Girl Sunday

Look at all the girls on the covers. *Weary Sigh* The following will be great for someone, just not for my library, where I haven't been moving much paranormal romance lately. Oddly, a lot of Ellen Conford and Beverly Cleary has been circulating, and girls have been wanting funny, realistic fiction about girls who play sports. Unfortunately, none of these fit that bill.

Shirvington, Jessica. Embrace (Violet Eden Chapters #1)

From Kirkus Reviews, 1/12: " Seventeen-year-old Violet Eden's mother died in childbirth, leaving her to be raised by her detached, workaholic father. If it weren't for her best friend Steph and her trainer (and secret love) Lincoln, Violet would be very much alone. But on her 17th birthday, everything changes. Though finally being kissed by Lincoln is a dream come true, Violet learns that their romantic involvement is forbidden because he and Violet are both Grigori--half angel and half human. They're destined to be eternal partners in the battle against exiled angels on Earth, and romance would make things far too complicated. "

Why This Didn't Work For Me: Just don't need any more paranormal romances.

Agresti, Aimee. Illuminate.

From the Publisher: "Haven Terra is a brainy, shy high school outcast. But everything begins to change when she turns sixteen. Along with her best friend Dante and their quiet and brilliant classmate Lance, she is awarded a prestigious internship in the big city- Chicago-and is sent to live and work at a swanky and stylish hotel under the watchful eyes of a group of gorgeous and shockingly young-looking strangers: powerful and alluring hotel owner Aurelia Brown; her second-in-command, the dashing Lucian Grove; and their stunning but aloof staff of glamazons called The Outfit. As Haven begins falling for Lucian, she discovers that these beautiful people are not quite what they seem."

Why This Didn't Work For Me: Just don't need any more paranormal romances.

Gould, Sasha. Cross My Heart.

From the Publisher:" After her older sister, Beatrice, drowns in 1585 Venice, sixteen-year-old Laura is removed from the convent by the father who forced her to live there in order to for her to marry Beatrice's fiance, a repulsive old merchant named Vincenzo, but Laura has other plans and after she is accepted into a shadowy society of women known as the Segreta, Laura begins to question whether her sister's death was actually a tragic accident."

Why This Didn't Work For Me: Slightly paranormal and an odd historical period. Young Adult fiction is really much more introspective than middle grade fiction.

Coker, Rachel. Interrupted: A Life Beyond Words.

From the Publisher: "If Sam Carroll hadn't shown up, she might have been able to get to her mother in time. Instead, Allie Everly finds herself at a funeral, mourning the loss of her beloved mother. She is dealt another blow when, a few hours later, she is sent from Tennessee to Maine to become the daughter of Miss Beatrice Lovell, a prim woman with a faith Allie cannot accept.Poetry and letters written to her mother become the only things keeping Allie's heart from hardening completely. But then Sam arrives for the summer, and with him comes many confusing emotions, both toward him and the people around her. As World War II looms, Allie will be forced to decide whether hanging on to the past is worth losing her chance to be loved."

Why This Didn't Work For Me: This didn't seem at all historical, and was confusing and wordy in the way that the writing that my students hand me to read is. I finally looked at the back cover and discovered that the writer is 15. Hey, she's written an entire book and had it published and I haven't, but I think that her writing will improve with age and experience.

Child, Lauren. Ruby Redfort: Look into My Eyes.

From the Publisher: Crack open this new series starring Ruby Redfort - Clarice Bean's favorite all-action heroine - and you will literally be on the edge of your wits. Now in her own starring role, Ruby, a genius code-cracker and daring detective, along with her sidekick butler, Hitch, work for a secret crime-busting organization called Spectrum. Ruby gets into lots of scrapes with evil villains, but she's always ice-cool in a crisis.

Why It Didn't Work for Me: This reads like a Harriet the Spy for the new millenium. Only problem? No one is reading Harriet the Spy. I was also confused as to when this took place-- there was a mention about a house being built a few years previously in 1961, but it seemed very modern.

