Written and Illustrated by E.S. Redmond

This is a whimscal rhyming story about an unruly and disobedient little girl who would throw fits and not do what she was asked. Then the 53rd nanny showed up and used her wits (really it was reverse psychology, but we cannot reveal that to anyone under 18) to trick the pampered, spoiled girl to do what all little people need to do to get ready for bed… I read this aloud to 2nd graders and they all thought it was a funny story with wonderful illustrations.

Review by Angela Pratt, Hillsdale Elem. Media Center
Rating: ★★★★★ (5 stars)
Interest Level: Grades K-6

www.esredmond.com

The Unruly Queen
Written and Illustrated by E.S. Redmond
Candlewick Press
32 pages
Release Date: February 28, 2012
ISBN: 9780763634452 (hardcover)

When I saw this book in Booklist magazine with a starred review, I knew I had to read it. Several people whom I love continue to struggle with this evil addiction.

In Beneath a Meth Moon we watch 15 year old Laurel sink into the hell of meth addiction. After losing her mother and grandmother in Hurricane Katrina, she moves with her father and little brother to a new town. There she becomes a member of the cheer squad and meets football star T-Boom. On their first date he introduces her to moon (meth).  This is a harrowing story of how easy it is to become an addict, and how difficult it is to break free of it. It is also a story of love, hope, and friendship.

I appreciated the candor that Woodson uses in describing the physical effects of meth on the user. Some of them I recognized. Some I did not.  This book helped me separate actions that an addict has control over and those that they do not- all of which were offensive to me. I hope that the change of heart that this book has brought to me, and the opening of my mind, helps me personally in handling the addictions of those I love.

For teens who read it, I pray that it gives them insight to recognize how un-glamorous and dangerous this drug is.

Review by Terrie Bishop, Academy Park Elem. Media Center
Rating: ★★★★½ (4.5 stars)
Interest Level: Grades 8-12

www.jacquelinewoodson.com

Beneath a Meth Moon
Written by Jacqueline Woodson
Nancy Paulsen Books
181 pages
Release Date: February 2, 2012
ISBN: 9780399252501 (hardcover)

This is a quirky story of two pigs who are beachcombing one day and find a surfboard. They do not dare to actually try to surf with it, out of fear of the “lurking, murky ickiness” that lies below the waves. So instead, they dress it up on the beach and name it Dave. Of course, “Dave” one day finds his way back into the water. How will they save him?

This book has just enough quirks and idiosyncrasies to surf above the ordinary picture book waves. It is interesting to compare this book to another “day at the beach” book, Ladybug Girl at the Beach. I feel that this book addresses the same topic (fear of going into the water) in a more entertaining and interesting, if less realistic, manner.

Review by Joshua Whiting, Granite Library Media Program
Rating: ★★★★✩ (4 stars)
Interest Level: Grades K-3

jennifersattler.com

Pig Kahuna
Written and Illustrated by Jennifer Sattler
Bloomsbury
32 pages
Release Date: May 24, 2011
ISBN: 9781599906355 (hardcover)

Written by John Corey Whaley

17-year-old Cullen Witter is kicking around his small, unremarkable town of Lily, Arkansas during the summer, trying to get dates with girls, working at a convenience store, and in general trying to figure out what to do with his life. After an unremarkable date with an older girl who has moved back to town and is still technically married to another man, Cullen discovers that his quirky younger brother (and best friend) Gabriel has inexplicably gone missing. The search for Gabriel goes on for weeks, but meanwhile the town of Lily is consumed with a different search; a professor has come to town claiming he will find the long lost Lazarus Woodpecker, the largest species of woodpecker thought to have been extinct for 60+ years, in the woods around Lily. In an attempt to cash in commercially the town goes bonkers for woodpeckers, selling everything from Lazarus hamburgers (“it’s actually just the Number 3 without cheese”) to red-died faux-hawk woodpecker haircuts for young boys. Through this nonsense Cullen must come to terms with what has happened to his brother, not knowing if he is alive or dead. Meanwhile, alternating chapters tell the story of a young man named Benton who has been sent by his church in Atlanta to be a missionary in Ethiopia. The way these two stories come together is surprising and convoluted, but worth following through.

This book is a worthy entry in the literary, post-Catcher in the Rye strand of young adult literature. It strikes me as particularly reminiscent of John Green, with its clever and cynical male narrator, and quasi-hipster and intellectual references (for example Sufjan Stevens’ lyrics play a role in the book, as well as an apocryphal ancient scripture the Book of Enoch.) The start of the book is a little slow, but things really pick up a few chapters in. The writing is smart without being inaccessible, and the dual plot construction is ambitious and rather successful, especially for a debut novel. There is frank discussion of sex and teenage characters are sexually active, which makes me recommend this only for mature high school readers. Vulgar language appears not infrequently, but it does not overpower the dialogue.
I’d highly recommend this book to readers who like quirky or literary realistic fiction with clever and cynical male narrators and interesting cultural references, such as Paper Towns, Going Bovine, and of course Catcher in the Rye. That’s obviously not every reader, but for a certain reader this is pure gold. This is the kind of book that YA award committees love to give awards to, and it has already taken home several.

