Beach Books The BHS Library

The Arts	By the Numbers	Fantasy	History	Interesting People
Student Picks	2005 Surf the Pages This Summer the For-Fun Summer Reading Picks of the BHS Library			Mystery & Adventure
Other Cultures	Science Fiction	Short Stories & Poetry	Struggles & Hopes	Science/ Non-Fiction

Books are award winners or well reviewed in book review sources listed at end of Summer Reading List. Codes are listed within source list. Click here for list of sources used. ~ J. B. Johnsen-Seeberger, Librarian

Firmament
By Tim Bowler

While struggling to cope with the death of his father, a gifted musician, fourteen-year-old Luke must deal with a dangerous bully, a lonely old woman, a blind young girl, his mother's romantic involvement, and his own musical talent. "This is a captivating story of a young man caught up in events beyond his control, which he makes worse with wrong choices. Luke's father died two years ago, now his mom is dating again, and Luke has also begun hanging out with a local gang seeking a sense of belonging. Luke also hears sounds that others cannot hear. His dad's profound musical talent is not all Luke has inherited, it seems." (SLJ,BC,BL,H,VOYA,LMC)

Threads : my life behind the seams in the high-stakes world of fashion
By Joseph Abboud

Fashion designer Joseph Abboud tells his life story, describing his childhood in Boston and his rise to the top of the menswear world, and explains how a piece of clothing goes from the mind's eye of the designer to the department store."A lively, confident memoir seriously explores the realities of the fashion industry, leavening its nuts-and-bolts acumen with personal warmth and just enough of the trade's time-tested potshots." (BL,K)

M.C. Escher : visions of symmetry
By Doris Schattschneider
Describes the artwork of M. C. Escher, and especially the mathematics behind his interlocking natural forms and continuous patterns, analyzes his notebooks, and includes 438 illustrations. (C)

I never loved a man the way I love you : Aretha Franklin, respect, and the making of a soul music masterpiece
By Matt Dobkin

Presents an account of the making of "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You," the first album Aretha Franklin recorded for Atlantic Records and producer Jerry Wexler, and the record credited with rocketing her to stardom, sharing details about the recording sessions, the backup musicians, and the fight that almost derailed the project." Dobkin exuberantly relates Franklin's earlier life, other involvements, and the civil rights impact, for women as well as blacks, of the album's biggest hit, "Respect." A standout in the current crowd of classic-album histories." (LJ,BL)

The Arts

On food and cooking : the science and lore of the kitchen
By Harold McGee

Describes the scientific processes that occur while food cooks or bakes and describes changes in foods, diets, and cooking techniques throughout history, arranged by food type. A long-awaited revision of his classic On Food and Cooking.
"To McGee, learning about the chemistry of foods encourages cooks to rely less on recipes and more on their own understanding of what happens to food in the skillet or the freezer. Ultimately, he believes, cooks become more confident and creative."(JL,BL,NYT)

Attitude! : eight young dancers come of age at the Ailey School
By Katharine Davis Fishman

Follows eight young male and female dancers over the course of a year at New York's Ailey School, examining the nature of talent, the passion required to succeed in the dance world, and the ways the coming-of-age process experienced by teenagers whose lives revolve around a talent differs from that of "normal" teens. " The Oprah Winfrey Foundation $1 million toward scholarships at the Ailey School plus the new Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will ensure high interest." (LJ,BL)

Leonardo da Vinci : flights of the mind
By Charles Nicholl

Examines the life and works of Renaissance painter, inventor, and sculptor, Leonardo da Vinci and studies his childhood in Tuscany, apprenticeship in Florence, relationship with contemporaries Michelangelo and Machiavelli, and the stories behind the creation of his "Mona Lisa" and "The Last Supper." "Nicholl carefully explicates Leonardo's musicality, habit of inquisitiveness, love of technology, and artistic practices and renowned works."(BL,NYT)

Cirque du Soleil : 20 years under the sun : an authorized history
By Tony Babinski ; art direction by Kristian Manchester

Chronicles the twenty-year history of Cirque du Soleil through comments from its founders and creative personnel and over three hundred photos, covering all of its productions. "This gorgeous, well-designed, well-executed book chronicles the history of this phenomenal circus, starting with its precursors--Guy Caron's National Circus School in Montreal and the various creative events staged by Laliberte, et al - following the rise of the circus from its shaky start to its current international prominence."(BL)

Extras:
Planet Simpson: How a cartoon masterpiece documented an era and defined a generation, by Chris Turner, Douglas Coupland
DeKooning: An American master, by Mark Stevens, Annalyn Swan
Shakey, by James McDonough

When least is best : how mathematicians discovered many clever ways to make things as small (or as large) as possible
By Paul J. Nahin
How can a factory manager minimize breakdowns? How can a disoriented hiker reach her car in the least possible time? In answering questions such as these, engineer Nahin delivers maximal mathematical enjoyment with minimal perplexity and boredom. Ingenuity of ancient mathema-ticians is showcased to let readers have the thrill of riding high-school geometry and algebra to breakthrough insights.

