Grades 5 & up
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BARKER, Claire. Magical Mail. illus. by author. 174p. Boxer Bks., dist. by Sterling. 2010. Tr $12.95. ISBN 978-1-907152-65-8. LC number unavailable. Gr 4-6–Faith is a rather ordinary child, born into an extraordinary family that includes a beauty-pageant winner, a kickboxing instructor, a doctor, and a preschool chess champion. Faith’s only talent is losing her hair clips, and she is timid by nature. Everything changes the day a substitute teacher seems to know her already and assigns her a task for someone who is “brave, clever, and capable.” Faith, who doesn’t believe she is any of those things, discovers that she can actually be a hero. It seems that the Gingerbread Man has stolen incriminating letters from some characters such as the Tooth Fairy, Blackbeard, and the Big Bad Wolf, and is out to ruin their reputations by selling them to a newspaper. Faith’s job is to return the letters to their rightful owners after she escapes school by jumping into a desk drawer and landing in another world, inhabited by the owners of the letters. Lending aid is her teddy bear, Bus Bear, who changes into whomever Faith needs at any given time whether it be a taxi driver or a talking sea turtle. Fast-paced, funny, and fantastical, Magical Mail will intrigue anyone who loves stories that begin with “Once upon a time” and truly wishes to be someone special. –Kathy Kirchoefer, Prince Georges County Memorial Library System, New Carrollton, MD BARNHOLDT, Lauren. Rules for Secret Keeping. 280p. S & S/Aladdin. 2010. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-8020-9; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-0954-5. LC number unavailable. Gr 6-8–Samantha Carmichael is being featured in You Girl magazine as one of the tween finalists for Entrepreneur of the Year for her secret-passing business. Then she starts Somerville Middle School where the rules seem to have changed overnight. She must contend with technology and competition in order to keep her business alive and her personal life secure. In the meantime, she must learn to trust her friends and family lest they find out her secret. Barnholdt does a good job keeping readers interested in the life of a middle school girl and the drama that surrounds it. She incorporates modern technology, fashion, popularity, and boy/girl concerns into her narrative, which will be a hit with the audience. The plot and subplots drive the story forward. Barnholdt does a good job letting tweens know that they too can be entrepreneurs.–Sherry Rampey, Gaston Branch Library, SC BEAKE, Lesley. Remembering Green. 112p. Frances Lincoln. 2010. Tr $15.95. ISBN 978-1-84780-114-2. LC number unavailable. Gr 5-8–This is the story of Rain, a young woman abducted from her African village and taken to The Island, which was once a mountain at the tip of the continent before the ocean waters rose. It is now inhabited by Tekkies who have chill chambers, flashing screens, and other things to amuse them and keep them comfortable. They are served by abductees like Rain. Her one duty is to care for her lion, Saa, who was kidnapped. Tekkie Sharon is sometimes friendly toward Rain but doesn’t hesitate to let her know that her grandfather is one of the founders of The Island. Rain wishes to take Saa and return to her village but has no idea how to escape. Then she meets a boy named Ghau and a mysterious old man, Writer. Beake has written a dystopia so slight that the year appears only on the end flaps. It is also unclear why the technologically reliant lords of The Island have decided that a human sacrifice will help solve their problem of dwindling resources. Strong writing and an interesting protagonist in a dire situation will be enough for some readers. Others may wish for a more fully realized tale with more backstory and further explorations of characters’ motivations. –Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Library, Wisconsin Rapids, WI BELGUE, Nancy. Soames on the Range. 216p. CIP. HarperTrophy. 2010. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-00-200768-9. LC C2006-905832-6. Gr 7-10–San Francisco Soames has never had a “normal” family. He and his siblings are named after places, his twin sisters are always getting into trouble, and his parents are former hippies. But things take a turn for the worse in their small Vermont town when his parents inform him that his father is gay. A homophobic bullying incident outside a pharmacy, in which the store’s owner attempts to protect Cisco with a shotgun, turns ugly and the next thing Cisco knows, he’s responsible for putting Mr. Patterson in a coma. In an attempt to give their son a fresh start, the boy’s parents send him to his Uncle Vincent’s ranch in middle-of-nowhere British Columbia, but Cisco’s fate doesn’t immediately improve upon landing on Canadian soil. He appreciates cooking and eating good food, but his uncle’s moose stew is barely edible. Belgue excels at capturing the realities of small-town life. Likewise, details of the Canadian wilderness will make readers feel transported to the great white North. Unfortunately, the story suffers from uneven pacing and characters who never quite come to life. While Cisco’s cooking aspirations could draw an audience, they are not a large enough part of the story and fail to carry it. Given the dearth of YA fiction featuring gay parents, this title is significant. However, the Canadian setting and other shortcomings make it a hard sell.–Jennifer Barnes, Gleason Public Library, Carlisle, MA BERRY, Julie. Secondhand Charm. 304p. Bloomsbury. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-59990-511-2. LC number unavailable. Gr 5-8–Berry’s latest fantasy novel is laced with romance, intrigue, and adventure. Evie Pomeroy, 16, lives in the small village of Maundley with her grandfather. Her parents, both physicians, died during an influenza epidemic when she was just a baby. Evie herself is the village healer, all of her knowledge gleaned from her parents’ old medical textbooks. When she is offered a scholarship to attend the university, she eagerly accepts. But the journey to Chalcedon is fraught with danger both on land and at sea. Along the way, new friends are made and astonishing secrets are revealed about Evie’s heritage and special powers. And this is just the beginning.... Evie is a likable heroine who will capture readers’ imagination. The secondary characters, though not as developed, provide the protagonist with suitable, and sometimes surprising, enemies and allies. The many plot elements are deftly woven together into a novel sure to please fans of Berry’s Amaranth Enchantment (Bloomsbury, 2009). –Heather Miller Cover, Homewood Public Library, AL Gr 8 Up–Blaise Fortune has gone by the name Koumaïl for most of his life with Gloria in the war-torn Republic of Georgia. Although he loves her like a mother, he enjoys hearing the story of how she rescued him from a train that had derailed and his French mother, a passenger, died, and he dreams of the day he will find his real family. When the Soviet Union collapses, Gloria and Koumaïl begin a long, perilous journey to France where she believes he can live the life he deserves, without the stress and strife of war. Readers follow them through refugee camps, alternating between times of more peaceful hardship and periods of danger and flight. When Gloria tells Koumaïl to hide in a truck, he makes it to France but she is left behind. As he grows from a child into an adolescent, Koumaïl begins to wonder more about his true identity, and the novel culminates nine years later with a heartbreaking realization. The story is written in beautiful, quiet prose and offers a touch of hope, along with tragedy. The characters and story are well formed, but young people unfamiliar with the circumstances of life behind the Iron Curtain and the collapse of the Soviet Union might be confused as much of the conflict and political situation isn’t explained until near the end of the book. However, those who stay with it will be rewarded with an exceptional story.–Sharon Senser McKellar, Oakland Public Library, CA Gr 5-7–When 13-year-old Mellie Turpin was very young, her best friend was a three-inch-tall Small Person with Wings (or Parvi Pennati–but never call them fairies!) named Fidius. She hasn’t seen Fidius since she was in kindergarten, but when her grandfather dies and leaves the family his Parvi-infested inn, she discovers that she’s the latest in a long line of Turpins who provides sanctuary for the creatures in return for getting to keep a magical moonstone. They are having problems with their magic, so they want to release the Turpins from their contract and get the moonstone back but no one knows where it is. Mellie, matter-of-fact and slightly bad-tempered, narrates this hilarious tale of these enchanting, annoying little beings who sprinkle their speech with Latin and French phrases and are obsessed with appearances and enamored with high drama and style. Every character, human or Parvi, is drawn with singular care and humor, from the disgracefully clumsy Inepta to Mellie’s patient, maybe-new-friend Timmo. Spells turn people into drooling frogs and irascible bonging clocks, the truth-seeing magic of the moonstone turns out to be something of a liability, and Mellie “grows into her grandeur” just in time to save the Parvi as well as her entire family. Readers will share the girl’s irritated fondness for the ridiculous and lovable Parvi. A great choice for all who favor funny and intelligent fantasies with quirky characters and an unpredictable, fast-moving plot. –Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library BOUDREAU, Hélène. Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings. 224p. Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky. 2010. pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-1-4022-4412-4. LC number unavailable. Gr 5-8–Jade, 13, has enough problems. Her mom drowned a year ago, she’s overweight, and her crush can’t even remember her name. Then, she gets her period for the first time while trying on bathing suits for her best friend’s pool party. At home, a relaxing bath in Epsom salts turns into a nightmare. She nods off in the tub and, upon waking, finds that her legs have been replaced by a scaly mermaid’s tail. Her father doesn’t seem surprised, only sad, and he reveals that she inherited this trait from her mother, a “Pesco-sapien,” part fish, part human. The combination of salt water and the onset of puberty apparently triggered the change. Luckily Jade is able to return to her human state after some time out of the water. During a walk by the pier, she discovers that her mother is actually still alive and trapped in the lake by some not-so-nice mer-people. This leads to a frenetic, sometimes confusing, attempt to save her. Jade’s father, who never seems to be able to get to his cell phone, is well-meaning but bumbling, leaving Jade mostly responsible for her mother’s rescue. Flat characters and cheesy moments require the suspension of disbelief. Readers looking for an entertaining mermaid tale will be better served by Tera Lynn Child’s Forgive My Fins (HarperCollins, 2010).–Mandy Lawrence, Fowler Middle School, Frisco, TX BRADMAN, Tony, ed. Under the Weather: Stories About Climate Change. 215p. Frances Lincoln. 2010. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-84507-930-7. LC number unavailable. Gr 4-7–Eight stories by a variety of authors attempt to make the facts about climate change and its global ramifications relevant to today’s children. The majority of the selections are about youngsters enacting change and working toward solutions in tangible ways. For example, “How to Build the Perfect Sandcastle” is about a Philippino boy who works to rebuild the coral reefs, which are dying due to the rise in ocean temperature. Particularly heart-wrenching is “Moonlight,” in which Amanthi, a tea picker in Sri Lanka, dies of malaria, leaving her young brothers to fend for themselves. “Climate [Short] Change” is a highly nuanced tale describing the tenuous relationship between the European scientists researching climate change and the native Siberians struggling to survive in an ever-changing environment. A few stories veer toward the didactic and might not be as well received. Overall, though, this is a worthwhile effort that will appeal to children wanting to make a difference in their world as well as to teachers trying to make the scientific reality of climate change real to their students.–Ragan O’Malley, Saint Ann’s School, Brooklyn, NY BREZENOFF, Steve. The Burglar Who Bit the Big Apple. ISBN 978-1-4342-2139-1; ISBN 978-1-4342-2771-3. –––– . The Zombie Who Visited New Orleans. ISBN 978-1-4342-2141-4; ISBN 978-1-4342-2773-7. ea vol: illus. by C. B. Canga. 88p. (Field Trip Mysteries Series). glossary. Web sites. Stone Arch. 2010. PLB $23.99; pap. $5.95. LC number unavailable. Gr 3-6–Cat, Sam, Egg, and Gum are sixth-grade pals with a penchant for solving mysteries. Regardless of their destination, they make the most of their class trips by combining detective work with sightseeing. In Big Apple, they arrive in New York City just as a lunch box has been lifted from the Ralph Kramden statue in the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Later there is more vandalism at the Museum of Natural History and the Bronx Zoo, setting these kids on the trail of a suspicious girl who just happens to know their itinerary. In New Orleans, the friends witness acts of voodoo at every tourist attraction and wonder if certain people might be zombies in disguise. In both books, a bullying classmate initially seems to be the culprit, but when his crime appears to be no more than a weakness for ice cream, the tourists reach deeper into their detective tool boxes to unravel the clues. Each of these compact chapter books offers leading characters of both genders, some full-page, full-color illustrations, a “detective’s dictionary” (aka glossary), a useful model of a school report on the featured city, and evidence-based discussion questions. These titles are excellent introductions to the mystery genre; the graphics and short chapters make them accessible to struggling or reluctant readers.–Gloria Koster, West School, New Canaan, CT BUNCE, Elizabeth C. StarCrossed. 362p. CIP. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine Bks. 2010. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-13605-1. LC 2010000730. Gr 7 Up–Though slow to start, this fantasy quickly gains momentum and clarity. Hiding a bloodied packet of letters after their theft turned deadly for her partner-in-crime, a 16-year-old girl attempts to evade the king’s soldiers and flee Gerse. When a quartet of “nobs,” nobility-class young people, invites her aboard their river boat, she grabs the opportunity. An experienced liar and thief, Digger takes on the guise of Celyn, a girl escaping her brother’s ploy to send her to convent school. She is soon drafted as companion to Merista Nemair and accompanies the group to the Nemairs’ remote castle. Merista’s parents are returning from diplomatic exile following their involvement with Sarists, the losing opposition in a recent war and worshippers of the outlawed goddess of magic. The family hunkers down in the winter-locked mountains to prepare for Meri’s coming-out celebration. Trapped in her role as Celyn, Digger is blackmailed into spying for a villain named Daul, a supposed family friend who is actually seeking evidence of treachery and the illegal use of magic among the Nemair. A mysterious wounded man hidden beneath the stillroom, the dangerous glimmers of magic that Digger sees around Meri, and her own growing affection for the people who may be planning a rebellion complicate matters considerably. If readers forgive the difficulties the plot has in taking off, they will be rewarded with a complex and satisfying adventure story and will look forward to its sequel.–Suzanne Gordon, Lanier High School, Sugar Hill, GA CASSIDY, Sara. Slick. 122p. (Orca Currents). Orca. 2010. PLB $16.95. ISBN 978-1-55469-353-5; pap. $9.95. ISBN 978-1-55469-352-8. LC number unavailable. Gr 5-8–Liza is unhappy that her recently divorced mom has developed a new serious relationship. The teen can’t understand what her environmentally conscious mother could possibly see in oil-executive Robert, and she determines to undermine their growing relationship. She puts together a girls’ group called GRRR! (Girls for Renewable Resources, Really!) to expose Argenta Oil’s dirty underside and pressure the company to fulfill its responsibilities, and as the group succeeds in making some changes, Liza’s activism helps her to realize what is important to her, both personally and politically. With its short length and high-interest, action-packed nature, this empowering book will be a favorite with younger teens.–Susan Riley, Mount Kisco Public Library, NY CHANDLER, Elizabeth. The Back Door of Midnight. Bk. 3. 300p. (Dark Secrets Series). S & S/Pulse. 2010. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-0626-1; ebook $8.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-0628-5. LC number unavailable. Gr 7 Up–When Anna O’Neill Kirkpatrick receives an invitation from her great-uncle Will asking her to visit him and her great-aunt Iris as soon as possible, she goes willingly. She had lived with them as a child after her mother was killed in a robbery, but was then put in foster care and later adopted by her loving foster mother. When she arrives, she finds that her uncle was killed in a fire, that the perpetrator has not been caught, and that her aunt is either senile or crazy. Anna sets out on her own to investigate the murder and discovers her family history in the process. She soon learns that some family secrets are to die for. Chandler does a fantastic job of keeping readers on edge and creating a suspenseful mood and tone. This is an excellent stand-alone book that is sure to be popular. –Sherry Rampey, Gaston Branch Library, SC CHOW, Cara. Bitter Melon. 320p. Egmont USA. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-126-6; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-204-1; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-198-3. LC number unavailable. Gr 8 Up–While this novel will tend to resonate most with Asian-Americans, many teens can find kinship with a high school senior straining against rigid parental expectations. Living in late-1980s San Francisco in a one-bedroom apartment with a Chinese mother focused entirely on the future success of her daughter, Frances (Fei Ting) is accidentally scheduled for a public-speaking class instead of Berkeley-worthy calculus. Soon she is so taken with her free-spirited teacher, Ms. Taylor, that she misses the deadline to change classes and must lie to her mother, especially once her talents lead her to off-campus speech competitions. Frances takes second place in her first attempt and gets to know Collins, a boy she has met in the Princeton Review class her mother is making her attend to boost her SAT score. Lies build until her mother finds a forged report card with no calculus. A Chinese American Association competition that Frances wins gives the woman a chance to take pride in her daughter’s accomplishment, but instead of releasing her from a tunnel-future straight through to medical school, the win merely recasts the future Frances: now her studies must be journalism and she, the next Connie Chung. As senior year goes on, Frances works to determine her own fate, choose her own college, control her own money, and even date Collins. Chow skillfully describes the widening gulf between mother and daughter and the disparity between the Chinese culture’s expectation of filial duty and the American virtue of independence.–Suzanne Gordon, Lanier High School, Sugar Hill, GA COOK, Eileen. The Education of Hailey Kendrick. 272p. CIP. S & S/Pulse. Jan. 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-1325-2. LC 2010025608. Gr 7-10–Senior Hailey Kendrick is student government vice-president at her exclusive boarding school and she dates the most popular boy at Evesham. All about impressing her high-powered doctor father, she’s a straight-A student and follows every rule to the letter. One night after her aloof father changes their plans to spend the summer together yet again, she sneaks out of her dorm room after curfew, kisses a boy who is not her boyfriend, and gets caught vandalizing the school statue. As punishment, Hailey is assigned janitorial duty, and the entire school is put on lock down until she agrees to to tell who was with her. Mitigating circumstances make it impossible for her to reveal his identity. But now that Hailey has fallen from her perch of perfection, she begins to see things a little differently. She learns, with the help of the good-looking janitor she’s assigned to help, that rules shouldn’t always be followed...even when you’re the one making them. Hailey is a likable character, and the events leading up to and away from her episode of vandalism are believable. Her emotions ring true as well, whether it’s anger at her father or frustration at the restrictions she’s placed on herself. The plot develops quickly, and readers will be madly flipping pages to find out what happens next. –Heather Miller Cover, Homewood Public Library, AL DELSOL, Wendy. Stork. 