YA BLOG
LI 832 Information and Services for Young Adults
Sharon Robinson
The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen
Details:
Published 2011
Hardback : ISBN-13: 9780375866678
Publisher: Random House
Other Formats
Paperback: ISBN-13: 9780375866289
Audiobook: ISBN-13: 9780307747983
Age: 12 -17 years-old
Genre: Realistic Contemporary
Pages: 332
Summary:
Sixteen-year-old Jessica is physically and emotionally crushed when one leg is amputated
below the knee due to an accident. She has defined herself as a runner, and running is
now an impossible dream. As Jessica tries to catch-up on her schoolwork and adjusts to a
prosthetic knee, she meets a girl with cerebral palsy named Rosa. She helps Jessica with
more than math – Rosa teaches Jessica how to hope.
Awards:
Winner of the 2012 Schneider Family Teen Book Award
Award Nominations:
2013 Beehive Young Adult Nominee
2013 Nutmeg Children’s Book Award Nominee
Keywords/Tags:
realistic, running, amputees, prosthesis, people with disabilities, high school, friendship,
cerebral palsy, schools
Comments:
A well-told story about battling grief over a life that can never be the same, and gradually
realizing that life is not over when tragedy strikes. Jessica has a strong voice, and her
story is very powerful and sympathetic. I highly recommend it to middle and high school
readers.
Death Cloud (Sherlock Holmes: The Legend Begins Series #1) by Andrew
Lane
Details:
ISBN-13: 9780374387679
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (2011)
Other formats: audiobook, paperback
Genre: Crime and Mystery
Age: 12-17
Award Nominations:
Grand Canyon Reading Award
2013 Beehive Young Adult Nominee
Summary: During a school break, fourteen-year-old Sherlock Holmes is sent to stay
with an aunt and uncle he has never meet before. While he is visiting, a couple of people
in the area die with huge boils all over their bodies. Is it the plague? Sherlock is not
convinced that the deaths were cause by a plague. He searches for answers with the help
of a new friend, a new intriguing tutor, and the tutor’s daughter.
Keywords:
Young Sherlock Homes, mystery, Great Britain, historical fiction, 18th Century, action
and adventure, revenge, detective stories, espionage stories, murder, crime
Comments:
Death Cloud is an action packed story with a young Sherlock Holmes constantly in the
middle of trouble. It is very interesting how the author is shaping the young Sherlock into
the well-known formidable detective. The cover on the paperback would be more
appealing to boys than the hardback cover. The second book in the series “Rebel Fire”
came out April 2012. I hope the second book is just as good as the first. I listened to this
story on audio and the reader was excellent. I highly recommend Death Cloud to younger
teens and teens who like Sherlock Holmes or mysteries.
Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Details
Published: 2011
Hardback: ISBN-13: 978-0-385-73693-0
Publisher: Random House Children’s Books
Age: 14 - 17
Genre: Fantasy and Suspense
Pages: 416
Summary: Amy Goodnight tries to avoid spells and other disasters, but it is hard when
she is related to those who can cast them. Amy wants a supernatural free summer before
she goes to college next fall. Amy and her sister Phin agree to help their aunt out while
she is away from her ranch. Amy didn’t know that ranch-sitting would include a tree
climbing goat, a couple of ghosts, and a handsome cowboy to complicate her summer.
Awards: none
Nominee:
2013 Beehive Young Adult Nominee
Keywords: witchcraft, fantasy, ghosts, sisters, Texas, farm life, magic, magical realism,
mystery, humorous, romance, family, responsibility, suspense
Comments: I enjoyed reading the humorous Maggie Quinn series by Clement-Moore a
couple of years ago, and I was excited to find a new title by her. The female characters
are strong, magical, and a little sarcastic. The male characters are no slouches either. I
thought Amy and the handsome rancher argued a little too much, but their meeting was
hilarious. Texas Gothic is a humorous, suspenseful read, and I would recommend it to
teens 12 and above.
