Hawksong by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes--9 stars
www.teenreads.com/reviews/0385730713.asp

Wow. After hearing this author give a lecture (pretty dreadful!), I was hesitant to even tackle this book. In fact, of the 21 books kids can read to get to the spring awards luncheon, this is the 20th one I've finished.

What a pleasant surprise, though! Although not my usual cup of tea, I liked Hawksong. The book had enough intrigue (for the boys) and romance (for the girls) to make this book a teen hit. Many students have come to the library to get the sequels, Snakecharm & Falcondance.



The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron--8.5 stars
www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6416836.html

This Newbery Medal-winning book has a lot of charm. I’m afraid that it’s one of those books that appeals more to adults than kids…but I’m TOTALLY OKAY WITH THAT. Books like this one and Each Little Bird that Sings are fun for kids and grownups to read *together*, and what’s the problem there?

Sharing books and meals and movies together is part of the fun of living in the Human Family…and this one is pretty sweet, especially if lonely little girls have a special place in a corner of your heart, like they do in mine. Should it have won the Newbery Medal? I don’t know. (What kids want to check out and what is the “most distinguished contribution” to children’s literature are often two different things, anyway.)

Oh, and do NOT listen to the self-appointed Literature Censors who think you should not read this book because it has a couple of references to a male dog’s body part, using the anatomically-correct name, which was on the receiving end of a snake bite. That’s just crazy. Body parts are NOT dirty words!

BTW, we live in West Texas, where being snake-bitten is a REAL possibility; the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup, held just forty-five minutes from Abilene, has collected more than a 125 TONS of rattlesnakes over the years. I’ve personally met two farm dogs out in View, Texas who survived rattlesnake bites (both on the snout, which seems kinda’ boring now). I’d actually *prefer* an author to use the correct term, the word the veterinarian would use, over one of the many slang terms that come to mind…


The Illustrated Mum--8 stars
www.randomhouse.co.uk/childrens/jacquelinewilson/home.htm

Good book, especially for girls. Set in England, sisters Star and Doll (short for Dolphin) have the most unusual mother that their friends--and enemies--have ever seen. Their mum, Marigold, has red hair, green eyes...and is nearly completely covered in colorful tattoos.

Marigold is an artist and has designed most of the tattoos herself; each one has a special meaning. Dolphin still thinks they're cool, but Star's teenaged friends think Marigold is a freak. Star is tired of being the grownup in the family and making sure the rent is paid before Marigold wastes the money on something else. Who will Dolphin count on when everything crumbles?

I fell in love with Doll and just wanted to take her home with me. (I also adored the character of Aunty Jane. Please, God, send this planet more Aunty Janes!)


Invisible by Pete Hautman--8.5 stars
www.petehautman.com/invisibleinfo.html

Well, the review link above says this book will give you nightmares...and it did. I finished this book at 3:00 in the morning, and the only sleep I got was filled with horrible dreams. Really bad dreams! (I don't usually like scary or creepy books, and this one rates pretty high on the creep scale.)

This book earned great reviews (starred reviews in Library Journal, Horn Book, and Publishers Weekly), but it will give you the serious willies. Dougie is a loner and some people say he is disturbed. This book gives you a peek into his mind...and it's pretty dark in there. There are moments where Dougie makes you laugh out loud, moments where you feel pity for him, and moments where you think he needs to be locked up for his own protection.

Read it and tell me what you think. I especially want to know what you think about the surprise ending! (Sure didn't see that one coming...)


Julia's Kitchen by Brenda Ferber--8.5 stars
www.brendaferber.com

Her book was good, and her website is even better. I'm not usually the type for a sad book, but this one was sad and hopeful at the same time. While Julia was at a sleepover one night, her house burned down…and her mother and sister died in the fire. Now Cara is tormented by questions…where was God? Why was her father the only survivor? Why won't he talk about what happened? Very touching…your heart will go out to Cara.

Be sure to try the chocolate chip cookie recipe at the back of the book…and check out the author's "virtual" book club for kids on her site. I know I'll be checking out some of her favorite books…


Keeper by Mal Peet--9.5 stars
www.walkerbooks.co.uk/Mal-Peet

Man, this book was GREAT! I'm far from being a sports nut, or even an enthusiast, but I loved this book. It's not just about World Cup soccer (or "football," whichever you prefer)...it's about life and love and the supernatural and fantasy and the environment and what's truly, truly important. I hope you like it, too.

Be sure to read this author's *naughty* interview at:
www.literacytrust.org.uk/campaign/champions2003/malpeet.html


Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt--9 stars
www.martineleavitt.com/bio.php

This National Book Award finalist is delicious…and unabashedly “girlie.” It was on my lengthy To-Read-Someday List, but when an 8th grade boy practically hurled it at me across the circulation desk (instead of dropping it in the book drop) and told me that it was the WORST BOOK HE’D EVER READ in his WHOLE LIFE…and that it was SO BORING…and that the characters are WASTING ALL THEIR TIME IN THE FOREST…well, it moved to the top of my list at once!

