YA Pick

Ruined

by Paula Morris

Scholastic, 2009.

309 pages

Rebecca hates the idea of leaving her friends in New York City for a semester in filthy post-Katrina New Orleans attending a snooty boarding school full of the city's richest families. She hates living with her weird Aunt Claudia who reads tarot cards for tourists in the Bourbon Street district and seems to know an awful lot about voodoo legends and curses.

The prep school kids are cliquish and rude to Rebecca and consider her an outcast. Only one boy, Anton Grey, talks to her, but he is careful not to let his other "friends" know that he is nice to Rebecca. Once Rebecca follows Anton and his friends into the Lafayette Cemetery and stays hidden from view. As she is leaving, she stumbles upon a young girl named Lisette. Lisette is easy to talk to and tells Rebecca all about the history of New Orleans and the rich families who live near the cemetery. There's only one problem: Rebecca is the only one who can see Lisette--because Lisette is a ghost.

Rebecca and Lisette try to discover the reason that Lisette is not at rest. They also are thrown into danger when an old Haitian voodoo curse threatens Rebecca's life.

Part ghost story, part high school clique novel, Ruined is an entertaining read that will appeal to mystery and gothic readers who have a penchant for dark and gloomy places and mysterious happenings in the Big Easy (New Orleans). Recommended for YA collections grades 7-up.

Middle School Pick

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
by Jeff Kinney
Amulet Books, 2009.
217 pages

The fourth book in the Wimpy Kid series is a real joy. Jeff Kinney keeps the laughter coming with Greg Heffley's summer vacation--which turns out to be no real vacation at all. Greg recounts the grisly story of the muddy hand which can travel mysteriously across the United States and sneak up on unsuspecting middle school boys and kill them! His fear of the muddy hand causes much anxiety and sleep loss, until he finds a way to sleep with his entire face under the covers. He spends one night sleeping in the bathtub with all the bathroom lights on. Ridley, Greg's older brother, is his devious, bullying self. Greg's mom tries to start a Reading is Fun club for all the neighborhood children, but only has one member by the second meeting--Greg, of course!

Greg is terrified to go to the public pool, not because he's afraid of water, but because he's afraid of having to enter the pool area through the men's showers! Greg says, "The first time I walked through the men's locker room at the town pool was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life." The illustration with this statement shows really hairy men showering in a "common" shower and Greg looking mortified. Kinney's illustrations are spot on, and readers who enjoy a good joke will love this book.

Recommended for all collections, grades 4-up. Recommended for reluctant readers.

Middle School Pick

I So Don't Do Mysteries
by Barrie Summy

Scholastic, 2008.

264 pages

A really funny take on the traditional ghost story, this novel has readers laughing out loud at Sheri's (short for Sherlock) antics. She's a fashion diva with a hilarious sense of humor and a penchant for understatement. When she meets her mother's ghost--no kidding...her mother needs Sheri's help with a mystery in California...Sheri tries to say no. Eventually she ends up relenting and flies to California for a "vacation" with her best friend and elderly aunt. While her aunt takes care of a sick friend, Sheri locates her ghost mother and grandfather--who is now a bird in the afterlife. With their help, Sheri is out to solve the mystery of who is trying to kill the rhinos at the wild animal park and why.

Quirky, funny and appealing, this novel is a fun read for anyone who enjoys a mystery with just a little ghost story thrown in the mix.

Recommended for YA collections, grades 6-up.

Fantasy Pick

The Garden of Eve
by K.L. Going
Sandpiper Books/Houghton Mifflin, 2007.
234 pages.

After her mother's untimely death, Evie doesn't believe in fairy tales or magic anymore. If magic were real, wouldn't it have saved her mother? Evie's father moves them to New York state where he has bought a dried up apple orchard and a rickety house next to a cemetary. Evie can't stand the house or the apple orchard. When she sees a boy in the cemetary she befriends him even though she suspects he is a ghost!

An elderly lady gives Evie a box for her 11th birthday telling Evie that the box was left in her care and she was only to give the box to "Eve." Evie opens the box and sees a single seed. Is the seed magical? Where did it come from? What does it do?

Part fairy tale, part ghost story, part Biblical allusion, and symbolic throughout, this novel is magical, compelling, and poetic.

A must-read for grades 4-8. Older readers who enjoy fairy tales will enjoy this one. Simply fantastic!!!Highly recommended. Don't miss this book.



Teacher resources and more at www.klgoing.com

High School Pick

Creature of the Night
by Kate Thompson
Roaring Brook Press/Holtzbrinck Publishing, 2008.
250 pages.

