The Book Thief

Title: The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak
Pages: 576
Language: PG-13
Content: PG-13 (Death Themes)
Level: Middle School/High School
Recommendation: Must Read

Summary: It's just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quiet a lot of thievery...


Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak's groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich.  Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can't resist--books.  With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.  


This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

Review:  This book is one of those books that everyone in existence should read.  The insight into the innocent German mentally during WWII was very refreshing.  Liesel Meminger is one character that will stick with you for a very long time.  The novel is written through Death's point of view and therefore would not be suitable for a younger reader.  The character also use the occasional profanities.  These complex themes would be fantastic for discussion in any type of group or classroom setting.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Title: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Author: Sherman Alexie
Pages: 230
Language: PG-13
Content: PG-13 (racial slurs and sexual content)
Level: High School
Recommendation: Must Read

Summary: Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation.  Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot.  Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he thought he was destined to live.

Review:  This book is a great insight into one man's experience growing up in modern day Washington on a reservation.  The book is filled with discussion of the underlying racism between Caucasians and Indians in and around two small towns in Washington.  The point of view is that of a typical teenage boy.  I laughed out loud several times while reading this novel.  The language and reference to sexual material fits this stereotypical point of view as well.  I would not recommend this novel to anyone who cannot handle strong language and/or heavy themes.  

Chronal Engine

Title: Chronal Engine
Author: Greg Leitich Smith
Pages: 192
Language: G
Content: G (complex themes)
Level: Middle/High School
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary: When Max, Kyle, and Emma are sent to live with their reclusive grandfather, they think he's crazy, especially when he tells them about his time machine.  But after Emma is kidnapped at the exact time that her grandfather predicted, Max and Kyle are forced to believe his eccentric stories--even the one about the Chronal Engine in the basement.


Now, to save Emma, Max, Kyle, and their new friend Petra must pile into a VW Bug, and use the Chronal Engine to take the road trip of a lifetime--right back to the Cretaceous period.  With dangers all around, the teens find themselves dodging car-crushing herbivores in addition to the terrifying T. Rex.  In this ancient environment, can three contemporary teens hunt down a kidnapper, forage for food, and survive long enough to return home?

Review:  This book has a very basic plot, simple characters, and unique interest levels.  However, it does have a LOT of scientific lingo regarding the study of dinosaurs which can be a pro and a con.  I would recommend this novel for a young reader who loves the idea of time travel and/or dinosaurs.   As a bonus feature for the young reader, this novel also includes anime-like pictures every few pages.  It helps any reader visualize the characters and situations.

The Obsidian Blade

Title: The Obsidian Blade
Author: Pete Hautman
Pages: 320
Language: G
Content: PG (complex themes)
Level: Middle/High School
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary: The first time Tucker saw the disk, his father disappeared into thin air.  The Reverend Adrian Feye had climbed onto the roof to fix a loose shingle -- and suddenly he was gone.  An hour later, the Reverend came walking up the road, tattered and sunburned, bringing with him an unspeaking, yellow-haired, dark-eyed girl.  He refused to say where he had been, instead declaring that there would be no more prayer in the Feye house: He had lost his faith.


Now Tucker's family is unraveling.  The Reverend spends hours brooding in his study.  Tucker's once warmhearted and loving mother withdraws from the world, claiming she doesn't care to be watched by ghosts.  And, above them, the unearthly disk comes and goes.


Then, one day, both of Tucker's parents vanish.


From the distant past to an even more distant and terrifying future, Tucker desperately searches for his parents -- and discovers the astonishing secrets of the Klaatu diskos.


Review: This book is very innovative as far as the plot line is concerned.  Pete Hautman's novels always reflect his innovative imagination.  However interesting the plot is, the lack of character development detracts from it.  I found Tucker, the main character, to be somewhat flat, and the secondary characters are not developed as well.  60+ pages into the novel, I was still unsure as to what the book was about besides questioning one's faith and the destruction of a family unit.  Hautman does his best to keep the reader involved, but I am afraid that the average middle school or high school student would get bored before the novel truly takes off.  I would still recommend this novel to any science-fiction lovers or readers who are interested in the idea of a not-so-distant unhappy future.

Rebel Fire

Title: Rebel Fire
Author: Andrew Lane
Pages: 335
Language: G
Content: PG (some violence)
Level: Middle/High School
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary: Fourteen-year-old Sherlock Holmes knows that Amyus Crowe, his mysterious American tutor, has some dark secrets. But he didn’t expect to find John Wilkes Booth, the notorious assassin, apparently alive and well in England—and Crowe somehow mixed up in it. When no one will tell you the truth, sometimes you have to risk all to discover it for yourself. And so begins an adventure that will take Sherlock across the Atlantic, to the center of a deadly web—where a friend is in peril and a defeated army threatens to rise again.Andrew Lane’s exciting second case for the teenage Sherlock leads the young detective to America, straight into the heart of a shocking conspiracy.

Review: A great sequal to a good book. I enjoy Sherlock's character a lot!!! This book is packed full of adventure and mystery, and the guys will love it! Full of old fashioned adventure!!!!

The Final Four

Title: The Final Four
Author: Paul Volponi
Pages: 244
Content: PG
Language: PG13-ish
Swears: 20+
Level: High School
Recommendation: Optional

Summary:Four players with one thing in common: the will to winMalcolm wants to get to the NBA ASAP. Roko wants to be the pride of his native Croatia. Crispin wants the girl of his dreams. M.J. just wants a chance.March Madness is in full swing, and there are only four teams left in the NCAA basketball championship. The heavily favored Michigan Spartans and the underdog Troy Trojans meet in the first game in the semifinals, and it's there that the fates of Malcolm, Roko, Crispin, and M.J. intertwine. As the last moments tick down on the game clock, you'll learn how each player went from being a kid who loved to shoot hoops to a powerful force in one of the most important games of the year. Which team will leave the Superdome victorious? In the end it will come down to which players have the most skill, the most drive, and the most heart.

Review: Told through alternating views, this book dives into the heart of March Madness . ..with a glimpse of the competitiveness, heart, and soul that the players must deal with. For those who enjoy sports and want an inside glimpse, the book is great. There isn't a lot of character developement, and I would have liked to see more of what made the characters tick.

Nine's Legacy (Novella)

 

Title: I Am Number Four: The Lost Files, Nine's Legacy

Author: Pittacus Lore
Pages: 96
Language: PG
Maturity: PG13 (Violent)
Recommendation: Definitely

Level: Middle School/High School

Summary: In this novella, Number Nine is introduced and his background comes into perspective. Number Nine and his Cepan live a luxurious life in a Chicago penthouse where they spend their days training to defeat the Mogadorians. But when a mysterious girl enters Nine's life everything gets turned around.

Review: I wasn't sure if I wanted to get into Nine's head. I loved his mysteriousness when he was released in The Power of Six and was apprehensive to see how he became so "kick-butt". Reading this novella turned out to be the right decision. The growth of Nine from the beginning to the end is amazing and seeing how he became the strong character that we get a glimpse of in The Power of Six really whets your appetite for the third installment in the Lorien Legacies.