The Last Thing I Remember: The Homelander Series by Andrew Klavan
Details
Published: 2009
Publisher: Thomas Nelson Incorporated
Hardback: ISBN-13: 978-1-59554-607-4
Other formats: paperback and e-book
Age: 14 and up
Genre: Action and Adventure
Pages: 352
Summary: Charlie West wakes up strapped in a chair with bruises and burns all over his
aching body. His last memory was about a normal school day and falling asleep in his
bed. He overhears a voice ordering his death from outside his door, and Charlie realizes
that he needs to come up with plan to escape.
Awards:
Iowa Teen Award
Nominee:
2013 Beehive Young Adult Nominee
Keywords: adventure and adventurers’ fiction, amnesia, terrorism, injuries, law, crime,
body and health, spirituality, karate
Comments: The story is puzzling and intriguing as Charlie switches back and forth from
recalling the last day he remembers, to his current situation in trying to stay alive. His
escapes are not very believable, but most stories about hair raising escapes are
unbelievable. I was surprised to find a book that treats Christian spirituality positively.
The book is the first title in The Homelander series – The Last Thing I Remember, The
Long Way Home, The Truth of the Matter, and The Final Hour. The pace is fast, and I
would recommend this series to boys who like action-packed stories and don’t mind
Christian spirituality.
Posted in 6/6/2012
Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol
Details
Published: 2011
Publisher: First Second (Roaring Brook Press)
Hardback: ISBN-13: 978-1-59643-713-5
Other format: paperback
Age: 12 -17 years old
Genre: Suspense
Pages: 224
Summary: Anya falls down a hole and meets a ghost who wants to be her friend. At
first, Anya doesn’t want to have anything to do with the ghost. The ghost follows her
home and convinces Anya that she could be a good friend to her. As Anya learns more
about the ghost, she realizes that she chose unwisely.
Awards:
School Library Journal Best Books of the Year
American Library Association Notable Books for Children
Keywords: graphic novel, ghosts, comic strips, interpersonal relations, Russian
Americans, self-esteem, schools, humor, horror and ghost stories, self-reliance, social
issues, romance, immigration, immigrant, teasing, graphic novel
Comments: I don’t read many graphic novels, so I decided to give this one a try when I
read the rave reviews it had received. The expressive illustrations in this graphic novel
brilliantly convey Anya’s unhappiness and sullenness. I enjoyed watching Anya
maturing and moving on from past grievances of the teasing she endured when she was
younger. There is mild profanity. I highly recommend this graphic novel.
Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O’Roark Dowell
Details
Published: 2011
Hardback: ISBN-13: 978-1-4169-9585-2
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Age: 12 years and up
Genre: Contemporary Realistic
Pages: 224
Summary: Fourteen-year-old Janie is tired of being different after she starts her high
school experience off with goat poop on her shoe and hay in her hair. She feels like a
social disaster. Janie just may find her unique niche by learning how to play bass guitar
from a boy named Monster, and the bravery of African-American civil right activists.
Nominee:
2013 Beehive Young Adult Nominee
Keywords: realistic contemporary, farm and ranch life, school and education, social
issues, performing arts, coming of age, humorous, North Carolina, interpersonal
relationships, civil rights movement, musical bands
Comments: Ten Miles Past Normal is a charming coming-of-age story. Janie’s voice is
clear, believable and humorous. The supporting characters of her family and friends are
strong and believable. I thoroughly enjoyed Janie gradually learning how to embrace her
uniqueness. I highly recommended this title for girls 12-14.
Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt
Details
Published: 2011
Hardback: ISBN-13: 9780547152608
Other formats: audiobook, e-book
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Age: 10-14 years-old
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 368
Summary: Doug Swieteck, the bully from The Wednesday Wars, moves to upstate New
York. His dad is a mess. One of his brothers is a suspect for a couple of robberies, and the
other has been wounded in Vietnam War. Doug finds refuge from his home life in John
James Audubon’s Birds of America at the local library.
