Airhead July 18, 2008

Title: Airhead

Author: Meg Cabot

Summary: Em Watts is your typical tomboy - she’d rather play Journeyquest online with her best friend (and secret crush) Christopher than spend time perfecting her hair and makeup like the popular girls at her school. She and Christopher have a nickname for the mean girls and the boys that drool after them: ‘The Walking Dead.’ When she takes her Walking Dead-wannabe little sister to a grand opening of the new Stark superstore, Em’s life is turned outside-in. Through a freak accident, she now has the body - and face - of the hottest teen supermodel on the planet, Nikki Howard.

Em is the now queen of the Walking Dead. Can she learn how to model, dodge the paparazzi, and juggle multiple love interests, not to mention figure out a way to finish high school and reconnect with Christopher, who doesn’t even know she is still alive? This is a fun, fast read, with a great fantasy twist. I can’t believe this is the first Meg Cabot book I’ve read - I’ll be sure to check out more of them, including the upcoming sequel to this book, called Being Nikki.

Who will like this book?: Celebrity-obsessed teens. Fans of the Clique books or other rich girl series who are ready for something a little deeper.

If you like this, try this: Jinx by Meg Cabot. Better Off Famous? by Jane Mendle. Secrets of my Hollywood Lifeby Jen Calonita.

Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian

The London Eye Mystery July 16, 2008

Title: The London Eye Mystery

Author: Siobhan Dowd

Summary: When their cousin Salim, visiting from Manchester, goes up in the London Eye (sort of like a gigantic Ferris wheel overlooking the city) but does not come back down, 12 year-old Ted and his older sister Katrina decide to figure out what happened . As Ted describes it, his brain runs on a ‘different operating system’ from most people - he isn’t very good at recognizing emotions, reading body language, or understanding slang, but his way with facts and puzzles might be just the right kind of thinking to find the missing Salim.

This book isn’t just about Asperger’s syndrome: First and foremost it is  a terrific, fast-paced mystery. It happens to also be a great choice for people looking for stories with differently-abled heroes. Ted’s charm and humor shine through as he learns to cooperate with his surly sister and ’see things differently’ as they hunt for their missing cousin. This is a fun read, and like any great mystery, it will keep you guessing right up to the end!

Who will like this book?: Fans of fast-paced, but not terribly intense mysteries. Readers who get a kick out of British authors and stories. People interested in learning more about the way teens with Asperger’s think.

If you like this, try this: Another book featuring a teens with Asperger’s is The Very Ordered Existence of Merilee Marvelous by Suzanne Crowley. For mature readers, check out The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon and the non-fiction Look Me in The Eye: My Life with Asperger’s by John Elder Robinson.

Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian

Bringing the Boy Home July 11, 2008

Title: Bringing the Boy Home

Author: N.A. Nelson

Summary: For boys in the Takunami tribe, turning thirteen means the soche seche tente- a grueling journey alone into the jungle. If their senses are sharp enough to survive the dangers of the Amazon and make it back to the village alive, the boys are accepted as men and learn who their father is. Passing the test is vital for the whole family, but it can be deadly. Tirio was abandoned by the Takunami when he was a small child because of a damaged foot. Adopted and sent to America, he has grown up strong and happy. Luka, who has never left the Amazon, has spent his whole life preparing for the test, pushed on by his strong-willed mother.

As each boy turns thirteen, he must face his fate. Tirio and Luka will both endure the soche seche tente, but in this outstanding adventure story, destinies will change in a heartbeat, and incredible secrets about each boy, and the tribe, will be revealed.

Who will like this book?: Fans of adventure stories set in exotic places. People who like books with surprising endings.

If you like this, try this: Another terrific coming of age story (set in Alaska) is Norman Tuttle on the Last Frontier by Tom Bodett. For an intense adventure book, try Peak by Roland Smith.

Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian

I Heart You, You Haunt Me July 10, 2008

Title: I Heart You, You Haunt Me

Author: Lisa Schroeder

Summary: Written in verse, this short novel is a moving story about loss, grief, and the power of love. Ava’s boyfriend Jackson died suddenly in a terrible accident at the end of the school year. As Ava grieves, she thinks she sees Jackson’s face when she looks in the mirror, although she knows it’s just her guilt and grief. But then Ava begins to sense his presence - a blast of cold air in the room, the CD player turning on. Soon, she can even hear his voice and see him in her dreams. Ava is being haunted.

Ava’s friends and family urge her to move on and live her life, while she is determined to spend as much time with Jackson as she can. But what kind of relationship can you have with a ghost?

Who will like this book?: Fans of ghost stories and impossible romances. Readers of verse novelists like Sonya Sones and Ellen Hopkins. People looking for a quick read with a good story.

If you like this, try this: Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin. For a more intense ghost story, check out A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb.

Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian

Repossessed July 8, 2008

Title: Respossessed

Author: A.M. Jenkins

Summer Reading List: Fairfield Ludlowe High School

Awards/Honors: 2008 Printz Honor Book

Summary:  Kiriel is getting tired of his thankless job and is in desperate need of a little vacation.  Sound familiar?  The twist is that Kiriel is a fallen angel and his thankless job is reflecting back, rather like a mirror,  all the misery and guilt that tear up and torment souls in hell.  And, Kiriel’s idea of a vacation involves hijacking the body of Shaun, a human just seconds away from being crushed to death by an oncoming car.  Once in Shaun’s body, Kiriel gets a chance to experience what he has only been allowed to observe.  Ketchup, baths, writing utensils, and fruit loops are just a few experiences Kiriel relishes.  But human life is not just about experiencing materialistic pleasures: Kiriel must also deal with the people in Shaun’s life including his divorced mother, isolated and angry little brother, the school bully, and the girl who has secretly been nursing a crush on Shaun. 

Who will like this book?:  Those who appreciate a witty, thought-provoking, fast-paced book.  Through Kiriel’s thoughts and experiences, A.M. Jenkins has created a venue for considering not just human life but the concepts of good versus evil, and the afterlife. 

If you liked this, try this: Night Road by A.M. Jenkins. Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin. One Whole and Perfect Day by Judith Clarke

Recommended by: Jen, Branch Teen Librarian

A Northern Light July 3, 2008

Title: A Northern Light

Author: Jennifer Donnelly

Summary: Unlike many girls in the Great North Woods at the turn of the century, Mattie Gokey is gifted: She is a writer so talented she has been offered a full scholarship to Barnard College. But how can she leave? Since her mamma died, it has been Mattie’s job to run the farmhouse and look after her sisters, neighbors and her gruff pa. To earn money for the family, Mattie goes to work at the Glenmore Hotel. One day she is handed a bundle of letters by a guest named Grace, who asks her to burn them. Hours later, Grace’s body is found in the lake, and the boyfriend who took her out rowing is nowhere to be found. As Mattie begins to read the letters and piece together the mystery, she also begins to answer the questions of her own life: Should she stay and marry her gorgeous neighbor Royal, who doesn’t understand her love of books and words, or take her chances in New York and chase her dream of becoming a writer?  

The book is based on a real murder case that was the basis for the classic novel An American Tragedy and the film A Place in the Sun. But it is the fictional Mattie’s struggle to define herself in an era where girls had so few choices and little say in their futures that will linger long after the final page has been turned.

Who will like this book?: People who like fiction based on true stories. Fans of authentic characters with a lot of depth and honesty.

If you like this, try this: An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser. For another unforgettable, beautifully written historical novel featuring a book-loving heroine, try The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian