ALAN Online

William Durbin. EL LECTOR. Wendy Lamb Books/Random House. 2006. The most admired man in Bella's Cuban American neighborhood in Ybor City is her grandfather. He works as a lector in the local cigar rolling factory, where he spends his day reading aloud to the cigar makers in a smooth, sonorous voice. When the Depression and the new technology of radio threaten their way of life, Bella and her family must find adapt in order to find a new way to make a living…

(M). Durbin returns with yet an another extraordinary historical novel. His attention to detail–both historical and fictional–make him one of today's masters of historical YA fiction.

Adele Geras. ITHAKA. Harcourt. 2006. It's the end of the Trojan War, and Penelope awaits the return of her husband, the sly Odysseus, who is lost at sea. The city of Ithaka is in upheaval as obnoxious suitors line up to demand her hand. The narrator, the young girl Klymene, tells the story of Penelope's loss, as wells as her love for Telemachus, the prince who must become a man in his father's absence (M/H). Geras' excellent interpretations of Greek myths, which include the recent TROY, are must-reads for readers who enjoy myths and epic poems, as well as dramatic stories of love, greed, and revenge.

Karl Hiaason. FLUSH. Knopf. 2005. Noah's dad sinks a casino boat and ends up in jail for it, an eco-warrior with a record. When the Coral Queen is pumped out and put back on the ocean to dump raw sewage in to the eco-system, Noah takes up his dad's mantle in an attempt to get the goods on The Queen and the slimeballs that run her (M/H). Written with the same wit and intelligent humor of HOOT, FLUSH is a winning combination and a wonderful read.

* John Marsden. OUT OF TIME. Tor Teen. 2005. James is a special boy. He moves through life without talking, without interacting with nayone, really, except for Mr. Woodford, the forgotten physicist working in an overlooked building. When Woodford dies, James finds his special invention, a box that will let him travel time (M/H). Marsden is a master of mood and voice, and here neither of these skills fail him. OUT OF TIME is a fascinating glimpse into the mind of a teenager who is no longer capable of living the life others expect of him.

J.K. Rowling. HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE. Scholastic. 2006. Harry, Hermione, and Ron return to face another year at Hogwarts and the growing threat of Lord Voldemort and his Death-Eaters (M/H/RR). Eagerly awaited as the answer to many of the mysteries presented in the first five books, HBP spends more of its time looking backward than pushing the story forward. While any Harry Potter book is a moveable fast, this novel had a strong sense of déjà vu, as if Rowling included unused chunks from previous novels without updating the attitudes of the characters in them.

M indicates appropriateness for middle school
H indicates appropriateness for high school
RR indicates appeal to a reluctant reader (A reluctant reader is someone who can read but for whom reading is not important. There are "honor" students who fit this definition.)
* indicates available in paperback