Review: THE WHISPERING SKULL (Lockwood & Company #2) by Jonathan Stroud

4.33 STARS from 1,224 GoodReaders

"Don't look now," Lockwood said. "There's two of them."

I snatched a glance behind me and saw that he was right. Not far off, on the other side of the glade, a second ghost had risen from the earth. Like the first, it was a pale, manshaped curtain of mist that hovered above the dark, wet grass.  Its head, too, seemed oddly skewed, as if broken at the neck.

I glared at it, not so much terrified as annoyed. For twelve months I'd been working for Lockwood & Co. as a Junior Field Operative, tackling spectral Visitors of every horrific shape and size. Broken necks didn't bother me the way they used to. "What?" I said. "Where did he come from?"

There was a rasp of Velcro as Lockwood pulled his rapier clear of his belt. "Doesn't matter. I'll keep an eye on him. You keep watching yours."

I turned back to my position. The original apparition still floated about ten feet or so from the edge of the iron chain. It had been with us for almost five minutes now, and was growing in clarity all the time. I could see the bones on the arms and legs, and the connecting knots of gristle. The wispy edges of the shape had solidified into flecks of rotted clothing: a loose white shirt, dark tattered breeches ending at the knee.

Waves of cold radiated from the ghost. Despite the warm summer night, the dew below the dangling toe bones had frozen into glittering shards of frost.

THE WHISPERING SKULL is the second installment in Stroud's Lockwood & Company series. And if you loved the first book you'll be pleased as punch with this one too.

If you remember, in THE SCREAMING STAIRCASE we were left with a hint that George's Skull in a Jar wasn't done talking with Lucy. And indeed, in this book he does play a fuller role. And in fact we find out who the skull belongs to. Not that he dominates the story in any sense, but the skull becomes an active player, as does a very peculiar Flo Bones.

Flo --who Lucy describes as a grubby, shambling figure -- is a relic-woman who works the shores of the Thames looking for bits of haunted material that she can sell. She is one of Lockwood's informants.  She joins the cast of familiars which include Quill Kipp and the rest of the Fittes crew. 

I swung the rapier up.

The mouth gaped, the sockets flared with greenish fire. With terrible speed, it flung itself forward. I screamed, jumped back. The ghost collided with the barrier a few inches from my face. A bang, a splash of ectoplasm.  Burning flecks rained down on the muddy grass outside the circle.

Now the pale figure was ten feet further back, quivering and steaming.

"Watch it, Lucy," George said. "You just stepped on my head."

Lockwood's voice was hard and anxious. "What happened? What just happened back there?"

I'm fine," I said. "He attacked, but the iron drove him off. If he does it again, I'll use a flare."

The whispering skull might whisper but the item that is the center of a massive hunt is a mysterious black glass mirror housed in a casing of bone. Haunted bone, of course. And this mirror has been missing since the night Bickerstaff was forced to look into it. He died that night and the be-robed parties that waited expectantly to find out what he saw, fled. Some went home or abroad, while some merely went mad.  

And when the mirror once again comes to light, DEPRAC sends Kipps and his Fittes team, and Lockwood and Company searching for it.

I didn't find THE WHISPERING SKULL quite as tension fraught as the first book. I suppose this might be due to the fact that I'm more convinced of the team's abilities. The writing, of course, is excellent and the world totally convincing and believable.

Highly recommend this series.

Pam~


The Whispering Skull
(Lockwood and Company #2)
(Disney/Hyperion)
by Jonathan Stroud

Reading Information:
Word Count: 105,585
Page Count:  400
Accelerated Reader: 5.2 / points: 16.0
AR quiz: 168794
Lexile: 670L
--sample pages and reviews available

See the Review and Reading info for THE SCREAMING STAIRCASE

updated December 2014

Review: THE SCREAMING STAIRCASE (Lockwood & Company) by Jonathan Stroud

~ADULT WORTHY!

4.24 STARS from 3,321 GoodReaders

Sherlock Holmes. That's what I thought of when I read this book. THE SCREAMING STAIRCASE gave me the same pleasure as the Arthur Conan Doyle books did. 

Granted the storyline is vastly different.  Doyle might have suggested the mysterious and the macabre but his feet were solidly set in reality.  Stroud's book is not.  It's a fantasy, but it's not treated as one.  There's no loopy magic or dragons.  Instead Stroud defines his universe and it seems very proper and reasonable.

BACKSTORY:

Fifty years before this story takes place the world changed. Ghostly phenomena, which had previously been the subject of television and movies, moved into 'real life'.  And not only did ghosts erupt onto the scene, they were much more numerous than anyone expected, and they were perversely powerful.

Society was at a loss. And a large part of the problem was that adults couldn't sense the ghosts. Not until it was too late. Children though... children could see them and/or hear them, and thus it was that society reevaluated child exploitation, and youngsters began to be hired for their abilities to sense and defeat the ghosts with the aid of adult managers and the Fitts Manual. That latter is a book that categorizes the apparitions by type and power, and which also outlines and describes the skills and tools needed to put an end to the ghosts.

