Review: The Miles Between

The Miles Between
Mary E. Pearson
September 2009; Henry Holt Books for Young Readers; 978-0-8050-8828-1 (hardcover)

Summary: For Destiny, it's all about keeping her distance. Abandoned by her parents in favor of her younger brother, she won't let herself make friends or get comfortable at her boarding school. After all, she'll just have to move on, going to a new school at the whims of her parents and their lawyer, Mr. Gardian. When she unexpectedly gains a car, though, Destiny decides to go on a road trip, joined by three schoolmates. As they travel to her hometown, Destiny begins to see all the connections she has . . . and those that she doesn't.

Reminiscent of her earlier work The Adoration of Jenna Fox, Mary E. Pearson's new novel uses the classic road trip structure to explore friendships and family. The reader is sucked into the story, in spite of Destiny's distance and slowly-revealed unreliability as a narrator, as the truth about her past is discovered. In addition, the desire to have a fair day seems to speak to an essential teenage want; captured between childhood and adulthood, adolescents are slowly realizing that even though fairness isn't automatic, it is possible if you fight for it. Seeing the characters strive for one fair day, a day where everything is just and right, makes for an inspiring, compelling read.

As a side note, I can't help preferring the cover on the ARC I received to the final cover. The final cover seems more like a middle-grade novel to me. Take a look at the ARC cover, as seen for this audiobook version, and weigh in with your thoughts!

ALA Annual 2009: By the Numbers

6: Authors Met
Justina Chen Headley was so pleased to hear feedback about her books, and was a delight to talk to. David Levithan laughed at my Team Peeta t-shirt. Melina Marchetta gave a wonderful Printz Award acceptance speech, and then was just as wonderful in conversation. E. Lockhart shared details about her upcoming books after presenting a knock-out speech exploring the inspirations for her award-winning The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. Libba Bray and Sara Ryan remain separated at birth.

4: YALSA Events Attended
The Happy Hour and Fashion Show was a hoot and a half, not to mention a great time to reconnect with friends and colleagues. Thanks to the generosity of School Library Journal, I got to attend the Edwards luncheon for the first time, and got treated to a stellar speech by Laurie Halse Anderson. The Morris Award Presentation and YA Authors Coffee Klatch was another first-time event for me, but I'll definitely be attending this again! And finally, the Printz Award Reception was full of wonderful, compelling, funny speeches, followed by a fantastic reception.

3: Board of Directors Meetings Attended
This is a bit of a cheat, since I had to attend the Board meetings as an ex-officio member. But I greatly encourage all YALSA members to attend occasional Board meetings and read the available documents and minutes. The YALSA Board of Directors are the people who are setting YALSA's course, and being aware of what's being discussed or showing up to voice your opinion is your benefit as a member.

3: Boxes of Books Shipped Home
I'm eagerly awaiting getting my boxes of materials. True, there were much fewer ARCs available than in past years, as well as less swag as a whole. Yet I thought I still came away with several books that I'm excited about and that I'm looking forward to reading.

2: ARCs Already Read
Waiting for reviews, that will hopefully come next week, are two new books from fantastic authors. First, there's The Miles Between by Mary E. Pearson, acclaimed author of A Room on Lorelei Street and The Adoration of Jenna Fox. And then there's Shiver, the widely-discussed novel from Maggie Stiefvater. Both were fantastic, and I'm looking forward to sharing my thoughts with all of you!

2: Great Roommates
I've been rooming with Liz Burns (of Tea Cozy) and Sophie Brookover (of Pop Goes the Library) for years, and they're not only considerate roommates but great friends. They always provide another way of thinking about issues and are founts of knowledge.

1: Presentation Made
I spoke about historical fiction at YALSA's Genre Galaxy on Friday. I had a great time talking about this often-unappreciated genre, and had a fantastic time at this event.

I hope everyone who attended Annual had a good time, and I'm excited to be back to blogging, my batteries recharged and my bookshelves overflowing.

Hiatus: ALA Annual

From Thursday July 9th through Tuesday July 14, I'll be attending the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. Therefore, the blog will be on hiatus for the next two weeks. If you'd like to see my stream-of-consciousness thoughts about the conference, check out my Twitter. Thanks, and I hope to be back with lots of books to discuss!

