The Notorious Benedict Arnold
by Steve Sheinkin
If you're like me, you probably know that Benedict Arnold was a traitor. But that's all you know. You don't know when. You don't know why. You're not sure he really lived at all, and if he did, what happened to him afterwards? And was he really a traitor? This fascinating biography answers all the questions, taking the reader through an exciting adventure of a man from Connecticut who rebuilt his family's fortune and, not only volunteered to fight with the rebels against the British in the Revolutionary War, but took it upon himself to gather the New Haven militia and march toward Boston. Once there, he was immediately declared a colonel and sent on a "secret mission" in Ticonderoga, in upper New York. He was a living action figure. His confidence, ego, and stubborness lead him from one battle scene to another and made him a hero to those who favored him. Those same traits also brought envy, disdain, and revenge from those he offended. Due to damaging rumors, as well as being overlooked by Congress when major generals were being named, Arnold fought to save his reputation and honor. He had the support of General Washington, but ultimately, Arnold began looking for other ways to get the recognition and attention he craved. An alternating story woven through Arnold's is one of a young British soldier by the name of John Andre. The reader follows both men until their paths intersect and bring an unexpected conclusion to this treacherous story. This book won the 2011 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Nonfiction and the 2012 YALSA Award for Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction. It is highly recommended to readers in grades 7 and up, and adults, and those interested in biographies and history. The battle scenes are detailed with first person accounts. One thing that sticks out for me was the gentlemanly conduct exhibited by both sides, as rules of war prisoners were honorably followed. Imagine today a captured soldier marching himself hundreds of miles to a location where he would then pay his own way at a tavern and stay until he received further orders!
by Steve Sheinkin
If you're like me, you probably know that Benedict Arnold was a traitor. But that's all you know. You don't know when. You don't know why. You're not sure he really lived at all, and if he did, what happened to him afterwards? And was he really a traitor? This fascinating biography answers all the questions, taking the reader through an exciting adventure of a man from Connecticut who rebuilt his family's fortune and, not only volunteered to fight with the rebels against the British in the Revolutionary War, but took it upon himself to gather the New Haven militia and march toward Boston. Once there, he was immediately declared a colonel and sent on a "secret mission" in Ticonderoga, in upper New York. He was a living action figure. His confidence, ego, and stubborness lead him from one battle scene to another and made him a hero to those who favored him. Those same traits also brought envy, disdain, and revenge from those he offended. Due to damaging rumors, as well as being overlooked by Congress when major generals were being named, Arnold fought to save his reputation and honor. He had the support of General Washington, but ultimately, Arnold began looking for other ways to get the recognition and attention he craved. An alternating story woven through Arnold's is one of a young British soldier by the name of John Andre. The reader follows both men until their paths intersect and bring an unexpected conclusion to this treacherous story. This book won the 2011 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Nonfiction and the 2012 YALSA Award for Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction. It is highly recommended to readers in grades 7 and up, and adults, and those interested in biographies and history. The battle scenes are detailed with first person accounts. One thing that sticks out for me was the gentlemanly conduct exhibited by both sides, as rules of war prisoners were honorably followed. Imagine today a captured soldier marching himself hundreds of miles to a location where he would then pay his own way at a tavern and stay until he received further orders!
