tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28229551Fri, 31 Jul 2026 08:33:05 +0000book reviewteen book reviewGSTBAhistorical fictionfantasygraphic noveladventuremysterynonfictionteen reviewfriendshipsurvivalbook clubgriefacceptanceadult book reviewpoetry contestbook evalbullyingnational library weekwriting contesthumorlove storydead peoplescience fictionpoetryprogramsromanceabuseaward winnerdystopianloveseriesglbtqsuspensewarfamilyhistoricalpregnancynovels in versebiographicalcomicsdreamsfairy talesfaithsciencesexsummertearjerkerBritishOBNJartbook revewespionageguys readholocaustmental illnessmusic reviewpowerroad tripsvampiresvolunteerschick litcrimedepressionmangamovie reviewreligionshort storiesspace travelstrengthsummer readingthrillerzombiesanxietybeach readscancerdrug useelephantshomelessnesshorrorimmigrationkidnappingmonstersmoviesparanormalsportssuicidesuperherosteens top tenveterensAIDSadoptionamputationillustrated fictionmagicmusicnew jerseyperfectionphoto contestschool shootingsspiessteroidssupernaturalACCTChristmasGreek mythologyIrelandOCDShakespeareVictorianalcoholaliensanimalsautismbanned booksbeaded jewelryblindnessbook boxesbridgecard gamesclassicalcliffhangerclockscollegecontestcultsdiscarded booksduct tapefundraisinggaminghardwear jewelryholidaymarblesmemoirmonologuesmutismoceanographyphotographypublisher contestquotationsroyaltysatireswimmingtaco bellteen read weekunicornsvotingwerewolveswinterwomen's rightswritingyalsaReading, and Listening, and Writing, Oh My!<br><br>Ask me what I'm reading...http://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Kate J)Blogger391125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28229551.post-8560046898188111721Sat, 21 Nov 2015 16:40:00 +00002015-11-21T11:40:46.001-05:00This blog is permanently paused. Please feel free to wander around, find reviews of old favorites or discover something new for yourself here that you can read courtesy of your library or local bookstore. And always, keep reading! Keep writing! Keep sharing your love of words and stories with each other.http://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com/2015/11/thank-you.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28229551.post-6865930497958843787Fri, 04 Oct 2013 19:46:00 +00002013-10-04T15:46:42.129-04:00adoptionbook reviewfamilyglbtqpregnancyteen book review Since her mom and dad decided to split up and then get back together for her sake, Evelyn's entire existence&nbsp;has changed. She hates spending time in the "Silent House," with parents who divide their time between her, each having assigned evenings to eat dinner with their daughter, each having different roles of designated separate responsibility in her life. Evelyn isn't even really a http://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/10/me-him-them-and-it-by-caela-carter.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kate J)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28229551.post-6366047771352495900Fri, 04 Oct 2013 18:47:00 +00002013-10-04T14:49:11.269-04:00abuseanxietybook reviewbullyingdepressionglbtqholocaustnew jerseysuicideteen book review Leonard Peacock is pretty unhappy. And his depression has led him to a couple of conclusions: Asher Beal, his former childhood best friend, needs to die. And he would be much happier if he, himself, wasn’t alive anymore either. But first, it’s Leonard’s birthday and he wants to give each of his four best friends a gift to say goodbye. The first gift is for his very best friend, the old man http://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/10/forgive-me-leonard-peacock-by-matthew.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kate J)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28229551.post-5953577307594253974Sat, 07 Sep 2013 19:06:00 +00002013-09-07T15:06:46.450-04:00book reviewdepressiondystopianfriendshipgrieflovemental illnessseriessuicideteen book review Teenage suicide has become an international epidemic, ending in the death of one out of every three teens in the United States, and as a result a few larger cities have been trying out a new solution to end the killing. Even London is moving towards instating the Program. The Program is a place that teens can go to be cured of all of the things that cause them to be upset, distraught, http://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-program-by-suzanne-young.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28229551.post-8816982473818313440Sat, 07 Sep 2013 17:59:00 +00002013-09-07T13:59:44.887-04:00alcoholbook reviewsexteen book review As a little girl, Anna loved her life with her mom. But as she started to grow up, the cycle of men in and out of their new home (after new home) was confusing and frustrating. Her mom spent less and less time with her, and more time away with her new husband when things were good and away at work when things weren't so good. When boys at school started to pay attention to Anna, she found ways http://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/09/uses-for-boys-by-erica-lorraine-scheidt.