TURNING TWELVE IS NOT EASY

It all starts the summer Suzy is going to turn twelve. First, her mother leaves to take care of her sick grandmother. Then, her little brother Parker saves the life of their neighbor by calling 911 after she collapses at home. Now Parker is a neighborhood hero and he is letting it go to his head. To add to her woes, Suzy is starting to think of her friend Gilbert as a little more than a friend, and her best friend is chosen for a play while she is rejected. When her brother’s hero antics ruin her twelfth birthday, it is the last straw for Suzy.  

After deciding that she has had enough of being Suzy Quinn, she tries to be like her favorite poet, the reclusive Emily Dickinson. But there is a chance that she might be taking it too far when she decides to only communicate with her friends via letters and refuses to do anything that Emily could not do.

This breezy verse novel by Eileen Spinelli is a perfect book for those leisurely summer afternoons, at home or on the beach.

For grades 4-6.

WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL SAFE

Gemma has a rough life. Going from foster parents to family she didn't know existed, she is thrown into the world of her mother, who abandoned her at a young age. She is tormented by dreams of "Redboy," has an interesting yet distant relationship with her new-found twin brother, and a strained relationship with her new family. Typical life of a young girl, right? Gemma does have hope - and she hopes to get back to her foster family as soon as possible. Her life may be upside down, but she ends up right where she should be. I'll Sing You One-O by Nan Gregory is for grades 6 and up.

August 2012

BOWLING ANY ONE?

From Mr. B at Grandview Branch Library

How Lamar’s Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy
By Crystal Allen

Asthmatic 13 year old Lamar Washington goes from King of the Lanes at Striker’s Bowling Paradise to community criminal despised and rejected even by his first and only girl friend, as he comes of age and to grips with what it takes to man-up. Once author Crystal Allen proves her slang creds in the first couple of chapters, her style settles down and the book becomes a well written novel about growing up in – or even outside of – the Afro-American Community. Lamar is a spirited and good hearted character, full of wit and belated wisdom. Everyman. He should make it to the screen soon – or at least to a well deserved sequel.

VIOLET RAINES AND THE LIGHTNING!

Violet is an innocent young girl whose idea of having fun is to jump into a pool for a swim and hop around from tree to tree. She has planed to spend her summer with her friends, eating fresh fruits, running around and enjoying the calmness and the beauty of her town.

However, all her plans change when a new girl comes into town... Melissa is the same age as Violet, but her idea of a good time are watching soap operas, getting her hair and makeup done and gossiping about the people in her newly adopted town.

Suddenly, summer does not appeal to her anymore and she is torn about betraying her beliefs or conforming to Melissa's ideas.

VIOLET RAINES ALMOST GOT STRUCK BY LIGHTNING by DANETTE HAWORTH.

For grades 6th and up.

FINDING YOURSELF IS MORE DIFFICULT THAN IT LOOKS

Rissa Bartholomew couldn't believe that she just told off all of her friends during her birthday party and right before starting middle school. Well, she did want to be an independent person, to think for herself rather than be one of the herd. Little did she realize how lonely and difficult it would be to find new friends and establish a new persona, especially if all she had to keep her company were her gnomes.

Rissa Bartholomew's Declaration of Independence by Lynda B. Comerford is a fun read for those who are coming of age and want to break out of the collective mold and begin their own self exploration as well as their world.

For readers in 6th - 8th grade.

INTERNET+13+BOY=TROUBLE

Puberty hits Eddie like a sledge hammer but when his mother finds out he's printing and looking at inappropriate pictures behind her back and lying to her on top of it, she ships him off to her uncle's farm. A farm where there's nothing to do. Nothing that is until he sees a gorgeous girl working in the store across the field. Intrigued by her but not sure how to approach her, he watches and begins to notice the things and people around him. And what he notices and finds out aren't always pretty.

Double Click for Trouble by Chris Woodworth is a worthy coming of age novel for mature readers 6th & up.

HISTORICAL FICTION FANS!

For those of you not yet familiar, it is time to read The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Starting with LITTLE HOUSE IN THE BIG WOODS, the story of this pioneer family begins to unravel as they leave their family and home and head out West. The main character is Laura, who tells all about Ma and Pa, and her sisters Mary and Carrie. Meeting “Indians” while they trek across the prairie in their covered wagon, wading with slimy creatures in a pond, there are some happenings that will make you cry, but many more that will have you laughing yourself out of your chair! Other titles include FARMER BOY, a book about her husband when he was young and lived on a farm, LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, ON THE BANKS OF PLUM CREEK, BY THE SHORES OF SILVER LAKE, THE LONG WINTER, LITTLE TOWN ON THE PRARIE, and THESE HAPPY GOLDEN YEARS. Each volume depicts a certain point in the life of Laura and her family and the exciting things that happen to them over the years. For grades 4 and up.

