Kathleen Odean | YA Books

BOOKS FOR TEENS

Reviews of Teen Books | Teen Books in Pairs | Teen Novels & Shakespeare | Teen Books into Movies | Songs about Books

REVIEWS OF BOOKS FOR TEENS

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village. Laura Amy Schlitz. Candlewick Press, 2007. 9780763615789. $19.99. Grades 5-8. In this elegant book, nineteen monologues and two dialogues, some in verse and others in prose, give voices to children and teens in a medieval village. With sidebars and illustrations to add information, the village and times gracefully come to life in this Newbery Award winner.

One Whole and Perfect Day. Judith Clarke. Front Street, 2006. 9781932425956. $16.95. Grades 7-10. Sixteen-year-old Lily is tired of being the sensible one in a seemingly dysfunctional family. Perceptive, beautifully written forays into the lives of her family members culminate in her grandfather's birthday party, which could be a disaster or could, Lily hopes, be perfect.

The Wednesday Wars. Gary D. Schmidt. Clarion, 2007. 9780618724833
0618724834. $16.00. Grades 5-8. In this rich story of friendship, family, and school, Holling Hoodhood comes to appreciate Shakespeare and his dedicated teacher, Mrs. Baker. By turns serious and hilarious, the story captures the shifting sands of 1967, with the Vietnam war, flower power, and the growing generation gap.

The White Darkness. Geraldine McCaughrean. HarperTempest, 2007. 9780060890353.
$16.99. Grades 8 and up. This Printz winner creates a remarkable atmosphere as fourteen-year-old Sym, a non-conformist in love with a dead explorer, accompanies her strange uncle to the Antarctic. As her uncle becomes dangerous, Sym finds unexpected strength as she fights to survive.

Dreamquake. Elizabeth Knox. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007. 0374318549. $19.00. Grades 9 and up. As strong and original as its predecessor, Dreamquake, which follows Dreamhunter, completes the duet with a haunting, complex story of magic and family secrets in an Edwardian setting.

Feathers. Jacqueline Woodson. Putnam, 2007. 9780399239892. $15.99. Grades 5-8 In a twist on the familiar theme of school integration, a white student joins an all-black sixth grade. Narrator Frannie, who reluctantly reaches out to the new boy, reflects on the effect he has. At home, her relationship with her beloved brother, who is deaf, also shifts in this skillfully written coming of age novel set in 1971.

Repossessed. A. M. Jenkins. HarperTeen, 2007. 9780060835682. $15.99. Grades 9 and up A fallen angel named Kiriel longs to experience the sensual delights of being human. Taking over the body of a teenage boy at the moment of his accidental death, Kiriel proves to be kinder than he'd like, even in his pursuit of sexual experience. Funny and surprisingly sweet.

Skulduggery Pleasant. Derek Landy. HarperCollins, 2007. 9780061231155. $17.99. Grades 6-9 When Stephanie's uncle dies and leaves her his estate, she ends up involved in an underworld of dangerous people and creatures. She has allies, though, starting with the memorable Skulduggery Pleasant, a skeleton man with impressive powers and strength.

Criss Cross. Lynne Rae Perkins. Greenwillow Books, 2005. 0060092726. Grades 5-8.
Fourteen-year-olds Debbie and Hector, and their long-time friends, have the summer stretching before them in which relationships shift and change. Prose, poems including haiku, and even pictures tell their absorbing story in this Newbery Medal winner.

Kalpana's Dream. Judith Clarke. Front Street, 2005. 1932425225. Grades 5-8.
Seventh-grader Kalpana must write an essay on "Who am I?" Both Kalpana and her great-grandmother, who is visiting from India, expand their boundaries in this beautifully written Boston Globe-Horn Book honor book.

Looking for Alaska. John Green. Dutton Children's Books, 2005. 0525475060. Grades 9 and up.
Winner of the Printz Award, this edgy first novel draws readers into a boarding prep school where junior Miles steeps himself in the pleasures of intellectual companions but also falls in love with a headstrong, heartbreaking girl named Alaska.