Chance : a guide to gambling, love, the stock market & just about everything else
By Amir D. Aczel
A mathematician explains probability for laypeople and shows how to apply it to one's life, covering such topics as love, game strategies, and making decisions under uncertainty. "After the text, there are 22 problems, along with their answers. It is not often that one can recommend a mathematics book as good-quality "light" reading, but this work fits the bill."(LJ,BL,NYT)

Across the board : the mathematics of chessboard problems
By John J. Watkins
Presents the mathematics behind the chessboard, including the Knight's Tour Problem and Queens Domination, for the basic chessboard and variations, such as three-dimensional chessboards, tauruses, and cylinders, and contains problems and solutions. (C, SBF)

By the Numbers

Adam Spencer's Book of Numbers
by Adam Spencer
Presents the hidden patterns, relationships, and bizarre facts visible in numbers one through one hundred and explains mathematical problems that are sometimes confusing and fascinating. (C)

Count down : six kids vie for glory at the world's toughest math competition
By Steve Olson
Follows the six members of the 2001 Mathematical Olympiad team, and portrays them as something other than the stereotypical math student, with many varying interests, and discusses reasons for the lack of girls and the high percentage of Asian students in mathematics. "Thoroughly engaging" reading, this is highly recommended for public libraries and for high school and academic libraries that support math and math education programs." (LJ,SLJ,VOYA)

More damned lies and statistics : how numbers confuse public issues
By Joel Best
Missing numbers -- Confusing numbers -- Scary numbers -- Authoritative numbers -- Contentious numbers -- Toward statistical literacy? Explains why people must use their critical thinking skills when reading statistics, presenting guidance on several kinds of misleading numbers and providing contemporary examples on such topics as teen suicides, school shootings, risk of divorce, and racial profiling. (BL)

The universal book of mathematics : from abracadabra to Zeno's paradoxes
By David J. Darling
The goal of this book is to present "the unusual and the outrageous, the fanciful and the fantastic: a compendium of the mathematics they didn't teach you in school." Selections cover numerous topics one would not expect to find in more academic math dictionaries, like: illusions, classic chess problems, and the 1884 novel Flatland. (BL)

Extras:
Hoyle's rules of games, 2nd ed., by Albert H. Morehead, Geoffrey Mott-Smith, Revised by Philip D. Morehead

The Goose Girl
By Shannon Hale

Princess Anidori, on her way to marry a prince she has never met, is betrayed by her guards and her lady-in-waiting and must become a goose girl to survive until she can reveal her true identity and reclaim the crown that is rightfully hers. "Hale's retelling is a wonderfully rich one, full of eloquent description and lovely imagery, and with a complex plot, a large cast of characters, and a strong female protagonist. Fans of high fantasy will be delighted with this novel, the first in a planned trilogy."(SLJ*,WJH,WSH, NYT,BC,HB,BL,T04)

Clovermead
By David Randall
"A challenging high fantasy for those who can keep straight the many details and forces, and who don't mind a good bit of violence." Clovermead Wickward, daughter of a country innkeeper, learns that her father has been lying about the past and that the truth may be the key to ending the epic battle raging between the followers of Lord Ursus and those of Lady Moon. She dreams of adventure and when a traveling stranger comes to the inn and teaches her sword fighting, her dreams become desires." (SLJ, BL, VOYA, TN05...)

Gifts
By Ursula K. Le Guin

When a young man in the Uplands blinds himself rather than use his gift of "unmaking"--a violent talent shared by members of his family--he upsets the precarious balance of power among rival, feuding families, each of which has a strange and deadly talent of its own. "In the end, Gry and Orrec come to recognize the true nature of their gifts and how best to use them. ...This story is a suspenseful struggle between good and evil, or delve deeper and come away with a better understanding of the choices that all individuals must make if they are to realize their full potential. Good for discussion and contemplation."
(TN05,SLJ,BL*,V, BC,HB)

Dragonology: The Complete Book of Dragons
By Earnest Drake, et al.
This faux nonfiction title carries echoes of James Gurney's Dinotopia (Turner, 1992; o.p.) in that it purports to be the actual writings of English dragonologist Ernest Drake. (SLJ,BB)

Fantasy

L.O.S.T.
By Debbie Tanner Federici &Susan Vaught

Seventeen-year-old Brenden and Jasmina, the Queen of the Witches, do battle against the evil Shadowmaster who plans to destroy everyone on Earth. "This is a quick read with some fantasy, a bit of romance, and a little tragedy."(SLJ,TN05)

The Book of Sorabh, Volume 1: Flame
By Hilari Bell

Three young people, Soraya, Jiaan, and Kavi, find their lives are inextricably linked as their country, Farsala, is drawn into war with the Hrum. "The crisp dialogue, finely tuned characterizations, and vivid descriptions make the people and landscape seem as real as those in any grand historical epic. The inevitable comparison between Rome and Hrum adds to the feeling of reality, while the inclusion of an ancient legend not only increases the sense of mythological mystery, but also provides a backdrop for Farsala's lush, Persianlike culture"
(TN04,WJH,BL*, V,SLJ*)

Trickster’s Choice
By Tamora Pierce
Alianne must call forth her mother's courage and her father's wit in order to survive on the Copper Isles in a royal court rife with political intrigue and murderous conspiracy. "It also offers an interesting examination of race, as well as a look at an adolescent's finding her independence, an especially difficult task with such a powerful mother. Aly is a strong, intelligent, and resilient feminist who stretches this fantasy to a parable of girl-power."
(T04,BL,H,SLJ,BC,NYT)

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Airborn
By Kenneth Oppel
2005 Printz Award Honor

Matt, a young cabin boy aboard an airship, and Kate, a wealthy young girl traveling with her chaperone, team up to search for the existence of mysterious winged creatures reportedly living hundreds of feet above the Earth's surface. (P,BWI,BB)

