Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian (audio)

Burn for Burn (Simon & Schuster Audio)
Audience: Grades 9+

My Rating: 4* of 5

Summary: Postcard-perfect Jar Island is home to charming tourist shops, pristine beaches, amazing oceanfront homes—and three girls secretly plotting revenge. KAT is sick and tired of being bullied by her former best friend. LILLIA has always looked out for her little sister, so when she discovers that one of her guy friends has been secretly hooking up with her, she’s going to put a stop to it. MARY is perpetually haunted by a traumatic event from years past, and the boy who’s responsible has yet to get what’s coming to him. None of the girls can act on their revenge fantasies alone without being suspected. But together…anything is possible. 
Comments: Okay, I confess, this is my first Han read. Not what I expected; there was bite behind all the lip gloss! Some turns were predictable while others not at all. Some mature content--drinking, drugs, and a sex crime that is left unresolved (at least in this installment). Definitely leaves you burning for book 2!
Read-alikes: Other titles by Han/Vivian. Pretty Little Liars series by Shepard.
 

Wonder by R.J. Palacio (audio)

Wonder by R.J. Palacio (Brilliance Audio)
Audience: Grades 4-6

My Rating: 3.5* of 5

Summary: Ten-year-old Auggie Pullman, who was born with extreme facial abnormalities and was not expected to survive, goes from being home-schooled to entering fifth grade at a private middle school in Manhattan, which entails enduring the taunting and fear of his classmates as he struggles to be seen as just another student.
Comments: Given the buzz surrounding this title, my expectations were high. They were met, though just barely. Palacio smartly varies narrators throughout the book, ensuring that the reader does not tire of Auggie's inevitable self-centeredness. I could have done without the dog plot line, which these days seems an out-dated literary crutch. All told it was an empathetic slice of a different sort of life.
Read-alikes: Out of My Mind by Draper.
Awards: Texas Lone Star list 2013, Texas Bluebonnet list 2013.

The Cheshire Cheese Cat (audio)

The Cheshire Cheese Cat by Carmen Agra Deedy and Randall Wright. Narrated by Katherine Kellgren.

Audience: Grades 5 and up
My Rating: 5* of 5

Summary: Tired of dodging fishwives' brooms and carriage wheels, alley cat Skilley yearns for the comfort of Ye olde Cheshire Cheese, a popular London inn. Once installed at the Cheese, Skilley looks forward to a life of ease. But a resident mouse named Pip uncovers Skilley's scandalous secret, and the desperate cat is forced to make a pact with him. The ensuing mayhem threatens the peace of Ye olde Cheshire Cheese-and the entire British empire!
Comments: The language, the characters, the cheese! Rich is the best word I can find to describe this wonderful new tale (tail?) that reads like a classic.
Awards: Texas Bluebonnet list 2012-2013
Read-alikes: Charles Dickens
Quote: "You want the truth, Master Skilley? Then find out just what manner of cat you really are...and brazenly, unabashedly, boldly, be that cat." (Maldwyn, p120)

Zitface (ARC) by Emily Howse

Zitface (ARC) by Emily Howse pub April, 2011 from Marshall Cavendish.
Audience: 5th-7th grade
My Rating: 2.5* of 5
Summary: 13 year old Olivia is already a successful commercial actress, a strong student, and well liked by her classmates. But everything changes when one pimple becomes a serious case of acne.
Comments: Thank you, MC, for this ARC. Howse's debut novel tackles a subject not often covered in tween-lit, but that is relevant for many readers (though this particular book is not boy-friendly). While a bit dry and pedantic overall, Zitface may be just what some girls need at a fragile time.

Shark Wars: Exile by Altbacker (galley)

Shark Wars: Exile (book 1) by E. J. Altbacker (galley) due June, 2011 from Razorbill.
Audience: Grades 4-7
My Rating: 2.5* of 5
Summary: A young shark named Gray has grown too big for his peaceful reef and is banished into deeper water. Lost, hungry, and not sure who to trust, Gray will have to battle the most ferocious shivers [shark clans] ever known if he is to survive.
Comments: The fabulous Gillian at Razorbill sent me a galley of this new series targeting middle grade readers, especially those captivated by Warriors-esqe clan reading. Some plot points and character development need rounding out, but the setup and action are interesting enough to keep it afloat (start the pun counter). Shark speak runs throughout the book (lEast = lost; Southdenly = suddenly) and may confuse readers unless it is better introduced and explained up front. As with other clan battle books, violence is to be expected. "Goblin narrowly avoided having his flank opened, then killed his attacker with a bite clean thorugh its head" is as graphic as it gets in this installment. Most appealing is the shiny, blue iridescent cover and end/front illustrations depicting the main characters in each shiver. Packaging alone may grab readers hook, line, and sinker!
Read-alikes: Warriors and Seekers series by Hunter; Guardians of Ga'Hoole series by Lasky

Monster High by Lisi Harrison (ARC)

Monster High by Lisi Harrison. Poppy, 2010.