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28229551.post-4879145288817448119Thu, 05 Sep 2013 21:08:00 +00002013-09-05T17:08:28.517-04:00acceptanceanxietybook reviewdepressionfamilyfriendshipglbtqguys readloveteen book review Rafe is a pretty average gay high school kid. He doesn't get bullied, he doesn't get beaten up, and his friends and family accept him just the way he is. The problem is that what he IS seems to equal the fact that he's GAY, and that's all anyone sees. He's Rafe, the gay kid. So he decides to go off to the faraway east coast to an all-boys prep school, un-gay. He's not straight all of a sudden, http://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/09/openly-straight-by-bill-konigsberg.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28229551.post-1705832610732566918Thu, 05 Sep 2013 15:54:00 +00002013-09-05T11:56:59.835-04:00book reviewcrimefriendshipguys readmysterypowersexsuspenseswimmingteen book review Period .8 refers to Mr. Lodgson's class, where honesty is the best policy and everything is confidential, where you can talk about anything or nothing, and where you can skip without getting in trouble, but nobody ever does. Period .8 is the "safe place." Mr. Logs has respect for his students, and they have respect for each other. Everybody trusts that what they see is the truth. Everything http://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/09/period8-by-chris-crutcher.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28229551.post-7150666764941213279Mon, 26 Aug 2013 20:19:00 +00002013-08-26T16:19:58.945-04:00acceptancebook reviewfantasyglbtqlove storymagicparanormalsupernaturalteen book review Stephen is invisible. In his 16 years, he has never not been invisible. No one has ever been able to see him - not his mom before she died, not his dad who moved away and started a new life, not the doorman to his building, not anyone. He's never been to school, and he's never had a real friend. He's been an observer in a world that doesn't know he exists. . . . Until someone does know. He http://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/08/invisibility-by-andrea-cremer-david.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28229551.post-5076069393663335282Wed, 14 Aug 2013 00:14:00 +00002013-08-13T20:15:33.363-04:00acceptanceadventurebook reviewchick litcliffhangerlovelove storyromanceseriesShakespearesummerteen book review Allyson Healey isn’t very spontaneous. She generally follows the rules and done what is expected of her. On the European tour that was a graduation gift from her parents, she’s one of her tour guide’s favorite students. But a few days before she’s due to fly back home, she is convinced to skip out on seeing a professional Shakespeare production and instead attends an underground version of http://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/08/just-one-day-by-gayle-forman.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28229551.post-388126194679204576Mon, 13 May 2013 15:11:00 +00002013-05-13T11:33:41.253-04:00adult book reviewbook reviewdead peopledreamsfaithhistorical fictionmonstersmysterypowerreligionseriessupernaturalsuspenseteen book review With every read -- A Great and Terrible Beauty, Going Bovine, Beauty Queens -- I am reminded that I truly and utterly adore author Libba Bray. And now I also truly and utterly adore Miss Evie O'Neill. Evie has a secret, and a powerful one at that. Just by holding an object that belongs to you, she can tell you what you had for breakfast that day, or she can reveal your deepest secret. She http://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-diviners-by-libba-bray.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28229551.post-2538030763221002834Mon, 15 Apr 2013 22:45:00 +00002013-04-15T18:45:10.093-04:00book reviewhistoricalmonstersmysterynonfictionscienceteen book reviewFor believers and skeptics, this densely-packed quick read is all about questions that just can't seem to be answered. What is Sasquatch? Learn the history and the theories, uncover sightings, and follow around those who spend their free time trying to catch an ounce of proof of this great being's existence. Science can't quite prove that Big Foot exists; but neither can they disprove it. http://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/04/in-search-of-sasquatch-by-kelly-milner.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28229551.post-3991422253696127859Mon, 15 Apr 2013 22:39:00 +00002013-04-15T18:39:10.292-04:00book reviewhistoricalnonfictionsciencespace travelteen book reviewFor all middle school science fans, this title is a great overview of how we view the world beyond our planet.From the first telescope to the incredible Hubble Space Telescope, though the Big Bang, and all of the black holes, stars, planets, and astronauts in between, there is much to learn about space! http://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/04/space-stars-and-beginning-of-time-what.