The True Meaning of Smekday
by Adam Rex
This is a fun, humorous science fiction story told from the point of view of 11-1/2 year old Gratuity Tucci who is writing an essay for a contest about the True meaning of Smekday. Smekday, it turns out, is the day when planet earth was taken over by aliens known as the Boov. It is also the day in which Gratuity's mother is abducted. The essay Gratuity initially composes leads up to the point where she has started to drive herself and her cat "Pig" from Pennsylvania to Florida, where the Boov have decided all people shall live. However, her teacher requests that she add more background information to the story, which is how the rest of the book is generated. Gratuity meets a Boov, who calls himself "JLo", at gas station soon after she leaves home. Although initially trying to avoid him, he comes to her aid by making "improvements" to her car (affectionately known as "Slucious") so that it can hover. He also hitchhikes a ride, since, it turns out, he has botched an antenna job assigned him and inadvertently led the aggressive Gorg right to the planet. The road trip to the "Happy Mouse Kingdom" is entertaining as Human, Boov, and Cat interact with each other (it turns out cats love the Boov because of their fishy scent), and a friendship begins to develop between Gratuity and JLo. Upon reaching Florida, they learn that the Boov liked the "Happy Mouse Kingdom" so much that humans have been relocated to Arizona. The road trip continues to Arizona, where Gratuity learns her mother may be living. Interesting characters are introduced in Florida and Arizona that come in handy as the fight against the aliens inevitably occurs. The book includes the bi-racial character of Gratuity and is very clean overall. Profanity is beeped out or she says "pardon my language" where it does occur. Cartoons are included since JLo likes to draw pictures. Appropriate for grades 5-8 and is wonderful to listen to on audiobook - it is the winner of 2011 Odyssey award for best produced audiobook for children and/or young adults that year.
by Adam Rex
This is a fun, humorous science fiction story told from the point of view of 11-1/2 year old Gratuity Tucci who is writing an essay for a contest about the True meaning of Smekday. Smekday, it turns out, is the day when planet earth was taken over by aliens known as the Boov. It is also the day in which Gratuity's mother is abducted. The essay Gratuity initially composes leads up to the point where she has started to drive herself and her cat "Pig" from Pennsylvania to Florida, where the Boov have decided all people shall live. However, her teacher requests that she add more background information to the story, which is how the rest of the book is generated. Gratuity meets a Boov, who calls himself "JLo", at gas station soon after she leaves home. Although initially trying to avoid him, he comes to her aid by making "improvements" to her car (affectionately known as "Slucious") so that it can hover. He also hitchhikes a ride, since, it turns out, he has botched an antenna job assigned him and inadvertently led the aggressive Gorg right to the planet. The road trip to the "Happy Mouse Kingdom" is entertaining as Human, Boov, and Cat interact with each other (it turns out cats love the Boov because of their fishy scent), and a friendship begins to develop between Gratuity and JLo. Upon reaching Florida, they learn that the Boov liked the "Happy Mouse Kingdom" so much that humans have been relocated to Arizona. The road trip continues to Arizona, where Gratuity learns her mother may be living. Interesting characters are introduced in Florida and Arizona that come in handy as the fight against the aliens inevitably occurs. The book includes the bi-racial character of Gratuity and is very clean overall. Profanity is beeped out or she says "pardon my language" where it does occur. Cartoons are included since JLo likes to draw pictures. Appropriate for grades 5-8 and is wonderful to listen to on audiobook - it is the winner of 2011 Odyssey award for best produced audiobook for children and/or young adults that year.
The White Devil
by Justin Evans
17-year-old American Andrew Taylor is sent to the Harrow School in London to finish his secondary schooling following some behavioral issues, including drug and alcohol use, at his school in the states. Andrew is trying to stay on the straight and narrow to please his father, but immediately finds himself in the middle of trouble when he discovers the body of a schoolmate, his first friend, outdoors on a dark path, dead of a previously undetected condition. His school peers think Andrew murdered him, but Andrew is beginning to think it may have to do with the legend of the Lot ghost that is supposed to reside in his school house.
In charge of his house is newly hired, Piers Fawkes, a renowned poet, who has been given a commission to write a school production about Lord Byron, a former Harrow School alumnus. Andrew is quickly cast as Byron due to his uncanny resemblance to the famed Scottish poet. But there is more - there seems to be some sort of connection between Byron and himself, and the ghost won't let him alone. Andrew, along with Fawkes and the library archivist Judith Kahn, find themselves in a race against time to identify the ghost and find out why he is attacking those close to Andrew – the boy who lives in the next room and Andrew's new girlfriend Persephone are the latest victims when they become sick with tuberculosis. Is there really an outbreak at the school as the authorities believe, or has the ghost made the others as ill as he was before he died?
