Young Adult Books

Williams-Garcia, Rita. P.S. Be Eleven21 May 2013, Amistad PressE ARC from Netgallet.com Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern have just returned to Brooklyn after One Crazy Summer with their mother in California. Delphine especially has a new found awareness of social issues, but the world is still the same to Pa and Big Ma. Things are changing-- Uncle Darnell is back from Vietnam but is not his old self. Pa has a girlfriend who is not like Big Ma, but not like Delphine's mother, either. Delphine feels that things are slowly changing for black Americans in Brooklyn, but they are changing much more slowly. She writes letters to her mother asking about her life as well as the world around her, and her mother generally replies cryptically, and ends with "P.S. Be Eleven". This story can stand alone, but is a nice follow up of these sisters.Strengths: If I had any doubts about Williams-Garcia's age, this certainly answered it. The details of every day life were exquisite, from Mr. Bubble to a school movie about marijuana starring Sonny Bono. Even in a time of great social change, there are still grandmothers who want granddaughters to wear dowdy clothing, and every day life to be lived.Weaknesses: This didn't have the emotional impact or the historical significance that the first book had for me. It reminded me, oddly, of the All-of-a-Kind-Family books. Pleasant, but not earth-shaking.It's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday at Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe and What Are You Reading? day at Teach Mentor Texts. Both sites have lots of links to reviews about books that are great for the 4th through 8th grader. It's also Nonfiction Monday, hosted this week at Pirogies and Gyoza. Stone, Tanya Lee. Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles.22 January 2013, Candlewick Press I've had several of my students ask for books about the Tuskegee Airmen, so this was eagerly snatched up by students who are interested in Civil Rights, and also those who like to read about WWII. This has a good narrative style, plenty of pictures, and was very informative. My only complaint is that students tend to balk at nonfiction of this length. Great for a lot of Common Core pairings! Tuck, Pamela M. As Fast As Words Could Fly1 April 2013, Lee and Low BooksE ARC from Netgalley.comMason, who is growing up in North Carolina in the 1960s, helps his father by writing letters for a Civil Rights group. To thank him, the group gives him a typewriter. Mason and his brothers are enrolled by their father in a nearby all-white school because their father says that someone must start making things different. The boys experience plenty of prejudice, but Mason excels, especially in his typing class. He also works in the school library. Eventually, he gets to represent the school in a typing contest. Based on the experiences of the author's father. I was hoping that this was a novel, because it has a lot of potential. It is a picture book, and the illustrations are quite nice. I am half tempted to buy a copy for my middle school library, but picture books don't get much use. If we had a unit on Civil Rights, I would consider it.

The Practice Proposal by Tracy March Suddenly Smitten #1 Publisher: Entangled Bliss Release Date: March 11, 2013 Pages: 229 Source: Publisher Buy the Book: Amazon | B&N Rating: 3.5 stars Liza Sutherland isn’t looking for love. Not from a charity-auction date she didn’t even bid on and especially not with Nationals first baseman Cole Collins, the guy she obsessed over as an awkward teenager. She won’t get involved with a notorious player, no matter how attractive Cole is. Cole Collins is up for contract renegotiation, but after too many late-night parties, he’ll need some positive publicity before he can make the roster. His agent, Frank, pitches Liza as the perfect prop…only Cole didn’t account for Liza no longer being just a teenager with a crush. She’s gorgeous and smart and he’s instantly hooked. When Frank makes Liza a deal she can’t refuse—a bet she will fall in love with Cole or a cool half mil goes to charity—the game is on. But neither bet on the real feelings that surface. Could a fake fling turn into an official forever? I don’t know what it is about these sports player romances, but I am just loving them. The Practice Proposal is a super cute read with great characters and a fairly predictable plot line. I loved both Liza and Cole – while they both are very different from one another, they are very much cut from the same cloth and just belong together. Their story was very endearing. While the plot was predictable, it was still fun to see how things would play out. It was especially wonderful when there was one thing that caught me by complete surprise. The Practice Proposal did not have me as in love as some other sports player romances I’ve read lately, but it was still pretty good. A perfect read for someone who wants a way to spend an afternoon out in the wonderful weather. Related posts: Tour: Tempest Unleashed by Tracy Deebs Book Review Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral Book Review Game For Marriage by Karen Erickson Book Review

Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols Published: July 16, 2013 by MTV Books Source: For review from edelweiss via publisher From the author of the “real page-turner” (Seventeen) Such a Rush comes an unforgettable new drama that follows friends-turned-lovers as they navigate the passions, heartbreaks, and intrigue of country music fame. Bailey wasn’t always a wild child and the black sheep of her family. She used to play fiddle and tour the music circuit with her sister, Julie, who sang and played guitar. That ended when country music execs swooped in and signed Julie to a solo deal. Never mind that Julie and Bailey were a duet, or that Bailey was their songwriter. The music scouts wanted only Julie, and their parents were content to sit by and let her fulfill her dreams while Bailey’s were hushed away. Bailey has tried to numb the pain and disappointment over what could have been. And as Julie’s debut album is set to hit the charts, her parents get fed up with Bailey’s antics and ship her off to granddad’s house in Nashville. Playing fiddle in washed-up tribute groups at the mall, Bailey meets Sam, a handsome and oh-so-persuasive guitarist with his own band. He knows Bailey’s fiddle playing is just the thing his band needs to break into the industry. But this life has broken Bailey’s heart once before. She isn’t sure she’s ready to let Sam take her there again… [goodreads] Getting my hands on the next Jennifer Echols book has become an addiction for me. I love this woman's writing and storytelling so much, that when given the opportunity to read her next release, I literally jump at the chance (yes, I may have actually jumped up and down when I received an e-copy of this to read). There's something so hypnotic, yet familiar in her books that keeps me coming back for more and more. This particular story held my interest when I realized it was based around country music. I love all types of music, so being a girl from Texas, I've been to a few music festivals suited up with cowboy boots and hats, along with a fiddle in the band. Bailey has been tucked away by her parents, out of the limelight, as her sister's career of becoming a country music star take root and begin to grow. The girl has talent of her own, and even though she wants to see her sister succeed, it still makes it difficult for Bailey to want to pursue her own dreams in country music, too. At first I was a bit confused as to why her parents were forcing her to lay low (per her sister's record company's request) and not dabble in her own affair with music. But as the story continues, and the more I got to understand Bailey, the reasons for this became more clear. Given Bailey's talent, and her pure love for the music, it was evident she couldn't lay low for long. Eventually she'd find herself on a stage, performing for a crowd that was instantly drawn to her. There is also a boy, who was instantly drawn to her as well. As Echols always seems to deliver, we meet Sam -- the irresistible character we want to like because he's so dreamy and charming, yet it's his flaws that keep us at a distance, weary of what his true intentions may be. He's insisted on Bailey joining his band, claiming she's the added spark they need to be heard and get signed. However, the mystery plays out, causing you to wonder -- is he falling for Bailey? Or is he using her, and her family's contacts in the industry, in order to get his big break? Jennifer Echols delivers a story in true country music form. It starts out simple, about finding that one person who makes you feel the best you've ever felt, only to lead you down an unknown path full of heartache and wonder. Though I did not always agree with the character's choices, I was still invested in the story and committed to seeing it to the end. Thanks to Echols, I now have the urge to dig out my cowgirl boots and listen to some old classic country. And maybe even plan a trip to Nashville so that I can

That's the thing about Mother Nature, she really doesn't care what economic bracket you're in. Attribution Whoopi Goldberg