**NEXT BIG THING ALERT!** This is gonna be a huge tween hit! It is way voltage!

Audience: Ages 12+ (though younger are going to want to read it bc of the dolls)

My Rating: 4* of 5

Summary: Created just fifteen days ago, Frankie Stein is psyched to trade her father's formaldehyde-smelling basement lab for parties and prom. But with a student body totally freaked out by rumors of monsters stalking the halls, Frankie learns that high school can be rough for a chic freak like her. She thinks she finds a friend in fellow new student Melody Carver-but can a "normie" be trusted with her big secret?

Comments: Leave it to Lisi to make a Clique + Twi-tween mash-up of monstrous proportions! The beauty is that MH offers infinitely more concept, fun, and substance than the girls of OCD ever could. Frankie is exceedingly likable and her "normie" foil, Melody is likewise. "Coming out of the casket" references abound, but rather than elicit zombie groans they crackle with Frankie's enthusiasm toward her cause of monster acceptance. An appealing and quality read that backed by some evil genius marketing (uh-dorable dolls by Mattel, Monsterhigh.com video shorts and games, and stinking cute Halloween costumes rtg) is going to explode by October!
Awards:

Read-alikes: Clique, Alphas

Will Grayson, Will Grayson (collecting quotes while I listen)

Loved this book enough the first time to now experience the audio fabulousness (complete with singing!) and collect a few choice cuts this time. [owg=Green; wg=Levithan]

owg: "You like someone who can’t like you back because unrequited love can be survived in a way that once-requited love cannot."

wg: “...because Isaac has become the one the songs are about.”

owg: "i know it sucks, but in a way, it’s good....love and truth being tied together, i mean. they make each other possible, you know?

owg: “She kisses like a sweet devouring, and I don’t know where to touch her because I want all of her."

wg: "when things break, it's not the actual breaking that prevents them from getting back together again. it's because a little piece gets lost. the two remaining ends couldn't fit together even if they wanted to. the whole shape has changed."

owg: [discussing Schrödinger's cat with Jane] "It seems to me that all the things we keep in sealed boxes are both alive and dead until we open the box. That the unobserved is both there and not...I chose the closed box."
Jane: "They eventually figured out that keeping the box closed doesn't actually keep the cat alive and dead...keeping the box closed just keeps you in the dark, not the universe."

owg: "It's hard to believe in coincidence, but it's even harder to believe in anything else."

wg: "i just want to be myself and i wanna be with someone who's just himself, that's all. i want to see through all the performance and all the pretending and get right to the truth."

wg: "this is why we call people 'exes' i guess because the paths they cross in the middle end up separating at the end. it's too easy to see an ex/x as a crossout--it's not. because there is no way to cross out something like that. the ex/x is a diagram of two paths."

owg: "Since when is the person you want to screw the only person you get to love?"

Tiny: "Love is the most common miracle. Love is always a miracle...everywhere...every time."

[curtain]

The Girl Who Threw Butterflies (audio)

The Girl Who Threw Butterflies by Mick Cochrane. 2009.
Audience: Grades 5th-9th. Ages 10+.

My Rating: 4.5*s of 5
Summary: Eighth-grader Molly's ability to throw a knuckleball earns her a spot on the baseball team, which not only helps her feel connected to her recently deceased father, who loved baseball, it helps in other aspects of her life, as well.
Comments: A wonderfully written book--so much so that even this monotonous narrator (Maria Cabezas) can't ruin it. Captivating, real character development, well balanced, and subtly yet satisfyingly ended. A story as delicate and interesting as the butterfly pitches Molly throws. Impossible to resist the urge to play catch after reading this one!

Awards:
Read-alikes: Zen and the Art of Faking it by Sonnenblick, Dairy Queen by Murdock

11 Birthdays

11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass. 2009.
Audience: Grades 4th-6th. Ages 8-12.

My Rating: 4*s of 5
Summary: Amanda and Leo, born on the same day, have celebrated their birthdays together for 10 years. Still feeling hurt from an unkind remark Leo made at last year's party, Amanda spends her eleventh birthday without her now-estranged friend to share the fun. In the days that follow, both Amanda and Leo discover that they are caught in a time loop, waking up each morning to find themselves repeating their eleventh birthdays.

Comments: Fun and not as predictable as I thought going into it. Leo borders on too good to be true, though!

Awards: Bluebonnet List 2010-2011.
Read-alikes: When You Reach Me by Stead. Finally by Mass

*Sequel, Finally*

Not as engaging and magical as 11, but stronger on the coming-of-age themes.

