School Library Journal» Sara Campbell

From the Trenches: Parallel Universes

Sara Campbell — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 11:10:16 +0000

Wishing for everyday life to disappear and to be magically transported somewhere else does not always deliver on the promise of a happier ending. Parallel universes seem to be a popular trend these days, with quite a few books released in 2011 and 2012. For one, YA thrill-master Christopher Pike is back, veering toward fantasy with his trademark thriller plot thrown in the mix. And, in one of the most highly acclaimed books of the year, Every Day, David Levithan drops the main character into a new body, and therefore a new world, each morning. Some of the titles are serious, offering a look at how one might escape a bad home or school life. Others trend toward humor or fairy tale retellings. In all, the glimpse of “what might have been” provides readers an escape from their daily lives.

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Game Changer. 2012, Simon & Schuster. Tr. $16.99. ISBN 9780689873805.

Gr 6-9—Driven to succeed in girls softball, KT Sutton lives and breathes the sport. Only in eighth grade, she is already getting attention from college recruiters. During the biggest game of her life, she pitches, blacks out, and wakes up with her world turned upside down. Here, sports are not important, and academic subjects are after-school activities. Those gifted academically attract the attention of college recruiters for scholarships in the same way that sports would in KT’s world. The personal journey she must take to return to her world will ring true with some, and the fast pace of the novel will be appealing to many.

Jeschoneck, Robert T. My Favorite Band Does Not Exist. 2012, Graphia. pap. $8.99. ISBN 9780547721903.

Gr 6 Up—What if you ceased to exist? Idea Deity is convinced he lives in a novel, and only until his death in Chapter 64 does he realize the truth. In the real world, he has created a fictional band, Youforia, complete with websites, tour dates, and playlists. Meanwhile, Reacher Miracle, the actual leader of the band Youforia, can’t fathom how someone is posting all of his information, down to tour dates and playlists. Tying them together is the Swords and Sorcery novel. Which one is real? Do either of them exist? Jeschonek successfully pulls all the story lines together, resulting in a tale fans of Jasper Fforde and Libba Bray will not want to miss.

For more parallel stories and universes, check out some of these titles:

Beddor, Frank. Looking Glass Wars. 2007, Speak. pap. $8.99. ISBN 9780385737647. Gr 9 Up.

Donnelly, Jennifer. Revolution. 2011, Ember. pap. $9.99. ISBN 9780385737647. Gr 8 Up.

Hainsworth, Emily. Through to You. 2012, Baltzer and Bray. Tr. $17.99. ISBN 9780062094193. Gr 7 Up.

Levithan, David. Every Day. 2012, Knopf. Tr. $17.99. ISBN 9780307931887. Gr 6 Up.

Myers, E. C. Fair Coin. 2012, Pyr. Tr. $17.95. ISBN 9781616146092. Gr 6 Up.

Oliver, Lauren. Before I Fall. 2011, HarperCollins. pap. $9.99. ISBN 9780061726811. Gr 9 Up.

Pike, Christopher. Witch World. 2012, Simon Pulse. Tr. $17.99. ISBN 978-442430280. Gr 9 Up.

Scott, Elizabeth. As I Wake. 2012, Speak. Reprint pap. $9.99. ISBN 9780142422465. Gr 9 Up.

Vizzini, Ned. Other Normals. 2012, Baltzer + Bray. Tr. $17.99. ISBN 9780062079909. Gr 7 Up.

From The Trenches: Books About Books

Sara Campbell — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 21:23:36 +0000

The idea of a book within a book isn’t a new idea—The Book Thief, Inkheart, and Fahrenheit 451 have all explored this concept. Still, it’s fun to think that the characters you’re reading about may show up in your living room and share their literary lives with you. In some cases, such as Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore, the books become characters themselves. And for a quick, light-hearted read, check out Lane Smith’s It’s a Book. Although it’s a children’s picture book, the humor will definitely appeal to teens.

SLOAN, Robin. Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. Farrar, 2012. Tr. $25.00. ISBN 9780374214913.

