Entries categorized as ‘Teen Fiction’
Today’s post is from Cecily at Haggard Library:
Candor by Pam Bachorz
Oscar Banks is superior person. Oscar Banks is a model citizen. He always obeys his parents, shows respectful space in every place, and knows that the great are never late. Or at least that’s what the messages tell him. Oscar lives in Candor, Florida – a pristine community where subliminal messages make sure that all the teenagers wear clean polo shirts and can’t stand the sight of graffiti.
But Oscar has learned to resist the brainwashing by creating his own subliminal programming, and he knows just how to maintain his “perfect” facade so no one will suspect. Even better, he provides his anti-brainwashing skills to the richest of the new kids and helps them escape before their minds are erased. He has the best of both worlds. That is, until Nia moves in across the street. She is beautiful and rebellious and loveable, and Oscar can’t stand to watch the brainwashing erase her like all the other teens that move to Candor. How far will Oscar go and what will he risk to keep Nia’s mind intact?
Candor is a suspenseful and scary look at the possibilities of brainwashing and having parents who are a little too in control. The end of the story is a little abrupt and rather sad, but it is a great, edge-of-your-seat story of sacrifice for the one you love, and the expression of free will on a whole new level.
Categories: Staff Favorites · Teen Fiction
Tagged: brainwashing, Pam Bachorz, subliminal programming
Today’s post is from Erik at Schimelpfenig Library:
A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny
Since Halloween is nigh upon us I thought I would write about my personal favorite Halloween story. A Night in the Lonesome October may not be everyone’s cup of tea, which kind of describes most of author Roger Zelazny’s work, but I really like this particular effort.
Briefly, the story is told from the point of view of Snuff, canine familiar to Jack. Snuff, Jack and several other recognizable literary and historical figures all work to either open or keep closed a gate that would allow the “Great Old Ones” access to our world. Even Sherlock Holmes comes by to lend a hand which is always a high point for me in any book.
The story is great and the characters are fun and well-developed, it’s a little creepy but not gory in the extreme, it’s wonderfully illustrated by Gahan Wilson; it’s a perfect Halloween story! So you might be asking yourself why this wouldn’t be my cup of tea it seems to have it all! Well, it’s Zelazny; and Zelazny wouldn’t be Zelazny if he didn’t get a little off track at some point. Still, this is easily one of his more accessible novels and there are those who firmly believe Zelazny totally hung the science-fiction/fantasy moon so he is definitely worth a shot. A Night in the Lonesome October isn’t perfect but it is a great read, sets a wonderful holiday mood and serves as a good “gateway” book into one of the true masters of Science-fiction/ fantasy.
Categories: Adult Fiction · Staff Favorites · Teen Fiction · Uncategorized
September 14, 2009 · 2 Comments
Today’s post is from Erik at Schimelpfenig Library:
Gilda Joyce, Psychic Investigator by Jennifer Allison
There seem to be several series lately that feature plucky young girls who try their luck at solving mysteries; the Gilda Joyce series has become one of my favorites and I look forward to new ones when they come out. Psychic Investigator is the first and lays the groundwork for Gilda’s story. After her father’s death two years aearlier, thirteen year old Gilda is convinced she has gained psychic abilities and decided “psychic investigator” is the career for her. So she does what any girl would do; she invites herself to her spooky Uncle’s house for a summer visit to track down the ghost of her Aunt who committed suicide.
This story is good and the subsequent stories seem to just get better. Gilda is full of energy and resourcefullness as well as bearing a deep sense of grief over the loss of her father; whose typewriter she uses to compose letters to him and ask for advice. This may sound maudlin but thats far from the case. The stories are light, funny, whimsical and sometimes a little over the top but Gilda is such an engaging character it seems just fine.
These books are perfect for fans of Harriet the Spy or just anyone looking for a good middle-school book. AND, if you want something a little meatier when you are done I would suggest Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams, it’s not quite as light but a very good mystery and an equally enjoyable heroine. There you go internet people, two good books (and both of them series at that!) in one post! SHA-BAM!!
Categories: Children's Fiction · Staff Favorites · Teen Fiction · Uncategorized
Today’s post is from Erik at Schimelpfenig Library:
The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer
I think I’ve mentioned before that I am a big Sherlock Holmes fan. This fandom extends to off-shoot and derivative Sherlock Holmes as well. Things like Sherlock as a teen, Sherlock as a dottering bee-keeper, Sherlock as a dog…you get the idea. There are a lot of them around to choose from, thankfully, and among the best are the Enola Holmes series by Nancy Springer. No, it’s not the adventures of Sherlock as a teenage girl, rather it is the adventures of Sherlock’s heretofore unknown younger sister. Since the fifth book in the series, The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline, is on the shelves now I feel it’s a good time to enlighten you about the first installment, The Case of the Missing Marquess.
On her fourteenth birthday, Enola’s mother disappears without a trace. This prompts a visit from Sherlock and his older brother Mycroft who decide, much against her will, that Enola should go to boarding school. This rails against Enola’s rather free-spirited upbringing, so she runs off to London to find her mother. Along the way and quite plausibly but unsurprisingl, Enola falls into the same profession as her famous older brother.
The stories add much to the characters of Sherlock and Mycroft, but the true heroine is Enola. Constantly faced with the conventional restrictions that come with Victorian womanhood, she strives to carve an identity (several of them, actually) for herself while still desperately longing for her mother and for acceptance from her brothers.
The books are pretty quick reads and have a Snicket-like predilection toward alliterative titles but it doesn’t seem as annoying here. I would highly suggest them to any teen or adult who wants a good story with good characters and a clever, spunky heroine to root for.
