Young Adult Books

Grabenstein, Chris. Riley Mack Stirs Up More Trouble9 April 2013, HarperCollins Riley and his friends get involved in an evil scheme by Sara Paxton to ruin Briana's chances for a scholarship at a talent show, but this leads them into an even deeper problem-- the fish in a pond near the country club and Sara's house are dying, and they need to find out why. The country club's golf course has recently been renovated, and they find bags of pancake mix that is tainted with nitrogen buried under the course. The mix is manufactured by Sara's father's company, which has been selling the mix to the US military. Could this be what is making the men in Riley's father's unit in Afghanistan sick? The group of "troublemakers" comes together to help Briana win the scholarship and also to solve the problem with the dying fish.Strengths: This book does a good job of taking a realistic setting and involving the children in situations that are only slightly out of the ordinary. There's good use of stinking fish, some chases, and a nice "underdog-saving-the-day" feeling. Nice environmental tie in as well. Weaknesses: In real life, Mr. Paxton would probably go to jail for a really long time-- this is serious stuff, and I would have liked the ending to have wrapped things up a bit more.Yolen, Jane and Stemple, Adam. B.U.G. (Big Ugly Guy)23 March 2013, Dutton JuvenileLove Yolen, but absolutely could not do yet ANOTHER book where bullies put a kid's head in the toilet. Fifteen years of teaching and I have NEVER seen it. Might be of interest in an area where there is a larger Jewish population, and the book is not without its charm, but the bullying details were so unrealistic that I just could not go on.From Goodreads: "Sammy Greenberg would rather talk back to The Boyz--a gang of bullies at his school--and get his head stuck in the toilet than constantly be afraid. But when his friend Skink gets beaten up so badly that he has to go to the hospital, Sammy thinks he may be in over his head. He decides to build a golem--a mythical protector from Jewish folklore, made of clay and animated by the ineffable name of God. But this monster doesn't just protect him and Skink from The Boyz, he is also a great drummer for their rock-jazz-klezmer fusion band! But golems come with warnings. They will protect you until they don't."I'm sure this will get a lot of good reviews, but I just didn't see it working for my school.

Behold, Here's Poison. Georgette Heyer. 1936/2009. Sourcebooks. 330 pages.I definitely LOVED this mystery by Georgette Heyer. Gregory Matthews has been poisoned. At first, the family assumed his death was of natural causes, but one insistent aunt sees differently. The aunt's instincts proved correct: he was poisoned by nicotine! Inspector Hannasyde and Inspector Hemingway are assigned the case. I have come to appreciate Inspector Hannasyde very much! (I also LOVED seeing Giles Carrington again!)The entire family is on the list of suspects. And to be honest, the family is that dysfunctional so it would make sense that the suspect list would be a long one.I enjoyed this one for the characters. (I loved Stella, and Randall definitely grew on me!!!) I found this one oh-so-satisfying. © 2013 Becky Laney of Becky's Book ReviewsIf you're reading this on a site (other than Becky's Book Reviews or Becky's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Ribbit. Rodrigo. Folgueira. Illustrated by Poly Bernatene. 2013. Random House. 32 pages. Once upon a time there was a pond that was home to a family of frogs. It was their pond. And they were very happy living there. But one morning they discovered a surprise visitor...I enjoyed Ribbit! I loved the illustrations of this adorable pig. This is the 'surprise visitor' who decided to visit the pond and make some new friends. The frogs didn't quite understand why the pig was there. They were very suspicious and extremely hesitant...at least at first. Really liked the ending of this one--with the pig up in the tree making new friends!Text: 3 out of 5Illustrations: 3 out of 5Total: 6 out of 10Toys in Space. Mini Grey. 2013. Random House. 32 pages.That summer night, for the first time, the toys were left outside. The sun went down, the sky grew dark, and, for the very first time...the toys saw THIS. Everyone was quiet for a while. Toys in Space is silly and creative. I'm not sure if it would work for a group read-aloud, it was quite text-heavy. But I think it would definitely work as a read-aloud for parents to read to their own children. (They might want to read it first, however. I didn't like some of the language in this one: dang, stupid, ninny, etc. But every person has a comfort level of course! So what works for one might not work for another.) Text: 2 out of 5Illustrations: 3 out of 5Total: 5 out of 10Good Night, Sleep Tight. Mem Fox. Illustrated by Judy Horacek. 2013. Scholastic. 