Best Fiction Teen Feedback Session

One of the best parts of being on Best Fiction for Young Adults (BFYA) is the opportunity to hear from teens who have read the nominated books. In my school, this is an ongoing process throughout the year where kids fill out a bookmark-sized review form about nominated and eligible titles. As part of the committee meetings, this happens during the "Teen Session," a time where local teen book groups are brought in to give their opinions about the nominated titles.

I LOVE this two hour session at each conference, and am always madly taking notes on my iPad, trying to get down each and every word. Teens speak about their favorite books from all the nominated titles (you can find the current list here). One of the curious things this time were the books that the teens did not speak about: "What Happened to Goodbye" (Dessen), "The Last Little Blue Envelope" (Johnson), "Cryer's Cross" (McMann) are just a few top authors that none of the teens spoke about. After being surprised by this for a little while, I realized that it was probably because of the last minute publication date/nomination date of most of these titles. Students probably hadn't had the opportunity to read the books before the conference. I look forward to hearing teen comments on these titles at Midwinter in Dallas.

Here are some of the teen comments, as close to word-for-word as I could get. I have not included every book that the teens stood up to talk about, but the ones which teens were clearly passionate about. (Exclamation points are included where the decibal lev)el increased). As near as I could tell, all the teens that spoke were in high school.

"Strings Attached" (Blundell): This book stirred up emotions, had love, drama, suspense, and a heartbreaking ending. One of the best books they had ever read. (I'm actually glad to hear this comment, because while I personally enjoyed this book, I was really worried about teen appeal and who the audience for this book would be).

"Beauty Queens" (Bray): Really liked, funny, interesting, wasn't girly, hilarious, comedic, great one-liners. (Yeah! This is one of the books on my Summer Reading suggestions).

"Iron Thorn" (Kittredge): Had nightmares after reading this, dark, interesting, amazing, characters, full of secrets, good gothic fantasy.

"Absolute Value of Mike" (Erskine): Discusses big ideas, loved comedy throughout the book, strive to be your own person. (There was also discussion about how this book is shelved in the children's section of some libraries and the young-looking cover, which does not help with teen appeal).

"Where She Went" (Forman): Author tapped into emotions, lived up to expectations, well-written, different perspective from the first book, perfect ending.

"Exposed" (Marcus): Loved it, accurate description of relationships, not a cheesy ending, loved the poems and only the words necessary were used.

"False Princess" (O'Neal): Loved it!

"Anna and the French Kiss" (Perkins): Classic romance, really like the book. Liked the details about Paris, which helped shape the book. You feel like you are part of the book while you are reading.

"Delirium" (Oliver): Different, unique, shocking ending, stayed up late reading, amazing.

"This Dark Endeavor" (Oppel): Good twist on the Frankenstein story!

"Between Shades of Gray" (Sepetys): Wonderful, good flow, believable characters, loved this book, another side to the World War II story, making you a character through the protagonist, emotionally rattling.

"Running Dream" (Van Draanen): Really liked!

"Blink and Caution" (Wynne-Jones): Liked points of view, really liked book.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Laini Taylor's new book, "Daughter of Smoke & Bone," comes out in September and has already been nominated for Best Fiction.  Even though I haven't read it yet (because one of the teens in my neighborhood stole my advance copy), I am looking forward to reading it!

Last month, at the ALA Conference in New Orleans, Little Brown Books/Hachette Books threw a terrific "launch" party for this book which I was lucky enough to be invited to. It was a such a fun evening, complete with "smoke," masks, fortune tellers, and bone readers. New Orleans was a perfect setting for this event, and it was great to meet the amazing Laini Taylor!

The book promises to be a terrifically creepy read, set in a unique world. "Black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.

Karou fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out."

By the way, here is a picture of me in my mask from the event. Of course, my daughter confiscated the mask as soon as she found it in my suitcase, so I will never see it again. But it was fun while it lasted!

Have you read the book? I'd love to know what you think...

Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler!