The audiobook is excellent. Narrator Steve West manages the many and various accents of the characters, as well as voices of both sexes, with seemingly little effort. It would seem he has picked up on every nuance and emotion as the author intended delivering a performance to this fast-paced story that quickly sucks the listener in and hopes won’t end. The White Devil (the name comes from a play that the ghost acted in while attending Harrow centuries previous) is highly recommended for those who enjoy mysteries and ghost stories. Due to mature themes of premarital sex, alcohol, and homosexuality, it is most suitable for older teens and adults.
by Justin Evans
17-year-old American Andrew Taylor is sent to the Harrow School in London to finish his secondary schooling following some behavioral issues, including drug and alcohol use, at his school in the states. Andrew is trying to stay on the straight and narrow to please his father, but immediately finds himself in the middle of trouble when he discovers the body of a schoolmate, his first friend, outdoors on a dark path, dead of a previously undetected condition. His school peers think Andrew murdered him, but Andrew is beginning to think it may have to do with the legend of the Lot ghost that is supposed to reside in his school house.
In charge of his house is newly hired, Piers Fawkes, a renowned poet, who has been given a commission to write a school production about Lord Byron, a former Harrow School alumnus. Andrew is quickly cast as Byron due to his uncanny resemblance to the famed Scottish poet. But there is more - there seems to be some sort of connection between Byron and himself, and the ghost won't let him alone. Andrew, along with Fawkes and the library archivist Judith Kahn, find themselves in a race against time to identify the ghost and find out why he is attacking those close to Andrew – the boy who lives in the next room and Andrew's new girlfriend Persephone are the latest victims when they become sick with tuberculosis. Is there really an outbreak at the school as the authorities believe, or has the ghost made the others as ill as he was before he died?
The audiobook is excellent. Narrator Steve West manages the many and various accents of the characters, as well as voices of both sexes, with seemingly little effort. It would seem he has picked up on every nuance and emotion as the author intended delivering a performance to this fast-paced story that quickly sucks the listener in and hopes won’t end. The White Devil (the name comes from a play that the ghost acted in while attending Harrow centuries previous) is highly recommended for those who enjoy mysteries and ghost stories. Due to mature themes of premarital sex, alcohol, and homosexuality, it is most suitable for older teens and adults.
What Came From the Stars
by Gary D. Schmidt
On a distant planet, the Ethelim are fighting to protect their city from the O'Mondim who are rapidly taking control. The Valorim, who initially came to the planet and rebuilt the city for the Ethelim, and protected them following catastrophic events that nearly killed them all, are forging all their art into a chain before they are killed. The chain is sent out into space to keep it away from the O'Mondim, in hope against hope that their song, art, and story might live on after they all have died. The chain ends up in the lunchbox of 6th grader Tommy Pepper in Plymouth, Massachussetts, who immediately begins to feel the effects of its power. On Earth, his mother has just died and his little sister refuses to speak. His father is fighting a real-estate agency trying to build condominiums on the land in front of their home on the ocean. Things get really crazy when Tommy's teacher suddenly goes missing and no one at the school seems to even remember him. In his place is a new teacher, Mr. Pilgrim Way, who wants what Tommy has. The question is whether Tommy can hold out against him and the strange faceless O'Mondim that he created from the sand. Chapters alternate between Tommy's story on Earth and the action happening on that far planet with two suns.