Eragon
By Christopher Paolini

In Aagaesia, a fifteen-year-old boy of unknown lineage called Eragon finds a mysterious stone that weaves his life into an intricate tapestry of destiny, magic, and power, peopled with dragons, elves, and monsters. "the empathetic characters and interesting plot twists will appeal to the legions of readers who have been captivated by the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and are looking for more books like it." (WSH,WJH,BL*,NYT,BC)

Extras:
The Goblin Wood, by Hilari Bell
Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke (T04), Due out 6/1/05

Curse of the blue tattoo : being an account of the misadventures of Jacky Faber, midshipman and fine lady
By L.A. Meyer

In 1803, after being exposed as a girl and forced to leave her ship, Jacky Faber finds herself attending school in Boston, where, instead of learning to be a lady, she battles her snobbish classmates, roams the city in search of adventure, and learns to ride a horse. "Meyer does an excellent job of conveying life in Boston in 1803, particularly the rights, or lack thereof, of women. Jacky's headstrong certainty that she's in control and her cocky first-person account make her a memorable heroine. The sometimes-strong language make this book more appropriate for older readers."
(T04,WSH,WJH,V,SLJ, BC,LMC)

New found land : a novel
By Allan Wolf

The letters and thoughts of Thomas Jefferson, members of the Corps of Discovery, their guide Sacagawea, and Captain Lewis's Newfoundland dog, all tell of the historic exploratory expedition to seek a water route to the Pacific Ocean. "Talk of freedom from different points of view is enlightening as is Clark's rationalization for slavery. The dramatic effects of the expedition on the participants come to life as they share their experiences and thoughts. The mind-boggling reality of what these people went through to explore and expand this nation instills appreciation for their sacrifices and accomplishments. This is an extraordinary, engrossing book that would appeal most to serious readers"
(TN05,SLJ*,BC,BL,H,ALA)

Pirates! : the true and remarkable adventures of Minerva Sharpe and Nancy Kington, female pirates
By Celia Rees
At the dawn of the eighteenth century, Nancy Kington and Minerva Sharpe, set sail from Jamaica on a pirate vessel, hoping to escape from an arranged marriage and slavery. "The narration is well paced and engrossing, giving readers a strong feel for the times without bogging down in details. Nancy describes the practice of slavery and the rights of women perceptively, but fairly convincingly. A rip-roaring adventure and climax with an engaging female heroine." (T04,,BL*,V,SLJ*,HB)

The kitchen boy
By Robert Alexander

A historical novel in which Leonka, an old man who served as a youth as kitchen boy in the Ipatiev House where the tsar and tsarina, Nicholas and Alexandra, were imprisoned, finally reveals what he saw, and what he did on the night the Imperial Family was executed in 1918. (LJ,BL)

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History

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy
By Gary D. Schmidt
2005 Printz Award Honor

In 1911, Turner Buckminster hates his new home of Phippsburg, Maine, but things improve when he meets Lizzie Bright Griffin, a girl from a poor, nearby island community founded by former slaves that the town fathers--and Turner's--want to change into a tourist spot. (F)

Westminster Abbey
By Richard Jenkyns

Presents a comprehensive description of Westminster Abbey including its enormous architecture, place of coronations, weddings, marriages, and burials, as well as its classic design and history. "Westminster Abbey certainly ranks as one of the top tourist draws in the world, especially for American travelers. Exploration of the abbey's evolving functions since its origins in the thirteenth century takes the author specifically into such topics as the nature of Gothic architecture, etc. A splendid reading and learning experience." (BL*)

Two graphic novels By Art Spiegelman

Maus
Memoir about Vladek Spiegleman, a Jewish survivor of Hitler's Europe, and about his son, a cartoonist who tries to come to terms with his father, his story, and with history itself. Cartoon format portrays Jews as mice and Nazis as cats. (WSH,WJH,NYPL, SLJ, BL,LJ)
and
In the Shadow of No Towers
Presents ten large-scale pages in which Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Art Spiegelman shares his experiences and thoughts on the day the World Trade Center collapsed and the aftermath of the tragedy.(NYT, LJ, BL*, V)

A Northern Light
By Jennifer Donnelly

Set in the Adirondacks in 1906, this atmospheric story based on a true incident involves a teen trapped by family expectations, a fickle fiancé, and a murder. A fine blending of characters, setting, and suspense. (V,K,SLJ)

Full throttle : the life and times of NASCAR legend Curtis Turner
By Robert Edelstein

Chronicles the life and career of NASCAR legend Curtis Turner and describes his early days as a moonshine runner in Virginia and his entrance onto the NASCAR circuit in 1949. "Even though he had won hundreds of races and was the sport's biggest celebrity at the time, Turner was banished from NASCAR racing for four years for attempting to start a union of drivers. (LJ,BL)

Standing alone in Mecca : an American woman's struggle for the soul of Islam
By Asra Q. Nomani

"Wall Street Journal" correspondent Asra Nomani chronicles the experiences she had while accompanying other Muslims on the pilgrimage to Mecca required of all Muslims once in their lives. "she traveled the world as a Wall Street Journal correspondent, stood by helplessly while her close friend and colleague, Daniel Pearl, was murdered in the name of Allah, and then became a single mother, thus a criminal in the eyes of conservative Muslims. Determined to find the true spirit of Islam, Nomani travels to Mecca on the holiest of pilgrimages."(BL*)

