Teen Comments on Books Eligible for 2007 & 2008 Awards
Click Scholastic: Arthur A. Levine Books 2007 - October
I absolutely loved the way that this book was writen, like stories within stories. It's a book that is unique from any other book I've read. It is written by ten different authors, and each author wrote a different chapter. The overall story is about photographer George Keane, but each chapter tells a story of someone's life that George Keane had some affect on. I liked the way this book was done, but still had some lingering questions at the end. Authors: David Almond, Eoin Colfer, Roddy Doyle, Deborah Ellis, Nick Hornby, Margo Lanagan, Gregory Maguire, Ruth Ozeki, Linda Sue Park, Tim Wynne- Jones. Nominate? No. 4Q. 4P. Claire, 13
Baker, E.D. No Place for Magic Bloomsbury 2006 - September
This quick, easy read (forth book in the Tales of the Frog Princess Serise) was an okay book with an interesting plot. I feel that it is not a teen book, but a children's book, but i had fun reading it anyway, because Baker's writing can be descriptive enough to want to read. At the end, though, i felt Baker took the easy way out, Seeing as there was no battle becuase the trolls were sick. Nominate? No. 2Q. 3P. Ellen, 12
Cooper, Brenda The Silver Ship and the Sea Tor 2007
This was definitly one of my top twenty books of the year. The world building was exquisit, and the characters all had very vivid personalities. Also, I liked how the author made all of the prejeduces seem much more real than most authors would. The story is based around 6 kids with different genetic abilities, and everybody hates them because they are so much different than all of the other people on the colony planet of freemont. All in all, I just really liked this book. Nominate? Yes. 4Q. 5P. Lewis, 13
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I absolutely loved this science fiction tale of six genetically altered teens left behind on a planet that hates genetically engineered humans after a horrible war between regular humans and genetically altered humans occurs on the planet. I think almost everyone would love this book and would strongly recommend it. Nominate? yes. 4Q, 5P. Claire, 13
Cooper, Ilene Oprah Winfrey Penguin: Viking 2007
The book was a nice read. It lets you know some of the background that makes Oprah the woman she is today. It lets you know she wasn't always a big commercial enterprise, but instead grew up in a small town in Mississippi. Oprah although potrayed as a icon is more a human being then some of us. This book reminds us that a great person can come from anywhere. Nominate? No. 3Q. 4P. Susan, 13
Crutcher, Chris Deadline HarperCollins:Greenwillow Books 2007 - September
This was the 1st Chris Crutcher book I've ever read, and it's certainly not the last. I don't know how an author writing a book about a kid who's only got a year to live could still make it funny, but he did. I was laughing out loud throughout the book. He's also one of the few authors who made an ending I liked. I'm buying a copy of this as soon as it comes out. I would love to have a copy of this book. Nominate? Yes. 5Q. 5P. Andrea F., 14
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This book was unlike any book I've ever read. It's about a guy named Ben Wolf who discovers he only has one year left to live and, instead of telling everyone about his disease and getting treated for it, he decides to tell nobody and make the best of his last year on earth. I would recommend this book, but really only to more mature readers who could handle what was discussed in this book. I would rate this book and eight and a half out of ten. 4Q. 4P. Claire, 14
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Deadline by Chris Crutcher tells a poignant story of Ben Wolf , the smaller in size but older brother to Cody Wolf , who makes the most defying and courageous decision by refusing treatment when he is diagnosed with leukemia. Suddenly his senior year in high school changes with a whole new element of risk in his life. With out telling anyone of his condition by threatening his physician he, being a cross country star, goes out for football and starts dating the girl of his dreams Dallas Suzuki. But his goal for a 'normal' year becomes increasingly complicated and ends when he realizes he has to tell the truth which he does resulting in denial from his girlfriend, acceptance from his brother, shock from his parents, and compassion from his football coach. A truly sad and motivating tale that takes your heart. Easily a nomination for a book reward. Hazel, 15
Gormly, Beatrice Salome Random House 2007
This book shows a uniqe, compelling veiw of how Salome might have been preasured into killing john the Baptist. Gormly cleverly uses what little there is known of Salome and her story to create the life of a rich girl suffering with her own personal problems. however, it is a somewhat easy read, and some of the idea's Gormly came up with i found strange, almost uninteresting. Nominate? no. 3Q. 3P. Ellen, 12
Lerman, Drew Magic City Scholastic 2007
The book Magic City was a interesting book. Not a genre I read often. The book has many adult themes. Plus is great as anger management considering it uses the "F-word" in almost every sentence. You would think this would make the characters boring and predictable. But in a sense it made them more real. The main character is this kid named Henry. Henry is pretty messed up. He has seizures and flashbacks because of a horrible incident. Over all, the book was quite eye opening and contained so much real world problems, the reader could have something to think about after putting the book down. Nominate? no. 3Q. 4P. Susan, 13
Raphael, Marie A Boy From Ireland Persea Books 2007
This book had a wonderful start. But just died in around the third chapter when the two main character's left Ireland. The book was boring and dull. Even the most promising scene, became really lame. Nominate? no. 1Q. 2P. Susan, 13
Singleton, Linda Joy Fatal Charm Llewellyn 2007 - August
In this book there are alot of strange things happening. Sabine is thrilled to be back with her grandmother. Dominic is still around as well as Josh. the tension is unbareable.(You ahve to read the book to knwo what I mean) The secret is revieled (Not telling which one.) and well you have to read the book. I'm going to say to much. In conjunction with the book I think Llewellyn Publications should let Linda Joy Singleton finnish the series. The book really leaves you hanging there at the end. Nominate? yes. 4Q. 5P. Nicol M., 18
Somper, Justin Vampirates Demons of the Ocean
I started this book with the Idea that it was going to be great. I was dissapointed.My review will be much like how much I read of the book - Short. I started it, and I got the Idea that the author had read about how to write, but had never done it before. For example, the so called pirates were nice and very gullible. I thought that if the author had taken the time to learn how to write good, grabbing stories, it might have been better. In contrast, the cover art was really good. Nominate? no. 2Q. 2 P. Lewis, 13
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This book wasn't the best book I've ever read, but it was alright. It is definately good for those vampire fans who also like pirates and want a quick read. The beginning of the book drags alittle bit, but if you can get past it the rest goes fast. Nominate? no. 4Q 4P Deseray, 16.
