Cormier's: Heroes

Cormier offers a riveting, tightly woven, psycho-drama for our mature readers in Heroes. A young Silver Star-veteran of World War II returns to his home town with almost everything but his face. Realizing he can not recapture what he has lost, he embarks on his final mission to kill the man who took it all away from him.

McCormick's: Sold

McCormick's Sold is a gripping tribute to the millions of children who have been sold into the sex-slave trade throughout the world. This heart-wrenching tale pulls readers into a wretched world where young girls are sold by their families, tortured for years, and then tossed away into the filthy gutters of Calcutta. A poetic and entrancing voice leads us on a journey from hopefulness to despair and misery where each daily survival is a triumph of spirit over circumstance. This truly remarkable work, funded through a fellowship from the New York Foundation for the Arts will likely make our more sophisticated teen readers thankful for everything they have in their lives.

McKinley's: Spindle's End

This nap inducing retelling of the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty takes us through 21 long years of the well-known cursed princess' life. The original, very simple, tale is drawn out here with long explanations of repeated foreshadowings and roundabout recollections in very long convoluted paragraphs filled with never-ending sentences. Lengthy chapters sprinkled with uncommon words seem to end randomly at times. Characters are often plagued by foggy memories and extended dreamlike experiences sometimes clouding what little action there is. For those who like magic, McKinley's Spindle's End certainly is crammed with it, but "magic can't do everything." It did however help McKinley give us an uncommon but expected ending to the classic tale.

Vande Velde's: All Hallows' Eve: 13 Stories

If not exactly scary, these 13 short offerings by award winning young adult writer Vivian Vande Velde are at least fun and always well written as one would expect from this writer. Some blood, a bit of violence, a few surprises are all there in this Halloween bowl of treats along with some predictable but enjoyable endings. Definitely written with the young teen set in mind.

13

James Howe presents a collection of 13 writings on being 13 by 13 authors/writing teams of teen fiction, perhaps for anyone who is 13, is almost 13, or was ever fortunate or unfortunate enough to have been 13 in 13: Thirteen Stories that Capture the Agony and Ecstasy of Being Thirteen. This brilliant requiem for childhood may cause a bit of laughter and misty eyes as poignant moments are shared in quality prose and one short poem on a wide array of themes and styles. Each author shares brief recollections of turning 13 at the end of their piece. Particularly notable in style and substance is Howe's own offering about a bar mitzvah which suddenly goes wonderfully and meaningfully awry.

Carman's: Skeleton Creek and Ghost in the Machine

DO NOT READ THESE BOOKS without making sure to watch the accompanying videos. A brilliant multi-media concept. Ryan McCray is a teen keeping a journal of his and his friend Sarah Fincher's investigation into mysteries surrounding an old mining dredge in their hometown. At various points in the story, the reader is directed to Sarah's website to view video footage of Sarah's part in the investigation as the story progresses. The investigation starts to uncover things Ryan may not want to know about his own family, perhaps his whole town. The kids don't know who they can trust. Carman stops the action mid story so the first book by itself may leave readers unsatisfied. The second book brings the mystery to a conclusion with one thing left for Sarah to investigate and to leave Ryan nervous about. Video footage may be too intense for younger readers to watch alone.

Shusterman's: Dread Locks

The first and probably the best of Neal Shusterman's darkfusion series, Dread Locks marries the story Goldilocks with a familiar mythical tale. This story provides at least one worth while shock, while some of the fun was actually pre-guessing which story Shusterman was going to choose for the supernatural element. The familiar opposites motif (too hot, too cold; too hard, too soft) is repeated playfully throughout the story of main character Parker (baby) Baer told in the first person voice. Of the three books in the series, this one feels the most natural and organic in composition while the other two tale pairings seem a bit overly contrived. A lack of development in some of the secondary characters leads the reader to care not too much about their eventual fate conspicuously detracting from the plot. Although the story revolves around teenagers of privilege, the theme of teenage boredom is explored in detail and probably made accessible to a wider range of readers.

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Napoli's: Zel

In her re-imagining of the fairy tale Rapunzel, Donna Jo Napoli stays true to the Grimm's version. She expands the story by developing in greater detail the characters of the prince, Rapunzel, and the witch (stepmother). She also explores themes of loneliness, love, obsession, rejection, and sacrifice. The only departure Napoli takes from the original here is that the prince meets Rapunzel before she is imprisoned in the tower. This allows for the witch's and the prince's obsession with Rapunzel to be juxtaposed throughout the story. She also explains the origins of the witch's power and the reason for Rapunzel's rapid hair growth. Should be fairly satisfying for those who appreciate novel-length fairy tales.