The mapmaker's wife : a true tale of love, murder, and survival in the Amazon
By Robert Whitaker

Tells the story of Isabel Grameson, an upper-class Peruvian woman who in 1741 married Jean Godin, a member of a team of French mapmakers exploring South America, focusing on her harrowing three-thousand-mile trek down the length of the Amazon to reach her husband after they were separated on opposite sides of the continent--victims of international politics. "For those who think of the Enlightenment only in terms of sedate Paris salons, this book will alter that image forever."
(SLJ,BL,LJ,BR)

The First Part Last
By Angela Johnson

With powerful language and keen insight, Johnson tells the story of a young man's struggle to figure out what "the right thing" is and then to do it. The result is a gripping portrayal of a single teenage parenthood from the point of view of a young on the threshold of becoming a man.Angela Johnson tells us the story through the narrative of the father, Bobby, in a series of vignettes "then" and "now." A prequel to Heaven. Bobby was a character that everyone wanted to know more about.

(P,V,K,C,BB)

Interesting People

Becoming something : the story of Canada Lee
By Mona Z. Smith

Chronicles the life of influential African-American actor, activist, and athlete Canada Lee, discussing his childhood in Harlem, experiences during the Depression, musical skills, schooling, acting career, contributions to the civil rights movement, and other related topics. "Lee's distinguished acting career was curtailed and virtually written out of theatrical history during the McCarthy era. He gained fame in many venues-on Broadway in Orson Welles's production of Native Son, and onscreen in Lifeboat. Lee spoke often and eloquently against racial discrimination and supported humanitarian causes. A thought-provoking example of the tragic impact of a nation's and an art form's paranoia" (LJ,BL)

Grace Hopper : the first woman to program the first computer in the United States
By Christy Marx

Tells the life story of Grace Hopper, who became a U.S. Navy rear admiral and a pioneer in the world of computer programming. "Both women come across as bigger than life but human and approachable. Students will come to understand their struggles, commitment, and successes." (SJL)

Beautiful Jim Key : the lost history of a horse and a man who changed the world
By Mim EichlerRivas
Presents the true story of Beautiful Jim Key, an extraordinary horse who was said to have an IQ of a human sixth-grader and of his trainer Dr. William Key, a self-taught veterinarian and former slave, and relates the many abilities the horse had including tell time, read, write, and do mathematics. (LJ,KR)

The wild parrots of Telegraph Hill : a love story--with wings
By Mark Bittner

The author recounts how he became fascinated by a group of wild parrots inhabiting his new studio apartment and how he became the bird's trusted friend, the local parrot expert, and a tourist attraction. "The birds eventually learned to trust him, and his involvement with them led to minor fame in the neighborhood. When a documentary filmmaker arrived to do a story on the Birdman of Telegraph Hill, romance bloomed." (LJ,BL)

Extras:
The Yogi Book: I Really Didn't Say Everything I Said, by Yogi Berra
Venus & Serena: Serving from the Hip: Ten Rules for Living, Loving, and Winning, by Venus Williams

Godless
By Pete Hautman

When sixteen-year-old Jason Bock and his friends create their own religion to worship the town's water tower, what started out as a joke begins to take on a power of its own. "The rivalry between Jason and Henry for the attentions of Magda, Jason's unrepentant certainty that doing what he sees as right, and Shin's apparent continued belief in the tenets he helped create are thought-provoking and disturbing as his religion may have only himself as a member." (SLJ,BL*,V,BC)

I am the messenger
By Markus Zusak

After capturing a bank robber, nineteen-year-old cab driver Ed Kennedy begins receiving mysterious messages that direct him to addresses where people need help, and he begins getting over his lifelong feeling of worthlessness. "Zusak's characters, styling, and conversations are believably unpretentious, well conceived, and appropriately raw. Together, these key elements fuse into an enigmatically dark, almost film-noir atmosphere where unknowingly lost Ed Kennedy stumbles onto a mystery-or series of mysteries-that could very well make or break his life."
(SLJ*,BL*, BC, H, V)

Scorpia
By Anthony Horowitz

Alex Rider, the 14-year-old spy and adventurer from Stormbreaker and the sequels is back. While vacationing in Italy, he is recruited by the deadliest terrorist organization in the world, Scorpia, away from the world of M16, a British secret intelligence organization. (SLJ,BB)

Freaky Green Eyes
By Joyce Carol Oates

A suspenseful story about a strong, intelligent young woman. Oates crafts an unflinching look at Franky’s struggle to define herself against a backdrop of family violence, turning what could have been rendered as a sensationalistic "ripped-from-the-headlines" melodrama into a quietly gripping, beautifully written, impeccably paced psychological thriller.
(V,K)

Mystery, Suspence & Adventure

Gothic! : ten original dark tales
Edited by Deborah Noyes

Presents ten original stories of vampires, ghosts, witches, and sorcerers, including selections from Joan Aiken, Neil Gaiman, etc. "These varied tales take place in the distant past and in the high-tech present. Some are humorous while others have surprising twists or are reminiscent of classic fairy tales full of malevolent characters. All share a love of the surreal or supernatural. A sophisticated, thought-provoking, and gripping read (BL*,SLJ,HB*, BC, LMC, V)

Savage summit : the true stories of the five women who climbed K2, the world's most feared mountain
By Jennifer Jordan