In addition to reading MANY books as part of the Best Fiction for Young Adults committee, we also get the chance to hear from teens about the nominated books (more on that later). Before this year's BFYA "Teen Session" at the ALA conference in New Orleans, authors Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler entertained the teens (and committee members) talking about their newest book, "The Future of Us," which they co-wrote. Thanks to Penguin Teen for making this event happen!

Asher ("Thirteen Reasons Why") and Mackler ("Tangled"), are each well-known authors with a LARGE fan base, but you might be surprised to discover that they did not know each other before they decided to write this book together. "The Future of Us," set in 1996, takes us on a journey with two teens, neighbors Emma and Josh who discover that they can see their future through a crazy application that has taken over Emma's computer...Facebook. What if you could see your future, who you were going to marry? On Facebook? Before Facebook was invented?

The book is AMAZING (my review will follow), and what follows is some notes I took on the talk the authors gave about how they wrote this book.

I was surprised to learn that they did not know each other before this project. One email from Carolyn to Jay led to many email conversations about books they like and don't like, and eventually to this idea to "share the creative space." When they felt safe to be themselves, they decided on the concept and the characters.

Both wanted to capture the feeling of the highs and lows of the teen years, much like a John Hughes movie (of which, they are huge fans). They both wrote the book, not one particular character, writing chapters together (back and forth via email) until it "felt right." Asher and Mackler told stories of times where they would tell the other "Oh, you're so smart, I'm so glad you wrote that scene" or "I'm sorry, but I have to take that out now" and then discovering that they had actually written it.

In the book, Emma discovers that she is not happy in her future and wants to change it. Josh, however, discovers that he has married the hottest girl in school and doesn't want Emma to mess with anything! It is really about the small choices that you make and how that affects your future.

After talking about what it was like writing the book, the authors took questions from the teen audience. Here are some of their answers:

Did you have a favorite character in this book?Both: Did not have a favorite character, but both liked the secondary characters and where they ended up going and how they evolved and grew.

How long did the process take?It was about a year for the whole process...nine months to write the book, plus extra time for edits.

How did you choose the character names?Jay: Very scientific about it and looked at the census data for that year to find out most popular names.
Carolyn: Picked based on feeling, and what felt right.

What were your favorite books growing up?Jay: "Bridge to Terabithia" (Paterson) was his favorite as a kid, and then he stopped reading as a teen except for required reading. In 2000, he read "Stotan" (Crutcher) and became a fan.
Carolyn: Loved Judy Blume books as a kid. Reading "Tuck Everlasting" was the first time she felt "deep." In this new book, Emma's favorite books on Facebook are listed as "Tuck Everlasting" and "Harry Potter."

What do you like about the other's writing?Jay: Loves Carolyn's characters. Her books are easy to read, the words are exactly what they need to be. She is the modern Judy Blume.
Carolyn: Loves the tension Jay creates. She didn't move from the time she started "13 Reasons Why" until she finished it. Likes that he thinks about what will keep the reader reading.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer? How long did it take you to become published? Do you have any suggestions for teens who want to write?Jay: Wrote a "horrible" book about the Easter Bunny which we will never have to read. There were 12 years of rejection until "13 Reasons Why" was published. He kept writing, and now 13 Reasons is going to be a movie.
Carolyn: Always loved reading, and didn't write until later. She wrote in journals at first. Now she throws away a lot, and does much rewriting. Aspiring writers should read and write what you like to write, what keeps you excited! 

By the way, Jay shared a story that should make fans very happy. While in New York, celebrating the completed novel with each other and their respective families, Jay received a phone call alerting them that the film rights to "The Future of Us" have already been sold!

The book comes out in November, so make sure to get on your library hold list now. If you are an EJH student/community member, I have an advance copy, so please comment here to be next in line (after several readers in my neighborhood...both teens and adults)!

Summer Reading...

