Here are some of the great new books (reviewed and approved!) coming to our Library!
The White Gates by Bonnie Ramthun. This was a wonderful novel that I think will hit our “top ten” list in no time. When Tor moves to Colorado with his mom (she’s divorced, and a new doctor) he immediately figures out that to fit in here, you’ve got to snowboard. In between lessons, he and a friend discover a Native American curse, a rare river otter, and uncover a plot to illegally enhance the school’s snowboard team’s performance. Tons of snowy-surfy action as Tor snowboards his way through the book. Well written, great characters, lots of fun!
Lockdown by Diane Tullson (Orca Soundings Series). This is the story of Josh, a boy who is bullied and teased, then tragically brings a gun to his school. The story is told by Adam, a student who gets stranded in the hallways when the school is under emergency “lockdown.” As he and a friend hide, they talk about what drove Jost to this act.
This is a rather mature subject, but it is dealt with very tactfully and compassionately. All of our kids have heard about this kind of thing happening, and I feel that Lockdown tells a needed story about how tragic this whole situation really is. There is some death, but nothing overly graphic or too unsettling.
Death by Latte by Linda Gerber. This is the eagerly awaited sequel to Death by Bikini (there’s a sizable waiting list already). Aphra is somewhat of a reluctant spy: her parents are long time CIA operatives and when things go wrong, she always gets swept up in the action. In the book, her boyfriend, Seth’s, father has been kidnapped, and the demands are for a special ring Aphra was given as a gift. As the plot unfolds, plane crashes, parental drama, and secret messages line the path to rescuing Seth’s dad, only to discover perhaps he wasn’t really “kidnapped” in the first place. This is a very fun read with a great narrative voice. Definitely a high-interest series!
Project Sweet Life by Brent Hartinger. Dave is 16, and his parents decide it’s time for him to have a summer job. Dave and his friends concoct Project “Sweet Life,” a plan to make money while only pretending to work. This involves a range of schemes: combing garage sales for antiques, entering contests, and solving crimes for reward money. They discover that fake-working is much harder than working at McDonald’s ever would be. Good life lesson for kids: nothing comes for free, there’s hard work involved if you want to be successful. Funny narrative voice and lots of silly scheming makes this book a good selection for middle school.
Between Mom and Jo by Julie Ann Peters. This story may be too controversial for some libraries, but I think this is an important point of view to represent.
Nick has two moms. He is the natural child of one parent, raised by her and her partner, Jo. Like any family, there are problems. Jo has had trouble keeping a job, and has turned to drinking. She does not always make the best parenting decisions. When the family splits up, Nick finds himself in the middle of a painful custody dispute, and experiences depression as he loses one of his moms.
Nick sums it up well when he declares “I don’t care what people think, I love my moms.” Gay marriage is hotly debated issue right now, and coming form Long Beach, many of my kids know someone (are are someone) who comes from a non-traditional family. What this book does well is it illustrates that all families, whether traditional or not, have problems to work out, and that love between a parent and a child is no less powerful when the bond is not biological. Other issues worth discussing are brought up, including adoption, legal rights for gay partners, legal rights for children in these families, and attitudes towards a child raised by gay partners.
Peeled by Joan Bauer. Hildy is a lead reporter for her high school newspaper, and she’s determined to break a huge story. When rumors of a mysterious curse surface in her town, strange people start arriving, and the local grown-up paper starts running sensationalist headlines, Hidly knows something is up. She gets to work and discovers a coordinated plot to profit from the town’s hysteria. Great story for a range of readers!