32 pages. One Friday night, Bonnie and Ben were being looked after by their favorite babysitter. Skinny Doug leaned against their bedroom door and said: "Good night, sleep tight.Hope the fleas don't bite!If they do,squeeze 'em tightand they won't biteanother night!"I enjoy the premise of this one. A babysitter telling nursery rhymes to two children as he tries to put them to bed at night. (I'm not sure he was trying too hard at the beginning!) After each rhyme he says: "I'll tell you another I heard from my mother..." I appreciated the fact that it wasn't a book about a babysitter reading these rhymes to the two kids. I liked the fact that these were rhymes that had stayed with him and were a part of his life, his memory. The book celebrates imagination, language, and childhood itself perhaps. Text: 4 out of 5Illustrations: 2 out of 5Total: 6 out of 10 The Story of Peppa Pig. Scholastic. 2013. 32 pages. Once upon a time, there was a lovable, slightly bossy little piggy named Peppa. Grunt! Grunt! More than anything in the whole wide world, Peppa loved jumping up and down in muddy puddles. If you or your little one LOVES Peppa Pig, then this one is one to consider. I do love Peppa Pig. I love Peppa's whole family. The show is just so much fun: the music, the characters, the silly stories. The book isn't quite as much fun as the show itself, but it captures some of the magic. Text: 3 out of 5Illustrations: 3 out of 5Total: 6 out of 10 Snippet the Early Riser. Bethanie Deeney Murguia. 2013. Random House. 40 pages. In many ways, Snippet was an ordinary snail. He drew on the sidewalk. He made leaf sculptures. He played soccer. He especially adored piggyback rides. At bedtime, he would snuggle inside his shell and fall fast asleep. But while his family loved to snooze all morning, Snippet did not. Snippet loves to wake up early. His father, mother, and sister DO NOT like to wake up early. Snippet does everything he can think of to make them wake up. He really wants to play! But still, his family stays asleep. Other insects offer advice on how to best wake them up, but it is the caterpillar's advice that works--at least this one morning! Snippet is a lovable character. Very charming! And I definitely enjoyed the illustrations! Text: 5 out of 5Illustrations: 4 out of 5Total: 9 out of 10 © 2013 Becky Laney of Becky's Book ReviewsIf you're reading this on a site (other than Becky's Book Reviews or Becky's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and i

4 yummy, soft ginger cookies.Cover Love: It's okay. I don't love it but I also don't hate it.Why I Wanted to Read This:I just adore Elizabeth Eulberg. She writes good contemporary girl power novels. Here's the synopsis for this one:Don't mess with a girl with a great personality!Everybody loves Lexi. She's popular, smart, funny...but she's never been one of those girls, the pretty ones who get all the attention from guys. And on top of that, her seven-year-old sister, Mackenzie, is a terror in a tiara, and part of a pageant scene where she gets praised for her beauty (with the help of fake hair and tons of makeup).Lexi's sick of it. She's sick of being the girl who hears about kisses instead of getting them. She's sick of being ignored by her longtime crush, Logan. She's sick of being taken for granted by her pageant-obsessed mom. And she's sick of having all her family's money wasted on a phony pursuit of perfection.The time has come for Lexi to step out from the sidelines. Girls without great personalities aren't going to know what hit them. Because Lexi's going to play the beauty game - and she's in it to win it.Romance?: Yes! But it's not the main plot point.My Thoughts:Lexi was awesome. She was smart and self-aware, even though she didn't have a lot of confidence in her looks. She gives some awesome speeches in the end of this book, cutting down a mean girl like anyone who was tormented by a mean girl always wishes they did! It was just refreshing by the end to see her stand up for herself and let all those great thoughts she was having come out!Lexi's poor mom, she was the hardest character to read in this book. I just wanted to shake her and make her see what she was doing to her daughters. She is so mired in her own sadness and disappointment--living through Mackenzie is the only way she feels important. It made me very sad for her as well.However, I cried and cried for Lexi when her mother did what she did to her. What an awful, awful thing. I really hope their mother takes a long look at what she has let her life become and makes some good changes. I was also glad that Mackenzie became a little bit more than just a one note pageant girl.Lexi's friends are awesome, Benny and Cam. They supported Lexi and helped her through her time of self discovery. I liked that even though Lexi changed how she looked, it was more of just amping up what was already there. And she discovered that it is okay to look frumpy but it is also okay to primp. I really, really hope Taylor gives her another chance.And the speeches Lexi makes! She is a sharp high schooler. In real life it probably wouldn't be this way, but she tells off a mean girl like you wish you could've in high school, and helps Mackenzie (hopefully) make changes in her life.To Sum Up: Going to buy this one for my library! Girl power!!