The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy. Jeanne Birdsall. Knopf, 2005. 0375831436. Grades 4-7.
Four sisters, reminiscent of those in Little Women, and their widowed professorial father have a grand summer in the Berkshires, making friends, having crushes, and annoying their wealthy neighbor. This old-fashioned novel won the National Book Award.

The Schwa Was Here. Neal Shusterman. Dutton Children's Books, 2004. 0525471820. Grades 6-9.
Winner of the 2005 Boston Globe-Horn Book fiction award, this funny yet poignant story, which makes an excellent read aloud, explores the quirky adventures of narrator "Antsy" and his new, almost invisble friend, Calvin Schwa.

Elsewhere. Gabrielle Zevin. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005. 0374320918. Grades 7 and up.
Fifteen-year-old Liz dies in an accident, yet her life goes on when she ends up in Elsewhere, a place not unlike her earthly home. Although she wrestles with grief, her new situation offers love and growth of a surprising sort in this fresh novel.

New World Order. Ben Jeapes. David Fickling Books, 2005. 0385750137. Grades 8-1.
This sophisticated combination of science fiction and historical fiction concerns aliens, who can pass as human, invading Britain in 1645. A teenager gets caught in the political intrigue and military action when he learns that one of the invaders is his father.

Princess Academy. Shannon Hale. Bloomsbury, 2005. 1582349932. Grades 5-8.
In this Newbery Honor Book, the girls of a remote mining village learn that one of them is destined to marry the country's prince. As they are trained in how to be a princess, they also come to appreciate their families and community.

Revenge of the Witch. Joseph Delaney. Greenwillow Books, 2005. 0060766182. Grades 5-8.
As the seventh son of a seventh son, Thomas becomes apprentice to the Spook, with the job of driving out dangerous magical creatures from the countryside. But will a creepy witch that he frees by mistake be the end of Thomas?

The Witch's Boy. Michael Gruber. HarperTempest, 2005. 0060761644. Grades 5-8.
Raised by a powerful witch, a talking bear, and a malicious djinn, Lump only realizes how ugly he is when he finally meets other humans. His resulting bitterness and his longing for the fairy world lead him to captivating adventures.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Jeff Kinney. Amulet Books, 2007. $12.95. 9780810993136. Grades 5-8. A middle-school crowd pleaser, this combination of humorous text and lots of cartoon drawings reflects the ups and downs in the life of an ordinary boy. This started as an on-line book, still available at funbrain.com. It's insightful and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.

I'm Being Stalked by a Moonshadow. Doug MacLeod. Front Street, 2007. $16.95. 9781590785010. Grades 7-10. Seth Parrot has given his heart to a muscular girl named Miranda. But Miranda's father has reason to dislike Seth's belligerent, if hilarious, father. Can true love prevail? The teenage Australian narrator makes sure you'll laugh as you learn if he succeeds.

Lost It. Kristen Tracy. Simon (paperback), 2007. $6.99. 978-1-4169-3475-2; 1-4169-3475-8. Grades 8 and up. Everyone around Tess seems nuts. Her parents impulsively take off for survival camp. Her best friend is planning to blow up a poodle. Her easy-going grandmother advises Tess to try a push-up bra. And Tess hopes that losing her virginity will help!

The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost It. Lisa Shanahan. Delacorte, 2007. $15.99. 9780385735162. Grades 7-10. In this romantic comedy, fourteen-year-old Gemma gets casts as Miranda in The Tempest. She has a crush on a fellow actor, while a different boy has a crush on her. At home, her older sister becomes engaged to a congenial young man with an eccentric family in this upbeat Australian offering.

Freak Show. James St. James. Dutton, 2007. $18.99. 9780525477990. Grades 9-12. A drag queen at conservative Eisenhower Academy? Billy Bloom stuns his new classmates with his flamboyant outfits and unconventional views. But he slowly finds support among the Shadow People, students who resent the nasty in-crowd and get behind Billy's campaign to be Homecoming Queen. His campaign message: we are all, in our own way, freaks!

Hero. Perry Moore. Hyperion, 2007. $16.99. Grades 8-12. Meet Thom Creed, an aspiring superhero in a world where superheroes often save the day. Thom, who has amazing powers to heal, joins a team of misfits out to impress the superhero leaders. Meanwhile at home, Thom has to hide his ambition and the fact that he's gay from his father, a disgraced superhero.

