The Professor's Daughter

Book: The Professor's Daughter
Author: Joann Sfar
Artist: Emmanuel Guibert
Audience: Tween to Teen
In a Nutshell: girl and mummy at large in London

In Victorian London, a famous archaeologist's daughter and the inexplicably animate mummy of Imhotep IV go out on the town, only to accidentally kill two men later, go through trial, jail, and the Tower, then the biggest challenge: facing Imhotep's father, the less civilized Imhotep III.

Oddly engaging story with very bizarre concept; lovely watercolor art is a step or two above your average comic book fare, much as I love them. Originally published in France, 1997.

Undercover

Book: Undercover
Author: Beth Kephart
Audience: Tween to Teen
In a Nutshell: Cyrano girl learns how not to be invisible

Elisa is a poet, but nobody knows it. Or at least, only a select few. The guys at school know that if they're serious about wooing the girl of their dreams, Elisa is the one to go to. Like a high school Cyrano de Bergerac, she ghost writes poetry that wins hearts. She is an expert at being undercover, at staying invisible while she observes the world around her, both in nature and the social order of high school. Now she is writing poems from Theo, who she likes, to Lila, who is a beautiful but horrible girl. Elisa is also coping with the absence of her father on extended business, which is straining her parents' marriage. She's also teaching herself to skate in the privacy of her own hidden pond, but she won't stay hidden for long, either on the pond or from Theo.

This is a lovely little book, poetic and sensitive with lots of poetry incorporated, but I honestly had a hard time getting into it. Probably because the last book I read was a rollicking good time, and it was hard to downshift that fast. But if you're in the mood for poetic and sensitive, look no further.

I Love You, Beth Cooper

Book: I Love You, Beth Cooper
Author: Larry Doyle
Audience: High School to Adult
In a Nutshell: one nerd's all-night mad-cap journey from valedictorian to happy, bloody pulp

Denis Cooverman is valedictorian, debate team captain, social misfit, and sweatier than he knows what to do with. During his graduation speech at Buffalo Grove High School, he deviates from his original script and instead confesses his enduring love for Beth Cooper, cheerleading captain and homecoming queen. Ever since he first sat behind her in seventh grade- an arrangement often to be repeated due to their sequential last names- he has loved her from behind. And yes, he does say that last phrase at graduation. You can imagine the response.

But the speech is only the beginning of a non-stop night of hijinks and attempts on his life. Beth and the other two girls in her Trinity of Cool, Treece and Cammy, actually show up for reasons unknown at Denis's party, which until that moment consisted only of Denis and his movie-quote-obsessed, ambiguous-yet-insistently-not-gay best friend, Rich Munsch. Then Beth's psycho military boyfriend, Kevin, shows up in a Hummer, and the fun just keeps comin'.

I think humor is one of the toughest things to review, because everyone's sense of it is so different. With that disclaimer in place, I'll say this is the funniest book I've read in a long time. Really, really, funny. I was reading it while waiting for my oil change and trying not to laugh out loud in public, but the funny-ness could not be contained. And that's how I ended up snorting to myself in Tires Plus. Think of the funniest end-of-school teen movie you know and you're getting the idea.

There is an illustration of Denis at the beginning of each chapter, and each one reflects the new injuries and indignities he received in the last chapter. There's a wealth of brilliant new phrases, at least new to me, like "benevolent cliquetator". I present the context for another choice phrase as an example of what I found so funny:

"Henry was the local purveyor of aftermarket pharmaceuticals, not quite a drug dealer though he played the part, replete with an embroidered urban dialect spoken only in the suburbs. What made Henry's lily-white gangsta act all the more sad was that he was African-American. He was a black whigger." (p. 107)

One of the blurb writers describe the book as "wickedly funny," and that about sums it up.

Good As Lily

Book: Good As Lily
Author: Derek Kirk Kim
Artist: Jesse Hamm
Audience: Teen
In a Nutshell: talk about Multiple Personality Disorder!

A piñata from a mysterious street vendor works a strange kind of magic on Grace's life on her 18th birthday. It creates 3 extra versions of herself at 6, 29, and 78 years old. Trying to keep them hidden or explain their presence is tricky enough without young Grace throwing tantrums, old Grace stealing her father's cigarettes, and adult Grace coming on to Mr. Levon, the young English teacher she has a crush on in real-time. In the midst of juggling all of her selves, Grace is forced to face issues from her past, warnings for the future, and gets the chance to see the value of certain friends in the here and now.

Fun idea, nicely rendered with snappy dialogue and good drawing. I especially like the way Grace is drawn: a comic book girl with beautiful natural curves. Oh, and if you're wondering where the title comes from, it has to do with her sister, who died young.