357p. CIP. Candlewick. 2010. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-4844-2. LC 2009051357. Gr 7 Up–Katla Leblanc has recently moved from LA to northern Minnesota, the ancestral home of her mother’s family. The story immediately takes on a magical twist when she is summoned to the scary basement of a seemingly abandoned fabric shop only to find a chair being held for her among a circle of old women. It’s a secret meeting of the Aslendigas Storkur Society–storks who recommend and vote on the placement of new souls in “vessels.” Couple that with the new boy who apparently knows her from “before,” and you have the making of a breathtaking urban fantasy. Delsol uses colloquialisms and rich language to create vivid characters and detailed settings. The inclusion of Nordic mythology and a sense of fate add to the tenor of mysticism, and the two young men in Katla’s life, one of whom might be posing a danger to her, add interest and suspense.– Leah Krippner, Harlem High School, Machesney Park, IL EDGE, Harry. Spray. 228p. Feiwel & Friends. 2010. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-312-61344-0. LC number unavailable. Gr 7 Up–During a time of worldwide water shortage, a role-playing action game, Spray, begins. Appealing to teen and young adult players, the gamekeeper assigns each player someone to assassinate by soaking them with water pistols or balloons. Players who are soaked must give up their laminated card to the assassin. Participants create alliances, and, as the action proceeds, readers learn a bit more about the characters but never enough to really care about any of them or understand what would motivate them to play the game. What might have been a story line as exciting as Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother (Tor, 2008) ends up being superficial and plodding. The book may appeal to gaming fans, but readers expecting more depth of plot and action will either give up early on the book or be disappointed at the end.–Suanne Roush, Osceola High School, Seminole, FL FEHLBAUM, Beth. Hope in Patience. 312p. WestSide. 2010. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-934813-41-6. LC number unavailable. Gr 8 Up–Ashley Asher lives with her father and stepmother in a tiny town in East Texas. She wants what any 15-year-old might want: friends, a supportive family, a special relationship with a boy. But Ashley struggles to stop harming herself, to stop dissociating, to accept the support of the people around her. Before she came to Patience, Ashley spent most of her childhood with an indifferent mother and an abusive stepfather. Now she faces the huge challenge of healing from emotional neglect, as well as sexual and physical abuse. She tries, but trust is so hard to come by. And the challenges keep coming. There’s a court date when she must face her abuser and the mother who rejects her for reporting the assaults. And a first date on Halloween turns into a disaster when an actor playing a ghoul triggers a posttraumatic reaction in Ashley. All this is tough stuff, but very real to anyone who has lived with abuse or suffered from PTSD. The author is to be applauded for her courageous and accurate portrayal of the many small steps that lead toward psychological healing. It is Ashley’s friendships with other “misfits,” as much as the support of her new family and her unconventional therapist, that help Ashley understand that she is not alone and that she, too, deserves love. Teens who are attracted by her honesty and her compelling story will come away with a deeper understanding of trauma and healing. This book will open hearts and might well save lives.–Carolyn Lehman, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA FITZGERALD, Helen. Amelia O’Donohue Is So Not a Virgin. 224p. Sourcebooks/Fire. 2010. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4022-4373-8. LC number unavailable. Gr 8-11–Rachel Ross wants nothing more than to escape her life on a remote Scottish Island, so she focuses on getting top marks so she can enroll at Aberfeldy Halls. Although her parents tell her to leave the matter to the Lord, when the teen is caught with a local boy, they announce that she will attend the elite boarding school. Rachel is recognized as someone who never repeats secrets, and her schoolmates line up to share theirs with her. Before long, though, she retreats from the other girls to devote herself to her studies. A few days before finals, Rachel finds a newborn hidden in a linen closet. She decides to determine who the mother is, intending to help the young woman cope, and talks beautiful, popular Amelia O’Donohue into joining her to solve the mystery. This novel suffers from a split personality; in part it is the well-drawn story of an internal journey, with Rachel’s barren emotional life set against the island’s bleakness and her parents’ piety. It is also reminiscent of Louise Rennison’s Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging (HarperCollins, 2000), with humorous depictions of the girls’ high jinks and liberal use of slang. Unfortunately, the story careens between these two sensibilities throughout. Staging a comical “caper” around locating the desperate mother creates a sense of unease in readers that makes the scene largely unbelievable. Because the mood of the book shifts in these diverse directions, the message loses its potential impact and becomes little more than an uneven sum of its parts.–Karen Elliott, Grafton High School, WI FRIESNER, Esther. Threads and Flames. 389p. CIP. Viking. 2010. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-670-01245-9. LC 2009050306. Gr 6-9–Raisa, a 13-year-old Jewish girl, leaves a Polish shtetl to journey to America to join her sister, Henda, who has mistakenly been told that Raisa is dead. The crossing to America, the frightening chaos of arrival, poor working conditions, and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911 form the novel’s framework. Raisa makes some close friends on the ship and she takes responsibility for Brina, a child whose mother dies during the crossing. Raisa’s overwhelming loneliness as she tries to adjust and find her sister permeates the story. The frustration she feels and the seemingly insurmountable challenge of succeeding spills dramatically from the pages despite some contrived twists and turns. When Raisa seeks some rest by entering a synagogue, she meets Gavrel Kamensy, an aspiring rabbinal student just a few years her senior. He brings her home and she and Brina become boarders with his family. The Kamensys’ warmth and accepting nature allow Raisa the chance to look for work and begin her English studies. She feels lucky to get a job at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, but the drudgery and unfair working conditions repeatedly foreshadow the horrendous event to follow. Gruesome details of workers jumping from the window in order to escape the pervasive flames are horrific. Scores die, many are physically injured, and still others, like Gavrel, suffer mentally. Anguish and frustration of looking for survivors and identifying the dead seem hopeless, but Raisa remains brave and focused. This would be a fine companion to Margaret Peterson Haddix’s Uprising (S & S, 2007) and Mary Jane Auch’s Ashes of Roses (Holt, 2002).–Renee Steinberg, formerly at Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ GABEL, Claudia, adapt. Romeo & Juliet & Vampires. 231p. HarperTeen. 2010. pap. $8.99. ISBN 978-0-06-197624-7. LC number unavailable. Gr 7-10–The vampire craze comes to Verona. Juliet Capulet, dreading her 16th-birthday transition ritual, falls madly in love with Romeo, a Montague from the household that has been slaying her vampire relatives for eons. Despite the truce that Prince Radu has called between the two families, the hatred continues: Juliet’s cousin Tybalt kills Romeo’s best friend, Mercutio, and a distraught Romeo then slays Tybalt. Banished from the kingdom and fearing for his life, Romeo flees. Friar Laurence launches a plan to help reunite the lovers, but it goes awry. Only when Juliet drinks her dead husband’s blood, turning him also into one of the undead, can the two forge a life together beyond Transylvania, away from their families’ vengeful mores. For what it is, Gabel has done a credible job of adapting the original story to accommodate the rudiments of vampire lore, using both humor and passion to reel in her readers. The familiar characters are all here, if, generally, in two-dimensional form, and the clear plot moves quickly, but with the tragic ending replaced by a “happy” one. The language, stripped of the beauty of the Bard’s poetry, has Mercutio warning that he is about to “punch Benvolio’s lights out,” and sappy dialogue abounds. Some vocabulary is not explained, and there are some sexual references. While fans of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight ( Little, Brown, 2005) are bound to be enthralled, those preferring the poignancy of Shakespeare’s original love story would be better served by either Bruce Coville’s eloquent prose retelling (Dial, 1999) or the dramatic reading found in Audio Partners’ “The Complete Arkangel Shakespeare” (Audio Editions, 2003).–Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, The Naples Players, FL GARCIA, Kami & Margaret Stohl. Beautiful Darkness. Bk. 2. 503p. CIP. Little, Brown. 2010. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-316-07705-7. LC 2010007015. Gr 7 Up–This engrossing must-have sequel to Beautiful Creatures (Little, Brown, 2009) immediately returns to Gatlin, SC, and the seemingly impossible relationship between Caster girl Lena Duchannes, as yet un-Claimed for Light or Dark, and Ethan Wate, her beloved Mortal. Grieving the recent loss of Uncle Macon and worried that her 17th Moon and family curse will destroy everyone else she loves, Lena pulls away from Ethan and runs off to the Great Barrier with Siren cousin Ridley and mysterious John Breed. But is she headed for nirvana or danger? Plagued by strange visions and accompanied by his loyal friend Link and Keeper-in-Training Liv, Ethan travels the Caster Tunnels running beneath the world determined to save Lena. Along the way he faces shocking revelations about his family and gets help from several unexpected sources–developments that will further enamor readers. Familiar and favorite characters behave just as remembered, and sometimes even better. New additions, especially clever Liv, enhance the series and its plot, which is a cycle of hope, despair, and possibility. Like her Book of Moons, it gives and takes with equal measure in a great storytelling balance. Mortal and Castor settings aboveground and below reinforce the novel’s Southern and gothic tone. Past and present are navigated successfully, offering new information while creating more questions. With allusions to a bigger game afoot and a classic good vs. evil climax that leaves several loose ends (unique, dangerous, and entertaining), this volume will leave readers clamoring for the next installment.–Danielle Serra, Cliffside Park Public Library, NJ GELBWASSER, Margie. Inconvenient. 318p. Flux. 2010. pap. $9.95. ISBN 978-0-7387-2148-4. LC number unavailable. Gr 8-10–Russians and alcohol go hand in hand, both in ignorant stereotypes and in 15-year-old Alyssa’s experiences. The daughter of Russian immigrants, she is used to seeing her parents find any occasion to imbibe. But when her mother’s drinking starts to get out of control, it’s not just insensitive comments from thoughtless classmates that are the problem. While Alyssa works to navigate having her first boyfriend, her newly popular best friend, and her cross-country running career, she is simultaneously–and single-handedly–covering up for her mother’s growing alcohol abuse while her workaholic father stands by in willful denial until he realizes he must act. Alyssa feels more and more isolated until her new boyfriend, Keith, offers insight that helps “New Alyssa” temper “Old Alyssa’s” enabling behaviors. Though the imagery is a bit heavy-handed in parts, the topic of parental alcoholism is an important one to address, and the Russian Jewish teen is an uncommon protagonist in YA literature, both of which create an interesting narrative perspective. The day-to-day nature of Alyssa’s story is a refreshing take on the YA problem novel, one that refuses melodrama and favors instead the powerful significance of the smaller moments of life–a smell, a look, a flash of a memory.–Jennifer Miskec, Longwood University, Farmville, VA GRAHAM, Rosemary. Stalker Girl. 298p. CIP. Viking. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-670-06303-1. LC 2009030178. Gr 8-10–When Carly’s mother ends her relationship with her boyfriend, Carly is given two options for the summer: either go live temporarily with her father and stepmother in Ohio, or take a job at Stony Hollow, an exclusive sleepaway camp at which her mother is the Interim Director. Opting to take the camp position, Carly finds that she desperately misses city life and is unnerved by ordinary sounds in the woods, but soon falls in love with Brian, her fellow kitchen worker and a talented musician. Summer camp comes to an end all too quickly, and Carly finds herself back at her expensive Manhattan all-girls prep school, while Brian rents an apartment in Brooklyn. Greater exposure and praise of his band lead to an increase in female fans, heightening Carly’s insecurity and resulting in an irrevocable split in the relationship. When Taylor, Brian’s new girlfriend, arrives on the scene, Carly’s obsession and stalker tendencies go beyond the pale, leading to unintended and fateful consequences. The action feels a bit flat and moves slowly, although the tempo increases in the last third of the story. Several scenes show promise, insight, and excitement; the tension between the rich Manhattan second-home owners (“Citiots”) and year-round residents is believable, while Carly’s interrogation by a defense attorney is fast-paced. However, readers never fully empathize with or understand her actions. Although the ending is somewhat tidy and perhaps not redemptive enough, there is hope that Carly has learned her lesson.–Jennifer Schultz, Fauquier County Public Library, Warrenton, VA HAND, Cynthia. Unearthly. Bk. 1. 448p. HarperTeen. 2010. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-199616-0. LC number unavailable. Gr 7-10–Clara Gardner is a quarter-angel. She lives with her mom and brother in California, until she starts to receive visions of her divine purpose involving a handsome young man, a forest fire, and sadness. The teen and her mom slowly piece together her visions and realize that the fire is near Jackson, WY. Clara’s family packs up and moves there so that she can fulfill her destiny. She meets the boy from her vision, Christian, but he already has a girlfriend and a popular set of friends. She tries to get closer to him, but is distracted by friends, trying to learn to fly, and a cute, but annoying cowboy. Despite her brief visions, Clara doesn’t know much about her angelic nature. She meets Angela, who is also an angel, and guesses that Clara is too. Clara learns that fallen angels have dark wings and will try to take her powers. The day of her purpose comes and she must make an impossible choice–do what she is supposed to do or save the boy she loves. Although the book is lengthy, the plot moves quickly and should appeal to reluctant readers. Hand does an excellent job of creating and sustaining the mood of teenage angst mixed with first love. A gentle, paranormal romance that is sure to appeal to Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight (Little, Brown, 2005) fans. First book in a projected trilogy.–Samantha Larsen Hastings, Riverton Library, UT HARRISON, Kim. Early to Death, Early to Rise. 228p. CIP. HarperCollins. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-171817-5. LC 2009026331. Gr 9 Up–In this sequel to Once Dead, Twice Shy (HarperCollins, 2009), purple-haired Goth Madison is adjusting to life at her new high school–and to the fact that she is recently dead. She is the newest dark timekeeper put in charge of reapers of death. Her ideals clash with tradition–she believes in choice over fate: people with the potential to do evil might still be able to change in time to save their souls. Madison and her two reapers, (mostly) light Barnabas and dark Nakita, set out to alter the fate of a teen with a computer virus set to wreak havoc on the local hospital and cause several deaths. Madison’s adversarial light timekeeper, Ron, and his apprentice are positioned to prevent them from succeeding. Amulets with hidden forces and an occasional visit from a limerick-spouting guardian angel add to the complex hierarchy of fate and supernatural power. Sharp-dressed Nakita, who can “scythe” (kill) mortals is still concerned with fitting in at school and is an engaging sidekick to Madison, yet other characters are portrayed sketchily at best. This fast-paced tale delivers some uniquely amusing moments but does not stand alone. Fans of Lauren Kate’s Fallen (Delacorte, 2009) and those who enjoyed the first book may be drawn into Harrison’s world of heaven and earth, but new readers will be left confused by undeveloped characters and overly complex rules and guidelines.–Tara Kehoe, Plainsboro Public Library, NJ HARVEY, Sarah N. Death Benefits. 212p. Orca. 2010. pap. $12.95. ISBN 978-1-55469-226-2. LC number unavailable. Gr 8 Up–Royce, 16, hardly knows his 95-year-old grandfather, a world-renowned cellist and general grump. But when his mother offers him $15 an hour to be Arthur’s caregiver–way more than he’d make flipping burgers–he jumps at the opportunity. Royce gets a kick out of Arthur’s eccentricities, which include wearing Pumas to a special event and listening to the Pussycat Dolls. The two begin to bond in a way neither expected, but after several strokes, Arthur’s health deteriorates rapidly and he asks Royce to help him die. Unfortunately, while Royce’s voice is strong, it is not enough to carry the predictable plot or endear readers to him. It is surprisingly brash in contrast to the subject matter. A romantic subplot remains underdeveloped and the minor characters are two-dimensional. Louis Sachar’s hilarious and moving The Cardturner (Delacorte, 2010) is a much stronger choice.–Jennifer Barnes, Gleason Public Library, Carlisle, MA HOUCK, Colleen. Tiger’s Curse. 416p. Sterling. Jan. 2011. Tr $17.95. ISBN 987-1-4027-8403-3; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4027-8485-9. LC number unavailable. Gr 9 Up–Many years ago, two Indian princes fell in love with the same woman. Her sorcerer father took advantage of the brothers’ rivalry to gain control of the magical amulets they possessed. The girl was killed, and the brothers were transformed into tigers. More than 300 years later, Kelsey, an American orphan who has just graduated from high school, takes a temporary job working with a circus. There, she develops an inexplicable bond with a white tiger named Ren, and she is asked to accompany him to a wildlife preserve in India. There he transforms into a handsome young man and reveals that only Kelsey can help break the curse he is under. She must embark upon a journey where she is in danger of losing her heart, her life, or both. Houck has clearly done a great deal of research on Indian culture, and she is adept at including details that allow readers to understand the story’s setting. Unfortunately, that detail is too elaborate in many places and bogs down the Indiana Jones-esque action. Also, the characters are flat, with little nuanced behavior or dialogue; for example, Ren is a 300-year-old prince, and yet based on his behavior he is indistinguishable from a modern American teenager. Kelsey’s redeeming character component is that she is self-aware and reluctant to succumb completely to Ren’s eager romantic advances. Twilight (Little, Brown, 2005) fans will appreciate the supernatural, star-crossed romance.–Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO Gr 4-6–Thirteen-year old Evie Carson loves to cook, which is fitting for the daughter of a renowned celebrity chef. Now that her parents have divorced and her father is living with his new wife on the other side of town, Evie spends a lot of time in the kitchen, and her mom has even signed her up for summer cooking classes at the rec center. It’s been a year since her dad moved out and took their dog with him, but now there are twins on the way, her stepmother is trying to be her friend, and her mother is going on her first date since the divorce, so Evie is feeling just a little bit out of sorts. Although she and her mom have finally begun to fill the empty places left by her father’s departure, it takes a crotchety neighbor, a handsome cooking partner, some rescued animals, and a lot of recipes to make the future seem as inviting as the past. Each chapter is headed by a quote from a celebrity chef that portends the events to come and concludes with a recipe for whatever Evie is preparing. Spot illustrations appear throughout. This is an appealing book with an authentic voice, particularly when discussing the upheaval and discomfort caused by divorce, as well as the effort and good will required to smooth the transition.–Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library JADEN, Denise. Losing Faith. 381p. CIP. S & S/Pulse. 2010. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-9609-5. LC 2010007296. Gr 7 Up–Faith was the good sister: perfect voice, devout Christian. When she dies in a mysterious fall from a cliff, her irreligious sister, Brie, and their parents are left to cope–or not–with the devastation. This thoughtful first novel explores early grief and shows how it can tear at the structure of a family that cannot mourn together. Brie’s parents pull apart, into their own self-contained worlds of anguish. But Brie does not want to mourn alone; she feels angry, guilty, and confused, and she wants answers. She stumbles through her days at school, observing her pariah status with former friends and everyone except the rebel Tessa and a mysterious homeschooled boy, both of whom know loss and grief firsthand. The more questions Brie and Tessa ask about Faith’s death, the more they are stonewalled by those who knew her well, and the more they suspect that her death wasn’t an accident. Once Brie uncovers the breakaway Christian study group that her sister belonged to, the story becomes a mystery thriller. It wraps up neatly, but not before readers are taken on a ride through a secret world of religious zeal gone haywire. The fault lies not in the religion–an earnest Christianity–but in the fanaticism that can happen when people follow a charismatic leader with a personality disorder. With pitch-perfect portrayals of high school social life and a nuanced view into a variety of Christian experiences of faith, this first novel gives readers much to think about. –Carolyn Lehman, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA KANTOR, Melissa. The Darlings Are Forever. 330p. Hyperion. Jan. 2011. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-2368-2. LC number unavailable. Gr 8-10–Actress Jane, brainy Natalya, and perpetual good-girl, Victoria, best friends for years, are now about to start their freshman year at different New York City schools. It’s going to be an odd year: not only are they about to have experiences apart, but it’s also the first year without Jane’s beloved grandmother, who took them all over the city and advised them to “always do what you’re afraid of doing.” The Darlings–as Nana called them–take her advice to heart and challenge themselves: Jane auditions for the main stage production at her performing-arts high school despite the fact that roles almost never go to freshmen; Natalya falls in with the rich queen bees at her exclusive private school in spite of her doubts about their sincerity; Victoria struggles to break out of the shadow her older sister left at her prep school. Overcoming their fears might push them to be their best selves–but not listening to them can lead to trouble, even among best friends. More than their individual situations, Kantor’s focus is on their friendship, and on the sometimes-painful process of growing apart while trying to deny that anything has changed. The shifting dynamic among the three is believable, given that they’ve never been without one another before. The girls are easy to care about, and the message–that true friendships can change and grow and still be maintained–will appeal to fans of Ann Brashares’s “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” series (Delacorte).–Brandy Danner, Wilmington Memorial Library, MA KLEIN, Lisa. Cate of the Lost Colony. 322p. further reading. Web sites. Bloomsbury. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-59990-507-5. LC number unavailable. Gr 7 Up–Cate, 14, is a maid for Queen Elizabeth until her emotions get the best of her. When a romance develops between Cate and Sir Walter Ralegh, the jealous queen declares, “He. Is. Mine” and sends her to the Tower . However, the smooth-talking Ralegh is able to convince the queen that the young woman should be sent to America, thinking that he will eventually join her. Clearly this forbidden relationship doesn’t evolve, and Cate’s life becomes consumed with surviving in Roanoke with hostile Natives threatening to attack. She enlists the help of Manteo to learn their language and, predictably, a romance grows from that. Chapters containing Ralegh’s writings and memorandums alternate with those about Cate and Manteo, who is educated in English and charged with negotiations with the Natives. While the writing is smooth and easy to follow, only true American-history enthusiasts will find this novel interesting enough to read in its entirety. The author’s note is helpful in clarifying fact from fiction. Celia Rees’s Witch Child (Candlewick, 2001) is a more interesting story about this period in history. –Jessica Lorentz Smith, Bend Senior High School, OR LASKY, Kathryn. Shadow Wolf. Bk. 2. 260p. (Wolves of the Beyond Series). CIP. Scholastic. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-545-09312-5. LC 2010015227. Gr 4-6–Fans of the “Guardians of Ga’Hoole” series (Scholastic) and those who ate up Lone Wolf (Scholastic, 2009), the first book in this series, will be eager to learn the fate of mother grizzly bear Thunderheart’s beloved adopted-wolf-son, Faolan, who was born with a deformed paw and left to die until she found him. In this tightly plotted, lyrical tale, Faolan endures his lot as a gnaw wolf, but has no idea how to bend his innate bravery and confidence into the accepted fringe behavior, cowering and cringing while mashing his face in the dirt to show the required obeisance. Lasky blends her powerful skill in establishing a setting with Faolan’s lilting poetry and song, revealing his tender heart and the forest’s own beauty. She builds the wolf society as if it were a human tribe of both wise and blind leaders, living in a culture of cruelty, survival, evil, and honor. It is the magic of tribal strength and love that lays down the only hope for a talented young wolf. Readers will be delighted that heroes from Lasky’s “Ga’Hoole” series appear to challenge the established world in this fascinating addition to the “Wolves” series.–Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Aptos, CA LEAL, Ann Haywood. A Finders-Keepers Place. 259p. Holt. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8050-8882-3. LC number unavailable. Gr 4-7–In a small town in the 1970s, 11-year-old Esther Page feels the weight of the world on her shoulders. Her mother, Valley, is neglectful and abusive to her and her eight-year-old sister, Ruth, because of untreated manic depression. When Esther wakes up to see Ruth’s empty bed, she knows she must find her. With Valley passed out, Esther finds a clue in the pink puddles of ice cream in the kitchen from groceries never put away and realizes that her mother must have left her sister at the grocery store. She finds Ruth curled up on a shelf, head resting on a package of toilet paper. The girls scramble through a Dumpster for food, forage in a Goodwill bin for school clothes, and do their best to avoid their mother when she is “out of sorts.” Desperate for help, they search the churches in town for Ezekiel, their preacher father, who left when they were little. Where he is becomes clear as the plot, with its adept foreshadowing, unfolds. Readers may feel anger and frustration because of the lack of adult intervention as well as at the absence of closure at the end of an emotional and well-developed buildup to an all-too-common social situation.–D. Maria LaRocco, Cuyahoga Public Library, Strongsville, OH LECESNE, James. Virgin Territory. 224p. Egmont USA. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-081-8; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-107-5. LC number unavailable. Gr 9 Up–When the golf course where he caddies for the summer closes due to mobs that follow the appearance of a tree blotch that looks remarkably like the Blessed Virgin Mary, Dylan finds himself involved with new friends in surprising escapades. Since the death of his mother, he and his father left New York City for Jupiter, FL, trying to reinvent their lives. Doug tries to live up to his obligations as father of Dylan and son of Marie, in whose house they live. Marie slips in and out of lucidity and is regularly on the lam from the nursing home that provides her care. Now that the town is being invaded by the followers of sightings of the Virgin Mary, Dylan take up with exotic newcomer Angela and her pals Desirée and Crispy. These kids are not bad, but they do some things that are fairly thoughtless, discovering along the way the consequences of their actions and gaining insight into their motivations and those of the adults who should be in charge, but clearly are not. Eclectic in spirit, exploring sexual desire, pondering the mysterious connections between people, there’s nothing religious here, despite the title. Nor is virginity the topic, although Dylan loses his. It’s just Lecesne gently laying bare both the humor and pain that accompany love and loss.–Carol A. Edwards, Denver Public Library, CO LEWIS, J. S. Invasion. Bk. 1. 320p. (A CHAOS Novel). Thomas Nelson. Jan. 2011. Tr $14.99. ISBN 978-1-59554-266-3. LC number unavailable. Gr 6 Up–Colt McAlister, 16, has his life forever changed when he goes from being a carefree California surfer to alien-hunting secret agent practically overnight. Still reeling from the devastating loss of his parents, he moves in with his grandfather in the Arizona desert. It is there that he is reunited with a childhood friend, Dani Salazar, and makes a new pal in the brash and attractive “Oz” Romero. After a clandestine meeting with a paranoid scientist, Colt begins to believe that his parents didn’t die in an accident; they were murdered by the ominous Trident Industries. His mother, a journalist, was going to expose the company for using technology designed to help cure diseases as a cover for mind-control experiments. Colt is even more blown away to learn that the board members of Trident aren’t even human: they’re aliens! Can he avenge his parents’ death and stop the coming invasion? This novel draws readers into the action-packed world of Colt and his friends. The narrative presents several well-defined characters who will draw reluctant readers into the sphere of alien conspiracy and espionage. While the dialogue and situations may not always be realistic, the fast-paced and well-defined world will keep readers glued to the pages.–Ryan Donovan, New York Public Library LINDNER, April. Jane. 373p. charts. CIP. Little, Brown/Poppy. 2010. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-316-08420-8. LC 2010006365. Gr 10 Up–In this modern take on Charlotte Brontë’s classic romance, Jane Moore has just withdrawn from Sarah Lawrence as her parents have passed on without leaving any money. She accepts a job as a nanny, working for Nico Rathburn, a famous rock star, at his home, Thornfield Park. She plans on earning enough money to finish her schooling. Despite being incredibly practical and emotionally reserved, Jane falls for the bad-boy celebrity, and he for her. After she accepts his marriage proposal, the little oddities at Thornfield Park are pieced together to form a big problem for their new love. Jane flees from her fianc é and must decide for herself whether she can accept the problem or live without Mr. Rathburn’s love. The relationship builds almost out of nowhere but emerges as a passionate romance. Lindner’s love story delivers an entrancing star-crossed relationship, and it is not necessary to be familiar with the original to enjoy it. A few plot elements seem a little unnecessary to readers not familiar with Jane Eyre , but exist to satisfy those who expect them. In any event, this is a great “gateway read” to interest teens in the original novel and other classics by the Brontë sisters or Jane Austen. –Emily Chornomaz, West Orange Public Library, NJ LITTLEFIELD, Sophie. Banished. 304p. CIP. Delacorte. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-385-73852-1; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-385-90735-4; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-375-89495-4. LC 2009032711. Gr 9 Up–Sixteen-year-old Hailey Tarbell lives with her negligent grandmother and foster brother, Chub, in a decrepit corner of Gypsum, MO. She tolerates Gram’s drug dealing and their outcast status, biding her time until she can start a new life with Chub. When a classmate almost dies in a gym class accident, Hailey discovers that she possesses a healing power. She uses this gift to revive her dog, Rascal, after a truck crushes him, but he doesn’t seem normal after being brought back to life. Then long-lost Aunt Prairie arrives in town, along with two mysterious men who trail Hailey everywhere she goes. Following a violent shoot-out and car chase, Prairie escapes with Hailey and Chub and takes them to Chicago, where they join forces with another Healer and her son. Prairie reveals that the Tarbells are part of an ancient Irish clan of “Banished” people. Healing is one of their gifts, though they are forbidden from resurrecting someone who has already died, which explains the trouble with Rascal. Hailey also learns that her aunt’s ex-boyfriend is a nefarious medical researcher who wants to use Hailey’s skill to raise a mercenary army of zombies. The action builds to a nail-biting climax at the research laboratory where Hailey tangles, quite gruesomely, with a room full of zombies. The mythology of the Banished is somewhat underdeveloped, but it may be better explained in the inevitable sequel. With plenty of action, family drama, and the promise of romance, this novel is seriously entertaining.–Amy Pickett, Ridley High School, Folsom, PA LORE, Pittacus. I Am Number Four. Bk. 1. 440p. (Lorien Legacies Series). CIP. HarperCollins. 2010. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-196955-3. LC 2010009395. Gr 7 Up–Despite the amazing powers that many of the people of Lorien possess, the planet was defeated and its natural resources looted by Mogadorians in a matter of days. Only nine children escaped with their guardians to Earth, where they planned to hide until they developed their powers in order to defeat their enemies and revive Lorien. The Mogadorians hunt the Nine and have already killed three of them. And that’s just the backstory. When Number Four, bearing the name “John Smith,” moves to Paradise, OH, he runs afoul of the school bully, falls for the most beautiful girl in town, and befriends the local alien conspiracy nerd in short order. There is plenty of great action, but the dialogue is average, as is the character development. With its interesting premises and a fast-pace telling, the story will grab readers who are willing to suspend quite a bit of disbelief. Others, who like their science fiction with a bit more science and internal logic, will have to search elsewhere.–Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Library, Wisconsin Rapids, WI MCBRIDE, Lish. Hold Me Closer, Necromancer. 342p. Holt. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8050-9098-7. LC number unavailable. Gr 8 Up–This sometimes goofy, sometimes gory debut novel introduces Sam, a fast-food employee in Seattle who has grown up unaware of his ability to raise the dead. After a bizarre encounter with a customer, he gets a beating from a stranger, and his coworker shows up missing her body below the neck (a misfortune that does not affect her positive attitude). It seems that Douglas, an evil local necromancer, has become aware of Sam’s powers and views him as a threat. With the help of his friends–and a very attractive werewolf girl–Sam must try to tap into his necromancing abilities to beat Douglas at his own game. Some of the jokes, like the punning chapter titles that quote song lyrics from the likes of the Eurythmics,’70s-era Paul Simon, and Timbuk 3, may be lost on many of today’s teens. However, for fans of horror-humor hybrids like the film Shaun of the Dead, this book may hold some appeal.–Hayden Bass, Seattle Public Library, WA MCCLINTOCK, Norah. Masked. 108p. (Orca Soundings). Orca. 2010. PLB $16.95. ISBN 978-1-55469-365-8; pap. $9.95. ISBN 978-1-55469-364-1. LC 2010929070. Gr 8-11–McClintock tells the story of a convenience-store robbery through the eyes of the store owner and his daughter, Rosie; the mystery shopper, who is another teen from the neighborhood; the gunman, Leon, who is Rosie’s ex-boyfriend; and Corey, Rosie’s boyfriend. There is suspense to keep reluctant readers interested, and there is enough backstory to flesh out the characters, at least a bit. One nice surprise is the lack of foul language, even though an armed crime is taking place. Of course, secrets are revealed, and Leon’s tale is particularly tragic. Unfortunately, Rosie garners no sympathy; she is a selfish girl who only dated Leon until Corey “came back” from cheating on her. She has lied and manipulated him and acts surprised at what he has done. Corey is despicable, with no redeeming qualities, at least in this story. This seems more like an introduction than a fleshed-out novel.–Robin Henry, Wakeland High School, Frisco, TX MACDONALD, Bailey. The Secret of the Sealed Room: A Mystery of Young Benjamin Franklin. 208p. S & S/Aladdin. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-9760-3; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-9762-7. LC number unavailable. Gr 5-8–Fourteen-year-old Patience Martin, the orphaned daughter of a sea captain and an escaped slave, lives in 1721 Boston as an indentured servant. Mrs. Worth is a difficult mistress, but Patience is nonetheless shocked when the pregnant woman dies of arsenic poisoning. Running away to escape indenture to Mrs. Worth’s brother-in-law, Patience learns that she and midwife Moll Bacon are both murder suspects. Young Benjamin Franklin, as mischievous as Tom Sawyer, agrees to help Patience find the true culprit. MacDonald has crafted an engaging mystery starring one of America’s most intriguing historical figures. Readers will appreciate the vivid details of Boston’s chill weather, noxious odors, and lively tradesmen as they piece the clues together along with the protagonists. The denouement reveals each twist of the crime and ties up Patience’s future nicely. There are a few flaws, however. While the narration allows for an intimate portrayal of colonial Massachusetts, Patience tells her story as an adult, and it isn’t clear why she has decided to tell it or what meaning it has in her present life. As such, it seems incomplete. The final words of the book, stating how clever Franklin is, seem artificial given that Patience and Ben solve the mystery in equal parts. That said, they make an enterprising pair in this lively story with a Sherlock Holmesian finale.–Caitlin Augusta, Stratford Library Association, CT MAGOON, Kekla. Camo Girl. 224p. S & S/Aladdin. Jan. 2011. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-7804-6; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-1722-9. LC number unavailable. Gr 5-8–The lone African American in her Nevada junior high school, sixth-grader Ella struggles with self-image, bullying, and shifting friendships. Tormented by the vitiligo on her face, she shuns mirrors and feels ostracized. Her one true friend is Zachariah (Z), a homeless loner classmate whose imaginative fantasies mask his troubled emotional state. When Bailey James, also African American, enrolls in her school and befriends Ella, her world begins to change. Ella is drawn to Bailey’s popularity and friendship but doesn’t want to lose Z. When he disappears, Ella and Bailey secretly hop a bus to Las Vegas to find him. Along the way, Ella discovers that Bailey has secrets and fears of his own. The three children have maternal support and love but miss their fathers. Ella’s died young; Z’s, a gambler, abandoned his family; and Bailey’s soldier father is in treatment for PTSD. Ella’s coming-of-age narrative reveals her growing awareness of the complexities of life and the burdens each person carries. Magoon writes with insight, wit, and compassion. Characters are appealing; action is well paced; and adolescent angst is palpable. Although Ella’s skin condition and Z’s psychological problems are not clearly defined, the trauma of both is conveyed. Ella is caught between a desire to hang out with Bailey and the popular crowd or remain loyal to eccentric Z, and her actions, musings, and guilt will resonate with readers. –Gerry Larson, Durham School of the Arts, NC MEYER, Susan Lynn. Black Radishes. 228p. maps. CIP. Delacorte. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-385-73881-1; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-385-90748-4; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-375-89614-9. LC 2009047613. Gr 5-8–After a somewhat slow beginning, this story of the plight of Jews in France from 1940 to 1942 develops into a dramatic tale of courage and determination. Gustave Becker, 11, lives in Paris, enjoying his time with his friend Marcel and his cousin Jean Paul. Then his parents suddenly announce that the family will be moving to Saint-Georges, which they believe to be safer, until they can get visas to go to America. A more even pace follows as Gustave deals with being in a new place and hiding the fact that he is Jewish. He is taunted by Phillipe, a bully who has a visceral hatred of Jews. Gustave develops a friendship with Nicole, a Catholic girl who turns out to be the daughter of Resistance fighters. The story becomes exciting when Gustave takes over her Resistance task when she is sick. The black radishes of the title refer to bribes his father tries to make with German border guards between the occupied and unoccupied zones. Meyer shines light on the bravery of Resistance fighters, and her story gradually crescendos into a gripping read comparable to Marilyn Sachs’s classic A Pocket Full of Seeds (Doubleday, 1972), Carol Matas’s Greater Than Angels (S & S, 1998), and Norma Fox Mazer’s Good Night, Maman (Harcourt, 1999).–Renee Steinberg, formerly at Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ MONNINGER, Joseph. Wish. 190p. Delacorte. 2010. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-385-73941-2; PLB $20.99. ISBN 978-0-385-90788-0; ebook $17.99. ISBN 978-0-375-89754-2. LC number unavailable. Gr 5-8–A victim of cystic fibrosis, 11-year-old Tommy downplays his condition and feeds his fascination with sharks. He has studied them for years, learning about their survival instincts. Tommy often struggles for breath, but he keeps a marathon pace as his bank of knowledge about these animals grows. He writes an autobiographical essay, enters a contest, and wins a trip to California to go on a shark watch. His 15-year-old sister, Bee, who mostly takes care of him, and his single mom, who mostly doesn’t, join him. While on the boat, Tommy hopes against hope that his wish will be granted: to be lowered in a cage to experience the creatures eye-to-eye. A combination of seasickness and the dangerously rough sea nixes that. Bee, hovering and all-knowing, makes a pivotal decision: Tommy’s daily struggle for life must not be all that he experiences. While their mother is out on an all-night date, the two set off to meet a local hero of sorts–a young surfer who lived to tell about a shark attack. Tommy, Bee, the surfer, and his younger brother form an instant bond. They hang out, do the California dreamin’ thing, and give Tommy a surfing adventure he’ll never forget. The flip side–and not surprisingly–he almost dies. This is as much Bee’s coming-of-age story as it is Tommy’s. Her narrative about her brother’s condition and tangential situations of drama, romance, and their mother’s behaviors often compromise the story’s punch.–Alison Follos, North Country School, Lake Placid, NY MOSS, Jenny. Taking Off. 320p. bibliog. Walker. Jan. 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8027-2193-8. LC number unavailable. Gr 8-11–Annie is lost. It is 1985, her senior year, and she has no idea what will come after graduation: college, a job in her Texas town, marriage to her longtime boyfriend, maybe revealing to the world that she desperately wants to be a poet. All of these are possible, but Annie just cannot decide among them. A chance encounter with Christa McAuliffe (Annie’s best friend’s parents work for NASA) motivates Annie to take a road trip to see the Challenger launch. With her less-than-reliable dad and his handsome young friend, Annie sets out on an excursion that will end in tragedy and change. The novel paints a lovely portrait of a smart, strong, friendly McAuliffe. In fact, the author’s background as a NASA engineer makes all of the scenes based at Johnson or Kennedy Space Center grounded and intriguing. Moss’s descriptive language is almost poetic. When portraying Annie’s life, however, the prose is less elegant. Annie has trouble articulating her confusion about her future, even to herself, and readers are told over and again that she is insecure and socially inept. This slows the book down, and, instead of authentic voices, it’s the author’s that comes through. Back matter includes a chronology of Christa McAuliffe’s life and a bibliography concerning the Challenger. –Geri Diorio, The Ridgefield Library, CT NESBO, Jo. Bubble in the Bathtub. illus. by Mike Lowery. 425p. (Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder Series). S & S/Aladdin. Jan. 2011. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-7974-6. LC number unavailable. Gr 4-6–Tiny dynamo Nilly and his friend Lisa, first introduced in Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder (S & S, 2010), return to save the day (and the doctor). At the end of their last outing, Doctor P. headed back to Paris to save the love of his life, Juliette Margarine, from having to marry evil Claude Cliché. A mysterious postcard from the past sends Nilly and Lisa on a mission to rescue him, both helped and hindered by the doctor’s crazy inventions, including a time-traveling bathtub and translating nose plugs. A whirlwind tour of French history ensues, including stops at the Moulin Rouge, the Tour de France, Waterloo, the Bastille, Monsieur Eiffel’s workroom, and Joan of Arc’s jail cell, with our heroes changing history right and left. Chasing them through time is Raspa, Proctor’s one-legged former assistant, inventor of time-travel soap, who makes the ultimate sacrifice to atone for past misdeeds. This story is darker and less icky than the first, though it still has plenty of goofy moments, a few farts, and a mostly happy ending. Buy where the first book is popular.–Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library NEWBOUND, Andrew. Ghoul Strike! 309p. Scholastic/Chicken House. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-545-22938-8. LC number unavailable. Gr 4-7–Fans of Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl (Hyperion, 2003) are in for a treat with this funny fantasy adventure that pits the Malevolents of the Dark Dimension against the Evanescents of the Higher Dimension. Caught in between are 12-year-old Alannah and her loyal sidekick, Wortley. Alannah has inherited her parents’ psychic abilities and relishes banishing ghosts from her clients’ homes, aided by Wortley and his burgling skills. During one such endeavor, she comes across Flhi (an angel-like being with wings and silver pigtails), who is on her very first assignment as an Evanescent law enforcer. The two have stumbled upon the secret location of the vortex for all three dimensions–Dark, Higher, and Earthly–which had been sealed long ago, and suddenly find themselves face-to-face with Krot, a terrible Gnarl. Though Alannah matches wits with him, he escapes before she can completely destroy him. As their adventures continue, Alannah and Flhi must work together to save both realms. Alannah is a great female hero who tries desperately to find and rescue her missing parents. The other main characters are also multidimensional, and descriptions of the various creatures are detailed and entertaining. Readers will enjoy the fast-paced plot and the friendship between Alannah and Wortley.–Julie G. Shatterly, Gaston County Public Library, Gastonia, NC NITZ, Kristin Wolden. Suspect. 208p. CIP. Peachtree. 2010. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-56145-543-0. LC 2009040524. Gr 6-9–Jen’s mother disappeared when Jen was a toddler but Grandma Kay is convinced that Ellen was murdered. While working at her grandmother’s bed-and-breakfast for the summer, 17-year-old Jen must play a part in the annual murder mystery weekend. However, she gets more than she bargained for as she comes to the realization that the plot is alarmingly similar to her mother’s disappearance. Taking on the role of Ellen and playing the victim, Jen is surrounded by people from her mother’s past. Through the course of the mystery, she begins to piece together clues about what really happened. The characters are likable enough but hardly memorable. The mystery, while somewhat interesting, is wrapped up much too neatly in the last few pages and is not much of a surprise. Still, the book has wholesome characters and an innocent love story.–Jessie Spalding, Tempe Public Library, AZ PETERS, Kimberly Joy. Maybe Never, Maybe Now. 188p. Lobster. 2010. pap. $10.95. ISBN 978-1-897550-64-9. LC number unavailable. Gr 8-11–This sequel to Painting Caitlyn (Lobster, 2006) is about the emotional journey of healing and forgiveness. Although supported by both her parents and her best friend, 16-year-old Caitlyn is still reeling from the physical and emotional scars of her abusive relationship with ex-boyfriend Tyler. When she is offered an opportunity to study French in Quebec, she convinces her mother to let her go in hopes of starting anew. Accompanied by her friend Connor, Caitlyn settles into Quebecois life with a close-knit host family and a new group of friends. She learns to trust herself and others when she develops a romance with Connor. Unfortunately, the painful memories of her abuse overshadow the positive experiences, and her self-doubt and insecurities still linger. “It wasn’t that I thought Connor would turn into a jerk the way Tyler had....It was more about me than about him. About whether or not I’d be able to give enough of myself to anyone ever again after everything that had happened.” Caitlyn’s soul-searching then takes on another obstacle when her long-absent father suddenly makes contact. The teen’s voice is authentic and heart-wrenching as Peters accurately portrays the emotional trauma victims of abuse often face. Though this is a sequel, it can be read independently and is a good recommendation for reluctant readers and teens struggling with emotional pain.–Kimberly Garnick Giarratano, Rockaway Township Public Library, NJ PETERSON, Lois. Silver Rain. 181p. Orca. 2010. pap. $9.95. ISBN 978-1-55469-280-4. LC number unavailable. Gr 4-6–Set in Vancouver, BC, during the 1930s, this story of a family suffering through economic hardship will resonate with many of today’s readers. Eleven-year-old Elsie’s father left home shortly after losing his jewelry business to the bank. Elsie now lives in a garage with her mother, grandmother, and uncle; from there, she can see the house where they used to live. Things go from bad to worse when her mother and uncle leave, so Elsie feels it’s up to her, along with her friend Scoop, an aspiring journalist, to bring the family back together. The exploitative and cruel dance marathons of that era play a role in the story, too, as does a clergyman with an active social conscience. Despite the grim plot elements, this is a story of hope, and it is smoothly written. The pace lags in spots, though. There’s a truly arresting scene in which Elsie confronts a hobo who has taken her dog while she’s visiting shantytown in search of her father, but at other times, readers may wish for more action. Still, this is well-researched historical fiction with a sympathetic main character, so larger collections will want to consider purchase. –Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL PRYOR, Bonnie. The Iron Dragon: The Courageous Story of Lee Chin. 160p. (Historical Fiction Adventures Series). map. photos. reprods. further reading. Web sites. CIP. Enslow. 2010. PLB $27.93. ISBN 978-0-7660-3389-4; pap. $14.95. ISBN 978-1-59845-215-0. LC 2009017930. Gr 4-6–Twelve-year-old Lee Chin, his father, and his cousin Yi have come to America to help build the transcontinental railroad. After a harrowing Pacific crossing, Lee Chin is placed as a cook’s assistant in a Chinese labor camp. He is a bright, hardworking, observant person who dreams of using his earnings to rescue his little sister, Sunshine, who has been sold into slavery by his father. Lee Chin finds that Americans can be both inhospitable to the Chinese and capable of kindness. He describes the hard and dangerous work the Chinese do for the Union Pacific Railroad. Yi is killed in an accident involving the use of nitroglycerin during the work on the Summit tunnel. Lee Chin’s tale is compellingly told as he shows imagination and tenacity, befriends Americans, and makes the best of the opportunities offered to him. Historical information is accurate and honest about the period depicted.–Kathryn Kosiorek, formerly at Cuyahoga County Public Library, Brooklyn, OH REEVES, Dia. Slice of Cherry. 505p. CIP. S & S/Pulse. Jan. 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-8620-1. LC 2010021805. Gr 9 Up–Kit and Fancy Cordelle, the only children of the terrifying Bonesaw Killer of Portero, know that it’s only a matter of time before they follow in his footsteps. Their dad was caught and imprisoned due to forensic evidence, but his teenage daughters are determined not to fall into the same trap. With careful planning and control, Fancy knows that she can make sure nothing ties them to the crimes, as long as her impulsive sister avoids a public killing spree. Scouting out the perfect location, she retrieves the missing crank to the old kinetoscope that lived in her father’s killing cellar. The old motion-picture device transports Fancy to a brightly colored world where she and her sister can kill those who deserve it and keep the bodies away from the police. However, even as the sisters embark on their murderous spree, forces are tearing them apart. Kit has become obsessed with Gabriel, the youngest son of the last man their father killed, while Fancy has attracted the attention of Gabriel’s brother, Ilan. Reeves, experimenting with a much darker side of magical realism, definitely has plenty of ideas. The vividly created fantasy world in which buried victims grow into beautiful trees is fully engaging. Though the oddball humor is somewhat lacking, Kit and Fancy are likable enough. While the dual boyfriends feels shoehorned in as an unnecessary contrivance, it fits within the overall small-town mindset. Mostly without gore, the subject matter is enough to raise an eyebrow or two in any community. Fans of Showtime’s Dexter series will be thoroughly engrossed, though this dark horror novel will never be a staple in most collections.–Chris Shoemaker, New York Public Library ROY, Katie. Tassie and the Black Baron. 288p. Egmont USA. 2010. pap. $8.99. ISBN 978-1-4052-4231-8. LC number unavailable. Gr 4-7–Huffington Castle may never recover from the attack–oops–visit of the Ripley family. They are loud, obnoxious, oblivious, self-centered, and childish–and that’s just the parents. The Twins, Sam and Lil, are even worse. Eleven-year-old Tassie seems to be the most functional member of the group, which may be why Gramma, the time-traveling secret agent/elderly neighbor they’ve brought with them, sends her back to the early days of the castle, hopefully to stop 15-year-old Prince Billy from being destroyed by his cousin Brutus the Black Baron. Tassie comes up with a plan involving hay fever, overeating, and the odd song and dance number, and enlists the help of Billy’s fiancée, along with the servants and local peasants. Unfortunately, Tassie’s family has also traveled through time, wreaking havoc on both sides of the battle. Ultimately the Twins’ form of evil genius is put to good use. This is super-silly slapstick of a particularly British nature, which may be confusing to American readers. Think Roald Dahl meets Captain Underpants and recommend accordingly.–Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library RYALS, Mary Jane. Cookie & Me. 327p. Kitsune. 2010. pap. $15. ISBN 978-0-9819495-6-7. LC 2010927524. Gr 9 Up–This rich coming-of-age novel about a preteen interracial friendship in late-1960s Tallahassee evokes the classics of Harper Lee and Maya Angelou. Rayann has a seedy, selfish white supremacist father and an alcoholic, mentally unstable mother. Hanging out with Cookie, the black niece of her beloved housekeeper, is forbidden, but Rayann longs for the closeness she feels with Cookie and her family, not to mention Cookie’s older brother with the “beautiful amber eyes.” The elements perfectly balance and will keep teens reading: Rayann’s unstable home life, the palpable danger from the racism surrounding the two girls, Rayann’s poignant lack of guidance at the cusp of adulthood, the soundtrack as the girls sing 1960s hits in their hideout in the woods. All of it ties together through the vulnerable voice of the protagonist, with her poetic phrasing, loving descriptions of the natural setting, and evolving sense of self and her place in a difficult world. This title is being marketed as a crossover, but high school collections should not hesitate to purchase it and recommend it enthusiastically to their sensitive female readers.–Rhona Campbell, Washington, DC Public Library SCHRAFF, Anne. Like a Broken Doll. 182p. (Urban Underground Series). Saddleback. 2010. pap. $8.95. ISBN 978-1-61651-005-3; ebook $8.95. ISBN 978-1-60291-790-3. LC number unavailable. Gr 7-10–Someone is stealing money from girls’ purses and the proceeds from the cheerleaders’ car wash. Sereeta happens to be on the scene every time some cash goes missing. Not to mention that Chelsea saw her cutting herself and everyone saw Sereeta’s mom come to school drunk. Then there is Quincy, who also happens to be around when some of the money disappears. His family surely needs it. Or–could the girls be making it up? It’s rumored that when Ryann reported the missing $100, her parents gave her another $100. And she has been coming to school with a lot of new clothes. The issues are resolved easily, neatly, and unrealistically. The cutting issue is raised in chapter four and “resolved” in chapter seven. There is a disconnect with the jacket art: the broken doll is clearly Sereeta, but the cover depicts the torso of a young man and barbed wire.–Amy Cheney, Alameda County Library, Oakland, CA SCHRAFF, Anne. Wildflower. 183p. (Urban Underground Series). Saddleback. 2010. pap. $8.95. ISBN 978-1-61651-009-1; ebook $8.95. ISBN 978-1-60291-794-1. LC number unavailable. Gr 7-10–This middle-class African-American family is at odds. Mom and Pop argue over everything: what 14-year-old Chelsea wears, who she goes out with, and the fact that Mom talks to Grandmother and Grandmother doesn’t like Pop. On top of that, Mom is reluctant to support Pop in his dream of buying the garage where he works as a mechanic. Pop is on Chelsea’s every move with immature, inappropriate rants, and no one ever addresses his abusive behavior. Know-it-all Jarris, old and wise beyond his 16 years, has advice for everyone on what they should do and sides with Pop on Chelsea’s attire, helping her to see the light. And what exactly is the issue? She wears short shorts and skimpy tops, and has some minor connections with a bad boy. Jarris worries about Mom and Pop getting divorced, what is going on with his friends at school, and generally everyone else’s business. There isn’t much action or development in between the boring moralistic and high-handed harangues directed at Chelsea, aka the “Wildflower.”–Amy Cheney, Alameda County Library, Oakland, CA SCHWARTZ, Ellen. Avalanche Dance. 186p. Tundra. 2010. pap. $9.95. ISBN 978-0-88776-958-0. LC number unavailable. Gr 8 Up–In this pedestrian story, two best friends grow apart and then find one another again. Molly and Gwen were inseparable until the seventh grade, when Molly decides to start hanging out with the kids who drink and smoke pot, while Gwen continues to work on her dancing. When she and her father are caught in an avalanche while skiing and he is seriously injured, Molly is hanging out with her friends in Gwen’s family cabin and accidentally burns it down. Gwen has relatively few injuries except for a mysterious pain in her right leg, for which there is no physical cause. However, she is convinced that she will never dance again. Meanwhile, Molly takes the fall for burning the cabin when her “friends” leave her holding the bag. She must complete community service by working for Gwen’s family to help out while the girl’s father is in the hospital. The writing is simplistic, the dialogue is bland, and the characters are one-dimensional. The lesson about who your real friends are is delivered with a heavy hand, and the final reunion of Molly and Gwen is sickly sweet. There are many better-written books about friendship that are not so pedantic.–Robin Henry, Wakeland High School, Frisco, TX SHELDON, Dyan. My Worst Best Friend. 298p. CIP. Candlewick. 2010. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-4555-7. LC 2009051505. Gr 7 Up–Gracie and Savanna are best friends, despite their differences. Gracie is short, shy, environmentally conscious, and an old movies buff kind of girl. Savanna, on the other hand, is tall, beautiful, and loves shopping and boys. The two have always gotten along until Savanna starts cheating on her boyfriend. She becomes “the worst best friend” ever by canceling or not showing up for things at the last minute. Even worse, she starts involving Gracie in her web of lies and uses her as an alibi to cover her tracks. Despite all of this, Gracie just doesn’t recognize what a bad friend Savanna is. Then Savanna interjects herself between Gracie and her new friend/potential boyfriend. The scenario gets nasty and Gracie finally realizes how self-centered Savanna is. From then on their friendship takes a different turn. Fans of chick-lit and Sheldon’s previous works will enjoy this book. The author has done a good job of focusing on themes teens will relate to: trust, friendship, and the importance of standing up for yourself. One thing readers may question is why it takes so long for Gracie to see the light.–Shannon Seglin, Patrick Henry Library, Vienna, VA SMITH, Andrew. The Marbury Lens. 358p. Feiwel & Friends. 2010. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-312-61342-6. LC number unavailable. Gr 10 Up–What better way to celebrate an adventure to London than with a going-away party? Sounds good until Jack gets drunk and finds himself at the mercy of a crazed stranger who drugs him and holds him hostage. Readers will cheer when Jack frees himself from the certain death that seems to await him at his captor’s home. But once he’s out of harm’s way, readers–like Jack–will begin to think being chained to the bed of a stranger was so much simpler than being on the run from a murder rap and hearing voices in his head. It all gets worse when he finds himself in London looking through some purple-tinted glasses into a parallel world of cannibalism and gore. As Jack grapples with maintaining his sanity, he also struggles with the fact that his best friend and traveling companion, Conner, is a murderous monster in the parallel world of Marbury–a murderous monster that he must face. This title will keep readers enthralled with its well-developed characters and unique plot. The four-letter words come fast and furiously, but they’re no stronger than the violent and gruesome situations that befall Jack and Conner. Smith spares no graphic details to depict the horrific world of Marbury. The novel is not an easy read, but it is one that will keep teens hooked and the author leaves plenty of unresolved threads for a possible sequel.–Robbie L. Flowers, Detroit Public Library, MI SMITH, Sarah. The Other Side of Dark. 312p. CIP. S & S/Atheneum. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-0280-5. LC 2010014690. Gr 7-10 –Law Walker and Katie Mullens couldn’t be more different. He’s the son of a wealthy African-American historian and a white architectural historian. She’s a talented artist from a poor family who, after the death of her mother, begins to draw what she sees: ghosts and the horrific ways they died. Katie and Law are drawn together by Pinesbank, an estate that Law’s father wants destroyed because of its ties to the slave trade, his mother wants restored because of its place in Boston history, and that Katie knows is important because of her new friendship with the ghost of a boy who lived there. While the premise may seem like that of many other supernatural romances, there is a depth to this title that others are lacking. Law is torn between his mother, whose passion for architecture he shares, and his strident father, who has built his career on working toward reparations and expects his son to follow in his footsteps. Katie is trying to hang on through her grief. Details of her visions and conversations with the dead will haunt readers, even as they’re thinking about how race shapes actions and relationships, and how the past can change the present. Recommended for fans of paranormal romance and historical fiction alike.– Karen E. Brooks-Reese, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA SNYDER, Laurel. Penny Dreadful. illus. by Abigail Halpin. 304p. CIP. Random. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-375-86199-4; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-375-96199-1; ebook $8.99. ISBN 978-0-375-89346-9. LC 2009032104. Gr 4-5–Ten-year-old Penelope Grey lives in a mansion with her loving but busy parents and spends much of her time reading books about kids who do interesting things. She engages in some of the same activities, but nothing Big ever happens to change her boring life until she throws a paper wish into her backyard well. A week later, her father announces that he has quit his job, and soon the Greys are on the verge of losing their house. This isn’t what Penelope had envisioned at all. A new wish goes into the well, and that afternoon a telegram arrives informing Mrs. Grey that she has inherited a house in Thrush Junction, TN. Everything isn’t rosy once they arrive–the house comes with tenants who are not to be charged rent and a large loan to repay–but it is also replete with quirky neighbors and the freedom for children to make friends and explore to their hearts’ content. Penelope quickly becomes Penny, falls in love with her new home, and is determined to find a way for her family to stay–maybe if she locates a rumored long-lost treasure everything will be fine. The characters and atmosphere in this entertaining read are reminiscent of Polly Horvath’s books, but for a slightly younger audience. Penny is earnest, endearing, and full of hope for the future.–Terrie Dorio, Santa Monica Public Library, CA STAUNTON, Ted. Acting Up. 263p. CIP. Red Deer. 2010. pap. $12.95. ISBN 978-0-88995-441-0. LC C2010-900194-X. Gr 7-10–Staunton updates readers on the life of Sam Foster, a boy introduced in Hope Springs a Leak (2002) and Sounding Off (2004, both Red Deer). Now 16, he longs to be considered mature and responsible by his parents but keeps missing that elusive goal. Everything goes wrong with his plans, starting with the first assignment in Family Studies, which is watching a mechanical baby that cries at regular intervals. But Sam’s band, ADHD, has a big gig in Toronto. Things go awry and the baby is short-circuited due to a leak in the ceiling. Instead of a failing grade, Sam receives an assignment for more volunteer hours due to his father’s intervention. Adding spice to Sam’s life are his girlfriend, Martha, an anarchist who gets him involved in a boat race that is sponsored by a local sex shop, and J. Earl, the local, colorful author who takes Sam on a road trip that he’ll never forget. In addition to Sam’s hilarious escapades, there is some real substance and character growth to be found in this fast-paced coming-of-age novel.–Patty Saidenberg, George Jackson Academy, New York City SUMMERS, Courtney. Fall for Anything. 240p. St. Martin’s/Griffin. Jan. 2011. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-312-65673-7. LC number unavailable. Gr 9 Up–Seventeen-year-old Eddie Reeves’s father, a once-famous photographer, commits suicide by jumping off the roof of an abandoned warehouse. Seth Reeves left a note saying only that he loved Eddie and her mother, Robyn, but that he had to leave. As Eddie grapples with the question of why, she finds comfort in her best friend, Milo, until his ex-girlfriend moves back to town and drives a wedge between them. Then Eddie meets Culler Evans, her father’s student and protégé, with whom she immediately feels a romantic connection as well as a shared sense of loss. Culler discovers that some photographs Seth left in his studio are numbered, like a map, with a fragmented message at each location. Ignoring Milo’s disapproval, Eddie and Culler set out on a road trip to each building to put the puzzle together. This novel convincingly captures the feelings of confusion, isolation, and anger that accompany losing a loved one to suicide, along with the implicit desire to hold the victim accountable for the sadness he’s caused. Eddie’s tendency to use strong language and make hyperbolic statements reflects her age and the intensity of the tragedy she’s experienced. Beth, Robyn’s bossy and Botoxed best friend, is the only weak character in this otherwise expertly crafted novel about the quest for peace after a death in the family. Jandy Nelson’s The Sky Is Everywhere (Dial, 2010) is a similar story of a grieving girl pulled between two young men as she struggles to find peace and move on.–Amy Pickett, Ridley High School, Folsom, PA THOMPSON, Paul B. The Devil’s Door: A Salem Witchcraft Story. 160p. (Historical Fiction Adventures Series). reprods. further reading. Web sites. CIP. Enslow. 2010. PLB $27.93. ISBN 978-0-7660-3387-0; pap. $14.95. ISBN 978-1-59845-214-3. LC 2009040374. Gr 4-6–Sarah Wright and her father, Ephraim, escape to Salem after an attack by Wabanaki warriors on their homestead in Maine. They settle there just as the witchcraft trials are beginning. They are lodged at Dr. Griggs’s home where Betty Hubbard, one of the accusers, is indentured to her uncle. Sarah becomes an eyewitness to the disturbances caused by the girls, the accusations, hysterical behavior, the trials, and the executions. She is befriended by Abe Toothaker, who fleshes out the theories about witchcraft in their conversations. As the arrests occur, Ephraim is recruited as a constable, only to be accused of witchcraft himself. The third-person narrative reveals Sarah as a reportorial, somewhat apprehensive but empathetic innocent observer. Factual material is incorporated into the narrative, creating a fast-paced, fascinating read.–Kathryn Kosiorek, formerly at Cuyahoga County Public Library, Brooklyn, OH TOWNSEND, Kari Lee. The Samantha Granger Experiment: Fused. 192p. Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky. 2010. pap. $7.99. ISBN 978-1-4022-4042-3. LC number unavailable. Gr 6-8–Eighth-grader Samantha Granger is going to a new school, wondering how to get her crush to notice her, and dealing with her parents’ separation when an encounter with a glowing “crystal-type thingy” in the woods leaves her screaming and then fused with her cell phone. Sam now has an internal GPS and Internet browser, and her hand is a fully functional phone. She’s also able to snap photos and record video with the blink of an eye or wiggle of her nose. Trying to hide these new powers from her parents and classmates is not easy. Things are further complicated when Sam is physically compelled to rescue people whose 911 calls have been mysteriously blocked, and it seems there is a connection between those she helps and recent crimes in town. The literal fusion of technology and teen in this debut novel is interesting, though at times the way Samantha discovers new aspects of her transformation just as she needs them is too convenient. In addition, some gaps in the narrative may lead to confusion about how much time has passed between passages or about events. Though Sam is likable, her character is not fully fleshed out as her feelings about her parents’ separation and her relationship with her grandmother are merely touched upon.–Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, IL TURNER, Max. End of Days. Bk. 2. 296p. (Nightrunner Series). St. Martin’s/Griffin. 2010. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-312-59252-3. LC number unavailable. Gr 7 Up– This action-packed sequel to Night Runner (St. Martin’s/Griffin, 2009) is filled with mystery and danger. Orphaned at a young age and having spent most of his youth in a mental institution, Zach Thomson gets the surprise of his life when he learns that he and those closest to him are vampires. Trying to survive and make sense of his predicament has definitely not been easy, especially when the Underground, a network of vampires, humans, and others that is supposed to protect vampires, is in a state of turmoil and disarray. Then a mysterious werewolflike creature launches an attack on vampires and is compared to the beast of the Apocalypse. Looking for answers and the means to stop it, Zach and his friend Charlie stumble upon an ancient prophecy that references the End of Days. As events begin to spin out of control, Zach realizes that he is the “chosen one” in the prophecy–possible destroyer or savior. With the support and courage of his friends, he must discover the path of righteousness at a time when he is surrounded by darkness and the unknown. The well-developed characters add dimension to the story line, and Zack’s witty and sarcastic humor makes this a truly enjoyable read. Fans will be left anxiously waiting to sink their teeth in the next installment.–Donna Rosenblum, Floral Park Memorial High School , NY UPJOHN, Rebecca. The Last Loon. 126p. (Orca Young Readers Series). Orca. 2010. pap. $7.95. ISBN 978-1-55469-292-7. LC number unavailable. Gr 4-6–Eleven-year-old Evan has a lot to learn about the Canadian wilderness as well as about his odd Aunt Meg with whom he finds himself spending the Christmas holidays. His undisciplined behavior precluded going with his mom to visit his sick grandmother, and his father is working in the diamond mines. A city child, Evan knows or cares little about the animals and backcountry that are the core of his aunt’s life and work. She has even spent a few days in jail for assaulting a poacher and Evan thinks of her as an ex-con. As lowering temperatures cause the lakes to freeze, Meg and her neighbors become concerned with the fate of a loon that has not left on its winter migration. Staying on the frozen lake means sure death. In spite of himself, Evan becomes increasingly involved and his first attempt to rescue the bird causes him to nearly fall through the ice. Learning responsibility and preparedness, he eventually saves the stranded creature and earns the respect of his aunt. Along the way, he plays some excellent hockey, drives a snowmobile, makes new friends, and even learns some lessons about feminism. The basic “boy learns to love nature” adventure story is handicapped by some preachy tutorials about global warming, solar power, endangered species, poaching, and other wildlife concerns, although the author sees no harm in an 11-year-old flying through the wilderness on a snowmobile. A marginal purchase for collections needing materials featuring young male characters.–Eva Elisabeth VonAncken, formerly at Trinity-Pawling School, Pawling, NY VAN TOL, Alex. Knifepoint. 113p. (Orca Soundings). Orca. 2010. PLB $16.95. ISBN 978-1-55469-306-1; pap. $9.95. ISBN 978-1-55469-305-4. LC number unavailable. Gr 7-10–This book is a real thriller. Jill works on a ranch for the summer and she’s just exhausted. Up at the crack of dawn, heavy manual labor, low pay, and job-shirking coworkers have pushed her to the breaking point. When she has an argument with her boss, she makes a bad decision and takes a cute guy on a trail ride without getting all the paperwork in order beforehand. He pulls a knife, and Jill’s not sure that she can get out of this predicament–but she’s going to use every ounce of her strength and all of her emotional resources to fight for her life. Easy to read and short, this page-turner will be in hot demand.–Susan Riley, Mount Kisco Public Library, NY VOELKEL, J & P The End of the World Club. Bk. 2. 368p. (The Jaguar Stones Trilogy). map. Egmont USA. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-072-6; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-201-0. LC number unavailable. Gr 4-6–In this sequel to Middleworld (Smith & Sons, 2007), 14-year-old Max and his friend Lola are on another quest to save his parents from Ah Pukuh and the Maya Lords of Death. This time they have to go to Spain to retrieve the Jaguar Stone from his ancestor’s castle and return it to Xibalba, the Maya underworld. On his return from the castle, Max discovers that Lola has been abducted by Count Antonio de Landa, who is working with the Death Lords. Max and the two Howler monkeys that are possessed by the spirits of Maya royalty, Lord 6-Dog and Lady Coco, set out to save Lola from marrying Landa and retrieve the precious stone that was taken by Ah Pukuh. The authors use Maya mythology and terms and add interesting facts about Spain and Spanish culture. This is a fast-paced book, and the action starts right away. There are so many holes and contrivances in the plot, however, that make this story hard to believe, even for fantasy.–Erik Carlson, New York Public Library WAGNER, Hilary. Nightshade City. 262p. CIP. Holiday House. 2010. Tr $17.95. ISBN 978-0-8234-2285-2. LC 2010002474. Gr 4-8–Vincent and Victor Nightshade live in the underground rat city known as the Catacombs, home to unusually long-lived and intelligent rats. Their father, Julius Nightshade, was once a leader of the city, but now the evil High Minister Killdeer and his vicious helper, Billycan, have taken control and terrorize its inhabitants, demanding food as tribute and forcing orphans to serve in their army or kitchens. When Vincent and Victor try to escape Killdeer’s clutches, they meet Juniper Belancort, a friend of their father, who now leads the resistance against Killdeer. Along with Juniper’s niece, Clover, they are drawn into the struggle to free the rats from Killdeer’s reign and bring them to a new home, Nightshade City. The three help develop a plan for the rebel rats and their ally earthworms to tunnel into Killdeer’s palace and confront him directly, leading to a variety of underground battles. Wagner has created an atmospheric and action-filled tale, and her balance of strong male and female protagonists is appealing. Fans of Erin Hunter’s “Warriors” books (HarperCollins) may enjoy the animal action and touch of romance, and the authentic rat and earthworm abilities add to the strength of the story.–Beth L. Meister, Milwaukee Jewish Day School, WI WALLIAMS, David. Mr. Stink. illus. by Quentin Blake. 267p. Penguin/Razorbill. 2010. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-59514-332-7. LC number unavailable. Gr 3-6–A lonely 12-year-old girl and a local tramp hit it off, and thus begins this delightful tale. Perhaps Chloe would not need to turn to Mr. Stink (he bathes once a year) if her overbearing mother accepted her for who she is and did not seem to prefer her sister. Chloe, however, is very good at taking people for who they are. She provides Mr. Stink with shelter, food, and friendship, and in the process unburdens herself to him and learns his secrets. This British import is reminiscent of Roald Dahl’s books in its silly, exaggerated storytelling, and while some words may be unfamiliar to American readers and the ending is a bit melodramatic, the characters are appealing, the situations are hilarious, and the plot moves quickly. Blake’s charming illustrations appear throughout. –Mariela Siegert, Westfield Middle School, Bloomingdale, IL WATSON, Geoff. Edison’s Gold. 320p. Egmont USA. 2010. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-094-8; PLB $18.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-095-5. LC number unavailable. Gr 5-8–Tom Edison IV, middle-school wannabe inventor and Thomas Edison’s great-great grandson, doesn’t want his family to leave Yonkers, NY, for Kansas after his father loses his job, so he’s determined to find a way for his family to stay. This becomes a possibility after he discovers a clue to a centuries-old family secret related to his famous relative’s discovery of the secret formula for changing metal into gold. Tom and his sidekicks Colby and Noodle are on the hunt for it. Along the way they encounter the secret society Sub Rosa (formed by the likes of Edison, Henry Ford, Babe Ruth, Franklin Roosevelt, and others) and must solve mind-boggling clues that lead them through various parts of New York City. Tom isn’t the only one after the formula; Nikola Tesla’s great-great grandson (who happens to be Tom’s dad’s former boss) believes that it belongs to him. Rumor has it that Tesla and the first Edison had a major falling out over it, and it ruined Tesla’s career. The race is on to see who can solve the puzzle first. It’s up to Tom to save his family’s name and legacy. Edison’s Gold is a fast-paced adventure filled mystery that middle schoolers will like. It’s unfortunate that there is no factual note about Edison, Tesla, and whether the Sub Rosa society really existed. The ending leaves room for the possibilities of sequels.–Shannon Seglin, Patrick Henry Library, Vienna, VA WEYN, Suzanne. Empty. 183p. Scholastic. 2010. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-17278-3. LC number unavailable. Gr 7-10–Everyone knows that we will eventually run out of oil. Weyn takes readers 10 years into the future to the small New York town of Sage Valley to show just how that might feel. Gwen, Tom, Carlos, Niki, Brock, Hector, and Luke have the same problems as many typical teens. Outsiders Gwen and Luke have never known their father and now their mother has gone missing. Rich cheerleader Niki is trying to choose between two guys. In their world, though, gas is 40 dollars a gallon and rising. America has invaded Venezuela, the last country on Earth thought to have oil reserves. Food and medicine are scarce, the economy is a shambles, electricity can’t be counted on, and now Hurricanes Oscar and Pearl have combined to form a superhurricane that is headed up the East Coast. Weyn’s future has a grimly plausible feeling to it that will draw in readers. She does resort to a deus ex machina to save the day, and the characters and situations aren’t fully fleshed out. Still, this should be of interest to those who appreciated Saci Lloyd’s Carbon Diaries 2015 (2009) and Carbon Diaries 2017 (2010, both Holiday House) and any teens who wonder just what the world that they will inherit might look like.–Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Library, Wisconsin Rapids, WI WHEAT, Chris. Screw Loose. 327p. illus. Allen & Unwin, dist. by Trafalgar Square. 2010. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-1-74175-495-7. LC number unavailable. Gr 9 Up–Mean Girls from the Land Down Under meet Francesca Lia Block in this import that features, among other things, a teenage Queen Bee who regularly converses with the members of her Barbie Doll collection; a feral girl who may or may not have been partially raised by dingoes; a heartthrob football star whose new pro career is imperiled when he is photographed kissing a girl who (for reasons impossible to explain) is wearing the clothes of his gay best friend; and the lesbian daughter of a maharaja who is avoiding an arranged marriage with an Indian prince while pursuing an Amazonlike classmate whose mother is the deputy prime minister. The plot (such as it is) seems to have something to do with über-diva Chelsea Dean’s attempt to organize a formal dance that will bring together students from her current public school, the Catholic school from which she was expelled, and an exclusive boys’ preparatory academy. Complications and misunderstandings abound, and the book is all just as silly and confusing as it sounds, but events, improbable as they are, pull readers relentlessly along, and it’s absolutely hilarious. Fluff of the highest order.–Richard Luzer, Fair Haven Union High School, VT WHELAN, Gloria. See What I See. 208p. HarperTeen. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-125545-8. LC number unavailable. Gr 9 Up–When Kate leaves the natural beauty of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for a scholarship to art school in Detroit, her intentions are twofold. She’s set her sights on growing into the artist she’s always known she could be, but she’s also seeking her long-absent father’s approval and affection. The second she’d never admit. In Kate’s eyes, showing up on her father’s doorstep is simply a means to an end. She has no money for housing and he lives in Detroit. Yet his status as a world-renowned artist-turned-recluse who unapologetically left the family years earlier complicates matters. When Kate arrives, she finds the man aloof and self-centered. She soon discovers that he dying of liver cancer and is racing against the clock to finish his crowning art show, and she has to decide how much of herself she’s willing to sacrifice to help him. Detroit’s air of lost possibilities serves as an apt background for this bittersweet story. Kate’s tendency to view life through the lens of famous works of art and her continual references to the natural surroundings of her home help shape her into a unique, living and breathing character. Development of a few secondary characters and plots is not as strong, but the story as it stands is sweet and thoughtful and avoids neatly wrapped edges, as any title that captures the intricacies of family relationships must do.–Jill Heritage Maza, Greenwich High School, CT WHITMAN, Emily. Wildwing. 362p. CIP. Greenwillow. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-172452-7. LC 2009044189. Gr 7-10–Trapped by her somewhat dubious parentage and the limited options available to women in 1913 England, 15-year-old Addy longs for a better life. However, after a scuffle incited by a classmate’s taunts, she finds herself pulled from school and placed as a maid in the home of Mr. Greenwood, the local eccentric. Venturing behind the locked door of his study, she discovers a time machine that could be the key to escaping her life of drudgery. She travels back to 13th-century England, where she is mistaken for Lady Matilda, the gentlewoman who is to be married to the lord of the local castle. She quickly learns to play her role, mastering the customs of the time and gradually realizing the political importance of the marriage. She also finds it impossible to resist her attraction to Will, the falconer’s son. As she becomes more and more embroiled in events, she is forced to choose between the safety of her subjects or life with the man with whom she has fallen in love. Whitman populates both of her worlds with vivid, believable characters. Akin in tone to Libba Bray’s A Great and Terrible Beauty (Delacorte, 2003), this historical novel with a time-travel twist of sci-fi will find an avid readership.–Sara Saxton, Tuzzy Consortium Library, Barrow, AK YOUNG, Karen Romano. Doodlebug. illus. by author. unpaged. Feiwel & Friends. 2010. Tr $14.99. ISBN 978-0-312-56156-7. LC number unavailable. Gr 5-7–A novel told in doodles. Twelve-year-old Dodo moves from Southern California to San Francisco with her family, renaming herself “Doodlebug” as she begins her journal on the long drive there. Her parents decided to change locales when she was kicked out of school for an unfortunate incident involving her ADD medication. At her new school, Dodo hopes to use doodling instead of Ritalin to help her “survive.” She tells her story using small drawings and words that are sometimes written in cursive, sometimes in capital letters, each page a fresh, creative layout. Reluctant and struggling readers may appreciate the alternative storytelling format. While Young does not quite attain the level of humor of other authors in this genre, Dodo’s voice is genuine and will especially resonate with girls who have similar problems.–Richelle Roth, Boone County Public Library, KY ADAMS, Simon. Politics. ISBN 978-1-60753-114-2. LC 2009051449. ANDERSON, Judith. Celebrity and Fame. ISBN 978-1-60753-112-8. LC 2009051451. –––– . Crime. ISBN 978-1-60753-113-5. LC 2009051452. –––– . War and Conflict. reprods. ISBN 978-1-60753-116-6. LC 2009051532. ea vol: 48p. (Media Power Series). photos. further reading. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Amicus. 2010. PLB $21.95. Gr 6-8–Each book focuses on worldwide media treatment of its featured topic. Readers learn how print, radio, television, and the Internet have transformed into 24-hour news coverage. The books explain how different countries have their own regulations, and how they vary depending on the type of media. The authors introduce many important concepts and deliver well-balanced, informed discussions offering diverse viewpoints, criticism, and arguments. Each chapter spread incorporates captioned photographs with sharp, insightful text. Supplementing every chapter are sidebars that showcase a relevant “Case Study” and offer thought-provoking questions in “Up for Discussion” boxes. The excellent photographs exemplify how to make a dramatic impact without sensationalizing the subject, as is especially evident in Crime and War and Conflict. Report writers, debaters, and general readers will enjoy investigating the contentious and often contradictory relationship between the media and its subject matter.–June Shimonishi, Torrance Public Library, CA ANDERSEN, Richard. Richard III. reprods. ISBN 978-1-60870-017-2. LC 2009041733. MUSSARI, Mark. The Sonnets. ISBN 978-1-60870-018-9. LC 2009041727. NADEN, Corinne J. As You Like It. reprods. ISBN 978-1-60870-015-8. LC 2009035466. –––– . The Taming of the Shrew. reprods. ISBN 978-1-60870-019-6. LC 2009041728. RICHERT, Scott P. King Lear. reprods. ISBN 978-1-60870-016-5. LC 2010007060. ea vol: 128p. (Shakespeare Explained Series). illus. photos. bibliog. chron. further reading. glossary. index. notes. Web sites. CIP. Marshall Cavendish/Benchmark. 2010. PLB $29.95. Gr 8 Up–Each book has a formulaic layout consisting of Joseph Sorban’s introduction to the playwright’s life and times; analysis of the specific work’s text; and an overview of the characters, themes, motifs, symbols, and language. All but Sonnets also include a brief memory “test” to determine readers’ comprehension of the plot and major characters. Illustrations are high-quality glossy photos, either of places, people, or images mentioned in the text or of the plays’ modern productions. Colored boxes containing quotes from the plays or sonnets also adorn the pages; unfortunately, their sources are not referenced, and they seem rather randomly placed. In general the explanatory texts are clear and straightforward, if a bit repetitive at times. Naden’s background information on Shrew, however, is rather disjointed and includes some distracting, irrelevant details. While the tone of each commentary is generally serious, in Richard III, Andersen uses both humor and modern expressions to capture readers’ attention. For example, he describes Queen Elizabeth’s entering “with what looks like a bad hair day.” Occasionally difficult terms, e.g., “misogyny,” are not readily defined but meaning must be garnered from context; in The Sonnets some sexual terms and connotations are referenced, although always in an appropriate manner. In all, while much less comprehensive than “The Greenwood Guides to Shakespeare” (Greenwood), these titles will provide both novice Shakespearean scholars and teachers with background and useful analytical material to enhance the comprehension of the Bard’s life and works.–Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, The Naples Players, FL ANDERSON, Lisa Turner. No-Bake Gingerbread Houses for Kids. photos by Zac Williams. 80p. chart. CIP. Gibbs Smith. 2010. spiral $14.99. ISBN 978-1-4236-0590-4. LC 2010003541. Gr 6 Up–Often the word “no-bake” in a title is a clue that the recipes are simple, which is not the case here. The no-bake means that the houses are made of graham crackers and similar cookies, stuck together using “glue” concocted of egg whites or meringue powder. Front matter explains how to cut graham cracker shapes carefully and how to make and use icing “glue” and offers tips for decorating with candy and more. Each of 23 recipes is accompanied by a large color photo showing the imaginative and appealing hous. The first one, for an “Easy Candy Cottage,” is fairly simple, but things get progressively more complicated. Here’s a typical instruction from the first sentence of step 2 for making the “Seven Dwarfs’ Cottage”: “ ‘Glue’” a quarter cracker perpendicular to the front of the house, a fourth of the way in from the right side.” Basic diagrams offer a bit of help, but overall these projects will require concentration, patience, and a strong set of fine-motor skills. Children younger than age 13 will definitely need an older partner. Simpler instructions for decorated edible houses can easily be found elsewhere, both in book form and online. Unless you have some serious confection construction fans, you can pass on this one.–Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL ARATO, Rona. Design It!: The Ordinary Things We Use Every Day and the Not-So-Ordinary Ways They Came to Be. illus. by Claudia Newell. 72p. CIP. Tundra. 2010. pap. $20.95. ISBN 978-0-88776-846-0. LC 2009938453. Gr 4-6–This book opens with an explanation of what industrial designers do and with whom they work to make better products. Brief chapters then cover such topics as home, communications, lighting, and toy design and include a good-design checklist that takes function, usability, ergonomics, aesthetics, and greenness into consideration. The language is chatty and inviting, and the pages are full of cartoon illustrations and text superimposed on colorful geometric backgrounds. Sidebars offer a wealth of further information. Brief biographies of designers such as Raymond Loewy, considered the father of modern industrial design, and Henry Dreyfuss, a pioneer of industrial design, are included. Unfortunately, there is no index. There are few other titles on industrial design for middle schoolers. One, Anne Welsbacher’s Earth-Friendly Design (Lerner, 2009) focuses on the green aspect. As an introduction, this book is an enjoyable resource, especially for students who might be interested in a career in the field.–Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WI BARBOUR, Scott. Is the World Prepared for a Deadly Influenza Pandemic? ISBN 978-1-60152-127-9. LC 2010005. BJORNLUND, Lydia. How Dangerous Are Performance-Enhancing Drugs? ISBN 978-1-60152-126-2. LC 2010017131. ea vol: 96p. (In Controversy Series). diags. photos. further reading. index. notes. Web sites. CIP. ReferencePoint. 2010. PLB $26.95. Gr 8 Up–The authors take a controversy and examine it with a particular question in mind, thus making the material accessible for students. Both titles give an in-depth history of the topic. Chapters end with a summarization of the salient facts, text boxes highlight interesting information, and the sections covering related organizations, websites, and source notes are exhaustive. Students are sure to find reading about performance-enhancing drugs particularly interesting as many sports legends are quoted and give their opinions. These books are worthwhile additions for any libraries needing current information for reports, debate, or general interest.–Ragan O’Malley, Saint Ann’s School, Brooklyn, NY BELL-REHWOLDT, Sheri. Speaking Secret Codes. ISBN 978-1-4296-4569-0. LC 2010004163. GREGORY, Jillian. Breaking Secret Codes. reprods. ISBN 978-1-4296-4568-3. LC 2010004162. –––– . Making Secret Codes. reprods. ISBN 978-1-4296-4567-6. LC 2010004161. ea vol: 32p. (Edge Books: Making and Breaking Codes Series). photos. further reading. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Capstone. 2010. PLB $26.65. Gr 4-7–These cryptography titles look at various types of codes, such as Civil War Union Route codes and Navajo code talkers, as well as ingenious deciphering methods. Spoken codes in history, including the Underground Railroad and POWs during the Vietnam War, are introduced by using various examples of word substitutions. Educators will appreciate the concise information provided by codes that have shaped world history. Sample cryptographs are scattered throughout the pages, along with other noteworthy facts. Historical photographs, highlighted vocabulary words and definitions, and do-it-yourself suggestions will keep readers interested. Fans of adventure fiction, such as the popular “39 Clues” series (Scholastic) and Pseudonymous Bosch’s “Secret Series” (Little, Brown), will sharpen their super-sleuthing skills in no time. These books are great for beginners of cryptology and those who might be interested in designing a science-fair project display, and they will enhance collections that are weak in this fascinating subject area.–Krista Welz, North Bergen Public Library, NJ BENJAMIN, Daniel. Prius. ISBN 978-1-60870-011-0. LC 2009035463. LEW, Kristi. Volt. ISBN 978-1-60870-013-4. LC 2009041725. WARHOL, Tom. Aptera. ISBN 978-1-60870-008-0. LC 2009041723. ZABLUDOFF, Marc. Ebox. ISBN 978-1-60870-009-7. LC 2009041717. ea vol: 48p. (Green Cars Series). diags. photos. further reading. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Marshall Cavendish/Benchmark. 2010. PLB $19.95. Gr 4-6 –Among the eco-friendly automobiles detailed here, the Prius is one of the first hybrids sold in America, while the Volt is one of the first mass-produced cars to depend heavily on battery power. The futuristic Aptera appeared in a “Star Trek” film, and the all-electric Ebox is a conversion of the gasoline-powered Toyota Scion XB. Each book opens with a similarly worded introduction explaining how global warming and limited oil availability are among the factors reshaping automobile design and technology. The books provide clear explanations of how hybrid and all-electrical vehicles operate. Attention is also given to their historical development and government regulations affecting new car design. The informative, detailed texts sometimes read like automakers’ brochures. Understandable diagrams and supplementary material set in framed boxes assist in explaining details. Color photos in various sizes add visual appeal. A handy vital-stats section provides facts at a glance, such as the car’s weight, top speed, and fuel efficiency. Useful resources for school reports and sure to be popular with auto aficionados. –Lynn K. Vanca, Akron-Summit County Public Library, Richfield, OH BERMAN, Len. The 25 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time. 138p. charts. photos. Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4022-3886-4. LC number unavailable. Gr 4-8–As he did in The Greatest Moments in Sports (Sourcebooks, 2009), Berman offers a readable collection of facts and anecdotes. This time, he introduces 25 baseball players in short chapters that highlight their career accomplishments and milestones. Though a “blue ribbon panel” of sports writers and players helped narrow his list, sportscaster Berman colors this collection with his personal opinions. His enthusiasm is infectious, and observing that statistics only tell part of the story, he personalizes each account with memorable incidents and accomplishments. The colorful design adds to the appeal. There are few surprises among those chosen; most are Hall of Famers and include Ty Cobb, Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Jackie Robinson, and Berman’s hero, Mickey Mantle. The notables also include Pete Rose, Josh Gibson, and Alex Rodriguez. Jeff Kisseloff’s well-written Who Is Baseball’s Greatest Hitter? (Holt, 2001) and Who Is Baseball’s Greatest Pitcher? (Cricket Bks., 2003) were crowd-pleasing favorites. Like those earlier books, Berman’s lively title should win a wide audience of fans young and old.–Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA BIEBER, Justin. Justin Bieber: First Step 2 Forever: My Story. 240p. photos. HarperCollins. 2010. Tr $21.99. ISBN 978-0-06-203974-3. LC 2010936048. Gr 4-10–Interspersed with tweets, headline-sized quotes, and graphic, two-page chapter openings, this book has full-color slickness and loads of hype. Only 18 spreads in the entire book don’t feature photos of the star. Divided into seven chapters, the text covers the show Bieber was working on while the book was written, his musical background, his family and hometown, how his music videos on YouTube created his fan base, getting a manager, and becoming a star. Within that outline, he attempts to give a sense of himself, as a regular kid who likes to play jokes, loves his family and friends, and is grateful for his success and his fans. For the boy who received a Range Rover for his 16th birthday, his tantrum in the rain after failing to pass his driver’s test is rather entertaining. While this book will be popular only as long as Bieber maintains his popularity, it’s likely to be worn out before fans are finished with this artist. Keeping the jacket poster will be a challenge, but the book cover displays the same image.–Janet S. Thompson, Chicago Public Library BROSIUS, Peter & Elissa Adams, eds. & The Children’s Theatre Company. Fierce & True: Plays for Teen Audiences. 221p. photos. Univ. of Minnesota. 2010. pap. $17.95. ISBN 978-0-8166-7311-7. LC number unavailable. Gr 7 Up–One of the leading children’s theatres in North America, located in Minneapolis, wanted to broaden its audience, so it commissioned four playwrights to create works with young people (ages 12-18) specifically in mind. The results are the full-length plays in this anthology. While all have a teen protagonist, the plots are not necessarily just about young adults. “Anon(ymous)” is a contemporary retelling of Homer’s Odyssey, set in a dirty North American city, and “Five Fingers of Funk” is a mature musical celebrating the roots of hip-hop while dealing with issues of poverty and drugs. In “The Lost Boys of Sudan,” three Dinka refugees flee the horrors of war and begin a harrowing yet humorous journey that takes them to Fargo, ND. And “Prom” is played out as a frenetic battle between students and chaperones. Each of these selections has a distinctive voice, honoring adolescents as both actor and audience capable of understanding and engaging in today’s complex issues. This collection should be a welcome addition for drama and English teachers, as well as for their students.–Betty S. Evans, Missouri State University, Springfield BÜCHNER, Georg & Jürg Amann. The Fairy Tale of the World. tr. from German by J. Alison James. illus. by Käthi Bhend. unpaged. NorthSouth. 2010. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-0-7358-2316-7. LC number unavailable. Gr 8 Up–In this picture book originally published in Switzerland, mesmerizing illustrations create a beautiful world of swirling stars and planets. The illustrations contrast starkly with the text, which is shockingly bleak: an anti-fairy tale in which everyone is dead except for a child. Tethered to a ball of yarn, he travels to the moon, sun, and stars, searching for something better and is always disappointed. The moon is “a piece of rotten wood,” the sun is “a faded sunflower,” and the stars are mosquitoes caught in spiderwebs. The child returns to Earth all alone, crying. “And if he has not yet died/then he sits there still/and is all/alone.” Bhend’s artwork plays counterpoint to the text, challenging the bleak worldview with its intricate beauty and brave, hopeful hero. While the last line says the boy is “all alone,” a final page turn reveals him back in his room, tearful but smiling as his family peeks through the doors. Perhaps it was a dream, or a crying fit? Interpretation is left to readers, but hope remains. This book would work well for older students studying the interplay of text and illustration, or as an introduction to German literature (the story is adapted from Woyzeck, a play by 19th-century dramatist Georg Büchner).–Suzanne Myers Harold, Multnomah County Library System, Portland, OR BURGAN, Michael. The Scopes Trial: Faith, Science, and American Education. ISBN 978-0-7614-4981-2. LC 2009035648. MARSICO, Katie. Women’s Right to Vote: America’s Suffrage Movement. ISBN 978-0-7614-4980-5. LC 2009030925. ea vol: 112p. (Perspectives On Series). photos. reprods. bibliog. chron. further reading. index. notes. discography. Web sites. CIP. Marshall Cavendish/Benchmark. 2010. PLB $27.95. Gr 8-10–These well-written books begin with overviews and some historical background, and then proceed chronologically to the current decade. Given the ongoing debate surrounding the crux of the 1925 Scopes trial, Burgan presents both sides with respect and objectivity. Marsico engages readers especially well, particularly when recounting the tenuous hours before the 19th Amendment ratification vote in Tennessee. It is evident that both authors have done their research. Both books contain information that is perhaps less well-known to student researchers, including the preliminary events leading up to the Scopes trial and the treatment of imprisoned suffragists. Black-and-white and color photographs along with some period cartoons place readers in the time period, and sidebars interspersed throughout present issues that aren’t easily covered within the main texts (in Scopes, for example, the portrayal of William Jennings Bryan in Inherit the Wind). There are other titles on these subjects, but these stand out for this age range.–Hilary Writt, Sullivan University, Lexington, KY BURLINGAME, Jeff. Malcolm X: “I Believe in the Brotherhood of Man, All Men.” ISBN 978-0-7660-3384-9. LC 2009017597. MICKLOS, John, Jr. Muhammad Ali: “I Am the Greatest.” reprods. ISBN 978-0-7660-3381-8. LC 2009017593. ea vol: 160p. (American Rebels Series). photos. chron. further reading. glossary. index. notes. Web sites. CIP. Enslow. 2010. PLB $34.60. Gr 6-10–The lives of Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali are effectively explored to provide an understanding of each man’s ideals, values, and perspectives on society as well as his reactions to pivotal events. These books are similar in terms of the information they include to books on Malcolm X by Michael Benson (Lerner, 2002) and Beatrice Gormley (Sterling, 2008) and Carrie Golus’s Muhammad Ali (21st Century Bks., 2006). However, the “American Rebels” titles consistently emphasize the defiant spirit of both men and successfully present the motivation behind their steadfast commitment to their beliefs. Malcolm highlights the development of the human-rights activist’s philosophy by exploring the impact of several childhood tragedies, causing him to question authority and to encourage others to do so as well. Muhammad Ali’s status as an outspoken, yet admired, figure worldwide is immediately focused on his controversial stance against the Vietnam War is examined. Both titles are clear and concise and include many images and descriptions of important events and people that the subjects interacted with and were impacted by. Welcome additions.–Margaret Auguste, Franklin Middle School, Somerset, NJ CHILDREN’S BOOK OF MUSIC: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE WORLD’S MOST AMAZING MUSIC AND ITS CREATORS. 142p. w/CD. photos. reprods. glossary. index. DK. 2010. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-0-7566-6734-4. LC number unavailable. Gr 3-6–Concise summaries and eye-catching photography are combined in this chronological look at music “from the first hum” to digital recording and reactable electronic instruments. The book explores the nature of music, its origins, and varied sounds. The organization creates a useful resource for research as well as for casual browsing with coded pages for instrument and composer profiles, styles, and performances within three major time periods: early music, classical (Western civilization) music, and modern music. Readers searching for instrumentation will find early folk instruments from around the world (including the Australian didgeridoo and Chinese pipa) and numerous pages describing the full orchestra and individual instrument families. The book also addresses dance, musicals, opera, and styles of the modern era. While the information is succinct, there is enough depth for basic information and unusual facts, and the narrative branches out far beyond the same four to eight composers found in the usual introductions for this age group. Readers will find recognizable names from current artists (Lady Gaga), popular artists and styles from the last century (Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Andres Segovia) and may trace the evolution of Western musical style through film, recorded music, musicals, and popular culture. Thirty-five musical highlights are included on the CD–for example, the sound of pan pipes, Debussy’s Clair de Lune arranged for harp, or the overture from Figaro–each tagged by an icon and explanation within the book, provide teaching and listening aids. A solid resource for any library.–Mary Elam, Learning Media Services Plano ISD, TX COOPER, Alison. Facts About Islam. 45p. (World Religions Series). illus. maps. photos. reprods. chron. further reading. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Rosen. 2010. PLB $26.50. ISBN 978-1-61532-322-7. LC 2009052445. Gr 3-6–This book describes who Muslims are, the beginning of Islam, beliefs and leaders, the Qur’an, Sunna , family life, worship, the Islamic calendar, Hajj, festivals, and how the religion spread. A time line covers Islam from the birth of Muhammad to 1980. A select glossary of terms is provided, yet while the book uses the Islamic term of respect “PBUH” after the names of Muhammad and other prophets, it doesn’t explain what the term means: peace be upon him. The author includes details that many Muslims might not be familiar with, such as breaking fast with salt, milk, dates, and honey. Most Muslims break their fast with dates. Colorful photographs, maps, and illustrations appear on every chapter spread, and the language is easy to understand, making this a useful resource for children despite its generalizations and omissions. –Fawzia Gilani-Williams, Researcher in Children’s Islamic Literature, University of Worcester, OH CRUDEN, Alexander, ed. The Rwandan Genocide. 227p. (Perspectives on Modern World History Series). maps. photos. chron. further reading. index. CIP. Gale/Greenhaven. 2010. PLB $39.70. ISBN 978-0-7377-5007-2. LC 2010010290. Gr 9 Up–Following an introduction to the subject, various articles, primary sources, speeches, and other documents provide perspectives on how this tragedy unfolded, who was affected, and what was done to either stop the genocide or allow it flourish. Students will find a wealth of information on what actually happened during this dark time in Rwanda, as well as how the genocide was treated by the international community and how people and organizations caught up in the event responded. Personal narratives, including those from survivors, offer a unique and troubling account of the events. Additionally, official statements, as well as conflicting accounts of various responses from both governmental and religious organizations, allow readers to understand how the genocide was handled by those in Africa and abroad. Color photographs, many quite graphic, further illustrate the atrocities committed against the Tutsi people. An informative addition to any collection.–Carol Fazioli, Gwynedd-Mercy College, Gwynedd Valley, PA DOBSON, Clive. Wind Power: 20 Projects to Make with Paper. 96p. charts. diags. photos. further reading. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Firefly. 2010. Tr $24.95. ISBN 978-1-55407-659-8; pap. $12.95. ISBN 978-1-55407-749-6. LC C2010-903669-7. Gr 6-10–Dense verbal descriptions of how wind power works from when it was first used to propel boats down the Nile to modern-day wind farms might challenge all but the most dedicated readers, but those who stick with them will get a general idea of the theory behind windmills, their detriments and benefits. Vivid color photographs and illustrations appear on each spread to depict the history of windmills and illuminate the concepts described. These include Bernoulli’s Principle, Betz’s Law, and explanations of turbulence and vibration in relation to size. A full spread is dedicated to the Beaufort Wind Force Scale. Descriptions and projects resemble pinwheels, but demonstrate horizontal and vertical axis wind turbines. Dobson explains that it is testing that will teach readers the most, so he diminishes the project steps to encourage more trials. Model materials include those as simple as watercolor paper, pushpins, and beads and that require tools such as scissors, rulers, X-Acto knives, and compasses. Others involve steel rods, wood, wire, bearings, and cap nuts and tools such as drill presses, handsaws, and French curves. Documented with clean photography and geometric illustration, these projects have great potential to inspire experimentation, especially for students skilled in geometry and graphic arts. All but one of the additional print resources are adult materials; the websites, including Wikipedia, are uneven. While not specifically science-project oriented, this volume could serve as support material for wind energy projects.–Janet S. Thompson, Chicago Public Library ESPEJO, Roman, ed. Ethics. 224p. (Opposing Viewpoints Series). bibliog. index. Web sites. CIP. Gale/Greenhaven. 2010. PLB $39.70. ISBN 978-0-7377-4767-6; pap. $26.50. ISBN 978-0-7377-4768-3. LC 2009053382. Gr 9 Up–This update to the 2006 edition tackles current subjects such as stem cell research and, even more topically, the recent subprime lending debacle. Each topic opens with a general introduction, followed by articles offering different points of view. The first two sections feature opinion pieces on why people should behave ethically and what motivates ethical behavior, while the latter two sections delve into nitty-gritty issues such as cloning, physician-assisted suicide, and business ethics. The articles present a balance of positions, so debaters and researchers are likely to find support for their own viewpoints. While more traditional print sources such as Newsweek are represented, blogs and websites such as The Huffington Post are also included. Each article is introduced with questions to consider while reading, and a periodical bibliography supplements the views presented in the chapter. A detailed index, annotated list of organizations, and bibliography of books are appended. A worthy successor to the older edition.–Carol Fazioli, Gwynedd-Mercy College, Gwynedd Valley, PA FISCHER, James. Banking Basics. reprods. CIP. ISBN 978-1-4222-1761-0; ISBN 978-1-4222-1880-8. LC 2010021814. SIMONS, Rae. All About Money: The History, Culture, and Meaning of Modern Finance. maps. reprods. CIP. ISBN 978-1-4222-1760-3; ISBN 978-1-4222-1879-2. LC 2010021818. THOMPSON, Helen. Cost of Living. reprods. ISBN 978-1-4222-1762-7; ISBN 978-1-4222-1866-2. LC number unavailable. –––– . Investing Money. CIP. ISBN 978-1-4222-1766-5; ISBN 978-1-4222-1870-9. LC 2010027815. –––– . Understanding the Stock Market. reprods. ISBN 978-1-4222-1773-3; ISBN 978-1-4222-1877-8. LC number unavailable. ea vol: 64p. (Junior Library of Money Series). diags. photos. further reading. glossary. index. Web sites. Mason Crest. 2010. Tr $22.95; pap. $9.95. Gr 6-9–These titles present solid information and have eye-catching and relevant illustrations. Banking Basics and All About Money have a wonderfully colorful and well-illustrated section on the history of currency, somewhat overlapping in content. Banking Basics focuses more on U.S. monetary history, while All About Money gives a greater global overview. There is an assumed understanding of such topics as “regulating banks” and “Fed issued currency” so they might require further explanation. Cost of Living includes photos that really drive home the reality that everything in a household, small and large, costs money. It covers daily expenses and how to plan for them, along with reviewing such concepts as price inflation versus monetary inflation. Investing Money includes a “risk/reward” pyramid and touches on diversified investments with a nice piggy-bank analogy about hiding your full piggy banks in different spots around the house in case of disaster or theft. The sections on bonds and collectibles are notable because these are more accessible investment concepts than the abstract mutual funds and money markets for this age group. There is a positive, take-action focus on strategies for starting to save. In Understanding the Stock Market, the lemonade-stand example is used to great effect throughout the presentation of even the more sophisticated concepts including what variables affect stock prices and the selling of corporate shares. All the books are clearly written, making understandable connections between daily life and financial concepts.–Meredith Toumayan, The Governor’s Academy, Byfield, MA FRIEDMAN, Laurie S., ed. Civil Liberties. 144p. chron. ISBN 978-0-7377-4732-4. LC 2009051887. –––– . Fast Food. 122p. ISBN 978-0-7377-4733-1. LC 2009051963. ea vol: (Introducing Issues with Opposing Viewpoints Series). diags. maps. photos. further reading. index. notes. Web sites. CIP. Greenhaven. 2010. PLB $34.70. Gr 7 Up–These books of pro/con essays on wide-ranging topics are intended to stimulate discussion of critical social issues and to open readers’ minds to divergent opinions. Civil Liberties includes discussions of the Patriot Act, the rights of Muslims and Arab Americans, and racial profiling. Fast Food contains some fascinating arguments, including the central question of whether or not fast food makes people fat and sick. Active-reading questions preface the essays, which are followed by directions for evaluating the arguments presented. Color photos and other graphics throughout enliven the reading experience. Valuable additions.–Carol Jones Collins, Hanover Park High School, East Hanover, NJ GRANT, R. G. Why Did Hiroshima Happen? reprods. ISBN 978-1-4339-4163-4; ISBN 978-1-4339-4164-1; ISBN 978-1-4339-4894-7. LC 2010012464. –––– . Why Did the Great Depression Happen? ISBN 978-1-4339-4169-6; ISBN 978-1-4339-4170-2; ISBN 978-1-4339-4896-1. LC 2010012461. SHEEHAN, Sean. Why Did the Holocaust Happen? reprods. ISBN 978-1-4339-4172-6; ISBN 978-1-4339-4173-3; ISBN 978-1-4339-4897-8. LC 2010015833. ea vol: 48p. (Moments in History Series). maps. photos. chron. further reading. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Gareth Stevens. 2010. PLB $31.95; pap. $14.05; ebook $31.95. Gr 6-8–This series explains the before, during, and after of seminal events of the 20th century in a clear, unbiased manner. The authors walk the fine line between certainty and moral ambiguity, knowing when to pass judgment and when to leave topics open for debate. Side boxes provide retrospective critiques of crucial decisions, with liberal and conservative opinions represented, and offer historical and economic commentary, especially in Hiroshima and Great Depression. Other sidebars include meticulously cited eyewitness quotes or extra insight on particularly important events. Even more information is contained in the maps, period photographs, and well-placed captions that grace every page. Some events are excluded, such as Neville Chamberlain signing the Munich Agreement. Though there is no shortage of books on these topics, the combination of information and readability makes these titles good choices.–Rebecca Dash Donsky, New York Public Library GRAYSON, Robert. The Biggest Loser. CIP. ISBN 978-1-4222-1672-9; ISBN 978-1-4222-1935-5. LC 2010015967. –––– . Dancing with the Stars. CIP. ISBN 978-1-4222-1673-6; ISBN 978-1-4222-1936-2. LC 2010015970. KOWALSKI, Emma. America’s Next Top Model. CIP. ISBN 978-1-4222-1671-2; ISBN 978-1-4222-1934-8. LC 2010015972. –––– . Project Runway. ISBN 978-1-4222-1675-0; ISBN 978-1-4222-1938-6. LC number unavailable. WHITING, Jim. America’s Got Talent. CIP. ISBN 978-1-4222-1670-5; ISBN 978-1-4222-1933-1. LC 2010015969. ea vol: 48p. (Major Competitive Reality Shows Series). photos. chron. further reading. glossary. index. Web sites. Mason Crest. 2010. Tr $19.95; pap. $7.95. Gr 6 Up–Each book provides a succinct and brief introduction along with anecdotes from the contestants, stories from behind the scenes, and a catch-up with past winners. All include full-color photographs and sidebars of information. The rules and objectives of the shows are neatly explained. Unfortunately, as with most books on a current pop-culture craze, these titles will quickly become dated. They cover seasons leading into 2010, but since most reality shows run two cycles a year, the books will be missing current information almost immediately. Expected usage of this series seems low, unless students are doing a report on reality television and need very basic background information on a specific program. Sadly, the volumes don’t lend themselves to pleasure reading due to the very rudimentary information and stock photographs presented throughout. Those who are already watching the profiled shows will learn nothing new from the books, and those who are interested in learning more would be better served by simply watching them. Although the covers and topics would prompt young people to pick up the books, the incredibly dry writing and dull format will not keep them interested for very long.–Traci Glass, Eugene Public Library, Eugene, OR HILLSTROM, Laurie Collier. Online Social Networks. 96p. charts. ISBN 978-1-4205-0167-4. LC 2009045044. KLING, Andrew A. Cell Phones. 112p. ISBN 978-1-4205-0164-3. LC 2009006249. MACKAY, Jenny. Robots. 104p. ISBN 978-1-4205-0168-1. LC 2009045634. ea vol: (Technology 360 Series). diags. photos. chron. further reading. glossary. index. notes. Web sites. CIP. Gale/Lucent. 2010. PLB $32.45. Gr 8 Up–These books explore the early development and advances of each featured technology, its impact on society both positive and negative, and the importance it plays in our lives. Each title begins with a two-page time line featuring significant stages in the creation and progress of the technology leading up to the current state. Social Networks begins with the history of the Internet. It explains the early purpose of the ARPANET, its expansion, the changes from text-based to the graphic interface of the World Wide Web, email communication, the features of some of the first social sites, and the differentiating characteristics of MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter. Other chapters explore how the sites work, uses beyond connecting with friends such as business and politics, and future developments including mobile access, standardization, location devices, etc. The history in Cell Phones progresses from the telegraph to the invention of the telephone, the merging of radio and telephone, and the implementation of computers to replace humans, eventually leading to wireless phones. Issues in regard to texting, the addition of cameras, video capabilities, disposal, safety, multimedia, and numerous other advances are addressed. Robots describes the technical aspects of movement, artificial intelligence, and robots of the future. In all three books, numerous color photos, diagrams, “Bits & Bytes” boxes as well as many other additional text boxes create appeal and provide beneficial informative and complementary material to aid in understanding the technical details of the texts.–Susan Shaver, Hemingford Public Schools, NE HIRSCHMANN, Kris. HDTV: High Definition Television. diags. ISBN 978-1-59953-379-7. LC 2010008699. MOONEY, Carla. Becoming Invisible: From Camouflage to Cloaks. diags. reprods. ISBN 978-1-59953-378-0. LC 2010016516. –––– . Pilotless Planes. further reading. ISBN 978-1-59953-381-0. LC 2010008500. WOOG, Adam. SCRATCHbot. further reading. ISBN 978-1-59953-380-3. LC 2010008502. ea vol: 48p. (A Great Idea Series). photos. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Norwood House. 