Springer, Nancy The Case of the Left-Handed Lady Penguin: Philomel 2007
Even though I didn't read the first Enola Holmes mystery, I enjoyed this book immensely. Enola, younger sister of Sherlock Holmes, runs away from boarding school and tries to make a living for herself by being a detective like her older brother. I found this book to be funny, smart, and extremely good. Nominate? yes. 4Q. 4P. Claire, 13
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'The Case of the Left-Handed Lady' was the second in the Enola Holmes mystery series by Nancy Springer. I'd heard of Springer's Rowan Hood and Camelot books, but hadn't read them, but now I can't wait to get to the library. This was one of the better mysteries I've read this year. It's the story of Enola Holmes, Sherlock Holmes's far younger sister. At 14, Enola has refused to go to a boarding school and be the perfect young lady, and has run away to run her own detective business in secrecy. But, how can she be solving the mystery of a disappeared young lady if she's being chased by her clever brother, Sherlock? And, even if she does solve the mystery of the 'left-handed lady', how long will it be before Sherlock finds Enola? This was an excellent book, with a strong female lead who wasn't afraid to exit the the 'woman's mold' of the 1800's. I liked this book mostly because I love mysteries and this time period, but I think that anyone who is even remotely interested in mystery would like it. Younger readers may find themselves saying, 'No way, that's so scary!' while older readers will be saying, 'Oh, that's nothing.' But all the same, I thought it was an excellent story. Nominate? yes. 4Q. 4P. Elle, 13
Stone, Jeff Crane Random House 2007
The Five ansestors is continued in the best book yet; Crane. Stone Weaves what the reader already knows and changes the plot with one simple twist. I couldn't put it down, i read it in one day straight. It is one of those books that usually apeals to readers of all ages. I really enjoyed the last few pages, but hated the end becuase it left me waiting for Eagle, the next book. Nominate? yes. 4Q. 5P. Ellen, 12
Velez, Ivan Dead High Yearbook Penguin: Dutton 2007
This was odd book to come across. It is a graphic novel about a group of teens who are all dead, each their lives ending some bizarre, bloody end. This is a collection of stories about each of these kids and what happened to them, ranging from being bitten by vampires or their body being invaded by a demon dog. This book is not going to freak you out too much, for it is lightly morbid. Nominate? yes. 3Q. 4P. Kara D., 13
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The cover was cool. Dead High is the hell away from home for unfortunate dead high schoolers. Listen to their tales and know that while you may have it bad, they have it worse. The most compelling aspect was that even after you die, you go to school. Nominate? yes. 5Q. 4P Melissa C., 17
Cameron, Peter Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You Frances Foster Books 2007
This was a wondeful book. It tells the story of James Sveck, a eighteen year old boy. He had a "incident" in the past that has caused him to become very introverted. He doesn't like people or even big crowds of people. This book shows the journey James takes and what made him the way he is. Nominate? yes. 4Q. 5P. Susan, 13
Welsh, T.K. Resurrection Men Penguin: Dutton 2007 - August
It's the first book of it's kind that I've ever read. Resurrection Men is set in 1830 London. It's the time when doctors are discovering amazing things about diseases and the human anatomy. Unfortunately, people didn't have enough cadavers to go around. So a black market business is set up, selling bodies dug up from their graves, but that just one way to get ahold of bodies. It's very dark, so don't read it if you don't like that kind of thing. I would like the copy of this book. Nominate? yes. 4Q. 4P. Andrea F., 14
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I think this book was phenomonal. It wasn't very long, but it was definitely worth reading. T. K. Welsh is a genious for creating this book. I think it's just perfect the way it is. Great job.
