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Saturday, May 23, 2009

A Wrinkle in Time


A Wrinkle in Time

A Wrinkle in Time. Madeleine L'Engle. New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1962.
$17.99
ISBN: 0374386137
(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ)

Annotation:
Meg's father disappeared while working on a secret government mission. Along with her brother and friend, Meg travels throughout space and time in order to find her father, and maybe help save the universe.

Book Talk:
Meg Murry feels like she doesn't fit in at school or at home. Her parents are scientists, her brothers are smart, and she is barely passing her classes. Meg's youngest brother, Charles Wallace, has always had the ability to know what she and others are thinking. What she soon discovers is, not only does Charles Wallace have physic abilities, he has also made friends with witches. They know all about Meg and her family, and seem to also know something about her father's disappearance. When Meg, Charles Wallace, and a friend travel with the 3 mysterious women they move throughout time and the universe. Will they be able to find Mr. Murry? Or will they succumb to the darkness that threatens to overtake the universe?

Awards:
Newbury Award Winner--1963.
ALA notable Children's Book
Flicker Tale Children's Book Award
Sequoyah Book Award

Blood and Chocolate


Blood and Chocolate

Annette Curtis Klause. Blood and Chocolate. New York : Delacorte Press, 1997.
$8.99
ISBN:
0385323050
(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ)

Annotation:
Vivian is a teen who is stunning beautiful. She's also a werewolf. When she falls for a boy named Aiden, she is forced to chose between her love for him and her family.

Book Talk:
Vivian is a teenage werewolf. She has recently moved to a new town with her pack to escape a violent past. With each moon cycle the werewolves change their form. She is part of a very close famiy, who has deep-rooted feelings about how werewolves should always stay together and only associate with humans when they have too. Then, Vivian meets Aiden, a intriguing high-school boy . As their relationship progresses, Vivian has to constantly hide who she really is, while her pack puts pressure on her to stop seeing Aiden and find a werewolf mate instead. As the past comes back to haunt the pack, Vivian is forced to make a decision--give into her nature as a werefolf where kisses taste like blood, or try and make Aiden understand who she is and keep the kisses that taste like chocolate.

Awards:
ALA Best Books for Young Adults-1998
Black-Eyed Susan Award
Evergreen Young Adult Book Award
Garden State Teen Book Award
SCASL Book Award (South Carolina)
School Library Journal Best Books of the Year
Voluteer State Book Award

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

The Last Days


The Last Days

Scott Westerfeld. The Last Days. New York : Razorbill, 2006.
$8.99
ISBN: 159514062X
(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ)

Annotation:
In the sequel to Westerfeld's Peeps, Moz and Pearl meet on the streets of New York and end up forming a band that has supernatural powers.


Book Talk:
Pearl and Moz have a mutual love for rock music and saving a 1975 Fender Stratocaster with gold pickups and hardware from falling into the streets of New York City, as a crazed woman throws all her personal belongings out a window. What Pearl and moz don't realize is that the band they create will have supernatural powers that may ultimately save human kind. As humans conduct life above the streets of the city, there is a growing dark and powerful force emerging from the dark hollows New York's underground tunnels. Citizens and friends of the city are also disappearing and exhibiting strange, vampire characteristics. Will this group of teens have the power to stop what growing under the streets, or a
re they living out their last days as the world is slowly comsumed by a dark plague?

Awards:
YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers--2007
2007 ALA Best Book for Young Adults
This book was also reviewed in Kirkus (Starred,) Booklist, School Library Journal, and Kliatt.


Read P
eeps, the prequel to The Last Days.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Bonechiller



Bonechiller

McNamee, Graham. Bonechiller. New York : Wendy Lamb Books, 2008.
$15.99
ISBN: 9780385746588
(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ.)

Annotation:
Danny lives Harvest Cove, Canada with his dad. It's a popular resort town in summer, and a ghost town in the snowy winter. One night walking alone, Danny is chased by something he can't even describe, but it's huge, with large claws and very sharp teeth.

Book Talk:
"Not human, but some twisted freak-show nightmare. The face is deformed, like a reflection in a warped mirror, with the nose pinched tight with two long slits, and the mouth stretched so wide its edges touch the flattened bony curves of the ears . . . and the eyes. Nowhere near human" (Graham, pg. 26)

The winters in Harvest Cove are filled with bitter, cold air and endless amounts of snow. Walking home alone one night Danny encounters a creature unlike anything he has ever seen. He survives, but he may be living on borrowed time. With the assistance of his friends, Danny discovers that teens have been disappearing from Harvest Cove since the beginning, and maybe even before, the founding of the town. Danny knows from his dreams that it's only a matter of time before the Bonechiller revisits him. Will he be able to hide from the beast, or become another one of its meals?

