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

Umbrella Summer by Lisa Graff

Umbrella Summer by Lisa Graff. 2009.

Audience: Grades 4th-6th. Ages 8-12.
My Rating: 3*s of 5

Summary: After her brother Jared dies, ten-year-old Annie worries about the hidden dangers of everything, from bug bites to bicycle riding, until she is befriended by a new neighbor who is grieving her own loss.

Comments: A light touch on a heavy subject. While I found it difficult to connect with Annie for the first half of the story, the last few chapters made the read worthwhile. One can only hope there is a Mrs. Finch out there for every grieving young person.

Awards: Bluebonnet List 2010-2011.

Read-alikes: Olive's Ocean by Henkes, Leo and the Lesser Lion by Forrester, Love Aubrey by LaFleur.

If the Witness Lied by Caroline B. Cooney

(This book has been nominated for Tayshas. I wrote something about it for a book discussion we had this morning, and thought I'd repost it on the web, per the suggestion from my coworker Larissa.)

Jack, Smithy, and Madison once had two parents. Then their mom became pregnant and was diagnosed with cancer. She chose to have the baby and forego chemo, which ultimately brought about her death (after she gave birth to the healthy baby, Tris). The father struggles to take care of the four kids alone, and is initially grateful when his sister-in-law offers to move in with them and help take care of the family. Then a freak accident happens – toddler Tris manages to shift the family’s car out of park and run over the dad, killing him. With the dad gone, the aunt takes over running the family, and creates changes in the house, slowly getting rid of any evidence of life before her arrival. After the dad's death, Madison moves in with her godparents and Smithy goes away to boarding school. Jack is left at home, needing to protect his brother Tris. When the aunt decides to bring the media into their home to broadcast the life of Tris, Jack knows that he must keep his brother out of the spotlight and away from the scheming aunt. Smithy becomes suspicious of the details of her dad’s death, because the only witness to the accident was her aunt, who seems to be intent on breaking the family apart.


Thoughts (may contain spoilers!):
Another good book by Caroline Cooney, a mystery/suspense master. What's up with the cover that has nothing to do with the storyline? Once I got started reading, I didn't want to put it down. The teens are smart and resourceful. The ending might work out a bit too easily, but I enjoyed the ride getting there. It's interesting that the two girls return home on literally the same day, both compelled to fix their family. Does that imply that they were being led by supernatural forces (the spirits of their parents wanting justice), or was their motivation the effect of experiencing the anniversary of their dad's death and the need to be near family? Perhaps the timely return of the sisters was a bit unrealistic, but overall I think this is an interesting read. For teens, grades 8 and up.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. 2009.
Audience: Grades 8+; ages 13+
My Rating: 5*s of 5
Summary: “Dead girl walking,” the boys say in the halls. “Tell us your secret,” the girls whisper, one toilet to another. I am that girl. I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through. I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame.
Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the skinniest. But what comes after size zero and size double-zero? When Cassie succumbs to the demons within, Lia feels she is being haunted by her friend’s restless spirit.
Comments: Wintergirls is as close to perfect as a book can come. The hook is immediately gripping, pacing is just right, Lia is frustrating and fascinating, and Cassie is mesmerizing. Some passages made me shiver, some made me physically revolted, they all made me want to read more. The new devices Anderson includes (strikeout type, font changes, numbering the 33 times Cassie called, punctuation play) all combine deftly and perfectly to tell this story. Perhaps most importantly, the message of the book is that eating disorders require a hard look at the brain, not just the body. If Wintergirls is not a Printz or other big award winner, I will be sorely disappointed at the oversight.
Awards: better be!
Read-alikes: Speak by Anderson