ALAN Online

Another new year is upon us. With it comes a change in the Bill’s Best Books column. Bill Mollineaux has retired from teaching and has passed this column on to me. As a token of appreciation to Bill and his hard work, the title and the format of the column will remain the same.

Happy New Year!
David Gill, ALAN Director and Webmaster

January ENTRÉES

Anjali Banerjee. MAYA RUNNING. Wendy Lamb Books, 2005. Born in India and raised in Manitoba, Maya struggles to find her identity as the only brown-skinned kid in school. When her beautiful cousin, Pinky, arrives from India bearing a statue of the god Ganesh and proceeds to steal the boy Maya wants, Maya prays to Ganesh to remove all of her obstacles—with unintended consequences. (M) A unique story with a

dream-like quality that shows a young girl embracing her culture and learning about herself.

Herbie Brennan. THE PURPLE EMPEROR. Bloomsbury, 2004. When the dead Purple Emperor is resurrected as a zombie by the evil Lord Hairstreak, heir-apparent Prince Pyrgus finds himself removed from the line from the faerie throne. With the help of john Henry and Holly Blue, Pygrus struggles to escape Hairstreak while regaining power. (M/H) Fans of the first in the series, FAERIE WARS, will enjoy this one just as much.

Peter Dickinson. THE TEARS OF THE SALAMANDER. Wendy Lamb Books, 2003. A choirboy with a fantastic voice, Alfredo receives the gift of a salamander charm, which shreds tears when he signs to it. Using the salamander’s power, Alfredo is able to overcome his evil Uncle Giorgio. (M) (RR)

Sid Fleischman. THE GIANT RAT OF SUMATRA. Greenwillow, 2005. A cabin boy named Shipwreck is rescued by the pirate and joins the crew of the Giant Rat, leading to a series of amazing adventures and of course, treasure. (M) (RR) A great ride! Swash, swash, buckle, buckle.

Patricia Reilly Giff. MAGGIE’S DOOR. Wendy Lamb Books, 2003. Nory Ryan is the last of her family to leave Ireland and the potato famine for a better life in Brooklyn. Told in alternating chapters with Nory and her Sean Red Mallon taking the narrative led, this story chronicles the difficult lives of Irish immigrants. (M) (RR) A satisfying sequel to Griff’s NORY RYAN’S SONG.

J. Minter. INSIDERS. Bloomsbury, 2004. A rich kid with a ferocious shoe fetish, Jonathan is part of the hip New

Richard Peck. THE TEACHER’S FUNERAL. Dial Books, 2004. After his school teacher dies just before the start of school, Russell Culver hopes his forlorn one-room Indiana schoolhouse will close forever. Tragically for him, not only is a new school marm hired, it’s his overbearing, spatula-wielding older sister, Tansy, who is bent on Russell fly right. (M/H) (RR) Peck once again piggybacks us back in time on a narrative full of outrageous hyperbole and subtle humor.

Meg Rosoff. HOW I LIVE NOW. Wendy Lamb Books, 2004. Living in England at the time of a terrorist occupation, Daisy finds herself separated from her aunt and cousins and must learn to survive while keeping her younger cousin safe. (M/H) (RR) Written with a bold, experimental style.

Graham Salisbury. EYES OF THE EMPEROR. Wendy Lamb Books, 2005. When World War II breaks out, Japanese-American teenager Eddie Okubo enlists in the service, only to find that in the wake of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the government finds him and the other Japanese-American soldiers more of threat than a help. They are shipped off to the Gulf coast, where they become part of an experimental program called Dogs for Defense—serving as bait! (M/H) (RR) Sure to win awards and reward its readers, this powerful, poignant historical novel echoes current world events.

Jacqueline Woodson. BEHIND YOU. Putnam, 2004. Killed at the end of IF YOU COME SOFTLY, Miah Roselind returns as a ghost, observing the friends and family left grieving for him. He watches as they come to grips with his death and forge new paths in their own lives. (M/H) (RR) A story of hope and understated emotional resonance told with a lyrical narrative voice.

If you a publisher who would like to submit books for reviews, please contact David Gill at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

M indicates appropriateness for middle school
H indicates appropriateness for high school
RR indicates appeal to a reluctant reader (My definition of reluctant reader is someone who can read but for whom reading is not important. I have known “honor” students who fit this definition.)
* indicates available in paperback
Last Updated ( Sunday, 27 November 2005 ) York scene concerned with parties, fashions, and sexual conquests. When his hick cousin, Kelli, comes to town, however, Jonathan takes a backseat as the country girl runs roughshod through his friends and the downtown scene. (H) Meant as a companion work to the GOSSIP GIRLS, this intentionally “trashy” novel is fast-paced and witty with characters who are more intriguing than likeable.