Matilda is turning 25 this year! Kind of unbelievable, right? How can it already be 25 years since this wonderfully witty, intelligent five-year-old sprang onto the literary scene, inspiring all of us to read more and fight the man with our powers of telekinesis (Er, or just wish we had powers of telekinesis)? We’re celebrating this milestone with an epic 25-stop blog tour! Follow along to find out how your favorite bloggers feel about Matilda, and for a chance to win a Matilda prize pack at each and every stop!This quote says it all: “Matilda said, ‘I would like a really good one that grown-ups read. A famous one. I don’t know any names.’Mrs. Phelps looked along the shelves, taking her time. She didn’t quite know what to bring out. How, she asked herself, does one choose a famous grown-up book for a four-year-old girl? Her first thought was to pick a young teenager’s romance of the kind that is written for fifteen-year-old schoolgirls, but for some reason she found herself walking past that particular shelf.‘Try this,’ she said at last, ‘It’s very famous and very good. If it’s too long for you, just let me know and I’ll find something shorter and a bit easier.’‘Great Expectations,’ Matilda read, ‘by Charles Dickens. I’d love to try it.’I must be mad, Mrs. Phelps told herself, but to Matilda she said, ‘Of course you may try it.’ –p.15, MatildaThat’s the key, isn’t it? Teachers and librarians foster a love of books in students by introducing them to new books and helping them stretch their limits. Every Wednesday, hear from teachers and librarians on the Matilda 25th Anniversary tour about how they have interacted with kids and books, just like Mrs. Phelps helped Matilda! When I was in fourth grade, my class read James and the Giant Peach. I loved the book so much, that I wrote a letter to the author, Roald Dahl, not knowing he had passed away. The publisher ended up sending me a box of Roald Dahl goodies-stickers, posters, and a mobile of his characters! It meant so much to me as a reader that they would take time to answer a young girls fan letter.That's one thing I love about being a librarian. It it my job to help kids find the most perfect book-and often times that includes books by Roald Dahl. His creativity and wit is still as popular as ever. When readers come into the library looking for something funny and smart, I always take them over to the D's and introduce them to this author. It makes my job even better when I get to match readers with books they will love, and I get to do that wit Matilda. Books like Matilda have lasted 25 years because they hold an endless appeal-which makes it easy for me to suggest that book to a reader. I know they're in for a treat when they pick it up and enter Matilda's world! And I love being one of the gatekeepers who have helped them discover what great books are out there. When they come back with a smile on their face and tell me how much they loved a book I've given them, it makes my job all worth it.I'm so excited to be able to share Matilda with you! Thanks to Penguin books and Matilda the Musical, one lucky winner will win a Matilda prize pack: a paperback copy of Matilda , one copy of the Matilda Broadway soundtrack, and a Matilda the Musical Broadway poster!To enter, leave a comment below telling me what book a librarian or teacher helped introduce you to as a child. Contest open to US addresses only, ages 13+, ends June 26.Did you know Matilda is now a Tony Award-nominated Broadway Musical? The show opened in April and has already been nominated for 12 Tony Awards, including Best Musical! Since not everyone can go to New York City to see the show in person, Penguin Teen is bringing the show to you with a Matilda the Musical prize pack giveaway! Enter to win a copy of the Matilda the Musical soundtrack, a Matilda the Musical poster, and a paperback copy of Matilda by Roald Dahl! You can buy tickets, see pictures, and listen to music from Matilda the Musical on their website: h

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where bloggers feature upcoming book releases that they're looking forward to. This week I'm eagerly anticipating... Leap of Faithby Jamie Blair Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers Release Date: September 3, 2013 Synopsis (from Goodreads): Can true love be built on lies? A teen on the run seeks relief and redemption in this gripping, romantic read. Leah Kurtz has finally found a place to call home, a town where she and baby Addy can live in peace, far from the drug-infested place she grew up. Chris is one of the best parts of her new life, the only person who’s ever made her feel safe. And now that she’s found him, there’s no way she can tell the truth: Her real name is Faith, not Leah. She’s seventeen, not nineteen. And the baby isn’t hers—Faith kidnapped her. Faith’s history catches up with her when a cop starts asking questions and Chris’s aunt spots her picture in the newspaper. She knows it’s time to run again, but if Faith leaves, she’ll lose Chris. If Chris is in love with a lie, though, did Faith ever really have him in the first place? I love a good contemporary, and this one sounds incredibly intriguing!