Review: Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side
Beth Fantaskey
2009; Harcourt; 978-0-15-206384-9 (hardcover)

Summary: Jessica is looking forward to a good senior year. Hanging out with her friend Mindy, avoiding the villainous Faith Cross, and maybe getting closer to Jake Zinn: Jessica's got it all planned out. But then, a strange exchange student named Lucius Vladescu arrives, all pale and exotic. And Lucius isn't in America to experience an American high school. He's actually a vampire prince, and he wants Jessica to live up to the terms of a pact signed between their families. Jessica, who knew she was adopted, finds out that she's from a family of vampires, and is now the princess of the Dragomir clan. And if that wasn't bad enough, that pact? It bethrothed Jessica to Lucius. There goes senior year . . .


Two Things to Know about Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

#1: Is it nature or nurture?

When Lucius arrives in her life, Jessica is a typical American teenager: she follows trends even though they don't suit her, is vocal about making her own choices, and disagrees with her parents' lifestyle. Slowly, as she learns more about her heritage and her birth mother, Jessica begins to realize the power she has in being herself, even if it means she's different from everyone else. Indeed, it is her uniqueness that helps give her power. But she still has that sense of herself as Jessica, and still values her freedom. By the end of the novel, it's clear that Jessica is drawing upon her natural talents and her learned behaviors to achieve what she wants.

#2: Vampires don't have to be supernatural.

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side plays with the conventions of vampirism, creating individuals that aren't that different from humans. Lucius and Jessica both are able to control their vampire natures except in times of high emotion or stress, and even then, they remain civilized. It's hard to picture Lucius just ripping open someone's throat. Instead, these vampires seem to be much more tied to the metaphorical roots of the creatures. After all, vampirism has long served as a metaphor for sex and intimacy, a connection that Lucius directly makes: sex is one thing, but sharing blood is the most intimate act between two people. In this way, Fantaskey ups the romance and removes some of the spookiness from vampires. Certainly it seems that Jessica falls for Lucius not because of his vampire nature but because of the romantic, passionate behavior he exhibits.


An enjoyable twist on the cliched vampire romance, Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side will definitely appeal to teen readers. The princess in disguise plot is fully explored over the course of the novel, anchored by the likable, believable Jessica. And her vampire suitor is equally realized, thanks in part to the letters he writes that are sprinkled through the text. Supporting characters like Mindy, Faith, and Jessica's parents also get their moment to shine. Moving along at a brisk pace, the novel wraps up the romance between Jessica and Lucius without trying to unnecessarily prolong it. Recommend this romance to any teen left cold by the Twilight frenzy.

Teaser: Catching Fire

Catching Fire
Suzanne Collins
September 2009; Scholastic; 978-0-439-02349-8 (hardcover)
ARC lent by Liz of Tea Cozy

Since Catching Fire won't come out for nearly two months, and since Scholastic has asked people not to give away any major details of the story, I won't taunt you.

What I will say is that Catching Fire improves and expand upon the world created in The Hunger Games, something I was really struck by since I re-read the first book in the trilogy prior to reading the middle volume. And if you thought the cliffhanger at the end of The Hunger Games was bad? Be prepared for the end of Catching Fire.

Aside: I thought this on a subconscious level when I originally read The Hunger Games, but re-reading it confirmed it: is there anyone out there who thinks Gale is the right person for Katniss? He just seems so . . . undefined to me. It seems his only concern is feeding his family. Which is admirable and important, but otherwise, what does he like? What are his dreams? Compared to Peeta, Gale just feels like a mystery to me. And this impression didn't change after reading Catching Fire.

Yet that's a minor quibble at this point. Suzanne Collins continues to hook readers with a thrill-a-minute story, full of twists and action. There's also quiet moments, where you can sense the weight of everything that's happened pressing down on Katniss. For this series is really about Katniss: her choices, her life. Readers will be happy to enter the arena of Catching Fire, and be left waiting eagerly for book 3.


For anyone going to ALA Annual, if you spy anyone wearing a t-shirt that looks like this one, it just might be me. Come and say hi!

Review: Jane in Bloom

Jane in Bloom
Deborah Lytton
2009; Penguin; 978-0-525-42078-1 (hardcover)

Summary: In the Holden family, Lizzie was a star. Beautiful, smart, popular--Lizzie seemed perfect to everyone. The only person who didn't see it was Lizzie. When Lizzie's eating disorder spirals out of control, her accidental death wrecks her family. For Lizzie's younger sister Jane, it's hard to accept the loss of her sister and the way her life has changed. She always thought her parents loved Lizzie more, and now they're stuck with plain Jane. But slowly, Jane begins to recover from her grief, thanks in part to a puppy, an older woman's wisdom, and a camera.