Awards:
YALSA Best Books for Yound Adults--2009

Graham McNamee has also won awards for the following books:

Acceleration
Bluegrass Award
Edgar Allen Poe Awards
Evergreen Young Adult Book Award
Garden STate Teen Book Award
Young Reader's Choice Award


Hate You
ALA Best Book for Young Adult

Sparks
Georgia Peach Award, Young Adult Category
PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship




The House on Mango Street


The House on Mango Street

Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. New York : Vintage Books, 1991.
$10.95
ISBN: 0679734775
(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ)

Annotation:
Esperanza tells the story of her family, friends, and neighbors who live on Chicago's Mango Street.

Book Talk:
Esperanza dreams of having a house all her own, away from her disappointing inner city life. However, she currently lives on Mango Street, in Chicago's Latino section. She is surrounded by many different characters that influence her views and outlooks, and along with shaping her hopes and disappointments. Esperanza struggles to grow up past the misery that surrounds her, she begins to see hope beyond the house on Mango street.

Awards:
YALSA Outstanding Books for the College Bound--1999
Before Columbus Foundation's American Book Award--1985
It also part of many reading lists for middle and high schools, as well as colleges and universities.

Rapunzel's Revenge


Rapunzel's Revenge

Hale, Shannon, and Dean Hale. Rapunzel's Revenge. New York: Bloomsbury, 2008.
$18.99
ISBN: 9781599900704
(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ)

Annotation:
Rapunzel escapes from her tower and begins her search to find her birth mother, and also distribute a little revenge.

Book Talk:
This is not your typical fairytale. Rapunzel grew up in a lush, magical villa surrounded by a towering wall. However, she is desperate to know what takes place in the world beyond it. When she takes a peek, it looks like Rapunzel may have sealed her fate. She is confined to a tower by her evil stepmother. This is where the fairy tale ends, and her adventure begins. Rapunzel is not rescued by a prince, she saves herself. Armed with her long hair, Rapunzel fights her way back across a desolate land in order to try and find her birth mother. Will she be able to stop her evil stepmother from destroying the lives of all the people in the land? Her will and her hair cause Rapunzel to be an almost unstoppable force, but she will be to contend with the strong powers of an evil witch?

Awards:
Rapunzel's Revenge has been reviewed in the following publications:

  • An ALA 2009 Notable Children's Book
  • A YALSA 2009 Great Graphic Novel for Teens
  • A Kid's Indie Next for fall '08 (formerly known as Booksense Picks)
  • A Junior Library Guild Premiere Selection
  • Nominee for the Texas Lone Star reading list
  • A Best Book of the year from kidsread.com and teenreads.com
  • A Cybil Award winner
  • On the Dorothy Canfield Fisher ChildrenÕs Book Award Master List (Vermont)

Sharon Hale has previously won the Newbery Honor for Princess Academy.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants


Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Brashares, Ann. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. New York : Delacorte Press, 2001.
$8.95
ISBN: 0385729332
(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ)

Annotation:
Four friends decided to share a pair of magical jeans during their first summer apart.

Book Talk:
Would you be able to share a pair of magical jeans with your closest friends? What if they made you look great no matter what type of shape and size you have? When four best friends discover a magical pair of jeans in a thrift store, they decided to share them over their first summer apart. They will mail each other the magical pants. Bridget will be off to soccer camp, Lena will be in Greece, Carmen will be with her dad in South Carolina, and Tibby will be left home without her friends. The girls will not only learn what a summer will be like with the sisterhood being seperated, they will also discover that their experiences, loyalites, and friendship will be able to endure, despite the fact that they aren't able to see each other.

