Getting the Girl July 22, 2009

Title: Getting the Girl: A Guide to Private Investigation, Surveillance, and Cookery

Author: Susan Juby

Summary: At Harewood Technical High School, the worst thing that could happen to a girl is to get ’defiled,’ or ‘D-Listed.’ When your picture goes up in the bathroom with a D written over it, you instantly become a non-entity: No one will associate with you, or even talk to you at all, ever again. When Sherman Mack, a slightly short culinary student and all-around nice guy, begins to fear that the new girl he has a crush on might get D-listed, he decides to find out who exactly is doing the ‘defiling,’ even if it means crossing the social boundaries of his school and asking questions no one really wants to have answered.

This mystery will keep you guessing, and gives both guys and girls a great hero to root for in Sherman. Even though like most young people, he has a lot on his plate (both literally and figuratively), he goes out of his way to help his friends and the Defiled. You’ll finish this book wishing Sherman was your next-door neighbor - a guy who stands up for what he believes in and a terrific cook!

Who will like this book?: People who like funny mysteries that aren’t intense or gory. Readers who like stories with heroic teens who aren’t afraid to stand up for what is right.

If you like this, try this: The Alice books, also by Susan Juby. 13 by Jason Robert Brown. Little Brother by Cory Doctrow. Paper Towns by John Green.

Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian

Marcelo in the Real World June 10, 2009

Title: Marcelo in the Real World

Author: Francisco X. Stork

Summary: Marcelo is different – he is not very good at interacting with new people or understanding the nuances in their conversation, but he can hear music no one else does and is deeply interested in matters of faith. At the end of his junior year, he is excited about his new job at his school, caring for the ponies that are used in student therapy. But his dad thinks he is ready to go to ‘regular’ school and tests him: If Marcelo can work the summer in the family law firm, he can return to his beloved school. If he fails or quits he must attend public school.

Marcelo takes up the challenge and enters the ‘real world,’ away from his familiar surroundings. In the office he makes friends, enemies, and discovers that it’s not so easy to determine who is bad and who is good. This beautifully written story is about growing up, testing yourself, and learning to stand up for what you believe.

Who will like this book?: People interested in the way differently-abled minds work. This is a great coming of age story for teens and adults to enjoy.

If you like this, try this: A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon. For younger readers, The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd.

Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian

Paper Towns December 18, 2008

Title: Paper Towns

Author: John Green

Summary:Every once in a while you read a story that becomes an instant favorite. One so good you can’t stop telling everyone about it. This  is one of those books, which shouldn’t be a surprise, since author John Green’s previous books Looking for Alaska and An Abundance of Katherines were also outstanding.

In Paper Towns we meet Q, a smart, nice kid drifting through his last days of high school, and his neighbor, childhood friend, and longstanding crush Margo Roth Spiegelman. When the enigmatic Margo appears at his window on a school night, Q has no idea that he is in store for quite an adventure. And when Margo doesn’t show up at school the next day, he realizes that the story is just beginning. Following clues she left behind, Q and his friends piece together the mystery that is Margo Roth Spiegelman as they also move towards the unknown future. Will their lives be merely paper? Or something more substantial? This is a funny, intelligent, and unforgettable book.

Who will like this book: Anyone. Everyone. If you are looking for a book that will make you laugh almost as much as it makes you think – this is what you’ve been waiting for.

If you like this, try this: Looking for Alaska by John Green. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Getting the Girl by Susan Juby.

Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian

Dr. Franklin’s Island October 27, 2008

Title: Dr. Franklin’s Island

Author: Ann Halam

Summary: When the newly-acquainted Semi, Arnie, and Miranda’s plane crashes in the middle of the ocean, they are the only survivors. Stranded on a mysterious island they wait desperately for rescue. The days tick by without a sign and the three must start exploring the island. One day Semi sees a pig with human hands instead of hooves. Thinking it was an illusion, she passes off it as an effect of island fever. Shortly afterwards, Miranda and Semi stumble upon a cave and within it a small village. Captured within seconds, the two are to be the new guinea pigs for the scientific testing of Doctor Franklin. They might have once dreamed of being able to fly or to breath underwater; but Miranda and Semi never expected that they’d get the chance to do so as a bird or a dolphin. In this horror fantasy, the two girls must learn to survive under Doctor Franklin’s roof without losing their humanity.

Who will like this book?: People who want the thrill of a sci-fi/fantasy horror. Or those whom enjoy reading about mad scientists. It’s a very deep book and can be a bit slow at times, but parts of it are so skin-crawling that you won’t be able to put it down.

If you like this, you should try: The Red is for Remembrance series by Laurie Faria Stolarz. The Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. Coraline by Neil Gaiman.

Recommended by: ZZ, resident of Fairfield and avid reader

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

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