Teen Scene
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This is the story of Doug Swieteck, which astute readers will remember from "The Wednesday Wars" as one of Holling's friends who plays ball with Joe Pepitone and Horace Clarke at Yankee Stadium. Set during the Vietnam era, Doug's abusive father accepts a mill job arranged through a dubious friend, which necessitates them to move to "stupid" Marysville. Luckily, Doug is quickly surrounded by townspeople who help anchor him. From patient librarian Mr. Powell, who guides Doug's drawing skills of Audubon birds, to the local deli owner who offers Doug a job as a delivery boy, to Lil, the Deli owner's daughter, who can throw insults back at Doug as well as he gives them, to his father's boss who teaches Doug to play horseshoes, to the local policeman who hires Doug to babysit his young children, to his chemistry teacher who realizes Doug can't read and his English teacher who creatively finds a way to teach him, Doug's feelings slowly change about the town. Doug's voice perfectly depicts a cynical boy going into 8th grade who naively believes what his father tells him.
Two girls- Najmah, a young girl who faces tragedy as her family is torn apart by the war in Afghanistan, and Nusrat, a young women whose life is changed when she finds herself teaching a persimmon-tree school in the war-torn country of Pakistan while her husband is off running a clinic in Mazari-i-Sharif, Afghanistan. These girls have two things in common- they are both alone, without their family, in a war torn country, and both look to the stars for guidance and strength. Their worlds combine when Najmah, whose name means “Star”, travels with another family in search of her father and brother, and ends up joining Nusrat’s school. Nusrat remains true to her name of “Help” as she supports Najmah and herself in a country torn by war and sadness, along with a promise of finding out what happened to Najmah’s family, and Nusrat’s husband. Their two stories are ones rich in the bitter truth of war and loss, but still mixed in with the love and happiness war can create. Suzanne Staples paints a realistic picture of what is going on in our world today, and how simple things such as love and kindness can make the most bitter of events somewhat sweet…much like the taste of a persimmon. I recommend this historical fiction book to those interested in the war that took place in Afghanistan, and those who enjoy stories full of hope and courage. Recommended for grades 7 and up.
Earth has sent out a manned spacecraft to travel to another planet, eventually named Garden, to colonize. The craft is going to attempt a maneuver in which it goes through a fold in space to save time, and in the process duplicates itself 19 times that are now 1191 years in the past. This problem is solved by colonizing 19 separate areas on the planet separated by walls that the inhabitants are unable to pass through. The story takes place in one of those areas known as Ramfold, where Rigg and some others find they have special abilities that ultimately lead them to discover their planet’s past and to attempt to go through the wall. The reader is led to believe that another book will follow. There are interesting characters throughout who alternately tell their part of this distopian story as it progresses. Each chapter is preceded by a short dialogue between Ramm and the expendibles on the space ship before the colonization has happened, so that by the end of the book the reader has all the background information that Rigg and his group will eventually learn. Highly recommended for readers in grades 9 and up who enjoy time travel, science fiction, adventure, and alternate universes.
Ronnie has decided that this is about to be the worst summer of her life. Its summertime, and 17-year-old New York City girl ,Veronica “Ronnie” Miller, is being forced to spend the summer at her father’s house in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina with her younger brother Jonah. A rebellious teenager, she hasn’t talked to her piano-playing dad in 3 years due to her parent’s divorcing, and she has no intention of resolving her anger. She knows nobody in town, and after having soda spilled on her twice within one day she is absolutely certain there’s no way she going to enjoy herself. But the summer takes a twist when she meets several people, including Will Blakelee, a boy she slowly learns to open her heart to. As the summer moves on, Ronnie learns many lessons about the different forms of love, and finds herself finally becoming happy again. As the summer draws to an end, an unpleasant twist arouses new feelings and frustrations, and Ronnie realizes the importance of love and forgiveness. Through stained glass windows, turtles, and piano, Nicholas Sparks successfully manages to capture the essence of love and the many forms it can take, be it between father, brother, or friend. I highly recommend this fictional book, even if you have seen the recent movie. As usual, the book is better! Recommended for girls looking for a summer romance and possible tearjerker for grades 9 and up. This book is located in the adult fiction area of the library.
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