A sensitive, quiet study of grieving, Jane in Bloom shows the impact of loss on a family. Jane's story and emotions are the main focus, but we also see change in both of her parents as they grieve Lizzie. In addition, there are memorable characters, both human (Ethel, the woman who helps care for Jane) and canine (Kona, Jane's new puppy). These individuals help Jane start to grow stronger, enabling her to start using a camera to work through her grief and discover all the beauty there is in the world, even though Lizzie is gone. Sad but hopeful, this debut novel by Deborah Lytton will appeal to readers who have enjoyed Lurlene McDaniel's novels.

Review: If the Witness Lied

If the Witness Lied
Caroline B. Cooney
2009; Delacorte Books; 978-0-385-73448-6 (hardcover)

Summary: The Fountain children have no desire to be on television ever again. They've been caught by cameras too many times. It started when their mother chose her unborn baby over chemotherapy to treat her cancer. Then there was her funeral. The worst of all was their father's funeral two years later, after he died in an accident: an accident thought caused by their little brother. Ever since then, Jack has tried to protect his little brother Tris, to let him be a normal boy. His sisters Madison and Smithy might have deserted him, leaving the brothers with their stepaunt Cheryl, but Jack will be a good brother. So when he finds out that Cheryl wants to create a television show around Tris, Jack refuses to let that happen. Suddenly, questions about the day their father die start occurring to the siblings. What if the death wasn't an accident? What if Tris is blameless? What if Cheryl, the only witness, lied?

Four Things to Know About If the Witness Lied

#1: We see what we want to see.

Many of the adults who knew the Fountain children let themselves be persuaded by Cheryl's deceptions. The family minister, old friends, even the children's grandparents--they all accept what Cheryl tells them. Many of these people are too ready to see Cheryl as a deliverance: she will take care of the chidlren, manage things so that the four children can stay together in the same house. No one wants to look too closely at a family dealing with grief, because it's too personal, too intimate a sight. Whatever small misgivings these adults had, they thought the family should handle the situation in their own way. We all feel a need not to intrude, especially during great tragedy. That reticence nearly risked the wellbeing of Tris and his siblings. Fortunately, in the nick fo time, the Fountain grandparents are alerted and can save the day.

#2: Any family has a chance for reunion.

The events of If the Witness Lied begin to unspool as a result of each teenage Fountain remembering their father's birthday. It's the first birthday since his dead, and it serves as a wake-up call for the Fountain sisters: running from their brothers, from each other, from the only family they have left, is wrong. Both Madison and Smithy return home, arriving precisely when Jack and Tris need them. During the course of the novel, there isn't enough time to heal all the cracks in their relationship. But by coming together to protect Tris, the Fountains are able to reform themselves into a new family unit. What's more, they are able to expand family to mean anyone who cares for them, anyone who wants to protect Tris. So both existing family members, like their grandparents, and family friends like neighbor Diana, are drawn into the Fountain family.

#3: A mystery is solved by the most insignificant of details.

Everyone thought that Mr. Fountain's death was a horrible accident: he left his car running with the parking brake set, while he got out of the car and went underneath it. Then, Tris climbed out of his car seat, into the front seat, and knocked off the parking brake. This story starts to unravel when Madison realizes that she can barely release the parking brake on the same kind of car that her father had. And if she couldn't do it, how could a toddler like Tris? At first, Madison thinks she's clutching at straws, doing a bit of wishful thinking. Yet it's enough to get her really thinking. The only word they have for the sequence of events is Cheryl's. And there's just something about Cheryl--something that has made all the Fountains subconciously distrust her since she arrived after their mother's death. Slowly, bit by bit, the Foutnains start to figure out what really happened. And it's both too horrible for words . . . and makes perfect sense.

#4: Grief and faith go hand in hand.

