The Classic by Eric Stevens-ADVISABLE

Stevens, Eric, The Classic. Pgs. 94. Darbycrekk, 2013. $23.95. Content: Language: PG (4 swears, no “f”s), Mature Content: PG, Violence: PG.

Eddie King wants to be a drag racer like his MIA dead. In his yard, he has ’69 Chevy Camaro and he want to fix it up. When his dad reappears with a carburetor and wants to help him fix it up. With his dad’s history, however, Eddie doesn’t know what his dad’s true motives are. Is his dad here to stay? Where did the carburetor come from?

Reluctant readers will connect with the realistic characters and bittersweet plot. Fans of drag racing, cars, and family problems will enjoy reading this book. MS, HS. ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Jessica Moody, Library Media Specialist, Olympus Jr. High.

Prisoner 88 by Leah Pileggi ADVISABLE

Pileggi, Leah Prisoner 88, 142 pgs. 2013. Charlesbridge Publishing; $16.95. Language: PG (5 swears no Fs); Violence: PG; Mature Content: G.  

In 1885 Idaho, 10-year-old Jake has been sentenced to prison for killing a man.  Although the prison is over-crowded, Jake has a small cell to himself, but he is not safe from the violence and hardships that are part of prison life.  

Based on a real life prisoner, Pileggi captures the child’s perspective as she tells the story through Jake’s voice.  A little violent (fighting and animal death) and mild swearing, this would be a nice addition to either the Elementary or Middle School library.  

EL MS ADVISABLE Lisa Librarian

Deck the Halls, We're Off the Walls by Dan Gutman - ESSENTIAL

Gutman, Dan  Deck the Halls, We’re Off the Walls, 105 pgs. Illustrated by Jim Paillot  Harper, 2013.  $4.99  Content: PG (idea that Santa is not real).  

A.J. is going to see Santa at the mall.  He took the beard off of Santa and all these kids were in line and the parents got mad at him.   A.J. was running away from the mad parents and he met a rapper in the bathroom.  They switched places so the rapper could get away from the girls and AJ could get away from the parents.   AJ ended up singing a song as the rapper.  In the end they go back to their own identities.  

I liked it because it was funny when they tricked everyone. They all brought their ugly sweaters to the mall. I like how there where games and puzzles at the end. I loved it so much. 

EL-ESSENTIAL.  Reviewer:  Isabelle, age 10.     

The Waffler by Gail Donovan - ESSENTIAL

Donovan, Gail The Waffler, 215 pgs. Dial Books for Young Readers, 2013. $16.99. Language: G(0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: G; 

Monty just can’t seem to make up his mind about anything and it is driving everyone around him crazy.  Will this 4th grader ever be able to make a decision, and when he finally does, will he have the courage to stick with it?  I didn’t think that I would love this book, but I did.  It is a simple story about unlikely friendships, kindness, and making a difference.  A great read-aloud for lower grades.  

EL(K-3), EL – ESSENTIAL.  Holly, Elementary Librarian.

From Norvelt to Nowhere by Jack Gantos - - ESSENTIAL

Gantos, Jack From Norvelt to Nowhere, 278 pgs. 2013. Farrar Straus Giroux; $16.99. Language: G; Violence: PG; Mature Content: PG.  

Young Jack Gantos returns in this laugh-filled sequel.  Life didn’t get back to normal in Norvelt, in fact, when Mrs. Custard returns from Utah, she becomes the next victim of the Old Lady killer.  When Miss Volker asks Jack to join her on a pilgrimage to visit the gravesite of Eleanor Roosevelt, the short trip turns into an odyssey crossing the Eastern US while avoiding Mr. Spizz, a couple of detectives, and other dangers. Old Ladies should not carry guns!  

This book is a continuation of Dead End in Norvelt, and I recommend you read that one first even though Gantos does a good job of filling in the reader.  A good clean read, action packed and plenty of history lessons, this is an Essential pick for your library.  A great boy book that girls will love, too.  EL MS ESSENTIAL Lisa Librarian

Twerp by Mark Goldblatt - ESSENTIAL

Goldblatt, Mark Twerp, 274 pg., Random House Children’s Books, 2013. $16.99. Language: PG (5 swears, 0 “f”); Content: G; Violence: G.