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28229551.post-8340830265821531923Fri, 12 Apr 2013 20:50:00 +00002013-04-12T16:55:39.143-04:00adult book reviewbiographicalbook reviewGSTBAnonfictionsurvivalteen book reviewveterenswar Many could not understand why Rafal Gerszak would actually want to volunteer to tag along with the American military in war-torn Afghanistan, let alone insist on returning to the country to live among its citizens, unprotected by any official organization. But, the author's photographs display pretty clearly the connections that kept (and continue to keep) bringing his mind and heart back to http://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/04/beyond-bullets-photo-journal-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28229551.post-1032034969208142275Fri, 12 Apr 2013 20:35:00 +00002013-04-15T17:50:30.960-04:00animalsaward winnerbook reviewelephantsnonfictionscienceteen book reviewAs the largest land mammals, elephants are fascinating creatures, and Caitlin O'Connell, a photographer, scientific researcher, teacher, and non-profit advocate, strives on these pages to tell and show the readers what really makes elephants tick. O'Connell studies elephants in their natural environments and tracks various behaviors of individual elephants, as well as groups of families and http://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-elephant-scientist-by-caitlin.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28229551.post-6114685376775635333Fri, 12 Apr 2013 20:10:00 +00002013-04-12T16:12:48.467-04:00book reviewGSTBAhistoricalnonfictionteen book reviewwomen's rights Who would have thought that an intertwining history of bicycling and women's rights would be simply fascinating? Sue Macy presents a comprehensive early history of how the bicycle was created, from the original concept of a two-wheeled "running machine" in 1817, through to the late 19th and early 20th Centuries when bike riding became a more widely accepted method of transportation, exercise,http://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/04/wheels-of-change-how-women-rode-bicycle.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28229551.post-5538993349171618248Fri, 12 Apr 2013 18:57:00 +00002013-04-12T16:57:59.322-04:00book reviewhistoricalholocaustnonfictionpoetryteen book reviewwar Paul Janeczko is an award-winning author for youth and is best known for his lyricism and poetry, as well as his ability to tackle harsh topics with a simple hand. Requiem takes on the lives of those who fought and suffered during the Nazi war era in Czechoslovakia. Verses based upon real incidents of cruelty, love, oppression, and innocence are told in a straightforward voice, and the varioushttp://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/04/requiem-poems-of-terezin-ghetto-by-paul.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28229551.post-8586898753844412581Tue, 19 Mar 2013 23:49:00 +00002013-03-19T19:50:31.896-04:00acceptancebeach readsbook reviewcancerfamilyfriendshipgriefloveromancesummersummer readingtearjerkerteen book review This novel opens up with a quote from Death Cab for Cutie: Love is watching someone die. But while you should probably prepare yourself for a tearjerker, there are also a number of layers to this story that might surprise you. Taylor Edwards and her family used to always spend summers at the lake in Pennsylvania, at least until after the summer she was twelve. The summer of the botched romancehttp://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/03/second-chance-summer-by-morgan-matson.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28229551.post-6292842592289722329Tue, 19 Mar 2013 23:35:00 +00002013-03-19T19:35:17.228-04:00adventurebook reviewdystopianfriendshipseriessurvivalteen book review I don't typically used this blog to mention books that are part of a series (unless it's the first book), but this sequel to the cult favorite, Unwind, is certainly worthy of that mention, especially since there are five years between the two publications. UnWholly picks up right where Unwind left off, with Connor running the AWOL Graveyard, where Risa is serving as the primary medic. Lev is http://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/03/unwholly-by-neal-shusterman.