PSLA
YA TOP FORTY
FICTION 2004(05) TITLES
Abraham,
Susan & Denise. Cecilia’s Year.
Cecilia’s biggest
dream is to go to high school. She wants to be able to get a good job in
Aidinoff,
Elsie V. The Garden.
This
alternative retelling of the Garden and the Fall is told from the perspective
of an extremely inquisitive Eve. Adam is
painted as carefree and physical, and largely inattentive to the lessons of a
didactic, authoritarian God. The Serpent
is Eve’s kind mentor and God’s close friend. In the end, God forces Adam upon
Eve, leading to her mistrust of God and her retreat from the Garden, with the
help of her loyal friend, the Serpent.
Some of the characters’ anachronistic thinking is jarring, but on the
whole, this is a thoughtful and controversial work. It is likely to be a bit controversial. Fantasy. Joyce
Valenza
Akamatsu,
Ken. Negima Vol4: Magister Negi Magi.
A special glossary and
some additional notes will help the reader to enjoy the translation of this
authentic manga in which 10 year-old teacher/magician Negi Springfield must
guide his class on a field trip to historic cities while trying to protect one
of them from kidnapping. Graphic
novel. Candy Blessing
Anthony, Piers. Currant
Events: Xanth #28.
Clio, the Muse of
History discovers a book she wrote but can’t read. Puzzled she visits the magician
Humfrey for advice. He acts strangely and orders her to find a red currant. She
is given a compass that glows blue when she is headed in the right direction.
It glows red when she is there at the proper time. Clio sets off on a quest
with no idea of its purpose. She accomplishes much good, finds the love her
life. In the end we discover the true purpose of her mission. This adventure is
part of a series but can stand alone. Warning! If you hate puns stay out of
Xanth! Fantasy. Barb Wray
Appelt, Kathi. My Father’s Summers: A Daughter’s Memoir.
As a fan of novels-in-verse,
I was completely enthralled with this young girl’s memoir of her father and his
continued absence in the family. Told
through moving, descriptive short poems, the author describes how she, her
mother and her sisters survived the 60’s in
Arvin, Nick. Articles of War.
Heck is an
eighteen year old boy from
Asher, Neal.
Gridlinked.
Ian Cormac is a hero in
the 007 mold, going up against some really evil monsters. No longer augmented,
he's been stripped of his direct neural link to the interstellar computer
grid. He's down to his own brain; his
own two hands and feet. For sci-fan
fans, explosions and monstrous aliens, super-strong androids and super-smart
AIs in a fast-paced adventure. Science fiction. Candy Blessing
Atangan, Patrick. Silk Tapestry and other Chinese Folktales:
Songs of our Ancestors Volume II.
This remarkable little book
uses a graphic novel format to present several Chinese folktales with very
traditional looking Chinese illustrations, with the exception of the speech
balloons. Good for folktale units, the art department, and your reluctant
readers. Graphic Novel. Pam Kavanaugh
Balliet, Blue. Chasing Vermeer.
A valuable Vermeer painting
has been stolen on its way to
Barnes, Steven.
Star Wars, The Cestus Deception: a
Clone Wars novel.
This newest novel in the Star
Wars series will be snapped up by those who follow such things. Set on the planet Ord Cestus, and featuring
Obi-Wan and Bio-droids, this novel takes place 12 months after the attack of
the clones. Science Fiction. Pam Kavanaugh
Beard, Darleen Bailey. Operation Clean Sweep.
Within a few years of having
won the right to vote, the women of Umatilla,
Blake, Nelson. Rock Star, Superstar.
A very realistic novel that reveals the harsh realities of the pop
music business. Pete, a guitarist in a
local band, finds success but must deal with all the problems that follow.
There are some explicit sex scenes in the book, but the story is very telling
and exposes the reader to all aspects of fame.
Rock music. Donna Darmofal
Booth, Martin. Doctor Illuminatus. The Alchemist's Son,
Part I.
Pip and her twin brother Tim
move with their parents to an old English country estate where there is a
unique ghost, Sebastian, the son of an ancient owner, who was also an
alchemist. He appears to Pip and Tim,
befriends them, and enlists their help against an evil enemy, de Loudeac, who
is trying to create a "homunculus", a soul-less creature that would
follow the commands of its evil creator.