Sixth grader, Julian Twerski, nicknamed Twerp by his best friend, Lonnie, is newly back to school after a week-long suspension -- for what, we don’t know. His English teacher offers him a chance to write something, “and it has to be long,” in order to waive a report on Julius Caesar, and the reader suspects it’s also for an underlying reason, of which Julian seems fully aware. Julian accepts the offer, and in an effort to sidetrack from the real objective, chooses to review parts of his life with his friends -- all the while leading up to the story his teacher really wants to hear. Through it all, he worries about protecting his spot as the fastest kid in school. 

The tone was so personal, I sometimes felt I was in a private conversation with Julian. Of course, the whole story is leading up to the sad thing that happened to Danley Dimmel. You’ll smile, you’ll laugh, and probably cry, as Julian grows up, builds character, and learns to think for himself. A great book with well-drawn characters, a book that will find a home with readers of all ages, was inspired by the author’s childhood in Queens, New York. When I got to the end, I just wanted to hug the author for writing the book.

MS -- ESSENTIAL, HS -- ADVISABLE.  Reviewed by A. Curtis

Calvin Coconut: Extra Famous by Graham Salisbury - ADVISABLE

Salisbury, Graham Calvin Coconut: Extra Famous, 161 pgs. Wendy Lamb Books; 2013. $12.99. Language: G; Violence: PG; Mature Content: G.  

4th Grader Calvin and his friends have the opportunity to be extras in a zombie movie.  Benny’s uncle is a real life movie producer and he’s filming on their local beach.  But Benny is such a liar, can the kids trust that everything he tells them is true?  

Book 9 in the series brings the friends together again for another fun adventure.  Well written for the elementary boys, this series (and this story) will not disappoint.  Wanna make a movie?  EL ADVISABLE Lisa Librarian

The Counterfeit Family of Vee Crawford-Wong by Holland - OPTIONAL

Holland, L. Tam The Counterfeit Family of Vee Crawford-Wong, 357 pgs. Simon-Schuster, 2013.  $17.99. Language: swears, 53+, 22+“f”, Mature Content: R; Violence G.

 

Vee is a typical teenager or not so typical.  He has a crush on one of the hottest girls in the school, wants to make the basketball team, gets into fights, and could be a good student, but isn’t.  He isn’t too tall or too short, too thin or too fat, but some mixture in-between which he credits to genetics, half-Chinese, half-American. An only child of a Chinese father and a white mother, he has no aunts, uncles, cousins, and his parents never talk about his grandparents or their past.  Throughout the book, Vee struggles to figure out who he is and where he belongs. When his history teacher assigns an essay on family history, Vee knows he’s in trouble.  Since his parents won’t talk about the past, using Google and Wikipedia to create a family story seems the only way to complete the assignment.  After he turns in the fabricated family history, things seem to go down hill quickly.  With a desperate desire to find family, Vee engages the help of a Chinese friend, to forge a letter from his estranged grandparents inviting his parents and their grandson (Vee) to visit them in China. His dad is very surprised to receive this letter, but agrees to take the family to China. The story intensifies as the family arrives in China, and Vee begins to consider all the pain he may cause by his deceit.

While I found it curious that a teenage boy would be so consumed with wanting to know his ancestors, the main character and the plot are well-developed and the story is engaging. Vee experiences a lot of character growth as he reflects on his self-centered behavior. He draws good conclusions, learns the difference between lust and love, that we shouldn’t put people in boxes, and that we create our own happiness. The author laid this out without seeming too preachy. , Overall, I enjoyed the book. However, the cover and theme would require pushing to a teenage audience, and because of the two sexual scenes, and number of swears and the F word, for which I gave an R rating, it may be best left for public libraries.

HS-OPTIONAL. Reviewer J. Truman