SKIP OVER AND START READING

THE SCREAMING STAIRCASE begins with the introduction of our narrator, Lucy.  We're given the short curriculum vitae and then we follow her as she goes to London seeking employment with Lockwood and Company. 

Lockwood is Anthony Lockwood. He's roughly Lucy's age, but unlike all of the other child agents, he runs his own firm and doesn't work under the guidance of an adult. 

And 'Company' really means George. George is the academic of the bunch. A library geek and not without features of interest.  But it is Lucy's relationship with the two that grabbed my attention.  Lucy's a fabulous character. She's smart and brave and what most of us want in a female character --she's strong.  And when it comes to the cast, Lockwood is 'Holmes' to Lucy's 'Watson'.  There's no sappy romance. They are peers. 

I could gush on but it comes down to this. THE SCREAMING STAIRCASE is a fabulously Good story with Good characters and Solid world-building.  I adore this book and HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.

Pam~

[YA. Not for children. It's not all that gory, but it is scary with events that might be too intense for younger readers.]


LOCKWOOD & CO. -- THE SCREAMING STAIRCASE
by Jonathan Stroud

Reading Information:
Word Count: 92,073
Page Count: 400
Accelerated Reader: 5.1 / points: 14.0
AR quiz: 160996
Lexile: 720L
--sample pages available
--audio version available (it's under the bookcover on amazon. Do listen to it.)
--see introductory pages on this blog

Review: WEST OF THE MOON by Margi Preus

3.84 STARS from 51 GoodReaders

**Starred Review** Kirkus

**Starred Review** ALA BookList

**Starred Review** SchoolLibraryJournal

WEST OF THE MOON is a wonderful book set in Norway in the 1800s.

The story was inspired by a curious entry in the author's great-great grandmother's diary. Linka Preus, it seems, was on-board a ship coming to America when she saw a farm girl sitting all alone. There's really not more that is said than that, but that brief description was all it took to stir up Margi Preus' imagination. 

Backstory

As the book begins Astri (13 yo) is living with her little sister, Greta, in her aunt's and uncle's home.  Their mother died in childbirth some years before, and her father is now absent because he has ventured off to America hoping to find a better life, with the expectation that they will later join him.

But what a terrible mistake this plan is.  The aunt and uncle care little for the children and it isn't long before Astri is being sold-off to a hermit. In exchange for some coins and a haunch of goat, she is sent to be his housekeeper, goatherd and heaven knows what else.  **highlight text to read spoiler. (There is one scene where he tries to pull her into bed with him, but she fights him off. His response is that in the spring he will see the two of them properly married, at which point he can do as he will.) **

Mr. Svaalberd, who Astri calls "Goatbeard" is a harsh master and it isn't long before Astri dreams of escaping.  But how to work it all out. She refuses to leave without her little sister. And they can't just escape without money and a place to go.

There are a number of elements I really liked about WEST OF THE MOON.  First, I love the language that Margi Preus chose, and how she wove the folktales into the story. [sample pages available] Astri uses them to calm her sister Greta, and as a means to try to understand her life. It worked so very well to keep the momentum going.

And then there were the little mysteries that arose.  Who was the mysterious girl in the back shed and how did she get there? And where was Mr. Svaalberd as they were trying to escape?  And exactly what kind of book is it that their father left them?

And of course, none of this would have worked however without good characters.  I thought that Greta acted as a perfect foil to Astri's hard ways.  She was sweet and generous which contrasted with how hard and serious Astri was.  Then again, Astri couldn't afford to be as innocent as her sister or they would have both perished.

WEST OF THE MOON is a fascinating book that is going to appeal to Adults as well as Adults as well as Young Adults and even some Middle-graders.  

RECOMMEND, with a few caveats. (see below**)

Pam~

**What you should know is that while Preus uses fairytales that this book contains a good bit that is realistic.  There is hardship, hunger, some violence, and an attempted rape. I don't mean to indicate that the book is a gore fest, only that it might not be for more sensitive readers.

WEST OF THE MOON
by Margi Preus

Reading Information:
Word Count: 42,852
Page Count: 224
Accelerated Reader: 5.2 / points: 7.0
AR quiz: 165209
--sample pages and reviews available

Review: TANDEM by Anna Jarzab

3.83 STARS from 472 GoodReaders
ADULT O'METER  .............. approach with caution 

In one world a princess is faced with difficult decisions.  And ultimately she decides that it would be best for everyone if she just runs away.

Unfortunately not everyone thinks this is a great decision as her absence will lead to terrible war.  And so, to prevent that war, they look to a parallel world for the princess' stunt double.

Enter Sasha.  She's 16 year's old and living her life, going to school, thinking about homework and boys, and suddenly she's snatched up and hurled into a world where she is one of the most important pawns in a complicated game.  And she must play her role impeccably, or else she'll never be able to return home.

If Sasha succeeds in fooling everyone, she will be returned home; if she fails, she'll be trapped in another girl's life forever. As time runs out, Sasha finds herself torn between two worlds, two lives, and two young men vying for her love--one who knows her secret, and one who thinks she's someone she's not.