2010. PLB $25.27. Gr 4-6–All four topics are of the moment and at least one subject is completely new: a SCRATCHbot is a robot rat that uses whiskers to feel its way around. It is used to help researchers study animals. Similarly formatted, the titles offer a wealth of interesting information, including the history and usefulness of each topic. A first look at the large type makes the books seem to be geared for a younger audience than they actually are. While this might be a slight deterrent to potential audiences, these series offerings are well worth consideration. The lively texts are complemented by myriad “Did You Know?” boxes and different colored pages of side information. Each book is peppered with clear, current photographs, useful websites, and complete indexes. Students do not need prior knowledge to appreciate these worthy titles.–Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WI HOOD, Korey K. Type 1 Teens: A Guide to Managing Your Life with Diabetes. illus. by Bryan Ische. 150p. further reading. Web sites. CIP. Magination. 2010. pap. $14.95. ISBN 978-1-4338-0788-6. LC 2010011063. Gr 9 Up–Hood addresses readers directly in this guide, beginning with section and chapter titles like “Diabetes Is Yours...Deal with It” and “Get Your Priorities Straight,” which firmly establish the importance of teens being advocates for themselves. The book’s structure is easy enough to follow: aspects of teen life (peer pressure, family, school, sexual health) affected by diabetes get thorough coverage by way of explanations of the chapter’s objective examples and a concluding summary called “Putting It All Together.” Tips on overcoming barriers to taking care of oneself, communicating with friends and family, and recognizing a team of supports will help affected teens take charge of their conditions. While there are some strategies here that all teens could benefit from, like ways to achieve a compromise and the steps for problem-solving, the book is geared for more personal use by young people dealing with the disease.–Joanna K. Fabicon, Los Angeles Public Library HUGHES, Susan. Case Closed?: Nine Mysteries Unlocked by Modern Science. illus. by Michael Wandelmaier. 88p. maps. photos. glossary. index. CIP. Kids Can. 2010. Tr $17.95. ISBN 978-1-55453-362-6. LC C2010-900788-3. Gr 6-9–Similar to PBS’s History Detectives, this book explains how historians have collaborated with experts in various fields (medicine, space, archaeology, meteorology, etc.) to resolve disappearances that have long puzzled them. Each chapter discusses one mystery, beginning with historical background. The modern scientific processes used to help solve it are then discussed, followed by the often-fascinating conclusion that was drawn. Famous bodies (Anastasia Romanov and George Mallory) have been identified, a lost city (Ubar) has been found, and mysterious journeys (Hsu Fu’s, the Star Dust, and the INS Dakar) have been mapped. Several of the subjects (Hatshepsut, the Anasazi, John Franklin, and George Mallory) are covered in multiple books for this age range, but others are not as easily found. The writing is clear and engaging. The full-color illustrations are a mix of photographs, maps, and flat, animation-style art. Each chapter ends with a conclusion, but also poses a question that still remains to be solved. The book contains a glossary and an extensive index, but no notes or other bibliographic information. Students doing reports or historically minded browsers are the audience for this book. It’s not an essential purchase, but it is an interesting one.–Lisa Crandall, formerly at Capital Area District Library, Holt, MI KUIPER, Kathleen, ed. The Culture of China. 300p. ISBN 978-1-61530-140-9. LC 2010008759. PLETCHER, Kenneth, ed. The Geography of China: Sacred and Historic Places. 382p. appendix. ISBN 978-1-61530-134-8. LC 2010002170. –––– . The History of China. 360p. ISBN 978-1-61530-109-6. LC 2009046655. ea vol: (Understanding China Series). maps. photos. reprods. further reading. glossary. index. CIP. Britannica Educational. 2010. PLB $53. Gr 10 Up–Covering prehistoric, Neolithic, Imperial, and modern China, these reference works often read like textbooks. They cover a wide range of topics at a greater depth than most texts written for nonspecialists and include history, religion, ethnic groups, major cities, and languages as well as natural drainage patterns, culinary traditions, and the evolution of Chinese architecture. Points of interest are elaborated in pullout boxes and controversial issues are presented in a carefully balanced tone. As will inevitably happen when describing a country as rapidly changing as China, some of the information about current life is already slightly out of date. The volumes are meant to be used together–while History has a pullout box about Confucius and mentions of how Confucianism affected Chinese history, Culture has a lengthy chapter with a fuller exploratopm of his teachings and effects. The books include frequent black-and-white illustrations, largely drawn from stock photography and often poorly reproduced. Each volume contains one map, which is not enough, especially in Geography and History .–Jennifer Rothschild, Prince George’s County Memorial Library System, Oxon Hill, MD LITTLE, Melanie, ed. What My Father Gave Me: Daughters Speak. 129p. CIP. Annick, dist. by Firefly. 2010. Tr $21.95. ISBN 978-1-55451-255-3; pap. $12.95. ISBN 978-1-55451-254-6. LC C2010-903494-5. Gr 10 Up–In her introduction, Little writes, “Like anyone we love and look up to, fathers have tremendous power over us, especially when we’re teenagers in the full throes of figuring out who in the world we are.” In this collection of first-person essays, seven women discuss their adolescent relationships with their fathers and how they affected their adult lives. Standouts include “Thirteen Answers for Alateen,” in which the writer responds to a questionnaire with anecdotes about her father’s alcoholism; “Truth, Dare, Kiss, Command, or Promise: Fragments from a Life,” in which the narrator tells how she coped with sexual abuse; and “How to Make Ice and Other Things My Stepfather Taught Me,” in which a seemingly immature, quirky guy who doesn’t fit the stepfather mold becomes the father figure the writer and her family need. These and the other essays are intensely personal and honest, and the writers do not shy away from discussing some very painful subjects. Teens will appreciate this honesty and openness, making this anthology a good choice for YA collections.–Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ NARDO, Don. Daily Life in Colonial America. glossary. ISBN 978-1-4205-0264-0. LC 2009045636. –––– . The Establishment of the Thirteen Colonies. maps. ISBN 978-1-4205-0267-1. LC 2009045055. –––– . Government and Social Class in Colonial America. maps. ISBN 978-1-4205-0265-7. LC 2009043640. ea vol: 96p. (Lucent Library of Historical Eras). photos. reprods. chron. further reading. index. notes. Web sites. CIP. Gale/Lucent. 2010. PLB $32.45. Gr 6-10–Taking a more global view than some books about Colonial America, these titles examine the factors that led European explorers, then colonists, to come to America; daily lives of the people; and how ideas about social class and governing evolved to create a mindset that would produce the American Revolution. In Establishment, in particular, the author gives considerable attention to multiple ethnic groups, devoting a chapter to “Native Americans before Colonization.” He also describes the Norse expeditions that took place hundreds of years before Columbus. In addition, the situations of women and Africans are examined, as are the circumstances of a variety of religious and ethnic groups who settled up and down the East Coast. Daily Life is more focused on the experiences of white middle- to upper-class families and is less diverse in its approach. Government covers a broad range of topics but jumping from discussions of social rank to the Enlightenment to taxation policies may overwhelm students without background on the time period. The mostly colorful stock images do not add a great deal to the texts. One illustration at the beginning of Establishment shows four Native Americans in feathered headdresses mounted on horses with the caption “a group of Native American men watch boatloads of settlers approach American shores.” The figures and terrain strongly suggest Plains Indians, not an image of the Eastern seaboard. For libraries in need of updated materials on this topic, these books are adequate but not outstanding. An alternative resource, aimed at slightly younger readers, is “Voices from Colonial America” (National Geographic), a well-written series that focuses on individual colonies.–Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher’s School, Richmond, VA OTFINOSKI, Steven. Jaguars. 48p. ISBN 978-0-7614-4839-6. LC 2009022627. –––– . Raccoons. 46p. ISBN 978-0-7614-4841-9. LC 2009022630. SCHLAEPFER, Gloria G. Hyenas. 48p. ISBN 978-0-7614-4838-9. LC 2009022631. ea vol: (Animals Animals Series). photos. further reading. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Marshall Cavendish/Benchmark. 2010. PLB $20.95. Gr 4-6–These titles cover the featured animals’ habitat, diet, predators, babies, behaviors, and average life span in the wild and in captivity. A detailed chart gives facts such as average height, weight, range, etc., for the various animals within a species. “Did you know...” asides include fast facts such as: “the male jaguar’s mating call is a strange mewing cry.” The photography in each book is excellent and the pictures relate well to the corresponding text. The books also cover problems between people and these animals: pictures of coonskin hats, protesters demonstrating against the use of fur, and pictures of a skinned jaguar’s fur are included. Well-organized, solid overviews.–Cynde Suite, Bartow County Library System, Adairsville, GA RANSFORD, Sandy. The Kingfisher Illustrated Horse and Pony Encyclopedia. photos by Bob Langrish. rev. ed. 224p. diags. reprods. glossary. index. Web sites. Kingfisher. 2010. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-0-7534-6485-4. LC number unavailable. Gr 4-8–This revision is virtually identical to the 2004 edition, except for updated websites and some minor changes in the text. Every photograph is the same, but they have held up well and do not look dated. They actually have more “pop” here in terms of clarity, contrast, and brightness, and will provide hours of enjoyable browsing or an opportunity to find pertinent information. The first section focuses on the horse itself–breeds, life cycle, domestication, and anatomy. The next section covers many areas of horse management, including feeding, housing, grooming, health care and first aid, and equipment. The third section examines the various aspects of riding, both western and English, although the majority of the photos feature English saddlery. This striking book would be an asset to any collection, but if you have the earlier edition, purchase it only if there is a real need for a second copy. –Carol Schene, formerly at Taunton Public Schools, MA SANNA, Emily. Gay Believers: Homosexuality and Religion. ISBN 978-1-4222-1749-8; ISBN 978-1-4222-1868-6. SEBA, Jaime A. Coming Out: Telling Family and Friends. ISBN 978-1-4222-1745-0; ISBN 978-1-4222-1865-5. –––– . Gay and Lesbian Role Models. ISBN 978-1-4222-1747-4; ISBN 978-1-4222-1867-9. ––––. Gay Characters in Theatre, Movies, and Television: New Roles, New Attitudes. ISBN 978-1-4222-2012-2; ISBN 978-1-4222-2013-9. –––– . Gay Issues and Politics: Marriage, the Military, and Work Place Discrimination. maps. ISBN 978-1-4222-1750-4; ISBN 978-1-4222-1869-3. ea vol: 64p. (The Gallup’s Guide to Modern Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Lifestyle Series). photos. bibliog. further reading. index. Web sites. Mason Crest. 2010. Tr $22.95; pap. $9.95. LC number unavailable. Gr 6 Up–While these series titles leave out a key group, bisexuals, they cover a wide range of topics. The advice is solid and can easily be found elsewhere, but the books are easy to read, up-to-date, and include personal stories that many readers will relate to. Religion discusses homosexuality in Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Each book includes photographs; charts; sidebars with additional pertinent information such as definitions and anecdotes; extensive bibliographies; links to useful websites; and book suggestions. Unfortunately, some of the charts are not easy to decipher, and some of the photograph captions contradict the texts. For the most part, though, the information is clearly presented without being too dry.–Sarah K. Allen, Elko Middle School, Sandston, VA Gr 4-8–In 1937, civilians in the Basque town of Guernica were the target of an attack unlike any that the world had seen. Hundreds of defenseless people were killed or wounded as German bombers and Italian planes attacked. Picasso was in France, but he soon heard about what had happened in his native Spain. He spent the next month creating a large painting entitled Guernica to express his pain. A reproduction of the piece, which is more than 25 feet in length, is included as a foldout. The black, white, and gray forms convey fear and death, but also hope. Conversational text places the painting in its historical context, while vivid images of Picasso’s other paintings show how it fits into his body of work. The contrast between the bright diamond shapes of Harlequin (1915) and the monochromatic Guernica causes readers to pause, considering the deep sadness Picasso felt for his people. Then, the artist’s return to colorful and fun creations is shown through Girl with Boat (1938) and other paintings. Color reproductions are of excellent quality and appear alongside black-and-white photographs of the artist at work. A series of sketches and photos of Guernica shows how the painting developed. This history lesson, with its biographical details, will help readers to understand how art can help us all to process the pain of war.–Lisa Glasscock, Columbine Public Library, Littleton, CO SYLVESTER, Kevin. Game Day: Meet the People Who Make It Happen. 192p. photos. CIP. Annick, dist. by Firefly. 2010. Tr $21.95. ISBN 978-1-55451-251-5; pap. $12.95. ISBN 978-1-55451-250-8. LC C2010-903864-9. Gr 5-9–Popular athletes enjoy a great deal of attention, but there are many important individuals who operate behind the scenes. Sylvester introduces 20 lesser-known people who have made a career in sports. From tennis chair umpire to horse trainer to race-car mechanic to figure-skating choreographer, readers meet a variety of workers who keep the sports machine running. The result is a mixed bag. The opening chapter on the head groundskeeper at Oriole Park falls flat, which may nip readership in the bud. Readers who persevere, though, will meet some truly resourceful and engaging people: a Paralympic Games champion turned tenor who sings for the New York Yankees; a scout for the Chicago White Sox who will only recommend players who have learned to fail gracefully; and a Zamboni driver who is committed to the art of good ice. While Careers in Focus: Sports (Ferguson, 2008) goes into more detail about the various fields and recommends specific studies to help prepare for career choices, Sylvester imparts some solid tidbits of advice in his chatty, conversational narrative. The suggestions from many of the people he interviewed–perseverance, respect, hard work–are presented in a way that will engage adolescents considering careers in these areas. Photographs, sidebars, and quotes from the profiled individuals help break up the text. It is a shame that Sylvester’s selections are not more diverse: women figure in only five of the profiles (one of them being the head Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader), and cap designer Albizu Rondon is the only nonwhite male featured. While the intent of this book is admirable, its execution falls a bit short.–Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA THOMAS, Keltie. Animals That Changed the World. 112p. illus. maps. photos. reprods. bibliog. chron. further reading. index. CIP. Annick, dist. by Firefly. 2010. Tr $21.95. ISBN 978-1-55451-243-0; pap. $12.95. ISBN 978-1-55451-242-3. LC C2010-903119-9. Gr 4-8–Thomas takes a breezy, conversational look at more than 20 species–from microbes to codfish–that have impacted the Earth in extreme ways. Our practice of keeping herds of livestock has created methane gas and water demands that our planet cannot sustain. Humans may share the fate of the dinosaurs if we fail to avert the climate change brought on by some of our domestications. Animals profiled include the cat, dog, beaver, pigeon, and horse. Cross-references interweave the animals’ stories, such as the fact that cats, eradicated as disguised witches during the Middle Ages, might have mitigated the effects of the Black Death. The busy format features narrow columns of text layered on color backgrounds alongside visually stimulating photographs, an occasional drawing, and “Fact Track” and “Speak of the Beast” sections, which explain the etymology of animal idioms such as “the straw that breaks the camel’s back.” A vignette on Darwin’s contribution to the understanding of our interconnectedness is included as is a (not-to-scale) time line.–S. McClendon, Friends School of Atlanta, Decatur, GA VERDICK, Elizabeth. Don’t Behave Like You Live in a Cave. illus. by Steve Mark. 120p. (Laugh & Learn Series). index. CIP. Free Spirit. 2010. pap. $8.95. ISBN 978-1-57542-353-1. LC 2010010441. Gr 4-8–Not only are the antics of a cartoon Cave Boy and Cave Girl used to represent bad behavior throughout the book, but they are also part of the infusion of humor that makes the tone light, accessible, and soapbox free. Verdick keeps the dialogue conversational as she gives an overview of positive vs. negative behaviors, goal-setting for turning bad habits around, and motivational tips to support a change in attitude. Acknowledging the link between behavior and the body’s physical condition, the author includes a chapter devoted to the importance of activity, getting enough rest, and nutrition (for example, “When you eat better, you feel more balanced. Feeling more balanced improves your behavior. It’s a win-win.”). While there is the occasional clunky acronym (readers are encouraged to remember 5GG4BB, Five Great Goals for Better Behavior), the ideas are workable, especially with the practical forms and worksheets–tools that will help children and parents track behavior and make some concrete changes.–Joanna K. Fabicon, Los Angeles Public Library ZEHR, Howard & Lorraine Stutzman Amstutz. What Will Happen to Me? photos by Howard Zehr. 94p. appendix. further reading. notes. Web sites. CIP. Good Bks. 2010. pap. $14.95. ISBN 978-1-56148-689-2. LC 2010012419. Gr 7 Up–Children of incarcerated parents are consumed with questions, mainly what will happen to them. The authors’ thesis is that the outcome of their lives impacts us all. Additionally, anyone working in the social work, teaching, or healthcare fields will most likely be working with some of these “approximately three million” children at some point. In part one, the statements from the children interviewed are accompanied by full-color photo portraits. What comes through is that they all love their parents unequivocally, but here it is tangible and poignant both in their words and faces. They are hopeful for their parents’ return, and for their own lives to be successful without the blight of prison. Part two offers advice for caregivers and includes 10 questions often asked by children whose parents are in jail. Both the children and their families are not only experiencing physical separation but also the attendant shame as reflected in their treatment by adults and schoolmates. The authors are firm believers in restorative justice and draw the connection (along with giving suggestions) that the right kind of support can prevent multigenerational perpetrators of crime who fall into such patterns due to lack of support and resources.–Meredith Toumayan, The Governor’s Academy, Byfield, MA
Also in this Issue
Fiction
Nonfiction
BONDOUX, Anne-Laure. A Time of Miracles. tr. from French by Y. Maudet. 180p. CIP. Delacorte. 2010. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-385-73922-1; PLB $20.99. ISBN 978-0-385-90777-4; ebook $17.99. ISBN 978-0-375-89726-9. LC 2010008539. BOORAEM, Ellen. Small Persons with Wings. 304p. CIP. Dial. Jan. 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3471-5. LC 2010008400. JACKSON, Alison. Eggs Over Evie. illus. by Tuesday Mourning. 215p. further reading. CIP. Holt/Christy Ottaviano Bks. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8050-8294-4. LC 2009050762. SERRES, Alain. And Picasso Painted Guernica. tr. by Rosalind Price. 52p. photos. reprods. Web sites. CIP. Allen & Unwin. Jan. 2011. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-1-74175-994-5. LC number unavailable.