LOOKING FOR HAPPINESS

Is it possible to find happiness in death? If you were the one dying, what could you do to make your passing away less painful for others? These are just a few thoughts I had after reading THE HAPPINESS OF KATI by Jane Vejjajiva. Kati lives with her grandparents because her mother has Lou Gehrig's disease and feels she isn't able to take care of Kati. But Kati really knows nothing about her mother until after her death, through the paper trail her mother left her to follow. Recommended for grades 5 and up.

CAUGHT BETWEEN GIRL AND GROWN-UP

Alice has turned thirteen and is in-between. In between childhood and woman-hood, that is. She and her two best friends still act silly sometimes, but more talk of boys, boobs, and bothersome brothers shows that they're not little girls any more. Alice lives with her father and brother, as her mother died of leukemia when she was five years old. Now Alice is the "woman of the house," her friends are changing all around her, and she seems stuck between being a kid and growing up. ALICE-IN-BETWEEN by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor is the fifth in the "Alice" series. There are over twenty books in the series, but you can start anywhere and still understand what's going on in Alice's world. For fourth grade and up.

NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER!

TRUE BELIEVER by VIRGINIA EUWER WOLFF is written in verse and is about a fifteen year old inner-city girl who is trying do do the right thing at all times in order to get a better life. However, time shows her that it is really difficult to always to the "right" thing since life can throw things in your way in the most unexpected way. She realizes that at times doing the right thing is not really as important than doing the things that you truly believe in. This is a coming of age story that is written so beautifully that you would wish there was more to read.

This is the second novel in a trilogy. The first one is called MAKE LEMONADE and this can also be checked out from our library.

For grades 7 and up.

21st CENTURY LITTLE WOMEN

When you're in middle school, friendships come and go like the passing of day to night. What's even worse is parents all of a sudden decide to become VERY embarrassing! Put the two together and you get THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOOK CLUB by Heather Vogel Frederick. Emma and Jess are best friends. They used to be friends with Megan until she joined up with the "popular" girls. And Cassidy has just moved into town with the force of a tornado. When the moms decide to start a monthly book club, the girls aren't thrilled at the prospect of being forced to spend time with one another. But as they read through Little Women together, they begin to notice themselves in the characters of the book they are reading, and they begin to see each other in new ways as well. A surprisingly enjoyable book that strays from the typical pre-teen girl theme in many ways. Great for 5th graders and older.

ONE POWER PACKED BIRTHDAY GIFT

After Zoe turned 12 years old, she started noticing changes about herself. Not your usual adolescent changes, but weird things like being able to lift heavy objects, and time slowing down. Her grandfather has also been watching to see if she was changing, too. Unbeknownst to Zoe, she has inherited super powers and is about to begin her superhero apprenticeship. But being a superhero like her comic book idol is not all that she thought it would be.

Caped 6th Grader: Happy Birthday, Hero by Zoe Quinn is just super for readers 4th - 6th grade.

FIGS AND FATE

The five stories in this collection are told from the perspective of Arab children. The stories are from Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Baghdad. Each story will touch your heart and make you see and feel how similar we all are after all. The stories are about friendships, loyalty to others, love and faith. In one of the stories, a young girl is torn between her family and herself, she realizes that she can not make them happy since her own world is falling apart. Therefore, she first needs to make her world as strong as possible. Because of all the different wars that are taking place, these young boys and girls feel the need to protect their hopes and dreams because that is the only thing they have control over. FIGS AND FATE: STORIES ABOUT GROWING UP IN THE ARAB WORLD TODAY by ELSA MARSTON will be one of those books that will stay with you for a long time.


For grades five through eight.

THE AMAZING LIFE OF BIRDS: (A TWENTY-DAY PUBERTY JOURNAL OF DUANE HOMER LEECH) AS DISCOVERED BY GARY PAULSEN

March 21

Dear Journal,

So far this week a cute baby bird appeared outside my bedroom window, a ginormous zit appeared in the middle of my face, I dreamt about ELBOWS (not really elbows if you get my meaning), I babbled like an idiot to the cute new girl in my class, everybody thinks I'm carrying an infectious disease.

Puberty needs to be over already!!!

Your friend, the miserable zit factory,
Duane

For readers in 6th grade and older.