August is just around the corner and it feels like forever since I have posted here. There are good reasons, including a lovely vacation to the East Coast (where, unlike Seattle, they have been having a summer), and the fact that my computer has been having "issues." As much as I love my iPad, it just doesn't let me access the blog to post, so I haven't been able to let you know about all the great books I've received and have been reading.

But, much like the Seattle summer, which has suddenly arrived (hopefully for longer than 78 minutes)...I'm hoping that my computer is finally working again! And there is much to catch up on! So, stay tuned...

Free Audiobooks for Summer!

Traveling to the beach this summer? Visiting grandparents? Forced to ride in the car with your family to a destination far, far away? Than you need audiobooks...and some good headphones.

Each week, from now until August 17th, you can download two totally FREE audiobooks through SYNC. Though you've missed some great titles that were available during the first few weeks (sorry for not reminding you sooner!), there are still terrific titles to be had!

Anyone can participate, there's no required sign-up or personal info or credit card needed, the titles are in MP3 format compatible with ANY digital player or computer. The choices each week are one top Teen book and one top Classic. All the directions on how to download the files are on the website, including a "how-to" video.

If you take advantage of this, let me know what you think!

Geeky Librarian Fun in New Orleans

No thanks to United/Continental Airlines, I have finally made it to New Orleans for the American Library Association's Annual Conference. (The only good thing about the flight was the fact that "Beastly" was the in-flight movie). After arriving at 4:30am local time this morning, thanks to extensive delays, I am ready to report on all the geeky librarian fun I will be having...stay tuned!

Today started with SLEEPING IN, and then a magical discovery that my hotel's pool was on the roof. Reading in the glorious sunshine was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon. (I am still trying to finish up the last of the BFYA books that I brought with me). 90 degrees feels wonderful to someone stuck in the horrible Seattle "spring" that we've had.

Tonight I am off to two publisher events, with the opportunity to meet wonderful authors and eat yummy food. Will post details later...

Are you in NOLA? What are you most excited for this weekend?

Summer Reading!

School is FINALLY out...yeah! Those snow days, many of which weren't really snow days, stretched the year out an extra week, but we have survived and made it to SUMMER! Now, if only the sun would cooperate...


If you are looking for good reads for all ages, from Kindergarten through High School (and adult!), check out the EJH Library "Summer Reading" website. The lists are divided by grade level, and students of all ages, reading levels, and interests will find something good to read, I promise. Some will find MANY great books to read. The lists are designed for students "graduating" from the grade levels listed, but some students will also find titles of interest on the lists above and below their grade level. (By the way, the call numbers listed next to each title are the King County Library System call numbers). And if you are a grown up looking for something good to read this summer, start with the High School list. Great titles to choose from!


Stay tuned to the blog throughout the summer. It will be updated daily with "latest and greatest" titles not published in time to be included on the Summer Reading lists. I would LOVE your feedback on books that you've read or books that I should review here! Feel free to comment. We can have our own online book club...

Review: The Mermaid's Mirror (Madigan)

Title: The Mermaid's Mirror
Author: Madigan
Genre: Fiction, Surfing, Families, Mermaids
Pages: 308
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Lena has lived her whole life near the beach, walking up and down the shore, watching the surfers, and breathing in the salty air. The thing she wants more than anything is to learn how to surf. As her sixteenth birthday approaches, Lena vows she will no longer watch from the sand: she will learn to surf.

But her father, a former surfer who almost drowned in an accident, refuses to let Lena surf. Being a typical teenage girl however, that does not stop her. She can't help the powerful and unexplainable draw the ocean has always had over her. One morning while looking out into the ocean, Lena catches sight of a beautiful woman — with a silvery tail. Now nothing can stop Lena from seeking out the mermaid, not even the dangerous waves.

The premise for this book is completely original. What starts out as realistic fiction turns to fairy tale/fantasy and still keeps readers hooked. The characters are well-rounded and engaging. Lena is a typical teen and her emotions are real. She is a girl struggling to find out where she belongs and who her family is. The setting is vivid, and the undersea world is so well drawn, you will think you have become part of Lena's home under the sea. Although you wouldn't think it, the connection between the real and fantasy worlds is completely believable and works with the story.

Overall, a perfect read for the perfect summer day at the beach.

BFYA Reading Challenge, Update #4

,Oh please don't get me started on how far behind I am in my reading. When nominations finally closed, there were 91 books nominated for Best Fiction for Young Adults (BFYA). Because I was BUSY reading non-nominated titles so that I could complete my summer reading lists for all grades, I got behind! I am going to have to abandon my dream of reading everything before our committee meeting.

However, it's not as bad as you might think. Here's the update:

16 DAYS TO GO

34 BOOKS TO READ (oooh, that does look scary, but there are several weekend days and a LONG plane ride to the meeting).

Of the 34 books to read, I don't have 14 of them, so am unlikely to read them at this point. That brings the number down to 20. That feels better!

So, with the end of school madness, two kids birthdays, Father's Day, and packing for this trip, am I going to make it?

BFYA Reading Challenge, Update #3

If you haven't been keeping up...on Monday, 5/16/11, I began a new reading challenge. At the time, there were 48 nominated books left to read in the 40 days before my committee meeting at ALA in June. Here is an update on my progress:

I swear I've been reading! But I feel like I just can't keep up. Probably doesn't help that this weekend I read 6 books NOT nominated because they were more interesting to me than the ones I should have been reading. Whoops! (A list of those titles will be coming soon...I might even nominate one or two of them).


So, here's where I stand today: 3 more books have been nominated, bringing the total to 80. STOP THIS MADNESS! Luckily the cutoff for nominations is this Sunday, so I'll have almost a month to catch up without more being added to the pile.

Since the last update, I have finished: "Angry Young Man" (Lynch), "The Piper's Son" (Marchetta), "Jasper Jones" (Silvey), and "Bitter Melon" (Chow). I am still listening to "Chime" (Billingsly) though I am counting it as "read" because I'm so close. I also finished "BADD" (Tharp), "The Absolute Value of Mike" (Erskine), "Ten Miles Past Normal" (Dowell), and "Sharks & Boys" (Tracy). WHEW!

I am currently about to start reading "Anna and the French Kiss" by Perkins.

Grand total: 42 books to read in 32 days.

This percentage doesn't seem to be getting any better. However, it is worth noting that I do not currently have a copy of 16 of the titles, and I might not before the meeting. When you subtract these out, it leaves 26 books to read in 32 days. Ooooh, I like that much better!

Thanks for checking in to my updates. I promise reviews of these books this week, hopefully by the weekend. Stay tuned to the BFYA list here. And I would love to know what books are keeping you busy right now!

BFYA Reading Challenge, Update #2

On Monday, I began a new reading challenge. At the time, there were 48 nominated books left to read in the 40 days before my committee meeting at ALA in June. Here is an update on my progress:5/19/11:
Finished "The Queen of Water" (Resau), which was lovely, but not my favorite of her books.

Currently Reading: "Angry Young Man" (Lynch), "The Piper's Son" (Marchetta), "Jasper Jones" (Silvey), "Bitter Melon" (Chow), and "Chime" (Billingsly--on audio in the car), which are all nominated titles. The reason I've started and abandoned so many right now is that several of them just aren't "speaking" to me and I move on. Bad idea though since I will have to finish them at some point.

I am also reading "Sean Griswold's Head" by Leavitt which is not currently nominated (though I'm considering it).

The problem...more nominations keep coming in. Yesterday, there were three more added, bringing the total nominations to 77. Since I have now read 28 of the titles, that means I have 49 titles to read in 37 days. AAAH!

Must stop writing...back to reading...

Review: Numbers: The Chaos (Ward)

Title: Num8ers: The Chaos
Author: Ward
Genre: Fiction, Dystopian, Future, Psychic Ability
Pages: 339
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars!

This is a stand-alone sequel to "Num8ers" and honestly does not require that you read them in order. However, if you have not read "Num8ers," I would highly recommend that you do so!

