portrait of one boy’s middle school experience. The author respects that bullying is a complex issue with no easy solutions. The writing is simple and straight-forward, making it a fast and easy read.

Best Part: Eric’s sneakers and $27.

What isn’t good?

The story ends not with a bang, but with a whimper. Perhaps this is apropos since the bleak reality is that justice for bullies is often fleeting. There are rarely concrete resolutions in the complicated world of teen drama.

Worst part: I didn’t like Mary.

Recommendation þþþoo

This was a good, solid story that brushed the surface of a growing issue. It doesn’t offer any solutions, but it recognizes the problem with a convincing example.

Preller, James. The Bystander. New York: Square Fish, 2009.

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

Pages: 312

Intended Audience: Teens

Genre: Real life / social issues

Notes for Parents: Contains coarse language and sexual references

The Back Cover

Marcelo Sandoval hears music that nobody else can hear—part of an autism-like condition that no doctor has been able to identify. But his father has never fully believed in the music or Marcelo’s unique perception of reality, and he challenges Marcelo to work in the mailroom of his law firm for the summer…to join “the real world.” There Marcelo meets Jasmine, his beautiful and surprising coworker, and Wendell, the son of another partner in the firm. He learns about competition and jealousy, anger and desire. But it’s a picture he finds in a file – a picture of a girl with half a face – that truly connects him with the real world: its suffering, its injustice, and what he can do to fight.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The cover sums up the story well.

What’s good?

Marcelo is a beautiful and endearing character whose disconnect with the real world forces us to question what normalcy really is. This is a simple but emotional story with a strong plot, good supporting characters, and many poignant moments. Marcelo’s voice carries a subtle sadness as he navigates a world outside his comfort zone. It's almost painful to witness his vulnerability.

Best Part: Marcelo’s dog, Namu Amida Butsu.

What isn’t good?

Avoiding a concrete diagnosis of Marcelo’s condition was a cop out. The lack of commitment gave the author a licence to ignore the inconsistencies of Marcelo’s behavior (as compared to, say, a child with Asperger's Syndrome) which conveniently enables Marcelo to understand situations that the average autistic child would not. 

Worst part: The pace is a bit slow.

Recommendation þþþoo

This was a good story with a great protagonist, excellent language, and creative plotting. However, it was too simple for me. I couldn’t help but compare it to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, a novel that is much more complex and entertaining.

Stork, Francisco X. Marcelo in the Real World. New York: Scholastic, 2009.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Pages: 308

Intended Audience: Teens

Genre: Dystopian / Science Fiction

Notes for Parents:  Contains scenes of violence and death

The Back Cover

In Mary’s world, there are simple truths.

The Sisterhood always knows best.

The Unconsecrated will never relent.

And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village. The fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

But slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power. And, when the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness.

Now she must choose between her village and her future, between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there life outside a world surrounded by so much death?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the first book in a trilogy.

What’s good?

This story is set in a post-apocalyptic society built around protecting its population against the Unconsecrated…aka zombies! While the premise is not unique, it feels fresh and inspired, and the writing is both visual and emotive.

Best Part: Great fight scenes!

What isn’t good?

The characters are weak, the love triangle is dull, and the use of first-person, present tense strangles the story. While the main thread of the plot was pretty consistent, many of the subplots were messy and some storylines even seemed to drop away, never to be heard from again.

Worst part: The mystery of the Roman numerals.

Recommendation þþooo

I love a good zombie story, but this didn’t do it for me. I loved the idea and the beginning was strong with good potential, but a lack of character development and sloppy subplots bogged down the story so much that I had no interest in reading the next book.

Ryan, Carrie. The Forest of Hands and Teeth. New York: Delcorte, 2009.

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Pages: 323

Intended Audience: Teens and Mature Tweens

Genre: Dystopia

Notes for Parents: Scenes of violence.

The Back Cover

In America's Gulf Coast region, grounded oil tankers are being broken down for parts by crews of young people. Nailer, a teenage boy, works the light crew, scavenging for copper wiring just to make quota-and hopefully live to see another day. But when, by luck or by chance, he discovers an exquisite clipper ship beached during a recent hurricane, Nailer faces the most important decision of his life: Strip the ship for all it's worth or rescue its lone survivor, a beautiful and wealthy girl who could lead him to a better life....

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

It gives just enough information.

What’s good?

This is a well-paced, gritty adventure set in a desolate future where ecological disaster has left the world struggling to survive. The tone is wrought with sweat and desperation as Nailer ekes out a living scavenging old ships. There are tense moments when Nailer must choose between what’s advantageous and what’s ethical. Loyalty and integrity are themes that run throughout the novel.

Best Part: Tool, the half-man.

What isn’t good?

A lot of little things annoyed me right from the start. I loved the name Nailer, but then we met Sloth, Bapi, Moon Girl, Pearly, Jackson Boy, Tick-tock…and Richard Lopez. It came to feel a little contrived. A lot of his word choices seemed awkward, which is unfortunate because the world he created was very believable in its bleakness. Also, the villains were a little harsh, secreting cruelty without remorse. I prefer my bad guys to have at least a little humanity in them.

Worst part: The author’s corny word choices.

Recommendation þþþoo

This was not a bad book. It’s a fascinating look at one of our possible futures. It has tons of action and adventure, interesting characters, and unique settings. Unfortunately, the language feels juvenile, while the content itself calls for something more mature. The story felt…off balance.

Bacigalupi, Paolo. Ship Breaker. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2010.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Pages: 196

Intended Audience: Teens

Genre:  Real life / Afterlife

Notes for Parents: Some mature themes

The Inside Cover

Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones. Stay true to her first love—music—even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind?

