Teen Scene
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Pancho is a poor orphan living in New Mexico, sent to an orphanage as an alternative to going to juvenile detention. He’s angry about the recent deaths of his sister and father, and is looking for the release of a good fight. At the orphanage, he’s given a job: the main caregiver for another boy, D.Q., who is dying from a rare form of cancer. D.Q., who is in the process of declaring himself an independent minor, is all that Pancho’s not: sensitive, confident, emotionally strong, self-aware. Pancho does the basic work of caring for D.Q., but nothing will deter him from his main goal: to revenge the death of his sister. His developmentally disabled sister died in a hotel where she had sex with a man, and Pancho is convinced she was killed. The long middle section of the book involves Pancho following D.Q. to his hometown for a hospital stay and meeting his family, as well as the girl that D.Q. has a crush on, Marisol. While the resolution of the book is both unexpected and satisfying, getting there was tedious as times. While a girl may enjoy reading this book by the award-winning author, Francisco X. Stork, this plainly written, emotionally sparse, gritty book seems particularly well-suited to teen boys. Grade 8 and up.
Caitlin is returning to her California high school for her junior year, and will be facing her classmates and teachers for the first time since the suicide of her best friend, Ingrid. Despite having the summer to deal with the blow, Caitlin is still very much in the infancy of her pain and grief. It doesn’t help at all that no one knows how to be with her, their reactions ranging from awkwardness and avoidance to tactless questions and inappropriate attention. Even her favorite teacher and her parents don’t know how to react around her. Caitlin’s one refuge, photography, doesn’t help either, as that was something she did with Ingrid. She unexpectedly finds Ingrid’s journal under her bed, and this contributes to both her pain and her healing as she moves through the school year. As she struggles to feel normal and to understand her relationship with Ingrid, she makes new friends, finds romance, and discovers new things about herself and the adults in her life. While the topic is dark, the book is honest and hopeful, with bits of humor, interesting and real characters, and a tight story structure. I highly recommend this for grades 8 and up.
This compelling novel tells the stories of two girls, 16-year-old Eagan, an ice skater with her eyes on the Olympics, and 14-year-old Amelia who likes to draw horses. Eagan, whose mother never stops pushing her to work harder, and Amelia, who has a weak heart and understands all the sacrifices her family has made for her treatments. Eagan, who would sneak out with her boyfriend just to experience some normal teen activity, and Amelia, who cannot even walk up and down the steps in her home, never mind have a boyfriend. Eagan, as hard a worker as she is to be a great skater, is still pretty selfish, while Amelia cannot stand the thought that someone will have to die in order for her to receive a transplant. Yet, Eagan does die following a skating accident where she hits her head on the boards, and Amelia receives her heart. Both girls, Eagan in death and Amelia in life, are dealing with the changes in their circumstances. Amelia must come to terms with how she lived her life, including the strained relationship between herself and her mother. Eagan, who finds that she has acquired some of Eagan's traits like her love of skating and her outspokenness, isn't sure she likes it, although she does manage to attract a boy who likes her. This well-written story will appeal mainly to girl readers ages 12 and up. The characters and relationships are believable, the plot conceivable, and the satisfying ending allows both girls to accept their fates. 
This novel is a unique combination of fiction and non-fiction, a story set in 1962 that vividly portrays a nation's terror of communists using atomic weapons against them at any moment, while weaving in photos, quotes, and summaries of major characters and events of the time throughout. This is the first book in a series of three documentary novels dealing with events from the 1960's. Franny Chapman is eleven years old living just outside Washington D.C. when the scariest days occur; the United States and Soviet Union have aimed missiles at each other during the Cuban Missile Crisis. But other events are also happening. Her older sister seems to be involved with a secret Ebenezer. Could she be a spy as her former best friend has accused? Or is she only saying that because the two girls are both interested in the same boy? And then there is Uncle Otts, traumatized from war, insisting that the family build a bomb shelter in the front yard. This book will appeal to readers in grades 8 and up who enjoy historical fiction or events surrounding the Cold War. While I enjoyed this book overall, I found an early and long entry about President Truman to be a bit complex. As well, I did not understand Frannie "telegraphing" her thoughts throughout the story. A few editing errors also pulled my attention away from the story. That aside, this is a satisfying read that successfully draws the reader into the very real and scary moments when there were no assurances that WWIII wasn't about to begin, or the planet blown up. 
Blake, 15, loves photography, his girlfriend Shannon, and in a different way, he loves his friend Marissa. Shannon is his first romantic relationship, and Blake can hardly believe that this delicious girl wants to date him. Marissa is his photography buddy, but up until Blake takes a picture of a sleeping homeless woman, he doesn’t know much about Marissa’s personal life. The picture shows Marissa’s meth-addicted mother, and plunges him into her sobering family situation. Blake wants to help Marissa, but keeping Shannon, too, proves difficult. Blake’s life is backlit by his home life, with kind and wise parents who “deal in death”—his mother is a hospital chaplain, his father a medical examiner—and an older brother who consistently gives him a hard time. Effortlessly, Madigan balances the serious subject matter with quirky humor. She’s a skillful writer, good at creating believable teens and teen circumstances, but avoids stereotypes. It’s sadly rare to see good parents in current young adult fiction, so it’s refreshing that Blake’s mother and father exhibit good parenting skills, as well as being rounded, slightly odd characters. Some mild sexual content and language. This book won the 2010 William C. Morris Debut Award for a first time author writing for teens. Ages 13 and up.
Set in Nova Scotia, this graphic novel tells two stories. One is set in 1859, the other in 2009, but both concern the same small town, and both focus on teen girls who are distant relatives. In 1859, Josey meets the mysterious Asa Curry, a handsome stranger who says he has found gold on their land and arranges a business deal with her father. Josey is attracted to Asa, but her parents discourage the relationship, which makes it even more enticing for Josey. In 2009, Tara is living with her cousin and returning to high school after two years of homeschooling. Her home has recently burned down, and her mother is working far away. In the first days of school, she is mistaken for one of the boys at school, Ben. Through track, Tara and Ben become acquainted, and eventually begin to date. The two stories are linked through a mysterious necklace, as well as through their complimentary themes of identity and first romance. Toward the end, the novel transitions from the real world into a fantasy one. The illustrations are clear, making it easy to distinguish the characters and the two time periods. I highly recommend this Eisner Award winner for readers age 13 through adult.
Sixth grader Mary Claire O'Brien wants to one day become Mother Superior and writes a letter to the local mother superior to explain why. In the sometimes humorous correspondence that develops between the two, she not only wonders about the requirements to become a nun (before she starts liking boys too much), but also about the rapidly changing Catholic church in 1967. As Mary Claire attempts to improve her behavior (she's hoping to also become a saint) she becomes aware of exactly how many times she sins everyday by the weight of pebbles she keeps in her pockets. This could be a problem in her future career, not to mention that she's not sure she could give the vow of obedience. In addition to her saint training, there are other things happening around her that she doesn't understand. For example, two of her brothers are at odds with their father, one because he's not out of high school and wants to enlist in the army to fight in the Vietnam war, and the other because he's trying to receive the conscientious objector status so he won't be drafted and have to fight in that war. As well, the recent riots in Milwaukee concerning unfair housing and segregated public schools force a statement from the local priest Father Gropi concerning his views on civil rights. But her mother's decision to find a job outside the house as the woman's movement takes hold might be the issue with which Mary Claire must grapple the most. How will she handle the ridicule from her friends and their parents, with whom she is already having a shaky relationship? The tumultuous setting forces Mary Claire to learn about herself and to consider her future in a way that might not have been possible prior to the combination of these events. This coming-of-age story is recommended not only for those readers in grades 6-9 who might have a religious interest in the changes occurring in the Catholic Church, but also to those who are interested in fiction based on historical events. There is a brief scene with mention of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. This book will become available at Wright Library after its publication in September. 
While most novels in the Redwall series by Brian Jacques focus on Redwall Abbey¸ this novel, as its name suggests, focuses on the invasion of the seaside fortress of the Badger Lords, Salamandastron, carved long ago from the recesses of an extinct volcano. In the novel, Badger Lord Urthstripe the Strong and his trusty Long Patrol army of hares face off with the invading weasel warlord Ferahgo the Assassin and his pillaging army. As Ferahgo and his horde ultimately breach Salamanstron’s defenses, Samkim and Arula, two questing Redwallers in search of the Sword of Martin the Warrior, and Urthstripe’s long lost brother arrive at the nick of time with reinforcements, ultimately turning the tide of the battle. The secondary plot strand consists of the otter Thrugg’s quest to find the mystical Flowers of Icetor, the only cure for the Dryditch Fever currently plaguing Redwall Abbey.
While it is not the latest pop fiction rage, Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves—written by that master of English prose, P. G. Wodehouse—is just as sarcastic, satirical, engrossing, and uplifting today as when it was first published, decades ago. Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves is another tale in the Wooster and Jeeves canon. Bertram Wooster, an idle, foppish, and extremely rich young Briton, and his trusty butler, Jeeves, are put once more through a hilarious chain of events beginning with a return trip to Totleigh Towers, the dreaded stronghold of the “loony” Basset family. As Bertie attempts to put right a broken off engagement between a childhood friend, Gussie Fink-Nottle, and Madeleine Basset—she is trying to force Gussie, a steak and kidney pie connoisseur, to become a vegetarian—he is also enlisted by his robust Aunt Dahlia to pinch an “objet d’art” the Basset family possesses in order to add to her husband’s collection. Add to this the exploits of young Stiffy Byng and her clumsy fiancé, Harold “Stinker” Pinker, and the recipe for a hilarious novel is complete.
In the Redwall universe, anthropomorphic animal heroes—including badgers. mice, otters, moles, and shrews—go on quests and battle evil “vermin” foes—such as wildcats, rats, and weasels. To be sure, such a description may sound childish and even ludicrous to teenage readers more used to reading about gory murders, or, at least, morose psychological conflicts. Nevertheless, the entire Redwall series is extremely entertaining and engrossing, both for younger readers and teens. The beautiful descriptions of food and adventure, the featured ballads, and the famed storytelling genius of author Brian Jacques results in a series of timeless novels.
I recently had the pleasure of hearing the author read an excerpt from this novel and was very eager to read it myself after hearing the cliffhanger she ended with. This is a very different sort of abduction story from "Living Dead Girl" (reviewed May 2009) although they both have the same theme. Gemma, a 16-year-old London girl is abducted from the Bangkok airport while her family is traveling to Vietnam. She is taken to the Australian desert by a 25-year-old man who has made preparations for them both to live there forever. Literally. Stores of food, equipment, and anti-venoms to poisonous creatures have been collected to ensure a very long stay in the barren place where no one else would dare to live, or find them. In his twisted mind, the good-looking Ty is saving Gemma, a girl he had become enamored with back in London, from the shallowness of the city. Reality, he says, is there in the desert. And little by little, after failed escaped attempts and special treatment by her kidnapper, Gemma begins to believe him. A captured camel who slowly accepts her fate parallels Gemma's gradual acceptance and emotional bond with her captor, who becomes the likable villain. This book is recommended for readers in grades 9 and up. There is no sex or torture in this story. 
Fourth in the famed Artemis Fowl series, The Opal Deception follows a complex and engrossing storyline as Artemis Fowl, teenage billionaire, genius, and Napoleon of Crime, is pitted against his familiar foe, the devilish Opal Koboi. Towards the beginning of the novel, Artemis is blissfully unaware of the Fairy World below, as he was mind-wiped towards the end of book #3 The Eternity Code. Artemis is merely orchestrating a routinely spectacular crime—the theft of a priceless painting—when the latest Opal Koboi scheme drags him down, once more, into the subterranean Fairy World. This time, Artemis, Butler, and their trusted fairy friends, Captain Holly Short, the dwarf Mulch Diggums, and the centaur Foaly, thwart Koboi’s latest disguised attempt to cause worldwide disaster.
The final installment of the Bartimaeus trilogy, Ptolemy’s Gate, by Jonathan Stroud, will not fail to please even the most discerning of readers. Like its two prequels, this novel is chock full of intriguing twists and turns and is steeped in political intrigue and sorcery. The plot consists of the latest exploits of Nathaniel, also known by his assumed name John Mandrake, as he works as a minister in the British government, now dominated by tyrannical magicians. Nathaniel, as with all sorcerers, draws his magic from demons, and the novel focuses on the relationship between the sorcerers and their demon slaves, in particular that of Nathaniel and the demon Bartimaeus. In addition to Nathaniel’s self development, Ptolemy’s Gate also describes the exploits of Kitty Jones, a leader of the Resistance movement against the authoritarian sorcerer-ministers of the London government. At the conclusion of the novel, Nathaniel, helped along the way by his former foe Kitty, follows in the footsteps of the compassionate sorcerer Ptolemy and finally surmounts his past fears and feelings of inferiority and isolation.
Cat admits she’s fat, but there are other things she won’t admit to, including her feelings for Matt, her former friend whom she’s nursed a grudge against for four years. Cat is smart, too, and in the toughest science class at the high school. Her assignment is to create a seven month long science project, related to a random magazine picture she gets on the first day of class: a picture of prehistoric people, Homo erectus, to be exact. Cat notices the woman’s naked body is lean and strong, and hatches her project. She’ll live more like the hominids, and maybe in the process prove that people in this day and age are unhealthy and overweight due to both food choices and an overabundance of technology. In the midst of walking everywhere, eating whole foods, and avoiding phones and TV, Cat does lose weight. And with her new figure comes the interest of a few boys, her first dating experiences, and learning that true love is about more than her physical size. I enjoyed this book for two reasons. Cat is a funny, bright and engaging character, and when the book was over, I missed her. The second reason is that Robin Brande doesn’t go for the easy way out in her novels. She allows her characters to face the hard stuff and struggle for an outcome that feels both real and earned. Grades 8-12.
Fifteen-year-old Sam’s summer is off-kilter. Her mom has been sent to alcohol rehab, leaving her with her pastor father who is more available to his parishioners than he is to Sam. Sam misses her mom, who was a good mother when she wasn’t drinking excessively. And while Sam attends the church youth group, she doesn’t feel a part of things. As the pastor’s kid, she’s treated differently, sometimes even by her best friends. There are other issues associated with being the pastor’s kid, including not having enough money, being expected to be an example, and having to share her father. If all of this wasn’t enough, a younger girl in their church goes missing, and Sam finds her faith is no longer the comfort and strength it had been. Zarr writes with compassion and understanding about a teenager going through a crisis of faith, as well as creating a story that’s high in suspense and tension. The ending surprised and pleased me. Ages 12 and up.
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