Bobby leaves Dublin, Ireland, kicking, screaming, and swearing that he'll never move to the country. He vows to return to Dublin and his checkered past. Bobby's mother has other ideas; she moves Bobby and his younger brother Dennis to the Irish countryside to escape the poverty of Dublin and to get Bobby away from the bad influence of older neighborhood thugs who use Bobby as a "bag man." They know if he is caught by the police, they will let him go because of his age.

Bobby is quite a criminal for one so young--he is a practiced purse snatcher and thief, hot wiring and stealing cars, and joy riding all over Dublin. He is headed for prison for sure. This "urban fiction" book is today's version of The Outsiders.

Once in the country, the family settles into a cozy cottage with a shady past. It is whispered that an old couple killed their daughter in this cottage years before. They were never convicted and never faced time; still, where is that daughter? Then, more recently, a Swedish tourist rented the cottage and soon disappeared.

Irish folk tales of fairies and little people make this book magical and help cushion the volatile relationship between Bobby and his mother. The landlord and his family take an interest in Bobby and show him how to work their large farm. Bobby, although learning new skills, keeps trying to turn away from good and go back to his criminal past.

Kate Thompson walks a fine line in handling a fast paced plot with a tragic character who seems to have no shining qualities, telling a mystery story within the story, and sprinkling magical Irish fairy dust betwixt both. It takes artistry to evoke sympathy for a character like Bobby, a hardened youth, but Thompson is able to force the reader into caring what happens to Bobby and to root for him.

Several mysteries meet in the denouement but one question remains unanswered: Who really is the creature of the night? Class discussions and book groups would have a good time with this read.

Recommended for grade 8-high school readers.
Language, criminal behavior, adult situations. No sex.

High School Pick

Num8ers
by Rachel Ward
Chicken House/Scholastic, 2010.
325 pages.

In this gritty debut novel, Ward leads readers into the underbelly of the London slums. These are the mean streets, and the author doesn't sugar coat anything. Jem is 15 and being raised in foster care. When she was 8, Jem discovered her mother's lifeless body, a needle nearby. Since then, Jem has avoided people. She doesn't want to get close to anyone because one thing she knows for sure--all people die. Her mother's death is not the worst thing that has ever happened to Jem. The living nightmare that is her every waking hour happens when Jem looks at a person's face and sees a number--the number of their death date.

Jem soon finds a friend in loner Spider. A dysfunctional childhood causes Spider to seek out trouble, and he usually finds it. When Jem and Spider have to flee London, they are forced into terrible perils. Teen readers will like Jem and root for Spider. This novel is not a "feel good" read. It is gritty and grimy and ugly. Ward paints London in harsh colors--not the pretty, well-maintained streets with a "bobby" on every corner, but a dark London with alleys full of trash and drug dealers and creeps. Readers who like a story that is compelling and rough will probably like this novel.


Some sex, though not graphic, langauge, adult situations. Recommended for YA collections grade 8 and up.

Middle School Picks

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
by Jeff Kinney.
Amulet Books, 2009.
217 pages.

Funnier than the first two installments, this third book in the series is Jeff Kinney at his comic best. The plot line follows Greg Heffley during the school year; Kinney's illustrations are laugh out loud funny and goofy. The author has tapped into the middle school brain of a nerdy, wimpy kid. Greg and his best friend Rawley have grand plans for the year--they put together a time capsule and bury it in Rawley's yard. The note on the outside reads: "Do not open until time travel is possible." Just a few days later, in withdrawal stages from junk food, Greg digs it back up to retrieve the $3.00 he buried--he buys chips, a soda, and candy. So much for the time capsule.

Greg is now responsible for doing his own laundry, and in typical teen boy style, he decides he has enough clothes to last the entire school year if he wears everything in his closet. Late in the year, he is running out of clothes, especially underwear! He finally breaks down and wears the last pair--a pair of Wonder Woman underoos that were given to him at Christmas as a gag gift from his Uncle Charlie. Imagine the giggles when Greg's pants fall down and his underoos are exposed to the world!

Greg spends every waking moment planning how to say "hi" to a girl he likes. He never does get up the nerve, but it's pitifully funny to see him squirm. Greg's dad is on a mission to "de-wimpify" his son and it includes sending Greg to military school. Greg needs a plan and he needs one fast! Follow the hysterical adventures of Greg Heffley--your average wimpy kid. The movie of the first book is due out March 19--if it can capture Greg's sense of humor, it should be the first hit of the movie season. Recommended for all collections, grades 4 and up. Suitable for high school readers who like humor.

YA Pick

The Compound
by S.A. Bodeen
Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan), 2008.
248 pages.