Vande Velde's: The Rumpelstiltskin Problem

For fans of the fairytale rewrite, there is a buffet here from the world of Rumpelstiltskin. Vivian Vande Velde offers six versions of the troll's tale, including one version without any mention of the troll at all, in an attempt to reconcile problems or questions she was left with from the original version. All six versions are different (some opening a few holes of their own), each with different main characters (sometimes the troll, the king, the miller, or the daughter) but each with its own satisfying conclusion. A fun light read.

Gehrman's: Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty

I was not looking forward to reading this novel as I was put off by the bright pink cover with swirls, polka-dots, and a heart. I was sure it would be filled with teen girl dialogue referring to all sorts of things of which I had no interest. It turns out I was partially correct. The story is told through diary entries of a teen girl who often talks about clothes, friends, and boys. However, the style of writing is such that this intelligent teenager captivates the reader drawing them quickly into the teenage intrigue. A quarter of the way through the story I realized that this was a Shakeperean homage or rewrite of which play I did not know until the main character's revealed their real names. Jody Gehrman updates one of Shakespeare's funniest plots with colorful, intelligent, intentionally stereotypical teens and parents. The dialogue and plot are both witty and engaging. I found myself concerned less with the things Gehrman's character's were saying than how they were saying them. Note: this title is not in CLC's library. This book has a well received sequel which is a retelling of another favorite classic. Click here to watch a book trailer.

Draper's: Romiette and Julio

The developing romance and lives of two teens of differing socio-economic backgrounds are threatened by a local gang. There is not much in the way of Shakesperean style or element here except for perhaps the main character's names: Romiette Capelle, an African American teen from Cincinnati and Julio Montague, an hispanic teen from Corpus Cristi. This book may be enjoyed by the teen reader glossing over references to car phones, cellular phones, and chatrooms. The two main characters and their supporting sidekicks are written charmingly enough and seem to have more sense than their respective sets of parents. The parents, though their dialogue at times is somewhat telling and awkward, actually experience more change than their children. The ditzy co-anchor subplot dialogue tends to be insulting rather than providing the comic relief as it was probably intended. Note: this title is not in CLC's library.

Flinn's: Beastly

Alex Flinn updates the Beauty and the Beast tale in her novel Beastly. Told in first person from the perspective of Kyle, the teenaged beast living in modern day Manhattan, this version is replete with spoiled not-so-intelligent vindictive teenagers attending private school, high school parties lacking any adult supervision, and magic. Flinn gives her main characters typical teen novel neglectful parents, one, an abusive father addicted to drugs. The present day setting for this version may help to catch the reluctant teen reader's attention. Flinn matter-of-factly inserts a few recognizable minor characters into a chatroom subplot: a frog, a mermaid, a grizzly bear, Snow White ("not that Snow White" (?)), and Rose Red (not that Rose Red?). The chatroom conversations work somewhat as book part interludes despite my biggest nagging question concerning how a mermaid is able to type on a computer. Once I had just decided to let it go, the chatroom characters start questioning each other's access to the internet. The mermaid had conveniently left the chat before that conversation. In an author's note, Flinn ironically goes on to describe her motivation for rewriting fairy tales as the need to resolve "inconsistencies in the traditional tales." Note: this title is not in CLC's library.

Hale's: Goose Girl

I love this book. Intrigue, murder, romance and humor combine here with a touch of magic to retell Grimm's story of the same name. Shannon Hale builds a world with gentle language and dialogue which is convincingly old world at least enough for the purposes here. With a somewhat slow beginning Hale gradually pulls her readers through the Crown Princess's joys and miseries showing how happiness can be found in life's simple gifts. A diverse cast of well-developed primary and secondary characters work their way in and out of the princess's life learning lessons about prejudice, courage, and loyalty. An uplifting, feel-good read.

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Shusterman's: Duckling Ugly

In a highly non-formulaic plot, Neal Shusterman gives a face-lift to an old story. In his darkfusion series, Shusterman combines old tales with myths and legends. Ponce de Leon's fountain of youth merges with Anderson's Ugly Duckling to create a dark tale of appearances and retribution. Devastating beauty and ugly so powerful it shatters mirrors at a glance battle each other to a satisfying end. This quick read with entertaining characters teaches readers that there is a cost to playing the retribution game even when you win.