Good book…maybe best enjoyed by older YA girls. Interestingly, Death plays a significant role in this book, reminding me of Zusak’s The Book Thief. (He’s not the narrator, as in Zusak’s book, but you’ll probably find yourself thinking differently about Death as you turn the pages.)

One of my favorite things about the character Keturah Reeve is what she wants from life…what so many young women want (even this middle-aged librarian!): “…my own little cottage to clean, and my own wee baby to hold, and most of all, one true love to be my husband.” Heartbreakingly simple and honest. (Leavitt dedicates this book to her “dear girlfriends, who have blessed and enriched my life.” Sweet!)

Will Keturah get that cottage and wee baby? Read this romance to find out…


Kipling’s Choice by Geert Spillebeen (translated into English by T. Edelstein)--9 stars
www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?inkey=1-0618431241-1

This book really packs an emotional punch. It’s so tragic…and graphically depicts the brutality of the “Great War” with its horrible poison gas and senseless trench warfare.

Do NOT read this book if you are easily offended; there is battlefield brutality, as well as the kind of language soldiers sometimes use. (For the author to paint a realistic picture of war, his soldiers sing bawdy songs and sometimes use language that Lt. Kipling and his men *never* would have used in front of their mothers.)

Rudyard Kipling, the great English author of The Jungle Book and Kim, lost his only son in WWI; in fact, his son, Lt. John Kipling, died in his very first battle while leading men twice his own age. This book, intended for Young Adult readers, explores what the eighteen year-old officer may have endured during his final hours. With vivid flashbacks to happier times interlaced with his agony on the battlefield, this book tells a story in a spellbinding and powerful way. I had a lump in my throat as I finished this book alone in an Austin hotel room.

Recommended for mature students with advanced reading skills.


Liberation of Gabriel King, The by K.L. Going—7.5 stars
www.klgoing.com/

I love it when novels are set in the sultry, steamy, sweaty South of the past; these books remind me of summer childhood trips to Texas when my sister and I were little. Oh, and this one is set in the summer of 1976 when our nation celebrated its 200th birthday! (I remember that July 4th very clearly; I had just finished sixth grade in Ms. Reddy's class.)

Frita & Gabe are unlikely friends. Boy and girl. White and black. Frita is middle class, and her daddy is a preacher. Gabe is poor, and his daddy is a mechanic. Of all the mobile homes in the trailer park, Gabe's is the smallest. When Frita decides that the summer of '76 will be the summer they overcome their fears of spiders and rope swings, these two precious children never dream that one fear they must confront will be the KKK. A sweet book, perfect for grades 4-6.


The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis--10 stars
cslewis.drzeus.net/

A classic by a wonderful man, a respected author, and a devout Christian. I loved this book even more as an adult than I did as a child...


Millions by Frank Cottrell Boyce--10 stars
www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/press/pres_car_bg_0405.html

I adore this book! It's so quirky and British and hilarious and heartwarming. Two brothers, one materialistic and one obsessed with saints, come into a HUGE amount of money. (This is like the eternal question, "What would you do with a million dollars?" except it's POUNDS, not dollars, and they only have a few days to spend it before England converts to the Euro.)

If you are a Christian or an Anglophile (lover of all things English), you *should* read this book; if you are Catholic or believe in saints, however, you *MUST* read this sweet and funny book!

Boyce gave a percentage of the royalties from this book (and the subsequent film) to WaterAid, which helps African villages dig wells and develop clean, reliable water sources. Oh, and *as IF* I didn't already love this author, I went to the website listed above and read this:

For Frank libraries offer a vital source of knowledge for everyone especially young people. “If young people have access to books and the internet they can read and learn. Libraries are vital in this process. With reading and learning comes knowledge and understanding and from that they can make sense of the madness of consumerism, and the need to help other people who aren’t so lucky.” He cites a favourite line from the Manic Street Preachers ‘Libraries gave us power’.

Frank has recently become involved in a twinning project between the area of Liverpool where he lives, and a town in Sierra Leone of the same name: Waterloo. He is supporting a project to build a library there and supply it with books.
--from www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/press/pres_car_bg_0405.html


Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve--9 stars
www.teenreads.com/reviews/0060082097.asp

Mmm. Good. Cities in the future can travel and move and "eat" other cities. Great premise and nice Lone Star choice. Lots of kids are coming in to get the sequel, Predator's Gold !


Never Mind by Avi & Rachel Vail--7 stars
aolsvc.kidsreads.aol.com/reviews/0060543140.asp

I don't get all the glowing book reviews that call this book "hysterically funny." I may have smiled once or twice, but…well, let's just agree to disagree on this one. (In fact, the phrase "never mind" that pops up repeatedly in this novel pretty much sums up my book review.) One thing I did like was how the twins spoke in alternating voices--a chapter from Edward's point of view and then a chapter from Meg's. (Oh, and I also liked how the authors dedicated this book to each other. That was sweet.)

Never Mind just wasn't my cup of tea, but maybe you'll like it. That's the cool thing about the Lone Star books; when it comes time for voting at the end of the year, lots of readers choose surprising titles as their very favorite…sometimes books Ms. Bush and I couldn't stand. To each his own! :-)