Pip and Tim are stalked by de Loudeac, as he tries to use them for help
with his creature. Sebastian knows what
to do to save the day however, and in a climactic night scene, good once again
triumphs over evil. Sebastian is now
head of the Christian alchemists called Lullists, which means he now has the
title Doctor Illuminatus, and will
appear in planned sequels to this story.
A good book for Harry Potter fans.
Nancy Chrismer
Booth, Martin. Doctor Illuminatus: The Alchemist’s Son.
Right
from the first page, Doctor Illuminatus grabs the reader and doesn’t let
go. Twins Pip and Tim move with their family into a centuries old English manor
home. Pip and Tim quickly meet up with Sebastian. Sebastian is the same age as
Pip and Tim, despite the fact that he was born in 1430. Sebastian is not your
normal chain rattling, haunting type of a ghost; he really isn’t a ghost at
all, thanks to his father’s potion. Sebastian’s father was alchemist, or
chemist, experimenting with herbs and potions. Sebastian has been in a state of
suspended animation and he comes to warn Pip and Tim that they are in danger
from his father’s mortal enemy deLoudeac, also a chemist. The evil deLoudeac is
also very much alive and Sebastian must find a way to foil his plans to create
a homunculus. The tension between good and evil and past and present, along
with the combination of history, magic and technology, combine perfectly in
this page turner that will have readers eagerly waiting the sequel. Fantasy. Rosanne
Zajko
Bredsdorff, Bodil.
The Crow-Girl.
A
girl and her grandmother subsist on the lonely coast in
Browne, N. M. Basilisk.
In a society divided into
Abovers (live above ground) and Scrubbers (live below ground), Rej and Donna
have one thing in common, they dream of dragons. While society is falling apart
through war and severe restrictions, the Abover dictator develops a weapon to
harnesses the dream dragons, allowing them to materialize and destroy. When
Donna uses her dreams to overcome the evil basilisk, the people overthrow the
dictator, and the Abovers and Scrubbers are reunited. Fantasy/Adventure. Michelle Stone
Burt, Guy. A Clock Without Hands: A Novel.
Alex, a middle-aged English
painter, returns to the small Italian town where he spent childhood summers
with two companions. There the three children discovered a wounded man in a
ruined church, helped him to recover, and promised to keep the man a secret, a
deed that led to tragedies in each of their lives. Psychological
Fiction. Eleanor Howe
Butcher, Kristin. Zee's Way.
This book was about a boy who had friends
who are not a good influence, not so much bad but they have bad
experiences. The boys are given a hard time by local merchants so the
main character, Zee paints graffiti on the wall. In the end this nice guy
makes him paint a mural and the rest of the merchants see that Zee and his
friends are good guys. Great book for a student who does not enjoy
reading.
Cadnum, Michael.
Blood Gold.
Slogging across the Isthmus
of Panama in 1849 William Dwinelle is not heading to
Caletti, Deb. Honey, Baby, Sweetheart.
This is a great coming-of-age
story that deals with a topic that teens often do not want to face: abusive
relationships between boyfriends and girlfriends. Ruby McQueen is a 16-year-old girl who seems
to have her head on straight, except that she falls for a "bad-boy"
type, Travis Becker, who turns out to be wealthy, spoiled, and ultimately, a
thief. Ruby is pulled into Travis's
misdeeds, and even though she knows better, Ruby feels that she can't help
herself, because, as every girl in this type of relationship believes,
"she loves him." Ruby
eventually finds her way, but after much trouble. There are also two
fascinating sub-plots: one involving Ruby's mother and her absent father who
occasionally drops in to deliver more emotional trauma to the family, and the
other involving elderly residents of a nursing home who teach both Ruby and her
mother some very important lessons about life and love. This ultimately
uplifting story is a definite purchase for libraries serving teen girls who are
in danger of falling for the "wrong" (i.e. abusive) boys. Teen
relationships. Nancy Chrismer
Card, Orson Scott.
Shadow of the Giant.
This last book (or is it?) in
the second Ender Quartet (Shadow Quartet), finds the members of Ender’s Jeesh
at war with one another, Bean facing death from the complications of Anton’s
Key, and Peter Wiggin trying to consolidate all the world under his rule as
Hegemon. A little environmentally
preachy at times, but the action and characters carry this on at a break-neck
pace. Ender fans will not want this to
be the end. Science Fiction. Pat Naismith
Cash,
Steve. The Meq.
