Better Than Ice Cream

Faith, Hope and Ivy June by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:10:20 -0700

Ivy June lives in the back woods in Kentucky. She is not well off but has family that never gives up and works through everything together. Catherine lives in Lexington, Kentucky. She goes to private school, lives in a big house and has a great family as well. When the two girls are set up to do a student exchange program they learn more about each others lives than they ever expected. Each girl has problems of their own that the other begins to understand. In the end, the two girls find they are more alike and different than they ever dreamed.

Faith, Hope and Ivy June is a fantastic book that does a great job describing each girls lives and the turmoil they are in. Each girl deals with a dramatic situation while they are staying together. The two girls realize that they must deal with their situations in similar ways. I found the whole book amazing. It boggles the mind that there are still people living in the United States who do not have indoor toilets and telephone lines. I loved witnessing Catherine's reactions to the new surroundings when she comes to stay with Ivy June. The whole book was so heart felt and wonderful. I couldn't stop reading it.

Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:00:34 -0700

Nina has been a vampire since the 70's. Fortunately, she has never infected anybody else because she has a support group full of other vampires. However, when one of the other members in the group is killed with a wooden stake the group begins to fear for their lives. They begin an investigation into who killed Casimir which leads them down a trail they never expected.

This was great book about vampires. It was comedic and looked at vampires in a totally different light than most vampire books. Even though Nina is trapped in the body of a 15 year old, she acts her true age of 51. Because of this and several other things, I felt the book should be an adult book rather than a young adult book. Overall it was a great book, but I would not recommend it to teens who are wanting a vampire book similar to Twilight. This is completely different in a fun way.

Slob by Ellen Potter

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:29:35 -0700

Owen is an smart, overweight 12 year old who is always picked on. He only has one friend at school, so he hates going. All he really wants to do is work on his inventions, particularly a TV that shows the past. If he makes his TV work, then he will find out what happened on the day his parents were killed.
Slob is an interesting book. It is not completely obvious why Owen is making his contraption until the middle of the book, which makes it more intriguing. I liked the interactions Owen has throughout the book with his sister, mom, friends and enemies. All of the interactions give away a little more of the story and show Owen's struggles in life. I really enjoyed this book. I don't know how many tweens would enjoy it, but I think reluctant teen readers would find it interesting.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:01:37 -0700

Miranda's mother is preparing to be on the $20,000 Pyramid while Miranda is trying to figure out the mysterious notes that she has been receiving that seem to be coming from the future. The notes claim that her friend will be saved as long as she follows along. Miranda is very wary about the whole situation but doesn't want to tell anybody for fear of what might happen.
When You Reach Me was confusing at first, but once I began to understand the premise it was a great story. It was not only a story about Miranda trying to figure things out but also a story of family and friendship. I felt for Miranda in all the situations she encountered and wanted to help her through them. I would recommend this book to middle school students and some upper elementary students.

The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:29:11 -0700

Peter meets a fortune teller that tells him that his sister is not dead and that the elephant will lead him to her. This is all very confusing for the boy who lives with military man who will only let him do military things. It is confusing until a magician makes an elephant drop from the ceiling into a woman's lap at a magic show. Then Peter begins his quest to see the elephant and find his sister just as the fortune teller said.
I am a big fan of Kate DiCamillo, but this book was not my favorite. While it tidily wrapped everything together at the end of the book, the book itself was rather confusing especially for young children. There are many characters that the book jumps between and none of them truly act like children. This book is more of a short book written for adults rather than a children's book.

Enola Holmes and the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:47:43 -0700

Enola Holmes mother has disappeared. She doesn't know where to find her so she must call in her brothers. One of her brothers is Sherlock Holmes, the famous detective. Her brothers assume their mother has runaway and now are in charge of Enola. They want to send her off to boarding school and forget about her. She has other plans. She finds money hidden around the house using clues from her mother and then runs away when she is supposed to be off to boarding school. She ends up in the middle of an important detective case while she is trying to escape. Everything begins from there.
Enola is spunky character who is always fighting what is normal for woman. This is a great series that combines mystery with a spunky young girl who wants to fight against societal standards. Enola is good detective who is great and at figuring out puzzles which are a part of every book. I would recommend this for 3rd -6th grade girls who want to a good mystery.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:16:24 -0700

Catching Fire is the second book in the Hunger Games Trilogy. Katniss is back from the Hunger Games and is trying to get used to her new life. She is trying to use her money and abundance of food to help other people in her district. When Katniss and Peeta go on their Hunger Games tour to all the other districts odd things begin to happen. There is rumblings of uprisings going on in the districts all because Katniss tricked the Capital into saving both her and Peeta in the games. Katniss is trying to figure out how to save her district, her family and her friends from the turmoil of the uprising and then news about the next Hunger Games comes out and everything changes.
I really didn't think this book could be as good as the first but then it was. It is riveting from beginning to end. It leaves you with yet another cliff hanger for the third book. I am going to have trouble waiting for the next book to come out. The love triangle between Peeta, Gale and Katniss is still unresolved and I have no idea how everything will turn out in the third book. I highly recommend this series to anyone who likes a sci-fi, adventure or just likes reading.

Dull Boy by Sarah Cross

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:39:56 -0700

Avery isn't your average teenager. He has super human strength and he can fly. His friends don't know about his powers and now are not being good friends because he is always acting weird and secretive. So, Avery finds new friends who happen to have super powers as well. The only problem is none of them know how to control their powers and they don't know if they can trust Cherchette who says she can save them all and help them control their powers. The group must figure out everything on their own because they can't tell anyone about their powers.
Dull Boy is a fun book about teens with super powers. I found myself rooting for the teens the whole time while also wanting them to tell a trustworthy adult about their secrets. The teens work together as a great team and seem to really enjoy each other even if they don't always get along. I would recommend this book to high level young readers as well as teens.

