After the First Death

After the First Death
Robert Cormier
288 pgs
Puffin (2006)
Subject Matter: death, terrorism, kids, loyalty

A school bus is hijacked by terrorists and the driver tries to save them by driving away. The bus is halted on a bridge and one of the children is shot. The story is told from the perspective of two foreign terrorists, Kate, a 16-year-old who is driving the bus and automatically becomes the caregiver of the children who she was driving to summer camp, and the son of the American general who is negotiating.

Review: Done very realistically and believable. Many heart strings are pulled as chapters are told by different perspectives.

Now You Know: Dramatic and colorful language

The Wednesday Wars

The Wednesday Wars
Gary D. Schmidt
272 pgs
Sandpiper (2009)
Subject Matter: religion, track, school, rats, creampuffs, Shakespeare

Holling creates a problem for Mrs. Baker right from the start. He is not of one of the main religions in his school and therefore has to stay in his home room while the rest of his classmates go to release times. At first Mrs. Baker tries to pawn him off to other teachers so that she may have a break from students for a hour. As the year goes on and Holling can no longer clean the erasers and he lets the rats of the cage when cleaning Mrs. Baker takes a special interest in him and they become quite good friends. She introduces Holling to Shakespeare which results in him playing a part in the Shakespeare festival. She arranges a meeting between Holling and the New York Yankees and saves and architecture firm from going under as she finds work for them. As her and Holling spend more time together Holling learns some secrets about this teacher that has her class under such strict demand.

Review: A touching teacher/student book of relationships and how they aren't always as bad as they seem to be at first.

Now You Know: Nothing in this book is bad.

Spinners

Spinners
Donna Jo Napoli
208 pgs
Puffin (2001)

A ploy of Rumplestiltskin, a tailor wants to win the hand of his true love. She is pregnant with his child, but her father will not allow the communion because he does not believe that the tailor will be able to take care of his daughter. The tailor takes a magical spinning wheel without asking to spin a wedding dress of gold and spins so long into the night that his leg becomes cramped and crippled forever, preventing him from his workship. The beautiful maiden runs from him and his nasty appearance. The baby is born and the mother dies, but the baby is left with a gift for spinning and becomes famous for it.

Review: Incredible idea of the daughter having the spinning talent of her father and being able to make thread out of anything. Very intriguing.

Now You Know: It does not follow like the rest of Napoli's fairy tales. Saskia is her own person and does not have anything more in common with her father than her spinning.

Me, Dead Dad, and Alcatraz

Me, Dead Dad, and Alcatraz
Chris Lynch
240 pgs
Harper Collins (2005)

For the first fourteen years of his life Elvin has been told that his father is dead and that all other relatives of his are gone. One day Elvin comes home from school to find an uncle, that his mother had never admitted to knowing, sitting on his couch. Apparently Uncle Alex has been in jail but is now willing to become the father figure in Elvin's life. Growing up with only his mother, Elvin has a hard time adjusting to another man in the house and does not appreciate the 'fixing up' his uncle tries to do for him, including nearly killing him at the gym with a vigorous work-out, getting his hair cut, and questioning his masculinity infront of his friends. Elvin does not welcome his uncle at all and does all that he can to get rid of him.

Review: A humorous book that allows a fourteen-year-old boy to be himself and describes the difficulties of growing up and not being happy with one's self, as we all have done before.

Now You Know: There isn't anything in this book that would be seen as offensive.

Donna Parker in Hollywood

Donna Parker in Hollywood
Marcia Martin
282 pgs
Whitman (1961)
Subject Matter: Hollywood, ganesha, illness, famous people

Donna is living with her glamorous aunt and uncle for the summer in a town a little south of Hollywood. Donna is from the east coast and finds that there are stereotypes about her home that she did not know of and that she does not fill. She is invited to lunch with one of the more popular girls of the area but becomes better friends with the girl next door. Donna is a naive girl from the east coast and does not understand publicity and the problems that go with it.

Review: A good leisure reading book as it tells of what we all wish would happen to us

Now You Know: very drawn out, not very adventuresome and a lot of time spent to thoughts that are not made clear from actual words said.

Fighting Blood

(There is no cover art for this book)

Fighting Blood

William Heyliger

248 pgs

The Goldsmith Press (1932)

Subject Matter: football, leadership, coaching, team captain

Tarly Ball came into high school with the attitude of making something of himself. The school football team has not won a game in many years and is coached by a teacher who would rather be writing scientific papers than out on the field yelling orders. Sophomore year Tarly is elected captain of the team and makes them work hard enough to win. He continues to be captain through to his senior year and coaches with that title. He spends his time thinking football and making up plays in his free time. His senior year the school hires a real coach who Tarly is intimidated by because he fears the control he has being taken from him. Tarly feels he has ownership over the team because he brought them from the dust but he learns that there is still much to be learned. Through a long, hard fight, Tarly is humbled and his leadership crumbles as he becomes a member of the team rather than the head lion.

Review: Definitely written in the 30's. It is not clear, concise language and takes a little bit to get into the roll of it. Interesting plot line and a boy who enjoys football I think could wrestle through it.

Now You Know: There is nothing in this book that needs to be censored. Just a good book about football and being humble enough to learn football and not just play.

Keesha's House

Keesha's House

Helen Frost

128 pgs

Farrar (2007)

Subject Matter: teen pregnancy, teen troubles, peace, comfort, worry

It's not really Keesha's house, it is Joe's house. Joe was taken in by his aunt when he was 12 and always invited friends over who had nowhere else to go. As he grew older and his friends grew older a younger generation began to occupy Joe's house and Keesha is the girl that invites them all and tells them all about the haven behind the blue door. This is a collection of poems of the kids who stay at Keesha's house, their problems, why they are there and why they stay. Also are poems from those who care about them, their mothers and fathers and coaches or grandparents. Each poem could stand on it's own, but together they weave a beautiful story of co-dependent people that have nothing in common but their problems.

