The Class of 2k7 Wants to Share our Reviews
The reviews have been pouring in for books written by Class of 2k7 members and they’re terrific. We’d like to share some of the highlights with you!
Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend by Carrie Jones
“Tips explores the broader ramifications of homophobia and closetedness without resorting to stereotypes and if it finds its way into the hands of more teens, LGBT and not, that will be a good thing for all families. Jones has a knack for storytelling, an ear for unadorned dialogue, and a respect for the ups and downs of adolescent life. Although much of the book is about the characters working through layers of deception and hurt, Jones manages to imbue it with humor.” — Dana Rudolph, Bay Windows
Big Slick by Eric Luper
“Poker’s darker forces appear in equally blemished, overlapping adult and teen worlds that feature ugly strains of violence, addiction and personal compromise. Luper’s authentic first-person narrative captures teen frustrations, feelings of confinement and the mottled world of poker… powerful momentum, upping the ante and racing the reader’s pulse like an amphetamine.” — Kirkus Reviews
The Swan Maiden by Heather Tomlinson
“Inspired by little-known French fairy tales, this novel has a light and enchanting quality to which readers of retold fairy tales will be drawn. Doucette’s struggles and dreams will resonate with teenage girls who are trying to find their place in the world.” — Voice of Youth Advocates
“… a romantic, fairy-tale novel steeped in the folk traditions of France… This is an entertaining novel which will be enjoyed by fans of Gail Carson Levine’s Ella Enchanted and Shannon Hale’s The Goose Girl.” — Susan Fichtelberg, author of Encountering Enchantment A Guide to Speculative Fiction for Teens
“Inspired by French fairy tales, Tomlinson’s first novel takes the motif of the “swan maiden”—a beautiful young woman who can assume the form of a swan—and embroiders it into an elaborate romantic fantasy.” — Publisher’s Weekly
“… the atmosphere and gratifying last chapter will please fans of romance and ambiance.” -– Kirkus Reviews
Bad Girls Club by Judy Gregerson
“I can’t say enough good things about this book. I hope every school and public library buys multiple copies of this book to have on hand. It’s a huge contribution to the young adult literary world.” — Book of the Moment – reviewer who works with abused and neglected kids
“…it (Bad Girls Club) would find an audience with teens in need or those who enjoy dystopian literature. It is recommended for large collections or those with a focus on teens in crisis.” -– Voya
“Gregerson kept me in her clutches with her true to life description of what it is like to live in a totally dysfunctional family due to mental illness. It brought to light the sadness and dangers children of the mentally ill face each and every day. What a powerful book she has written. I cannot get this book out of my mind.” -– Kathy Spielman, Sr. Library Media Technician, Yorba Linda, California
“The kids (even my reluctant reader GUYS) loved it. A couple of the die hard Dave Pelzer fans said Bad Girls Club was ‘better than A Child Called It’.” -– Leigh, 12th Grade English Teacher, Maine
Bad Girls Club added to the 2007 Best Books List by Teri S. Lesesne (Professornana)
No Castles Here by A. C. E. Bauer
“Bauer balances tone and content beautifully in this superb debut… Complex characters and an infinitely readable text make this one of the strongest titles of the year.” -– Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Bauer’s a first time author, but you’d never know it from reading this book. This story is the perfect balance of magic and realism. The characters stick with you, the message isn’t messagey (a good thing, in my eyes), and the first page is suitably gripping. A book kids would actually enjoy reading.” –- Betsy Bird, A Fuse #8 Production (a School Library Journal blog), listing No Castles Here among her pick of Newbery contenders
“A successful mingling of genres and a testament to the powerful truths in timeless tales.” -– School Library Journal
Before, After, and Somebody in Between by Jeannine Garsee
Before, After, and Somebody in Between has been named a Borders Original Voice for August 2007. The book is also being used by Rollie Welch, YA librarian at the Cleveland Public Library, in his book discussion group for incarcerated teenagers at the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center.
