Madapple by Christina Meldrum

 Click here to find this book at your library.         

          Aslaug is a fifteen year old girl who has been raised in isolation.  Here mother is dutch, and she came to the United States because she was a brilliant student.  The mother moved into a remote house without electricity shortly after Aslaug was born.  This is the story of Aslaug’s life, and her mother’s death.  

          Told in chapters that alternate between Aslaug telling her own story and a court case that is going on, we get to here the story unfold both as Aslaug sees it and as outsiders see it.  The story was interesting; filled with herbal medicine and religious myths, but it fell flat for me.  I read the book to the end because the idea of the story was so interesting, but the story never got there for me.  Aslaug was a character I couldn't relate to or empathize with.  That is just my opinion because it got a starred review from School Library Journal and Booklist.  You don’t have to take my word for it.  Read it yourself and send me some comments.  

         I would recommend this for upper high school students who are interested in religious mythology from various cultures, and those who like reading about herbal medicine.  

The Knife That Killed Me by Anthony McGowan

Click here to find this book at your library.

          Paul goes to a regular school complete with cool kids, jocks, and bullies.  He really doesn’t belong in any of those groups; just a regular kid...Until he agrees to deliver a package for the biggest, meanest, bully in the school  Once he makes that delivery he sets a chain of events in motion that will result in death and disaster.  

          This is a realistic look at how kids become involved in bullying.  It’s an honest portrayal of a regular kid and how with just a few wrong choices we could all be very different people.  The dialog reads true for the way that kids talk to each other, and the way parents and teachers interact with teens.  I recommend reading this book for guys and girls who like realistic urban teen fiction.  The cover, with it’s bloody knife, makes the book look like a thriller or a slasher story but it’s not.  

The Hand You’re Dealt by Paul Volponi

          Click this link to find this book at your library.

          When Huck’s dad dies his world crumbles. His mom is working crazy hours as a waitress to try to pay the bills. Huck is working weekends and going to school. His best friend is too busy being popular to care, and the girl he likes is acting standoffish. He is lost and doesn’t know what to do. His father was the best poker player in town and he always won the local poker tournament. Now Mr. Abbott, his math teacher, claims he is the best. He tortures all of the students; plays head games and makes Huck’s life hell. Huck risks everything to secretly enter the tournament in order to beat the Mr. Abbott who stole something from his dad on his deathbed, and reclaim something of the life he used to have.

          I read this book in one sitting. It starts with a gun being pointed at Huck and ends…Well I’m not going to give that away. It was exciting, heartbreaking and easy to read. The story goes back and forth between the tournament and things that Huck and his dad did together. I loved it.

The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea M Campbell

Click here to look for this book at your library.

          Damien is the son of a supervillian.  When he turns 16 he should see a V on his thumb confirming that he will be a supervillain too.  He should be going to high school for villainy and dating a supervillian girl.  Things don’t go as planned and Damien might have some superhero blood in his family tree.  With his destiny not as clear as he thought Damien finds himself torn between the way he was raised and doing what’s right.  

          This was an interesting book.  With the action, talk about girls, and guy humor this is definitely a guys book.  A lot of guys will relate to Damien, because even though he wants to be a supervillian, he is just a regular guy.  He is scared of heights, loves his ex-girlfriend who cheated on him, and he is not great at school.  I enjoyed reading the book and some parts were incredibly funny.  Even with the superheroes it is a realistic read.  I give this book a 3 out of 5.  It was worth reading but if you are interested in a superhero teen book I would read Dull Boy by Sarah Cross or Killer Pizza by Greg Taylor.

The Prophecy by Dawn Miller

Click here to find this book at your library.

          Five friends, who all live in different places come together to fight the evil forces threatening humans. Seven years earlier the friends where only twelve years old and they fought something that they can’t remember. Now they are all nineteen and whatever they faced all those years ago is after them once again. It seems these kids among everyone on earth can see the angels. They alone have the power to face what's coming.

         It sounds great. I was hooked from the minute I saw the cover. I opened the book and … was let down. The story is disjointed and pacing is off. It’s told in the alternating voice of the characters, but sometimes it’s told in their journals and sometimes in a first person narrative. Sometimes the story moves fast with quick action; other times it moves painfully slow. The characters don’t read true as teens, and the dialogue seems forced. Some may like this book, but I don’t recommend it. If you are looking for a story about a band of friends who fight an ancient evil when they are kids, and then regroup years later to finish the fight I recommend reading Stephen King’s IT instead.

This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Click this link to find this book at your library.

          When there is no government, no food, and everything you know is now different what hope can you have. For Miranda and her family living in upstate New York is no longer the quiet country life they have always known. Without electricity and with their food supplies dwindling they are struggling to just survive. The book is told in the journal entries of Miranda and is full of amazing detail and imagery. This was interesting and I enjoyed reading it. I was in the middle of another book, but I got sucked in to the story and couldn’t put it down.

          This is the third book in the series about what happens to the Earth after a meteor collides with the moon knocking it closer to the earth. Because the Moon is closer to the Earth there are tidal waves, tsunamis, earth quakes, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun. In the 1st book we are introduced to Miranda’s family and in the second we meet Alex’s family. The third book unites both families.

This is the second book

Click here to find this book at your library.

This is the first book

Click here to find this book at your library.

The Not-So-Great Depression by Amy Goldman Koss

Click here to find this book in a library near you

Jackie is a middle school girl with a best friend, cool big sister and slightly annoying brother. Things are going great until her mom loses her high paying job. Now Jackie and her family have to deal with what it means to cut back, and live a less extravagant life. I liked the book because it had a sense of humor and was realistic. It’s not the greatest book I’ve ever read but it would be a good choice for a tween who doesn’t understand what’s going on in tough economic times. It explains very basically why the economy is bad, and how it’s effecting people without becoming political. The most important things in the book are friends and family, but it doesn’t sugarcoat what happens when a parent loses a job.