Whitman Middle School Library

Book Reviews and Recent Additions

• Anderson, M.T. - The Game of Sunken Places
  By the author of Feed, but there's not a word in it that would make my mother blush - obviously written for a somewhat younger audience. Brian and Gregory have a Jumanji-like experience when they go to spend a vacation with Gregory's relative who lives in a spooky mansion in New England. Plenty of thrills and chills and the game unfolds with some great surprises, but the strengths of this book are the delightful descriptions and metaphors, and the sharp dialogue.
• Applegate, Katherine - Sharing Sam
  Kind of a tear-jerker, but enjoyable. Alison is about to tell best friend Izzy that she thinks new student Sam likes her, but before she can get the words out, Izzy reveals that she has an incurable brain tumor, and that she is interested in Sam. Sounds much sappier than it is….will be a hit with girls.
• Cohn, Rachel - Gingerbread
  Sixteen-year-old Cyd Charisse is doing pretty much everything she can to drive her mother and step-father crazy in San Francisco, and after an abortive attempt to remediate via grounding, they send Cyd off to get to know her bio-dad in New York City. Cyd refuses to make anything easy in her life, so the expected result that she grows to appreciate her California family doesn't feel stale or forced. Quite a bit of mature content makes this a better choice for older middle-schoolers.
• Curtis, Christopher Paul Bucking the Sarge
  The latest by the author of Bud, Not Buddy and The Watsons God to Birmingham, 1963. Written for an older audience - Luther's mom has built up a slumlord empire of rentals and homes for the elderly, working every possible angle to get ahead. Luther is repelled by his mom's choices, but knows that bucking her leads down a dangerous road. Finally the street smarts his mom gave him and his own intelligence show Luther a way out of his mother's control. Multi-layered, I'll be interested to see what Sharon Draper fans think of it.
• Foley, Mick Mankind, Have a Nice Day
  Okay, I didn't read every one of the 748 pages - thank heavens for skimming! I've never seen Mr. Foley at his day job, but he's quite an entertaining writer. Occasionally a bit crude, plenty of interesting gore, especially that torn-off ear. Could be a hit with guys who aren't thrilled with a typical biography.
• Hearn, Lian Grass for His Pillow
  The second book in "Tales of the Otori."
• Hoyt-Goldsmith, Diane Three Kings Day, a Celebration at Christmastime
  A good fit if the special ed classes are looking at holidays. Wonderful photos, easy to read information.
• Huntington, Geoffrey Demon Witch
  Book two in the "Sorcerers of the Nightwing" series.
• Napoli, Donna Jo North
  Excellent author Napoli, who has a spectacular track record for her novels based on myth and fantasy stories, pretty much hits the wall with this new direction. Alvin's overprotective mother, combined with a research project on Matthew Henson, prod Alvin to run away as far north as possible to emulate Henson's arctic exploration. Too many characters, too many coincidences.
• Reuter, Bjarne The Ring of the Slave Prince
  An epic tale of piracy, the Caribbean slave trade, and some larger-than-life characters. Tom O'Connor is fourteen years old in 1631, bent but not broken by the drudgery he shares with his mother and his sister as they labor for a lazy innkeeper. Tom is in his skiff, making his escape from this dead-end existence, when he rescues a young slave boy who claims to be the son of an African king who will reward anyone who returns him to his father. Over three hundred pages of incredible adventures later, Tom reunites the boy with his father - but there are still surprises to come.
• Schroder, Andreas Scams!
  Ten short stories about amazing scams and tricks. Some of them - a German counterfeiting project staffed by concentration camp prisoners and a chapter on War of the Worlds would make great read-alouds.
• Cohn, Rachel Pop Princess
  Wonder is fifteen, miserable about the death of her older sister Lucky, working at Dairy Queen, and failing at school. When she died, Lucky was part of a trio on the verge of landing a recording contract, and since her death, another member of the trio, Kayla, has gone on to make it big as a pop vocalist. When Wonder is offered the chance to follow in Lucky's footsteps and perform as an opening act for Kayla, it's a no-brainer. But becoming a pop princess is costly, and Wonder learns many hard lessons along the way. Okay, it's a fairy tale, but it's still a page-turner and guilty pleasure book.
• Corder, Zizou Lionboy
  Biracial Charlie lives in a future where fossil fuels have been used up and there's a greater harmony between science and the environment as evidenced by the cooperative medical research done by his mom, an English scientist and his dad, trained in traditional as well as tribal medicine in Ghana. When his parents disappear he's sure it has to do with their work, and he sets off to find them, aided by a network of cats with whom he can speak. Fantastic adventures with a circus traveling along the canals of France ensue - a page turning fantasy-adventure that requires a sequel.
• Curlee, Lynn Parthenon
  Just a beautiful book! I read it during the August Olympic coverage - don't miss it if you teach ancient civilizations.
• Cusick, Richie The House Next Door
  The deserted house next door to teen-aged Emma and Charlie (more twins) looks haunted. Emma accepts a bet from Charlie to sleep overnight there, and meets a dashing ghost who is the man of her dreams. A teen-friendly combination of horror and romance.
• Drez, Ronald Remember D-Day, the Plan, the Invasion, Survival Stories
  The title describes it all. Interesting, accessible text, wonderful photos.