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Teen Scene

MARCH 31, 2011
Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen
Charged with providing meat for the frontier settlement in which he lives in 1776, 13 year-old Samuel is adept at tracking and securing game.  Living in sparsely settled Pennsylvania, he has heard only vague tales of fighting against the British rulers.  But one evening upon return to his home he finds only the smoking remains of cabins, scalped bodies and pillaged possessions.  Seeing evidence that his parents have been taken prisoner by the British troops and their Iroquois allies, he sets out with a barely formed plan to rescue them.  As the trail heads generally eastward, he sees other signs of brutal attacks.  Only his prior experiences in the forest and help from secret patriots he meets along the way enable him to stay firmly on the trail leading him all the way to the British stronghold of New York City where he at last finds and attempts to free his parents.  Young persons interested in historical fiction that depicts war in a true-to-life way will appreciate Paulsen's descriptions of Samuel's efforts.  They will be informed by the short non-fiction chapters that he includes to explain various terms and facets of the American Revolutionary War era as they are introduced in the narrative.  Suitable for ages 11 and up. 

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MARCH 28, 2011
Theodore Boone Kid Lawyer by John Grisham

Theo, age 13 and the only son of two attorneys, wants to become either a lawyer or a judge.  He is already giving free legal advice to his classmates and even has a kind of "office" in the building where his parents practice.  He is currently well aware of the murder trial about to begin in his usually peaceful small town and he longs to be on the scene of the trial, but can't be because he belongs in school.  In an unusual plot twist, Julio - a boy whom Theo is tutoring at a shelter for homeless families - confides to him that his cousin, an illegal immigrant, witnessed some very suspicious activity involving the person accused of the crime who is about to be tried.  He doesn't want to come forward because of his unlawful status.  Theo, feels bound by his assurances of confidentiality to Julio not to reveal this information or its source and wrestles with the decision whether to speak or to keep quiet and watch the probable guilty person go free.  The conflict in his mind and heart is well-described and leaves the reader hoping for sequels to this first book for teens by John Grisham, who usually writes fascinating novels for adults based on the legal profession.

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MARCH 8, 2011
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
Readers know early on that 16-year-old Mackie Doyl is not human. His family knows it and it seems that on some level even his friends know it. But as he says, the people of Gentry tend to ignore what is going on, like the disappearances of some children and the early deaths of others.

There is an unspoken agreement between the town and the creatures who live underground. The "Lady" requires a 7-year ritual of a sacrifice of a young child, who is taken from his home in return for one of the young, ugly sick creatures who soon dies. In return she provides prosperity to the town. The Lady's sister, the "Morrigan" leads another group of creatures who only crave love, attention and adoration from humans. After betraying the Lady once years ago, her group was punished, along with the town, with perpetual rain and a dried-up lake bed.

Mackie is one of the replacements left behind when a baby is taken for one of the sacrifices. As time passes, he becomes increasingly allergic to blood, iron, steel, and consecrated ground. He is weak and his head is spinning. A simple blood drive leaves him helpless. In fact, he is dying. Fortunately, a new friend of his sister's brings him a liquid to drink which revitalizes him just in the nick of time, and soon Mackie is made aware of a secret world underground with dead girls and a little tattooed princess.

This is an unusual dark, rainy, horror-fantasy that includes unconditional love, loyalty, bravery, and commitment to family and friends. There are interesting characters and even a love interest. It is spooky, creepy, though not necessarily scary, and perhaps lacking in suspense considering a child needs to be saved by Friday.

Underage drinking, making out, and high school partying are included, so a recommendation is made for grades 9 and up. This is being made into a movie, so it likely will be popular.

Watch a book trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3y9NXB7BqSw

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MARCH 3, 2011
Hush by Eishes Chayil
Gittel is a contemporary young girl in an ultra-orthodox Jewish Chassidic community in Brooklyn. In this community, the women work, bear many children, and take care of their homes while their husbands study the Torah for many hours a day. Marriages are arranged, with most girls marrying shortly after graduation from high school.  Men wear distinctive fur hats, and once a woman is married, she covers her head with a wig. For anyone interested in different cultures and religions, this book is fascinating. But it’s much more than an inside look at a different way of living. This book is many layered—one layer is the culture and beliefs of this closed community, which is interesting, sometimes frightening, and even funny. Another layer is a secret that the community doesn’t admit to: the sexual abuse of children. Gittel is witness to the abuse of her friend Devory when they are both children, as well as Devory’s later suicide. The book follows Gittel as she becomes a young wife in an arranged marriage (her description of the wedding and the first weeks of marriage are hilarious), and how she continues to struggle with her anger surrounding Devory. This book is written by a woman who is part of this community, and is rich with surprising details. A unique book, beautifully written, but definitely for older teen and adult readers. Finalist for the William C. Morris Award. Grades 10 through adult.

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MARCH 3, 2011
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
Andi lives a wealthy, rarified life in Brooklyn. She’s used to casual contact with celebrities, and goes to one of the best high schools in Brooklyn. Her father recently won the Nobel Prize. But two years ago Andi’s little brother died suddenly, and Andi and her parents are falling apart, each in their own unique way. Struggling with suicidal thoughts and losing motivation for her demanding school work, Andi’s only refuge is music. When her absent father suddenly appears, he sends her mother to a mental health facility, and whisks Andi off to Paris. Once in Paris, Andi stumbles across the long lost diary of a young woman written during the French Revolution. She is also writing her senior thesis on a composer who lived in Paris during the same time period. In the course of the novel, Andi moves back and forth between the present day and the French Revolution, first through the diary and later as time travel/vivid dream. Donnelly does an excellent job of turning this many-layered story into a cohesive and meaningful finished product. Her research is exacting, with details that are real and fresh. Her characters are smart, if not always wise. This book would be fascinating to fans of Marie Antoinette and the French Revolution, but you don’t have to be a history buff to love this fast moving novel. Grades 8 and up.

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