“An hour into her first day of tenth grade, Martha knows she’s in trouble: the school bully has threatened her life and her home life is in shambles. She wants to play cello—but even music is dangerous, until a wealthy lawyer provides a possible key to moving away from her dangerous life. A poignant story of a girl’s struggle to be some[body and to] escape danger evolves in a complex plot highly recommended for older teens.” -– Midwest Book Reviews
“There isn’t much that doesn’t happen to Martha Kowalski, the 14-year-old protagonist in Garsee’s down and dirty debut… Garsee’s unwillingness to tie things up neatly lends the story realism and poignancy.” -– Publisher’s Weekly Annex
“Fans of Mary Pearson’s A Room on Lorelei Street (2005) will be a good target for Garsee’s look at another troubled teen trying to escape her horrible circumstances… Teens will inevitably find Martha a compelling character and will root for her as she adapts to new challenges and a new name to fit her new environment. Readers are left with hope that Martha will always find her way.” -– Booklist
My Last Best Friend by Julie Bowe
“My Last Best Friend is a delightful and heartbreaking look at the struggles of friendship, the pains along life’s journey, and the ability to bounce back and find light in what may otherwise appear to be an utterly dismal experience. Full of humor and the lessons of life this is certainly a book that many girls will relate to and enjoy.” -– Regan Windsor for Curled Up With a Good Kid’s Book
“Ms. Bowe has captured some of the social struggle associated with late elementary school and has created a character with whom young readers can empathize; the result is a humorous tale that will have the reader wanting more when it ends.” –- The Catholic Review
”[My Last Best Friend] is about [a] girl whose best friend moves away. The girl, Ida May, promises never to have a best friend again. But then a new girl named Stacey moves in and she’s really nice. Ida leaves secret friendly notes for her and sees if Stacey can figure out who she is. It’s really good.” -– Maddy for KidPub.com
“Bowe successfully creates a wry, sweet, proud protagonist in Ida May, whose struggle to leave the security of childhood things behind and make new friends hits all the right emotional notes. Comedy and important growing-up issues, like handling bullies and telling the truth, meld in a strong debut, just right for the age group.” -– Booklist
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
“Melissa Marr adds elegantly to the sub-genre of Urban Faery with this enticing, well-researched fantasy for teens.” -– Annette Curtis Klause
“Enjoyably sultry.” -– Kirkus Reviews
“The unusual combination of past legends and modern-day life gives a unique twist to this ‘fairy’ tale.” -– School Library Journal
Chess Rumble by G. Neri
“‘Battles is fought every day’ in 11-year-old Marcus’s ‘hood. Not only has his father abandoned the family, but his sister has recently died, leaving him frustrated, angry and ready to fight—even with his worried, red-eyed mother and his younger twin brothers. Just as his volatility starts to get him into real trouble, Marcus meets a Yoda-like chess master and ex-con in the school library who challenges him to a game of chess. At first, Marcus’s ‘opening move’ is to hurl the chessboard groundward, but in time, he learns to master the game—and his temper. Marcus tells his story in street slang, in a conversational first-person voice… The acrylic black-and-white illustrations are particularly effective at capturing natural expressions and the concrete-gray inner-cityscape.” -– Kirkus Reviews
Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell
Book Sense Pick for Fall 2007
“A witty coming-of-age adventure.” -– Kirkus Reviews
“Take a traveler as reluctant as Anne Tyler’s accidental tourist and add the number of misadventures found in The Out-of-Towners, and you have the recipe for Cornwell’s hilarious, adventure-packed first novel.” –- Publishers Weekly
“Anyone who has lost their luggage; felt their well-planned day, trip, or life slip through their fingers; or made a list of goals will laugh aloud and love this book.” –- Book Sense
“… this first novel has its amusements and diversions, including Vassar’s share of romance with a self-styled Malaysian ‘cowboy.’ The best part, however, is the vividly realized setting. Cornwell has obviously been there and done that, and her novel is much the richer—and funnier—for it.” –- Booklist
One of Publishers Weekly’s “Children’s Galleys to Grab” for Fall 2007
Lessons from a Dead Girl by Jo Knowles
“This book is beautifully written… Knowles doesn’t just give us a look at the secret and troubled lives of children, and how that haunts the adults they become. She also gives us forgiveness and understanding. This could easily have gone the after school special route of making Leah eeeviiiillll. But; she isn’t. She is a broken child. And by the end, the reader weeps for both Leah and Laine.” –- Liz Burns, A Chair, A Fireplace And A Tea Cozy
“Spare and evocative prose weaves the story of Leah and Lainey’s turbulent and abusive friendship… Clearly and concisely written, Knowles’s provoking exploration of children abusing children portrays the tense and finely crafted dynamics between the two girls. Lainey’s character is extremely well-developed showing her metamorphosis from hypercritical and withdrawn to self-realized with a focused and knowing clarity. A razor-sharp examination of friendship, abuse and secrets.” -– Kirkus Reviews