Awards:
Winner of the 2012 Children’s Choice Book Award for Grades 5-6
School Library Journal Best Books of the Year
American Library Association Notable Books for Children
Nominee:
2013 Beehive Young Adult Nominee
Finalist for the National Book Award in Young People’s Literature
Grand Canyon Reader Award
Wyoming Indian Paintbrush Book Award
Black-Eyed Susan Book Award
Keywords: Historical Fiction, Schools & Friendship, Family Life, U. S. People, Places &
Culture, Physical Abuse, Artist, John James Audubon, Vietnam War, Amputees, People
with Disabilities, Libraries
Comments: I loved The Wednesday Wars and was excited for Doug to have his own
story. His story is heartbreaking and yet inspiring. I began to pay more attention to what
was left unspoken as Doug’s life was revealed. The effect was powerful and chilling. The
ending didn’t quite ring true. I had a hard time believing that Doug’s father had such a
change of heart. In spite of my disbelief over the ending, I enjoyed Doug’s story, and I
recommend it to middle graders.
Dizzy In Your Eyes: Poems About Love by Pat Mora
Details
Published: Jan 2010
Paperback: SBN-13: 978-0-375-94565-6
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Incorporated
Age: 12 – 17 years-old
Genre: Love Poetry
Pages: 165
Summary:
There are fifty poems about the intensity of all types of love such as family, a pet, a first
crush and a devastating break-up.
Awards:
2012 Beehive Children's Poetry Book Nominee
VOYA’s Nonfiction 2012 Honor list
2011, Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, ALA
2011, Americas Commended List, Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs,
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
2010, Eureka! Children’s Nonfiction Award, Silver Honor, California Reading
Association2010, Lasting Connections, Book Links
Keywords: poetry, love, American poetry, spanish
Comments:
I read this book a couple of years ago, and thought it would be a good one to reread for
this assignment. There were a few poems that affected me more this time than the first
time I read the poems. The poems are deep and insightful. Some poems are funny while
others are achingly sad. Most of the poems are free verse, but there are a few in poetic
forms.
Safety
After the school play, you hugged me
and part of me wanted to stay inside your hugs
the way I used to, resting all safe in the arms
that held me in the beginning, knew me
before I did,
but
I pulled away and ran to talk and laugh
With my friends. I watched you
watching me move away.
What would people say
If I stayed inside your arms, and
anyway, what if I got stuck
in the warmth and never left?
They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group by Susan
Campbell Bartoletti
Details
Published: Aug 2010
Hardback: ISBN-13: 978-0-618-44033-7
Other format: audiobook,
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Age: 12 and up
Genre: Non-fiction historical
Pages: 176
Summary: They Called Themselves the K.K.K. documents how the Ku Klux Klan was
born in 1866.The author uses primary sources such as oral histories and congressional
documents. Their purpose was to terrorize African-Americans who dared to vote, own
land and learn how to read. Included in the book are photos, cartoons, newspaper articles,
illustrations, and a timeline of events that breathes life to this time of American history.
Awards:
Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books
American Library Association Notable Books for Children
School Library Journal Best Books of the Year
Excellence in Young Adult Non-Fiction Finalist
Keywords:
Ku Klux Klan, United States, History, Juvenile literature, Race relations, Juvenile
Nonfiction, History, Social Issues
Comments:
They Called Themselves the K.K.K. is a chilling account of American terrorists. I have a
new appreciation of how powerful and murderous the Ku Klux Klan became during their
reign of terror. I highly recommend this title to anyone interested in American history.
Mississippi Trial 1955 by Chris Crowe is a good title to pair with Bartoletti’s book.
Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman
Details
Published: 2009
Hardback: ISBN-13: 978-0-8050-8721-5
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company Books For Young Readers
Other formats: paperback, e-book, audiobook,
Age: 13 – 18
Genre: Biography
Pages: 272
Summary: Charles Darwin is well-known for writing “The Origin of Species,” but his
private life is not as well-known. Charles Darwin comes to life as a loving husband, an
unusual father, and a brilliant scientist in this well-written biography.