Born to Fly by Michael Ferrari

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:28:18 -0700

Bird is young girl who loves to fly planes. Her dad taught her how at a young age. Now her dad has gone off to fight in World War II and she is left to help her family and try to figure out things on her own. When she becomes friends with a Japanese boy, things start to get interesting. She and Kenji think they see a spy submarine in their area. While trying to get a picture of the submarine one night, the two get into a lot of trouble that they don't know how to get out of.

While this book has some good historical information and an interesting story, I don't think the book lived up to its name. I enjoyed the book as a story but it left me wanting more about her love of flying. I wanted more historical information and more interaction with the pilots. Overall it was a good book, but I would not put it in the running for the Newbery like some sites are.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:14:19 -0700

Lia is dealing with anorexia. She is trying her best to hide the fact that she is still starving herself, but then her ex-best friend, Cassie, dies. Cassie tried to call Lia the night that she died, but Lia ignored the 33 calls. Now Lia is trying to deal with the ghost of Cassie haunting her, maintaining control of her anorexia and her family relationships without into the weight danger zone. She doesn't want to be hospitalized again because that was the worst point in her life, until now.
This was such a powerful book. It was very hard to read at times but an amazing book. It really delves into the psyche of a girl dealing with anorexia. You see how she manipulates everyone around her. The way the book is written is very powerful. By not only hearing what comes out of her mouth in response to question but also hearing her conscience you delve even deeper into her psyche. This is an amazing book, but I would be careful with who I recommend it to. It is definitely not for everyone.

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 12:56:22 -0700

After Gemma's mother is murdered, she is sent to Spence and finishing school in England. While there she realizes she has powers to go into other worlds. She slowly reveals this to her friends, Felicity, Ann and Pippa. When the power of being able to travel to other worlds and perform magic becomes to much for the girls horrible things begin to happen. All this happens while Gemma is trying to figure out the mystery of her mother's murder and the new things she discovers in her visions.
While an amusing book, A Great and Terrible was not one of my favorites. I felt the story dragged at points. Gemma was an annoying character. She was trying so hard to be accepted but did not want to reveal anything to her friends that it made it difficult to like her and to trust her, which is typical of teens today but not as much then. Overall, I enjoyed this book, but did not love it.

Vibes by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:18:56 -0700

Kristi is an outcast at her school. She dresses in clothes she has made from found fabric aka trash. Nobody likes her and she doesn't like them. In addition, she can hear people's thoughts. She can hear them think awful thoughts about her. At her unconventional hippie school, they are starting a project to help each other better themselves. Kristi is matched up with Gusty, who she has had a crush on for forever. Now she must wade through her feelings about Gusty, her workaholic mom, her dad leaving the family and her psychic thoughts in order to find herself.
In the beginning of the book, Kristi is not a likable character. She is mean to everyone around her and is very self-centered. As the book progresses you learn more about Kristi and discover why she has become this way. This is a good book for teens who think the world is against them and feel nothing is going right for them. I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would.

Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:37:01 -0700

Go Ask Alice is a true account of a 15 year old girl dealing with drug addiction. The entire book consists of her diary entries from one year of her life. In the beginning she is a shy, lonely girl with no friends. When she moves to a new town, she is hoping things will change for her. She begins to make friends until she leaves for the summer to visit her grandparents. While she is visiting, she has her first experience with drugs. She starts with LSD at a party with the popular kids from her old school. It snowballs from there. She tries many times to quit but nothing seems to keep her away for an extended period of time.
Go Ask Alice is a very sad story about a young girl who loses her life to drugs. Nobody knows if she accidentally overdosed or it was purposeful. This book was created in the 70's but the themes still ring true today. It has been challenged many times in libraries for "encouraging drug use" however has rarely been taken out of the library. I do not believe it could encourage drug abuse because of all the horrors the girl goes through while she is using and when she is trying not use. This is an extremely sad story that ends abruptly but shows a true account of the life of a teen drug user.

The Problem With the Puddles by Katie Feiffer

Sun, 24 May 2009 14:49:36 -0700

The Puddles are an interesting family. Mr. and Mrs. Puddle can't agree on anything, right down to their daughter's name. Mr. Puddle calls her Ferdinanda and Mrs. Puddle calls her Emily. Her official name is Baby because they had to right something down. One day when the Puddles are leaving their country home after many days of rain they forget the dogs. The parents keep driving while arguing whether to turn around immediately for the dogs or go back later. They just keeping getting farther away until the car breaks down. Meanwhile, the dogs, both named Sally, decide to find their own way back to the city. Now the dogs and the Puddles are separated and have to figure out how to find each other.
The Puddles is a silly story with lots of twists and turns. The book has plenty of hilarity and fun. Listening to the parents is funny, but listening to the dogs is even funnier. I really enjoyed this book for its comic relief and very slight message about getting along with your family.

Melonhead by Katy Kelly

Sun, 24 May 2009 14:48:27 -0700

Melonhead is a nine year old mischief maker. He does everything with good intentions but it all ends up as a mess. When he and his friend Sam are giving the task of creating a reinvention, he and Sam come up with some great ideas. Unfortunately, all of the ideas end up creating a mess. Melonhead ends up doing everything from getting his foot stuck in a tree to losing a snake in his house.
Melonhead is a funny story about the mischief boys make. It was a great look at boys and how they really think. They have good intentions in what they are doing but don't understand the consequences of what they are doing. This is a fun book that people young and old would enjoy.