Review: So good! Each poem had it's own message and story and yet they all seemed to link together with the characters knowing each other and such.

Now You Know: This is a book of problems. Each kid has their own set of problems and they are spelled out in poetry, but some are frightening all the same.

Model - A Memoir

Model -- A Memoir

Cheryl Diamond

368 pgs

Simon Pulse (2008)

Subject Matter: modeling, photo shoots, runway shows, modeling agencies

Cheryl Diamond relates her experience as a model breaking into the New York population of pretty people. Her journey is not an easy one as she has problems with finding a place to stay and loses her cat, the one object that she can rely on. Her positive attitude is not one that you would plan on meeting in the modeling industry and her charisma causes a reader to fall in love with her and realize how funny this material world that we live in, really is. She tells the story of her coming to New York for the first time and then venturing out alone to find a place to stay and to find her way around New York city going to photo shoots so that she may build her portfolio.

Review: Cheryl's optimistic attitude causes a reader to question her credibility, as it seems that no one would have the confidence and the mindset to do some of things that she did.

Now You Know: A very good book that accurately describes what it takes to be a model.

Aremegeddon Summer

Armageddon Summer

Bruce Coville

272 pgs

Harcourt Paperbacks (1999)

Subject Matter: religion, Mount Weepacut, Massachusetts, July 27, 2000

Reverend Beelson has done the math from the bible and has figured that the world is going to end July 27, 2000. He has told his two congregations of believers that they must all retreat to the Mount Weepacut in Massachusetts and set up camp a month before the end of the world. He predicts that his followers will be saves while the rest of the world is cast into the typical fire and brimstone ending. Jed is the son of one of the believer men who has caught onto this new religion as a lifeline. Jed does not believe any of what the Reverend is predicting but most go along because he is still under the care of his father. Marina is a devout follower of her mother to believes all that the Reverend is predicting. She questions if her faith is enough and tries her hardest to belief. The two of them are about the same age and share a friendship that allows them to find peace among all the fear of the believers.

Review: Seemingly real, this is a story that so many of us don't believe could happen. An interesting story of religion and what happens if a person allows themselves to be caught up without much else to go on but faith.

Now You Know: This is a book of extremes as Jed and Marina soon find out. Religious extremes, eating extremes, exercise extremes, none are good.

The Boxes

The Boxes

William Sleator

208 pgs

Puffin (2000)

Subject Matter: orphans, Pandora, crab-beasts, science fiction, houses

Annie is given two boxes by her uncle Marco, who she loves and trusts. Given the predicament much like Pandora, Annie is told not to open the boxes. Her curiosity gets the best of her and she cracks the lid of one of them. Out comes a creature that she cannot control and the reproduces itself in a quick manner. Soon Annie's basement is full of these crab-like creatures that speak to her through her thoughts. They insist that she go and talk to the box upstairs that they refer to as "Lord." She does their bidding the Lord slows time for the creatures to create their home and this catches the extreme attention of some landowners who are interested in what is going on inside of Annie's house and are willing to buy, bribing Annie's aunt with a million dollars to sell. Annie must save the creatures and their home and must not allow the landowners to buy.

Review: Lots of loose ends were not tied at the end and leaves the book at a cliff-hanger. Would recommend to someone looking for a good science-fiction novel.

Now You Know: Great concern is built for these rather scary crab-like creatures

Leven Thumps

Leven Thumps

Orbert Skye

848 pgs

Aladdin (2005)

Subject Matter: fantasy, orphans, runaways, magic, fate, adventure, super powers

Leven Thumps is an orphaned child given to his aunt for caregiving. He is abused and does not have a happy childhood. At age fourteen he discovers he has a gift for vaguely seeing into the future and being able to manipulate it. He runs away from his home, not knowing the destiny that lays ahead of him. A small squirrel like magical animal accompanies Leven on his escape from his home, insisting that they need to find a person named Geth who can help Leven save the world. Winter is another child who has had a rough childhood and discovers her own special gift of being able to freeze things - water, people, animals, what-have-you. She also runs away, in search of Leven, though she does not know it at the time. The two of them meet and soon-after, by much fate, find Geth. Their object is to save Foo (a land of dreams and fantasy) from the evil villain who wishes to combine this world that allows people to hope and dream to the real world, ruining them both. Leven must get to the one and only portal between the two worlds before it is too late with the help of Winter and Geth.

Review: A fast adventure that is very well done with enough detail to fill a reader in but not so much to keep the story from moving along.

Now You Know: A lot like Harry Potter

Godless

Godless

Pete Hautman

pgs 208

Simon Pulse (2005)

Subject Matter: religion, water towers, snails, club, peer pressure, power of one

Jason is a teenager looking for something to believe in. His father is a devout follower of Catholicism, whom Jason resists walking in the footsteps of. When getting hit in the face under the water tower and looking up at the large underside of the structure while gaining his breath, Jason realizes that there is something to believe in. Something that saves and destroys all life; water. Forming a religion on the spot worshiping the water tower Jason forms a cult of followers that include the boy that punched him. Their adventure to the top of the tower to fully appreciate their God quickly turns into a disaster as Henry slips and crashes to the catwalk below. Police arrive on the scene, as no one is supposed to climb the water tower, and the church is disbanded. A whole other story opens up as Jason tries to explain what worshiping the water tower and creating a religion means to him.

Review: A great book of teen power that shows how the decisions of one can effect others and how plans and preparations can really come through.

Now You Know: Being a religious book, it does say a lot about religion, which may cause some students to question why they personally belief in what they do and reevaluate their own questions and answers.