Lower Middle Grade Pick: If This Were a Story

If This Were a Story
by Beth Turley
Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
2018
256 pages
ISBN: 9781534420618

This sweet and soaring debut by Beth Turley introduces readers to nine-year old Hannah. Hannah is in fifth grade. She wishes her parents would stop their fighting. When they fight, she turns to her stuffed elephant, Ambrose. One night, Ambrose comes to life and has a conversation with Hannah. He tells her that he'll always be there for her as long as she needs him.

Bullies at school are bothering Hannah. Someone even wrote a note and left it where she'd find it. It said: Nobody likes Hannah. Her teacher demands to see the note and warns the class they will be punished for their behavior. Hannah is sent to her counselor for a "talk." Hannah parents are called and they pull together to help Hannah  feel better. Hannah is happy to see her parents stop their fighting. 

Hannah's best friend Courtney seems to be distancing herself from Hannah. There is trouble on all fronts, so  Hannah puts her energy into  practicing for the spelling bee. An avid speller and lover of vocabulary words, Hannah is in her element when learning new words and using them. She daydreams frequently and is creative and imaginative. She imagines how scenes would turn out, "if this were a story," but then she counters by saying, "...but this is real life, so..." Ambrose the elephant  becomes her constant source of comfort as things spiral down. Hannah can't wait until she meets upper grade pen pal Ashley, but when she does, Ashley isn't as "cool" or fun as Hannah had envisioned. 

Readers will be surprised by the twist in the ending which will  lead to spirited classroom discussions about bullying and its effect on everyone involved.

Not to be missed for its timely topic and masterful storytelling, If This Were a Story is likely to earn many state awards. Can you say Texas Bluebonnet? You heard it here first.

Highly recommended grade 3-6.  Bullying.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Middle Grades Pick: The Skeleton Tree

Review by Guest Reviewer Lisa Lopez, Library Media Specialist, Lujan-Chavez Elementary in El Paso, Texas. Follow Lisa on Twitter @ LLopez_LCES

The Skeleton Tree
by Kim Ventrella
Scholastic Press
2017
240 pages
ISBN: 9781338042702

 Lisa Lopez reviewing:

The Skeleton Tree is a middle grades book perfect for reluctant readers by debut author Kim Ventrella. Chapters are short making it an excellent choice for reading clubs and classroom reads.

Stanly is dealing with a ton of problems: his parents are recently divorced, his mother works too much,  and his younger sister has a terminal illness. There is comic relief in interactions with their caregiver who is from Kyrgyzstan.

At one of his sister's many doctor appointments, Stanly reads about The Young Discoverer's Prize. He is excited because he thinks he can win with a photo of a weird growth on the tree in his back yard. It appears that the tree is growing bones! Stanly can save his whole family. With the prize money in hand, his archeologist dad will come back home and Mom won't have to work too many jobs. His sister will get more attention and the caregiver from Kyrgyzstan won't have to visit again.

When Stanly's best friend Jaxon takes of photo of the tree, the kids can't believe the bone aren't visible. No one can see the skeleton but kids, and they can't see it in photos. Just what is happening to the tree and why?

Ventrella mixes pre-teen angst, real-life drama, mystery and the supernatural in The Skeleton Tree. This is an angel-of death spin done well for middle grades.

Recommended grades 3-7.This book is available on Scholastic Book Fairs.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review nor did guest reviewer Lisa Lopez.

Romantic Travel Pick: Two Summers

Two Summers
by Aimee Friedman
Point
2016
368 pages
ISBN: 9780545520072

Sweet, upbeat (for the most part), fun, and entertaining, Two Summers will find its audience who long for a quick beach read. A fresh take on a parallel stories book. Summer Everett is excited to be going to France for the summer to see her absentee, somewhat famous painter father. He skipped out on Summer and her mother after being noticed by the art world. Summer's mother is less than optimistic to see her only child visit her father. Summer has conflicting emotions of whether she should stay home and watch while her  best friend Ruby falls in love or should she go into uncharted territory and visit her dream country France?  What if her mother is right? What if her father is less than thrilled to see her?

She opts for France. On the airline ramp, Summer's phone rings. It's nearly dead and she decides not to answer it. This one decision is the turning point of the book. It is the ring of an unanswered phone that seals the fate; it is the kismet that changes the outcome of each story. One story tells the story of Summer landing in France, finding her father's house, discovering his living situation and his absence (once again!), finding romance, following her mother's footsteps during her college years, seeing the same sights her mother saw, and learning that decisions made early in life have lasting repercussions.

The other story is the story of Summer staying home and seeing how a possible crush will play out. Either way, Summer will have to go through changes and make decisions. Family secrets are reveled that will change Summer forever.

A light, quick read for those long, hot dog days of summer. YA romance readers will be thrilled.

Highly recommended grade 8-up. Mature situations. Family drama.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

High School Pick: The Great American Whatever

The Great American Whatever
by Tim Federle
Simon & Schuster
2016
274 pages
ISBN: 9781481404099

Reviews:

"The Great American Whatever knocked me out. Tim Federle writes with a rare voice — original, authentic, engaging." (Rob Thomas, author of Rats Saw God and creator of Veronica Mars)

"A raw nerve of a book—so perfectly tender and funny and true. My heart now belongs to The Great American Whatever. Officially. Completely." (Becky Albertalli, author of Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda)

*"Federle’s first foray into YA is an accomplished effort, dramatic and distinguished by carefully developed, appealing characters... whimsical, wry, and unfailingly funny." (Booklist, starred review)

*"A Holden Caulfield for a new generation." (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

"The mix of vulnerability, effervescence, and quick wit in Quinn’s narration will instantly endear him to readers." (Publishers Weekly)

*“Even under the weight of grief, Quinn’s conversational and charming narrative voice effervesces, mixing humor and vulnerability in typical Federle style." (School Library Journal, starred review)

"Recommended for mature teens who want to be inspired." (VOYA)

"Federle’s YA debut takes its place in the lineage of Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower and John Green’s coming-of-age tales." (Horn Book Magazine)

*"What sets this fantastic novel apart is Quinn's brilliantly realized, often hilarious first-person voice, from laugh-out-loud asides to heart-wrenching admissions...Charming and imaginative." (Shelf Awareness, starred review)

“Federle has triumphed. He’s written a moving tale about grief that’s also laugh-out-loud funny.” (The New York Times Book Review)

 

My Review:

 

Laugh out loud, rolling on the floor funny, comic, hysterical, laughter ensues, if I had just drank chocolate milk I would probably shoot it out my nose, side-splitting, slap yo mama funny! Tim Federle is the real deal. He can write comedy if he ever needs a side job, but that's not going to happen anytime soon.

 

The Great American Whatever is the perfect teen angst book of 2016 and Quinn the perfect "every" boy. When Quinn's beloved older sister dies in a horrific (is there any other kind?) car accident, Quinn takes grief and self blame to a whole new level. He stays in his room, not moving, not eating, not bathing, not reading or watching television, not doing anything. For months. His mother tries to rouse him, but with her own failure as both a mother and wife, she is wallowing in self pity herself. The world as they both know it has changed in an instant. Lucky for Quinn, he has a great friend who won't take no for an answer. Geoff literally drags Quinn out the door and to a party.

 

Quinn meets a cute boy and is excited when the boy gives him a note with his phone number on it. Too bad Quinn can't find his cell phone. He has not seen it in months. Since that terrible night when he got his last text from his sister, right before she died. The book is full of grief, but Federle makes grief hysterically funny.

 

Quinn goes on a date with cute boy Amir and gets drunk. The next day, Quinn says, "This is the kind of hangover people write horror movies about, movies that are never funded because they're too graphic....a hangover feels like...a sledgehammer eloped with a swing set and they honeymooned in your head."   

 

Once he is able to tell his story out loud to Amir, Quinn is able to forgive himself and move on. He will always feel a void where his sister/film maker/director used to be, but when he discovers that his dream was not her dream, it is an a-ha moment.  Quinn sees life through the script of a movie. It has been his dream to write and produce films and he now has the chance to go to film school. Another quirk that sets Quinn apart is his love of movies--all types of movies from old black and white, to spaghetti westerns, to horror. He gives teen readers ideas on what movies to be sure and see. Hopefully they will take notice.

 

If Hollywood can get the right writers (Tim Federle, maybe?) The Great American Whatever would be a fantastic teen movie or even a comic sit-com.

 

Highly, highly recommended grade 9-up. Mature situations, profanity.

 

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.   

Booked
by Kwame Alexander
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
2016
314 pages
ISBN: 9780544570986


Following his Newbery Medal winning book  The Crossover, Kwame Alexander returns to the world of sports--this time soccer--where protagonist teen sports star Nick Hall  loves soccer, daydreams in school, and thinks about having a girlfriend. Everything turns upside down  for Nick when his parents tell him they are getting a divorce. Worse still, Nick's mother is taking a job in another city, leaving him alone with his father. Nick's dad pushes him to study and learn new words, saying that he will have to cram for college in order to make something of himself. Nick has other ideas. He hates all this word study and he hates that his dad is always carping on him.

Nick is going to have to make some grown up decisions. If he wants to continue to compete in soccer, his father insists that Nick read and  study. Lucky for Nick he has a best friend who shares his enthusiasm for soccer.

One thing I loved about Booked is the compassionate and COOL librarian who leads Nick to great reads and gives him advice. Kwame Alexander gives a  shout out to YA title Rhyme Schemer, when the Mac (Nick's librarian) gives Nick one last book before he tells him goodbye. Mac won't be returning to Nick's school the following year as he is dating fellow teacher Ms. Hardwick and transferring  to a new school. I loved the relationship between a teen sports fan and his ex-rapper librarian.

I love the clever placement of words on the soccer ball on the front cover and the larger ball on the back cover.

Recommended for sports fans and fans of books in free verse. Grade 6-up.


FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

YA Pick: Me Being Me Is Exacly as Insane as You Being You

Me Being Me Is Exactly as Insane as You  Being You
by Todd Hasak-Lowy
Simon Pulse
2015
646 pages (no kidding!)
ISBN: 978144495739


The girth of this novel will scare away some readers but not if they realize most of the book is written in short, choppy lists. The format is easy to love and easy to read.

Readers will empathize with the main character. Darren's life is messed up! His parents divorce, his older brother goes to college, his best friend moves away, his dad drops a bombshell (he's gay), and later Mom tells him that she's moving across country. No one is acting as they "should," and Darren begins listing everything wrong with everything.

The format works and lets readers see what's bothering Darren through third person point of view as Darren refers to himself in the third person. Emotions leap off the pages through Darren's lists. He feels grief, disappointment, sadness, loneliness, and surprisingly, great compassion.

Through the lists, Darren's voice comes through. He's just a kid who's learning how to fit in. He's a bit overweight and self-conscious, he's seriously crushing on a cute girl, he's not speaking to his dad, he's mad at this mom, and he's disappointed with his brother. All this adds up to the expected overblown teen angst so familiar in YA, but the author does it better. Darren is a character who comes through the pages. Readers will commiserate with him as he navigates through the problems and obstacles with sarcasm and wit.

I thought the novel dragged in several places and easily could have been cut 150 pages or so and still would be a compelling read. A shorter book may have packed a stronger punch. Boys will believe in Darren and girls can study teen boy behavior. It's quite entertaining.

Recommended grade 9-up. This is NOT for middle school. At all. Sex, drugs, rock and roll, profanity. The usual suspects.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Sweet Romance Pick: Frosted Kisses

Frosted Kisses
by Heather Hepler
Point
2015
272 pages
ISBN: 9780545792598

Available October 27, 2015

A sweet surprise just in time for Halloween!

Heather Hepler has done it again! Following the wildly successful and entertaining The Cupcake Queen, Hepler takes readers back to Hog's Hollow, a teensy town where Penny Lane's (her mother loves the Beatles, obviously)  newly divorced mother has opened The Cupcake Queen, the sweetest bakery the town has ever seen. Penny helps at the bakery, spends time with BFF Tally working odd jobs to help the animal shelter buy a new generator and pitches in with boyfriend Marcus to build a  scale model of the solar system to honor  his mother's  memory.

Penny faces hard times: this is the first year her dad won't be around for the holidays. Mean girl Charity is still a pain, but now Penny faces competing for Marcus's time with super model lookalike Esmerelda.  Penny's mom is being secretive about something and Penny plans to find out what is going on.

Penny juggles  work, school, her fractured friendship with Tally, her mother/father divorce issues, Gram's secret, volunteering, raising money and hoping/praying/dreaming that Marcus likes her. And she does it all with aplomb and humor and a few tears.

The girls are in crisis in Frosted Kisses. So many life changes are happening it's hard for Penny to take in. Thank goodness she can always depend on her true friends. Sometimes though, true friends have problems of their own. Penny may have to navigate treacherous waters on her own.

Someone is out to get Penny, leaving her cryptic messages, damaging her property and undermining her relationship with Marcus. Penny needs to get to the bottom of the mystery before something more serious occurs.

My favorite character besides Penny is Tally's "almost boyfriend" Brandon. He has a great sense of humor and always appears just in the nick of time. Readers will fall in love with him, too. Every girl should have a Brandon as a BFF,

Recommended grade 7-up. No language. A couple of sweet kisses.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Adult Book Club Pick: The Fall of Princes

The Fall of Princes
by Robert Goolrick
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
2015
304 pages
ISBN: 9781616204204

Available August 25, 2015

From the first paragraph this sizzling, white-hot novel ignites and its tortured burn doesn't stop until the last embers die out. Our anti-hero, Rooney narrates, "When you strike a match, it burns brighter in the first nanosecond than it will ever burn again. That first incandescence. That instantaneous and brilliant flash. 1980 was the year, and I was the match, and that was the year I struck into blinding flame." I don't think I've ever read a more delicious first paragraph! Goolrick is on fire! (Having read A Reliable Wife and Heading Out to Wonderful, I had high hopes for The Fall of Princes). I was not disappointed. In fact, I am thrilled to have had the chance to read Goolrick's latest scorching tale of blistering woe. The film rights have already been optioned to "Being John Malkovich" producer  Sandy Stern and R.E.M. 's Michael Stipe. I expect this novel to be a huge seller and widely read among book clubs. In my opinion, this is one book that will be talked about for some time.

1980 is the year of free money. Trading on "The Street" can make you millions in seconds. Rooney is at the top of his game and playing for kicks. He scores a dream job at "The Firm"--one of Wall Street's hallowed, manic trading houses where if you're lucky you hope to retire before forty with enough money to jet set. If you're unlucky, you will die, burn out, or go to prison. It's too much for many a young man with his eyes set on blinding success, stunningly beautiful women, outrageous debauchery and off the charts decadence. The 80's were ripe for Wall Street and Wall Street got rich off the headiness of expensive champagne and ever more expensive cocaine.

Rooney is courted while still in college. Firms want the best and brightest. He is wined and dined. His head is spinning until that fateful day one hand of cards decides his life for him. His "interview" is a card game. He knows he's hired when he opens the box given to him by a secretary. It's a pen with the firm's name embossed on it. Rooney says, "Pay attention. You can hear the match strike. You can smell the sulfur...as the train pulls out of the station through the dark tunnels and into the brilliance of the future."

Rooney tells his own cautionary tale of 80's meteoric  success and an even more  terrific, epic nosedive  from grace. From golden boy to nearly homeless and pathetically helpless schmo barely existing in a roach infested apartment with his dreams now mere ashes of a long ago burnt out fire. He never invites the readers to feel sorry for him; Rooney is merely reminiscing on days gone by. Days of wine and roses, of hopeless abandon, drunken antics, coked up nights that somehow turn to day and time to get to the office.

The turbulence of the era, the glitz and glamour, the music of money, the sheer excess sings off the pages of The Fall of Princes and it is a glorious tune. New York's Wall Street has never seemed more exciting, exclusive and elusive than in this magnificent read.

Rooney may have lived a life of excess but he was loved and that makes up for everything. The compassion of strangers comes through in the days of squalor and that hope keeps humans alive.

I will never forget Rooney and I will never forget the storytelling genius who is Robert Goolrick.

Highly, highly recommended for adult readers and book clubs. I was sorry when this book ended. I feel like I will miss Rooney and his foibles.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Thriller Pick: The Dogs

The Dogs
by Allan Stratton
Sourcebooks Fire
2015
240 pages
ISBN: 9781492609384

Available September 1, 2015



When Cameron and his mother move to Wolf Hollow and take up residence in a dilapidated farmhouse, Cam is angry. Move, again? Every time Cameron gets comfortable, his mom is on the run again. She sees shadows everywhere and worries that her ex-husband and Cameron's father will find them. She is fleeing an abusive relationship and trying to stay two steps ahead of her volatile ex. She uses  prepaid phones and  takes odd jobs--sometimes getting paid in cash to hide from Cameron's father.

There's something strange about this old farmhouse far in the countryside. Cameron sees a ghostly vision the first night. A little boy wearing a coonskin cap stands by the barn. Soon Cameron learns  about the man who once owned the place. Gossips say his own dogs attacked and killed him. The old man who owns the place now including the property next door is clearly hiding something. What happened to the family that once lived in this house? Cameron soon discovers its his job to find out. With a little help from the other side, Cameron searches for clues.

Time does not necessarily heal all wounds. Sometimes time just buries the past--with a thin sheet of lost memories. What happens when some of the past is brought to the surface? What new wounds are opened?

Cameron's mother thinks he spiraling into madness, and even makes an appointment for him to see a doctor. The drugs he takes makes it harder for him to dream, but his visions still haunt him. If Cameron can't talk to a ghost how is it possible that he knows where the bodies are buried?

The Dogs is a mystery and a suspenseful  thriller. Although considered a YA novel, it will have crossover appeal to adults as well. Anyone who loves a mystery with a bit of ghost story thrown in will enjoy this spirited (yes, pun intended) read.

Highly, highly recommended grade 7-up. Child abuse, murder, divorce, rumors of extramarital affairs.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

High School Pick: Trinkets

Trinkets
by Kirsten Smith
Little Brown Books for Young Readers
2013
288 pages

Surprising, stunning, and super, Trinkets is a cross between "Mean Girls," "The Breakfast Club," and "Beverly Hills, 90210." The teen set will fall in love with the three female characters: Tabitha, the beauty queen who seemingly has it all, Elodie, the shy newcomer, and Moe, a gothy free spirit.

The high school they attend is clique-ish (like every high school), so these girls would not likely cross paths, but their shared passtime has forced them into weekly Shoplifters' Anonymous meetings. All three girls steal and they're really good at it. They don't need to steal jewelry or clothing; their parents have money. They steal for the high; they steal to fill a void.

The girls decide to hold a contest; the one who outsteals--over the top---theft, wins. Through their escapades, they bond and share their secrets and vulnerable sides.

Writer Kirsten Smith has an ear for teen dialog, and her background in writing and producing ("Legally Blonde," "The House Bunny") has served her well. Ellen Page (actress, "Juno") says, "Trinkets is a beautiful creation. It is raw and full of heart, honest and open."

Older readers will likely remember fond (and not so fond) memories of their own high school years and high school readers will see glimpses of themselves or people they know on the pages of Trinkets.


Recommended grade 9 and up. Bad girl behavior, adult situations, language.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

The Prince of Denial

The Prince of Denial
by Doug Wilhelm
Long Stride Books
2013
212 pages

Available October 7, 2013 (tentative date from publisher)

Casey is hiding a secret. He's keeping it together for himself and for his dad. If he can run home and clean things up...if he can make dinner and do his chores...if he can get his homework done...if he can go to school on time and keep up his grades...if he can wear a false smile and pretend nothing is wrong...then everyone will believe it, right?

When his best friend Oscar pushes him, Casey gets defensive, claiming he has "stuff to do." Oscar wonders why Casey can't hang out anymore. Why does he always have to rush home?

Casey is beginning to show cracks in his put on fascade. He's getting short tempered. He's yelling at friends. People are beginning to notice. When his aunt Julie asks him to help her, Casey doesn't know what to do. Should he rat out his dad?

The Prince of Denial shows how families can get damaged by substance abuse. One member may be the user, but the use affects the entire family dynamic.

I was surprised there were no hotline phone numbers for alcohol abuse or Al-Anon listed in the back of the book. Teens who are drawn to this story may be searching for answers. It would be helpful to have some links to helpful information sites and hotline numbers.

Recommended grade 8-up. Although Casey is in middle school, his problem/solution is for more mature readers.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Teen Pick: A Trick of the Light

A Trick of the Light
by Lois Metzger
Balzer + Bray
2013
208 pages

Available June 18, 2013

Stunning, heart-wrenching, and painful, yet uplifting and hopeful, A Trick of the Light is an important book for teens. Mike Welles is an intelligent teen who loves stop-action cinema and classics like the original 1933 King Kong film; he and friend Tamio spend hours discussing cinema and playing video games. Things at home are...sad and different. Suddenly, there's a wedge between his family.

As Mike's mom falls into despair and depression, sleeping all day and not working, Mike's dad strays from the household. Mike begins to hear a voice in his head that controls him. To control his situation at home, Mike listens to the voice and turns to Amber. She knows everything about food and what foods to avoid--Mike stops eating and begins to run for miles, the voice grows stronger--urging him to stay strong and lose weight. The voice controls Mike, but he's getting weaker.

People start to notice. Mike has a fight with Tamio and won't return his phone calls. Mike's mom and dad both think he's losing too much weight. Mike resorts to tricks to keep them off his back. He's hiding his food intake and weighing himself with extra weight in his pockets.

Told from the male point of view, A Trick of the Light addresses negative body image and weight issues for boys. Recommended for readers who liked  Halse's Wintergirls.

Recommended grade 7-up. Amazon and the publisher says for readers 14-up, but it has no profanity and no mature content other than eating/purging/ anorexia discussion.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Beauty Pageant Pick: Revenge of the Girl With the Great Personality

Revenge of the Girl With the Great Personality
by Elizabeth Eulberg
Point
2013
272 pages

Available March 2013

Lexi is sick of her pageant-ly obsessed mother who parades seven year old MacKenzie in every "Little Miss Somebody" Pageant she can find. Lexi doesn't want to be part of "Team MacKenzie" anymore. Her mother is spending thousands of dollars on gowns and costumes for the Toddlers and Tiaras circuit, and they are in danger of losing their home.

Lexi is pretty and smart but she's never been that "girl-y" girl. She's been told that she has "a great personality." Just what every girl longs to hear! Her friend Benny tells her to start glamming it up--wear some make-up, dress like a girl, put on earrings. When Lexi follows his advice, suddenly people notice. Even Logan (her secret crush) finds her "suddenly" attractive. Looks can certainly be deceiving.

Lexi hasn't changed; her personality hasn't changed; she hasn't suddenly become the "nice" girl, but because of her appearance, people are inviting her to parties.

After a huge blow-out with her emotionally empty mother, Lexi puts her foot down. Her mother has robbed Lexi of her life savings and Lexi is not only furious but feels violated. She has to stop the pageant madness at all costs. Even MacKenzie is tired of performing for the judges. She wants to quit pageants but is afraid to tell her controlling mother. She wants no more of her "Honey Boo Boo" moments.

When Lexi realizes that people aren't always who they seem and that building up the dream of someone never matches the real someone, she is okay with having a great personality.

My favorite part of the book is the last. Lexi's mantra, "...it's only a matter of time before the Beautiful People will be wishing they had great personalities, too. Good luck with that, oh Beautiful Ones. Because we Great Girls are the rarest breed."

I loved Lexi and teen girls will relate to her. She is spunky and outspoken, snarky and quirky, fun and sweet.

Receommended grade 7-up. Lexi's friend Benny is not "out" yet but he does like the same boy bands that Lexi does and they have a sweet talk about what it means if Benny does like boys. Not sexual, just matter of fact. Benny states the facts, "I'm fat and gay in live in the heart of football-loving Texas. Me finding love or respect ain't gonna happen in this high school life." Readers will empathize with his struggle to feel okay about himself. Anyone in high school has the same struggle--trying to find their inner voice.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Tween Pick: The Normal Kid

The Normal Kid
by Elizabeth Holmes
Carolrhoda Books
2012
241 pages

Poignant, stunning, sweet, and heartfelt, The Normal Kid speaks to the "normal kid" in all of us. Three very different kids become friends and learn the value of accepting others.

Sylvan is quiet and hurting. Since his father moved out, his mother has thrown herself into her "causes." She is saving the planet one tree at a time, one less plastic bag at a time, one less housing development at a time. She is up to her elbows in causes and barely notices that her son is hurting. He looks up to teacher Mr. In and does well in his class.

Charity is new to the school and all the way from Africa. Her parents were missionaries there until a terrible accident ruined their church and made her father hate God. What do you do when the father you know as loving and giving turns angry and bitter? Charity has grown up a world away where she never saw television and the Internet was just a rumor. She tries to keep silent after the kids giggle at her strange manners and clothing.

Brian is a loner who doesn't say much. He's terrified of change and people touching him. He is in Mr. In's class because the administrator feels it will help him. She knows Mr. In is considerate and accepting, and she hopes the kids in the class will make school easier for "Trampoline Boy"--Brian jumps on the trampoline at home for hours on end.

When Mr. In's job is threatened, the three neighbors and classmates team up to keep their beloved teacher.

Sylvan realizes that everyone is "normal" in their own way. He says, "And then I thought, but Charity is normal, just a little different. And then I thought, What exactly does 'normal' mean anyway?...I don't know if you'd call Brian exactly normal, but I like him...Because like I keep saying, I am a normal kid."

Readers will recognize the underdog in Sylvan and appreciate his outlook on life. Brian and Charity are welcome characters and kids will empathize with each of them.

Highly, highly recommended grades 5-up. This would be a great book for teaching acceptance and inclusion.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

High School Pick: Notes From the Blender

Notes From the Blender
by Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin
Egmont
2011
229 pages

Cantagious, comedic, cantankerous, and full of teen angst and teenage spasmic hyperbole, Notes From the Blender is a hilarious romp of a ya novel. Told in chapters by Neilly and Declan, both male and female readers will laugh out loud at the characters and most likely, their very own foibles.

Declan is a sixteen year old who loves black Death Metal, violent video games, porn sites, and girls! A random thought through Dec's head is most likely sexual--even if it is about his middle-aged therapist. You would think that Dec with all his character flaws would not be a likable character; you would be dead wrong. Dec is a flawed underdog, to be sure, but his sense of humor and comedic timing as well as his delivery of biting sarcasm to his bullies make him charming and lovable.

Dec misses his mom who died in a car accident--Dec was in the car but not injured and has blamed himself for her death since then. Dec's dad is worried that Dec is getting becoming too goth and dark and sends him to his Aunt Sarah's church which happens to be a little different than most churches--she is the paster and her life partner, also female lives with her. When Dec's dad springs the news on him that he is remarrying, Dec goes off the deep end.

Neilly is thrown for a loop when her father leaves her mom for a man! Now her father is marrying that same man. If that isn't enough, her mom has been hiding secrets from her, too. When Neilly goes home from school one day, she walks in on her mother cooking in the kitchen wearing nothing except a towel. Dec's dad is playing house with Neilly's mom! And that's not all, they are getting married and expecting a new baby. Neilly and Dec will become step-siblings....