When You Reach Me (audio)

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. 2009.
Audience: Grades 4-7th; ages 9-14
My Rating: 4*s of 5
Summary: As her mother prepares to be a contestant on the 1980s television game show, "The $20,000 Pyramid," a twelve-year-old New York City girl tries to make sense of a series of mysterious notes received from an anonymous source that seems to defy the laws of time and space.
Comments: I kept seeing reviews for this book and decided to give it a listen. It is a great puzzle-read with a well written girl protagonist. It was very satisfying to keep track of each subtle clue as it clicks into place. More than anything, though, it is a book about relationships. A passage about racism is deftly but clearly handled. I enjoyed this clever story and find myself thinking about it from time to time.
Awards: Newbery medal!
Read-alikes: A Wrinkle in Time (more of a companion book than a read-alike), Chasing Vermeer by Balliet

Suddenly Supernatural: School Spirit by Kimmel

School Spirit (Suddenly Supernatural book 1) by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel. 2009.

Audience: Grades 4-6th; ages 8-13

My Rating: 4.5*s of 5

Summary: Like her mother, a professional medium, 7th grader, Kat, has been able to see dead people since turning thirteen, and although they would prefer to be normal, Kat and her best friend come to terms with their own talents while helping free the spirit of a girl trapped at their middle school.

Comments: This book jumped into my hands off of the "new" shelf and I couldn't put it down! Great storytelling and a surprising depth to the characters and story. Kat is someone you can easily follow through a book series. The supernatural elements felt believable and even had a few scary moments that serve as a teaser to continue the series. A great recommendation for younger fantasy/horror readers. I can't wait to read more in the series.

Awards:

Read-alikes: Savvy by Law, Allie Finkle series by Cabot (sans the supernatural, of course)

Clementine by Sara Pennypacker (audio)

Clementine by Sara Pennypacker. 2006.
Audience: Grades 2-4; 7-10
My Rating: 4.5*s of 5
Summary: While sorting through difficulties in her friendship with her neighbor Margaret, eight-year-old (third-grader) Clementine gains several unique hairstyles while also helping her father in his efforts to banish pigeons from the front of their apartment building.
Comments: A great narrator and delightful story! Clementine is put-her-in-your pocket lovable. Her "spectacular ideas" and eventual mishaps create many laugh out loud moments. Can't wait to read more about her!

Awards:
Read-alikes: Ida B. by Hannigan, Ramona books by Beverly Cleary, Judy Moody books by McDonald

The Schwa Was Here

The Schwa Was Here by Neal Shusterman. 2004/2006 reissue.
Audience: 6-10th Grade; Ages 11-15
My Rating: 4.5*s of 5
Summary: A Brooklyn eighth-grader nicknamed Antsy befriends the Schwa, an "invisible-ish" boy who is tired of blending into his surroundings and going unnoticed by nearly everyone.

Comments: Antsy wins me over again. He is a delightful and fun narrator who Shusterman told me (eeeee!) is based on "his alter ego...a kid who says out loud everything [Neal] wanted to but couldn't." As with Antsy Does Time, death/loss is dealt with in a humourous, but never mocking way. I read the two Antsy stories out of order and they stood alone very nicely.

Awards: Lone Star list 2006, lots of journal lists
Read-alikes: Antsy Does Time by Shusterman and according to the author, eventually Antsy Floats (to feature another gramatical charcter...Tilda)

Two-Minute Drill by Mike Lupica

Two-Minute Drill by Mike Lupica. 2007. (Comeback Kids series, v.2) Audience: 4-6 Grade; Ages 8-10
My Rating: 3*s of 5
Summary: Brainy Scott, a great kicker who otherwise struggles with football, and star quarterback Chris, who has dyslexia, team up to help each other succeed in both football and school.
Comments: The writing is simple and straightforward as you would expect from a sportswriter. The plot and characters are engaging though predictable and somewhat caricatured. A good choice for boys reluctant to read.
Awards: Bluebonnet List 2009-2010
Read-alikes: Hot Hand, Comeback Kids series v.1

Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls: Moving Day

Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls: Moving Day by Meg Cabot. 2008.
Audience: 8-12, Grades 3-5
My Rating: 4.5*s out of 5
Summary: When nine-year-old Allie Finkle's parents announce that they are moving her and her brothers from their suburban split-level into an ancient Victorian in town, Allie's sure her life is over. She's not at all happy about having to give up her pretty pink wall-to-wall carpeting for creaky floorboards and creepy secret passageways-not to mention leaving her modern, state-of-the-art suburban school for a rundown, old-fashioned school just two blocks from her new house.
Comments: How does Meg Cabot do it? I have enjoyed everything I've read by her, regardless of the subject or audience. Her writing is current and vernacular, but doesn't seem dumbed-down. Allie was honest, independent, and endearlingly flawed. At first I thought the "rules" concept would get in the way, but instead it nicely threaded the story together. My favorite rule (very hard to choose just one)..."When you finally figure out what the right thing to do is, you have to do it, even if you don't want to."
Awards:
Read-alikes: