High School Pick: Going Underground

Going Underground
by Susan Vaught
Bloomsbury
2011
324 pages

Available September 13, 2011

Compelling, edgy, and wrought with emotion, Going Underground will force readers to think about their actions on the Internet and using technology to send and receive pictures and media on their cell phones.

Del is an ordinary seventeen year old. He looks forward to college, he can't wait to find the right girl, he hangs out with his best friend Marvin, he escapes into music, and raises an African gray parrot named Fred. When he's not in school, Del works at his job--digging graves at the cemetary. It's not a job he would have normally dreamed of, but it's the only place he could get hired. You see, Del is a convicted felon. With a sex crime in his past, it's hard to convince anyone to hire him. Colleges won't even read his applications. Del has no future simply because of a mistake he made when he was just fourteen.

An overzealous district attorney pushed Del's conviction through the courts and the judge threw the toughest sentence at Del. He is on probation until eighteen, he is not to have access to the Internet or cell phones, he cannot get into trouble at school or anywhere else. Del has to "toe the line." When another student punches him, Del can't even fight back. He gets beaten up simply because he can't get any more charges against him.

One day, Del notices a "fairy" looking girl visiting the cemetary. He's interested but knows better than to approach a stranger. Del can't even date. He is unable to have a normal teen-age romance because of his past.

When judicial hearings are set up to review the Romeo and Juliet legislation, Del and his parents decide to testify. Because of his testimony, the laws are changed. No longer will a fourteen year old be considered a "sex offender" or rapist if both parties are the same age and willing participants.

Highly recommended grades 9-up. Mature situations.

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

Chick Pick: Dork Diaries: Tales From a Not-So-Talented Pop Star

Dork Diaries: Tales From a Not-So-Talented Pop Star
by Rachel Renee Russell
Aladdin
2011
311 pages with illustrations

Witty, charming, and fun, the third installment of Dork Diaries will have tween girls clamoring for the book. Nikki J. Maxwell is still the likable girl next door: a little dorky, a little plain, a little untalented but what she lacks in talent she makes up in heart and she is blessed with two great BFFs in Chloe and Zoey. Nikki still crushes on Brandon, and still abhors Mackenzie Hollister, evil fashionista and mean girl, and still cringes whenever she thinks any of her classmates will find out that her father is an exterminator who drives around in an stinky old van with a giant cockroach on top of it!

Nikki is being coerced into performing in the school talent show as part of MacKenzie's act, but she has already promised her BFFs to be in their act. Should she let down her friends or should she spurn Mackenzie and await her wicked wrath?

Nikki steps up her plans when her scholarship is revoked and she has to raise money to stay in her costly private school. Hoping to win the talent show, she enters with a couple of fellow wall flowers and is later joined by Chloe, Zoey and Brandon! Mackenzie does her evil best to have the band disqualified but good always wins over evil.

Girls will love Nikki and her BFFs and crush over handsome yet shy Brandon. Clever cover, cute illustrations, and teen characters are spot-on! Funny asides and quirky writing. Laugh out loud antics like, "Girl Puh-leeeze...I said, doing one of those Tyra Banks neck roll thingies that I'd practiced in the mirror for hours!"

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

Middle School Pick: Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life
by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts
Little Brown
2011
281 pages
Read the first 20 chapters here

The publisher knows eye-catching covers and kid-friendly designs will sell books. Short chapters keep pages turning. Illustrations throughout the text capture reluctant readers' attention. This book has clever appeal and continues to keep James Patterson on the best seller list; however, it is certainly not to be compared in the same category as Jeff Kinney's Wimpy Kid series.

Rafe Khatchadorian is new to middle school. He can't figure out how to fit in until his friend Leo the Silent tells him to play a new game. Rafe decides to break every rule in the Hills Village Middle School Code of Conduct. Leo and Rafe create a point system: easy stuff gets small points-- like chewing gum in class only rates 5,00 points, but destruction of school property rates 35,000, and stealing school property gets 40,000 points. The boys decide that Rafe must break every rule or die trying. Rafe actually pulls off a few instances of rule breaking but gets detention with the Dragon Lady. Meanwhile, brutish bully Miller the Killer figures out what Rafe is up to and wants to stop him.

On top of all his middle school shenanigans, Rafe has a dysfunctional home life. His mom works all the time at the diner while her live-in, no-good boyfriend "Bear" lies around all day sleeping and vegging out on the sofa watching t.v. Younger sister Georgia is mostly just annoying and tattles on Rafe's every move.

Rafe ends up losing a friend, learning several lessons, making up with his mother, and ends up putting all his creativity to good use. His mother finally sees the light and makes decisions that affect the family.

The back cover promises "You'll probably laugh your guts out on every page." Sorry, but this never happened. Readers will not burst out laughing--although there may be a grin or slight chuckle occasionally.

Recommended for ages 10-14 and middle school reluctant readers.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I purchased this book for my library at the local book store. Just like a teen, I was enchanted with the cover design. The book, however, just does not live up to the cover.

Maman's Homesick Pie: A Persian Heart in an American Kitchen

Maman's Homesick Pie: A Persian Heart in an American Kitchen
by Donia Bijan
Algonquin
2011
272 pages

Available September 20, 2011

Heartfelt, deep, moving, and full of warmth, Maman's Homesick Pie is a serious find for book lovers and foodies of all ages. Donia Bijan is today a well-respected American chef who has worked in kitchens all over France and San Francisco before opening her own world-renowned bistro. But where did this culinary dynamo come from? Who influenced her to seek a career in a field that was so closed off to women and who encouraged her to seek a spot at Paris's famed Cordan Bleu under the tutelege of Madame Brassart, the dragon master chef who taught none other than American food icon Julia Child?

Luckily, Bijan was brought up by a strong Iranian mother and father. Her mother had a voice in government in Iran during the reign of the Shah, but after his fall in 1978 and with the infiltration of militant religious sects, Bijan's entire family is forced to flee Iran, never to return for fear of death. On a holiday in Majorca, Bijan's family listens to reports of increasing violence and bloodshed at home,and after receiving a harrowing late night call from their uncle, they realize that they cannot go back home. The family gets visas and travels to the San Francisco Bay area where other relatives have already settled.

Bijan's mother easily fits into the California lifestyle in no time. Having attended boarding school in England as a girl, she speaks fluent English and has a nursing degree. It's not long before she has a full-time job at a hospital and soon she's picking up extra hours to help fund Donia's education in France. While her mother assimiliates easily, Bijan's father finds America a horrible place. He can't practice medicine because he can't get over the language barrier, so he can't pass the medical boards. He becomes increasingly depressed and irritated, blaming everything bad on his wife and his daughter. He longs for his homeland where he was a respected doctor with his own hospital. Eventually, he returns to Iran and his beloved hospital without his family.

Donia escapes to Paris to learn to cook the French way. She is charmed by spices and has been in love with food since a young age. Her mother, besides being a nurse and raising a family, made aromatic dishes like Fava Bean Omelet, Saffron Yogurt Rice with Chicken and Eggplant, and Quince Marmalade. Donia still remembers the scents of Persian cooking from her mother's kitchen in Iran: the saffron, cardamom, tarragon, shallots, poppy seeds, Persian figs, pomegranates, and clementines.

This novel is, above all, a love story. It is the story of a mother's love and undying, unwavering faith in her daughter. Because her mother loved her and pushed her, Donia Bijan excelled in the culinary world and fulfilled her dreams. When her father thought cooking was a terrible fate for his daughter, her mother saw how much it meant to Donia. Her mother never made light of cooking as a career and respected her daughter's life choice. It is the love a mother gives that forever influences the life of her child.

Maman's Homesick Pie is a beautiful tribute to Donia's mother and her Persian recipes. Each chapter is followed by one or two prized recipes from Bijan's mother or from Bijan's culinary days in Paris and San Francisco. The food dances off the pages and readers will savor the flavors and textures of the dishes as described by Donia. This novel makes me want to try all kinds of exotic fare.

A delightful book that will stay with readers. Food lovers, cooks, and wannabe cooks will love this book. Book clubs are likely to choose this as a great read this fall. Put this one on your list. Young foodies ages 12 and up will likely fall for this book as well.

Recommended for adults and younger foodies. Teens who love "Master Chef" and "The Next Food Network Star" will probably love this book and learn a lot about cooking by reading it. This is a great book club novel.

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

Guest Review: High School Pick: Forbidden

Forbidden
By Tabitha Suzuma
Simon & Schuster
2011
464 pages

Blogger's note: Guest reviewer career educator Leslie Rush submitted this review to the blog. Leslie is a bff and avid ya reader and reviewer. This is her fourth guest review on this blog. Here is her review of this compelling and dangerous read:

The truth of this book is in the opening quote: “You can close your eyes to the things you do not want to see, but you cannot close your heart to the things you do not want to feel.”

There’s plenty in Lochan and Maya’s lives that no one wants to see. They, along with younger siblings, have been abandoned by their father and are virtually abandoned by their Mum—an alcoholic who never wanted kids to begin with, who has set her sights on a new boyfriend, and comes home drunk (when she comes home at all) to throw up, sleep it off, and change into another sleazy outfit.

Maya and Lochan serve as parents to the three younger sibs—the dreamy, sweet Willa, the goofy Tiffen, and the rebellious Kit. They handle dinner, homework, groceries, discipline, and drag money out of their Mum to pay the bills. They have learned to cope like any two "normal" parents who work all day and come home to kids and chaos.

Above all, it is imperative that no one ever know about their situation. All of the children dread being noticed by Social Services, but Lochan feels it the deepest. He is practically mute outside the family home, having acute anxiety attacks when called upon in school. The kids have zero outside support. When one of Lochan’s teachers attempts to probe a little deeper, she is rebuffed by the terrified Lochan.

The love Maya and Lochan feel for each other takes a twisted turn as they each are pursued by others. Maya’s friends all have a crush on her brother, and there’s a dreamy prospect asking Maya out, as well. Faced with Kit’s growing rebelliousness and the growing needs of the younger ones, Maya and Lochan find their only stress relief with each other.

Accidental contact leads to revulsion, battling with the desperate need to be loved. Each step into their descent is more torturous, as they fight until they are overwhelmed, defeated by their own love. It ends in sorrow, as Lochan does the only thing that can save their family.


I did not want to read this book. But I’m really glad I did. Suzuma has painted a picture that is compelling, horrifying and compassionate. Lochan is a character readers will never forget.

Recommended for very mature readers, 16 and up. Strong sexual content, mature themes.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this novel from the publisher. I/we did not receive monetary compensation for this review. Leslie Rush is a bff and ya reviewer. Her reviews can be found at A Book and a Hug.

Series Pick: The Throne of Fire

The Throne of Fire (Kane Chronicles, book two)
by Rick Riordan
Disney (Hyperion)
2011
452 pages with glossary
ISBN 9781423140566

Exciting, action-packed, and thrilling, book two of the Kane Chronicles, The Throne of Fire, really delivers (book one is The Red Pyramid). If you haven't picked up the first book, now is the time to pick up both titles. Rick Riordan has batted another one out of the park and scored a home run. His first attempt at ya fiction was the Percy Jackson series which rocketed to the bestseller lists--both young adult fiction and adult fiction lists; in fact, The Lightning Thief was picked up by Hollywood and turned into a movie.

Now tackling the somewhat darker and brooding Egyptian gods, Riordan uses the brother/sister team of Carter and Sadie Kane, children of two noted Egyptologists and archeologists who just so happen to be descended from Egypt's greatest magicians. The House of Life has chosen Carter and Sadie to control the Egyptian gods who are on the brink of being released. If Apophos, the Chaos snake, is released, it will be the end of the world. Carter and Sadie only have four days to find the three scrolls of the missing book of Ra, the sun god. Not only do they have to find the scrolls; they have to figure out how to use them to free Ra, who will rise again and control all the gods. The kids take turn telling their story on a now old-fashioned tape-recorder. Riordan, the author, finds the recordings and shared them with all of us, the readers

The kids enlist the help of fellow magician trainees Walt, a hot guy with a dark family secret, Jaz, a female trainee who seems to have eyes for Walt--much to Sadie's secret chagrin, and Khufu, a baboon pal, yes, a real baboon, who seems human at times. The kids enlist the help of a few gods along the way including Bes, the drawf god, a short guy who is as big around as he is tall and who needs some serious fashion intervention.

As the two siblings travel through magic Egyptian portals around the world in search of the scrolls, Apophis continues to gain strength. Other Egyptian gods and magicians want to stop the Kane kids from freeing Ra. If both gods are released Chaos will fight Order, and who knows what the outcome will be?

Highly entertaining, amusing, and readable, The Throne of Fire is a sure winner. The personalities of Sadie and Carter are believable and likeable. Their wise-cracking ways and snide comments and mirthful asides will make the reader chuckle. Though they fight like brother and sister, each will stop at nothing to insure the safety of the other.

Highly, highly recommended grades 5-up. This book will have wide appeal to readers both male and female. Good readers who have read Harry Potter and longer tomes like it should have no trouble with the heft of this book. Percy Jackson fans will love this series as well. Anyone who enjoys mythology and action will likely choose this book.

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

Back to School Book Giveaway: Moonglass

Back to School Book Giveaway!

Win a FREE copy of Moonglass by Jessi Kirby

I have TEN--10-- copies of Moonglass to giveaway!

Don't miss your chance to own and share this book with your readers! Not to be missed ya fiction. Grades 6-up.

Post a comment here. Be sure to include your email address so that I can contact you in case you win. Also, please include your city and state just because I'm nosy!

Non-Fiction Pick: Wicked Plants:The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother & Other Botanical Atrocities

Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother & Other Botanical Mysteries
by Amy Stewart
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
2009
233 pages with bibliography

Blogger's Note: I never review non-fiction books--until now! I found this book fascinating and entertaining!

Wickedly entertaining and full of fun facts, this engaging non-fiction book will appeal to non-fiction readers and anyone who has a passion for weird and/or macrabre pearls of wisdom. Did you know that if a human eats only corn in his diet and nothing else, he will develop pellagra--a niacin deficiency? Or that the common spud (potato) is related to the much-maligned deadly nightshade plant?



The author teaches that plants are beautiful but many are deadly. Deadly plants are used in magic, too; for example, in the popular Harry Potter series Professor Snape brews wolfsbane (aconite) to assist Remus Lupin in his transformation to a wolf.



Plants are divided into categories of deadly, intoxicating, illegal, destructive, and dangerous. Deadly plants include corn, rhubarb, red kidney beans, potatoes, and cassava. Plants that we normally eat can make us deathly ill and even cause death in some cases.



Intoxicating plants are the betal nut, wormwood (absinthe), and tequila.
Illegal plants include coca, tabernanthe iboga, and opium poppy.



This entertaining compendium will amuse and enlighten. Even the grass we choose for our yards can be dangerous!



Highly recommended for ages 12-up, grades 6-up. Reluctant readers will find this small book fascinating and a quick read.



FTC required disclaimer: I saw this title at the local bookstore and then saw if offered by the publisher. I received this novel from the publisher. I received no monetary compensation for this review.

Book Giveaway: Spoiled by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan

Up for Grabs! You will want a copy for your readers! Don't miss this one!

5 copies of Spoiled--a seriously entertaining romp through fashion and the world of spoiled Hollywood celebutants written by two very funny, very catty, very savvy authors responsible for the fashion site Go Fug Yourself!

Post a comment and include your email address so that I may contact you. Also, please let me know city and state just because I'm nosy.

Deadline for posting is Thursday, July 28 at noon MST (Mountain Standard Time)

Winners will be notified by email. Please check your email within 24 hours of the deadline. Winners who do not reply back to me will forfeit the book and the title will be given to the next comment on the blog. Copies will ship directly from the publisher. Good luck! Pamela

Funny Fashionista Pick: Spoiled

Spoiled
by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan
Poppy (Hachette Book Group)
2011
360 pages
ISBN: 978-0-316-09825-0

Funny, cocky, cock-sure (one author's last name is Cocks, for goodness sake), quirky, mean-spirited, and fashion-forward, Spoiled is a laugh-out-loud, in-your-face commentary of what it's like to grow up rich, spoiled and bitchy in Beverly Hills. Part "90210," part "Mean Girls," part "Pretty Little Liars" this novel will appeal to savvy readers with a passion for fashion and a penchant for naughty, haughty runway model ideals and diva behavior.

Brooke Berlin is the sixteen year old daughter of macho, masculine, and beautiful man-hunk Hollywood action movie star Brick Berlin. Brick has never met a camera, or a woman, he didn't like. His hazel eys, his brooding good looks, and his stone cold abs leave women fainting in his wake. Brooke hopes to use her father's celebrity to open her own doors. When she's out power shopping on Rodeo Drive--her favorite past-time--she manages to catch the eyes of the papparazzi, stealing the thunder from "one of the lesser Kardashians." (funny, right?)

Her life is sweet--being the pampered princess in a huge Hollywood mansion--the mansion so huge that their house "embarrassed mansions" nearby--armed with an assistant named after a creamy French cheese--Brie, and a best friend named after a peppery, fancy lettuce--Arugula, and able to spend unlimited amounts of cash and credit on fashion finds should make a girl happy, but Brooke longs for her father's undivided attention--she needs some serious "face time" with Poppa. Just once, she would love five minutes alone with her famous father--without interruptions from his agent, his publicist, his assistant, his assistant's assistant, his astrologist, his trainer, or any of the other minions who flock to his famous feet. Poor, spoiled Brooke remains a Paris Hilton wanna-be with serious daddy issues. Her mother escaped Hollywood years earlier without looking back and has no relationship at al with her only daughter.

Enter Molly. Molly arrives out of nowhere from Cairo Park, Indiana. Her mother Lauren has just died after battling cancer, and on her death bed, announces that Molly is the secret daughter of Brick Berlin, famous Hollywood movie star. They met when Lauren was a costume designer on one of Brick's films. His films are quirkily titled like "Tequila Mockingbird" where his character "rescued his fiancee from South American sex slavery." Molly has no other living relatives, and she is shipped off to Hollywood to meet her famous new father and her half-sister.

There is no way Brooke is going to share the spotlight with some hayseed from Indiana and no way she's going to share a precious moment with their father--HER father. Brooke begins a campaign to let Molly know just how unwanted her presence is.

Enter Shelby, spoiled daughter of the entertainment industry's seedy tabloid magazine Hey! She makes it her job to befriend Molly, ruin Brooke, and gather notoriety for her own celebrity reporting. Shelby's an evil schemer who craves drama and spreads gossip. She invents half-lies and rumors and has the two celebrity siblings soon fighting.

The Hollywood glamour set always has had their bizarre behavior--from throwing parties for their pets to naming their kids. Spaulding, for example, is the the daughter of a professional tennis player who sold the naming rights to his kid (Spaulding tennis balls). Molly--the "normal" mid-west girl says, "Good thing he wasn't in NASCAR...she would have been named Valvoline!"

This novel has it all--sister in-fighting, abandonment issues by a parent, absent mother figures, clique-ish high school behavior, severe cattiness, and finally a happy ending.

Spoiled was a gift to read--impossible to put down and tickled my funny bone. Girls will love the unforgettable characters of Brooke and Molly and laugh at the fashion and celebrity jokes, like Brooke's nerves "were as frayed as a pair of tights on Taylor Momsen." (I know, funny, right?)

Recommended grades 7-12. Younger girls may not "get" the puns and fashion jokes or the snarky comments about the Hollywood in-crowd.

No sex. One f-bomb but it is well-deserved. The authors write the fashion blog Go Fug Yourself--check it out--clever and catty.

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

Girl Pick: Series: Canterwood Crest #12: Unfriendly Competition

Canterwood Crest #12: Unfriendly Competition
By Jessica Burkhart
Simon and Schuster 2011
178 pages

Blogger's Note: This is a guest review from my BFF and fellow reviewer and blogger Leslie Rush. Leslie is a high school teacher and avid ya reader, reviewer and blogger. This is her fourth book review.

“Tween” friendship drama, very light romance.

Sasha Silver continues her journey of boarding school drama and competitive horsemanship in book #12 of the Canterbrook Crest series. Sasha and her BFFs Brittany, Alison and “frenemy” Heather --apparently in a previous book there were some serious middle-school conflicts-- are preparing for the Huntington Classic, as members of the Youth Equestrian National Team (YENT).

In the very first chapter, the girls are whisked into the headmistress’s office, Someone is blogging about the school and its students, spreading rumors and lies as only 7th and 8th grade girls can do. It could be anyone--including Sasha’s former BFFs Paige and Callie. Or Julia, who is a friend and roommate but didn’t make the YENT.

The IP address for the blog has been traced to the girls’ dorm, and unless someone comes forward within two weeks‘ time, they will all be (OMG!) expelled.

Armed with designer clothes, Blackberry Messaging, the perfect teen boy crush, and the fav lip gloss flavors from Lip Smackers, Sasha and her BFF/ teammates try to figure out who is behind the nasty blog, and plan a birthday party for Heather.

Meanwhile, their trainer Mr. Connor has a frightening riding accident the week before the competition, which unnerves the whole team. Then Lauren, a new student and excellent rider from Sasha’s old school, shows up. Competition, perhaps?

Working through these conflicts and dramas teaches Sasha the value of loyalty and teamwork. Horse lovers and fans of the series will enjoy this book. Ages 9-13.

Note: The jacket synopsis is not a true picture of the story. The arrival of Lauren is not the focus of the book, as she shows up in the last 30 pages.

FTC Required disclaimer: I/We received no monetary compensation for this review. I received this book from the publisher.

Chick Pick: Moonglass

Moonglass
by Jessi Kirby
Simon & Schuster
2011
232 pages

Poignant, touching, and fresh, Moonglass is a triumph of a first novel. Anna is only seven when her mother walks out into the surf and drowns. Now at age sixteen, her father is uprooting Anna to go live in the small beach town of Crystal Cove, California. Anna is not looking forward to the move--she doesn't want to make new friends or live in a new place.

Things start to look up when she sees the beachfront cottage they get to live in. The next day she meets a motormouth girl named Ashley who assures her that they will be BFF's and she meets Tyler, a hot lifeguard. Maybe this won't be such a bad place after all.

Sadly, Anna keeps remembering the night her mother walked into the ocean--maybe it's because they are now living in the little town where her parents met and fell in love. What was it that her mother was looking for in the surf? Why are some of the cottages abandoned? Who is the strange man who crawls the beach every day? Why is Joy so interested in telling Anna about her mother?

Part romance, part mystery, but all mesmerizing, Moonglass is a sure winner.

Highly recommended ages 12-up. Some skinny-dipping but no graphic details, no sex.

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

Ghostly Pick: Queen of the Dead

The Queen of the Dead
by Stacey Kade
Hyperion
2011
272 pages

Will Killian and Alona Dare are quite an impressive team--with Will's good looks and kind manners and Alona's vivacious smile and homecoming queen demeanor, they are laugh out loud funny and verbally spar throughout the novel. Only one thing is wrong-Alona is dead, yep, dead. She hasn't been able to "move on" and has found Will, a spirit-talker. She becomes his ghost talking sidekick as they try to figure out why she can't seem to find her way into the after-life.

When Will realizes his "gift" is not the only one around, and that there's a whole society of people like him, he gravitates toward them leaving Alona alone and jealous.

Poor Alona--so alive and popular in life, now dead and dissed by her "almost" boyfriend and soon to be forgotten by her parents. Her mother has started cleaning her room, throwing out Alona's possessions and her father has remarried and now has a baby girl on the way. What's a ghost girl to do?

Starving for attention from Will and trying to reconnect with her parents, Alona visits Mina, a classmate who is in a coma. Somehow Alona and Mina get combined or merged and Alona's now trapped in Mina's body. How will she reach Will now?

Fun, funny, serious ghost-busting paraphernalia, and high school hi-jinks!

Recommended grades 8-up. You don't have to read book one to understand this novel but it may make more sense to start with The Ghost and the Goth.

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

Summer Reading Club Pick: The Help

The Help
by Kathryn Stockett
Berkley Publishing Group (Penguin)
2011
530 pages with reader's guide

Once in a lifetime, an achievement in literature comes along that literally sings itself off the pages! The Help held this reviewer spellbound from the opening paragraph. Told in chapters by black maids and nannies with a few chapters told by Jackson debutante Skeeter--who, by the way, is ashamed of the way her friends and even her own mother treats "the help." Skeeter is appalled by what she sees and hears at the oh, so righteous, white dinner tables and ladies teas. She begins to get an idea--why not ask some of the maids what they think about their treatment? How do they feel when a white woman acts that way? How do they feel when they can't even use the same bathroom as a white lady? How do they feel when they have their own plate, cup and utensils, and they have to keep them separate and wash them separately from the white folks' dishes?

This forward thinking is likely to get Skeeter into big trouble--her white friends may disown her and force her to leave town. But the trouble that faces her black informants will be much worse. In 1962, America is facing the Civil Rights movement at a time when lynching is not unheard of in the American South. It is during these years a church burns with three little girls inside, Medgar Evers is shot in front of his home and his children watch him die, a reverand marches to Washington to declare "I have a dream..." While most of the country watches on television, the events unfold in Jackson, Mississippi. The residents, both black and white, are a part of the country's seedy past.

Skeeter takes down the ladies's stories, typing them on her trusty old typewriter. She contacts a publishing company in New York and an editor agrees to take a look at her draft. When Skeeter realizes that the stories may actually be published, she works at a frantic pace, but she insures that the ladies' names and information is private. If anyone from Jackson knew what she was doing, or that black "help" was a part of this book, there would be blood to pay.

Book clubs around the country are going to snatch up this engaging read. The Help should be required reading in English classrooms throughout the country. It is this generation's To Kill a Mockingbird.


Highly, highly recommended for mature high school readers and adult readers. This novel has clear cross-over appeal to the ya market.



FTC Reguired Disclaimer: I had heard about this book from a friend and knew it was going to come to film. I picked up my copy one Saturday at Sam's Club for $9.99--the best thing I ever purchased for $9.99! I started reading it on Saturday morning and found that I could not put it down except to sleep. Don't miss this book. The cover says it all, "If you read only one book...let this be it."

Win a free book: The Hot List by Hillary Homzie: Interview With the author

The Hot List by Hillary Homzie

A great new tween novel that girls will love! Hillary Homzie is graciously giving me 5 copies of this new novel for readers of my blog. Simply post a comment and be sure to include an email contact and your location (city, state) only because I'm nosy! I'll contact winners via email and they will provide mailing addresses. Hillary will ship copies to the winners!

Giveaway opens July 6 at 12:01 a.m.
Deadline for posting comments is July 13 at noon MST. Good luck, everyone!

Here's a smiling photo of Hillary herself! She must be dreaming up her next book!

Interview with the author Hillary Homzie

Hillary agreed to answer some questions about her book The Hot List, being a writer, and being a tween. Here is the interview. Please post your comments after this interview! Thanks, Pamela

1. In your new novel The Hot List, the BFFs Maddie and Sophie dream up the idea of a list of the 10 hottest boys and girls in their school. Where did you get this idea?

Oh, that’s a good question. I have three kids and two of them are in the middle school age range, which means I have lots of middle schoolers in and out of my house. Let’s just say that I enjoy my unofficial job as mother and spy. I want to be the house that kids feel comfortable hanging out at, and, please, I want you to know I’m not spying all of the time. I mean, I do have things to do like fold laundry, make dinner, and, um, write books. But, yes, I am a big eavesdropper and have been known to ask lots of questions, too. And the hot list is something that I found out about. In other words, there is a middle school somewhere in Northern California with one of those lists. And yes, they wrote it up on the stall of the bathroom. Sometimes I think I should write non-fiction books. But nobody would believe my stories… (blogger Pamela grins at this).



2. Sophie is quite the daredevil when it comes to writing on the bathroom wall/defacing school property, yet she seems very introspective, too. What qualities do you share with Sophie?

I’m definitely an introvert but I’m learned through the years to become an extroverted introvert so if you met me, you might even think, hey, she’s really outgoing. But it’s a learned behavior but I’ve come to enjoy being outgoing. But like Sophie, I do have an adventurous side to me, for sure. When I was 22, I headed to New York and sought out a career as a sketch comedian. Looking back, I have to say it was pretty brave. And I’ve backpacked with a bunch of friends in Mali right after College when that country wasn’t exactly stable. We all were thrown in jail due to trumped up charges and I was able to negotiate our way of jail due to (1) my ability to speak French and (2) some fast thinking on my feet that amounted to a desperate lie that I was the American ambassador’s cousin (the future fiction writer at work) and (3) remembering that what they mostly wanted was money. And lastly, like Sophie, I had a parent pass away when I was young. My father died when I was an older teenager and I knew the feeling of weirdness when your parent begins to date other people. I definitely feel empathy for Sophie on the dating score. But in truth, once you learn to let go, watching your parent meet another person can be a wonderful growth experience.



3. You have 3 boys of your own and no daughters--where do you go/search/dream up the girl-y catch-phrases and girl-y-isms?

The truth? As mentioned, I’m a big eavesdropper.


4. Sophie is a list-maker. Are you a list-maker? How does making lists help/hurt? What does list-making say about a person?

Oh, I’m a huge list maker. I write on everything, especially little scraps of paper. And I feel so much better after I do it. The biggest problem for me is that I write on little scraps of paper which end up scattered throughout my house and when it comes time to find that little bit of info that seemed so crucial at the time, I can’t find it. I feel a bit like Sisyphus in that regard. But, nevertheless, the very act of making a list prompts my brain to remember things. The dangers of listmaking—well, if you write things that you don’t want others to see and then you leave it in the house where they can see. Not a good idea. I have finally figured out the art of writing in one dedicated notebook. The only problem is sometimes I can’t find my notebook…


5. Who is Squid modeled after? A real boy or someone in the media? Someone you may have known as a young girl? One of your own sons?

Squid is not based on any one person that I know, although he’s definitely an amalgamation of many boys that I know. I mean I do have three boys and they have friends those friends have friends so it’s pretty easy to take a pinch of that and a pinch of this. That being said, my middle son is fantastically limber and definitely shares some Squid like personality traits. I have to confess to really liking Squid.



6. What is Sophie's favorite food?
Oh, gosh, she loves pretzel sticks.

7. Favorite cake?
Flourless chocolate cake.

8. Favorite soft drink?

She’s a Sprite girl. It’s mostly because her dad won’t let her have caffeinated drinks yet so that might change in the future. When she younger, she loved orange. But Sprite she feels is much more grown-up.

9. If you were Sophie's age, would she be your BFF?

Actually, probably not. I would have been too introverted and she would have been too introverted and so it would have been hard for us to get to know each other. But if I had lived next door to her and actually gotten a chance to know her, I would have LOVED her. I think it would be much easier to get to know Sophie as she appears at the end of the book. When it’s easier for her to reach out to girls other than Maddie.

Now for questions to you, the author:


10.What made you decide to write for the tween crowd?

It’s odd but I remember my tween years better than any other age. The first children’s story I ever wrote was for tweens and I sold it to Teen Magazine when I was 22. I think I’m emotionally stuck there and in the children’s writing world, it turns out to be a good thing!


11.What novel/genre haven't you tackled--but you would like to in the future?

Oh, I really want to try YA! It’s harder for me because I was never a classic teen so I don’t really have classic teen memories. My college years were probably closer to conventional teen years.


12.Are you one of those people/authors who walks around with a notebook and writes down stuff you hear/observe?

Um, see answer #4. I write on little pieces of paper ALL OF THE TIME!


13. What traits do you have personally that make a good writer?
I love to observe and read.


14. What traits do you wish you had?
I wish I was a better speller. Spell check is my best friend.

15. What advice would you give tween girls on navigating the cliques and problems of middle school?

Be who you are and those who are like-minded will naturally gravitate towards you.

16. In five words, what is the best advice you ever got?

Write five days a week!

17. What is your mood at this moment?

Happy because I’m on vacation. Always remember that downtime is good for the soul!
Thank you, Hillary, for your interview and for sponsoring 5 copies of your fun novel to giveaway! Smile....