There are strengths to TANDEM. The world building was very good, and the explanation for the parallel worlds was interesting. As well, the descriptions of persons/actions/places was also good.

What didn't work for me was the fact that this was VERY girlie fiction. Nothing wrong with that in a general sense, but there was a lot of focus on how everybody felt, and on hurt feelings with the usual romantic misunderstandings.  Too squee! for me.

Other readers were repulsed by the fact that Sasha fell in love with her kidnapper.  Too Stockholm Syndrome for them.

Ultimately what made this a skimmer-read for me was:  #1, to dang long.  This book needed an plot diet. And #2, I just didn't connect with the any of the characters.

A perfectly decent read for young adults of the princess persuasion. Not a book I'd recommend to any guys, or readers like myself that prefer their Lit a little less frou-frou.

Pam~


TANDEM
(Many-Worlds Trilogy #1) 
by Anna Jarzab

Reading Information:
Word Count: 114,742
Page Count:  448
Accelerated Reader: 5.6 / points: 18.0
AR quiz: 165245
Lexile: HL770L

Review: SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo

4.11 Stars from 28,228 GoodReaders
NYTimes Best Seller
**Starred Review** SchoolLibraryJournal

SHADOW AND BONE is book one of The Grisha series by Leigh Bardugo.  It's a book that has gained fans amongst YA readers, and there's talk of a movie deal as well.

Setting

The setting is wonderful. It's moody and the over all feeling of the book is Russian-esque.

Backstory

The story takes place in a magical land called Kavka.  Kavka is ruled by the King and his second in command, The Darkling.

Alina and Mal are orphans who are bound together by trust... and possibly a love interest.  They take on minor roles within the King's army, and aren't considered very important.  That is until they get convoy duty.

Kavka has for centuries been divided into east and west by the Shadow Fold, a place of darkness and danger.  Within the Shadow Fold there is no natural light, so if you want to see anything you must use torches. Unfortunately no one wants to use torches because those attract wickedly bad monsters.

People still have to cross the Fold because they need access to the ports, and this is "the why" behind Alina and Mal finding themselves inside of the Fold doing convoy duty. Alina and Mal are part of the soldier force that accompanies the goods; and they and everyone else is counting on the Grisha, who are sorcerers, to protect them should the monsters attack.

Well, of course, they attack, and in order to keep Mal from being killed, Alina discovers a previously unknown power.  It's a power that will elevate her status, and also make her hunted.

Most Young Adult readers will like this story, but I can't strongly recommend it to Adults.  The writing and world building is good, but the plotting is frequently slow, and inevitably inane.

In fact, the plot becomes entirely predictable.  Which is okay if you've fallen in love with the characters, but disappointing if you find them a little too shallow and vacuous.

Pam~


SHADOW AND BONE
by Leigh Bardugo

Reading Information:
Word Count: 81,215
Page Count: 368
Accelerated Reader:  5.3 / points: 12.0
AR Quiz: 151863
 Lexile: 800L
--sample pages and other reviews available
--audio version available
--sample e-chapters available

If this book piques your interest, you might want to check out:

• SERAPHINA
• GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS (most excellent)
• GRACELING

Review: THESE BROKEN STARS by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

4.21 STARS from 751 GoodReaders

The blurb ( Disney-Hyperion):

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they're worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.

ps -- I'm telling you about this book a little early
so you can pre-order and get it in your own hands, or the hands of your minions, so that you have a great read ready for the Holiday break.

THESE BROKEN STARS was a real treat.  The writing is excellent, but what was even better was the fact that Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner totally surprised and delighted me with their plot twists.  

The early buzz about this book used the words 'the Titanic in Space' and I have to say that that did not intrigue me.

But in a way that description was correct.  There's a disaster at the beginning and many people die. Fortunately though that's just the first little bit of the story. And even more fortunate for me was that I ignored that descriptor and instead glombed onto the notion that there would be a fight to survive on a deserted planet.  I'm totally good with a survival story. 

Backstory

Lilac is the only child of THE richest man in the known universe.  Papa loves her dearly and surrounds her with all sorts of guards and protectors and no one gets in, and stays in, that inner circle unless he says so.

Her counterpoint is Tarver.  Tarver comes from a loving family of artsy-fartsy folk.  And despite the fact that he keeps a journal, he's a war hero.  Not a super killer or anything cliche like that, but a guy who just happened to be in the right place for his skills and cool head to be enough to save the day.

And it's because of his TV-friendly hero status that the two meet briefly.  Tarver doesn't know who she is, but there's a gathering on this huge space liner Lilac's daddy owns, and their paths cross.

It doesn't work out well as her entourage forces her to snub him, but you can tell that the two are attracted to each other, and that attraction lets you know that this book is in many ways a Romance novel.

NOW, having scared you with the Romance word, let me say that there is enough scifi in this book to make it a good read.  And it's entirely possible that guy's would like THESE BROKEN STARS.  But they will have to wade through the first part of the book before the Awesomesauce begins.

It sort of goes like this...