As with any Science Fiction book, the reader must absorb a lot of background information and history about the other world in order to understand it. The language used on the other planet was very confusing for me to read. I eventually recognized words and could figure out meanings of others by the context, but these chapters of the book tended to bore me at first. By the end though, I understood what was happening on that other planet, though I probably still could not tell you characters' names! What I didn't realize until I finished the book is that there is a glossary in the back that explains all those strange words. I wish I had been able to refer to it as I read! A map is also included of the other world, as well as Plymouth. Science Fiction fans in grades 6-9 will enjoy this.
by Gary D. Schmidt
On a distant planet, the Ethelim are fighting to protect their city from the O'Mondim who are rapidly taking control. The Valorim, who initially came to the planet and rebuilt the city for the Ethelim, and protected them following catastrophic events that nearly killed them all, are forging all their art into a chain before they are killed. The chain is sent out into space to keep it away from the O'Mondim, in hope against hope that their song, art, and story might live on after they all have died. The chain ends up in the lunchbox of 6th grader Tommy Pepper in Plymouth, Massachussetts, who immediately begins to feel the effects of its power. On Earth, his mother has just died and his little sister refuses to speak. His father is fighting a real-estate agency trying to build condominiums on the land in front of their home on the ocean. Things get really crazy when Tommy's teacher suddenly goes missing and no one at the school seems to even remember him. In his place is a new teacher, Mr. Pilgrim Way, who wants what Tommy has. The question is whether Tommy can hold out against him and the strange faceless O'Mondim that he created from the sand. Chapters alternate between Tommy's story on Earth and the action happening on that far planet with two suns.
As with any Science Fiction book, the reader must absorb a lot of background information and history about the other world in order to understand it. The language used on the other planet was very confusing for me to read. I eventually recognized words and could figure out meanings of others by the context, but these chapters of the book tended to bore me at first. By the end though, I understood what was happening on that other planet, though I probably still could not tell you characters' names! What I didn't realize until I finished the book is that there is a glossary in the back that explains all those strange words. I wish I had been able to refer to it as I read! A map is also included of the other world, as well as Plymouth. Science Fiction fans in grades 6-9 will enjoy this.
Lies, Knives, and Girls in Red Dresses
by Ron Koertge
Sleeping Beauty? Just another narcoleptic with a pretty
face if you ask me. But everybody knows her story:
the curse, the nap that lasts a hundred years, the prince.
Old news. My story is much more interesting.
Ron Koertge offers updated retellings of 23 familiar fairy tales of princes and Happily Ever Afters. Bringing the reader inside the thoughts of the stepsisters, Rapunzel and her Prince, and even Thumbelina's mole, Koertge shows us what was really going on behind Castle walls. And what is it really like in Ever After where the weather is perfect and the fireworks light themselves? Clever poems will appeal to those who enjoy fairy tales, but beware! These are not the sweet Disney versions. Profanity and sexual innuendo prevails. Easy to read and accompanied by gruesome black-and-white illustrations, this is appropriate for grades 8 and up.
by Ron Koertge
Sleeping Beauty? Just another narcoleptic with a pretty
face if you ask me. But everybody knows her story:
the curse, the nap that lasts a hundred years, the prince.
Old news. My story is much more interesting.
Ron Koertge offers updated retellings of 23 familiar fairy tales of princes and Happily Ever Afters. Bringing the reader inside the thoughts of the stepsisters, Rapunzel and her Prince, and even Thumbelina's mole, Koertge shows us what was really going on behind Castle walls. And what is it really like in Ever After where the weather is perfect and the fireworks light themselves? Clever poems will appeal to those who enjoy fairy tales, but beware! These are not the sweet Disney versions. Profanity and sexual innuendo prevails. Easy to read and accompanied by gruesome black-and-white illustrations, this is appropriate for grades 8 and up.
