Bill’s Best Books May 2007
Books Reviewed in this segment:
Sari Bodi. THE GHOST IN ALLIE’S POOL. Brown Barn Books 2007. Content with life-long friend Marissa, Allie Toth has no interest in her mother’s obsession with family history. That is until while working on a class project, Allie stumbles upon the ghost of Dorothy May, a true-life person who reportedly committed suicide by jumping into the icy waters from the Mayflower. Dorothy only wants to find her son who she was forced to leave behind when she and her husband boarded ship and headed off to the New World.
Allie is torn between helping Dorothy find peace and struggling to regain favor in Marissa’s eyes after the latter dumps her for new friends who may not be good association. Events climax at a party, when these new friends endanger Allie’s safety and Marissa does nothing to help. Allie learns the hard way that life isn’t about having just one friend. But before she starts anew she must learn to like herself. The novel sheds new light on how learning history can be a delight. (M, RR) Review by Linda Provence.
J.B. Cheaney. THE MIDDLE OF SOMEWHERE. Alfred A. Knopf, 2007. Ronnie Sparks is tired of her hum-drum life as big sister to Gee, who suffers from ADHD. She dreams of taking an RV trip and also meeting her growing list of long-term goals. When a crazed squirrel finds its way inside their home and drowns in the toilet, causing an accident resulting in Ronnie’s mother breaking a leg, Ronnie’s door of opportunity opens. She and Gee start out on an RV road trip with their zany grandfather, a grandfather who has his own agenda and little understanding of children. They head across wide open Kansas, chasing the wind and each of their own special dreams. Ronnie’s dream turns into a nightmare when Gee disappears. The quest to find her little brother opens Ronnie’s eyes to a new meaning for the word adventure, only not in the way she ever thought possible. (M, H, RR) Review by Linda Provence.
Carol Clippinger. OPEN COURT. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2007. Hall Braxton is a tennis player who's had fun playing, even under highly stressful situations, until her doubles partner cracks under the strain. Seeing this, Hall starts to worry herself about the toil the commitment to the game is taking on her and her life. When her parents try to push her into going to an elite training camp for the best of the best, she rebels and tries to seek a more normal life (M/H). Review by David Gill.
Simone Elkeles. LEAVING PARADISE. Flux, 2007.Seventeen-year-old Caleb has finished his prison term for the accident that left his neighbor, Maggie, emotionally and physically damaged. He returns home to find his family in disarray. His twin sister has gone Goth and is removed. His mother is desperately trying to recast her son as a good boy. His father is desperately trying to make it all work. The neighbor, Maggie, is desperate to understand the accident that crippled her and to understand the strong feelings she still had for the boy convinced of her hit-and-run. (H). Elkeles is in her element delving into the psyche of a tragic love affair. When she is in Maggie's POV, the writing is excellent. The chapters in Caleb's POV are less convincing, and the ending of story doesn't do justice to the complex relationships and moral struggles of the main characters. (H). Review by David Gill.
Aimee Ferris. GIRL OVERBOARD (S.A.S.S.). Puffin, 2007. When Marina leaves the cold mid-west behind for the warm Caribbean waters, she fufills a life-long dream of working in a marine biology program–on luxury yacht, no less. But she must also leave behind the boyfriend who has been with her most of her life. Over the span of the summer, Marina comes to understand that her first love is the ocean. Plus, there's this really cool guy from Australia on (M/H). GIRL OVERBOARD is part of the SASS series, so it is heavy on light romance. Where this story excels is its detailed, vivid descriptions of marine life and science, which allows it to transcend the rest of the series. High school science teachers could easily find a place for it on their shelves. (M/H). Review by David Gill.
Gail Giles. RIGHT BEHIND YOU. Little, Brown, 2007. This is the dark story of a firebug who is arrested for setting his neighbor on fire. After spending most of his life in an institution, Kip is finally released. He, his father, and new step-mother leave Alaska for a new home in the lower 48. Kip gets a new life–and a new name, Wade, which he takes as a way of describing his struggles with life. It isn’t easy being a murderer, especially when the reason that Kip committed murder is buried deep with him, and Kip finds himself unable to forever hide his secret. When you read a novel by Gail Giles, you know going in that the voice is going to be strong. RIGHT BEHIND YOU is no different. Giles sweeps your right into the story, right into Kip's point-of-view. It is not a nice place to be, and to be honest, after the first few scenes, I almost put the book down. Kip's story is so compelling, though, that I was obliged to keep reading. Boy, am I glad that I did. (M/H). Review by David Gill.
Margo Lanagan. RED SPIKES. Knopf. 2007. RED SPIKES is a series of ten mysterious and slightly creepy fantastical stories. They are about love and life and family. Though set in other worlds and situations, readers will relate to each story in their own ways. These stories are really thought-provoking, although they can sometimes be confusing. This is definitely a book you can read over and over again, catching different details each time.(H) Review by Lauren Marsden.
David Lubar. TRUE TALENTS. Tor, 2007. The boys are back in town, and they're in big trouble. What else is new? The psychic kids from the Edgeview Alternative School return for more mischief when Trash Thalmeyer turns into an accidental bank robber. His exploits get him noticed–and snatched–by the head of a nefarious company. Cheater, Torchie and the others come to his rescue, only to learn that their hidden talents were more hidden and more powerful than they thought. (M/RR). If you missed Lubar's HIDDEN TALENTS, you have homework, but this book stands alone. Lubar uses alternating POVs, so we get a deeper understanding of the characters, but it's still classic Lubar: funny, evocative, and thoughtful. Oh, and action. Lots of action.