The Fountains had been a religious, church-going family before the death of their mother. Afterwards, especially after the death of their father, the Foutnains drifted away from religion. Smithy hated the God that took her mother but allowed Cheryl to live. Madision couldn't remain the laughing, popular leader of her church youth group, pulling away from her friends and the Church. And Jack focused himself on school and Tris. But when the three siblings start to realize what Cheryl did and how they ran from their grief, they all find that their faith gives them strength and hope. By speaking to God again, praying and asking for help, the Fountains were able to find that help from several sources in their lives. Perhaps that explains the cover illustration: faith is like a candle in the darkness.


A gripping page-turner, If the Witness Lied is a perfect example of a YA thriller. From the slowly unfolding solution to the final confrontation, the reader is not given a chance to breath. What's more, the teenage characters act like teens, making mistakes and trying to act rationally as best they can. Adding richness to the story is the different ways Jack, Madison and Smithy dealt with and still deal with the death of their parents. Caroline B. Cooney crafts a thrill ride of a book and a sensitive study of loss and recovery, all in the same novel. Pass this one to teens who are fans of sad stories or families in peril.

Review: Surface Tension

Surface Tension: A Novel in Four Summers
Brent Runyon
2009; Knopf; 978-0-375-84446-1 (hardcover)

Summary: Every summer, Luke's family spends two weeks at their lake cottage. Over the course of four summers, from thirteen to sixteen, Luke hunts for luckystones, talks to neighbors, and discovers the appeal of girls in bikinis. So many things change from year to year. The only thing that doesn't is the lake itself. And that's just how Luke likes it.

In a character study of a novel, we see a boy begin to grow into a man. Every summer, Luke gets wrapped up in neighborhood discussions and small squabbles, causing small ripples in his life. But at the end of the two weeks he leaves, knowing that he'll be back next summer and the lack will be there. Brent Runyon perfectly captures the teenager's contradictory desires: for constancy and for change. Portraying a typical boy's development, Surface Tension would be appreciated by serious-minded readers who liked Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie or Be More Chill.

Photo Story Booktalk: Geektastic

Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd
Edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci
August 2009; Little, Brown; 978-0-316-00809-9 (hardcover)

Geektastic won't be published until August 2009, and the ARC I received at ALA Midwinter is sadly lacking quite a lot of material. So instead of doing a review, I thought I'd offer up a Photo Story booktalk for the book. Hope you enjoy this--and based on what I've read so far, Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci have served up an intriguing short story collection, one that will entice any geek reader.

Review: The September Sisters

The September Sisters
Jillian Cantor
2009; HarperTeen; 978-0-06-168648-1
Copy provided by Blue Slip Media

Summary: Abby and Becky were both born in the same month, two years and a day apart. Their mom calls them the September sisters and thinks they should be best friends. But in reality, Abby and Becky fight all the time over anything and everything. To Abby, the idea that she'll be friends with her sister seems impossible. And then, Becky disappears from their house. As her family falls apart, Abby tries to keep them together--as well as herself.

Three Things to Know About The September Sisters

#1: There's no relationship like the one between sisters.

No matter how much sisters fight, there's still a bond that exists between them. Abby and Becky have a history together, but at the ages of 12 and 10, the tensions of oncoming puberty probably ramped up their conflicts. It's likely that as they grew older, their childhood disagreements would mellow, allowing them to become the friends that their mother believes they are. With Becky's disappearance, though, she is crystallized as a bratty ten-year-old showoff for Abby. Abby can grow and change; Becky can't. But that doesn't mean Abby won't be able to have a relationship with Becky, as she discovers at the end of the novel.

#2: Tragedy affects people in different ways.

The disappearance of one family member has a profound affect on the rest of the family. In this case, the family falls apart and then reforms in a new way. The frailties in Abby's mother become even more evident, as she sinks into a deep depression and then falls into a relationship with a man who had lost his daughter as well. Her father becomes fixated on getting results in the search for Becky, all the while trying to stay strong for Abby. And as far as Abby goes, she buries herself in books and slowly finds a new place for herself, a place where she's not "the girl whose sister got kidnapped."

#3: Young love isn't a cure-all.

Not long after Becky disappears, a new boy named Tommy moves in next door. Thrown together, Tommy and Abby slowly grow closer than friends. They explore first love together, but even more important, Tommy acts as the support that Abby needs. Tommy is truly a perfect first boyfriend, but even more, he's her friend. He helps Abby deal with the time she spends adjusting to the absence of Becky. As Abby gets stronger, Tommy drifts away and eventually moves back to Florida, severing their relationship. But by that time, Abby has become strong enough to handle the discovery of Becky's fate.

