Elsewhere

Name of Book:  Elsewhere Author:  Gabrielle Zevin Illustrator:  None Publisher:  Square Fish (May 15, 2007) Audience:  Grades 7-10 Summary:  Fifteen year old Liz Hall awakens on a cruise ship populated mostly with elderly passengers.  She learns that she is dead, the victim of a head trauma.  When the ship docks in Elsewhere, she hides in [...]

Catcher Caught

Name of Book:   Catcher Caught Author:   Sarah Collins Honenberger Illustrator:   None Publisher:   Amazon Encore Audience:   High School and adult (age 15+) Summary:   Daniel, a high school student, has been diagnosed with a virulent form of leukemia.  Even with chemotherapy, his doctors estimate he has only one year to live.  But his overprotective parents don’t trust [...]

A Gathering of Angels

Name of Book:  A Gathering of Angels Author:  Peter Eyvindson Illustrator:  Walnes Cangas, Julner Remy, Lucson Petit-Homme Publisher:  Broken Wings Missions, Inc. Audience:  Ages 8 and up Summary:  A Gathering of Angels is a collection of prayers written by the boys who call the St. Joseph’s Home for Boys in Port au Prince, Haiti home. [...]

Mockingjay

Name of Book:  Mockingjay Author:  Suzanne Collins Book Design:  Elizabeth Parisi Publisher:  Scholastic Press Audience:  Ages 12 and up Summary:  The third in a trilogy of science fiction stories, Mockingjay is written for adolescent youth and older due to graphic and violent content. Katniss Everdeen has survived two rounds of competition in the Hunger Games [...]

Catching Fire

Name of Book:  Catching Fire Author:  Suzanne Collins Book Design:  Elizabeth Parisi Publisher:  Scholastic Press Audience:  Ages 12 and up Summary:  The second in a trilogy of science fiction stories, Catching Fire is written for adolescent youth and older due to graphic and violent content. Katniss and Peeta were victors of the 74th Hunger Games. [...]

The Hunger Games

Name of Book:  The Hunger Games Author:  Suzanne Collins Book Design:  Phil Falco Publisher:  Scholastic Press Audience:  Ages 12 and up Summary:  The first in a trilogy of science fiction stories, The Hunger Games is written for adolescent youth and older due to graphic and violent content. Katniss Everdeen is a 16 year old girl [...]

Tuck Everlasting

Title: Tuck Everlasting Author:   Natalie Babbitt Publisher:  Scholastic, Inc ISBN:  9-780590-988865 Audience: Written for ages 9 -12, but this review suggests the book’s applicability to both young and mature audiences. Summary:   The story starts with a young girl, Winnie, fed up with her family and wanting to run away.  She meets another family, the [...]

Butterflies Under Our Hats

Name of Book:   Butterflies Under Our Hats Author:  Sandy Eisenberg Sasso Illustrator:  Joani Keller Rothenberg Publisher:  Paraclete Press Audience:  Ages 5-adult Summary:  The people of Chelm have no luck.  The roofs leaked, the sidewalks cracked, weeds grew in the gardens.  The people looked for luck everywhere.  But because they could not find any luck, they [...]

How to (un)Cage a Girl

Name of Book:   How to (Un)Cage a Girl Author:  Francesca Lia Block Publisher:  Joanna Cotler Books/HarperTeen (2008) Audience:  16 – adult females.  Personally, I would have placed this book in the adult poetry section rather than YA, since it pushes beyond the personal experiences of YA readers.  That being said, it would be useful with [...]

Ysabel

Name of Book: Ysabel Author:  Guy Gavriel Kay Illustrator :  Larry Rostant (cover art) Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Audience:   Adolescents – Adults Summary:     Fifteen year old Canadian, Ned Marriner, “blunders into a corner of a very old story” of Celtic and Roman histories and mythologies.  In an ancient place, where the borders between the [...]