The first half of this book reads like a well written space adventure.  The two of them spar and survive.  BUT in the second half of the book everything changes.  The story takes a sweeping turn and gets creepy and mysterious, and I for one wasn't sure where things were headed.  The world wasn't what it appeared to be, and in fact, the universe wasn't exactly how it seemed.  Very cool.  And very much something like what Keith Laumer or even young Heinlein might have penned.

Dazzling first book.  It was familiar in parts and then it evolved into something wonderfully original.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND.  Tis ADULT WORTHY.

Pam~


To Be Published 12/10/13
THESE BROKEN STARS 
 (Starbound #1)
by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Reading Information:
Word Count: 102,877
Page Count: 384
Accelerated Reader: 5.7 / points: 16.0
AR quiz: 164929
--sample pages and reviews available

• READ IT!  YES, read a sample.  Kaufman & Spooners writing will draw you in...

Review: A MEDAL FOR LEROY by Michael Morpurgo

 4.26 STARS from 90 GoodReaders

A MEDAL FOR LEROY is a book that you are likely to hear a lot about.  It's a story that spans the Two Great World Wars of the last century, and most of the adult reviewers at GoodReads and Amazon.UK and -US have been raving about it. 

Backstory

There is more than one backstory as Morpurgo has chosen a story-within-a-story format.  I'll leave WWI alone, as that is where some of the mystery of of this book resides, and instead begin with the main character, a boy of mixed-race named Michael.

Now normally I wouldn't mention anything about a character's "race", but it's important within the context of this book, because A MEDAL FOR LEROY is about the evils of racial prejudice.  And certainly those evils were in play during the World Wars.

The book begins with Michael's situation.  He's called "Poodle" by his school mates, but it doesn't bother Michael much because he gets along well with them. Michael lives with his mom, and the only other family members he knows are two aunts. The women who raised his father.

Michael's father isn't around because he died crossing the channel, and that's essentially all that the boy knows because the women in his life are keeping everything about his father's life and death a secret--except for the fact that he had been in the military, and he had won medals.

And so, the book is about the unrolling of these secrets.


Now something about the target audience.  

I have seen magazines and other sources suggest this book for children as young as 10 years of age.  My  reaction would be: no, no, no.  A MEDAL FOR LEROY is very slow to start.  There are at least 68 pages before Michael sits down and begins reading the history his aunts finally reveal to him.

Before that we just get a kids-eye view of Michael's world; with the highs and lows of school life, and how he loves his aunts but isn't particularly thrilled with the visits to them, except for getting to play with their dog.  So unless you have a very patient Tween, I'd suggest this book for a much older reader.

Homeschoolers and teachers might want to use this book in conjunction with a history unit, but I don't feel it would be a particularly good choice as there is not a great deal of era specific information provided.  There are no descriptions of life during or between the wars, for example, and nothing in the tone of the writing that would give children a 'feel for how things were'.  The author's focus is on character, instead of time and place.

For example, Michael's mother takes him to a "Milk Bar" but there's no description at all of what it looks like inside.  And we aren't told about the Nazi bombings, nor the deprivation that the British endured.

I think instead that the book might better be used as a Social Studies supplement to a unit on Prejudice --assuming it wasn't just being read for the joy of it.  (Please point out that in the past that the heroic deeds of women and racial minorities were kept out of historical accounts because of prejudice.)

CONCLUSION
A MEDAL FOR LEROY is a story about love and prejudice.  On one level the characters love and caring for one another is uplifting and heartwarming.  But counterpoint to that is the infuriating prejudice that caused the characters so much pain.

I'd suggest this book for older readers.  As I said, it's a bit slow to start, and the story is more thoughtful than action filled.  [[It's not, in my opinion, a guy-read.  Although there will be guys, of course, that love it.]]

Pam~


A MEDAL FOR LEROY
by  Michael Morpurgo

Reading Information:
Word Count: 22,476
Accelerated Reader: 5.1 / points: 3.0
ARquiz: 164037
Lexile: 860L
--click-thru to see sample pages and reviews

Review: THE TRUE STORY OF THANKSGIVING by Colleen Adams

I thought THE TRUE STORY OF THANKSGIVING from PowerKids Press could have been much better.

For example, if you take a look at the above page, you will note that there is no spacing between paragraphs.  And with the letters being VERY large (which I don't think you can fully appreciate in this image) it makes all of the pages of text ugly. 

The images aren't much better.  And while I really liked the use of classic artwork and the wood cuttings, I thought the switch to garishly printed modern photographs was less than appealing.

This page shows up better in this copy of mine
than in the book where it's 'muddy'.

Factually the book is better.  Although I thought it was strange that the author wrote that during the first winter in Plymouth that the pilgrims planted crops.  [Given the snowy environment that sounds strange.]

And I regret that the author missed out on an opportunity to point out that one reason that the treaty between the Wampanoag's and Pilgrims took place was because the Native Americans were tired of the Pilgrims robbing and stealing from them.  That would seem a fun and kid-friendly factoid that most watered-down history books don't talk about.