Parrotfish. Ellen Wittlinger. S&S, 2007. $16.99. 9781416916222. 1416916229. Grades 8-12. "You can only lie about who you are for so long without going crazy," says the narrator of this thought-provoking novel. Angela has always felt like a boy. Now that's she a high school junior, she takes the bold step of asking to be called Grady and be treated like a boy. It's far from smoothing sailing at home and at school, but Grady finds glimmers of hope on the way.

Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You. Peter Cameron. FSG, 2007. $16.00. 0374309892. Grades 9-12. Manhattan prep school graduate James, who loves art and architecture, feels he has little in common with his peers. When he finally faces the fact that he's gay, he handles his first attempt at romance ineptly, to say the least. But it's a step that starts him on his way to maturity in this sophisticated, witty novel.

Autobiography of My Dead Brother. Walter Dean Myers. Illus. by Christopher Myers. HarperTempest/Amistad, 2005. $16.89. 006058291X. Grades 8 -11.

Drive-by shootings make 15-year-old Jesse's Harlem neighborhood scary for him, his friends, and his caring family. Worse, his slightly older best friend is suddenly acting like drug-dealing is a viable option. Graphic novel-type illustrations add to the impact of this troubling story.

Crackback. John Coy. Scholastic Press, 2005. $16.99. 0439697336. Grades 8-11.

Miles, thrilled to be playing varsity football, loses some of his excitement when a dictatorial coach takes over and sounds all too much like Miles's father. When a teammate insists Miles try steroids, he wrestles with what he believes and wants from football and life.

Inexcusable. Chris Lynch. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2005. $16.95. 0689847890. Grades 9-12.

As this chilling novel opens, a girl is insisting that the narrator, Keir, admit what he did, clearly something terrible. Keir describes himself as a polite, reliable guy, a football player who's close to his dad and sisters. But his actions tell a different story altogether.

Invisible. Pete Hautman. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2005. $15.95. 0689868006. Grades 8-12.

Narrator seventeen-year-old Dougie, who is building a bridge for his model railroad using 22,400 matches, claims not to be troubled and insists he has a best friend. But readers will figure out that he's an unreliable narrator, with serious problems in his past and present in this chilling, tightly-written novel.

Black Storm Comin'. Diane L. Wilson. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2005. $16.95. 0689871376. Grades 7-10.

Going West by wagon train is harder than 12-year-old Colton ever imagined, His black mother is sick from childbirth and his white father deserts the family part way across the Utah Territory. Colton, who must now make money for the family, sets his sights on riding for the Pony Express.

Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue. Julius Lester. Hyperion Books for Children, 2005. $15.99. 0786804904. Grades 5-8.

Told through dialogues and soliloquies, this powerful story captures the voices of slaves before, at, and after a huge slave auction. Also heard from are white plantation owners, the man running the auction, and a few whites who object to slavery. The viewpoints and images create a memorable, heartbreaking collage.

Last Dance on Holladay Street. Elisa Lynn Carbone. Knopf, 2005. $15.95. 0375828966. Grades 7-10.

Raised by black parents on a Colorado farm, thirteen-year-old Eva seeks out her birth mother after her parents die. She finds her mother, who is white, working at a Denver bordello. With her black birth father long gone, Eva must scheme and fight to avoid her mother's fate and find another way to survive in 1878 in a West largely hostile to women.

47. Walter Mosley. Little, Brown, 2005. $16.99. 0316110353. Grades 7-10.

This intriguing combination of fantasy and historical fiction tells the story of an adolescent slave simply called "47," painting a vivid picture of his painful daily life. Into this grim setting comes a new slave, who turns out to be a magical being from another dimension who instills hope and self-worth in 47.

Going Going. Naomi Shihab Nye. Greenwillow, 2005. $15.99. 0688161855. Grades 7-10.

Florrie, who is sixteen and lives in San Antonio, loves old buildings and hates the out-of-control growth of consumerism. She wants to act on her beliefs, but can she succeed in getting her friends, family and even some strangers to boycott chain stores and restaurants for sixteen weeks?