Gr 10 Up—The debut of Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore is taking my library by storm. Partly, it’s the unique glow-in-the dark cover, but the story inside holds its own. Book lovers will find comfort in the dark, mysterious bookstore that’s open all hours of the day. Clay Jannon, experiencing the recession and out of a job, takes the night shift at Mr. Penumbra’s. He soon realizes he’s not working in an ordinary store. A variety of quirky characters patronize the place, always “checking out” volumes, never buying. As Clay begins to unravel some of the store’s secrets, readers will be led on a journey that involves tech gadgets, clandestine societies, and the quest for answers. This is a tale that skillfully combines books and technology.

PICOULT, Jodi and van Leer, Samantha. Between the Lines. Emily Bestler/Simon Pulse, 2012. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9781451635751.

Gr 6 Up—Bestselling author Jodi Picoult teams up with her daughter, Samantha van Leer, to write a book within a book. Delilah loves books—they are much more interesting than the kids at her high school. Her favorite fairy tale, Between the Lines, feels real, and it’s about to take a turn for the unbelievable, as prince Oliver starts to vent his frustrations over being a literary character and wishes for more depth. For all those who have imagined their favorite characters coming to life, this is a fun new read.

Other titles that feature books:

BRADBURY, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. S & S, 2012. pap. $11.99. ISBN 9781451673319. Gr 9 Up.

FFORDE, Jasper. The Eyre Affair. Penguin, 2003. Tr $16.00. ISBN 9780142001806. Gr 10 Up.

FUNKE, Cornelia. Inkheart. Scholastic, 2009. pap. $9.99. ISBN 9780545046268. Gr 5 Up.

SMITH, Lane. It’s a Book. Roaring Book, 2010. Tr $12.99. ISBN 9781596436060. Gr 1 Up.

ZUSAK, Markus. The Book Thief. Knopf. pap. $9.99. ISBN 9780375842207. Gr 9 Up.

From the Trenches: Rockin’ Women of YA

Sara Campbell — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 01:42:42 +0000

This summer, SLJ is presenting SummerTeen, a daylong, online celebration of young adult books, and “Rockin’ Women of YA” is one of the many programs you’ll get to choose from. You can sign in from the comfort of your very own home or office and listen to great authors such as Maggie Stiefvater, A. S. King, Julie Kagawa, and more. The best part is that you can go back and watch the archived event later on or show it to your students or teen advisory group. Check out the following list of titles from a few of our scheduled presenters—there are too many authors to include in just one list!

STIEFVATER, Maggie. The Scorpio Races. Scholastic, 2011. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780545224901.

Gr 9 Up—Each fall the water horses arrive, bringing with them chaos, fear, and competition. Only the bravest riders will be able to tame a water horse, riding it to victory in the Scorpio Races. Sean Kendrick has a family legacy to live up to. Puck Connelly is taking control of her life in an extreme way by being the first female to compete in the annual races. Chapters alternate between Puck’s and Sean’s worlds, revealing the whole story. The extreme world, in which the water horses seem to hold the power, is described in vivid detail. Readers looking for adventure and to be magically transported to another world won’t be disappointed by this Michael L. Printz Honor Award-winning tale.

KING, A. S. Everybody Sees the Ants. Little, Brown, 2011. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780316129282.

Gr 9 Up—Bullied to the point where anything, anywhere, would be better than real life, Lucky Linderman just wants out. He dreams of his grandfather’s world, a POW camp in Vietnam, which sadly is preferable to the horrors of his high school life. Lucky’s dreams soon have him teetering on the edge of sanity and madness, waking up to discover he’s holding mementos from his grandfather. King’s novel, another Printz Award Honor Book, is a fresh offering in a time when many teen novels are focused on werewolves, vampires, or dark angels. It’s just a stark reminder of how tough the high school experience can be for some kids.

BRAY, Libba. Beauty Queens. Scholastic, 2011. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780439895972. Gr 7 Up.

CASHORE, Kristin. Bitterblue. Dial, 2012. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9780803734739. Gr 9 Up.

GIER, Kerstin. Ruby Red. Henry Holt, 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780805092523. Gr 7 Up.

KAGAWA, Julie. The Immortal Rules. Harlequin Teen, 2012. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780373210510. Gr 8 Up.

PIERCE, Tamora. Mastiff (The Legend of Beka Cooper, Book Three). Random, 2011. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780375814709. Gr 7 Up.

ROTH, Veronica. Insurgent. Katherine Tegen Books, 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780062024046. Gr 7 Up.