And as you can see from page 18, the BIG debunk is actually very mild.  Mostly having to do with the feast taking place over 3 days, rather than one.  And with small things like food selection and standing up instead of sitting.

Can't really recommend.  For a book at the 5th grade reading level, it's conceptually too simple and just not fun enough.

Pam~


THE TRUE STORY OF THANKSGIVING
(What Really Happened?)
by Colleen Adams

Reading Information:
Word Count: 1,327
Page Count: 24
Accelerated Reader: 5.0 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 126090


compiled by Pam
updated November 2014

BOOK DU JOUR - MINETTE'S FEAST

**Starred Review** ALA BookList

**Starred Review** Kirkus

**Starred Review** SchoolLibraryJournal

Amy Bates' illustrations in Minette's Feast are luscious and warm.  And isn't it wonderful to have a book about someone who cooks to share with our children.

Minette's Feast
The Delicious Story Of Julia Child And Her Cat
by Suzanne Reich and Amy Bates, illustrator

Reading Information:

Word Count: 1,624

Page Count: 40
Accelerated Reading level: 5.1 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 152229

• Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers (2012)
• ISBN-10: 1419701770
• sample pages available

Pokémon - ASH BATTLES HIS RIVALS!

ASH BATTLES HIS RIVALS! is a fun book that certainly will appeal to young Pokémon fans.  The focus is on the people Ash met in the Sinnoh region and, of course, the battles that took place there.  Here's the table of contents to give you an idea of who and what is covered.

Contents:

Meet Ash and Pikachu
Welcome to Sinnoh!
Meet Dawn
Meet Brock
Meet Some of the Villains
Nando
Nando's Pokémon
Nando Meets Ash!
Conway
Conway's Pokémon
Conway Meets Ash!
Barry
Barry's Pokémon
Ash Battles Barry!
Paul
Paul's Pokémon
Ash Faces Paul!
Conclusion

And below is a sample page.  As you can see there is a lot of text per page, and yet the font is large.  What you should know is that regardless of the    tag,  this book is at the 5th Grade reading level.  (see reading information below)

Here's a sample of an alternative type of page.  One that features each contestant's Pokémon.

What I liked about this book is that it appeals to boys -- especially boys (and girls) that have a difficult time slowing down to 'find time' to read.  And because it's Pokémon it's suitable for younger children that read above grade level.

My own wishes would be that it was written at an easier level.  3rd Grade would be perfect.  I also wish more of the landscape was taken up with artwork, as that can be vital in keeping the attention of young readers.

Do recommend this one!  It would be good for school or home shelves. 

Pam T

blogger and mom to a Pokémon fanatic



ASH BATTLES HIS RIVALS!
by Simcha Whitehill

Reading Information:
Word Count:  4248
Page Count:  48
Accelerated Reading level: 5.7 / points: 1.0
AR quiz: 147118

• Publisher: BRADY GAMES (August 29, 2011)
• ISBN-10: 0756653940

Minette's Feast: The Delicious Story Of Julia Child And Her Cat

**Starred Review** ALA BookList
**Starred Review** Kirkus
**Starred Review** SchoolLibraryJournal

I brought Minette's Feast home from the library because I wanted to introduce my children to Julia. You see, I have been a Julia Child groupie for some time. In fact, I can remember sitting as a young child mystified by the complexities of her demonstrations on her PBS show, and though I wasn't particularly interested in haute cuisine at the time, I was still inexplicably drawn to her voice and stories.

Suzanne Reich gives adults like me a kid-friendly way to introduce Ms. Child to children. Using a cat as a central focus, she weaves a story about Julia's "food revelation" in Paris. How she went from housewife to Cordon Bleu trained chef. How she tried to please Minette, but how Minette remained unmoved by the improvement in Julia's cooking. She was afterall, a cat.

Sometimes, the "nice old fish lady" at the
marketplace gave Julia luscious fish heads for Minette.
Julia would cook them up in a pot.
Perhaps she'd add a dollop of scrumptious "chicken
liver custard."

Minette might even take a nibble.

But it seemed that mouse and bird were really much preferred.

The illustrations in Minette's Feast are lovely. Amy Bates' colors are warm and luscious, and I love, love, love the expressions she gives Julia. They truly show her delight in finding her true calling.


Susanna Reich's writing is fun as well. She captures 'catness' to a T. And I like that she makes it clear that Julia had to struggle to master her craft.

Other things you can point out to children is how in other places and times people live differently than in our country. You can point out and discuss, for example, how for most of the last century that women simply did not normally work outside the home. And you can also explain that even today all mommies (and/or dads) do not necessarily go to a single large shopping center to buy their groceries. They might instead go, like Julia did, to a bakery, and then a butcher, and then a cheese shop.

I think the cat-and-mouse games will keep everyone interested. There are a few French phrases thrown in. But just enough to make the text interesting.

Would make a lovely and different gift.

