Swim the Fly / Beat the Band by Calame (Audio)

Swim the Fly / Beat the Band by Don Calame, both read by Nick Podehl.

Audience: Grades 8 and up

My Rating: 4* of 5

Summary: True ode(s) to the adolescent male, in this story about three teenage boys with a single goal: to see a real-live naked girl by the end of summer (Swim). Matt, Coop, and Sean from "Swim the Fly" return to rock their sophomore year. With ribald humor and a few sweet notes, screenwriter-turned-novelist Calame once again hits all the right chords (Beat the Band).

Comments: Hilarious, "American Pie" worthy humor was just the ticket for Friday afternoon traffic! Swim the Fly, with Matt as the narrating voice, has more laughs while Coop's Band is rife with sarcasm and idiotic-teenage-boy-logic. One wonders...will a final book feature Sean?

Read-alikes: Zen and the Art of Faking It by Sonnenblick

The Last Little Blue Envelope (ARC) by Johnson

The Last Little Blue Envelope (ARC) by Johnson due May, 2011 from Harper Teen.
Audience: Grades 7 and up
My Rating: 4* of 5
Summary: A mysterious boy contacts Ginny, saying he found her backpack with the 13 blue envelopes in it. Ginny heads to London and embarks on a new adventure, filled with old friends, new loves, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
Comments: Thank you, Jennie, for bringing this from ALA Midwinter. MauJo's nearly flawless galley starts with a much-needed recap of the previous book (2005 was a while ago!) and then quickly reinserts Ginny into another London adventure. More poignant than the playful prequel, we get a closer look at Ginny's relationships with aunt Peg, (uncle) Richard, Keith, and new mystery man Oliver. While all concludes satisfactorily, MauJo still leaves enough loose threads should she decide to revisit Ginny in another 6 years!
Read-alikes: 13 Little Blue Envelopes and other titles by Johnson

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

Bruiser by Neal Shusterman

Bruiser by Neal Shusterman, 2010.

Audience: Grades 7-12

My Rating: 5* of 5

Summary: Bronte: There's a reason why Brewster can't have friends—why he can't care about too many people. Because when he cares about you, things start to happen. Impossible things that can't be explained. I know, because they're happening to me.
Comments: While Unwind may have some of Shusterman's best writing, Bruiser is his best novel to date. Multiple voices are written masterfully, the suspense sets in quickly and does not relent, characters are interesting and worth following...in short, everything works and works very well. All told, Shusterman uses a super-human character to show the best, worst, and always flawed faces of humanity.

Awards: 2011 Lone Star list

Read-alikes: If I Stay by Foreman, Unwind by Shusterman, Hero by Moore

Reckless by Cornelia Funke

Reckless by Cornelia Funke, 2010.
Audience: Grades 5-8
My Rating: 4.5* of 5
Summary: Jacob and Will Reckless have looked out for each other ever since their father disappeared, but when Jacob discovers a magical mirror that transports him to a warring world populated by witches, giants, and ogres, he keeps it to himself until Will follows him one day, with dire consequences.

Comments: I reluctantly picked this one up as I have read a few Funke titles and didn't love them. Reckless, however, is a different story. The allure of the magic mirror as a portal to the dark underbelly of Grimm's fairy tale world quickly drew me in. The relationships are surprisingly grown up and realistically reflect the complications of romance, family, and loyalty (though nothing is inappropriate for middle/high school readers). What's missing from Reckless is the dense, over told story (a la Inkheart) that has always turned me off of Funke. Instead, there is a tantalizing sense of negative space left to the reader's imagining and future Reckless adventures to fill.

Read-alikes: The Grimm Legacy

Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner

Museum of Thieves (The Keepers Trilogy, book 1) by Lian Tanner, 2010.

Audience: Grades 4-7

My Rating: 4* of 5

Summary: Goldie Roth, an impulsive and bold twelve-year-old, escapes the oppressive city of Jewel, where children are required to wear guardchains for their protection, and finds refuge in the extraordinary Museum of Dunt, an ever-shifting world where she discovers a useful talent for thievery and mysterious secrets that threaten her city and everyone she loves.

Comments: I'll admit it was the cover art that pulled me into this book. It was slow to hook me, but finally did once Goldie arrived at the Museum. Interesting concept, characters, creatures (loved Broo the dog!), and conflicts that can be abstractly connected to events in our own recent history. Henson productions could nail this story on film!

Read-alikes: City of Lies by Tanner (book 2 in this series, due out Sept 2011), City of Ember, Alice in Wonderland, Books of Elsewhere, Coraline.

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan, 2010.
Audience: Grades 8 & up
My Rating: 4.99999* of 5
Summary: Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy?
Comments: The Nick & Norah magic is back! Plus Christmas in NYC as a feel-good bonus backdrop! Would have been perfect if not for a Cohn chapter that was unpleasantly and obviously more Norah than Lily. Lexiphile Dash is on the verge as unbelievable as a teen unless you were one or knew one yourself.
Read-alikes: Nick & Norah's infinite playlist, Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List, Will Grayson, Will Grayson by Green/Levithan