if I stay by gayle forman

A little excursion with her family on a school snow day turns tragic for seventeen year old Mia. Mia recounts the aftermath of the car accident involving her family and life memories for the next 24 hours as she lies in a coma. Her eloquent story sharing about family, friends, boyfriend, disappointments, and ambitions and hospital visits weigh in as she makes the ultimate decision, whether to stay or to go.

Ages: 14 and up

Comments: This is a heart wrenching book with arresting characters. As I read this book I found myself thinking about what my decision would be if I had to choose whether or not to remain in the world if I had suffered so much loss and had extensive physical injuries.

Masterpiece by Elise Broach

In this charming mystery, Marvin a beetle and family live under the kitchen sink in the home of James and his family. Upon turning age 11, Mrs. Pompaday, James' mother invites children of prospective real estate clients to his birthday party. James' party is a disaster complete with miserable gifts. Marvin wants to give James something great for his birthday. Using the pen-and-ink set, a birthday present from James' father, Marvin uses his legs to draw a picture of the scene outside James' window. Everyone in James' family believes James has done the miniature drawing including his father who is delighted with James' talent and interest in art. His father takes him for many trips to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. These trips are made with Marvin the beetle in tow. James must create more drawings, Marvin's family worries about him taking risky excursions. Both of them, James and Marvin end up in the middle of an art heist. The heist may lead them to a long lost drawing by the artist Durer, the artist in which James' family compares his drawings (well Marvin's drawings). Can the two friends pull off their own drawing conspiracy while aiding in the pursuit of an art thief and solve the mystery?

Audience: Ages 10 and up

Comments: I guess I just like stories with a bug as a main character. In this fast-paced mystery the beetle befriends a human and together they accomplish much in this likable book. Don't worry, James has to come with turns with taking credit for work he has not created. The illustrations compliment and add dimension to the story; they are reminiscent of the artwork created by Marvin. Give this one to readers seeking a good book this summer.

You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?! by Jonah Winter

You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?! by Jonah Winter. 2009.

Audience: 2nd - 6th Grade; 5 and up

My Rating: 5*s of 5

Summary: In this striking picture book biography, an old-timer tells us what made Sandy Koufax so amazing. We learn that the beginning of his career with the Brooklyn Dodgers was rocky, that he was shy with his teammates, and experienced discrimination as one of the only Jews in the game. Accompanied by sidebars filled with statistics, here’s a book sure to delight budding baseball fans.

Comments: Wow! The fantastic cover (come on, who can resist a hologram of Koufax actually throwing a fastball?) pulled me into this extraordinary biography about a left-handed pitcher I had never heard of and will now never forget. The book reads like a casual and personal narrative told by one of Koufax's teammates, which allows for a perfect marriage of what Koufax did and who he was. The "stat box" style call outs throughout offer amazing info that enhances the experience. Illustrations--wow--couldn't be better. All the elements of this book come together to make something that is way more than a biography--a home run of a book!

Awards: Soon to come, I'm sure!

Read-alikes: Frida; Roberto Clemente; Fair Ball!; Muhammad Ali ; Dizzy (all by Winter); We Are the Ship by Nelson.

The Graveyard Book (audio)

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. 2008.
Audience: 5th or 6th Grade and up; 10 and up
My Rating: 3.5*s of 5
Summary: The orphan Bod, short for Nobody, is taken in by the inhabitants of a graveyard as a child of eighteen months and raised lovingly and carefully to the age of eighteen years by the community of ghosts and otherworldly creatures.