Dana Reinhart. HARMLESS. Wendy Lamb Books/ Random House, 2007. Three girls, Mariah, Emma, and Anna, are about to be caught hanging out by the river. To cover their tracks, they claim that a man with a knife was trying to sexually assault them. Their monstrous lie grows larger and more complex, then takes on a life of its own, until an innocent drifter is arrested for the "crime" (H). Reinhardt follows her debut, A BRIEF CHAPTER IN MY IMPOSSIBLE LIFE, with a complex object lesson in dishonesty and foresight. HARMLESS would be a good complement to The Crucible, as both works strike common themes about mass hysteria and the balance of right and wrong.
Wendelin Van Draanen. SAMMY KEYES AND THE WILD THINGS. Knopf, 2007. Samantha “Sammy” Keyes has clear vulnerability in certain areas, such as dealing with her ditzy Hollywood starlet mother and avoiding her archenemy, Heather Acosta even while crushing on Heather’s brother. These things don’t weaken or slow Sammy in the slightest, though. She gets a whiff of a mystery and there’s no stopping her! Sammy is a smart, capable, and incredibly creative tween. She works every angle of the mystery surrounding possible condor poachers in the Phony Woods where she unexpectedly finds herself backpacking with a troop of wilderness savvy girl scouts. She’s totally out of her element, missing her high-tops and skateboard, but Sammy’s instincts take over as she picks up clue after clue.
Since I know little about the wild, I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy the book, but I related almost immediately to Sammy and her dilemmas—from blisters to attempted first kisses. Through her inexperienced eyes, I learned more about camping and endangered species than I ever intended, but in an unexpectedly humorous and inviting way. The author has a way of realistically poking fun at even the most sacred of subjects… sharing what most people think but would never say.
I’ll definitely pick up more Sammy Keyes adventures! ( M/MG) Review by Julie M. Prince.
Marissa Walsh. A FIELD GUIDE TO HIGH SCHOOL. Delacorte, 2007. Andie will be starting high school this fall, but her big sister Claire has already left for college. Since Claire won’t be around to advise her younger sister about the worldly ways of high school, she’s left behind a detailed guide book to help her through all the important stages of life at Plumstead. From orientation to graduation, Andie and her best friend, Bess, learn exactly what to do and what not to do to gain the high school image they desire.
This is a short, easy-to-read book that includes plenty of references to current pop culture. Even the “Gilmore Girls” and “Veronica Mars” make appearances. Divided into brief chapters with headings like, “Scorpions/Spiders/Centipedes (Sophomores/Juniors/Seniors),” this book takes the field guide approach to describing the various species that Andie will come across during her tenure at private school. Although she’ll undoubtedly feel like she’s in the lingering shadow of her popular older sister, she will know exactly what to do when she runs into Jocks, Hawkings, Muffys, Theater People, Hiltons, Off-The-Grids, and everyone else…aka “Normals” like Andie.
Cute anecdotes, as told by Claire, left me craving more details. I wanted to know how Andie faired at Plumstead with her newfound knowledge, but the author chose to forego plot in favor of short entries dedicated to introducing Andie to the trials and tribulations of high school life.
The guide book will be helpful to anyone entering or living through their high school years. Although Plumstead is a private school, anyone would be able to relate to the potential pitfalls that Claire describes for her sister. For example, “Your social class can really be influenced by who you ride with. If it’s a cool person, some of her cool will rub off on you just from being seen with her for the one minute it takes to drive from the school gate to the student parking lot. That minute is crucial.”
This is the perfect guide to help students survive the jungle that is high school. (M, H, RR) Review by Julie M. Prince.
Lee Weatherly. KAT GOT YOUR TONGUE. David Fickling Books. 2007. When Kathy wakes up after being hit by a car, she doesn’t remember anything about her life – even her own name! The new version of herself, Kat, finds herself in an unknown world living with her Mum and her boyfriend, Richard. Then Kat has to go back to school and realizes her best friends all hate her, except she doesn’t know why! Kat will have to remember Kathy and her old life before her life falls apart. This is a wonderful book filled with dramatic irony. The reader will struggle right along with Kathy as she tries to figure out the important parts of her life she has forgotten. (M/H) Review by Lauren Marsden.
Rating Rubric:
MG indicates appropriateness for middle grades/tween
M indicates appropriateness for middle school
H indicates appropriateness for high school
RR indicates appeal to a reluctant reader (Our definition of reluctant reader is someone who can read but for whom reading is not important. We 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 BBB Editor David Gill at billsbestbooks at gmail.com
About the reviewers:
Lauren Marsden is a senior at York College of Pennsylvania studying elementary education and French. She is a writer on the side, but that has always been her passion. She has been doing it since before she could form letters. She has always loved to read, even though she doesn't have as much time for it as she'd like. Her other hobbies include art and web design.
Linda Provence has done a little of everything, from fashion modeling to owning a super diverse pet shop. No matter what she dives into, she never strays from her one true passion, writing. She keeps busy spoiling two beautiful granddaughters, and with flowers, art, movies, and of course books, with over 2000 of them in her collection.
Julie M. Prince is the author of biographies and articles for kids. She can be reached via e-mail: julie@juliemprince.com.
David Gill is the webmaster of ALAN Online and editor of Bill's Best Books, as well as the President-Elect of ALAN.
0 responses so far ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.
You must log in to post a comment.