Laugh out loud, swallow-your-milk-and-choke-on-it-until-it-comes-painfully-out-your-nose funny--this is the funniest novel of the year, and I would say it is bound to garner all sorts of ya and YALSA attention. Anyone with a sense of humor will love this book. I love Dec and Neilly!

Highly, highly recommended grades 9-up. Mature themes, F word, sex, masturbation, condoms.

There is a book giveaway posted on my blog for Notes From the Blender. Deadline for posting is June 14, 2011 at noon. Don't miss your opportunity to win a free copy. Post your comment today.

FTC required disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Chick Pick: The Cupcake Queen

The Cupcake Queen
by Heather Hepler
Dutton Children's Books (Penguin Young Readers Group, 2009
242 pages

The best cute ya novel for girls this year!

Quirky, clumsy Penny Lane (her parents loved the Beatles) finds herself eons away from her New York City upbringing when her mother decides to "find herself" and moves them to Nowheresville, USA known as Hog's Hollow. It's bad enough to live in a small, picturesque town known for its pork products, it's worse to have to work in a cupcake shop decorating minature cakes for the town's wealthy and snobbish gentry. When Penny crosses paths with local mean girl Charity (who is soooo totally misnamed!) sparks fly and other kids laugh.

Penny finds friends with blue haired outcast Tally and a cute boy named Marcus and his even cuter dog Sam-- who runs into her--literally--on the beach. Penny is hopelessly lost in her new surroundings and she hates it! Only when her father and mother decide to really call it quits and DIVORCE, does Penny realize that the place she's at might not be the place she hates.

The Cupcake Queen is charming, quirky, light, and cute and girls who liked The Teashop Girls and Coffeehouse Angel are sure to love this novel.

Recommended grade 7-up.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I purchased this book for the middle school library. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review.

Chick Pick

Karma Bites
by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas
Sandpiper (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), 2010
340 pages

Franny Flanders is having bad karma: her parents are newly divorced, her kid brothers fight all the time, her friends belong to different cliques and she has to walk the minefield at school to avoid angering either clique, and to top it all off, her hippie grandmother has moved in with them and is practicing white magic, yoga, and zen Buddhism. When not in a trace or drinking yak butter tea, Granny is communicating with unknown spirits like the time she came home from Africa and brought back an angry presence who tore up the back yard. Franny is mortified and cannot bear her grandmother meeting any of her friends.

When Franny uses magic from a mysterious box in Granny's closet, things start to unravel in a very bad way. Middle school has never been funnier. Franny is a typical middle school girl trying to fit in and make all her friends get along, so what's wrong with using a little magic here and there?

It's called the Butterfly Effect and it states that if one little thing happens in the universe like the flutter of a butterfly's wings or a panda turning over in his den, it can trigger a ton of reactions that change the universe forever.

Franny is going to need her granny's help to sort out this chaos. The clique system goes awry and Franny has her first grown-up dance.

A totally charming, fun read for girls; appropriate for grades 6-9.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review.

YA Pick

Outside Beauty

by Cynthia Kadohata

Antheneum Books for Young Readers, 2008.

265 pages

Shelby and her sisters lead fascinating lives. Lives full of adventure and danger. Their mother Helen uses her beauty and feminine wiles to attract and trap men. Sometimes men get jealous, and when they do,Helen is forced to flee in the night with her girls. The girls idolize their beautiful mother--she is perfect, she is fun, she is an enigma. As Helen ages, her beauty begins to fade and she begins to unravel. Shelby's family history is a bit muddled--each sister has a different father--fathers who are never around. The girls know very little of their fathers until Helen has an accident and the girls are separated and taken away by each of the fathers.

Shelby is lonely and cannot communicate with each sister. They make a plan to be together forever. Can they ever be together? Will their mother be okay?

The author won the Newbery Medal for her earlier novel Kira-Kira.

Recommended grades 6-10.