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.
 

Time Warp!

After a long hiatus, I'm back to the reading world!

LOTS to catch up on :)

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.

Almost Home by Joan Bauer

Almost Home by Joan Bauer.
Audience: Grades 5-8

My Rating: 5* of 5

Summary: Sixth-grader Sugar and her mother lose their beloved house and experience the harsh world of homelessness.
Comments: When I finished "awwwwing" the cover, I decided I would never read this book. As a person sensitive to bad things happening to animals, I steer well clear of books like this. Buuuut...I cracked it open and accidentally fell in. This story about newly homeless Sugar and her puppy, Shush, is like a perfect glass of iced tea--sweet (but not saccharine), strong, and everything that feels right about the South. Spoiler to ease the minds of sensitive readers like me: Shush's abuse by a previous owner is briefly mentioned, but from then on he is safe and nothing but loved. His elderly dog friend does pass of old age during the story, but he lived a good life and was loved till the end.
Read-alikes: Each Little Bird that Sings by Deborah Wiles; Ida B. by Katherine Hanningan
Awards: Texas Lone Star list 2013

Every Day by Levithan

Every Day by David Levithan (audio, read by Alex McKenna)

Audience: Grades 8 & up

My Rating: 3.5* of 5

Summary: Every day 16 year old A wakes up in a new body. When A wakes up as Justin and falls for his girlfriend, Rhiannon, everything changes. But how can you love someone when you are in a new life every morning?
Comments: I enjoyed this book’s interesting premise and the difficult questions it makes the reader consider.

Charley's First Night by Amy Hest (Ill. by Helen Oxenbury)

Audience: Preschool & up (and any dog lover!)

My Rating: 5* of 5

Summary: A little boy spending his first night with his new puppy promises to be responsible, but then decides to change the whimpering puppy's sleeping place.
Comments: Sweet, warm and baked to perfection.
 

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs.
Audience: Grades 7 and up

My Rating: 5* of 5

Summary: Witnessing the horrific death of his adored Grandfather sets sixteen-year-old Jacob to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and the reality of his Grandfather's once unbelievable tales.
Comments: An interesting, exciting, often chilling story of unlikely superheroes known here as "peculiars." A compelling protagonist takes us through fun twists, peppered with many effective holocaust metaphors, and the supernatural elements are easy to swallow. Found vintage photographs throughout the book are often creepier than the writing.
Read-alikes: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness; Bruiser by Neal Shusterman

Bluebonnet List quick post

I've been reading a bunch of the 2012-2013 Bluebonnet list nominee novels and thought I'd put a bunch in one post.

Benjamin Franklinstein Lives: Fun, intelligent sci-fi read for 4th graders into science. 3*s

Wild Times at the Bed and Biscuit (actually from 2011-2012 list): Cute, funny "talking animal" books for 3rd graders, younger as a read-aloud. On par with Babe stories and characters. 4*s

Misty Gordon and the Ghost Pirates: A plodding mystical "adventure" in which the titular pirates don't arrive until the final chapters. Give to readers who liked The Books of Elsewhere from last year's list. 2*s

Wonderstruck: Another solid illustrated novel from Selznick, though without some of the Hugo charm and novelty. Quite a moving ending that I wonder how young readers can relate to. 3*s

Play, Louis, Play: Delightfully written, snappy read. A slightly weak ending, though, that does not do the rest of the book justice. 4*s

Aliens on Vacation (listened): An entertaining alien summer adventure. More young romance than I've read on the BBonnet list before! 3*s

Hero by Mike Lupica

Hero by Mike Lupica.
Audience: Grades 6 and up

My Rating: 5* of 5

Summary: Fourteen-year-old Zach learns he has the same special abilities as his father, who was the president's globe-trotting troubleshooter until "the Bads" killed him, and now Zach must decide whether to use his powers in the same way at the risk of his own life.

