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.

Valentine Princess

Valentine Princess

Meg Cabot

96 pgs

Harper Teen (2006)

Subject Matter: Princess Mia, Valentine's Day, misunderstanding, Princess Diaries, dating

It is Princess Mia's first Valentine's Day with a boyfriend and after talking the subject over with her best friends she is not sure if she should give him a valentine or not. He seems to think that it is just a Hallmark Holiday, made up to sell candy and cards, while to Mia it is something a little more special.

Review: A quick read of a Valentine's Day where everything is a twisted mess and seems to be going wrong until Mia just puts herself out there and things turn around and begin to go right.

No You Know: The 'B' word is used more than once, but not excessively. I was surprised.

Speak

Speak

Laurie Halse Anderson

240 pgs

Speak (2009)

Subject matter: silence, rape, parties, alcohol, drinking, high school, victim

Melinda starts school with a horrible secret. She had high hopes of entering high school as a brand new person and making an identity for herself, but at a party held the week before school starts all off that comes crashing down. She makes a phone call and everyone knows she did it, but they don't know why. She starts high school friendless and wouldn't really mind except for the rumors, all of which are not true. As the school year moves on she finds others who have had nearly the exact same experience she has and finally gives them all a voice as she speaks out about the truth.

Review: A touching story that reminds us that we all have secrets but that there are always people out there with the same secret. In order to stop the secret from happening to others it is important to Speak.

No You Know: A touchy subject dealt about in a delicate way

War Is...: Soldiers, Survivors and Storytellers Talk about War

Marc Aronson, Patty Campbell

288 pgs

Candlewick (2009)

Subject Matter: war, hurt, loss, death

This book is a compilation of many war stories, essays, interviews, poems and articles from many different perspectives. Not only are the stories from different perspectives, but they are also from different time eras, given a wide spectrum of war.

Review: A powerful book that should cause any person to think twice about the word war and what it means.

No You Know: controversial and loaded with emotion, this book may cause a person to feel attacked. Language - lots of it. It is a war story.