An intense novel, The September Sisters lets readers follow Abby's recovery from her sister's disappearance. Part of a recent spate of abducted girl novels, such as and The Missing GirlLiving Dead Girl, this novel is different from those by its focus on those left behind. Abby's family won't ever be what it was before Becky's abduction,. But we feel that Abby has discovered that she is grateful for her sister, even if her sister's not really there. The September Sisters is an honest, intimate novel of one girl's development amidst a series of upheavals and heartbreaks. Pass this one along to those who want a sad novel with a hopeful ending.

Review: Written in Bone

Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland
Sally M. Walker
2009; Carolrhoda Books; 978-0-8225-7135-3 (hardcover)

Summary: When there's no books, no written records of a place or time, how do we learn about the people that lived then? During the earliest history of America, we don't always have the information we need to answer our questions about that time. But thanks to the graves that are left behind, modern scientists and historians can form a picture of the past.

In an immensely readable book, Sally M. Walker explores how remains tell us about colonial lives. Mixing modern scientific techniques with historical knowledge, forensic anthropologists are able to determine many facts from graves and their contents. Colorful pictures and flowing prose explains the process of excavating and studying a grave site, and explains how the details observed and analyzed tells us about life in colonial Virginia and Maryland. Walker, a Sibert winner for Secrets of a Civil War Submarine: Solving the Mysteries of the H.L. Hunley, has crafted a compelling narrative in this nonfiction book. Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland will appeal to both historical fiction readers and to CSI fans.

Review: Funny How Things Change

Funny How Things Change
Melissa Wyatt
2009; Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 978-0-374-30233-7 (hardcover)
ARC provided by author

Summary: The West Virginia mountains are a part of Remy. His town might be dying as the coal runs out, but Remy knows everyone and is related to most of the town. And the most important person in town is his girlfriend Lisa. She's smart, beautiful, and just as crazy about Remy as he is about her. In fact, she doesn't want to leave Remy behind when she goes to college. Lisa wants Remy to come with her to Pennsylvania. He says yes, but that doesn't mean his mind is made up. Money, his father, the mountains, and a girl named Dana will all play a role in leading Remy to his final decision.

A love letter to a vanishing, unique place, Funny How Things Change honestly shows a young man grappling with a major life choice. While most people see leaving as the right choice, Remy struggles against this choice even as he makes plans to leave. Gradually, he comes to see that he should pick the option that's right for him and him alone, one that values the things that are important to him. Thanks to memorable characters, authentic voices, and vivid descriptions, Melissa Wyatt tells her story in a compelling, thoughtful manner. A novel that values setting as much as character and plot, Funny How Things Change is bound to be popular with any reader who's pondered their future and wanted to go against the seemingly right choice.

Inspire Me!

I seem to be in a book slump. I think it's because I'm reading a lot of historical fiction right now, as part of the book I'm writing. Because of that, I can't seem to find anything that's "good enough" to tear me away from the historical fiction.

So, I'm asking all of you: what recently-published teen book do you think I should read next? Fiction or nonfiction is fine--in fact, I've been trying to read more nonfiction lately.

Thanks!

Review: The Chosen One

The Chosen One
Carol Lynch Williams
2009; St. Martins Griffin; 978-0-312-55511-5 (hardcover)
ARC provided by publisher

Summary: Kyra is a member of the Chosen. Within her isolated religious community, each man has multiple wives, reading is restricted to the Bible, and breaking the rules has deadly consequences. Kyra can't help breaking the rules in secret, though: she sneaks off to the Mobile Library on Wheels to get books and she's deeply in love with a boy her age named Joshua. But when she learns the Prophet has foretold her to be the seventh wife of a sixty-year-old man-a man who is her uncle-Kyra realizes that she must take the risk of losing everything she's known in order to escape.


Three Things to Know About The Chosen One

#1: Not all religious groups are alike.

Admidst a recent spate of religious community books, such as The Sister Wife and The Patron Saint of Butterflies (see my review), it becomes clear that each community is quite different. In The Chosen One, there is a slowly-revealed malevolance within the Chosen. When Kyra first attempts to escape, in a high-speed chase riding in the Mobile Library on Wheels, the sequence is truly a nail-biter. It is at this moment that the full evil within the leaders of the Chosen becomes clear. Since the local sheriff is a member of the Chosen, the Prophet and the Apostles are able to exact their terrible revenge upon misbehaving members.