“… a powerful book that doesn’t shy away from difficult topics… I think that Lessons from a Dead Girl would make a great discussion book for high school students, especially those who have been, or might be, bullied or abused… Knowles tackles questions about friendship, sexual orientation, and standing up for oneself in abusive situations… Even though the details of this particular story are fairly dramatic, the friend to friend dynamics are, no doubt, played out in middle schools and high schools every day. Jo Knowles has captured this phenomenon brilliantly.” –- Jen Robinson, Jen Robinson’s Book Page
Into the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst
“Into the Wild is a creative romp through the fairy tale genre, highlighting the strength of the female characters whose stories we all know so well.” –- Kliatt
“Durst takes readers on a grand adventure involving candy houses and ogres, providing plenty of opportunities to watch for favorite fairy-tale characters and chances to spy traditional story traps before Julie becomes caught up in them… Julie’s imaginative quest and the presence of some mainstream names (Cinderella, Snow White) will [keep young readers’] attention and, perhaps, send them back to the shelves in search of additional stories, or those they may have forgotten they knew and loved once upon a time.” -– Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“There have been many fairy tale related books lately, but don’t overlook this one. The personalities of the characters are fresh and fun and the story is original… Into the Wild is fast moving and fun as the characters pull together to defeat the Wild while trying not to get trapped in any of its stories.” –- Alyson Del Vecchio, Baker & Taylor’s CATS Meow Newsletter
Head Case by Sarah Aronson
“It will make a strong impression on readers with its raw emotion and bitter narrative tone.” -– Booklist
“Aronson’s raw first novel delves into the emotions, mobility, daily functions (e.g., eating, talking on a phone and using a computer) and even the pleasures and sex of quadriplegics. Above all, it asks us to consider how we value individuals with disabilities.” -– Kirkus Reviews
“First time novelist Sarah Aronson’s take on a situation that most people would consider nightmarish manages to not only be hopeful, but also full of humor and the strength of the human spirit.” -– Reading Rants
“Head Case was a really, really good book. 9 out of 10.” –- Flamingnet Book Review
“A scary, thought-provoking glimpse at life without control.” -– Teens Read Too
This Is What I Did: by Ann Dee Ellis
“Part staccato prose, part transcript, this haunting first novel will grip readers right from the start… In relaying the action chiefly through Logan’s terse observations and through script-like reproductions of dialogue, Ellis never veers from Logan’s point of view. In this way, she infuses the narrative with his guilt over what happened, the details of which are revealed only in a climactic finale.” -– Publisher’s Weekly
“This powerful novel about abuse and anger, guilt and betrayal, does not so much unfold as it does circle around the traumatic event at its center in an ever tightening spiral… The book captures the harsh realities of schools as complex societies, where students must learn at least as much about social interaction as about academic subjects. Though written for a younger audience, it bears comparison with such novels of betrayal as Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner.” –- Children’s Literature
“Told mainly in dialog, with handwritten notes (about palindromes) interspersed, this is a valuable if disturbing story of a boy finally finding the courage to speak up and take action.” – Kliatt
Me and the Pumpkin Queen by Marlane Kennedy
“This marvelously heartwarming story deserves a big blue ribbon” -– BookPage
“… fleshed out with characters the reader will both understand and fall in love with. Mildred is a very appealing, very real eleven year old… This is a refreshing and uplifting story that will have wide appeal for middle grade readers.” -– Children’s Literature
“Kennedy’s straightforward narrative is as solid and unadorned as a pumpkin, yet lovely in its own way.” -– Booklist
“The author combines the art and science of horticulture with a gentle family story, a feel for a child in mourning, and just the right amount of humor and tension…” — School Library Journal
Brendan Buckley’s Universe & Everything In It by Sundee T. Frazier
“This is an absorbing look at a 10-year-old boy who has never had to deal with race and prejudice, who collides into years of anger and hurt in his family and must create a new identity for himself… Frazier writes affectingly about what being biracial means in 21st-century America.” -– School Library Journal
“Brendan is an appealing character with a sense of honor, … curiosity and intelligence. A good, accessible selection for inspiring discussion of racism and prejudice.” –- Kirkus Reviews
“This book portrays real feelings of a real bi-racial kid growing up in today’s society. It’s also just a fun read for kids—especially boys—interested in science (especially geology) and Tae Kwon Do.” –- Bill’s Best Books, ALAN (The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents)
Beauty Shop for Rent by Laura Bowers
“… Each character emerges as a distinct personality, but it is Abbey, with her fierce and sassy voice, whom readers will take to their hearts and cheer when she finally confronts her mother. The book has a strong sense of place, which local readers will recognize immediately as the state of Maryland. Well-drawn details include Ocean City during Senior Week, the Frederick Keys minor-league baseball team and a University of Maryland Terrapins sweatshirt.” -– Mary Quattlebaum, Washington Parent
The Penguins of Doom by Greg R. Fishbone
“Thoroughly silly and campy!” —Kirkus Reviews
“A fun romp that will appeal to boys and girls of all ages, nine and up!” —Jen Robinson’s Book Page
“Septina Nash is smart, sassy, and has a delightfully refreshing attitude.” —Wands and Worlds