Awards:
National Book Award Finalist
Michael L. Prinz Honor
Los Angeles Times Book Prizes Nominee
School Library Journal Best Books of the Year
New York Times Editors' Choice
Keywords: Charles Darwin 1809-1882, Evolution, Biology, Europe, People and Places,
Children's Subjects: Biography, Naturalists, Love story, 19th Century
Comments: A compassionate tribute to the controversial Charles Darwin and his wife
Emma. The author carefully describes how Charles struggled with religion which
appeared to be at odds with science, while Emma remained devout. He had an unusual
relationship with his children. He frequently used them in some of his experiments. This
story is a wonderful biography of a brilliant man and his equally intelligent wife. I highly
recommend it to 12 and older.
Variant by Robison Wells
Details
Published: 2011
Hardback: ISBN-13: 978-0-06-202608-8
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Age: 13 and up
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 356
Summary:
Benson Fisher is sick of being shuttled around from foster care to foster care, so he is
thrilled when he receives a scholarship to Maxfield Academy. However, Maxfield
Academy is not what he expected. There are cameras, barbed wire and no adults. In order
to survive, the other kids have formed gangs. Benson just wants to get out, but there is no
way to get out of Maxfield Academy.
Awards:
2013 Young Adult Fiction Nominee
Keywords: Boarding Schools, Interpersonal relations, Science Fiction, Social Issues,
Foster children, imprisonment
Comments:
Variant is suspenseful read with a surprising twist or two. I enjoyed reading it, and look
forward to more of the series. The story ended in an evil cliffhanger. The second title –
Feedback – in the series will be released in October. I would recommend it to suspense
and science fiction readers.
The Shadowing: Hunted by Adam Slater
Details
Published: 2011 – hardback
Paperback ISBN-13: 978-1-60684-398-7 (2012)
Other format – e-book
Publisher: Egmont
Age: 12 and up
Genre: Horror
Pages: 193
Summary: Fourteen-year-old Callum Scott has been able to see ghosts all of his life, but
something has changed. He is now seeing children being brutally murdered by some kind
of monster. Callum slowly begins to realize that his ability to see the murders is a
warning to him, because soon he will be the one hunted. This is the first book in The
Shadowing series.
Awards: none
Keywords: horror, high school, ghosts, demons, England, fate, supernatural, fantasy,
magical realism, demonology, suspense
Comments: The story started out creepy enough with a young girl’s eyes gouged out –
ick! However, the story is not very original, so I was a little disappointed. I am not a big
fan of horror, but this story was only so-so. I would give this title to a reluctant reader or
a younger horror fan, because it is fast read and a little creepy.
Homeboyz by Alan Lawrence Sitomer
Details
Published: Hardback – 2007, paperback - 2008
Paperback: ISBN-13: 978-1-4231-0031-7
Other formats: audio
Publisher: Hyperion
Age: 18 – up (Books in Print)
Genre: Realistic
Pages: 304
Summary: Fourteen-year-old Tina is gunned down, because she was at the wrong place
at the wrong time. Tina’s brother Teddy was headed for college, until Tina was killed. All
Teddy wants now is revenge. When Teddy puts his plan together to find his sister’s killer,
he is caught, and charged with attempted homicide. Teddy’s only chance to avoid being
locked up in jail is to mentor a 12-year-old wannabe gangster named Micah. Teddy has
two choices – mentor Micah or go back to jail.
Awards: none
Keywords: African-Americans, gangs, violence, revenge, personal and social issues,
abuse, people and places, bullying, romance and relationship stories, hacking, computers
Comments: “Homeboyz” is not the type of book I normally read, but I decided to try it
for the blog. This title is a very popular book in the middle school where I am doing my
practicum. It’s a middle school, so how bad could it be? This story was really hard to
read and the story still haunts me.. The author does not hold back from including the
violence within a gang and the violence between gangs. Fortunately, he provides enough
information to know what is happening without going into too much detail. He does a
good job at pointing out the differences between a gang family and family who loves and
respects each other. On the other hand, Teddy is headed toward being a mastermind cyber
criminal.