#2: The power of creativity never fails.

Kyra has wide-ranging taste in books--particularly for a girl in her situation. She's read Dr. Seuss, J.K. Rowling, Katherine Paterson: all authors that have been challenged by religious groups. But Kyra doesn't know this--she just knows that these authors have swept her away. Another way that Kyra escapes is with music; she's a gifted piano player. She longs to play a grand piano, like the kind that are in the houses of the Prophet and the Apostles. Yet even the old upright that she plays transport her into another world.

#3: Does religion and equality mix?

Over the course of the novel, Kyra begins to question the social relations within her community. Slowly, she realizes that the men with wives are older--almost none of the younger men have a wife, let alone more than one. Meanwhile, most women are married at fourteen, fifteen or sixteen. In the religion preached by the Prophet, women are meant to serve men. But Kyra, with her reading and her love for Joshua, isn't content with this state of affairs. When the Prophet refuses to reconsider and allow her to marry Joshua, Kyra turns her back on this state of affairs.


Carol Lynch Williams has crafted a stirring look at a closed religious community, one that permits polygamy, incest and murder. Yet in spite of all this, many people are kind, caring people: like her three mothers, her brothers and sisters, and her father. Yet none of these people can save Kyra when the Prophet decrees that she'll marry her uncle--that's up to Kyra. The book ends on a hopeful note, with Kyra able to escape and poised at the beginning of her new life. An ode to freedom-both physical and mental-and its importance, The Chosen One will appeal to any reader seeking to explore a chilling world of restrictions and rules.

Review: Princess of the Midnight Ball

Princess of the Midnight Ball
Jessica Day George
2009; Bloomsbury; 978-1-59990-322-4 (hardcover)

Summary: Every night, Princess Rose and her eleven sisters have a ball to attend. Yet it's not a normal ball: they go because they are cursed, forced to attend by the King Under Stone. And as part of the curse, they can't tell anyone about dancing all night. When their father grows tired of his daughters wearing out their dancing slippers every three days, and the princesses can't tell him why, he starts a contest. Any prince who can solve the mystery will get to marry the princess he chooses and be named the heir to the throne. Yet it appears that it won't be a prince who saves Rose and her sisters . . . but a gardener.

An enjoyable retelling of the fairy tale of the twelve dancing princesses, Princess of the Midnight Ball creatively reimagines Europe, heightening the fantasy elements. Yet the descriptions aren't overdone, allowing the reader to see the action in their minds while still allowing for their own perspective. Many of the characters are well-drawn, particularly Galen. The use of both Galen and Rose as protagonists helps the reader explore the story from two different sides. Not too scary and not too romantic, Princess of the Midnight Ball is a great choice for middle schoolers in search of a fairy-tale retelling.

Review: Chasing Lincoln's Killer

Chasing Lincoln's Killer
James L. Swanson
2009; Scholastic; 978-0-439-90354-7 (hardcover)

Summary: Sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction. After John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln, he escaped Washington, D.C. and hid in houses, woods and barns. For twelve days, Booth managed to elude the manhunters after him, all the while eagerly anticipating the press coverage he would receive for shooting the president. He thought the recently-defeated Confederacy rise up and press the advantage of the confusion, to start refighting the Civil War. But it was not to be; John Wilkes Booth was branded an evil criminal, not hailed as a dramatic hero. As the net tightened around Booth, not just his accomplices were drawn into this strange story. There were government officials, soldiers, widows and doctors and Vice-President Andrew Johnson. But in the end, the story was still about John Wilkes Booth.

In a blood-spattered account of the search for John Wilkes Booth, based on his adult book Manhunt, James L. Swanson creates a gripping story about a tumultous twelve days. Although prone to somewhat-forgivable editorializing, there is also rather too many shifts in the action from one story thread to another. Yet it can't be denied that this is a very readable book, one that pulls the reader in and makes history come alive. In addition, it's a handsomely-designed work, full of sepia-tinged photographs and engravings. A book that reads like a historical action movie, Chasing Lincoln's Killer is bound to be popular with middle-schoolers.

