Publishers Weekly : Starred Review. Written in a series of poems, letters and journal entries, Bingham's debut novel strikes a delicate balance between shock story and emotive rant, and delivers a provocative portrait of one girl's journey following a near-fatal accident. Before the attack, 15-year-old Jane's life was filled with the trappings of any normal teenage girl: trips to the mall with her girlfriends, art projects, crushes on boys at school. But when she loses her arm to a shark over the summer, Jane's life (and perspective) changes forever. She can't draw like she used to, open cans or crack eggs for dinner, or button her own pants. Everyone at school whispers about her (the pity stare is debilitating), and she has reached the breaking point when it comes to condolence letters from strangers and interview requests from reporters. Jane must find a way to move beyond her wounds—both physical and psychological. Powerful without being maudlin or preachy, the book explores hurdles that are bound to follow a physical disfigurement, and readers will come to empathize with and respect Jane for her strength and brutal honesty. They'll also appreciate the slight (but realistic) lift at the story's conclusion. Ages 12-up. (May)

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

School Library Journal : Starred Review. Gr 6–10—Jane, 15, is smart, good-looking, and the best artist in her school. After a shark attack at a local beach results in the amputation of her right arm, nothing is the same. Bingham's free-verse novel neatly accommodates the teen's loss; her dreams, anger, and frustration are explored as she rebelliously tries to adjust to her new circumstances. The main narrative is interspersed with news clippings, internal dialogue, and letters of support from other amputees, and even though Jane resists being part of that community, there are connections. Her voice is authentic and believable as both a teenager and victim. This engaging read will entice enthusiastic and reluctant readers; the drama of the shark attack will hook them, and Jane's inner journey will hold them till the end.—Janet S. Thompson, Chicago Public Library

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

...More

Publishers Weekly : Brewer's first children's book, first of the planned Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, is like a Laurell K. Hamilton toned way down for the elementary school set. Vlad is miserable. His mother and vampire father died years ago in a suspicious fire, and he lives in a small town with his maternal aunt, a nurse who regularly raids the blood bank for him (Could you get me O positive this time? That's my favorite, he nonchalantly asks her as he spoons a big, sweet glob of half-frozen blood into his mouth). His best friend, Henry, is the only other person who knows why Vlad is so meticulous about applying sunblock and why he brings lunch to school. But when Vlad's English teacher goes missing (readers know he's been murdered), the substitute teacher, Mr. Otis, seems uncannily wise to Vlad, leaving Vlad to worry that he may be exposed. The mystery and suspense angles never get scarier than, say, a Goosebumps installment, and the tone stays mostly light, with plenty of descriptions of Vlad's diet that are to gag for. Brewer catches the wretchedness of adolescence: the hero's crush on a classmate is dead-on in its understatement and inaction, and his friendship with Henry encompasses lots of banter and insults. The uninitiated will appreciate the ample stock of vampire lore, while the more knowledgeable will sink their teeth into the puns. Ages 10-up. (Aug.)

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

School Library Journal : Gr 5–8—Vladimir Tod's is a vampire-or at least sort of; he's not quite sure. His father was a vampire, but his mother was human, and they died three years ago in a mysterious accident. Now Vlad has only his friend Henry and his "Aunt" Nelly, his mother's best friend who is raising him, to confide in. He has a hunger for blood, although he's been trained since babyhood to be "normal" and not to act on it. He gets by because Nelly, who's a nurse, brings home bags of blood from the hospital where she works, and he hides one or two in his backpack for when he gets hungry. But Vlad realizes that his father had a history he didn't know about when his English teacher vanishes mysteriously, to be replaced by a tall, thin substitute teacher in a purple top hat who seems to know a little too much about him. This story comes with all the usual eighth-grade angst, and none of the characters is particularly gripping. While some vampire fans will enjoy it, others will find the way that Brewer plays fast and loose with the standard vampire lore hard to swallow. Eighth Grade Bites reads like the novelization of an unexceptional made-for-TV movie.—Walter Minkel, New York Public Library

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

...More

Publishers Weekly : Starred Review. As in her earlier Agent Orange, Cooney deftly weaves events from the wider world into the warp and woof of everyday upper-middle-class life. High school student Jared Finch is cranky and skeptical when his mother decides to host their church-sponsored family of four African refugees in their well-appointed Connecticut home. Drawn in (just as readers will be) by the drama of the refugees' acclimatization to American suburbia, Jared soon warms to the Amabos, despite a growing suspicion that they aren't exactly who they say they are. Cooney keenly conveys the various motivations—an ever-changing blend of generosity and self-congratulation—of the family's hosts and church sponsors: The committee loved hearing how good and generous they were. They sat tall. They took lemon bars as well as double-chocolate brownies. Breathless urgency arises from a plot twist that would seem far-fetched if it wasn't so convincingly narrated: the Amabos are being tracked by a merciless villain who will stop at nothing to recover the diamonds he has forced the Amabos to smuggle into the U.S. Further underscoring the concept that many shades of gray lie between absolute good and evil is a subplot about funds that have been embezzled from the Finches' church. Crackling language and nailbiting cliffhangers provide an easy way in to the novel's big ideas, transforming topics that can often seem distant and abstract into a grippingly immediate reading experience. Ages 12-up. (Sept.)