Awards:
WINNER 2002 - ALA Best Books for Young Adults
WINNER 2004 - Indiana Young Hoosier Award
WINNER 2003 - Iowa Children's Choice Award
WINNER 2002 - Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award
WINNER 2003 - Missouri Gateway Readers Award
WINNER 2004 - New Jersey Garden State Teen Book Award
WINNER 2002 - Rhode Island Children's Book Award
WINNER 2003 - Tennessee Volunteer State Book Master List
WINNER 2002 - Texas TAYSHAS High School Reading List
WINNER 2003 - Washington Evergreen Young Adult Book Award
WINNER 2004 - Pacific Northwest Young Readers Choice Award

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was also nominated for:
Arizona Young Readers Award
Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award

Monday, May 11, 2009

Masquerade: a Blue Bloods Novel


Masquerade: a Blue Bloods Novel

De la Cruz, Melissa. Masquerade: a Blue Bloods Novel. New York: Hyperion, 2007, 2008.
$8.99
ISBN: 9781423101277
(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ)

Annotation:
Skylar Van Alen is a Blue Blood teenage vampire trying to uncover who is hiding a Silver Blood--the sect of vampires attacking and killing her friends and other Blue Bloods.

Book Talk:
Although, Skylar Van Alen is a teenager who goes to high school with the rich and privileged of New York City's upper class, she doesn't have the bank account that will help her fit in--not that she wants too. Besides being wealthy isn't what all that the students have in common: they are also Blue Blood vampires, a group of families with a long and decorative vampire past. Skylar Van Alen is forced to travel to Venice in search for her grandfather. He is the only person who has enough knowledge about the Silver Bloods, a group of ruthless vampires that have been linked to the recent murders of Blue Bloods. As Skylar tries to uncover the truth she discovers that Blue Blood family lineage and alliances are a masquerade for where individuals' true intentions lie. She only needs to discover the truth before more Blue Bloods die.

Awards:
Masquerade is a:
ALA Quick Pick and a New York Public Library Book for the Teenage

The Blue Blood Series is recognized as:
ALA Top Ten Quick Pick
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best
TAYSHAS pick
Alabama Public Library “Best Fang” nominee
Cybils nominee

If you are interested in reading other books in the Blue Blood series,
they are listed here, in order:
Blue Bloods
Masquerade
Revelations

Upstate


Upstate
Buckhanon, Kalisha. New York: St. Martin Press, 2005.
$12.95
ISBN: 0312332688

(Image Credit: MacMillian: St. Martin Press,
http://us.macmillan.com/QuickSearchResults.aspx?search=upstate&ctl00%24ucAdvSearch%24imgGo.x=3&ctl00%24ucAdvSearch%24imgGo.y=11.)

Annotation:
1990 and New York City. Natasha and Antonio are forced to communicate through letters when he is sent to prison for the murder of his father.

Book Talk:
What would you do if you could only speak to your first love through letters? This is the situation sixteen-year-old Natasha and her seventeen-year-old boyfriend, Antonio, are forced to face when he is sent to prison for the murder of his father. Antonio will not reveal to Natasha the exact events that occurred that night; he only asks for her to believe in him and stay by his side. Will Natasha and Antonio's love be able to survive his prison sentence, or will the harshness of reality drive them apart? When Antonio is sent upstate, Natasha is left to face life without him, except for the letters he writes. Their letters reveal how Antonio's life within the walls of a prison is contained to changing very little, while Natasha is forced to grow up in New York City.

Awards:
ALA Alex Awards Winner (Adult for Young Adults) 2006
Notable Books--YALSA Best Books for Young Adults--2006

Monday, May 4, 2009

Pretty Monsters


Pretty Monsters

Link, Kelly. Pretty Monsters. New York : Viking, 2008.
$19.99
ISBN: 9780670010905
(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ)

Annotation:
Nine short stories that range from the fantastical to the macabre.

Book Talk:
What types of tales get your imagination running wild? Digging up a dead girlfriend? Wizards that live in tall towers and enslave children. A place called the the World-Tree Library? A dog-skin purse with an entire faery world inside of it? The Specialist's Hat made with human teeth. Aliens and seen by surfers? Monsters, murder, and magical fruit? Werewolves and ghosts that need to drink blood?

Kelly Link has created nine short stories that are magical, macabre, strange, scary, weird, and grotesque. She weaves all of these themes into her tales about friendship, love, family, the desire to be something (or something more), along with the awkwardness that sometimes accompanies adolescence. Her stories will leave you wanting more long after you have closed this book.

Awards:
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults 2009
Booklist Editors' Choice--Books for Youth: Older Readers Category 2008

This book has also received praise from such notable publications as Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Library School Journal and Booklist. You can read these reviews about the book on Penguin.com, or click the following link:
http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9781440613111,00.html?sym=REV.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

One Evil Summer



One Evil Summer
Stine, R.L. One Evil Summer, Fear Street Series. New York: Pocket Books, 1994.
$3.99
ISBN: 0671785966
(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ)

Annotation:
Amanda soon discovers that the family baby-sitter, Chrissy, isn't who she says she is--She's pure evil.