Timeslip Tuesday

Timeslip Tuesday is a recurring feature at Charlotte's Library. Charlotte also does a fabulous round up of middle grade and YA fantasy fiction on Sundays.

Malone, Malorie. Stealing Magic: A Sixty Eight Rooms Adventure
ARC from Netgalley.com, Random House 2012
Ruthie and Jack are still basking in the glow of having discovered an album of lost photographs from a famous artist, an album which turned up in the Thorne Rooms when they used a magic key to shrink down and get into them. When they meet Dora Pomeroy, a decorator who is studying the rooms, they realize that articles are missing, just as art is being stolen from famous collections around Chicago. While investigating, the two travel back to 1937 Paris and meet a Jewish girl. When they realize that her family will be in danger from the Nazis, they try to get back and warn her, only to find that their key has been stolen! They find another way in, and start to realize that the thief is someone they know-- and they may have helped the stealing begin! The two work to put things in the Thorne Rooms to rights, and once again emerge victorious.
Strengths: Love the inclusion of real miniature rooms, time travel, and a good mystery.
Weaknesses: Figured out too early who the thief was! The first book has been a steady but somewhat slow circulator.

Williams, Avery. The Alchemy of Forever.
January 3rd 2012 by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Sera has spent 600 years with Cyrus, and she's fed up. At first, she was glad that he saved her from death with his potion that allowed her to transplant her spirit into another body. She's gotten tired of killing (each new body only lasts about ten years), the Coven of Incarnates, and most of all, Cyrus. When she is due to get a new body, he throws an elaborate party, but she drugs him, runs away, and vows to finally die. However, she comes across a car accident and while trying to save Kailey (who is gravely injured), accidentally takes over her body. Adjusting to Kailey's life is difficult, but "Kailey" is able to say that the accident caused her some memory impairment. Sera is enjoying her new life and thinking that being away from Cyrus and the Coven makes life worth living... and then Cyrus shows up at her school as a substitute teacher! Sera/Kailey tries to elude detection, but then circumstances change... or do they. Another book is surely in the works!
Strengths: LOVED the idea that yes, after 600 years, Sera is sick of Cyrus! This was vastly amusing, drew me into the book, and when Sera took over Kailey's body, this reminded me a lot of Martyn Bedford's Flip. Very well done.
Weaknesses: The ending was very abrupt, but once I realized that there would be another book, that was okay.

Weekend Reading

Johnson, Maureen. The Name of the Star. 

Rory's parents move to England from Louisiana, and she attends a boarding school. Shortly after she gets there, a Jack the Ripper style murder occurs very near the school, so everyone panics and Rippermania take hold of the area. Having snuck out on the night of the murder, Rory is questioned by the police, especially since she saw one man that no one else saw. It turns out that Rory has the ability to see ghosts. Is the murderer really Jack the Ripper? Rory gets involved with paranormal "police" to help solve the crimes.

Strengths: Really can't do this book justice without spoiling the suspense. I'm not a fan of gory books, and this one is not especially so, but given the nature of the murders described, this is not for the faint of stomach. Johnson always does an excellent job of realistic fiction, but her foray into the paranormal is fantastic as well. 

Weaknesses: Not quite sure where the sequel to this will go; I'm sure it will be good but I would have preferred a stand alone title.

Grimes, Nikki. Planet Middle School. 

Joylin is a self-proclaimed tomboy who disdains all of the fripperies that girly-girls employ, but when she starts to be interested in several boys that she knows, she finds herself wearing makeup and uncomfortable clothing in order to attract them. She has many typical issues-- buying a bra, arguing with friends, feeling akward. 

Strengths: I'm always hypercritical of novels in verse, and this one is not bad. While the poetry doesn't have as much meter or rhyme as I would prefer, each poem is at least thematic, and the progression of them makes a fine story. I do have a lot of girls who play basketball, and it was great that the story was about an African American girl and NOT about her being African American! Weaknesses: Joylin approaches her problems with an overwrought sort of energy that I found tiring but which is true to life. 

Alvarez, Julia. How Tia Lola Ended Up Starting Over. 

Nominated for the Cybils by Gina Ruiz. 

Victor and his three daughters have moved to Vermont from New York City and share a house with the elderly Colonel Charlebois. The family loves the area, as well as being near Victor's girlfriend Linda and her children, who are living out in the country with Tia Lola, but everyone is concerned that Victor is not going back to his job as a lawyer. In order to make money, the family decides to turn Colonel Charlebois' house into a bed and breakfast. This angers the owner of another such establishment in town, and when Tia Lola gets the B&B up and running, a string of bad luck causes many disturbances. The children investigate and find out who is behind these, and the families all formulate plans to get their lives organized. Strengths: This is a nice multicultural story with a strong family support system, and is funny as well. Weaknesses: This is the fourth book in a series, and somewhat confusing because I hadn't read the others.

Sternberg, Julie. Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie. 

Nominated for the Cybils by Janelle. 

Eleanor's babysitter, Bibi, moves to Florida to take care of her sick father, and Eleanor is inconsolable. She misses Bibi and doesn't want to like her new babysitter, Natalie. Everything reminds her of Bibi, and she is frequently mean to Natalie just because she is not Bibi. Ellie is also somewhat concerned about starting third grade, and spends the summer working through all of her issues. She plays with children she doesn't like, sets up a lemonade stand, and finally comes to an acceptance of the new reality of her life with the help of her parents, Natalie, and a letter from Bibi. 

Strengths: This might be helpful for a very young child who has lost someone dear to him. The pictures and easy text would make this an accessible book for that. 

Weaknesses: I was halfway through before I realized it was meant to be a novel in verse-- the short lines seemed more like an I Can Read book than poetry.

Die For Me

Plum, Amy. Die For Me.
Kate and her sister Georgia move to Paris following the death of their parents. Living with her grandparents in a city she loves should be enjoyable, but she is homesick and can't snap out of it. Finally pushing herself, she sets out to read in a sidewalk cafe and sees an attractive boy, who keeps showing up. It is Vincent, and the two start hanging out, but Kate soon discovers alarming things about him that make her think he might be dangerous. He is, but he is also good-- he is a revenant, someone who died sacrificing himself for someone else, and now he is immortal. He and his "family" all try to save other people, but they are dormant three days a month, and if they die trying to save someone (which is something of a compulsion), they go back to being the age they were when they died. This complicates the budding romance between Vincent and Kate, especially when evil forces who are working against the revenants come in to play.
Strengths: Honestly, my tolerance for paranormal romances has reached extreme nose wrinkle proportions, but I really enjoyed this one! It was original and not as hand-wringingly fraught as most of them. Sure, there's some sacrifice in the romance (Vincent wouldn't be able to save people and he would then age along with Kate,but she would die and he wouldn't), but it seems more palatable than most. Loved the cover, don't mind reading a sequel. (Oh! Until I Die, due May 2012 or so!) I'm thinking that the grandparents know more than we think they do!
Weaknesses: While the sexual urges in this book are handled very delicately, things could get out of hand as the series progresses.


Sheinmel, Courtney. All The Things You Are.
Carly has a good life; although her father died when she was quite young, she is fond of her stepfather, whom she calls "faux pa", and her step siblings. She has good friends at her prestigious private school. When her mother is accused of embezzling from the soap opera on which she is a stylist, however, everything starts to fall apart. Her mother is actually guilty of using the show credit card to buy things for herself, and she is eventually sent to jail. Carly has to deal with the changes this brings-- her friends don't understand, and she has to deal with many ordinary issues without the support of her mother.
Strengths: This is a good problem novel that brings in several different issues-- there is also a grandmother with Alzheimers, a friend whose mother is alcoholic, and problems with family finances. Carly is a likable character who does the best she can in the circumstances. I actually had a friend in middle school whose father was indicted on tax fraud charges, so things of this nature do occur.
Weaknesses: Don't like the cover, and the tone of this was slightly odd. Perhaps Carly was too mature? Not mature enough? I still think it will be popular and will buy it.