Luna: A Novel. Julie Anne Peters. Little, Brown, 2004. $16.95. 0316733695. Grades 8-12.

High school senior Liam has felt like a girl inside for as long as he can remember, but only his younger sister knows his real feelings and his longing to reveal his true self to others.

The Sledding Hill. Chris Crutcher. Greenwillow, 2005. $15.99. 0060502436. Grades 7-10.

In this exploration of censorship, Eddie Proffit deals with the deaths of those he loves while standing up for what he believes in. The 14-year-old defends a challenged book written by the much censored Chris Crutcher himself.

Uglies. Scott Westerfeld. Simon Pulse, 2005. 0689865384. Grades 8 -11.

In the year 2003, all sixteen-year-olds get an operation that makes them beautiful. Proponents say it makes adults equal but, as still "ugly" Tally learns, some people think it's a bad idea.

Where I Want to Be. Adele Griffin. Putnam, 2004. $15.99. 0399237836. Grades 8-11.

Chapters alternate between Lily, a popular 17-year-old, and her older sister, Jane, who had psychological problems and is now dead. But Jane's spirit lingers while the sisters each look at the past and try to make sense of their difficult relationship.

Conrad's Fate. Diana Wynne Jones. Greenwillow, 2005. $15.99. 0060747439. Grades 5-8.

In this welcome installment for fans of the Chrestomanci books, Conrad Tesdinic needs to find the cause of the bad luck he can't seem to shake. In his search, he teams up with a teenage Christopher Chant who's on a urgent mission of his own.

The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray. Chris Wooding. Orchard Books, 2004. $16.95. 0439998964. Grades 9-12.

Thaniel Fox, brave and gallant, hunts supernatural creatures called wych-kin on the streets of Victorian London. When he meets Alaizabel Cray, a young woman who's escaped from evil conspirators intent on taking over the city, the plot thickens in this gripping, original fantasy.

The Hunter's Moon. O. R. Melling. Amulet, 2005. $16.95. 0810958570. Grades 8-11.

The first book in a trilogy from Canada, this fantasy starts when American Gwen and her Irish cousin, Findabhair, set off to visit the magical places in Ireland. On their first stop, Findabhair is lured into the fairy world and Gwen must try to rescue her.

Magic or Madness. Justine Larbalestier. Razorbill, 2005. 1595140220. Grades 7-10.

Her mother has always warned 15-year-old Reason against the girl's grandmother, who's allegedly a witch. When Reason's mother is hospitalized with mental health problems, Reason reluctantly goes to live with the grandmother and finds out the truth about her magic.

The Secret under My Skin. Janet Elizabeth McNaughton. Harper, 2005. $15.99. 006008989X. Grades 7-10.

Set in 2368 after Earth has been thrown into political disarray by environmental crises, an orphan finds herself rescued from the work house by a kind couple. The girl searches for her past while forging a promising future through her uncanny ability to absorb information and learn through dreams.

Face Relations: 11 Stories About Seeing Beyond Color. Marilyn Singer, ed. Simon & Schuster, 2004. $17.95. 0689856377. Grades 7-11.
Offering plenty to talk about, these stories cast their net wide to look at teens of different nationalities and skin colors who deal with a host of issues, all with hopes for a better world.

The Faery Reel: Tales from the Twilight Realm. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, editors. Viking, 2004. $19.99. 0670059145. Grades 9-12.
More than 500 pages long, this collection of short stories and a few poems focuses on fairies in traditional and modern settings. Tanith Lee, Holly Black, Gregory Maguire, and Patricia McKillip are among the contributors.

First Crossing: Stories About Teen Immigrants. Donald R. Gallo. Candlewick, 2004. $16.99. 0763622494. Grades 6-10.
Teenagers from different places around the world all struggle with adjustments in the U.S., whether with their adoptive families, the families they come with, their new friends, or with those who reject them for being different.

Gothic! Ten Original Dark Tales. Deborah Noyes. Candlewick, 2004. $15.99. 0763622435. Grades 7-10.
From light-hearted to creepy, these ten stories explore the concept of gothic literature with elements like vampires, haunted houses, and graveyards. Authors include Neil Gaiman, Celia Rees, Vivian Vande Velde, Garth Nix, M.T. Anderson, and others.