On the last page of "Num8ers," we learn that Jem's baby has inherited her ability to see the dates that people are going to die. It was a truly chilling way to end a book, by the way, and felt like a punch in the stomach when I was reading it. In this sequel, that baby is teenager Adam, and he has noticed that many people are going to die in January 2027, just six months away. Can he figure out why in time to stop it?


Just like his mom, Adam sees the dates that people are going to die. When he notices that large numbers of people are going to die around New Years, he sets out to figure out what is going to happen and tries to warn people of the impending doom. Adam resolves to use his "gift" to change the future and strives to do the right thing.

Adam's story is interwoven with Sarah's, a damaged girl who also has visions of the future and wants to understand what they mean. Both share an emotional connection and are haunted by their respective visions. Alternating the narration between the two characters takes readers on an emotional roller coaster. Adam and Sarah are well-drawn, multidimensional characters with distinctive voices and are characters that you care about and root for.


The action and engaging premise will intrigue readers and keep them turning the pages. The pacing is perfect, the plot is strong, and the characters are genuine. Just like in "Num8ers," the worldbuilding is done with such detail that you feel an immediate connection to the story.

Another sequel that does not disappoint! A MUST read!

Review: The Last Little Blue Envelope (Johnson)

Title: The Last Little Blue Envelope

Author: Johnson

Genre: Fiction, Travel, Letters, Grief

Pages: 304

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars!

First of all, if you have not read "13 Little Blue Envelopes," I must ask you to stop reading this review, get to your nearest library/bookstore and get a copy (should be in paperback), and READ it! When I read it years ago, it completely moved me! I still want to be Ginny, or at least have someone in my life that will send me on such a journey. I continue to plot how I will do this for my kids some day. I cannot say enough about how much I LOVE this book and continue to recommend it to my students, and my grown-up friends as well. Any friend of mine that has read "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" (Brashares), is required to read "13 Little Blue Envelopes" in order to continue being my friend (just kidding...or am I?).

And now Maureen Johnson has written the sequel and we finally get to find out what happened to the last blue envelope that Ginny received from her aunt. When envelope #13 was stolen at the end of the first book, Ginny was left wondering how the journey was supposed to end. Now, a mysterious stranger in the UK contacts Ginny claiming to have found the missing letter. What adventure will it lead her on this time?

This sequel did not disappoint. The writing was distinctive and on the mark. Whether we are hearing the story from Ginny, or reading her aunt's letter, we feel as if we are there and are immediately drawn into Ginny's quest. The setting is well drawn, and the imagery evoked is memorable (at one point Ginny and her friends are staying in a youth hostel/cat shelter. Completely crazy, but you can totally picture what it looks like).

The characters are unique, the dialog between them is perfect, and everyone feels just like friends you would want to meet on such a journey. Even though Aunt Peg exists only in letters, she is a fully developed character and her letter/asides add so much to the story. You will continue to root for Ginny to complete her mission and find love, happiness, and closure.

Without a doubt, this is a MUST read!

Reading Challenge Update!

Just a quick update on my progress (because I'm actually making some)...

5/16/11 Total:

48 Books in 40 Days:
Yesterday, I finished 3 books..."The Running Dream" (Van Draanen), "The False Princess" (O'Neal), and "Exposed" (Marcus). I truly enjoyed all three, for vastly different reasons. But I have to admit that "The Running Dream" is my favorite of the three and likely rates a 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. I'm completely in love with it!

5/17/11 New Total:

45 Books in 39 days!


Currently reading:
"The Queen of Water" (Resau), and praying that no new nominations come in!
 

Tuesday Top 10

This week's post pays tribute to YALSA's Teens’ Top Ten, a “teen choice” list, where teens nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year. Nominators are members of teen book groups in fifteen school and public libraries around the country. This year's nominations were recently posted (see the above link for titles/annotations) and teens have the opportunity to read any or all of these books over the summer before voting for their favorite at the end of August.