Defiant Heart by Marty SteerePublished Date: April 2013?Publisher: Penfield PressGenre: YA Historical Fiction, WWIIThe Story:Set against the backdrop of small town America on the eve of World War II, Defiant Heart features two extraordinary characters and one unforgettable love story.In the spring of 1941, young Jon Meyer’s family dies in a tragic accident, and he is sent to live in a small Indiana town. He arrives to find himself unwanted and shunned.Mary Dahlgren is the daughter of the town’s mayor. A pretty girl, she could have the pick of the boys in town, including Vernon King, the star of the vaunted high school basketball team. To the chagrin of her friends, though, Mary has always been more interested in books than boys. That is, until she meets Jon.But Jon and Mary are kept apart by an insidious campaign orchestrated by Mary’s father, who perceives their relationship a threat to his political aspirations, and Vernon, to whom Jon is a rival for Mary’s affections. For months Jon is subjected to a painful ostracism. Then, just when the young man’s earnestness and perseverance begin to win over many of the townsfolk and it appears that love may conquer all, tragedy strikes.As the country is caught up in war, so too are the young lovers swept up in events beyond their control, leaving both fighting for their very lives. If, against the odds, they are to be together, each will need to find the strength, the courage and the resourcefulness that beat only in a defiant heart.My Review: Wow. I was intreguied to read this book, for one thing, I love historical fiction. For another, I have many family and friends that currently serve in the military, and many who use to! Marty Steere knows what he's talking about in this book. Could be that he grew up in the military - see the About Marty Steere! But, the story he weaves, it's a timeless tale. We not only read about why Jon Meyer - one of the main characters, is shunned, we start to feel sorry for him. And then there's sweet Mary, who is just a pistol! I know you'll laugh and cry as you read Defiant Heart!About Marty Steere:The son of a career air force officer, Marty Steere grew up on or near military installations across the country and overseas before settling in Southern California, where, when he’s not writing, he practices law. His debut novel, Sea of Crises, was named to Kirkus Reviews’ Best of 2012.Marty Steere’s WebsiteOn FacebookDefiant Heart on GoodreadsFollow the Tour:So Many Precious Books April 5 Review & GiveawayBooks, Books & More Books April 8 ReviewBooks, Books & More Books April 9 Guest PostDr Bill’s Book Bazaar April 10 ReviewCuzinlogic April 12 ReviewLiterary Addicts April 12 InterviewRaging Bibliomania April 15 ReviewJoy Story April 17 ReviewBookworm Brandee April 23 ReviewBookworm Brandee April 24 Guest PostGreen Mountain Couple April 25 ReviewBroken Teepee April 26 ExcerptEvery Free Chance May 2 Spotlight & GiveawayBook Lover’s Library May 3 ReviewBook Lover’s Library May 3 InterviewMy Devotional Thoughts May 5 SpotlightMy Devotional Thoughts May 6 Review & GiveawayBookalicious May 7 ReviewRecent Reads May 8 ReviewNo Wasted Ink May 8 InterviewBass Giraffe May 9 Review & GiveawayRomance & Inspriation May 10 ReviewBook Mark Blog May 13 ReviewThe Self Taught Cook May 14 Review & GiveawayTeena in Toronto May 15 ReviewBookFan May 17 SpotlightBooks Complete Me May 20 Review

Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters by Suzanne Weyn "When Doctor Victor Frankenstein died, he left behind a legacy of horror...as well as two unacknowledged, beautiful twin daughters. Now these girls are seventeen, and they've come to Frankenstein's castle to claim it as their inheritance. Giselle and Ingrid are twins, but they couldn't be more different. Giselle is a glamorous social climber who plans on turning Frankenstein's castle into a center of high society. Ingrid, meanwhile, is quiet and studious, drawn to the mysterious notebooks her father left behind...and the experiments he went mad trying to perfect. As Giselle prepares for lavish parties and Ingrid finds herself falling for the sullen, wounded naval officer next door, a sinister force begins to take hold in the castle. Nobody's safe as Frankenstein's legacy leads to a twisted, macabre journey of romance and horror."- summary from Amazon This was just an average book- it wasn't that good, but it wasn't that bad. I thought the concept was intriguing and there's some interesting plot points, but I could've definitely gone without reading this book. There was a lot of telling rather than showing and maybe that was just a consequence of it being told in journal format from both daughters' perspectives, but still. The dialogue was a bit stilted too, and not just because the book took place in the 1800s. The ending was a bit abrupt, and a little too tied up (and you all know how I like my endings tied up nicely, but this was just too much and didn't feel right). Overall, if you wanna read this book, get it from the library. It's a fairly quick, scary(ish) read, but nothing to run out and get. FTC: Received e-galley from Netgalley. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

AUDIOBOOK Reboot UNABRIDGED By Amy Tintera Narrated By Khristine Hvam PUBLISHER Harper Audio Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins Release Date: 05-07-13 Buy the audio: Audible Buy the book: Amazon Five years ago, Wren Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes, she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less