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine spotlighting upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating. Release Date: December 3, 2013Publisher: RazorbillAdd to GoodreadsSummary (from Goodreads): Love, power, and magic collide with war in the second book of the Falling Kingdoms seriesAuranos has fallen and the three kingdoms—Auranos, Limeros, and Paelsia—are now united as one country called Mytica. But still, magic beckons, and with it the chance to rule not just Mytica, but the world...When the evil King Gaius announces that a road is to be built into the Forbidden Mountains, formally linking all of Mytica together, he sets off a chain of events that will forever change the face of this land, forcing Cleo the dethroned princess, Magnus the reluctant heir, Lucia the haunted sorceress, and Jonas the desperate rebel to take steps they never could have imagined.As soon as I finished reading Falling Kingdoms, I was already desperately awaiting the release of the second book in the series. It was an awesome, fast-paced introduction to a fantastical world filled with magic and dark forces, and I couldn't wait to delve right back into it with Rebel Spring. I'm sure Morgan Rhodes will push the central characters—Cleo, Jonas, Magnus, and Lucia—further than they've ever been pushed before, and more pain and heartache will be in their futures before anything can get better. Everyone will be struggling to place themselves in a position of power in Rebel Spring, but who will succeed?

"Never underestimate Nerds." "I wouldn't dream of it, nerd Kittscher, Kristen. Wig in the Window, The. HarperCollins Children's Books, 2013. 368p. $16.99, 9780062110503. Affiliate Links: Amazon | Shop Indie Genre:Mystery (real and not real) Cover Appeal: A good representation of the girl's personalities. Youngish with the character's drawn more cartoonish than graphic. Will appeal to 4th and 5th and some early 6th graders. Immediately After"I'm like...Mr. Miyagi and Yoda rolled into one." Michael Scott, The Office (substitute this book is for I'm) Right BeforeGrace is all about the spy business. She's got the clothes and the lingo down. Sophie considers herself more of a shy-retiring type who needs Grace to bring a little action into her life. The girls have upped their spying game by sneaking out of the house at night and investigating FBI bulletins, pretending that the people in the neighborhood represent wanted criminals and are just hiding out in their town. Things take a turn towards the serious when they accuse someone of murder and then find themselves being watched. To Sophie's horror, she also now has to spend MORE time with the suspect. Resentment starts eating away her and Grace's friendship. Were they ever true friends or was she just someone Grace used and pitied? DuringI was drawn in by Sophie and Grace's quick banter. They seemed to know and love each other. There was lots of eye-rolling and compromise. Just like a normal friendship. Using the Walkie Talkies gave them an additional sense of being connected even though Grace was homeschooled, so didn't share in Sophie's daytime world. The friendship gets strained when Sophie finds a new friend in Trista. Even though Grace has friends from Chinese school and piano lessons, she's never had to compete for Sophie's attention. Soon Trista has Sophie questioning herself and Grace's relationship. Not as a way to get Sophie to herself though. She just calls it as she sees it. Sometime AfterThe mystery, a little gruesome and over the top, was well-developed but didn't seem like the heart of the story. That was the girl's friendship. As such, I was baffled by how much the parent's trusted Dr. Agford, the school counselor. I understand that they were stressed at work, but the strong girl characters we were getting to know, should have stemmed from loving, concerned, and involved parents. Sophie's parents didn't even pretend to listen to her side of the story and they never confiscated her spy equipment, not even the rope she'd used to climb out the window. While Grace's homeschool teacher conveniently leaves the picture, meaning Grace could be at home alone during the day. On the mystery-side, I was able to follow along with Sophie and Grace's spy work and uncover the culprit but I liked that Kittscher threw in a couple of red herrings. Though I guessed the identity of the white truck owner, it took some doing to figure out rest. Fun Quotes "At one point she went after the school librarian. The librarian! Could there be a more noble soul?" "...on the bright side, our school counselor is not a fugitive." "If I'd known dropping teeth into drinks could so effectively remove Jake from my presence, I would have made it a more regular practice." OverallIt was refreshing to read a book about two twelve-year-old girls who sounded like two twelve-year-olds. Many middle grade novels make the characters sound too young while the young adult books cast them as precocious. When Grace joked that Sophie and her should trade families, I laughed because my daughter has a friend who's similar to me and they joke about trading all the time. I give this 4 out of 5 stars for the mystery and the realistic portrayal. It lost a star due to the lack of parenting. Though the SMILE organization almost brings it back to the top, the confusing love interest struck me as unneeded and brings it back down to 4. Tune in tomorrow when Kris

BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY... THEY GET EVEN. Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister. Kat is tired of the rumours, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person– her ex-best friend– and she's ready to make her pay. Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. And she's ready to prove it to him. Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they each had a taste. I'm not sure what took me so long to pick up this book, especially since I've always been a fan of Siobhan Vivian, but I am definitely glad that I finally did. Burn for Burn is a book that could have been another one of those beachy, summer dramas with all of the glamour, guys, and gossip, and while all of those elements are present—and done well, I should note—Han and Vivian go beyond all of that to create a story that is suspenseful and full of surprises. With its sharp, quick plot and a great cast of characters, Burn for Burn is a fantastic read to satisfy anyone's guilty pleasure cravings. Rating: 4.5 Review copy from BEA

Basically “Books to Pine For” are books not yet released, that I can’t wait to get my hands on (or books I’ve recently gotten my hands on… but are still pine-worthy)! These books are ones that should be on your radar, because I know they are on mine! If this is your first visit to the blog, I do “Books to Pine For” sporadically, it’s a regular feature but it doesn’t have a set date I post every month or what not. You can check out all the books to pine for posts, they start chronologically from the most recent. In case you want to check out some earlier ones I’ve done. Okay I’ve rambled enough, on to the goods! Just a note.. all the links in the titles go to their Goodreads page… easier to add to your wish list! *ALL SUMMARIES ARE FROM GOODREADS OR AMAZON! Asylum by Susan Vaught Release Date: February 18, 2014 Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens Never, Kentucky is not your average scenic small town. It is a crossways, a place where the dead and the living can find no peace. Not that Forest, an 18-year-old foster kid who works the graveyard shift at Lincoln Hospital, knew this when she applied for the job. Lincoln is a huge state mental institution, a good place for Forest to make some money to pay for college. But along with hundreds of very unstable patients, it also has underground tunnels, bell towers that ring unexpectedly, and a closet that holds more than just donated clothing….When the dead husband of one of Forest’s patients makes an appearance late one night, seemingly accompanied by an agent of the Devil, Forest loses all sense of reality and all sense of time. Terrified, she knows she has a part to play, and when she does so, she finds a heritage that she never expected. With her deep knowledge of mental illness and mental institutions, Susan Vaught brings readers a fascinating and completely creepy new book intertwining the stories of three young people who find themselves haunted beyond imagining in the depths of Lincoln Hospital. Uninvited by Sophie Jordan Release Date: March 2014 Publisher: HarperTeen You can’t change your DNA…even when it says you’re a murderer. When Davy tests positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome, aka “the kill gene,” she loses everything. Once the perfect high school senior, she is uninvited from her prep school and abandoned by her friends and boyfriend. Even her parents are now afraid of her—although she’s never hurt a fly. Davy doesn’t feel any differently, but genes don’t lie. One day she will kill someone. Without any say in the matter, Davy is thrown into a special class for HTS carriers. She has no doubt the predictions are right about them, especially Sean, who already bears the “H” tattoo as proof of his violence. Yet when the world turns on the carriers, Sean is the only one she can trust. Maybe he’s not as dangerous as he seems. Or maybe Davy is just as deadly. Waterfell by Amalie Howard Release Date: October 29, 2013 Publisher: Harlequin Teen THE GIRL WHO WOULD BE QUEEN Nerissa Marin hides among teens in her human form, waiting for the day she can claim her birthright-the undersea kingdom stolen from her the day her father was murdered. Blending in is her best weapon-until her father’s betrayer confronts Nerissa and challenges her to a battle to the death on Nerissa’s upcoming birthday-the day she comes of age. Amid danger and the heartbreak of her missing mother, falling for a human boy is the last thing Nerissa should do. But Lo Seavon breaches her defenses and somehow becomes the only person she can count on to help her desperate search for her mother, a prisoner of Nerissa’s mortal enemy. Is Lo the linchpin that might win Nerissa back her crown? Or will this mortal boy become the weakness that destroys her? Alienated by Melissa Landers Release Date: February 4, 2014 Publisher: Disney-Hyperion Interplanetary relations have never been more exciting! The first in a funny, romantic YA sci-fi series. Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Ca