Review by Joshua Whiting, Granite Library Media Program
Rating: ★★★★✩ (4 stars)
Interest Level: Grades 10+

www.johncoreywhaley.com

Where Things Come Back
Written by John Corey Whaley
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
240 pages
Release Date: May 3, 2011
ISBN: 9781442413337 (hardcover)

Written by Alexander Gordon Smith

Are you looking for a great book for Boys? Here it is. Death Sentence is the third book in the highly acclaimed Furnace Series. In this book Alex Sawyer must confront his worst enemy – himself. Alex has tried to escape from the prison known as the Furnace twice now. Because of this the warden should be furious with him, but isn’t, instead he sees him as a great candidate. For what? To become one of them. Alex is moved into the infirmary and injected with “the nectar.” Will he be able to escape, not only physically, but mentally as well?

Review by Heidi Williams, Skyline High Media Center
Rating: ★★★★½ (4.5 stars)
Interest Level: Grades 7-12

www.alexandergordonsmith.com

Death Sentence
Written by Alexander Gordon Smith
Farrar Straus Giroux
264 pages
Release Date: August 2, 2011
ISBN: 9780374324940 (hardcover)

Written and Illustrated by Jonny Duddle

Matilda lived in Dull-on-Sea, which was very busy in the summer and very boring in the winter. She did not have a lot of kids that lived around her and she really hoped that a little girl her age would move in to the house next door. It had been for sale for a long time. She had no idea how exciting life could be until a pirate family moved in one day. They didn’t act like anyone else, dress like anyone else, or talk like anyone else in town. She thought it was so great to have a friend that acted so differently. Not everyone in town felt the same as Tilda did though. Their pirate ship obstructed Miss Pinky’s view, so she called the town council and Mrs. Bevan collected 50 signatures on a petition to get them kicked out of town. The pirates, however, did not intend to stay long, and left a wonderful surprise for everyone in town. This is a great little story about how we should not turn our noses up at people just because they are different than we are, and people really can surprise you. The lyrical rhyming and the wonderful illustrations will make this a fun read for children of all ages.

Review by Cindy Dunn, Granite Elementary Media Supervisor
Rating: ★★★★★ (5 stars)
Interest Level: Grades K-4

www.duddlebug.com

The Pirates Next Door
Written and Illustrated by Jonny Duddle
Templar Books / Candlewick Press
44 pages
Release Date: February 28, 2012
ISBN: 9780763658427 (hardcover)

Written by Daniel Handler, Art by Maira Kalman

Min and Ed were a hot item, although no one could figure out why the basketball star would be going out with the ‘artsy’ girl. Em tells how it started, what happened in the middle and, of course, why it ended, all in a long letter to Ed which she puts in her box of treasures from their short-lived relationship. Each chapter starts with a picture of an object and then the explanation of its importance. I really enjoyed this book, I stayed up late because the picture for the next chapter would hook my interest. It is probably more sophisticated than our normal high school students would talk and think. It is a wonderful chronicle of how a relationship that seems so perfect can be anything but. I like the honesty of the characters, and I loved Min’s passion for old movies. I would definitely suggest this for high school only, too much honesty with the sex for a younger crowd, although the moral is hard to miss.

Review by Kaydean Judy, Granger High Media Center
Rating: ★★★★✩ (4 stars)
Interest Level: Grades 10-12

whywebrokeupproject.tumblr.com

Why We Broke Up
Written by Daniel Handler, Art by Maira Kalman
Little, Brown
354 pages
Release Date: December 27, 2011
ISBN: 9780316127257 (hardcover)

Written by Anne Nesbet

The Cabinet of Earths is an interesting story of a young American girl in Paris who finds herself immersed in science and magic that she doesn’t understand. The story is interesting and quite mysterious. Following the clues in the story leads you almost to the conclusion, but twists keep it from being too predictable. The characters are compelling and the reader connects to them.

Review by Diana Payne, Mill Creek El. Media Center
Rating: ★★★★½ (4.5 stars)
Interest Level: Grades 5-8

annenesbet.com

The Cabinet of Earths
Written by Anne Nesbet
Harper
260 pages
Release Date: January 3, 2012
ISBN: 9780061963131 (hardcover)

Written by Jane Schoenberg, Illustrated by Cambria Evans

This book includes four funny stories with Stuey, a second grader, as the main character. I liked the way the author related the story of his teacher helping him with his self confidence. The simple black and white illustrations were a perfect match to the story.

Review by Colleen Connaughton, South Kearns Elem. School
Rating: ★★★★★ (5 stars)
Interest Level: Grades 2-4

janeschoenberg.com

The One and Only Stuey Lewis
Written by Jane Schoenberg, Illustrated by Cambria Evans
Farrar Straus Giroux
128 pages
Release Date: July 5, 2011
ISBN: 9780374372927 (hardcover)

Written by Vicky Alvear Shecter

This book is the story of the daughter of Anthony and Cleopatra, Selene Cleopatra, and her two brothers. She is taken as a captive to Rome where she is under the care and supervision of her “enemies.” The book hints of a possible romance between her and the son of Octavianuss and/or Juba an heir to African kingdoms. While the book has a plot and characters that struggle, the “real” story is highlighted at the end so the reader can compare it with what really happened, which somehow seems even more unrealistic! The struggle for power and wealth of the Romans rulers remains unequaled.

Review by Fay Mason, Churchill Jr. High Media Center
Rating: ★★★★★ (5 stars)
Interest Level: Grades 9-12

historywithatwist.blogspot.com (Vicky Alvear Shecter’s web site)

Cleopatra’s Moon
Written by Vicky Alvear Shecter
Arthur A. Levine Books
355 pages
Release Date: August 1, 2011
ISBN: 9780545221306 (hardcover)