Comments: Excellent origin story that leaves you eager for the next adventure! Even out of his sports element, Lupica still writes with a perfect blend of plot and character that propells you through the story [faster than a speeding bullet...sorry, can't resist].
Awards: Texas Bluebonnet list 2012-2013
Read-alikes: Hero by Perry Moore (Moore's is for a reader who can handle LGBT lit)

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)

Middle School, the Worst Years of My Life by Patterson (Audio)

Middle School, the Worst Years of My Life by Patterson (Audio)

Audience: Grades 5-7
My Rating: 1* of 5

Summary: When Rafe enters middle school, he teams up with his best friend, "Leo the Silent," to create a game to make school more fun by trying to break every rule in the school's code of conduct.
Comments: Middle School, the worst book about it! Patterson seemed intent on grabbing a piece of the Wimpy Kid pie, but forgot a crucial ingredient to its recipe for success: humor. Unlike Greg Heffley, Rafe is neither sympathetic nor entertaining in his escapades. Plot turns are predictable and characters are as 2-D as the illustrations throughout. In the end, I was too indifferent and annoyed to find anything poignant. Probably a great read for middle school boys--but I missed the point entirely.
Read-alikes: Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Kinney, You by Benoit

The Thingamabob by Il Sung Na (picture book)

The Thingamabob by Il Sung Na.

Audience: Preschool & up
My Rating: 5* of 5

Summary: One day, he found the thingamabob. He had no idea what it was or where it came from. . . . So begins the story of a curious elephant and a mysterious red object. But what is it?!
Comments: A delight on every page! A perfect marriage of outstanding story and art, somehow easily being both adorable and hilarious simultaneously.
Awards: I'd give it the Caldecott if I could!
Read-alikes: Book of Sleep by Na

Ship Breaker by Bacigalupi (audio)

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi. Narrated by Joshua Swanson.

Audience: 12 and up
My Rating: 3* of 5

Summary: In America's Gulf Coast region, where grounded oil tankers are being broken down for parts, Nailer, a teenage boy, works the light crew, scavenging for copper wiring just to make quota--and hopefully live to see another day. But when he discovers an exquisite clipper ship beached during a recent hurricane, Nailer faces the most important decision of his life: Strip the ship for all it's worth or rescue its lone survivor, a beautiful and wealthy girl who could lead him to a better life.
Comments: In a nutshell: I prefer Hunger Games. Swanson's accents were ethnically confusing--I wonder if this was conscious choice or his lack of dialect prowess? While the first third of the story compelled me, the author's storytelling rhythm eventually bored me, as did his repetitive phrases: "blossomed with pain," etc. Richard Lopez: now there's a fascinating, utterly repulsive villain the likes of which I have not read in a while!
Awards: Printz award, National Book Award finalist
Read-alikes: Hunger Games by Collins

Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge

Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge.

Audience: 7th grade and up

My Rating: 4.5* of 5

Summary: Paige Turner has just moved to New York with her family, and she's having some trouble adjusting to the big city. In the pages of her sketchbook, she tries to make sense of her new life, including trying out her secret identity: artist. As she makes friends and starts to explore the city, she slowly brings her secret identity out into the open, a process that is equal parts terrifying and rewarding. Laura Lee Gulledge crafts stories and panels with images that are thought-provoking, funny, and emotionally resonant. Teens struggling to find their place can see themselves in Paige's honest, heartfelt story.
Comments: Picked this up on a whim and was wowed by the Agents of Whimsy! A quintessential representation of the teen, self-absorbed, but working through the process (in this case artistic) of self-awareness and expression. Artwork is outstanding--conveying as much if not more than text--ranging from funny to profound. My only complaint was that the slight conflict between Paige and her friend Jules never really seemed resolved.

Turtle in Paradise (audio)

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer Holm. Narrated by Becca Battoe.

Audience: 3rd-5th grade

My Rating: 2.5* of 5

Summary: Life isn't like the movies, and eleven-year-old Turtle is no Shirley Temple. She's smart and tough and has seen enough of the world not to expect a Hollywood ending. After all, it's 1935, and jobs and money and sometimes even dreams are scarce. So when Turtle's mama gets a job housekeeping for a lady who doesn't like kids, Turtle says goodbye without a tear and heads off to Key West, Florida, to stay with relatives she's never met.

Comments: Whether it was Battoe's reading, Holm's writing, or both this story never grabbed my attention nor held it captive. While I appreciate the slice of Key West life, it did not feel like a well crafted story to me, making the final plot twists seem out of place. The "Diaper Gang," who only watch "bad babies cuz there ain't no such thing as good babies" was the highlight throughout.
Awards: Bluebonnet list 2011-2012

How to Rock Braces and Glasses (galley)

How to Rock Braces and Glasses by Meg Haston (galley). Poppy; Oct., 2011.