Presents the true stories of five women who reached the summit of K2 in the Karakoram mountain range along the border of China and Pakistan and examines how these women lived and died. "Jordan makes much of her extensive research and reveals just how amazing the climbers'accomplishments are and how fascinating each of their stories remains, even as she struggles to capture the mountain's all-but-indescribable beauty. The stories are genuinely thrilling."
(LJ*,BL)

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Son of the Mob
By Gordon Korman

I'm dating the daughter of an FBI agent and get this - my dad is a mob boss. My best friend Alex says that's like a cobra dating a mongoose. And even though I don't want anything to do with dad's business, there's this guy, Jimmy the Rat, who owes my dad money and I gotta help him. A hilarious, light read with some serious moments. (CLP)

Teen Idol
By Meg Cabot

Jen is the girl-next-door, liked and trusted by all, so it is no surprise when she is asked to be the student guide for a new boy at Clayton High. What does surprise her is that the new guy is really teen superstar Luke Striker in disguise (V,SLJ).

Extras:
With No One As Witness, by Elizabeth George
Monday Mourning, by Kathy ReichsFast and brutal wing, by Kathleen Jeffie Johnson (ALA)

Chanda's Secrets
By Allan Stratton
2005 Printz Award
Honor

Set against the backdrop of the African HIV/AIDS epidemic, this story is about a perceptive sixteen-year-old who is effectively the head of her family. It captures the enduring strength of loyalty, friendship, and family ties. (BWI)

Finding Miracles
By Julia Alvarez

In spite of her family's openness, Milly Kaufman has never wanted to talk about her adoption. However, during ninth grade, Pablo Bol'var, a refugee from an unnamed Central American country, joins her class and immediately identifies her as someone who might have come from his family's hometown (BB,SLJ,K).

Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini

The poignant tale of two motherless boys growing up in Kabul, a city teetering on the brink of destruction at the dawn of the Soviet invasion. Despite their class differences, Amir, the son of a wealthy businessman, and Hassan, his devoted sidekick and the son of Amir's household servant, play together, cause mischief together, and compete in the annual kite-fighting tournament (BB)

Facing the lion : growing up Maasai on the African savanna
By Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton with Herman Viola

A member of the Masai people describes his life as he grew up in a northern Kenya village, traveled to America to attend college, and became an elementary school teacher in Virginia. "Story shows ...the beauty of another culture from the inside. Simple and direct...written in a conversational and occasionally wryly humorous style, this book will be enjoyed by a wide range of readers and should spark much discussion." (SLJ*, WSH,WJH,BL,H,BC)

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Other Cultures

Before We Were Free
By Julia Alvarez

In the early 1960s, Alvarez's family moved to New York from the Dominican Republic, a country experiencing civil unrest and revolution under the authority of General Trujillo. An earlier Alvarez novel, How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents (Algonquin, 1991), chronicles the lives of the young Garcia girls as they adjust to life in the United States. (V,,SLJ,K)

Light on Snow
By Anita Shreve

Nicky Dillon, still dealing with the loss of her mother and baby sister two years earlier, and her grieving father's sudden decision to move to an isolated New England farmhouse, takes further steps into the adult world when she and her dad find an abandoned newborn clinging to life in the woods near their home, and later come to know the young mother and learn her story. "Retold 18 years later by an adult Nicky but written in the present tense, the story shifts brilliantly between childlike visions of a simple world and the growing realization of its cruel ambiguities."
(TN05)

The London pigeon wars
By Patrick Neate

The story concerns a group of friends who met at university and coalesced around the fun-loving Murray, who has no surname, is of indeterminate ethnicity, and eats nothing but chicken. When Murray reappears after an unexplained ten-year absence, good things begin to happen: conversations turn sharper and funnier, unhappy couples work out their differences, and failing businesses become successful. Unfortunately while "Murray-fun" was once made up of confidence games and semilegal pranks, Murray now escalates the danger."
(BL,LJ,MR)

Extras:
The language of Baklava, by Abu-Jaber
Reading Lotita in Tehran, by _____________________
Translation Nation, by Hector Tobar (BL*)

A Great and Terrible Beauty
By Libba Bray
After the suspicious death of her mother in 1895, sixteen-year-old Gemma returns to England, after many years in India, to attend a finishing school where she becomes aware of her magical powers and ability to see into the spirit world. (T04, WSH, WJH, )

Firebirds an anthology of original fantasy and science fiction

Any beguiling anthology of new fantasy published specifically for young adults is welcome, and this is a strong collection, the stories richly varied.
"Teens will find much to savor and celebrate in this dazzling collection of 16 short stories by some of the best fantasy writers around. A biographical sketch and note from each one follows every selection."
(WJH,K,VOYA,SLJ,HB, BL)

Sunstorm
By Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen Baxter

Bisesa Dutt tries to discover why she was returned to Earth in the year 2037 by the Firstborn amidst the turmoil of an approaching apocalypse. "Combining the best of disaster fiction and hard sf, the authors maintain their focus on the compelling characters caught in the midst of a cataclysmic cosmic event." (K,LJ)

The Big Empty
By J.B. Stephens

After half of the world's population is killed by a plague, seven smart and resourceful teenagers seek a better life in a nightmarish future by deciphering coded messages and trying to avoid the Slashers near what in what used to be Clearwater, MO. In the United States, a military dictatorship has taken over, moving the population toward the coasts, away from what has been renamed The Big Empty. (SLJ,BC)