Pam T
Somewhere in the X-burbs

Minette's Feast
The Delicious Story Of Julia Child And Her Cat
by Suzanne Reich and Amy Bates, illustrator

Reading Information:

Word Count: 1,624

Page Count: 40
Accelerated Reading level: 5.1 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 152229

• Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers (2012)
• ISBN-10: 1419701770
• sample pages available

Older readers might also be interested in this longer book about Julia Child and her cats (apparently the year for such things) --Julia's Cats: Julia Child's Life in the Company of Cats -- by Patricia Barey and Therese Burson.

• Hardcover: 145 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams

2012 YALSA "Teen Choice" Nominees

From YALSA:

The Teens' Top Ten is a "teen choice" list, where teens nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year! Nominators are members of teen book groups in sixteen school and public libraries around the country.

The Young Adult Library Services Association is a wonderful organization. And one of the fun and useful things they do every year is sponsor a Teen's Choice List. The 2012 Voting takes place between August 13th to September 13th, but we have the 24 nominated books listed here -- with the usual award and reading information. If you want to vote, or want more information on YALSA or this program, go here: 2012 Teens’ Top Ten Nominations

We've listed the books by reading level.


PAGE BY PAIGE
by Laura Lee Gulledge

Paige Turner's life is uprooted and overturned when her family moves to Brooklyn from rural Virginia. Using her sketchbook she tries to make sense of this 'new world'.

Word Count: 8,718
Page Count: 192
Accelerated Reading level: 3.0 / points: 1.0
AR quiz: 147931

• Publisher: Amulet Book
• ISBN-10: 0810997223
• sample pages available

BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY
by Ruta Sepetys

**Starred Review** Kirkus
**Starred Review** PublishersWeekly
**Starred Review** School Library Journal
**Starred Review** Booklist

15 year-old Lina, her mother, and brother are sent to Siberia. Only her secretly created art and the hope that one day she might be be reunited with her father keeps her going. (YA)

Word Count: 64,750
Page Count: 368
Accelerated Reading level: 3.6 / points: 9.0
AR quiz: 142569

• Publisher: Speak
• ISBN-10: 014242059X
• sample pages available

ALL GOOD CHILDREN
by Catherine Austen

Max, his sister Ally and their mother return home to Middleton to find Ally’s classmates acting strange. Turns out that the government has created a “vaccine” that makes kids so much easier to live with and teach. Now the decision Max's family has to make is go along with the rest of the parents or flee.

Really enjoyed this book and can't understand why it hasn't gotten wider press. ALL GOOD CHILDREN is not an action-driven dystopia. Instead it's a great book with good world building and characters.

Word Count: 73,559
Page Count: 312
Accelerated Reading level: 4.1 / points: 10.0
AR quiz: 147391

• Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
• ISBN-10: 1554698243
• sample pages available

ALL THESE THINGS I'VE DONE
(Birthright #1)
by Gabrielle Zevin

**Starred Review** Booklist

In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, takes it all in stride until her ex is accidentally poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame.

Word Count: 90,447
Page Count: 368
Accelerated Reading level: 4.4 / points: 13.0
AR quiz: 146009
Lexile: HL

• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
• ISBN-10: 0374302103
• sample pages available

Because It Is My Blood (September 18, 2012)
(Birthright #2)



SCARLET
by A. C. Gaughen

Will Scarlett is one of the Merry Men, Robin Hood’s legendary band of thieves, but what few people know is that Will Scarlett is actually...a girl! Disguised as a boy to escape from her past, Scarlett robs from the rich and gives to the poor. When an old enemy of Scarlett’s appears, she must choose: Keep her identity hidden? Or keep the people of Nottingham safe?

Word Count: 70,771
Page Count: 304
Accelerated Reading level: 4.4 / points: 10.0
AR quiz: 151137

• Publisher: Walker Childrens
• ISBN-10: 0802723462
• sample pages available

SHINE
By Lauren Myracle

When her best friend falls victim to a horrible hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover the culprits in her backwoods town in North Carolina.

Word Count: 78,687
Page Count: 376

Accelerated Reading level: 4.4 / points: 11.0
AR quiz: 143631
Lexile: HL

• Publisher: Amulet Books
• ISBN-10: 0810984172
• sample pages available

HOW TO SAVE A LIFE
by Sara Zarr

**Starred Review** Kirkus
**Starred Review** PublishersWeekly
**Starred Review** School Library Journal
**Starred Review** Booklist

A year after Jill’s father dies, her mother decides to adopt a baby Mandy’s been living in different places, but now that she’s pregnant, she wants to make sure her baby has the love and support she never did. A story of two girls dealing with grief, new life, and everything in between when their paths cross.

Word Count: 86,114
Page Count: 352
Accelerated Reading level: 4.4 / points: 12.0
AR quiz: 147220
Lexile: HL

• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• ISBN-10: 0316036064
• sample pages available

TEMPEST
by Julie Cross

**Starred Review** Kirkus

Jackson is a typical college kid until the day his girlfriend, Holly, is shot. Jackson decides he must use his one incredible gift, the ability to time travel. He goes back in time two years, trying to discover a way to alter the future so that Holly lives. The future is full of uncertainty and the past is full of betrayal- is there anyone Jackson can trust?