Audience: 5th-6th grade

My Rating: 3* of 5

Summary: Uber-harsh, and uber-stylish Kacey Simon is the undisputed social dictator of Marquette Middle School. That is, until an eye infection and a visit to the dentist leave her with coke-bottle glasses, a mouth full of metal, and...a littttthsp! Dissed and dismissed by her popular friends, Kacey is forced to hang out with a boy who wears skinny jeans and jams in his own band. Could rocking braces and glasses be the best thing to ever happen to her?

Comments: Kacey begins the book as an unlikable character of Massie proportions! So much so that I almost put the galley down for good. But after a few chapters, and the entrance of intriguing rocker, Skinny Jeans. It takes most of the book for Kacey to finally do the right thing and the romance thread is left a bit unresolved...perhaps for a sequel. All told, a fun and surprisingly unpredictable ride.
Read-Alikes: Clique series

Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman

Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman. Harper Children's Audio, 2009.
Audience: 3rd-6th grade
My Rating: 4* of 5
Summary: In a village in ancient Norway lives a boy named Odd, and he's had some very bad luck: His father perished in a Viking expedition; a tree fell on and shattered his leg; the endless freezing winter is making villagers dangerously grumpy. Out in the forest Odd encounters a bear, a fox, and an eagle--three creatures with a strange story to tell.
Comments: A brief, pleasant tale from master storyteller Gaiman. Humor is subtle, fantasy elements are seamless, and Thor as a hulking bear is irresistible.
Read-Alikes: Coraline by Gaiman, How to Train your Dragon series by Cowell

The Fast and the Furriest by Behrens

The Fast and the Furriest by Andy Behrens, 2010.
Audience: 3rd-6th grade
My Rating: 4* of 5
Summary: Meet Kevin Pugh, 12-year-old couch potato. Now meet Cromwell, his part beagle, part potato chip dog. Kevin's looking forward to spending his summer doing as little as possible. Unfortunately, Kevin's father, former Chicago Bears star player/super-sports fanatic, Howie Pugh, feels differently. So does Cromwell, who has suddenly and mysteriously developed a fascination with agility competitions.
Comments: Fast, furry, fun! A quick, delightful read with lots of laughs. Perfect for dog lovers from 6-60 who are sick of dead-dog books.
Read-Alikes: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, No More Dead Dogs

The Books of Elsewhere: The Shadows (audio)

The Books of Elsewhere: The Shadows (book 1) by Jacqueline West. Penguin Audio, 2010. Read by Lexie Friedel.
Audience: 3rd-5th grade

My Rating: 2.5* of 5
Summary: When eleven-year-old Olive moves into the crumbling old mansion on Linden Street, she's right to think there's something weird about the place, especially the walls covered in creepy antique paintings. But when she finds a pair of old-fashioned glasses in a dusty drawer, she discovers she can travel inside these paintings to Elsewhere, a world that's eerily sinister.
Comments: Well voiced by pip-squeakish Friedel. Sluggish and uneven for me, but with some original fantasy concepts that worked well. The painting element allows for wonderful imagery that is easily visualized by the listener. I didn't connect with the protagonist, Olive, nor her relationship with Morton, the foil character. However, the guardians of the house--three outlandish cats--provided much needed levity. The ending is handled in exciting fashion, though we were not left on much of a cliff to propel listeners into a second book.

Read-Alikes: Blubonnet list, 2011-2012
Read-Alikes: Coraline by Gaiman

Emerald Atlas (galley)

Emerald Atlas (galley) by John Stephens pub April, 2011 from Knopf.
Audience: 5th-7th grade
My Rating: 3* of 5
Summary: Kate, Michael, and Emma have been in one orphanage after another for the last ten years, passed along like lost baggage. Yet these unwanted children are more remarkable than they could possibly imagine. Ripped from their parents as babies, they are being protected from a horrible evil of devastating power, an evil they know nothing about.
Comments: Thank you, Cindy B., for loaning this ARC of Stephens' debut novel. Pacing was off for me and several aspects seemed too Harry Potter-ish to be original. Some compelling characters, though, in Dwarf, Witch, and Gollum-esqe categories. The climax was confusing and relied upon the reader remembering a detail from much earlier in the book; in general the time-travel "rules" were fuzzy to the point of disbelief. The late appearance of the true antagonist (very a la Voldemort) showed promise for the next two installments.
Read-Alikes: Harry Potter series, Series of Unfortunate Events