Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (*spoiler-free except for one vague quote*)

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. Scholastic, 2010.

Audience: Ages 13+

My Rating: 4.5* of 5

Comments: After hearing Suzanne speak in April, I was worried that Mockingjay might shift what had thus far been a seemingly unbiased series of war stories toward a didactic vehicle for Collins' personal message/agenda on war and politics. Suzanne, I will never doubt again. She is far too talented a writer for that to happen even with such delicate subject matter. None of my predictions for the conclusion of this trilogy came to fruition--I've never been so glad to have guessed incorrectly. I enjoyed the pacing, surprises, punches to the gut, revelations, unexpected connections, and unfortunate losses woven into this powerful conclusion. Above all, I admire Suzanne for giving young adult readers an honest, realistic ending to Katniss's story. Life is messy, love is imperfect, war is impossible, but somehow many survive and slowly rebuild a life...and even try to make it good.

There are worse games to play.

Zombiekins by Bolger

Zombiekins by Kevin Bolger, Razorbill 2010.
My Rating: 5 *s out of 5!!!

Drop everything and read Zombiekins! Oh, baby, is this a gem. Be prepared to laugh hysterically and uncontrollably so chose your reading locations accordingly. Bolger writes with pitch perfect pacing and razor sharp wit; in this case he deftly spoofs every zombie movie you've ever seen and wraps it in a cute (though slightly macabre), fluffy package.

Give this book to every 4th, 5th, or 6th grader who walks in the door! Especially fans of Franny K. Stein or Bunnicula. Pure, dark, genius!!!

"Don't worry, this isn't a real zombie. It's just a stuffy with a sort of macabre, half-dead appearance."

"Zombiekins started to cross the room, walking stiffly and with a limp--one leg swiveling on its teddy-bear joint, the other dragging like a dead limb...Stump!--scri-i-i-i-i-itch..."

"In Ms. Mellow's kindergarten the classroom was bustling with non-gender-specific role-playing activites...In the Playhouse, one boy was pretending to be the kind of daddy who liked to wear an apron and bake mud pies, while the girl he was playing with was pretending to be the kind of mommy who liked to throw dishes and yell at you to get a job."

Goal!

Beautifully written this soccer book is about more than just the game. Safety, poverty, bullying and friendship are all explored in this deceptively simple picture book. The language is lovely “I follow the ball to the end of the alley; I follow the ball to the end of the world.” A repeated refrain also helps remind the reader that danger is always lurking. Lots of fantastic examples of multi-culturalism from the kids’ names to “Bafana Bafana” the South African nickname for their home team. The illustrations are energetic and lush at times spread out over both pages showing the determination on the kids’ faces as they play. The alley that is their soccer field is also telling with the worn out buildings and complete lack of adult supervision. The encounter with the bullies can be read much deeper as the repression of so many in the war torn African continent and the over arching message that soccer unites is inspiring, “when we play together, we are unbeatable.” The author’s note at the end explains how important soccer has been in history and around the world. An uplifting sincere picture book.

A Taste for Red audio

A Taste for Red by Lewis Harris. Listening Library, 2009. (Narrated by Jaclyn Gaines)
Audience: Grades 5-6
My Rating: 1* of 5
Summary: Svetlana Grimm thinks she's a vampire and when her beautiful science teacher, Ms. Larch, begins reading her thoughts Svetlana wonders if Ms. Larch might be a vampire, too? But the thrill of finding another of her kind quickly vanishes when strange "accidents" start happening. Svetlana is always the intended victim, and her teacher is always nearby. So if she and Ms. Larch aren't allies, then that means...Sunny Hill Middle School is about to become a very dangerous place for Svetlana Grimm.

Comments: A poor reading of a poorly written story. I was only just curious enough about where the strange plot was going to finish.

Awards:
Read-alikes: Vampire Island

Delcroix Academy: The Candidates (book 1)

Delcroix Academy: The Candidates by Inara Scott (ARC). Hyperion 08/2010.

Audience: Ages 13+, Grades 7-10

My Rating: 3*s of 5

Summary: Dancia Lewis' otherwise mediocrity is a welcome cover for her secret: whenever she sees a person threatening someone she cares about, things just...happen. Cars skid. Structures collapse. Usually someone gets hurt. When recruiters from the prestigious and mysterious Delcroix Academy show up in her living room to offer her a full scholarship, Dancia's days of living under the radar may be over.

Comments: A debut novel with a strong premise and love triangle (do I smell a "Team Cam" and "Team Jack" campaign!?) that keeps the sometimes sluggish pace afloat. My biggest stumbling block...the names. "Delcroix" and "Dancia" sound so awkward to me that they tripped up my eyeballs every time. There are some interesting developments at the end of book 1, but not a major cliffhanger as I anticipated.

Awards:

Read-alikes: Twilight, etc., Vampire Academy