Guy Friday-- New

Northrup, Michael. Trapped.
This is no ordinary snow storm. School has let out for the day because unprecedented amounts of snow have fallen on the east coast. Six students are left in the school with the industrial arts teacher, who eventually gives up and heads out. The remaining students hunker down, breaking into the cafeteria to find food, finding water, keeping fires burning in trash cans when the building becomes too cold. After several days, the roof of the school starts collapsing, and the kids start to think that they should ignore radio warnings and head out to find help. Taking a go kart modified to travel over snow, one of the boys starts out; things do not go well, and the protagonist, Scotty, finally has to get help.

Strengths: A real page turner, this will be hugely popular. Fast-paced, full of details of what it would be like to be trapped in a school, this will make students stop and think the next time there is a snow day. Great cover and pages, too.

Weaknesses: Sags a little in the middle, and there's no concrete ending.


Yee, Lisa. Warp Speed.
Marley is a bit geeky-- he's member of the school Audio Visual group (which is, oddly, allowed to move televisions around, even though all of my televisions are labeled "Students have been killed by falling equipment".), loves the orginal Star Trek, and not only hands over his homework regularly to Digger, but is frequently hit by "the Gorns" who bully him mercilessly. Marley has a good group of friends, including Ramen (even though he loves Star Wars), and Max (even though she is a she and loves Batman), and has a supportive family, but even so he hides the fact that he is being bullied. The school has an anti-bullying initiative that consists mainly of red rubber band bracelets, so no help is forthcoming from that area. After Max inadvertantly wins a school race, things look up, and he's able to stand up to the bullies and get his life back.

Strengths: Liked the supportive family (including a deaf mother and financially struggling father), and the general amusing tone.

Weakness: Star Trek? The original series? Hmmm. Too bad that such a stereotypical student is being bullied. The bully, too, was rather stereotypical. Just disappointing. Will still buy, and should pick up Stanford Wong, too.