Past Perfect, Present Tense: New and Collected Stories. Richard Peck. Dial Books, 2004. $16.99. 0803729987. Grades 5-9.
This collection of thirteen stories, most previously published, includes his first published story; historical fiction; supernatural tales; and stories set in the present. Peck introduces each section with entertaining notes about the stories, and ends the volume with tips on writing.

Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady. L. A. Meyer. Harcourt, 2004. $17.00. 0152051155. Grades 7-10.
Jacky Faber, former sailor, is as incorrigible as ever when her ship’s captain enrolls her in the Lawson Peabody School for Young Girls. It’s 1803 in Boston, and the prim girls and strict teachers don’t know what hit them in this rollicking tale.

A Hat Full of Sky. Terry Pratchett. Harper, 2004. $17.89. 0060586613. Grades 5-8.
Tiffany Aching, who discovered her magical powers in The Wee Free Men, is being pursued by an evil force intent on taking her over. Her six-inch-tall blue-skinned allies and the canny Granny Weatherwax weigh in on the side of good.

Indigo's Star. Hilary McKay. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2004. $15.95. 0689865635. Grades 5-8.
The same hilarious family from Saffy’s Angel continues their muddled, warm-hearted life, this time taking in an American boy named Tom, who is Indigo’s new friend. Indigo and Tom learn from each other as they repel bullies and play guitar together.

Predator's Gold. Philip Reeve. Eos, 2004. $17.89. 0060721944. Grades 6-10.
This sequel to the inventive fantasy, The Mortal Engines, finds Tom and Hester embroiled in a new set of dangers in their strange future world where cities move and viciously devour each other.

Son of the Mob: Hollywood Hustle. Gordon Korman. Hyperion, 2004. $15.99. 0786809183. Grades 8-12.
Vince Luca, son of a mob boss, and his girlfriend Kendra, daughter of an FBI agent, hope to leave their family difficulties behind when they move to California for college. But their troubles, romantic and otherwise, continue unabatedly on the West Coast.

Here in Harlem: Poems in Many Voices. Walter Dean Myers. Holiday House, 2004. $16.95. 0823418537. Grades 7-12. Like Edgar Lee Masters' Spoon River Anthology, on which it is modeled, this effective collection of poems uses many voices to create a vivid picture of Harlem. Historic photographs enhance this beautifully designed, slim volume.

Never Mind! A Twin Novel. Avi and Rachel Vail. HarperCollins, 2004. $16.89. 0060543159. Grades 5-8. The voices of Meg and her twin brother, Ed, alternate by chapter in this middle school crowd-pleaser. Humorous misunderstandings abound during the days leading up to a party which both of them are dreading but which succeeds in bringing them together as friends for a change.

New Found Land. Allan Wolf. Candlewick, 2004. $18.99. 0763621137. Grades 7-12. Thirteen voices convey the excitement and danger of the Lewis and Clark expedition in this long, readable verse novel. From the expedition leaders to York, Clark's slave, to Sacajawea to other expedition members including a dog, the characters come to life in distinct ways on the journey.

Talk. Kathe Koja. FSG/Frances Foster Books, 2005. $16.00. 0374373825. Grades 8-12. Chapters alternate between Kit and Lindsay, the leads in a high school play about politics, torture, and speaking out. Kit, who is gay but keeps it a secret, realizes that Lindsay, a previous prom queen, has chosen Kit as her next boyfriend.

Ttyl. Lauren Myracle. Harry N. Abrams, 2004. $15.95. 0810948214. Grades 8-11. Three teenage girls who are good friends exchange instant messages as they grow and change in tenth grade. Pages look like a computer screen, with boxed messages characterized by realistically incomplete sentences, informal punctuation and some abbreviations.

B for Buster. Iain Lawrence. Delacorte, 2004. $15.95. 0385730861. Grades 7-11. In this outstanding novel about courage and friendship, sixteen-year-old Kak serves in the Canadian Air Force as part of a WWII bombing crew. His excitement about flying his first mission over Germany turns to terror when he realizes how easily he and his companions could die.