Everlost

Book: Everlost
Author: Neal Shusterman
Audience: Teen
In a Nutshell: imagine spending eternity caught between life and death with chocolate on your face

Adventure-packed, often thought-provoking fantasy about two children who end up stuck between life and death, where as "Everlights," their feet sink through the living world, and only things and places either greatly loved or touched by death are solid.

Nick and Allie died in the same car crash, but before they were able to go to the infamous Light, they were bounced off-course by running into each other. They wake up 9 months later, in the world but separate, and they meet a boy they name Leif who has forgotten his real name. He would rather stay in his forest, but like most Greensouls (new kids to Everlost), Nick and Allie want to find their homes. The three eventually make their way to New York and find the famous Mary Hightower, a girl who has taken on a motherly role in gathering and caring for Afterlights. She lives in the Twin Towers, two of a handful of buildings that have crossed over in their entirety. Allie doesn't like Mary's complacency- Allie wants to find a way home, or at least out. Her attempts to learn ways to interact with the living world backfire, and Nick and Leif are taken prisoner. To rescue them, she must face the dreaded monster, the McGill.

Nicely done, with a good combo of action and intriguing worldbuilding. There are several references to bygone historical places like the Twin Towers and a pier w/ Shiloh the Diving Horse; some will probably go over readers' heads, but there's a little history to be learned here for the motivated backstory pursuer, and lots of great atmosphere whether you fully "get it" or not.

The author doesn't get into the worldviews of where children go when they finally move on- Everlost is an imagined middle ground, a place to explore the way that the past haunts the living, whether it's through memory or actual ghostly remnants, and what helps these ghosts to move on.

Igraine the Brave

Book: Igraine the Brave
Author: Cornelia Funke
Audience: Grades 3 to 5
In a Nutshell: singing books, piggie parents, and girl on a quest

Igraine is the daughter of the great magicians Sir Lamorak and the fair Melisande, and sister to young magician Albert. They live together in Pimpernael Castle, protected by a magical moat, gargoyles, and roaring stone lions. Igraine is not very interested in magic herself; she would much prefer to be a knight. When her parents accidentally turn themselves into pigs, and then a nasty new neighbor beseiges the castle and demands their famous singing spell books, she finds her chance to save the day. With the fine stallion Lancelot ("borrowed" from a neighbor) she rides in search of giant's hairs to reverse the piggie spell. Along the way she meets the self-exiled Sorrowful Knight, who reluctantly joins her in her quest to save her home.

Cute fairy tale story for younger readers. I've never been completely in love with Funke's books, mostly because they're in translation from German, and though the translators do a good job the books still feel once-removed to me. From a half-full perspective, this story uses a moatful of well-loved fairy tale elements all together in one plucky tale. For the half-empty half, I found it a bit pedestrian- like she cobbled together all the most cliched fairy tale elements into one story, though in a mostly likable way, if you're not looking for a lot of originality. Would work well for younger readers or listeners even younger than that- good readaloud for second graders, I bet.

Good reading by Xanthe Elbrick on the audio version.

The Wednesday Wars

Book: The Wednesday Wars
Author: Gary Schmidt
Audience: Tweens
In a Nutshell: it's tough being Presbyterian

Is it too cliched to say I laughed, I cried? Because I did. There are very few authors who can motivate me to read American historical fiction, but Gary Schmidt just became one of them. Holling Hoodhood's story of life as a seventh grader in 1967 Long Island had me alternately laughing out loud at the ridiculous situations and pitch-perfect delivery, tearing up at the painful and poignant moments, and marveling at how Schmidt effectively wove Shakespeare throughout without screaming, "Look, kids! Learnin' is fun!" Holling is the only Presbyterian in his class, which means that on Wednesday afternoons when half the class goes to Temple Beth-El and the other half goes to Catechism at St. Adelbert's, he is left alone with Mrs. Baker. She gives him a variety of unappealing tasks to pass the time, and eventually gives him his own personal Shakespeare assignments, and the story goes on from there. Like with his earlier Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy (which I haven't read), the tween audience for this book makes it a strong candidate for either Newbery or Printz consideration, IMHO. Shakespearian insults, maddeningly uninvolved/self-involved parents, the Vietnam War, giant falling rats, and a costume with feathers on the butt all weave together beautifully.

Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil

Book: Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil
Author/Artist: Jeff Smith
Audience: Tween to Teen
In a Nutshell: a fresh look at Captain Marvel

I've never read any other Captain Marvel comics, so I don't have anything to compare this to in the pantheon. But I like Jeff Smith (of Bone fame), and I liked both the bright, appealing art and the story here. This incarnation of Marvel has the aw-shucks charm of an Old School superhero without descending into total cheese ball territory. And some people have said that the megalomaniacal Attorney General character bears a striking resemblance to Dick Cheney, but Smith denies any intentionality there. ;) The world it's set in is definitely influenced by the current state of the union, with a "Heartland Security" division flexing increasingly militant power. Aside from the political stuff, the story of orphaned Billy and the superhero he becomes with a magic word, and the crazy monsters and threats to the space-time continuum that he and his friends fight, is solid comic book fare. The bad guys swear once in a while, but overall I'd put this in the same all-ages appeal category as Bone.

