Bog Child October 7, 2008

Title: Bog Child

Author: Siobhan Dowd

Summary: Fergus McCann is living in troubled times. At sixteen, he is preparing for his college entrance exams, which he hopes will take him from his small border village in Northern Ireland to Aberdeen for medical school. Life at home has become more and more stressful since his brother was sent to jail for working with the IRA. Fergus takes solace in his early morning runs through the mountains and conversations with his peaceful uncle Tally. It is when cutting turf for fuel one morning with Tally that Fergus makes an incredible discovery: A tiny body buried in the peat bog. Who is the bog child?

This pitch-perfect historical novel addresses not only the political turmoil of Northern Ireland in the 1980s, but also first love, loyalty, sacrifice and forgiveness. It opens a window to a not-so-distant time, and has moments of sparkling humor as well as tragedy. The troubled history of his land are magnified by the story of the bog child, revealed through flashbacks. In the end, Fergus must come to terms with the chaos all around him, decide what he wants his life to be, and discover his place in the world.

Who will like this book?: Anyone looking for a great historical novel, or coming of age story. I truly cannot think of anyone who would not enjoy this unforgettable book.

If you like this, try this: A Swift Pure Cry, also by Dowd. For more on Ireland in the Iron Age, read Hush by Donna Jo Napoli. For older teens looking for information about the hunger strikers, try Nothing But an Unfinished Song by Dennis O’Hearn.

Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian

The Ghosts of Kerfol September 19, 2008

Title: The Ghosts of Kerfol

Author: Deborah Noyes

Summary: Just in time for Halloween, this elegant collection of gothic stories based on a classic will chill you to the bone. In Edith Wharton’s original story, Kerfol, a cruel lord falls to his death and his much-younger bride is put on trial for murder. But she insists her abusive husband was killed by dogs - or the ghosts of the many dogs the man killed in order to keep his wife from having any hint of affection in her life. Author Deborah Noyes builds on this tale with five short stories about the haunted mansion, and the ghostly spirits who inhabit it.

As the book progresses, we meet a young maid who was a witness to the original horrors of Kerfol, a young nobleman who has survived the French Revolution, a young American heiress, a couple on the rocks, and a deaf Irish gardener. Each has their own experience with the ghosts of Kerfol, and not all of them survive their hauntings.

Who will like this book?: Fans of ghost stories and short fiction with dark twists and turns.

If you like this, you should try: Noyes is also a terrific editor: Check out Gothic: Ten Original Dark Tales and The Restless Dead: Ten Original Stories of the Supernatural. If you loved the elegant writing of this book, try a classic by Edith Wharton, particularly my favorite, The House of Mirth.

Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian

Saving Juliet September 12, 2008

Title: Saving Juliet

Author: Suzanne Selfors

Summary: Mimi Wallingford is sick of Shakespeare theater, and even more sick of being recognized solely by the prestige of her last name.  Unlike her ancestors, Mimi has an extreme case of stage fright whenever she’s about to go on. In her current play of Romeo and Juliet, she’s stuck with superstar Troy Summers playing Romeo: He seems to do all he can to put her down.  Right before her final performance as Juliet, she is transported by magic to Shakespeare’s Verona. There she meets Juliet Capulet as well as the entire ‘cast’ of the play that she’s rehearsed for.

But the play Mimi thought she knew takes an unexpected twist when Romeo and Juliet don’t meet at the dance and Juliet is engaged to marry the Paris within a week’s time! Though Mimi’s regarded as a ‘relative Capulet,’ Benvolio’s got his eyes on her, Tybalt’s out for her neck, Lady Capulet wants her dead, and is that a superstar actor/Romeo sneaking along the streets? It’s going to take more than just some good acting for Mimi to save Juliet and find her way back home.

Who will like this book?: Anyone into the historical fiction genre, or the story of Romeo and Juliet.  It’s aimed more at a female audience with plenty of romance and faults of love, but it’s got plenty of action scenes. It’s an interesting twist on the original tale without the havoc of trying to understand what the words mean.

If you like this, you should try: The Shakespeare Stealerseries by Gary Blackwood. Some other time travel books are Lost in Time by Hans Magnus Enzensberger and The Door to Time by Ulysses Moore. For those who are into the classics, thenA Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain is definitely along the right path.

Recommended by: ZZ, resident of Fairfield and avid reader.

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

Child of Dandelions April 21, 2008

Title: Child of Dandelions

Author: Shenaaz Nanji

Summary: This fascinating book is based on true events. It is 1972. Sabine and her family live in Uganda, where her Bapu owns a prosperous coffee farm. She lives a privileged life, going to school, and spending weekends on the farm dancing with her best friend, Zena. General Idi Amin has recently seized power in a coup d’etat. While many people love Dada Amin, he has decided that in only 90 days all foreign Indians must leave Uganda - and their homes, businesses, and possessions - behind. 

At first, Sabine is not worried - she and her family are Ugandan citizens, not foreigners. But when her beloved uncle and others begin to vanish, Zena begins to distance herself, and Amin’s soldiers begin openly terrorizing Indians, Sabine realizes that she, too, is considered a ‘child of dandelions’ - to be weeded from Uganda at all costs. As the countdown continues, things become more and more dangerous for Sabine and her family - but how can they leave the only home they’ve ever known?

Who will like this book:  Fans of historical fiction, and people who like to read stories with strong, daring girl characters.

If you like this, try this: For another book about an ‘unknown’ story from history, take a look at Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt. Also read Keeping Corner by Kashmira Sheth, set in colonial India, for another story featuring a brave young woman.

Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian

The Luxe April 21, 2008

Title: The Luxe

Author: Anna Godbersen

Summary: The story opens with the 1899 funeral of New York City’s premier debutante, Elizabeth Holland.  From there, the author travels back two weeks to tell the story of Elizabeth Holland and her rich friends, secret love, and vicious enemies.  The cast of characters includes: Diane Holland, the younger sister, filled with barely restrained rebelliousness and a complete disinterest in polite society; Penelope Hayes, the best friend, a spoiled and cunning beauty bent on having everything her heart desires; Henry Schoonmaker, New York City’s premier bachelor and the distant fiancee of Elizabeth Holland; and Will Keller and Lina Broud, servants and former friends from Elizabeth’s childhood. 

Who will like this:  Fans of historical sweeping drama and romance told in a Gossip Girl fashion.

If you like this, try this: A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray and Gossip Girl by Cecily Von Ziegesar

Recommended by: Jennifer, Branch Teen Librarian