This first novel was surprising. Surprisingly great! The Compound strikes close to home in this era of the Internet and streaming video where news stories hit the net within seconds. Because we are so aware of government coups, upheavals, gorilla warfare, and nukes, we are afraid of something happening as it does in this novel.

Eli and his family are forced into a safe compound underground built by his eccentric billionaire father. Eli's twin and grandmother don't make it before the iron door shuts. They are lost to the family. The world as Eli knew it has been destroyed by nukes and radiation. They are only safe stuck in the compound for the next fifteen years. The vault cannot be opened until fifteen years pass and the world is "safe" from nuclear fall-out. His father has planned this safe haven for years and stockpiled supplies, even medicine and a medical wing. They are prepared for anything. Except the livestock start dying, flour is running short, and they are facing a real food crisis. His father has planned for that. Every year a new Supplement joins the family. These are the offspring of Eli's mother and father--yes, children--, but they are not considered part of the family. They are raised in case the food runs out.

Eli and his sister find shocking news. They discover that their father has been in touch with the outside world through the Internet. They wonder, if there is Internet, people are still alive! And if there is Internet, most of the world must be normal! Eli confronts his father about the lies, and the novel continues to shock. Readers who like thrillers will love this one. Recommended for all YA collections, grades 7 and up.

COFFEHOUSE ANGEL, by Suzanne Selfors

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COFFEHOUSE ANGEL, by Suzanne Selfors

High School Picks

Coffeehouse Angel
by Suzanne Selfors.
Scholastic, 2009.
276 pages.

In this second novel, Selfors has a real gem. Instead of writing yet another para-normal vampire or werewolf romance or adventure, Selfors bucks the trend toward dark fiction and writes a sweet novel about a girl, a boy, a failing coffeehouse, an ailing grandmother, a mute waitress with a secret past, a small Norwegian-American town, a mean shopkeeper with an agenda, oh, and an angel. Selfors even pokes fun at the vampire trend, when Katrina thinks,"There are so many stories about girls dating vampires...Angels are supposed to be pure and sinless...It was kind of a relief that I wouldn't have to fend off blood-sucking or enchantment on our first date."

Katrina is a likeable girl who helps her grandmother run a small coffeehouse called Anna's. The problem is that a new coffee shop with lattes, mochas, and imported coffees has opened across the street and wants to put Anna's out of business. Katrina sees a homeless man sleeping the alley behind the shop and gives him free coffee and day-old pastry. Little does she know, he's an angel and now must grant her heart's desire. She has a hard time figuring out what her desire is, and the angel won't take "no" for an answer.



Readers will like Katrina and want the best for her and her grandmother. A surprise ending will delight. Recommended for YA readers. Those who like humor and light romance will likely enjoy this read. Grades 7-high school.

YA Picks

Ninth Grade Slays (The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, Book 2)
by Heather Brewer.
Scholastic, 2008.
278 pages.

The second installment in this series does not disappoint. Readers are "sucked" (pun intended) into the story by the second paragraph. A hunter for hire is after Vlad. Not only that, a vampire slayer shows up in town looking for any vampire to slay. Vlad truly has his hands full--trying to fool a hunter and a slayer and yet keep up his grades and try to get Meredith to notice him. This is no small feat--even if you are super-human!

Vlad learns skills from the greatest teacher in vampiredom. He is now able to read people's thoughts and to plant thoughts into their minds. He is even able to communicate telepathically with his Uncle Otis and Henry, who is not only Vlad's best friend, but has become his drudge--a faithful servant of a vampire.

This novel is even stronger than the first and much more fun. Readers who enjoyed the first novel will like the second and chomp at the bit to devour (again, pun intended) books three and four. Great fun, and recommended for YA collections. Grades 7-high school

YA Pick

Eighth Grade Bites (The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, Book One)
by Heather Brewer
Scholastic, 2007.
182 pages.

Meet Vladamir Tod. He's sometimes funny, sometimes sarcastic, sometimes moody, yet always hungry. Just your typical teen-age boy, right? Well, kinda--Vlad is "typical" in all areas except for the fact that his father was a very powerful vampire who turned his back on his own kind to marry a human, Vlad's mother. This fact alone makes Vlad a "marked man" in vampiredom; the true vampires think he's dangerous and want his father to answer for his actions in breaking vampire law.

Aunt Nellie raises Vlad after the untimely deaths of his parents. Nellie is not a blood (pun intended) relation at all--she was best friends with Vlad's mother. Lucky for Vlad, Nellie works in a hospital and is responsible for disposing all the blood near its "due date." Vlad happily feeds on the blood bags Nellie brings home.

Throughout the book, Vlad faces the usual worries of an 8th grade boy: shyness around girls, being bullied by two huge thugs, worries about not being popular, jealousy, oh, and add in the fact that a vampire wants to kill Vlad.

Brewer wins fans with the likeable friendship of Vlad and Henry. Readers will want to read the next books: Ninth Grade Slays and Tenth Grade Bleeds. The fourth installment is due out February 2010 with the paperback edition due out August 2010. Be on the look-out for a movie of Vlad. He is too likeable a character for Hollywood to pass up. Recommended for YA collections. Grade 6-up.

High School Picks

Wherever Nina Lies
by Lynn Weingarten
Scholastic, 2009.
316 pages.

In her debut novel, Weingarten weaves a tale of a missing girl, a murder, a botched romance, a devious psychopath, and a grieving sister who seeks answers for her sister Nina's disappearance. What starts out as a cross-country search for her missing sister ends in an exciting stand-off with police and the killer.

Ellie is heartbroken after her sister Nina vanishes. She has always wanted to be like Nina--to be impetuous, funny, well-liked, and pretty. Ellie seeks clues to why Nina would up and leave without even a note. She knows there's something wrong with Nina's disappearance and wants to find answers. Searching for clues, Ellie meets a new boy and finds herself falling for him. He agrees to accompany her on her search, and they set off in his car. They seek Nina in bus stations, restaurants, oldies record stores, tattoo parlors and rock concerts. The closer they seem to get to Nina, the closer Ellie gets to Sean. Ellie begins to question their relationship, and sees signs of trouble and outright danger. Sean is not what he appears. He sought Ellie out and befriended her on purpose, and is using their love to find Nina for himself. He has bad intentions and a bruised ego, and will stop at nothing to even the score.

The story is quirky in places, romantic in parts, and down-right scary before Ellie realizes the danger she's in. Wherever Nina Lies has a surprise ending. Teen readers will be attracted to the cover art. Language, sex, adult situations. Recommended grades 10-up.

YA Pick

Witch & Wizard
by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet
Little Brown and Company, 2009.
314 pages.

Teen readers will be drawn to this novel for three reasons: the large "W" ablaze dominating the cover, the words "witch" and "wizard" in the title, and those readers who followed the Maximum Ride series will want to read Patterson's latest YA novel.

Siblings Wisty and Whit Allgood are awakened in the middle of the night by armed thugs who arrest them, transport them to a "trial," and drop them off at a sadistic prison. The old government has been overthown and replaced by a maniac who refers to himself as "The One Who Is The One." The Allgood teens are dangerous to the new order because of their powers. Wisty and Whit discover that they are a witch and a wizard, respectively. As they begin to harness their powers, they befriend a ghost or "curve" who helps them escape the prison through the Shadowlands, a dangerous otherworld where spirits, and sometimes, humans, roam. Later, they join a gang of likeminded kids who hope to overthrow the new regime and fulfill a prophecy that kids will rule and peace will come.

This is a quick read with chapters only 2-4 pages in length. Each chapter ends on a suspenseful note to keep those pages turning. Action and adventure readers will enjoy this novel. Patterson continues to use a formula he has had past success with: working with another author who is comfortable in the children's and YA lit market. Charbonnet, with over 75 titles to her credit, is best known for the Babysitter's Club Baby Sister's books.

The ending of this novel makes possible a slew of sequels. As prolific a writer as Patterson is, he will likely churn out a whole series.

Recommended for YA collections. Grades 6-high school.

Mystery Pick

Closed for the Season
by Mary Downing Hahn
Clarion Books, 2009.
182 pages

When Logan moves to a new town, he has no idea his new home is the "murder house." Neighbors tell his family that Mrs. Donaldson was murdered there years before, and the murderer never caught. Not only that, there's the case of the missing money. Thousands of dollars is missing and it is believed that Mrs. Donaldson stole the money from the local amusement park where she worked. Gossip has it that the murderer found the money, killed Mrs. Donaldson, and hightailed it.

The Magic Forest now sits empty, dark, and foreboding. It's broken down and taken over by vegetation and swallowed by kudzo vines. Logan and his new "friend" Arthur are drawn to the park and the mystery of the missing money. As they begin to uncover clues, they find themselves deep in trouble. Who are the good guys? Who do we trust? Are people really who they say they are?

Hahn is always a great storyteller with an "ear" for kids' dialog. She makes us laugh along with the nerdy kids and cheer when they win. A former children's librarian, Hahn must have spent a great deal of time studying her "subjects."

A great read for grades 5-8 and older readers who enjoy a mystery.
Highly recommended.