Behind You. Jacqueline Woodson. G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2004. $15.99. 039923988X. Grades 7-10. When the police shoot fifteen-year-old Jeremiah, mistaken for another black teen, his parents, friends, and girlfriend, Ellie, are devastated. Their voices, and Jeremiah's, explore grief, racial issues, and ultimately hope in this sequel to If You Come Softly, which can be read on its own.

Chanda's Secrets. Allan Stratton. Annick, 2004. $19.95. 155037835X. Grades 8-12. This Printz Honor Book draws an emotionally powerful picture of life for a conscientious, caring teenager in sub-Saharan Africa, who takes on adult responsibilities when family members fall ill and start dying from AIDS. Chanda seeks a way to speak out and break the cultural secrecy that surrounds the epidemic.

Daniel, Half-Human and the Good Nazi. David Chotjewitz. Translated by Doris Orgel. Atheneum Books, 2004. $17.95. 0689857470. Grades 7-11. A teenager in Germany in the 1930s, Daniel, who initially believed in Hitler's views, faces the news that he is half-Jewish. As the Nazis make life increasingly frightening and dangerous for the Jews, Daniel's closest friend must make crucial choices that affect them both.

Kira-Kira. Cynthia Kadohata. Atheneum, 2004. $15.95. 0689856393. Grades 6-8. Having moved to Georgia in the 1950s, Katie's Japanese-American family has to adjust to small town life in an unfamiliar rural community. Katie relies on her older sister Lynn to guide her and provide friendship, but when Lynn falls seriously ill, roles get reversed in this heartbreaking, luminous Newbery Award winner.

Chasing Vermeer. Blue Balliett. Ill. Brett Helquist. Scholastic, 2004. $16.96. 0-439-37294-1. Grades 5-8.
Anonymous letters to their neighbors, a thought-provoking book, and the theft of a Vermeer painting prompt sixth graders Petra and Calder to think in new ways and also test their courage, inspired by their teacher, who makes learning truly exciting. Codes to solve and black-and-white illustrations add to the fun.

The Grand Tour. Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. Harcourt, 2004. $17.00. 0-15-204616-X. Grades 6-10.
Mystery meets fantasy as two young married couples travel on their Grand Tour across Europe, applying their magical powers to unraveling an evil scheme. This sequel to Sorcery and Cecelia combines the Regency period, an intricate plot, and lots of magic.

Montmorency: Thief, Gentleman, Liar? Eleanor Updale. Orchard, 2004. $16.5. 0-439-58035-8. Grades 6-10.
Former prisoner Montmorency baffles the police in Victorian London with his quick getaways into the new sewer system. His duo life as a thief called Scarper and a wealthy gentleman called Montmorency grows more dangerous as this intriguing, original story approaches its surprising climax.

In Darkness, Death. Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler. Philomel, 2004. $16.99. 0-399-23767-4. Grades 5-9.
The third installment in a series about fourteen-year-old Seikei, an apprentice Samurai, this fast-paced tale of ninjas, tyrants, and murder plunges readers into the world of eighteenth-century Japan.

The Spirit Line. Aimée and David Thurlo. Viking, 2004. $15.99. 0-670-03645-5. Grades 5-9.
Who has stolen the nearly finished rug that Crystal Manyfeathers was weaving for her kinaalda, the Navajo coming of age ceremony for girls? Crystal struggles with the death of her mother and questions traditional Navajo ways as she and her friend, Henry, search the reservation for the thief.

The Singer of All Songs. Kate Constable. AAL/Scholastic, 2004. $16.95. 0-439-55478-0. Grades 6-10.
Calwyn, who has never left her walled community of all females where she is an aspiring priestess, surprises herself by setting off to see other countries. But a grim fate awaits the world if Calwyn and her companions don’t stop an increasingly powerful sorcerer.

The Oracle Betrayed. Catherine Fisher. Greenwillow, 2004. $17.89. 0-06-057158-6. Grades 6-10.
On her drought-ridden island, Mirany reluctantly becomes a priestess, which thrusts her into a battle with the corruption threatens to destroy the country. Elements of ancient Egypt and Greece create an effective backdrop for Mirany’s dangerous adventure.