The Meq is an immortal
race that has lived anonymously among humans throughout the centuries. They
have lost all memory of their origins but Z (Zianno Zezen) knows that his
father had unusual powers and the challenge has now passed to him. He travels through time and across continents
to seek allies, meeting other members of his race while seeking to vanquish the
evil Fleur de Mal. Fantasy. Candy Blessing
Cassidy,
Cathy. Dizzy.
Cassidy, a first time author
creates a captivating story of a young girl who lives for the once a year
birthday gift sent by her long absent, New Age hippie, mother. This year Dizzy turns 12 and the gift doesn’t
arrive but her mother, Storm does. Storm
convinces Dizzy that her dad has agreed to allow her to take off from school
and travel with her to some festivals.
Dizzy, who is longing for a relationship with her mother, willingly
travels about sleeping in tents, going without proper food, hot water, and
singing for money on the streets. When
Dizzy’s dad never shows up to meet them like her mother said he would, Dizzy
soon realizes that her mother hasn’t exactly been honest with her and she isn’t
exactly the mother Dizzy really wanted. Some great plot twists and tender moments in
this story about family relationships and in particular mothers and
daughters. Mothers and Daughters. Susan
Krenicky
Charlesworth, Monique. The
Children’s War: A Novel.
This British author, a
journalist and screenwriter as well as author of three previous novels, brings
the skills of each type of writer to this story of two German teenagers and
their families during the horrific events of World War II. There is excellent dialogue and terse but
vivid description of wartime
Chavez,
Denise. The Last of the Menu Girls: A
Novel in Stories.
A newly revised edition of
the book originally published in 1986.
The story of Rocio Esquibel, a Mexican American woman growing up in
Cheng, Andrea. Honeysuckle House.
It is through alternating
voices that we learn of the difficulties and awkwardness that young
Chinese-Americans girls experience in school, friendship, and family life. Sarah and Ting are both Chinese-Americans in
fourth-grade. Sarah, born and raised in
Cheng, Andrea. The
Honeysuckle House.
In alternating voice, Sarah,
American with Chinese ancestors, and Ting, newly arrived from
Chibbaro, Julie. Redemption.
This first novel is a tightly
written story of betrayal, greed, love and redemption set in the
Choldenko,
Jennifer. Al Capone Does My Shirts.
It’s 1935, and twelve year
old Moose Flanagan has just moved to
Choldenko, Gennifer. Al Capone Does My Shirts.
New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2004.
0-399-23861-1. 228p. $15.99.
Gr. 7-10.
In 1935 Moose Flanagan and
his family have moved to
1945...Daniel Kraushaar, a US
Army interpreter, returns to his native
Choyce, Lesley. Thunderbowl.
Here is yet another Orca title that many,
many reluctant readers will relate to, especially our boys. The main
character, Jeremy, enjoys music more than school. His band is given an
opportunity to play at a local club and they begin to spend all evenings
playing. With the band, Jeremy has found a place that he really shines;
unfortunately he begins to seriously slip at school. This coming of age
tale successfully depicts the balance of responsibilities and juggling a dream
that is vital to success in life. Karen
Hornberger
Clamp. XxxHolic 2. Translated by Bill
Flanagan.
The romance is
heating up between Kimihiro and cute Himawari-chan. Then fate throws Kimihiro’s
old rival back into his life. Now Yûko
invites all three to a temple to tell scary stories throughout the night. Is it just for fun or is there some deeper
reason? What if they just stopped? Graphic novel. Candy Blessing
Clarke, Susanna. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.
This well-researched, but
complicated novel takes place in early nineteenth century
Cohn,
Rachel. Pop Princess.
People dream of being a pop princess and
Rachel Cohn takes that dream and brings it to life in this novel. A girl who
used to live in the shadow of her talented older sister finally gets a chance
to shine after being discovered at local
Dairy Queen. To go from being nobody to somebody changes her in ways that even
she wouldn’t believe. This is the story of a girl who struggles to be a pop
princess minus the whole princess deal. It’s a book that any teenager can
relate to on some level or another may it be living two lives, or being
overshadow this book is the perfect read for anyone. Shika
Sharma--Senior,
Corder, Zizou. Lion
Boy.
The Lion Boy is a
great novel filled with adventure and suspense.
It is about a boy whose parents get kidnapped because of their extreme
intelligence. They are both scientific
professors and his mother has her own lab in their backyard. He goes on a courageous adventure with a
teenage boy, who he escapes from because the Lion Boy seems to be as smart as
his parents and knows that the teenager and his mother are not
trustworthy. He eventually reaches the
sea and joins a floating circus heading to
S. P., Sixth grade, The
Codrescu, Andrei.
Constable, Kate.
Singer of All Songs.
The first in a new trilogy
“Chanters of Tremaris” (the second has already been published), Calwyn, a young
priestess, combines her magical skills with those of others to defeat a
sorcerer who is intent on being the master of the universe, or the Singer of
all Songs. Calwyn has the power of song-spell, chantments which giver her
control of all things cold. When she leaves her land to help shelter a man
being hunted by the sorcerer, she learns some surprising things about her own
powers. As with many fantasies, the society and worlds are richly detailed.
Students who have read this book enjoyed the quick pacing and the realistic
characterization, as well as the tension between good and evil. Fantasy.
Rosanne Zajko
Cook,
Lyn. Flight from the Fortress.
A journey that begins full of
danger becomes even more perilous.
Sixteen-year-old Philippe goes to Louisbourg,
Cook, Lyn. Flight from the Fortress.
This action packed adventure
takes place during the English & French war during the Battle of Louisburg
in 1713. It has a very good story
line. Historical. Fred Gaines,
Environmental Engineer
Corrigan,
Eireann. Splintering.
This is a story told through
a series of poems in two voices, a brother and sister, Jeremy and Paulie
(Paulina). Each one tells their own
version of the story in the aftermath of a violent home invasion while visiting
their older sister, Mimi who had recently separated from her husband. Each of
the siblings has reacted to the violence and the healing in their own ways. The language is hard hitting and describes
both the actual incident and how the family has reacted after the incident. Violence/Family Problems. Susan
Krenicky
Cowley, Joy. Hunter.
The past and the present are
interwoven in this story of a Maori slave and three siblings whose plane has
crashed on a deserted
Cowley, Joy.
Hunter.
Three kids crash
on an uninhabited island. In 1805, slaves of Maori hunters are fleeing for his
life. Is this Lost? Told through parallel stories, each protagonist senses the
other’s presence. The slave from 1805 guides
Crist-Evans,
Craig. North of Everything.
A short, melancholy, free-verse
novel told from an unnamed young boy’s point of view tells of the family’s move
from
Crist-Evans, Craig. North
of Everything.
Still adjusting to the family
move from
Cronin, Thomas W. Glory be to Mars. Saanichton (Victoria),
This book and the 2 preceding it (As it is on Mars and
Give us this Mars) should be in every high school library! Cronin has a PhD. in physics and has
contributed to the research on mars that makes these books possible. Complex characters and social settings,
political intrigue, and martian engineering are hallmarks of the series. This book would appeal to WWII buffs as
well. It contains more battle strategy
than the first two novels, but still creates a mars we can envision, with
detailed pictures of the geography and the way of life necessitated by this harsh,
but possibly livable, environment. Science Fiction. Pam Kavanaugh
Cummings,
Priscilla. Red Kayak.
Living near the water on
Cummings, Priscilla.
Red Kayak.
Living in the Easter Shore of
Maryland thirteen-year-old Brady Parks understands the changing life style of
the waterman community who used to crab and fish. Old homes are being bought up and turned into
mini mansions by affluent suburbanites; regulations are limiting the catches of
crabs. There is tension and stress. Brady turns into a hero by rescuing the 3
year old son of an affluent neighbor after their kayak is overturned. Fame is short lived when the toddler dies of
pneumonia. Then Brady learns the awful
truth behind the accident. Brady knows
that he should go to the police, but he has loyalties to his friends. His parents, caught up in their own problems,
are unable to communicate with him. The
ending, while not surprising, comes about through careful soul searching on
Brady’s part and a well written sensitive narrative by Cummings. Good companion books to this would be Bridge
to Terabitha by Katherine Paterson and On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer. Both books show a young person’s struggle
with death of a friend and a sense of guilt.
Family relationships; friendship;
death. Jeannie Bellavance
Curtis, Christopher Paul. Bucking
Sarge. New York: Random House
Children’s Books, 2004.
0-385-90159-3. 259p. $19.42.
Gr. 7-12.
Luther T. Farrell runs a
group home for elderly men, drives a large van and has over $90,000 in his
education fund. So, who would believe
that Luther is only a fifteen-year-old boy who attends
Curtis Christopher
Paul. Bucking the Sarge. New York: Wendy Lamb Books, c2004. 0-385-90159-3. 259p.
$15.95. Gr. 8-12.
Surrounded by colorful
characters in the inner-city of
Dahlberg, Maurene
F. Escape
to
The novel begins in the Cold
War period just before the construction of the Berlin Wall. Heidi Klenk is turning 13 and is not having a
good summer. Her mother is expecting a
“surprise” baby, her father is being pressured to find work in
Dahlberg, Maurine F.
Escape to
Life
in
Datlow, Ellen & Terri
Windling. The Faery Reel: Tales from the Twilight Realm.
This collection of 18
stories, surrounded by a poem at each end, includes a variety of writing styles
and tales that are humorous, painful, joyous, and magical. Most are about 20-30 pages long, and all are
decorated by Charles Vess’ whimsical drawings.
Among the authors are Patricia McKillip, Gregory Maguire, and Delia
Sherman. The editors have previously
compiled numerous volumes of fantasy and horror. While focusing on European and British
folklore and British literature, Windling’s informative introduction (28 pp.)
brings credibility to these unseen creatures that are responsible for otherwise
unexplained events, both good and bad, by demonstrating the widespread
international and historical belief in them. Recommended. Fantasy; Short Stories. Eleanor
Howe
De la Cruz, Melissa. The Au Pairs.
This novel is about three girls who go to
work as au pair's in the Hamptons, each going for different reasons.
Eliza, who ran strong with the in crowd, goes to meet up with her friends after
her family recently endured a financial scandal. Eliza is desperately
keeping the scandal a secret from her friends in order to maintain the social
status she once had. Mara, a small town girl goes to raise money for
college. Jacqui comes from another country in search of a summer fling that,
for her, turned into love. Reminiscent of the Nanny Diaries and My
First Love and Other Disasters, this is a fast paced story sure to be a hit
with young girls. Not overly impactful, nevertheless a good read. Karen Hornberger
de Lint,
Charles. The Blue Girl.
Imogene and Maxine, two high
school outcasts, become best friends in spite of their differences. Imogene is seventeen, a wild-haired, pierced
and tattooed individualist while Maxine follows the straight and narrow line
tightly controlled by her mother. The
book starts off realistically with typical high school experiences, but then,
several things happen: Imogene is followed by Ghost, the dead boy who threw
himself off the school roof, she begins having disturbing conversations with
her childhood imaginary friend in her dreams, and some bad-tempered fairies
residing at her school begin to make her life miserable. Fantasy fans, male and female, will love the
magical elements mixed into the subplot of bullies and bullying in a high
school setting. Fantasy, High School, Friendship.
Pat Bender
Delaney, Mark. Pepperland.
Sixteen-year-old Star is
having a hard tome dealing with her mom’s death. Going through her mom’s things she finds an
undelivered letter she wrote to John Lennon.
With her love of music she tries to compose a song in her mom’s memory.
Set in 1980, Star goes through many
experiences most teenagers face but with music in the background it makes an interesting read. Family
relationships. Donna Darmofal
Dematons,
Charlotte. The Yellow Balloon.
A book for fun and
relaxation. Follow the yellow balloon,
the blue car, the prisoner, and the ficar on the flying carper around the
world, through pages of adventure. This
is a wordless picture book, but the detailed illustrations have much to say. Look, and then look again, you are sure to
have missed something. Fans of Where’s
Waldo and I Spy books will add this title to their favorites. Just for fun. Constance Roupp
Dessen, Sarah. the truth about forever.
Sixteen-year-old Macy must
walk on eggshells around her workaholic mother after her father’s sudden
death. She has a responsible summer
library job, a respectable boyfriend, and a regimented life that includes SAT
prep and yoga classes. When her
boyfriend, Jason, leaves for summer “Brain Camp,” Macy takes on an additional
job with a group of colorful and unorganized caterers. A cautious teenager, Macy begins to assert
herself with her new friends, and becomes attracted to Wes, a former reform
school student and budding artist. When
her disapproving mother grounds Macy to keep her from her new friends, Macy
falls back into her old pattern of unquestioning obedience and dullness, but
things begin to look up when her mother hires the catering company for an
important business event. Sarah Dessen
writes intelligent love stories for young adults, bound to attract teenage
girls. There are a few colorful words,
but no sexual content. Death of Father, Family Life, Romance. Pat Bender
Dessen, Sarah. The
truth about forever.
Macy’s
life has been turned upside down. Her
father has died, and she has tried to cope with the grief by putting everything
in her life into perfect order. But
Macy’s catering job brings her in contact with an odd group of misfits that
help her not only deal with grief, but find love and friendship in the
process. Despite the wooden depiction of
her “boring” job at the library, this will be a hit with Dessen fans. Realistic
Fiction. Pat Naismith
Dessen, Sarah. The truth about forever.
Macy is the perfect student, the perfect
daughter, and the star of the track team. When her father dies she
doesn't run anymore and spends her days studying for tests and doing
homework. Then she meets the people of "Wish Catering" and her
life changes; she is now happy and meets the guy of her dreams. When she
meets Wes, she begins to do things that make her happy again. In time,
her mother and family become happier and begin to get over her father's
death. This book was definitely a page turner and became one of my
favorites. I enjoyed reading every page and wish that there was a
sequel.
Dessen, Sarah. The truth about forever.
Macy's father died; as a result, Macy has
turned perfect for her mother's and her own sake. Macy takes a job
for "Wish", a catering company. Through her friends and
boyfriend, she begins to understand what she truly wants and needs and she
feels safe to reveal the "real" Macy (the grieving Macy.)
Macy's mom notices and pulls her in. Her mom soon begins to grieve and
both Macy and her mom feel less stress.
I absolutely loved this book. It made me wish that I was Macy and
live her experiences. I wish someone would make it a movie. It is
truly a remarkable and inspirational book that every girl between eighth and
tenth grade should read and the game "truth" should always be played
seriously. I wish Sarah Dessen would write Wes' story and his thoughts
and feelings about his mom and his time in reform school.
Dorros, Arthur.
Under the Sun.
Set in the 1990’s during the
Bosnian War Ehmet and his mother must flee
Dunkle, Clare B.
Close Kin.
The world of elves, goblins
and humans intersect seamlessly in this second installment of The Hollow Kingdom trilogy. Emily, a human, thoughtlessly turns down the
marriage proposal of Seylin, an elf.
Seylin leaves the goblin kingdom in search of an elf camp, seeking to be
with his own kind. What he discovers is
that his ideal of elves does not match reality.
When Emily realizes that she does love Seylin, she sets off on her own
quest to find him. The characters on
these trips of self-discovery learn much about their true natures. There is both humor and tenderness in this
story. It would be helpful to read the
first installment, but the author gives enough background that the reader is
able to pick up the plot and the action that preceded Close Kin. Fantasy. Rosanne
Zajko
Easton, Kelly. Walking
on Air.
Twelve year old June walks
the tightrope of her life with as much agility as she walks the tightrope in
her itinerant preacher father’s revival meetings. June is the attraction that her father needs
to draw an audience as he and June’s mother travel the country during the Great
Depression. Well written, with a smooth
narrative, June finds similarities between Bible stories, fairy tales, and her
life. She is an introspective girl,
seeking God among the difficulties of her life.
When her mother reveals a long held secret, June is given a chance to
leave behind the life of traveling and preaching. Her choice reveals God’s presence in her
life. The circumstances in June’s life
are daunting, and the reader may feel despair that June will never escape them. The focus on God and June’s understanding and
misunderstandings of the Bible show great insight and make this book a good
addition to fiction collections needing materials on teens and the place of
religion in their lives. Historical
Fiction. Rosanne Zajko
Elliot, L.M. Annie Between the States.
Fifteen year old Annie
Sinclair lives in