Across the Great Barrier (Frontier Magic Series) by Patricia C. Wrede
Details
Published: 2011
Hardback: ISBN-13: 978-0-545-03343-5
Other formats: paperback, e-book
Publisher: Scholastic
Age: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 352
Summary: Eff (a thirteenth child) and her twin brother Lan (a powerful double seventh
son) are magicians who live on the edge of the wild west that is protected by the Great
Barrier Spell. In the previous book, Thirteenth Child, Lan and Eff stopped the destructive
mirror bugs. Now Lan is headed east to study magic, and Eff is hired to assist the new
professor on an exploratory expedition to the other side of the Great Barrier.
Awards: none
Keywords: fantasy, Western, alternate history, magic, families, coming-of-age,
adventure
Comments: An enjoyable second book of an alternate history of the United States in the
Frontier Magic Series. The author creates interesting magical creatures such as saber cats
and Columbian sphinxes, as well as human characters like the guide Wash. It’s also
hinted that the founding fathers were the ones who created the Great Barrier Spell. The
story is satisfying, with strong characters, a richly imagined setting, and brewing storms
of what is going to come in the final book of the series – The Far West. I highly
recommend reading the series in order to anyone 12 and up.
The False Princess by Ellis O’Neal
Details
Published: 2011
Hardback: ISBN-13: 978-1-60684-079-5
Other formats: paperback, audio
Publisher: Egmont
Age: 12 years and up
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 336
Summary: Princess Nalia discovers on her sixteenth birthday that she is not the princess,
but an unroyal girl named Sinda. She was raised as the princess in order to protect the
real princess from a horrible death before her sixteenth birthday. Sinda must leave the
castle and move in with her only living relative – an aunt who is not happy about her
niece moving in with her. Sinda is useless in helping her aunt out, however she discovers
that her biological parents left her an inheritance of magical abilities that she can learn to
use to change and shape her future.
Awards: Beehive 2013 Young Adult Fiction Nominee
Keywords: political intrigue, conspiracies, identity, magic, princesses, wizards, action
and adventure, royalty, fantasy, romance, and magical realism
Comments: A fun, coming-of-age story full of magic, adventure, political intrigue, and a
couple of twists that I didn’t see coming. I like the growth Sinda goes through when she
decides that she came make her own future. This is a good story for girls 12 and up who
like fantasy adventures with a little taste of romance.
Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty by G. Neri – Illustrated by Randy
DuBurke
Details
Published: 2010
Paperback: ISBN-13: 978-1-58430-267-4
Publisher: Lee and Low Books, Inc.
Age: 11 years and up
Genre: realistic fiction
Pages: 96
Summary: The story is based on a real event about an eleven-year-old gang member,
called Yummy, who killed a fourteen-year-old girl. In turn, Yummy’s gang murders him,
because they were tired of the nationwide attention Yummy had brought to them. The
story is told by a fictitious character named Roger who lives in a poor section of Chicago
where Yummy once lived. Roger tries to sort out if Yummy was a victim or a murderer.
Awards:
American Library Association Notable Books for Children
Nominated
Coretta Scott King Awards
Great Lakes' Great Books Award
Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award
Virginia Reader's Choice Awards
Keywords: African American Youth, Chicago, biography, violence, social conditions,
criminals and outlaws, criminology, gangs, gang violence, graphic novel, biography, true
crime, urban communities,
Comments: This is a brilliant graphic novel about a tragic story of not only Yummy, but
gangs in general. The illustrations convey the tension, and the horror in a way that the
text could not. Yummy was a bully, a murderer, and a victim. I highly recommend this
quick read to anyone 12 years-old and up.