There are some great books nominated for this year's Teens' Top Ten...I'm not sure that I could narrow down my favorites, and there are still a few that I have not read. I decided to look at Evergreen Junior High's "Top 10" to see just how our students compared with teens across the country. (Our library catalog tracks the Top 10 books at any given time based on some strange formula I have never quite figured out, but appears to factor in number of copies and number of checkouts, but not number of holds/requests).

Three books from 2009's Teens' Top Ten list have spent much time in our own Top 10 recently, including our current #1 book "The Hunger Games." Not a surprise that students here or around the country would vote for this book. "The Hunger Games" was recently named Washington State's Evergreen Young Adult Book Award winner this year, and it dominated our school's voting as well, garnering over 62% of EJH's votes! It still resides in the number one place on our Top 10 likely due to the continued hype about the upcoming movie. (With all that being said, I still cannot convince my 8th grade son to read it...makes me crazy not having anyone in the family to talk about the series with! Who is going to see the movie with me???)

Two other books from the 2009 list have been in and out of our Top 10 during the past few months: "The Graveyard Book" (Gaiman) and "Graceling" (Cashore). Both of these are due to the fact that they were also nominated for this year's  Evergreen Young Adult Book Award. Though neither book garnered enough votes to beat out "The Hunger Games" (and really, what could?), both have seen an increase in readership since the voting took place. I attribute this to students encouraging friends, families, and teachers to read them...how exciting when students promote the books they love!

Several books from the 2010 Top Ten list have also spent time on our Top 10 recently. "Catching Fire" (Collins), for obvious reasons. "Wintergirls" (Anderson) is always a popular choice with our 8th graders when they do the "Survival" unit (recently completed). And I'd like to attribute the popularity of "Heist Society" (Carter) to the fact that I love it so much and booktalk it often. Does this mean that the students actually listen to what I say? I will keep thinking that I do influence their reading habits, while also noting I'm sure it has a lot to do with the book itself and the amazing Ally Carter. We are looking forward to the sequel this summer!

On a side note, one of the authors from the 2010 list, Sarah Dessen (for "Along for the Ride"),  is wildly popular with my 8th grade girls (and since it's spring, my 7th graders are starting to discover her). Though her individual titles typically don't crack our Top 10, if the system could track Top 10 authors, she would be in the Top 5 without question. All of our copies of all of her books are ALWAYS checked out.
So what is popular right now with your teens?

So Many Books, So Little Time...A New Reading Challenge

Much to the surprise of many of you, I'm sure, I have NOT dropped off the face of the earth. Between state-mandated classroom-based assessments and testing, my days are a whirlwind of "excitement." Luckily, the last of our CBAs (as we lovingly call them in Washington) are completed, and testing should be done this week (fingers crossed).

Please don't think that I haven't been reading! I haven't let you down completely, I've just been too busy/exhausted/trying to be a mom to blog about all the great books that I've discovered recently. AAAH! I promise to remedy that starting now!


There are about 40 days until my Best Fiction for Young Adults (BFYA) committee meeting, at ALA's Annual Conference in June. So far, there are 74 books nominated for BFYA, which we will be discussing at this meeting...meaning I have to read these books before we discuss them. I have just tallied the "read" vs "not read" and it appears that I have...drumroll please...48 books to read in 40 days! Good Lord! And that's assuming that no more books get nominated before nominations close on May 29th. Hmmm...this does not bode well.


In my defense, about 10 of these books JUST arrived on my doorstep over the weekend, so there is no way I could have read them yet. And there are another 5-10 that I still do not have, so I'm not feeling completely lazy. However, you can clearly see what I'll be doing for the next month and a half. I will attempt to keep you updated on my reading each day. Can I make it? 


40 Days, 48 Books
Currently reading:Half-way through 2 of the 48 titles, and I expect to complete both today! "Running Dream" by Van Draanen (which I already LOVE), and "The False Princess" by O'Neal (also really like, and I did not expect to).

Do you want to participate? Follow the BFYA link above to the list of nominated titles (only updated through April 1 right now, but will include all of them soon). Have you read any? What did you think? Want to read some? Let me know which ones you choose and which ones you enjoyed most. I'd LOVE to have your feedback!

Sarah Dessen talks about her NEW book!

Sarah Dessen fans take note! The author's new book, "Whatever Happened to Goodbye," will hit bookstore (and library) shelves on May 10th. While you are waiting, here is an interview with Ms. Dessen where she talks about this latest title.

By the way, I've read an advance copy of the book and LOVED it. You will not be disappointed...stay tuned for my review.

Lord of the Rings Fans!

I know that we have many Lord of the Rings fans at EJH.

Here is a treat for you for the weekend...the first video "sneak peek" of the new "Hobbit" movie. Director Peter Jackson's first video entry about the making of the new movie. Check it out!

Review: Blank Confession (Hautman)

Title: Blank Confession
Author: Hautman
Genre: Fiction, Mysteries, Murder, Bullying
Pages: 170
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars


Last summer, I went through a stretch where I didn't read anything that rated higher than 3 stars, and those were the good ones. However, this past month, I am apparently making up for that. Everything that I've read rates 3, 4, and 5 stars!


"Blank Confession" opens when Shayne Blank walks into the local police station and confesses to a murder. Shayne is the new kid in town, and he's not talking about his background. But he is talking about the murder, and has no problem telling the detective the story that led up to the killing.


Even though Shayne is the one confessing, the story alternates between two unlikely narrators: the detective listening to the confession, and Mikey, a kid that Shayne befriended to protect him from a bully. For me it is unusual that Shayne is the one confessing, but he is not the narrator of the story. Mikey and Shayne have only been friends for a short time when the story takes place. But when Mikey comes under attack by a drug-dealing bully, Shayne jumps in to rescue him and unfortunately makes matters worse. Both boys attempt to right the wrongs they see. The narrators parcel out the story, and through it we see the quick development of the boys' friendship, and the growth that Mikey makes.


We never really know quite what to make of Shayne, and that is an intential part of the mystery. It is not a mystery that someone is killed; the mystery is who ends up dead. Hautman weaves a compelling story that will keep readers turning the pages. Just when you think you have it all figured out, you realize that you could be wrong when another bad guy is introduced. It will keep you guessing until the end.


Because there are some elements introduced in the book that are not quite "junior high appropriate," this is definitely a book for high school and up. However, fans of Hautman will not be disappointed. Likewise, if you like gritty, fast-paced, whodunits, this is a first-rate choice!

Review: Gossip From the Girls' Room: a blogtastic! novel (Cooper)

Title: Gossip from the Girls' Room: a blogtastic! novel
Author: Cooper
Genre: Fiction, Middle School, Friendship, Popularity, Gossip, Blogs
Pages: 256
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Sixth-grader Sophia just wants to be one of the popular students at Middlebrooke Middle School.  Unfortunately, her plans to accomplish this have not met with success.  Sophia and her BFF Nona did not end up in “super fun” elective classes where they could talk to cool kids. The after school activities they tried did not make them popular, just sweaty.  To make matters worse, Sophia’s mom ends up as a substitute teacher at the school. 
Now Sophia is determined to use her anonymous school blog to post gossip about the popular kids in hopes that at least her blog will be popular.  Things go awry when she posts something private about Nona, and she discovers that maybe the popular girl she is trying to bring down isn’t so bad after all. 

To be honest, when I was sent this book to review, my first reaction was, "Oh no, a girly book, with pink on the cover." But I was immediately drawn to Sophia's humorous voice, and her description of the perils of middle school. Written as a journal with illustrations and asides, this humorous take on trying to fit in in middle school will find wide appeal.  Hand this to girl fans of "Diary of Wimpy Kid," who will soon be looking forward to Sophia’s next adventure. I am one of those fans who can't wait to read more!