The Marbury Lens
by Andrew Smith
16-year-old Jack is kidnapped following a party at his best friend Connor's house where he got very drunk. While sleeping it off on a park bench, he is offered a ride by a medical doctor, but instead of taking him home, Jack is taken to the doctor's house where he is tied to a bed and drugged. Jack manages to escape two days later, after suffering torture and near rape at the hands of his captor. He tells only Connor, wanting to forget the whole thing, However, the next night, he and Connor spot the doctor's car by a bar. Connor wants revenge, but things get out-of-control when the doctor is accidentally killed after the boys attempt to expose him. Jack and Connor agree to leave on a planned trip to England a few days later and hope the police will never discover their involvement with the now revealed repeat sex-offender of young boys. In England, Jack is given a strange pair of purple glasses which transport him to an alternate world called Marbury, where he attempts to save two young boys from cannibalistic "devils". Connor becomes increasingly worried about Jack's strange behavior as his visits to Marbury become more addictive. The end of the story suggests a sequel, which is called "Passenger". This is a long and complicated story and dragged a little for me in the middle when Jack made his visits to Marbury. I could never figure out if Marbury was a real place or only a place in Jack's imagination, but maybe that is for each reader to decide. The book is full of drinking, sex, and profanity. It will appeal to readers in grades 10 and up who enjoy horror and fantasy. The audiobook is very good and makes it easy to get sucked into the story.
by Andrew Smith
16-year-old Jack is kidnapped following a party at his best friend Connor's house where he got very drunk. While sleeping it off on a park bench, he is offered a ride by a medical doctor, but instead of taking him home, Jack is taken to the doctor's house where he is tied to a bed and drugged. Jack manages to escape two days later, after suffering torture and near rape at the hands of his captor. He tells only Connor, wanting to forget the whole thing, However, the next night, he and Connor spot the doctor's car by a bar. Connor wants revenge, but things get out-of-control when the doctor is accidentally killed after the boys attempt to expose him. Jack and Connor agree to leave on a planned trip to England a few days later and hope the police will never discover their involvement with the now revealed repeat sex-offender of young boys. In England, Jack is given a strange pair of purple glasses which transport him to an alternate world called Marbury, where he attempts to save two young boys from cannibalistic "devils". Connor becomes increasingly worried about Jack's strange behavior as his visits to Marbury become more addictive. The end of the story suggests a sequel, which is called "Passenger". This is a long and complicated story and dragged a little for me in the middle when Jack made his visits to Marbury. I could never figure out if Marbury was a real place or only a place in Jack's imagination, but maybe that is for each reader to decide. The book is full of drinking, sex, and profanity. It will appeal to readers in grades 10 and up who enjoy horror and fantasy. The audiobook is very good and makes it easy to get sucked into the story.
The Race to Save the Lord God Bird
by Phillip Hoose
Winner of numerous book awards, this is an intriguing account of how the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, also known as the Lord God Bird, became extinct. On my reading list for several years now, I finally got around to finishing it when my interest was once again piqued after reading Where Things Come Back, a fictional story in which the bird has been sighted. The Race to Save... chronicles the bird from the years when there was a fairly abundant population, to relatively recent years when it became a tragically rare bird that could not be saved. The quickly dwindling number of birds becomes a very personal story for the reader. There are many factors that contribute to this, including fads like wearing plumes in hats, and hunters who locate specimens for museums and personal collectors. This heartbreaking story is told using maps showing the diminishing habitat, photographs of the people who dedicated their lives to the woodpecker, the places where they lived, and the beautiful bird itself. The reader learns not only about the woodpecker, but also how the methods of studying birds have changed through the years. Learning about the necessary environment needed for an Ivory-billed Woodpecker to survive was the key to discovering why it was becoming extinct. A backstory about the creation of the Audubon Society during this period is included. Efforts were made to stop the loggers who supplied wood for the Singer sewing machine company, as well as for wooden boxes (coffins and tea boxes) for WWII. The southern forests were critical habitats for the bird, but with no alternate solution in sight, the destruction of its habitat and depletion of its food supply ultimately led to the birds' demise. The last confirmed sighting of the bird was in Cuba in 1986. Recent bird sightings by reputable eyewitnesses has led to much excitement, but has not been substantiated by any proof. The bird is thought to be extinct in both US and Cuba. This story will appeal to bird lovers and those interested in conservation in grades 6- adult.