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28229551.post-3096846482959835414Fri, 08 Mar 2013 00:01:00 +00002013-03-07T19:01:02.609-05:00acceptanceanxietybook reviewdepressionfriendshipgriefGSTBAlovemental illnessmysteryphotographyteen book review As his best friend Ariel once told him, Evan understands that you can't ever know everything. He knew Ariel, but Ariel was someone else when she wasn't with him. Sometimes she was someone else even when she was with him. And he was someone else when he wasn't with her. But now that she's gone, he struggles to understand if he ever knew her at all. Ariel has gone away and Even is struck with http://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/03/every-you-every-me-by-david-levithan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28229551.post-6562072596013031521Wed, 06 Mar 2013 15:32:00 +00002013-03-06T10:40:44.535-05:00book reviewdystopianGSTBAkidnappingpregnancyseriesteen book review Sixteen-year-old Rhine knows that she only has four more years left to her life. What was once thought of as the miracle of modern science took a dangerous turn with new generations, and now males only live to age 25, and females to age 20, no exceptions. To keep the population from dying out, young women are forced into polygamous marriages. Rhine and her twin brother Rowan vigilantly kept an http://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/03/wither-by-lauren-destefano.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28229551.post-2999218973657711196Fri, 22 Feb 2013 01:50:00 +00002013-02-21T20:51:40.287-05:00book reviewespionageGSTBAhistorical fictionmysterypowerspiesteen book reviewwarAgnes Wilkins has little interest in her upcoming debut into society. She'd rather be listening in on the secrets of the house than being measured for ribbon to adorn her fancy new dress. And she'd much rather be reading than humoring the supposedly-amusing advances of high society men. In the middle of entertaining the interest of one very highly-regarded prospect, Agnes finds herself in the http://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/02/wrapped-by-jennifer-bradbury.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28229551.post-5330510183315521235Fri, 22 Feb 2013 01:32:00 +00002013-02-21T20:32:19.894-05:00adventurebook reviewfriendshipGSTBApowerscience fictionseriesspace travelteen book review Amy isn't sure that she agrees with her parents' decision to be frozen for 300 years in order to board a spaceship that is venturing out to colonize a new planet. Her mom's expertise with genetic biology and Dad's military background make them "essential" to the future colony's success. Amy has been given special clearance to accompany her parents as "nonessential cargo." And though she doesn'thttp://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/02/across-universe-by-beth-revis.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28229551.post-6708004335110839324Tue, 12 Feb 2013 20:51:00 +00002013-02-12T15:57:16.192-05:00book reviewfamilyglbtqGSTBAlove storyOCDperfectionstrengthteen book review Everyone loves Abby's sister Tess. Tess is smart and beautiful and happy, and she is always the sister that everyone wants to be around . . . even now that Tess is in a coma. Abby is left constantly responding to friends and neighbors asking after Tess, or saying how much they miss her and how wonderful she was. Abby refuses to talk about Tess in past tense, and spends virtually every second http://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/02/between-here-and-forever-by-elizabeth.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kate J)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28229551.post-7241762033819118608Tue, 12 Feb 2013 20:33:00 +00002013-02-12T15:41:37.286-05:00book reviewfamilyfriendshipGSTBAnovels in versesexteen book review Liz defines much of her life by two things: she's a photographer and she's Kate's forever-best friend. Sure, she's got her sights on college and she enjoys her boyfriend Brian, but viewing life through a camera lens and sharing everything with Kate are really the things that shape how she sees the world and who she is. Following a lame fight during their monthly sleepover ritual, Liz doesn't http://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/02/exposed-by-kimberly-marcus.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kate J)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28229551.post-8898229604583331025Thu, 07 Feb 2013 22:53:00 +00002013-02-07T17:53:38.039-05:00acceptancebook reviewdreamsfaithfamilyfantasygriefGSTBAloveteen book review Daphne is the daughter of Lucifer. Yup, that Lucifer.&nbsp; Life in Hell isn't truly as bad as it might seem, but Daphne's brother Obie has fallen in love with a human girl on earth and decides that he cannot stay in Hell, even if living on earth full-time is absolutely forbidden. When he leaves Hell - for good - Daphne knows that his life is in danger and vows to go to (and stay in) earth http://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-space-between-by-brenna-yovanoff.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0