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

School Library Journal : Gr 6 Up—When the Finches take in a church-sponsored refugee family from war-torn Sierra Leone, teenage Jared is annoyed that he has to share his room with Mattu, who is his age. Sixth-grader Mopsy, however, is thrilled to embrace Alake and wants to turn her into a "best" friend. Alake doesn't talk, barely eats, and is plagued by nightmares. Meanwhile, Kara Finch takes the Amabo parents under her wing, teaching them about conveniences such as microwaves. The family brings no luggage except for two boxes of cremated remains. Through snooping, Jared and Mopsy find uncut diamonds in the ashes. Unlike their parents, they realize that something is amiss in this family. The Amabos do not talk, or touch, or seem to care about each other. Cooney brilliantly contrasts the horror of Africa's civil wars with the overwhelming abundance and naivety of American suburban life. Jared's narcissism, selfishness, and racism disintegrate when he confronts true evil. How families mysteriously bond and care for one another is examined under the dramatic circumstances of two disparate groups trying to make things work. When Jared learns that Mattu never heard of the Holocaust, he is astonished. But, Mattu tells him, "We have those in Africa. I have been in one." Indeed, more than 60 years later, we are learning about ever-new Holocausts.—Lillian Hecker, Town of Pelham Public Library, NY

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

...More

School Library Journal : Gr 5–7—Something strange is trying to grow under 12-year-old Julie's bed. Her mother, Rapunzel, wants to keep it hidden, but The Wild is determined to escape and when it does, it turns Julie's town into a fairy tale on steroids. Rapunzel's been trying to lead a normal life, but now all the plots and patterns of the old stories threaten to ensnare everyone within reach, former fairy-tale characters and denizens of the modern suburbs, alike. Julie has to do some sleuthing, some quick thinking, and learn to negotiate her way past expected, stereotypical folkloric responses in order to break The Wild's hold on reality. The implicit messages about self-actualization and assertiveness do not lie too heavily atop the fun. Amusing, but not profound.—Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Public Library, NY

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

...More

School Library Journal: Gr 6–9—In alternating voices, two feuding middle schoolers describe the hostility that has brought them to blows. Book lover and aspiring writer Mick Sullivan is a big kid who has no interest in sports, much to his alcoholic father's disappointment. Music lover Boot Quinn, whose mother has left the family, is ignored, neglected, and sometimes abused by his father and older brother. The boys' private pain boils over in one another's presence as adolescent bravado and peer pressure lead them into frequent fistfights. Neither one is ready for the solution that the new principal has devised: for two periods each day, they are sequestered in his inner office to play board games until they can learn to get along. At first this brings their enmity into sharper focus, particularly as Boot's feelings of inferiority are exacerbated by Mick's playing skills. Goaded by fellow students, the boys challenge each other to a serious dare involving betrayal of the things they hold most dear. Complicating matters further, both boys have a crush on classmate Tabitha, who is secretly taking bets on how their battles will turn out. The plot is taut and compelling, with deft, sympathetic characterization, memorable scenes, and right-on description of the middle-school culture. Despite Mr. Maddox's clever handling of the boys, there are no simple solutions and the story ends with only a glimmer of hope that Mick and Boot can be friends. A must-read for adolescents and those trying to understand them.—Marie Orlando, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

...More

Publishers Weekly : Lively, first-person narrative brings to life Hershey's (My Big Sister Is So Bossy She Says You Can't Read This Book) newest protagonist, Alastair Hudson, a one-legged 13-year-old with dashing good looks, a wicked sense of humor and an enormous chip on his shoulder against his recently remarried father. As the story opens, Alastair is reluctantly preparing to go from the home he shares with his mother in Denver, Colo., to California to spend the summer with his father, whom he blames for the accident that left him handicapped ("No matter what anyone said... it was always and would ever be his fault," Alastair muses). Alastair is determined not to enjoy himself at Lumina Beach but is thrown off guard when he discovers that his father's new wife, Skyla, is not only "loaded" with money but she is also a double amputee. If Alastair's heart is opened a little by Skyla's generous hospitality and enthusiasm for life, it remains closed to his father, whom Alastair quickly surmises is as self-centered and shallow as always. Two subplots, one involving Skyla's celebrity niece and another focusing on a gruff, retired coach, who teaches Alastair how to swim competitively, add extra dimension to this story about family conflicts that can become long-term grudges. Depicting tragic circumstances and comic situations with equal expertise, the author offers a poignant novel populated with complex, memorable characters. Ages 10-up. (Mar.)

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

School Library Journal : Gr 7 Up—When he was eight, Alastair leapt from a ski-lift chair. Now 15, he's relatively OK about the ensuing amputation of one leg below the knee, but is livid about being forced to spend the summer in California with his father, "the jerk who ruined our lives," and his new wife. No matter that Skyla is a good-looking fitness fiend, a double amputee, or that she is rich, with a beautiful beach house and employees to meet his every whim: he's not going to be a nice guy, and Dad is going to suffer. Enamored of Jesse, a 15-year-old soap-opera star who happens to be Skyla's niece, Alastair agrees to participate in a celebrity fund-raiser swim/bike/obstacle-course event with her and her on-screen love, Sergio. The crotchety former high school swim coach whom Alastair enlists to put him through a boot-camp-style training regimen will remind some readers of the character in Chris Crutcher's Stotan! (HarperCollins, 1986). And the plot of a recalcitrant teen condemned to the horrors of a glitzy, all-expenses-paid L.A. summer brings to mind Sonya Sones's One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies (S & S, 2004). The plot whirls to the climactic competition, an emotional maelstrom in which the various subplots are resolved, mostly. Some readers will relate to the "hated former parent" syndrome, others to the nouveau riche trappings, while still others might identify with the unique and interesting range of characters. Profanity is sprinkled throughout, but this is basically a decent book in which "boy makes good."—Joel Shoemaker, Southeast Junior High School, Iowa City, IA

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

...More

Publishers Weekly: The author of Weedflower and Kira-Kira takes readers back to the Vietnam War era in this meticulously researched story about a special friendship that develops between an American soldier and a dog. When 17-year-old Rick Hanski enlists in the army, he intends to "whip the world," but he soon finds out that he can't do it alone. As a dog handler, he relies on Cracker, a sharp-minded German shepherd to protect him from danger and provide him with companionship during his tour of duty in Vietnam. The author builds tension when Rick and Cracker are sent on a mission to rescue two POWs, and again when they are taken by surprise in an ambush attack. Alternating human and canine points of view, Kadohata shows how Rick and Cracker come to trust and depend on each other during times of crisis. Rick's thoughts encapsulate the confusion and growing paranoia of soldiers living in a land where friends and foes are hardly distinguishable. Cracker's perspective represents more basic emotions, though some readers may be troubled by occasional anthropomorphization (e.g., "Cracker didn't think the dog was crazy. He was just protecting his handler. She kind of respected him"). Although the author remains politically neutral in telling her tale, she does acknowledge war protesters' attitudes and deftly conveys the way Rick's own feelings about the war change over time. Offering adventure mixed with stark realism, this novel will leave a lasting impression on readers. Ages 10-up. (Feb.)

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

School Library Journal : Gr 5–8—Bred as a show dog, Magnificent Dawn of Venus von Braun was a German shepherd destined for greatness until a broken leg took her out of contention and into the arms of a boy named Willie. Reminded of the landlord's no-pet policy, the heartbroken boy answers a newspaper ad and Venus, now "Cracker," is accepted into a military canine unit to help soldiers sniff out booby traps in Vietnam. She and her handler, Rick Hanski, quickly bond and head to the front lines. Cracker and Rick's successful missions lead to more dangerous operations and they are ultimately separated during a siege. Critically wounded, Rick is sent home, not knowing what has become of Cracker, and it is a heart-wrenching wait for word on her whereabouts. Kadohata shifts point of view from Willie to Cracker and Rick. While the dog's thoughts and feelings supply the crucial visceral elements associated with her job and her relationship to Willie and Rick, she competes with Rick for top billing as main character. Willie is the story's casualty, as he realizes that Cracker now belongs to Rick. Divided reader empathy aside, the story is filled with action and accurately re-creates the experience of the military canine program, from aspects of training to the battlefield. It's likely to spark readers' interest in this little-known area of military history.—Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

...More

School Library Journal : Gr 5–8—Twelve-year-old Max's life changes dramatically after a vision of a tapestry scene reveals itself to him at the Art Institute of Chicago. Following a terrifying encounter with a strange woman and a series of unusual tests, he finds himself enrolled at Rowan Academy, a semisecret and definitely Hogwarts-like school for children with abilities and experiences similar to his own. It is at Rowan that Max learns about the ancient struggle between those who watch over and nurture the world and those who want to control it. As an Apprentice, First Year, Max begins to hone his mysterious magical skills and shows a particular talent for amplifying his own physical capabilities, such as running and jumping. As the school year progresses, Max must face his destiny as a key player in the struggle against evil Astaroth. Overall, this is a solid and worthwhile beginning to a new fantasy series. The book lacks fully realized secondary characters and relationships, but as this is the first in the series, there is opportunity for development. And, of course, Astaroth's reemergence promises plenty of future conflict. Parallels to J. K. Rowling's work are inescapable, but Neff's tale certainly has potential and should help ease the suffering once Harry Potter withdrawal sets in. For general purchase, particularly where fantasy is popular.—Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, IL

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

...More

Publishers Weekly : Starred Review. After San Lee's adoptive father is imprisoned for fraud, the eighth-grader moves with his mother from Texas to Pennsylvania. He has moved often, each time creating new identities; this time he pretends to be a Zen master. He sits zazen on a cold rock near school each morning and says things like, Thank you for teaching me the lesson of impermanence (this piece of wisdom comes after a foe ruins his schoolwork). As he hopes, his uniqueness impresses Woody, a folk-singing girl with her own family heartache. Together, they embark on a school project about Zen, volunteer at a soup kitchen, and even devise supposedly Zen strategies to help the second-string basketball team take on the starters (this includes a practice game on roller skates). Naturally, they fall for each other, although San thinks she has a crush on a mysterious stranger. Readers will know that it is only a matter of time before San is exposed as a fake, adopted, research-based Buddhist, but Sonnenblick (Notes from the Midnight Driver, see Paperback Reprints) gives them plenty to laugh at (in one scene, Woody calls on insect-phobic San to remove a centipede from class because of his well-known reverence for all living things). Mixed in with more serious scenes (San finally writes his father a letter expressing his anger), these lighter moments take a basic message about the importance of honesty and forgiveness and treat it with panache. Ages 12-up. (Oct.)

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

School Library Journal : Starred Review. Gr 7–9—San Lee is once again starting a new school. This time it's in Pennsylvania, but they're all really the same: same lunch menus; same classes; same everything. The only thing different in each one is San. Whether it was as a skater dude in California or a Bible-thumper in Alabama, he has reinvented himself at every new school in order to fit in. So who will he be in Pennsylvania? Certainly not himself, the poor adopted Chinese kid whose con-artist father is in prison. This time he wants to be someone different, someone who stands out instead of blending in. Someone who Woody, the intriguing guitar-playing girl in his social-studies class, would find attractive. That definitely isn't San…but it could be. With a little tweaking to his background and some research on Zen Buddhism, he may just become the most popular kid in school. From the teachers to the nuns to the students, the entire cast of this novel is fully developed. The breezy and natural writing style captures eighth-grade dialogue perfectly and the plot is both realistic and original. San Lee's story is that of a brilliant and amusing underdog, and middle schoolers everywhere will identify with his desire to be someone, even if it's someone he's not.—Heather E. Miller, Homewood Public Library, AL

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

...More

School Library Journal : Gr 5–8—Stead's debut novel is an exciting, engaging mix of science fiction, mystery, and adventure. Thea lives in Gracehope, a world hidden inside Greenland's ice cap. Her English ancestors, hunted and slaughtered as accused witches seven generations earlier, retreated beneath the ice, settling in the cold world. But now, the population has increased to 600; births are limited and food rationed. Thea believes that the intent of the Settlers was to one day return to the world above. She and her cousin, Mattias, find the passage to that world, but in the process Mattias is hurt. Alternating with Thea's story is that of Peter, a seventh grader from New York City who is in Greenland for six weeks while his father, a glaciologist, investigates the melting ice cap. Thea's and Peter's lives cross when he finds the passage and Thea asks him to help with Mattias. He learns that his mother has a connection to Gracehope, and that his parents are trying to locate it and warn the people that, due to global warming, the community is sinking. Readers may wish that the fascinating underworld setting was described in more detail, and that the reason for the Settlers' abandoning the world above was revealed more clearly and sooner. But, Peter and Thea are fully developed main characters. Thea especially, with her growing independence from her family and her determination to help her people, is a strong and memorable protagonist. A great discussion starter of issues ranging from global warming to shunning and building a new society.—Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

...More