Would you nominate this book for an award yes Quality 4Q Better than most Popularity 3P Some Teen appeal. Jonathan, 13
i would recommend this to kids who are depressed or who wonder if there is something going on in their house that they should tell someone about. I am neither, so this books wasn't really my type, but i thought it was a sad, strange, uniqe story, but also one that others can relate to. Nominate? no. 2Q. 3P. Ellen, 12
Erskine, Kathryn Quaking Penguin: Philomel 2007 - July
As soon as I understood that it was about a Goth girl going to live with Quakers, I was hooked. Matt has been handed around like an old pair of shoes from relative to obscure relative. This time she's dumped with a new breed of weirdos. Quakers. They're not like any of the people she's lived with before. They're not pseudo-religious, nor are they cult people. They're not hounding her to find the love of Jesus, they're the ones trying to love her. Tensions escalate in the small town they live in when locals start terrorizing churches that support the peace effort. Would you nominate this book for an award: yes Quality: 4Q Better than most Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal I would love to have the book club's copy of this book at the end of the year. Nominate? yes. 4Q. 4P. Andrea F., 14
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I would definetly recomend this book to anyone looking for a good story about overcoming. This story is very unexpected and has a lot of heart. Nominate? yes. 4Q. 4P. Allyson, 16
Mieville, China Un Lun Dun Random House 2007
This book goes in my top ten for the year. It was exciting, funny, and had many fresh ideas. The book starts with two friends, Zanna and Deeba. They live in London. But lately weird things have been happening to Zanna, which leads up to them discovering Un Lun Dun, a strange land nothing at all like London. When they arrive Zanna is told that she is the prophet of Un Lun Dun and must defeat the enemy, The Smog. The Smog being a big blob of smoke and ashes. Zanna however is attacked by The Smog and sent back to London leaving Deeba to save all of Un Lun Dun!!! Nominate? yes. 5Q. 5P. Susan, 13
Sage, Angie Physik HarperCollins: Katherine Tegen 2007 - March
Physik is the third in one of the most imaginitave series that I have ever come across. The other titles are Magyk and Flyte. Once again, Septimus Heap has run across a heap of trouble, and once again, Princess Jenna has to save him. However, he has crossed a most impenatratable barrier - Time. He has gone 500 years back in time, and in his opinion, he just can't get enough of it. Anyway, I really liked it, and I had a great time reading it. Nominate? yes. 4Q. 5P. Lewis, 13
Sonnenblick, Jordan Zen and the Art of Faking It Scholastic 2007 - October
This is a wonderful book about trying to find yourself. The main character San Lee decides to remake himself into a zen buddhist. The book is funny and entertaining. San Lee just can't keep out of trouble. He does have a counter-part, a girl named Woody(after Woodie Guthrie). She doesn't know that he is not really a zen master, but she is a great friend and is also his partner in a school project.It just so happens that the school is doing the project on Asian Religions. Will San's secret be revealed... Nominate? yes. 5Q. 4P. Susan, 13
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I couldn't get interested in this book. I couldn't even get through the first 20 pages. It's not that it was just so horrible I couldn't continue, it was just rather dull. Would you nominate this book for an award? no. 3Q. 3P Andrea F. 14
Vaupel, Robin Rules of the Universe by Austin W. Hale Holiday House 2007 - August
I liked this book mainly because it is about a nerdy kid who devotes all of his time to studying molecules. However when his grandfather gets cancer and is about to die, he begins to see the world beyond molecules. Also, on a sidenote, he finds a small star in his grandfathers briefcase and begins to study it. I personally thought that this was really a very good book. I liked how well the author builds up his characters until they are almost real. Nominate? yes. 4Q. 4P. Lewis, 13
Weatherly, Lee Kat got your Tongue Random: David Fickling 2007 - June
Kat wakes up in the hospital, and has no memory of who she is. Kat mysteriously get retrograde amnesia, where a person has no memory of who they are. They still remember the basic things like how to tie their shoelaces, but they have no memory of themselves or people they used to know. We alternate between chapters of reading about Kat, and excerpts from Kathy's diary, who Kat used to be. The main twist in the plot is that Kat's old friends for unknown reasons hate her guts, and won't tell her why because they think she's faking her amnesia. On a side note, it was the first book in a long time where I've liked the cover. I would love to have the book club's copy of this book at the end of the year. Nominate? yes. 4Q. 4P. Andrea F., 14
Zahn, Timothy Star Wars: Allegiance Random: Del Rey 2007 - January
I've dicided that the reason that I like star wars books is all of the detail that the authors put into their writing to make all of the books seem very much real. This one was about a group of 5 stormtrooper deserters, the Emperors Hand (a youg dark jedi in training), and Luke Skywalker. They all come to gether in the Shelsha star system and the plot plays out from there. I really liked how well Timothy Zahn described all of the objects and people in his stories. They made the book so vivid that I couldn't put it down! Nominate? yes. 4Q. 4P. Lewis, 13
Colebank, Susan Black Tuesday Penguin: Dutton 2007 - June
At first, I thought this book need work on keeping an organized plot, but then I relized that there were a few problems on the side that were carried on throughout the whole book. Those problems, like her purpose driven mother, her direction less sister, and getting herself (the main character) back on track with her life, were really what the book was about. I enjoyed it mostly. The plot has been done before. Nominate? no? 4Q 4P. Kara D., 13