Then, one February morning, Mia goes for a drive with her family and, in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it’s the only one that matters.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is a story about a teenage girl stuck between life and death. As her memories of what has happened unfold in front of her, she has to decide if she wants to die or live.

What’s good?

This bittersweet, emotional story has a powerful premise, strong, relatable characters, and some beautiful, even inspiring, moments. The theme of music is woven evenly throughout the story, strengthening and balancing the straight-forward but disturbing plot.

Best Part: The end.

What isn’t good?

I cringed a few times at some of the cheesy metaphors, and I found myself drifting off occasionally because of the slow pace.

Worst part: When she played him like a cello.

Recommendation þþþoo
The thought-provoking questions, strong characters, and the fact that it’s under 200 pages makes this a solid, fast, and easy read.

Forman, Gayle. If I Stay. New York: Dutton, 2009. (hardcover)

White Crow by Marcus Sedgwick

Pages: 262

Intended Audience: Mature Teens

Genre: gothic horror

Notes for Parents: Includes murder, cruelty, suicide and lots of darkness. For mature teens only.

The Back Cover

Two lives, two centuries apart. But they walked the same paths, lived in the same house, became obsessed by the same question.

When city girl Rebecca steps into the quiet streets of Winterfold that relentlessly hot summer, her uneasy friendship with strange, elfin Ferelith sets in motion a shocking chain of events.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The present-day story of Rebecca and Ferelith is interspersed with the 18^th century diary of the town’s former priest.

What’s good?

The slow, churning pace creates an intense, almost stifling atmosphere, as it follows the unbalanced friendship of Rebecca and Ferelith. Adding to the tensile mood are the disturbing journal entries of the town’s former priest, detailing his and Dr. Barrieux’s horrific experiments.

The writing is dark and lyrical, the characters are vibrant, the shifting points of view are effective, and the ending is shocking and unexpected.

Best Part: The town, a decrepit and dying village, is itself, a stunning character.

What’s isn’t good?

Ferelith is an unsympathetic character who lacks depth. She is thoroughly creepy, which lends much to the story, but I didn’t like or care about her, especially by the end. The questions about God, angels, and life after death are thought-provoking, but the heinous experiments and Ferelith’s deluded laments skew any real philosophical debate.

Worst part: Ferelith.

Recommendation þþþoo

Normally, this is not the type of book I would choose to read, but I was attracted by the sticker that read “Shortlisted for the Cilip Carnegie Medal 2011.” It was dark, creepy, and quite gory – not my cup of tea – but will likely be devoured by those who like a well-written, gothic thriller.

Sedgwick, Marcus. White Crow. London: Orion, 2010.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Pages: 348

Intended Audience: Teens and Mature Tweens

Genre: Supernatural

Notes for Parents: Scenes of violence.

The Inside Cover

A mysterious island.

An abandoned orphanage.

And a strange collection of very peculiar photographs.
It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.
As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that Miss Peregrine’s children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

I can’t figure out exactly why, but the description on the cover feels a bit deceptive.

What’s good?

This is a quirky, mysterious, time-travel adventure interlaced with strange, vintage photographs and particularly peculiar characters. Jacob is an angst-ridden teen pulled into the bizarre past of his dead grandfather. The premise is clever, the plot ebbs and flows with unpredictability, and the overall effect is sufficiently creepy.

Best Part: The photographs.

What isn’t good?

The photographs. As much as I enjoyed looking at the photographs, I felt yanked out of the story every time I turned the page and saw a photograph. The author’s attempt to insert the pictures into the narrative was awkward and interrupted the flow of the story. I would have preferred a more in-depth development of the characters rather than the weak descriptions based, for the most part, on the photographs.

Worst part: By the end, the peculiarity felt too campy.

Recommendation þþooo

The first third or so of the book was fantastic. The author knows how to get out of the gate. However, the choppiness and lack of character development made this little more than an eccentric tale by the end. It’s a wonderful premise that, for me, fell short of expectations.

Riggs, Ransom. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Philadelphia: Quirk, 2011. (hardcover)

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Pages: 374

Intended Audience: Teens and Mature Tweens

Genre: Science Fiction

Notes for Parents: Some violence.

The Back Cover

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. He has no recollection of his parents, his home, or how he got where he is. His memory is empty.

But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade, a large expanse enclosed by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning, for as long as anyone can remember, the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night, for just as long, they’ve closed tight. Every thirty days a new boy is delivered in the lift. And no one wants to be stuck in the Maze after dark.

The Gladers were expecting Thomas’s arrival. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl ever to arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. The Gladers have always been convinced that if they can solve the maze that surrounds the Glade, they might find their way home…wherever that may be. But it’s looking more and more as if the Maze is unsolvable.

And something about the girl’s arrival is starting to make Thomas feel different. Something is telling him that he just might have some answers—if he can only find a way to retrieve the dark secrets locked within his own mind.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the first book in the Maze Runner trilogy.

What’s good?

The story is driven by a train of mysteries confounded by intense action. The characters are interesting and well-drawn, and they survive their baffling world in a believable, age-appropriate way, reminiscent of Lord of the Flies. The Glade is an excellent setting, the pacing is even and suspense-filled, and the grievers are satisfyingly fear-provoking.

Best Part: Chuck.

What isn’t good?

I didn’t like the main characters, especially Teresa, whose personality irritated me. While I sympathized with Thomas and his situation, I was more interested in the other boys and cared more about their survival than Thomas’.

Worst part: The swear words – klunk, shank, shuckface.

Recommendation þþþoo

I was motivated to read the other two books in the series by the grand mystery behind all the action and adventure. I have no regrets. However, I would recommend Michael Grant’s Gone series before this one.

Dashner, James. The Maze Runner. New York: Delacorte Press, 2009.