Troll Fell. Katherine Langrish. HarperCollins, 2004. $15.99. 0-06-058304-5. Grades 5-9.
Two nasty uncles make orphaned Peer’s life a misery at their mill near Troll Fell, where trolls hide their gold in the hillside. Peer’s kindness and courage attract allies, both human and magical, but will it be enough to save him from his uncles’ nefarious plans?

Gifts. Ursula K. Le Guin. Harcourt, 2004. $17.00. 0-15-205123-6. Grades 6-10
Narrator Orrec and the girl who is his best friend, Gry, live in a barren country where magical gifts are valued above wealth. When a visitor comes from the outside world, the two teenagers start to see their home land in a new way while they also question their own troubling powers.

Wishing Moon. Michael O. Tunnell. Dutton, 2004. $17.99. 0-525-47193-6. Grades 6-10.
With three wishes a month from Aladdin’s lamp, beggar girl Aminah first indulges her desire for material comfort, but then starts using her wishes for good. A cranky jinni, Arabian Nights setting, and more than a hint of romance enhance the charming story.

Messenger. Lois Lowry. Grades 6-10. 2004.
Returning to characters from The Giver and Gathering Blue, this moving story explores the price paid for living an authentic, simple life. Teenager Matty, though tempted by his village's new fascination with trading, reaffirms his beliefs during a dangerous journey.

The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place. E.L. Konigsburg. Grades 6-9. 2004.
Margaret Rose, Connor's sister in The Silent Bone, relates her experiences defying convention as a twelve-year-old. Her nonconformity means she doesn't fit in at summer camp, but also gives her the courage to try to save her uncles' eccentric artwork.

Vote for Larry: A Novel. Janet Tashjian. Grades 8-12. 2004.
After seventeen-year-old Josh Swenson became famous for his web "sermons" against commercialism, he disappeared as if dead at the end of The Gospel According to Larry. But now he’s back with his principles intact and, against all odds, he's running for President.

Blushing: Expressions of Love in Poems and Letters. Collected by Paul Janeczko. Orchard Books. Grades 7-12. 2004.
This small, lovely collection brings together poems about love from different times and poets. It moves the beginnings of romance, through its joys and pains, to remembering past loves.

Is This Forever, or What? Poems & Paintings from Texas. Selected by Naomi Shihab Nye. Grades 7-12. 2004.
This handsome volume speaks to readers beyond the Texas borders, with its wide-ranging selection of poems with universal themes. Striking paintings, beautifully reproduced, add to its appeal.

Revenge and Forgiveness: An Anthology and Poems. Edited by Patrice Vecchione. Grades 9-12. 2004.
Exploring revenge and forgiveness among families, friends, and lovers, Vecchione selects a rich array of poems, some fairly sophisticated, others simpler. Extensive biographical notes includes references to other works by these poets.

Singing the Dogstar Blues. Alison Goodman. Grades 7-11. 2003.
In this science fiction thriller, Joss and her partner in school, an alien, are learning to time travel. But an assassin and puzzles from the past threaten their future.

The Slightly True Story of Cedar B. Hartley (who planned to live an unusual life). Martine Murray. Grades 5-8. 2003.
Australian Cedar Hartley and her new friend, the son of circus performers, plan a neighborhood circus. Twelve-year-old Cedar, a narrator with a fresh, funny voice, also slowly solves two family mysteries.

Shakespeare Bats Clean-up. Ron Koertge. Grades 6-10. 2003.
Fourteen-year-old Kevin, bored at home with mononucleosis, tries his hand at different poetry formats, writing about baseball, a new romantic friendship, his mother’s death, and more. The result is a character study, a wonderful introduction to poetry, and a possible tool for teaching poetry writing.

The World According to Dog: Poems and Teen Voices. Joyce Sidman. 2003.
With photographs by Doug Mindell. Grades 6-12. Another attractive book, this combines poetry in a variety of formats by Sidman with short prose pieces from different teenagers. All address aspects, mostly pleasurable, of having a dog.