Wild Magic

Book: Wild Magic (Book 1 of the Immortals Quartet)
Author: Tamora Pierce
Audience: Tween and Teen
In a Nutshell: she walks with the animals, talks with the animals

After her entire family is killed and her home destroyed by raiders, Daine sets out with her pony Cloud to make a new life. She becomes apprentice to Onua, horse woman for the army of Tortall. Onua quickly recognizes that Daine doesn't just have a way with animals; she possesses Wild Magic, a much rarer gift than the well-recognized magical Gifts. They meet up with the new recruits in training for the Riders, led by The Lioness herself- Alanna, the famous Queen's Rider- and eventually they travel to the king and queen's seaside castle at Pirate's Swoop.

Nasty, unnatural Stormwings attack on the way, then later are part of a seige by an enemy kingdom, and Daine's ability to rally animals to their support becomes invaluable.

She also is learning to control her powers with the help of a mage, and she is sometimes visited by a mysterious badger at night who seems to know something of her unknown father.

Shocking though this may seem to fellow teen fantasy fans, this was my first Tamora Pierce book. I know, I know. I can see why she's so popular: judging by this book, she puts together a likable cast of characters with a winning balance of action and secrets gradually revealed, both to the reader and the characters themselves. Starting with Alanna's Lioness quartet would have given me more back story and character insight, but this series also stands alone.

Speaking of the cast of characters, I actually "read" it via the Full Cast Audio version. Overall it was well done, with the author herself reading the narrator parts. My one quibble is with how sllloooowwwwly and deliberately they performed it. Great for English language learners and younger read-alongers, and maybe for Texans. For this fast-talkin' Yankee, it was trying my patience until I sped it up on my iPod. Then it sounded a little awkward, like the Stephen Hawking's Computer Voice and Friends cast, but still better.

The Whole Sky Full of Stars

Book: The Whole Sky Full of Stars
Author: Rene Saldana, Jr.
Audience: Tween to Teen
In a Nutshell: boxing, gambling and friendship don't mix

Alby and Barry have been best friends since first grade, but now that friendship is threatened. Alby has gotten in over his head gambling with the school card shark, Ciro, and now he's got a debt he can't pay. He could ask his wealthy parents for the money, but he doesn't want to face the lecture from his father.

Barry learned to box from his trainer father before he died, and he's good. When Alby suggests he fight in the unsanctioned Man o' Might competition, Barry is hesitant, but Alby's description of the prize money convinces him. Barry's mother works 12 hours a day or more and they're barely making ends meet, and Barry wants to help.

Alby knows he's taking advantage of his best friend, but he really needs the money, and he's afraid of what Ciro's goons will do to him. But Barry's not stupid, and the way Alby is manipulating him threatens to end their long friendship.

Not a bad book, but didn't capture my interest much at all. I've got prettty broad taste, but boxing and cars (the Ford Galaxie Barry and his dad worked on) aren't on the top of my list. Maybe guys will like it. Might be a good choice if you're looking for a guy book with action without the edginess, and a short, quick read.

The Declaration

Book: The Declaration
Author: Gemma Malley
Audience: Teen
In a Nutshell: immortality=illegal children

The year is 2140. When the scientists and drug companies developed Longevity drugs, it meant the end of cancer, AIDS, and eventually aging itself. World leaders quickly realized that they could have an extreme population problem soon, so they developed The Declaration. Any person wishing to take Longevity drugs, which is almost everyone, must sign a Declaration promising not to have children. Children born in opposition to the Declaration are known as Surpluses. Surplus Anna has lived in Grange Hall since she was two, ever since she was discovered and taken away from her parents, who were sent to prison. Surplus halls were created to raise illegal children and turn them into vaulable assets, instead of simply burdens to the world. They are also taught their place, which is barely human; they live like slaves and have virtually no rights at all.

Anna is a model surplus and prefect at Grange Hall, raised to consider herself worse than dirt and hate her parents for their selfishness in giving birth to her. Her ordered life is first disturbed when a woman she works for gives her a journal, and she secretly writes in it- a very illegal activity at Grange Hall. Then a new surplus boy named Peter arrives, and he challenges Anna to question what she's been told by the horrible Mrs. Pincent and the other teachers. He says he knows her parents, and they love her and want her to escape and rejoin them. She resists at first, but Peter's persistence, his love and friendship, and then his imminent danger spur her to action.

A very compelling dystopian story that explores ideas of life and worth, love and sacrifice, and whether you'd really want to live forever.