Science Fiction

Double helix
By Nancy Werlin

Eighteen-year-old Eli discovers a shocking secret about his life and his family while working for a Nobel Prize-winning scientist whose specialty is genetic engineering. "Werlin clearly and dramatically raises fundamental bioethical issues for teens to ponder. She also creates a riveting story with sharply etched characters and complex relationships that will stick with readers long after the book is closed." (WSH, WJH, BL*, V, SLJ*, BC, LMC)

The secret under my skin
By Janet McNaughton

In the year 2368, humans exist under dire environmental conditions and one young woman, rescued from a workcamp and chosen for a special duty, uses her love of learning to discover the truth about the planet's future and her own dark past. "McNaughton reveals a detailed, richly imagined dystopian future with its roots in the social and environmental problems of the present day, mixing several disciplines of science and an appreciation of poetry in a character-driven, believable novel. one of the top science fiction novels in recent years" (SLJ*, BC,V)

Never let me go
By Kauzo Ishiguro

Thirty-one-year-old Kathy, along with old friends from Hailsham, a private school in England, are forced to face the truth about their childhood when they all come together again. "Ishiguro's elegant prose and masterly ways with characterization make for a lovely tale of memory, self-understanding, and love." (LJ*BL)

Foundation
By Isaac Asimov

As the Galactic Empire declines, psychohistorian Hari Seldon and his band of psychobiologists form the Foundation, designed to be the nucleus of an eventual ideal universal ruling corporation. (WSH, WF)

Blink
By Malcolm Gladwell

Journalist Malcolm Gladwell (The Tipping Point) examines the process of snap decision making. Contrary to the model of a rational process involving extensive information gathering and rational analysis, most decisions are made instantaneously and unconsciously. (BB,LJ)

Scientific American's ask the experts answers to the most puzzling and mind-blowing science questions
"Great for trivia buffs and for fans of popular-science writing, is a book that answers questions big, little, and in between. The questions are answered by a variety of experts and Nobel prize winners. How long do stars live? Why do dogs' eyes show up blue, not red, in photographs? Why don't hurricanes ever hit the West Coast?" (BL)

The race to save the Lord God Bird
By Phillip Hoose

Author's meticulous research show as he uses drama, suspense, and mystery to tell the story of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker's extinction in the United States, describes the encounters between this species and humans, and discusses what these encounters have taught us about preserving endangered creatures. "The author's passion for his subject and high standards for excellence result in readable, compelling nonfiction, particularly appealing to student biologists and conservationists."(SLJ*,BC, NYT, ALA,HB)

Strange matters : undiscovered ideas at the frontiers of space and time
By Tom Siegfried

Contains ten essays in which the author, science editor of the "Dallas Morning News," explores the history, "prediscovery," and possible future paths of scientific ideas related to modern physics and cosmology. "...[an] enjoyable new book... the eclectic mix [of topics] helps to set the book apart from other recent popular books on similar subjects. ...the pace is just right and the presentation engaging." (F,C,SBF,N)

Science & Non-Fiction

A sense of the mysterious : science and the human spirit
By Alan P. Lightman

Presents a collection of essays that ruminate on the distinction between art and science--how humanists and scientists perceive the world--with in-depth portraits of famous thinkers such as Albert Einstein, Richard Feynman, and Edward Teller. "Whether you are a fan of Lightman's writing (e.g., Einstein's Dreams) or have not yet experienced his astonishingly heartfelt reflections on science, this collection of 11 previously published essays is a wonderful leisure read." (JL,NYT)

The genome war : how Craig Venter tried to capture the code of life and save the world
By James Shreeve

Chronicles the race to map the human genome, discussing how biologist Craig Venter's announcement that he was forming a private company to uncover the complete genetic code led the government to step up their efforts to unlock the code, causing one of the greatest competitions in the history of science. "Shreeve's intimate book is a crucial addition to the history of a major scientific fracas." (C,BL,NYT,SBF)

The fabric of the cosmos: space, time, and the texture of reality
By Brian Greene

Physicist Brian Green (critically acclaimed author of The Elegant Universe and one of the world's leading string theorists) explains how modern science has lead to a new and deeper understanding of the universe that may reconcile the behavior of everything from the smallest particle to the largest black hole. "After reading this book, you will never look at a starry night sky the same way again."
(LJ,C,BL,NYT,BR)

Evolution : the remarkable history of a scientific theory
By Edward J. Larson

Pulitzer Prize winner Larson (Richard B. Russell Professor of History, Univ. of Georgia; Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate over Science and Religion) has written a good deal on evolution. His latest work is a clear, concise, and highly informative overview of evolutionary thought from ancient speculations to the emergence of a neo-Darwinian synthesis. It focuses on those essential facts, events, and ideas that have contributed to the successes of scientific evolutionism. (LJ,C,SBF)

Keesha's House
By Helen Frost

A new addition to the poetry novel genre, Keesha's House is composed of sonnets and sestinas in both traditional and creative structures. Frost uses these forms to introduce us to the seven teens who congregate in and around a safe haven, a house owned by a man named Joe who "knows the value" of having a place to stay when your own home has become toxic. Such problems as pregnancy, closeted homosexuality, and abuse are each described in poetic forms what caused them to leave home and where they found home again...Spare, eloquent, and elegantly concise (V, K).