Review: The Teashop Girls

The Teashop Girls
Laura Schaefer
2008; Simon & Schuster; 978-1-4169-6793-4 (hardcover)

Summary: As the end of eighth grade approaches and high school looms, Annie can't help feeling threatened by all the changes in her life. And while her best friends--serious tennis player Zoe and fun boy-crazy Genna--seem like adults, she feels like a kid. Her sanctuary is the Steeping Leaf, her grandmother Louisa's teashop and the place that Annie likes best in the world. But when the Leaf is threatened, will the Teashop Girls be able to pull together and save the shop?

A truly heartwarming read--even for someone who doesn't like tea--The Teashop Girls brings a gentle charm to its story of growing up and facing change. Annie is a very believable thirteen-year-old, with her crush on an older boy and her friendship dramas. Louisa is a grandmother that many of us would love to have. Recipes and tea facts, sprinkled through the book, add an extra dimension to the story. For the middle school girls who read Ann Brashares' 3 Willows and want more friendship stories, The Teashop Girls is a perfect choice.

Review: All The Broken Pieces

All the Broken Pieces
Ann E. Burg
2009; Scholastic; 978-0-545-08092-7 (hardcover)

Summary: It's been two years since Matt Pin left Vietnam behind, but in some ways, he hasn't left it at all. He's still haunted by leaving his mother, by the accident that crippled his little brother. And being in America, adopted by a loving family, has only partly relieved his fears. What if his family decides to give him up? Is there any way for Matt to heal the broken pieces inside of him?

A moving novel in verse, All the Broken Pieces blends historical fiction, family concerns, and baseball into a compelling story. Through imagery and rhythm, Burg brings to life Matt's nightmares and hopes, allowing readers to catch a hint of the terror of war-torn Vietnam and the beginning of Matt's healing. A great choice for middle school readers, especially for boys, All the Broken Pieces shows how there are many steps as you repair a shattered life.

If you'd like to learn more, view this booktalk I created, featuring readings from the book.

Review: If I Stay

If I Stay
Gayle Forman
2009; Dutton; 978-0-525-42103-0 (hardcover)

Summary: The last thing Mia remembers is Beethoven's Cello Concerto no. 3. On a rare snow day in Oregon, Mia's family decides to take a drive and visit some friends and family. But then they get into an accident. When Mia wakes up, she can still hear the classical music on the car radio--even though the car is a crumpled mass of metal. And her parents are dead. Before she can find out if her brother has survived, Mia sees herself. She's actually outside of her body, and now she's faced with a choice. Should she follow her family to what comes after life . . . or should she stay?


Two Things to Know about If I Stay

#1: Perhaps there is something between life and death.

Detailing the twenty-four hours from the accident to Mia's decision, If I Stay seeks to explore what happens when we're caught between alive and not. In a coma, Mia finds herself wandering the hospital, seeing how her boyfriend and best friend try to get in to see her, how the accident is affecting her extended family, and how it's up to her to choose her fate. While a character in this kind of limbo is a common literary device, Forman uses it to fully explore all aspects of Mia's character. As Mia slowly contemplates how to go forward, we flash back to all the different events and memories that have made Mia into who she is. We see why there are many reasons for Mia to stay . . . and just as many reasons for her to go.

#2: Important choices aren't just about life and death.

Before the accident, Mia was trying to figure out her future. She had applied to Julliard, and she was pretty sure she would be accepted. But her parents, her friends, and her boyfriend were all in Oregon. The biggest challenge was leaving behind her boyfriend Adam. Adam's band was starting to gain some success, but it was a local success. They certainly weren't going to be able to pull up stakes and move to New York. And while Mia knew that if she got accepted, she would attend Julliard, that didn't make the thought of leaving Adam any easier. Facing such a choice doesn't really prepare Mia for the bigger choice she has to make. However, it does remind us that the decisions that matter most can have just as much weight as the one that Mia makes by the end of the novel.


A haunting novel, If I Stay beautifully explores a major turning point in the life of a talented, brave girl. Facing a horrible choice, Mia is able to take the strength of her family and her friends and use it to find the right decision for her. Fans of Gabrielle Zevin's Elsewhere and other novels of characters in the afterlife might also enjoy exploring the question of what comes before death, as posed in If I Stay.

Anyone Else Want To Work at Booklist Now?

Just saw this on the Shifted Librarian and couldn't help thinking how true it was of all of us . . .

Booklist: We Read Everything