Comments: I first picked up this book right after it's release in Sept. of 2008 being a big Gaiman fan and eager to read his newest. About the time I got to the ghoul scene, I lost interest and put it down. Now, since Gaiman himself narrates, I made it through the entire audio book much more easily (though I still found the ghoul scene boring and somewhat pointless). This is not my favorite of his books (I much preferred Anansi Boys) and is often too reminiscent of Coraline. However, it carries Gaiman's usual charming voice; the "Dance the Macabre" chapter is enchantingly well written. The beginning is quite scary, especially in print with the dark illustrations. The setting and characters are certainly original for a younger, coming of age story and I appreciate the overall message of the value of life as well as the cost of living in fear.
Awards: Newbery Medal winner, 2009!
Read-alikes: Coraline

Mogo, The Third Warthog by Donna Jo Napoli

It's time for Mogo, a warthog and his two brothers to go out into the world and find a house of their own. Sound familiar? This time the folk tale takes place in the savanna with three warthogs, Mathani and Kebiro and Mogo who have been pushed out by their mother to make room for new piglets set to arrive soon. Mogo, the runt and is brothers who taunt and tease him soon find out that their world centers around mere survival. His brothers don't always want to take his advice but it is his quick yet cautious thinking that keeps him alive. The big bad wolf comes in the form of wild dogs, cheetahs, and lions. Mogo must also deal with his mother not wanting him around anymore, loneliness and being afraid much of the time. To make life more bearable, Mogo befriends a baboon and giraffes as he strives to overcome each conundrum (his favorite word). The reader can learn a great deal about the animals as the story is laden with facts about the animals of the savanna.

Audience: 3-6th graders

Comments: This story was like an episode of Animal Kingdom with The Three Little Pigs folk tale thrown in to make it a story. The verdict is still not in as to whether the facts overshadow the story. Children who won't mind a fact heavy story that does not forgo the harsh realities of living in the savanna will like this book.

The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein

There is a flashing red light at the intersection of County Route 13 which crosses Connecticut State Highway 31. And at one corner stands a gigantic oak tree. Years ago a tragic accident killing 41 people occurred involving a greyhound bus, a police officer, and a speeding Thunderbird. The Thunderbird crashed into the oak and for years it has harbored the spirit of Clint Eberhaut. When lightning strikes and splits the tree, it releases Clint's evil spirit. He begins to go about town taking care of some unfinished business. Zach, age 11, is part of that business as Clint plans to kill him because Zach's grandfather the sheriff at the time accidentally killed his son. Zach, his father, and stepmother Judy move into a new house in which the oak can be seen from their backyard. As Zach and family encounter people and ghosts in the town and at the crossroads, we learn how their lives are all intertwined in the mystery behind the tragic accident. Short chapters with lots of action and an interesting friendship with a neighbor boy named Davy help move this ghostly story along.

Ages: 11 and up

Comments: At first I had trouble keeping the characters straight as far as their relation to each other and whether or not they were a ghost. This ghost story is somewhat dark with adult situations. Recommend this one to older juniors and teens.

BONECHILLER by graham mcnamee

Summary: Danny and his father constantly move to escape the pain and loss after the death of a mother and wife. His father takes a job managing cottages in a marina in a small remote town Harvest Cove in Ontario, Canada. When the coldest of winters settle in there, a centuries old nightmare, a ravenous roaming monster comes alive. It taunts its chosen prey until it sucks out their spirit and soul. Danny and friend Howie are its latest victims. Once bitten, you become ill, and it is only a matter of time before you succumb and go to the monster. Danny, Howie, Pike (Howie's brother) and Ash (Danny's love interest) join together to destroy the monster.

Comments: I felt the interactions, reactions, and actions of the individualized teen characters were true even in their unrelenting determination to rid the town of the monster. I had no problem believing in the existence of this monster.

I'm glad the author included some Native American folklore. The stories about Windigos told by Ash's father adds more chill, mystery, and depth to the monster.

Danny has another monster, another nightmare that he must face. He has to come to grips with the death of his mother from a brain tumor. This story hit close to home for me as my mother died from the aftermath of a brain tumor. I got a little teary-eyed at times reading this book. It is nice to see his father heal a bit too.

I will definitely recommend this to horror fans. It is fast-paced, with short chapters, and lots of intense action.

Audience: I would say older teens. SLJ says grades 9 and up.