True Believer
By Virginia Euwer Wolff

Written in poignant and powerful blank verse, this National Book Award winner from Virginia Euwer Wolffe revisits the characters Wolffe first introduced in Make Lemonade. Now, LaVaughn, a 15-year-old teen who's determined to break free from her constricting inner city neighborhood, is starting tenth grade...and grappling with the distractions of first love, drifting apart from her lifelong friends, and realizing her intense desire to go to college. (NBA,P)

American smooth : poems
By Rita Dove

Presents a collection of poems by Pulitzer Prize winner and Poet Laureate, Rita Dove depicting the many aspects of her cultural heritage. "Dove uses her highly eclectic interests, her sharp intellect, and her understanding of history and individuals to deliver a collection that speaks through many voices and covers a broad range of thoughts and emotions.""The book is infused with dance rhythms, and swings between historical and personal portraits of various Americans.""Teens can dip into this book or read it straight through. There is something for everyone within its covers." (SLJ,BL.NYT,LJ)

Short Stories & Poetry

City of one : young writers speak to the world
Edited by Collete DeDonato.
"This anthology celebrates the 10th anniversary of WritersCorps workshops, which bring creative-writing instruction to low-income kids; more than 150 young people write about their lives and the state of the world with poems about family, freedom, inner peace, self-identity, and the writing process. This remarkable anthology contains seething emotions as well as the incredible hope for the future."
(SLJ,VOYA,BL)

Contemporary American ethnic poets : lives, works, sources
Edited by Linda Cullum

Contains the lives and works of seventy-five American ethnic poets including Maya Angelou, N. Scott Momaday, Rita Dove, Pat Mora and Derek Walcott. Will serve as a good starting point for further research and begins to fill the void of under represented ethnic poets in literary anthologies
(LJ)

Black Juice
By Lanagan, Margo

First published in Australia, this book provides glimpses of the dark side of civilization and the beauty of the human spirit through ten short stories that explore significant moments in people's lives, events leading to them, and their consequences. "Every selection in this rich collection is strange and startling, a glimpse into weird, wondrous, and sometimes terrifying worlds. Aimed at teens, it will satisfy readers hungry for intelligent, literary fantasies that effectively twist facets of our everyday world into something alien." (SLJ,VOYA,BC)

Search party : collected poems of William Matthews
By William Matthews, William, 1942-1997
Presents a collection of poems by American poet William Matthews in which he explores themes of work, family life, relationships, and jazz. "A constant striving to achieve honesty and equality in friendships and relationships imbues his poetry with a serrated but very sharp edge. " "he is spare in his phrasing, letting silence speak as resonantly as words, and letting the breath guide his rhythm and lines. A master of the understatement."(LJ,BL,NYT)

Extras:
Where the long grass bends : stories, by Neela Vaswani (LJ,C,.MR)

Girl, 15, Charming But Insane
By Sue Limb
Fifteen-year-old Jess, living with her mum, separated from her father in Cornwall, and with a best friend who seems to do everything perfectly, finds her own assets through humor. "The way the author handles the situation and adds a few levels of conflict and a few possible love triangles will have readers ready for the second installment. This title will appeal to fans of Meg Cabot, Louise Rennison, and others who like heroines who have a little vinegar to go with their sugar."
(TN05, SLJ,BL, BC, V, K)

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things
By Carolyn Mackler

Feeling like she does not fit in with the other members of her family, who are all thin, brilliant, and good-looking, fifteen-year-old Virginia, tries to deal with her self-image, her first physical relationship, and her disillusionment with some of the people closest to her. (CLP/F/T04)

Book Cover

Gangsta Rap
By Benjamin Zephaniah
When teenage Ray and his two friends, Prem and Tyronne, form a successful rap band in the London's East End where they live, they soon find themselves embroiled in increasingly violent gang warfare." The boys' speech also occasionally echoes the harsh misogyny in some of the hip-hop they love, but teens will enjoy the thrilling music fantasy, while many will identify with the smart, talented boys who grow up quickly and rescue themselves." (TN05, BL, V, H, K)

how i live now
by Meg Rosoff
2005 Printz Award Winner

“Through Daisy’s evolving voice, readers see a teen who moves beyond self-absorption to become a resourceful survivor, understanding the need to care for others,” said Award Chair Betty Carter. “Meg Rosoff achieves balance in a story both darkly symbolic and bitingly funny.” (ALA, P,BB)

Struggles & Hopes

Book Cover

Saving Francesca
By Melina Marchetta
Sixteen-year-old Francesca could use her outspoken mother's help with the problems of being one of a handful of girls at a parochial school that has just turned co-ed, but her mother has suddenly become severely depressed. "
(TN05, SLJ*, HB, BC, V)

The Truth about Forever
By Sarah Dessen
The summer following her father's death, Macy plans to work at the library and wait for her brainy boyfriend to return from camp, but instead she goes to work at a catering business where she makes new friends and finally faces her grief. "The prose is fueled with humor-the descriptions of Macy's dad's home-shopping addiction are priceless, as is the goofy bedlam of catering gigs gone bad-and as many good comedians do, Dessen uses it to throw light onto darker subjects. Grief, fear, and love set the novel's pace."
(TN05,SLJ, HB,BL,K,BB)

Vegan Virgin Valentine
By Carolyn Mackler
Mara's niece, who is only one-year-younger, moves in bringing conflict between the two teenagers because of their opposite personalities. "Their different backgrounds and the collisions and resolutions of the incidents provide a lesson in growing up and learning to understand yourself and others." (TN05, LSJ, V, LMC, BCC)

My Sister’s Keeper
By Jodi Picoult
Thirteen-year-old Anna, conceived specifically to provide blood and bone marrow for her sister Kate who was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia at the age of two, decides to sue her parents for control of her body when her mother wants her to donate a kidney to Kate."Picoult's timely and compelling novel will appeal to anyone who has thought about the morality of medical decision making and any parent who must balance the needs of different children. Highly recommended."(WF, LJ, SLJ, BL*, V, TN05)

The Garden
By Elise Aidinoff

Retells the tale of the Garden of Eden from Eve's point of view, as Serpent teaches her everything from her own name to why she should eat the forbidden fruit, and then leaves her with Adam and the knowledge that her choice has made mankind free. "This complex novel is for older young adults who are theologically conversant enough to read it as provocative literary satire." "There's no doubt this book will upset some people, both in its depiction of God and because of its sexual scenes... Some readers, however, will find the book liberating--a meditation on the role of humanity in the world and on the compromises people make when they choose freedom instead of obedience."(TN05, VOYA, HB*, SLJ)

Extras:
My fine lady
By Yolanda Joe

Princess in Pink
By Meg Cabot
(T04)

Skin I'm In
By Sharon G. Flake

Recommended by
Yasmin Kirkwood

Maleeka, uncomfortable because her skin is extremely dark, meets a new tough teacher, who's skin is blotched with a rare skin condition. A
compelling novel of a young girl's struggle with self-acceptance and acceptance by her peer group. Through her struggles and with her teacher's help, she learns "to look into the mirror and like what [she sees], even when it doesn't look like anybody else's idea of beauty." Strong characters and an engaging plot (BB,SLJ).

Gossip Girl
(series)
By Cecily Von Ziegesar

Recommended by
Meghan Gazzola
"This is a good book for girls to read with lots of life lessons."

Gossip Girl, an unknown narrator, shares the inside scoop on her friends and foes in a privileged private school in New York City, focusing on the return of the beautiful Serena van der Woodson, who is rumored to have been kicked out of boarding school.

Bleechers
By John Grisham

Recommended by
Shane Morrision
"This is a football book where a guy goes back to his hometown and all his old memories come back to him."

When his old coach dies, high school football star Neely Crenshaw returns to his hometown after fifteen years, reunites with his former teammates, and struggles to resolve his mixed feelings about the man. (WSH, BL,SLJ, NYT)

Five People You Meet in Heaven
By Mitch Albom

Recommended by
Liz Gallagher

"This book makes you think twice about how you live your life."

A bitter eighty-three-year-old war veteran who believes his life is meaningless dies while trying to save a little girl's life and finds himself in heaven, where five people from his past--some loved ones, some strangers--explain what his years on Earth really meant, and whether or not he succeeded in saving the child. (LJ, BL)

Student Picks

Prep
By Curtus Sittenfeld

Recommended by
Kate Friedman

"This book gives an idea of what a boarding school is like as far as a different school environment and shows what you would go through as a teenager."

Midwesterner, Lee Fiora is sent by her father to a prestigious boarding school in Massachusetts where she manages to survive in spite of the social differences between her and her classmates. (NYT, BL, K)

Broken Sky (series)
By Chris Wooding

Recomended by
Daquon Richards

"This is a great action adventure. Anyone who loves adventure would like this series. It has the whole mythical, magical thing going on."

The choices made by Kia and Ryushi threaten everything Parakka has tried to achieve.

Fat Kid Rules the World
By K. L. Going

Seventeen-year-old Troy, depressed, suicidal, and weighing nearly 300 pounds, gets a new perspective on life when a homeless teenager who is a genius on guitar wants Troy to be the drummer in his rock band. You will recognize Curt and Troy immediately and come away from this book with a new understanding of what each person does in the name of self-protection (P,V,SLJ)

Sources Used:

Book plot synopsis taken from the sources listed below.

Alan Review
Amazon Teenage
ALA = American Library Association
BookBrowser (BB)
Booklist (B)
Book Report (BR)
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (BC)
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP)
Choice (C)
Coretta Scott King Award (Writing Category)(C)
Reading Rants (RR)
ALA Notable Books (ALAN)
ALA Best Adult (ALAB)
Best Books for Young Adults (BBYA)
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (BCC)
Follett (F)
Hornbook (H)
Library Media Connection (LMC)
Kirkus (K*starred)
KLIATT (K)
Library Journal (LJ)
Library Media Connection (LMC)
Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book (P)
Multicultural Review (MR)
Nature (N)
New York Times (NYT)
NYPL's "Teen Link"& "Books for the Teenage"(NYPL)
Reference and Research Book News (RRBN)
School Library Journal (SLJ)
Science Books & Films by A.A.A.S. (SBF)
TN04 = Teen’s Top Ten Nominated for 2004
T04 = Teens’ Top Ten 2004
TN05 = Teens’ Top Ten Nominated for 2005
TeenReads (TR)
Voice of Youth Advocates (V)
Wilson Sr. High School (WSHS)
Wilson's Fiction (WF)
Wilson Junior High School (WJH)
Wilson Senior High School (WSH)
Wilson Public Library (WPL)
YASLA

Others:

Pay It Forward, by Catherine Ryan Hyde (LJ, SLJ, BB)
Ghost Boy, by Iain Lawrence (V,LJ,SLJ,K)
Orphea Proud, by Wyeth, Sharon Dennis (SLJ,BL,LMC,VOYA).

American smooth : poems By Rita Dove

American smooth : poems
By Rita Dove