Fleischman's: The Whipping boy

Sid Fleischman writes a very quick read: The Whipping Boy. It is surprising this simple book received as much attention as it did, winning the Newbury Medal in 1987. With foretelling titled chapters reminiscent of Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, this book also tells the story of two unlikely travel companions: a runaway prince and a son of a rat trapping pauper turned servant/whipping boy. Along the road, the two encounter a gypsy girl, a dancing bear, a sight-impaired potato salesman, and a couple of bumbling thieves. The thieves conspire to ransom the prince who escapes with the help of the servant and the chase is on. Several great holes in the historical premise of the story greatly diminish its impact. Whipping boys were usually of high birth themselves, raised with the prince so a bond was formed, and were not punished in the King's presence, thereby defeating the purpose of having a whipping boy. So, the reader is left with a spoiled brat prince, jeopardizing someone else's life at his whim, learning a lesson and making a friend in the end. All in all, with its historical inaccuracies and annoying repetitious exclamations, not quite worth the space it takes on the library shelf.

McKinley's: Beauty

A first person account of the tale of Beauty and the Beast from the perspective of the muddy hazel eyes of the title character Beauty. In other retellings, this tale is about the transformation of Beast; this take focuses on the physical, emotional, and mental changes of Beauty as she grows to love Beast. Gentle, kind, and noble fully-developed characters populate Robin Mckinley's graceful world. McKinley delicately weaves magic into the story effortlessly with such aplomb that it seems almost a part of the natural world. She is deftly able to build and release tension as well as provide a few laugh out loud moments from Beauty's two enchanted chamber maids. I look forward to reading other titles from this author.

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Paulsen's: Sisters

Paulsen begins to create a set of portraits of two teenage girls. The comparison of two girls surviving their beauty and youth is incomplete and fairly unsatisfying. Paulsen chooses a cheerleader and a child prostitute, similar only in age and beauty apparantly, to draw his comparison. The misleading title pretends to make more of a connection between the two girls than actually exists. Paulsen does not write deeply enough about either girl, or build enough tension to end his story in the abrupt manner in which it is ended. This story reads more like a story starter. A point is made but ever so slight and hardly worth the telling. Arguably, the abrupt ending is meant to be an exclamation point. The reader may be left to wonder why these stereotypes needed an exclamation point when they probably deserved more of a story.

Paulsen's: The Tent

A teen boy and his father embark on a life altering trek across the hot, flat Texas landscape one summer. They discover a way to use an old army tent for making total strangers give them large portions of their money. After becoming rich, they find out the high cost of wealth. Paulsen's predictable "parable for one sitting" uses simple characters talking in simple dialog to tell a simple tale with a profound and important lesson.

Avi's: Crispin: The Cross of Lead

From the day I finished reading the Newbery Medal winning Crispin: The Cross of Lead I've reached for it every time I've led genre discussions in our library. Not only is this book a very good example of historical fiction, it's a very good book. A highly enjoyable action adventure from Avi who seems to know this time period well and knows how to make it accessible for the middle school reader. The story follows a recently orphaned thirteen year old peasant in 14th century england. After news of his Lord's death, Crispin is suddenly the center of attention and thrust into a series of dangerous events which force him to flee the only home he's ever known. He carries around his neck the answer to his mysterious past and the cause of all his misfortunes. He later meets his mentor in the form of a great mountain of a man called Bear. The two cross the country making friends and facing deadly enemies. I look forward to reading the other books in this trilogy.

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Paulsen's: Hatchet

A story of a young teen learning to survive his parent's divorce quickly turns into a story of true wilderness survival for the boy and his one tool, a gift from his mother, a Hatchet. Gary Paulsen's Newbery Honor Book bumps along clumsily, in and out of a what passes as a teen voice back and forth between first and third person. What will capture the reader are the passages of problem solving and near disaster-avoiding adventure. Run-ins with wild life, trial and error lessons in the search for basic necessities, and face-to-face interaction with the force of nature are enough to make this a satisfying quick-read. Oh yeah, and a plane crashes. Although Paulsen's main character learns completely on his own, he is not quite as engaging as Jean Craighead George's Sam Gribley.

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