Word Count: 97,574
Page Count: 352
Accelerated Reading level: 4.6 / points: 14.0
AR quiz: 148730

• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• ISBN-10: 0312568894
• sample pages available

HOURGLASS
by Myra McEntire

Emerson Cole sees dead people- ghosts from the past blending in with her surroundings. When a new consultant from a secretive organization shows up at her door to try to cure her, everything changes. But diving into the world of the mysterious Hourglass Society proves to be dangerous as the past merges with the present.

Word Count: 84,556
Page Count: 416
Accelerated Reading level: 4.6 / points: 12.0
AR quiz: 144263

• Publisher: EgmontUSA
• ISBN-10: 1606843842
• sample pages available

A MONSTER CALLS
by Patrick Ness

**Starred Review** Kirkus
**Starred Review** PublishersWeekly
**Starred Review** School Library Journal
**Starred Review** Booklist

Conor's sleep isn't what it used to be. His mother is deathly sick from chemo and now it seems there's a monster that wants to chat him up.

A very different book from Ness. And I have to say that it caught me entirely off-guard. The beginning led me to think this was going to be a middle-grade sort of book. But that was just the author being sneaking. Very moving. Definitely going to need tissues with this one. Thought provoking and recommended.

Word Count: 33,446
Page Count: 224
Accelerated Reading level: 4.8 / points: 5.0
AR Quiz: 147163

• Publisher: Candlewick
• ISBN-10: 0763655597
• sample pages available

DIVERGENT

(Divergent #2)
by Veronica Roth

**Starred Review** PublishersWeeklyAbnegation (selfless), Erudite (intelligence), Candor (honesty), Amity (peace), or Dauntless (brave): where would you fit? Beatrice lives in a society where she must choose either to remain with her family’s faction or set off towards independence and her beliefs. And what happens when the unity between these factions begins to fall apart?

Divergent is a fast-paced romance-driven read. Told in First Person, readers who liked Hunger Games and are tolerant of long drawn out romances are likely to find it just as interesting. Upon reading book#2 we've had to back off of our hardy recommendation. Indulgent Insurgent requires quite a bit of 'suspension of disbelief'. But still a fun summer-read type of book.

Some language, some sexual content, some romance (a note I add for some guys who asked me to add notes about such things).

Word Count: 105,143
Page Count: 576
Accelerated Reading level: 4.8 / points: 16.0
AR quiz: 144400
Lexile: HL

• Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
• ISBN-10: 0062024035
• sample pages available

Insurgent
(Divergent #2)
Word Count: 106,028
Page Count: 544
Accelerated Reading level: 5.0 / points: 16.0
AR quiz: 151402



LEGEND

(Legend #1)
by Marie Lu

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Word Count: 75,464
Page Count: 336
Accelerated Reading level: 4.8 / points: 11.0
AR quiz: 148251

• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
• ISBN-10: 039925675X
• sample pages available

Prodigy
(Legend #2)



WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE
by Sarah Dessen

Ever since Mclean’s parents divorced, she has lived in four towns in two years – each time taking on a new persona. Mclean expects to leave Lakeview in six months, but soon finds that she doesn’t want to – she just wants to be herself.

Word Count: 105,444
Page Count: 432
Accelerated Reading level: 4.8 / points: 16.0
AR quiz: 143325
Lexile: HL

• Publisher: Speak
• ISBN-10: 0142423831
• sample pages available

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE
(Across the Universe #1)
by Beth Revis

**Starred Review** Kirkus
Scifi based, the action takes place on a colossally large spaceship without FLT travel. Important people are frozen. The rest of the ship has citizens that carry on with agriculture and what-not in depressing circumstances. Wasn't supposed to be like that but something went wrong a few generations back... but what?

This one has a bit of romance, some adventure, and some good mysteries to solve. Across the Universe was a good read. A Million Suns did not please as many people.

Word Count: 98,469
Page Count: 416
Accelerated Reading level: 4.9 / points: 15.0
AR quiz: 142333
Lexile: HL

• Publisher: Razorbill
• ISBN-10: 1595144676
• sample pages available

A Million Suns
(Across the Universe #2)
Word Count: 95,579Page Count: 400
Accelerated Reading level: 5.1 / points: 14.0
AR quiz: 148963
Shades of Earth (January 15, 2013)
(Across the Universe #3)



THIS DARK ENDEAVOR: THE APPRENTICESHIP OF VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN
by Kenneth Oppel

**Starred Review** Horn
**Starred Review** PublishersWeekly

In this prequel to Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein is on a dark quest to save his twin’s life. With help from his best friend Henry and his lovely cousin Elizabeth, the three go on a quest to concoct the mythical Elixir of Life. How far is he willing to go to save his twin?

Word Count: 74,594
Page Count: 320
Accelerated Reading level: 4.9 / points: 11.0
AR quiz: 145776
Lexile: 690L

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• ISBN-10: 1442403160
• sample pages available

ASHES
(Ashes Trilogy #1)
by Ilsa Bick

Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons when an electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom—a young soldier—and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP.

Really liked this book. It's a quick fun adventure read at first, and then it slows in the second half and becomes more of a sinister mystery story. If you can handle the change in plot direction, Ashes has a lot to offer. Can't wait for #2.

Word Count: 104,605
Page Count: 480
Accelerated Reading level: 5.0 / points: 16.0
AR quiz: 146122

• Publisher: EgmontUSA
• ISBN-10: 1606841750
• sample pages available

Shadows (September 25, 2012)
(Ashes Trilogy #2)



ABANDON
(Abandon Trilogy #1)
by Meg Cabot

Pierce has experienced death before and barely escaped. When she moves from her old town to a town called Isla Huesos - Island of Bones - for a new start, she realizes that death wants her back. Can she escape death once again? (YA)

Word Count: 77,989
Page Count: 320
Accelerated Reading level: 5.1 / points: 12.0
AR quiz: 143876
Lexile: 770L

• Publisher: Point
• ISBN-10: 0545040647
• sample pages available

WHERE SHE WENT(book#1, see IF I STAY)by Gayle Forman
**Starred Review** PublishersWeekly

This sequel to Gayle Forman’s If I Stay is narrated by Adam, Mia’s ex-boyfriend. Shortly after the devastating accident that killed Mia’s family, the talented cellist moves to New York, where an accidental meeting brings them back together.

Word Count: 55,415Page Count: 288
Accelerated Reading level: 5.1 / points: 8.0
AR quiz: 143768
Lexile: 800L

• Publisher: Speak
• ISBN-10: 0142420891
• sample pages available

WITHER
(The Chemical Garden #1)
by Lauren DeStefano
**Starred Review** PublishersWeekly

By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children.

Wither is a strong, engaging book, but guys should know that it leans a bit towards chicklit. Fever does not advance the storyline much, but expands upon the disaster that is Rhine's world. Romance dominated. Adult situations, but nothing graphic. Creepy.

Word Count: 87,411
Page Count: 384
Accelerated Reading level: 5.2 / points: 13.0
AR quiz: 143644

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• ISBN-10: 1442409061
• sample pages available

Fever
(The Chemical Garden #2)
Word Count: 81,066
Page Count: 352
Accelerated Reading level: 5.1 / points: 12.0
AR quiz: 150965



EONA: The Last Dragoneye
(Eon #2)
by Alison Goodman

As the battle for ultimate control of her home draws near, Eona finds herself waging an internal battle that might cause more damage than the war threatening to break out across the kingdom.(YA)

Page Count: 637
Accelerated Reading level: 5.4 / points: 25.0
AR quiz: 143199
lexile: 740L

• Publisher: Firebird
• ISBN-10: 014242093X

EON: Dragoneye Reborn
(Eon #1)
Word Count: 134,943
Page Count: 576
Accelerated Reader: reading level: 5.5 / points: 21.0
AR quiz: 126998
Lexile: 750L



THE FAULT IN OUR STARS
by John Green

**Starred Review** PublishersWeekly**Starred Review** Kirkus
**Starred Review** SchoolLibraryJournal

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

(older YA)

Word Count: 65752
Page Count: 336
Accelerated Reading level: 5.5/ points: 10.0
AR quiz: 148461

• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
• ISBN-10: 0525478817
• sample pages available

THE SCORPIO RACES
by Maggie Stiefvater

**Starred Review** Kirkus
**Starred Review** PublishersWeekly
**Starred Review** School Library Journal
**Starred Review** Booklist

**Starred Review** Horn
Every November, the beaches of Thisby come alive with the Scorpio Races. The water horses are vicious, the terrain is treacherous, and death is likely, but the reward can be beyond anything you could imagine. Puck Connolly is racing for her family, Sean Kendrick for his passion—but only one can win The Scorpio Races.

Fabulous, classically told story. Moody setting. You end the book feeling as if you were raised on the island.

Word Count: 110,085
Page Count: 416
Accelerated Reading level: 5.5 / points: 17.0
AR quiz: 147559
Lexile: 840L

• Publisher: Scholastic Press
• ISBN-10: 054522490X
• sample pages available

MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN
by Ransom Riggs

When Jacob was little, his grandfather would tell him stories of the fantastical children’s home where he grew up and the seemingly magical kids who lived there with him. When his grandfather is killed, Jacob sets out to find the home where these children lived, unearthing a magical secret and uncovering his true heritage.

Word Count: 84,898
Page Count: 352
Accelerated Reading level: 5.7 / points: 13.0
AR quiz: 145802
Lexile: 890L

• Publisher: Quirk Books
• ISBN-10: 1594744769
• sample pages available

CINDER
by Marissa Meyer

**Starred Review** PublishersWeekly

A futuristic retelling of the classic Cinderella, Cinder, a cyborg and talented mechanic, lives with her cruel stepmother and two stepsisters in the plague-ridden New Beijing. Soon after meeting Prince Kai, Cinder must find the truths of her past.

Word Count: 87,661
Page Count: 400
Accelerated Reading level 5.8 / points: 14.0
AR quiz: 148727

• Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
• ISBN-10: 0312641893
• sample pages available

compiled by Pam