Hello everyone! I am very excited to share with you all the cover of Michael (Sons of Old Trilogy, #2) by Annabell Cadiz! Michael (Sons of Old Trilogy, #2): /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} Michael (Sons of Old Trilogy, #2)Author: Annabell CadizGenre: New Adult, Supernatural, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Estimated Publication Date: August 2013 Add on Goodreads! Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Zahara Faraday looks like a normal eighteen-year-old and lives in a quiet neighborhood with her overprotective parents. She works at a bookstore and hangs out with her best friend Becca King on a daily basis. But underneath the normal lies a secret life filled with dangerous supernaturals. Zahara belongs to a world made of Light Witches, rogue Imagoes (supernatural creatures with super strength, speed), fallen angels, and Nephilim (hybrid children born half-human, half-angel). Where her father Solomon Faraday is human, her mother Mia and her Aunt Catalina are Light Witches. They help protect the human world by hunting down rogue supernaturals who commit heinous acts against humans. What they never expected was the possibility of having to hunt down the one rogue coven they had befriended and come to trust in their battle against Lucifer. Rekesh Saint-Louis is the leader of the most powerful Imago coven in Florida and now he’s the most wanted. Supernatural bodies are starting to pile up with an ancient ritual long forbade being used to murder them and the symbol, one large cross with four smaller crosses around it, which represents Rekesh’s coven, being left behind. Rekesh and the Elders of his coven set out to find who is behind the murders and clearing his name before a war between the covens begins. To make matters more difficult, Rekesh also has to deal with the return of someone he would rather preferred stayed away. Meanwhile, Zahara and Becca are spending more time brushing up on their training, knowing an attack from Lucifer can come at any moment. Between patrolling neighborhoods and hanging at the boarding school created by Charles Stephens—a fallen angel who created the school to protect the children of rogue supernaturals—they are introduced to an old friend of Charles, Michael. Zahara begins to develop a closer bond with Jason as they train and chase down clues to clear Rekesh’s name. Jason also starts to develop a close bond with Michael, protecting a very powerful secret. But Rekesh’s coven being set up isn’t the only danger. A new powerful and lethal drug has emerged from the shadows of the supernatural world called Inferi. A side effect of the drug: it leaves the supernatural hungering for blood—both human and supernatural. Lucifer is on the move and he will stop at nothing to get his hands on Zahara and complete the first act of his plan. A battle is about to begin. One that may cost the Faraday family everything they hold most dear. Find Michael (Sons of Old Trilogy, #2) Online: Goodreads About The Author: Annabell Cadiz was born in the sweltering heat of South Florida. She was raised surrounded by Puerto Rican chefs and band of siblings that weren’t all related to her. A self-proclaimed nerd and book-a-holic (her room does hold much evidence to prove her claims are justifiable), she created TeamNerd Reviews to showcase her EXTREME love for novels where, along with her best friend, Bridget Strahin, she

Title: Rootless Author: Chris Howard (Twitter) Publisher: Scholastic Publish Date: November 1, 2012 Genre: YA, Dystopian Pages: 336 Source: Publisher 17-year-old Banyan is a tree builder. Using scrap metal and salvaged junk, he creates forests for rich patrons who seek a reprieve from the desolate landscape. Although Banyan's never seen a real tree—they were destroyed more than a century ago—his father used to tell him stories about the Old World. But that was before his father was taken. Everything changes when Banyan meets a woman with a strange tattoo—a clue to the whereabouts of the last living trees on earth, and he sets off across a wasteland from which few return. Those who make it past the pirates and poachers can't escape the locusts—the locusts that now feed on human flesh. But Banyan isn't the only one looking for the trees, and he's running out of time. Unsure of whom to trust, he's forced to make an uneasy alliance with Alpha, an alluring, dangerous pirate with an agenda of her own. Banyan lives in a world where the trees have long since withered and died. His world is one of the artificial, and he spends his days building trees to recreate the forests that once were. These trees, however, are different. They're made from scraps of materials like rubber and lights, and only the richest of patrons can afford his trees. But when Banyan meets a woman with a tattoo that shows him that the last living trees might be more reality than mythology, he knows he needs to find them...and fast. He's drawn to this last living bit of nature, and he when he sets out on a quest to find them at all costs, he's in for the journey of a lifetime. This genre has been so hit or miss for me as of late, but when I first read Rootless, I was really blown away by not only the concept, but the rich, vivid details that author, Chris Howard, offers his readers. This cautionary tale is cleverly disguised in a world of metal, plastic and other man-made materials. Nature is a distant memory, long since eradicated through the meticulous and destructive work of a corporation dominating the nation's food industry. With a world that's carefully-crafted, a strong and empathetic cast of characters and a soulful mission to find what's left of our world, Rootless soars. Rootless was, in a nutshell, one heck of an epic journey. Think about the best quests you've ever read about, and then times it by ten. That's what this story offers us. We're given Banyan, a teen boy with a steady job as a tree builder, but with a chance to find a piece of our heritage and save what little might just be left of the world. His soul shines through his quest, and his courage, determination, humour and general good-natured persona has us invested from the start. Not once did I find his journey disingenuous or his motives less than honest. We're also given a host of pirates who are incredibly detailed, entertaining and truly original. These female pirates are gorgeous and powerful, dominating the swamplands of Old Orleans, and we're introduced to Alpha, a dynamic pirate with an agenda of her own. Through it all, we're presented with this barren wasteland of a world, and Rootless definitely displays the fact that it is a cautionary tale with complete sincerity. The author could easily have become preachy, but instead, by offering us a faceless corporation, GenTech, we can see distinct parallels between our worlds and the one within the pages of Rootless. It's a definitive wakeup call, and it's also a subtle call to action, or at the very least a commentary on the fact that our world needs a careful reminder of the potentially harmful repercussions of tinkering with our food and crop supply. Most of all though, the plot moves steadily forward, as does Banyan's quest, and we become fully invested in finding this long-lost forest, as well, hoping against hope that there might just be something there for Banyan - and for the rest of the worl

THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARINGAshley ElstonContemporary Young Adult320 pagesDisney-HyperionAvailable NowSource: Received from publisher via NetGalleyTHE STORY (from Goodreads)She’s been six different people in six different places: Madeline in Ohio, Isabelle in Missouri, Olivia in Kentucky . . . But now that she’s been transplanted to rural Louisiana, she has decided that this fake identity will be her last.Witness Protection has taken nearly everything from her. But for now, they’ve given her a new name, Megan Rose Jones, and a horrible hair color. For the past eight months, Meg has begged her father to answer one question: What on earth did he do – or see – that landed them in this god-awful mess? Meg has just about had it with all the Suits’ rules — and her dad’s silence. If he won’t help, it’s time she got some answers for herself.But Meg isn’t counting on Ethan Landry, an adorable Louisiana farm boy who’s too smart for his own good. He knows Meg is hiding something big. And it just might get both of them killed. As they embark on a perilous journey to free her family once and for all, Meg discovers that there’s only one rule that really matters — survival.MY THOUGHTSThe Rules For Disappearing is a quick and suspenseful read, giving us a brief look at how quickly life in the Witness Protection Program can eat away at the bonds holding a family together. While not a story that crushes souls and scars hearts with its emotional intensity, it is one that guarantees the pages are turned rapidly so we can figure out just how Meg and her family came to be in their current predicament. There's a light romance mixed in, but this tale is beautifully family-centric, and we read on with smiles on our faces at the connection between Meg and little sister Teeny even as our stomachs tie themselves in knots over her relationship with her mother.Meg is a likable, easy-to-relate-to heroine, someone we genuinely feel for as we join her just before she and her family are shipped off to their newest placement. Her loneliness despite the presence of her sister, father, and mother is palpable, and her fear that this latest identity will be as brief but devastating to leave as the ones that came before it is something we feel keenly. She tries to keep her distance from Ethan–something we wish she wouldn't do but completely understand given her past–increasing her isolation tenfold to leave us feeling as hollow as she does. She handles the stress of not only being ignorant of what landed her Witsec to start with, but also the complications of her mother's rapid descent into alcoholism, with a calm strength we can't help but admire, maintaining a strong front for Teeny to spare her any additional upset.Though Meg has many admirable traits and a situational vulnerability that has us rooting for her from the beginning, she does possess the same frustrating tendency so many teenagers do: thinking she can handle dangerous problems on her own. She luckily does share some things with her father when she realizes she's in a bit over her head, but she keeps the most vital pieces of information to herself, concocting a plan to save her family rather than sharing her revelations with those in charge of her safety. That being said, her secrecy in some areas makes sense as it's made clear to us their Witsec identities are far from impenetrable, but we still wish given the enormity of her problems that she would share the burden with those far more equipped to handle them.Overall, The Rules For Disappearing is a highly entertaining read, not one to be picked up when looking for a dark or gut-wrenching contemporary but rather one to be read simply for the joy of reading.Rating: 4/5 Find Ashley:Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • AmazonThis book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.