Categories: Teen Fiction
Today’s post is from Carole at Haggard Library:
The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had by Kristin Levine
Harry “Dit” Sims and Emma Walker become good friends when Emma moves to Dit’s town, Moundsville, Alabama, in 1917. The twelve-year-olds are an unlikely pair. Dit is one of ten children and he has always lived in Moundsville. He likes baseball, fishing, hunting, swimming and cars. Emma is an only child who loves to read and is an excellent student. Her father is the new postmaster and her mother is a nurse. They have just arrived from Boston. Dit’s family is white and Emma’s family is black.
Their friendship grows slowly over the summer as Dit shows Emma all the fun things he liked to do. He teaches her to skip stones on the water, play baseball, and to dog paddle. In the fall, she helps Dit with his school work, even though they attend different schools.
In spite of racial tensions and incidents caused by some townspeople, life is generally good for Dit and Emma, who accomplish a lot and learn a lot in the year they are neighbors and friends.
This young adult novel is a sweet story which models admirable values.
Categories: Staff Favorites · Teen Fiction
Today’s post is from Cecily at Haggard Library:
The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks
Vampires in books are usually very suave, dangerous, sophisticated, and sexy. Think about everything from Twilight and Interview With a Vampire, back to the original Dracula. With all that in mind, you could say that 15-year-old Nina (or 51-year-old, depending on how you look at it) is not quite the vampire you’d expect. Her skin is more gray than white, she’s weak, sickly and prone to bouts of nausea, and survives by “fanging” guinea pigs. Yum. Her least favorite thing about being a vampire is her Tuesday night support group, where she has to sit around with a bunch of other sickly, whiny, loser vampires and talk about her feelings. But when one of the group members is staked, the rest of them fear a slayer is on their trail. Tired of being a wimp, Nina decides to be proactive and find the killer before he finds her. In the process, she might get to finally grow up a little bit.
Nina’s descriptions of her awkward, boring, gross vampire life are funny and the comedic cast of supporting characters makes for an unpredictable plot. This is a refreshing and entertaining take on the life of a classic literary monster.
Categories: Staff Favorites · Teen Fiction
Today’s post is from Connie at Haggard Library:
Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork
Marcelo Sandoval is 17 and on the high-functioning end of the autistic spectrum. He listens to an “inner music” that he refers to as IM. Marcelo has led a very sheltered life attending a private special education school. The summer before his senior year, his father, who is a partner in a prominent law firm, decides that Marcelo needs to become part of the “real world” and face real-life challenges. So he challenges Marcelo to spend a summer working in the mail room at the law office. If Marcelo doesn’t agree to the arrangement, or if he doesn’t fulfill the job’s requirements, he must attend the public high school for his senior year, instead of remaining at the private school he loves.
I immediately became absorbed into Marcelo’s world as this first-person narrative drew me into Marcelo’s conscious thoughts and feelings. He is catapulted from his sheltered existence, free from the complications of duplicity, competition and selfish intent, into a world where he has to learn how to interpret other people’s feelings and motives, not to mention his own.
Many reviewers compare this to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon. Personally, I prefer Marcelo. This novel is listed for grades 8 and up in the reviews. I could see this for high school and above, as adults would definitely enjoy it as well.
Categories: Adult Fiction · Staff Favorites · Teen Fiction
Today’s post is from Cecily at Haggard:
The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester
Only child Piper McCloud, hasn’t left her parents’ farm much in all of her young years - they’re afraid that her unusual “deformity” might cause problems and invite questions. Trips to the market and to church are the only chances she has to see other people, but even at home she is told to hide how unusual she is, how different. How not-right. Piper McCloud can fly.
When Piper’s ability is exposed and people start to ask questions, Piper is contacted by the beautiful and confident Dr. Hellion who extends Piper an irresistable invitation to attend a special institute for gifted children like her. Deep underneath the snow of the polar region, Piper finds a world of unusal creatures – such as a rose with teeth and a glowing silver giraffe - and a few other talented kids. Among them are those who are super strong, super fast, super smart, and can control the weather. But, as it usually happens in these stories, the institute is not the wonderland it first appears to be, and Piper has to decide what flying really means to her.
Piper brings a country girl’s charm to the excitement and danger of a scifi world and makes this a real page-turner.
Categories: Children's Fiction · Staff Favorites · Teen Fiction
Today’s post is from Erik at Schimelpfenig Library:
I remember the sixth grade very well. I remember how my idea of what was cool somehow didn’t jive with the more widely accepted definition. I got my first pair of glasses in the sixth grade and to this day I wonder if seeing was worth enduring the future “joys” of junior high and high school. You see, unbeknownst to me when I got them, the glasses I picked had
Superman’s logo on the earpiece. I was just thrilled thinking what actually seeing the chalkboard was going to do for my grades. So there I was walking the halls trying to figure out who all the other kids were talking about when I heard them singing the
Superman theme or asking me where my cape was. And so it went…for six more years. The upshot of all this being that after years of hallway incidents, I am completely unable to be tripped by a human being; low-hanging tree branches however still pose a significant threat since I have never learned not to read and walk at the same time. Oh yeah, and I am totally able to accept criticism, so fire away with the comments!
All of which brings us to today’s post. I don’t know if you, or possibly your kids, have gone through any similar experiences to those of Greg Heffley but take it from those of us that have; the book hits a home-run and I would recommend it to child and parent alike. Sequels are coming fast and furious and I hear tell there is even a movie on the horizon for next year so jump on board with the rest of us
nerds,
geeks and
wimps and enjoy the ride.
And hey, if you happen to catch me in the hallways, I’ll be happy to tell you my own junior high talent show experience. Let’s just say it falls slightly short of
Susan Boyle’s.
Categories: Children's Fiction · Graphic Literature · Staff Favorites · Teen Fiction