Book Talk:
Amanda Conklin had a great life--but that was before she murdered the family babysitter, Chrissy. Now Amanda can look forward to spending a long time in an cold, dark, and damp insane asylum. Amanda had thought she would be spending a wonderful summer with her family in the seaside village of Seahaven. When Chrissy shows up answering a family ad for a babysitter, she is picture perfect. Soon, things start to go wrong in the Conklin household--pets die, phones melt, and friends are hurt or killed. Amanda soon realizes that Chrissy isn't who she says she is, and that her past is full of death. Fill Amanda be able to convince her family that Chrissy has special powers that can easliy kill all those around her and save them? Or will she be able to take matters into her own hands and save her family, but never get away with it?

Awards:

The Guiness Book of World Records has R.L. Stine listed as the Best-Selling Children's Author--so far. His books have been New York Times Best Sellers. He has won several Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, Disney Adventures Kids' Choice Awards, as well as being one of the authors selected for the National Education Associations' Read Across America. He is also known for writing the Goosebumps series.

Geography Club


Geography Club
Hartinger, Brent. Geography Club. New York: HarperTempest, 2003.
ISBN: 0060012218
9780060012212
0060012226
9780060012229
$8.99
(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ)

Annotation:
A group of high-school teenagers form the “Geography Club,” in order not to draw attention to their social and support gatherings.

Book Talk:
Have you ever felt like you are the only person in the world who feels the way you do? Do you know you might be a little bit, or a lot, different then all the other kids in school? In the Geography Club, a group of students are asking themselves the same questions. Some know they are gay or bisexual, but aren’t sure if there are other students like them. When they discover that they are not alone, seven students form the Geography Club, for a chance to get together and talk, without drawing a lot of attention to themselves. This realistic story examines, friendship, heartbreak, tolerance, prejudice, self-acceptance, and coming out. It’s about learning that you aren’t the only person who is different; it’s about discovering how many people are like you.

Awards:
ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults
New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age
Book Sense Pick

Friday, May 1, 2009

The Forest of Hands and Teeth


The Forest of Hands and Teeth

Ryan, Carrie. The Forest of Hands and Teeth. New York : Delacorte Press, 2009.
$16.99
ISBN: 9780385906319
9780385736817
(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ)

Annotation:
Mary is a orphan left on her own in a village that is surrounded by a forest that is filled with the Unconsecrated, the undead who constantly crave human flesh.

Book Talk:
When the walls of her isolated town are breached by the Fast One, an Unconsecrated that is faster, stronger, and more relentless than any other of its kind, Mary is forced to flee her village with a small group of friends and family. They do not know where to go, but are guided by Mary and the stories her mother told her of the ocean and other human civilizations. Constantly on the run, Mary learns about life, love, sacrifice and death. Will she ever discover if the stories about the ocean are true? Or, will her dreams endanger the lives of the people around her, including her true love?

Check out a video from Carrie Ryan's website, http://www.carrieryan.com/books.php, about the book!

Awards:

WINNER 2009
- Kid's Indie Next List "Inspired Recommendations for Kids from Indie Booksellers"
A Junior Library Guild Selection

Seer of Shadows


Seer of Shadows

Avi. Seer of Shadows. New York, NY : HarperCollins Publishers, 2008.
$16.99
ISBN: 0060000163
9780060000158
(Image Credit: Cape May County Library, Cape May Court House, NJ)

Annotation:
Soon after Horace becomes an apprentice to a photographer, he soon realizes that the pictures he takes capture more than just people, they also reveal ghosts.

Book Talk:
It's 1872, in New York City. Horace has recently become an apprentice to Enoch Middleditch, a photographer who aspires to take the pictures of the city's elite. When the very rich Mrs. Von Macht strolls into their studio one day and asks Middleditch to take her picture, Horace believes that he may finally end up working for a successful photographer. Yet, Mrs. Von Macht's request for a picture is unique: She wants the picture for her dead daughter. It isn't until Horace befriends Pegg, the Von Machts' servent girl, when the circumstances around begin to change. Each photo Horace takes in the Von Macht house seems to bring the ghost of their dead daughter Eleanora back to life. Horace also soon realizes that her death may not have been the result of a sickness, and that her ghost may be out for revenge.

Awards:
School Library Journal Best Book-2008
Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choice
Parents' Choice Awards-Fiction-2008