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

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.

Seth Baumgartner's Love Manifesto (audio)

Seth Baumgartner's Love Manifesto by Eric Luper, read by Nick Podehl
Audience: Grades 8 and up
My Rating: 4* of 5
Summary: Seth's girlfriend breaks up with him at Applebee's. But wait, there's more. While Seth's girlfriend is breaking up with him at Applebee's, they see Seth's dad veeeeery cozy a few booths over with a woman who is not Seth's mom. Oh, and this Applebee's double whammy makes Seth late for his job at Belgian Fries in the mall so he gets fired. Sound like the start of a great summer?
Comments: A clever, funny, sometimes sweet boy-logic-applied-to-love book. Seth is just dopey enough to still be likable. Plot threads are all sorted well without being cheesy. Some colorful characters add to the charm.
Read-alikes: Swim the Fly / Beat the Band by Don Calame, both read by Nick Podehl; John Green books.

Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke

Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke, 2010.

Audience: Grades 4 and up

My Rating: 5* of 5

Summary: When young Zita discovers a device that opens a portal to another place, and her best friend is abducted, she is compelled to set out on a strange journey from star to star in order to get back home.

Comments: A quick, compelling story with a spunky heroine and clever, likable characters. Fantastic artwork that is both intriguing and accessible. Hatke had me on page 15 when a clump of grass character announced chapter 2. Not as detailed as Amulet, but just as good!

Read-alikes: Amulet series by Kibuishi

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