ALAN Online

Tobias Buckell. CRYSTAL RAIN. Tor, February 2006.
CRYSTAL RAIN has a strong hook, and it’s attached to the left hand of John deBrun. A man with no memory of his past, deBrun lives with his wife and son in Nanagada, a land protected from its enemies by impenetrable mountains. But when a tribe of blood-thirty humans, the Azteca, along with aliens called the Teotl, tunnel under the mountains and attack Nanagada, deBrun must call on his forgotten skills to lead the resistance (M/H/RR). Buckell’s debut novel is extraordinary in its ability weave technology, culture, and human emotion into a cohesive narrative. The characters of the three races are distinct, and the protagonist deBrun is a fully-developed hero. Buckell is a writer to watch.

Colin Neenan. THICK. Brown Barn books, April 2006.
Nick is thick. That’s what they call him when they make fun of his slowness, his difficulty in understanding how things work at home, school, and work. Nick is in jail for shooting someone, and he tells the story of this shooting from the inside of his cell, reflecting on the incidents that led to it. As the story unfolds, Nick shows one character after another who has the potential to become the victim of the shooting. Which person that Nick loves will it be? (M/H/RR). Using a powerfully-understated narrative voice, Neenan delves convincingly into the mind of a young man who is trying to sort out the world and while trying to do the right thing. A must read for reluctant readers, who will enjoy the quick pace and lucid prose.

Gary Paulsen. THE AMAZING LIFE OF BIRDS: THE TWENTY-DAY PUBERTY JOURNAL OF DUANE HOMER LEECH. Wendy Lamb Books. June 2006.
And now for something completely different. If you’re looking for one of Gary Paulsen’s patented adventure stories or historical novels, this ain’t it. And that’s why you should read it. In a throw-back to some of the novels in his early career, Paulsen introduces us to Duane Homer Leech, a ne’er do well middle-schooler who is dealing with humongous zits, Band-aids, girls, friends, parents, and a fledgling bird in a nest on his window sill (At least there are no electric fences involved). (M/RR). The laughs are plentiful in this delightful story. The comedy is broad, and the lessons are subtle, and Duane Homer Leech is an excellent character. What else do you expect of a boy nicknamed “Doo Doo”?

Mary E. Pearson. A ROOM ON LORELEI STREET . Henry Holt 2005.
Every teacher has a kid like Zoe. Smart–but smart-mouthed–with a bottle-rocket temper and a penchant for self-destruction. She has a lot going for her, but she just can't seem to get with the program. The teachers know it, and Zoe knows it, but she has problems nobody can see. At home, she’s stuck taking care of her co-dependent, alcoholic mother and her critical grandmother. So she does the only thing she can do to survive. She walks out on her life and moves down to Lorelei to take up residence to start a new life by herself, for herself. But the shadows of her old life keep creeping back in—(M/H). Pearson realistically portrays the life of a young person who understands what it takes to thrive but is limited by her own bad choices. Pearson is a gifted writer, with a style that is spell-binding without being self-conscious. A recent winner of the Golden Kite Award, A ROOM ON LORELEI STREET was one of the best books of 2005.

Markus Zusak . The Book Thief. Knopf, 2006.
This is a story narrated by Death. He tells the story of Leisel, a girl who steals books just as her life is being stolen from her. She is a German living in Munich, and as WWII unfolds, she loses her mother and brother and is forced to move to Molching, where she is taken in by a harsh family. The way Leisel survives the war is to steal books and then learn to read them, and eventually, to write them. (H). THE Book Thief is a rare book. Despite its size, it is an engaging, hypnotic read that will captivate teen readers. At the same time, adults will enjoy the novel just as such for its subtly and non-linear unfolding of a triumphant story.

MG indicates appropriateness for tweens
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

Publishers who would like to have books reviews in "Bill's Best Books" should contact David Gill at gilld at uncw.edu