JANUARY 31, 2008
The Entertainer and the Dybbuk by Sid Fleischman
For those who are looking for a short, well-written historical fiction novel, this would be it. The "Entertainer," is the Great Freddie, a young American man who is working his way through Europe as a ventriloquist. The year is 1948, three years after the war. Freddie served in the war as a sergeant, but did not return to the United States as he was an orphan. Freddie is not the best ventriloquist, as he moves his lips when making the dummy talk, however, it is a living. One evening, Freddie returns from a performance to find a ghost, or rather a dybbuk. A dybbuk is a Yiddish word for a troubled spirit. This dybbuk is the ghost of a 12 year old boy, Avrom Amos, who was murdered in the Holocaust. Avrom Amos seeks out the great Freddie, because Freddie once helped Avrom to try and escape the Nazis. Avrom Amos is now out to seek revenge on SS Colonel Gerhard Junker-Strupp. Through the Great Freddie's help, Avrom is able to celebrate his Bar Mitvah, improve Freddie's act, and is able to seek justice for the million children who were brutually murdered in the Holocaust. This is a well-paced novel, very easy to read, and it will have readers laughing and crying. It tells of the atrocities of the Holocaust through horrifying stories and statistics, and yet there are some more humorous moments throughout the novel as well. Recommended for grades 7-9.
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JANUARY 28, 2008
Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
Told in alternating chapters by two engaging protagonists, eighth graders Bryce Loski and Juli Baker,
Flipped narrates the details of their increasingly complex relationship. Juli "flips" for Bryce the first time she sees him when he is a new-to-the-neighborhood second grade boy. Bryce only wants space and distance from Juli until eighth grade when everything changes. Bryce's live-in-grandfather becomes interested in Juli when she fights to save a gnarled old chestnut tree which is doomed to be destroyed. He learns and shares with Bryce some important insights about Juli's family. Juli's father, a deeply thoughtful man, offers mature views and strong values which also impact the relationship between Bryce and Juli. Although humorous at times, the principal thrust of this tale is the character development of both Bryce and Juli. Therefore, using the literary device of alternating voices which might at first seem to flirt with being boring, actually finds the reader looking forward to reading the other "take" on each event.
Flipped is a thought-provoking enjoyable novel for those in grades 6-8.
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JANUARY 24, 2008
Emil and Karl by Yankev Glatshteyn
The year is 1940. The Nazi occupation of Austria is beginning. Two nine-year old boys, one Jewish and the other Aryan, must hold on to their friendship in order to escape and survive. This book was a great story about the power of friendship, even in such desperate times as World War II.
Blog by Paige, age 16, Wright Memorial Library Teen Volunteer
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JANUARY 23, 2008
Playing it Cool by Joaquin Dorfman
Sebastian Montero, though only eighteen years old, already has an extensive network of contacts and connections. There is nothing Sebastian cannot do. Known in his town for helping people in return for favors, he dangles the world on a string.
However, Sebastian’s delicate web of influence begins to crumble when he succeeds in locating his friend Jeremy’s long-lost father. The two friends take a trip to Wilmington, North Carolina to meet the man in person, intending to observe and get to know him before revealing their true identities. However, it seems that Sebastian may have finally been outsmarted.
Full of mystery and intrigue, the plot of this story becomes more complex as it goes on, incorporating numerous twists and false alarms. It is an unforgettable read, right up until the startling finale.
Blog by Miriam, age 16, Wright Memorial Library Teen Volunteer
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JANUARY 23, 2008
Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis
This historical fiction book gives a different perspective on the issue of slavery in pre-Civil War America. The story is written from the perspective of a Canadian settlement for escaped and former slaves. The reader finally gets to see what happens after the escaped slaves reach Canada. The story is witty yet sensitive to the slavery issue. In the end, hope arises out of cruelty.
Elijah is an 11 year-old trying to be grown-up but still having trouble convincing all the adults he is no longer a child. Elijah was never a slave; he was the first child born in the settlement as free person. His parents and most of the other adults have stories to share with one another about when they were slaves. All value freedom. The settlement gladly welcomes all newcomers from slavery with a ritual and assistance, but the settlement has rules too.
When a scheming preacher takes off with the money one man has earned to buy his family out of slavery, Elijah becomes involved in the hunt for the man and the money. What he finds is the horrors of slavery that the grownups know about but could never share.
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JANUARY 22, 2008
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
This is the story of the hobbit Bilbo Baggin who suddenly finds that he has been dragged into an adventure by the wizard Gandolf. Along with thirteen dwarves as Thorin Oakenshield as their leader, many lands are crossed and many adventures had as an attempt is made to reclaim The Lonely Mountain as the dwarves rightful home. Thorin's grandfather ruled as King under the Mountain, but the dragon Smaug battled the dwarves and now inhabits the caves and has plundered all of the gold and jewels therein. Armed with only a map indicating a secret door into the mountain, the group leaves for a yearlong adventure. This epic quest is a classic having originally appeared in 1937. It was immediately popular and lead to the author writing a continuation to the story, which became The Lord of the Rings. It has been translated into over 40 languages. It may be read by teens ages 12 and up, but is also an excellent book to read aloud to younger child since it reads like a fairy tale.
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JANUARY 5, 2008
Triangle by Katharine Weber
March 25, 1911: the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire killed nearly 150 workers, most of them women. But Esther Gottesfeld somehow survived the blaze that caused the deaths of so many. Now her death at the age of 106 has left many questions unanswered. Her granddaughter Rebecca and partner George Botkin, a famous composer, along with an imposing feminist historian named Ruth Zion, are re-examining Esther’s story of that tragic day.
This novel was an interesting look into a devastating event that took place nearly 100 years ago. The historical aspect of the book was well-researched, and Katherine Weber’s writing style made it easy to imagine the characters taking part in the events being described.
Blog written by Paige, Wright Memorial Public Library Teen Volunteer, Age 16
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JANUARY 2, 2008
Leap of Faith by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Abby is enrolled in sixth grade at a Catholic school after she is expelled from public school for stabbing a boy in the lunchroom. No one will believe her that the boy had been sexually harassing her for several years including her parents. Actually, her parents are so busy with work and their lives that Abby is hardly noticed at all. Abby is angry at the lack of support from her parents and decided to convert to Catholicism. She knows this will irritate her nonbeliever parents. As she attends the religion classes required for becoming a Catholic, Abby is drawn to the comfort she finds in Christianity. Abby struggles with how people can believe in something they don’t understand and can’t explain and with the idea of forgiveness. The author provides no pat answers to Abby’s questions yet ties all the loose ends for a nice ending to the novel. For those struggling with their faith or wondering what it would be like to be a teenager suddenly placed in a Catholic school, this is a good read.
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JANUARY 2, 2008
Dark Sons by Nikki Grimes
He calls himself my father.
So why is he sending me away?
This is the question
I’m tired of asking.
A novel, told in free verse poetry, incorporates two stories about boys abandoned by their fathers. The first tells the biblical story of Ishmael who is the first son born to Abraham by a maid-servant. Abraham miraculously has a second son by his wife Sarah years later. The second is the contemporary story of Sam, who father remarries and has another son. Both young boys feel devotion to their respective mothers and are confused by the seemingly loss of their father’s love. The strain of their relationships with their fathers are chronicled, the attempts at forgiveness, the further rejection by their fathers, and their ultimate realizations about their struggles. Their faith in God is evident throughout, and since three religions derive from Abraham, this has wide appeal. Beautifully written and easy-to-read, this poetry will be enjoyed by teens in grades 6 and up. It is a winner of a Coretta Scott King Award Honor in 2006 and other awards for teen literature.
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