by Phillip Hoose
Winner of numerous book awards, this is an intriguing account of how the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, also known as the Lord God Bird, became extinct. On my reading list for several years now, I finally got around to finishing it when my interest was once again piqued after reading Where Things Come Back, a fictional story in which the bird has been sighted. The Race to Save... chronicles the bird from the years when there was a fairly abundant population, to relatively recent years when it became a tragically rare bird that could not be saved. The quickly dwindling number of birds becomes a very personal story for the reader. There are many factors that contribute to this, including fads like wearing plumes in hats, and hunters who locate specimens for museums and personal collectors. This heartbreaking story is told using maps showing the diminishing habitat, photographs of the people who dedicated their lives to the woodpecker, the places where they lived, and the beautiful bird itself. The reader learns not only about the woodpecker, but also how the methods of studying birds have changed through the years. Learning about the necessary environment needed for an Ivory-billed Woodpecker to survive was the key to discovering why it was becoming extinct. A backstory about the creation of the Audubon Society during this period is included. Efforts were made to stop the loggers who supplied wood for the Singer sewing machine company, as well as for wooden boxes (coffins and tea boxes) for WWII. The southern forests were critical habitats for the bird, but with no alternate solution in sight, the destruction of its habitat and depletion of its food supply ultimately led to the birds' demise. The last confirmed sighting of the bird was in Cuba in 1986. Recent bird sightings by reputable eyewitnesses has led to much excitement, but has not been substantiated by any proof. The bird is thought to be extinct in both US and Cuba. This story will appeal to bird lovers and those interested in conservation in grades 6- adult.
Factotum
by D.M. Cornish
This is book 3 in the "Monster Blood Tattoo" series, bringing to conclusion Rossamund's tale beginning as an orphan at Madam Opera's Estimable Marine Society for Foundling Boys and Girls, his training as a lamplighter, and ending with his journey as factotum for the fulgar Europe, a duchess-in-waiting, who slays monsters. Sympathetic to monsters, Rossamund has been called out by Swill, the conniving and sinister Master-of-Clerks, who makes an argument that he is, well . . . a rossamund. Which is to say, he's accused of being a monster in man's form, and is forced to give his blood to make a tattoo which would prove it. Rescued from his accusers by the always impressive Europe, the pair travel the Half-Continent slaying monsters. Rumors of what he is plague and follow the two, however, and both Rossamund and Europe discover that there are forces aligned against them that will stop at nothing to get what they want. What these villains do not count on, however, is that an angry Europe is far more deadly than a pack of slavering monsters. As with the other two books in the series, a well-stocked glossary is included at the back of the books, and detailed maps and character illustrations are scattered throughout. Both are essential to the story. While the story wraps up nicely (one that seems to be as much about Europe as Rossamund in this book), I'm not convinced that another series might not be in the works for Rossamund. This is recommended for readers of fantasy grades 9 through adult.
by D.M. Cornish
This is book 3 in the "Monster Blood Tattoo" series, bringing to conclusion Rossamund's tale beginning as an orphan at Madam Opera's Estimable Marine Society for Foundling Boys and Girls, his training as a lamplighter, and ending with his journey as factotum for the fulgar Europe, a duchess-in-waiting, who slays monsters. Sympathetic to monsters, Rossamund has been called out by Swill, the conniving and sinister Master-of-Clerks, who makes an argument that he is, well . . . a rossamund. Which is to say, he's accused of being a monster in man's form, and is forced to give his blood to make a tattoo which would prove it. Rescued from his accusers by the always impressive Europe, the pair travel the Half-Continent slaying monsters. Rumors of what he is plague and follow the two, however, and both Rossamund and Europe discover that there are forces aligned against them that will stop at nothing to get what they want. What these villains do not count on, however, is that an angry Europe is far more deadly than a pack of slavering monsters. As with the other two books in the series, a well-stocked glossary is included at the back of the books, and detailed maps and character illustrations are scattered throughout. Both are essential to the story. While the story wraps up nicely (one that seems to be as much about Europe as Rossamund in this book), I'm not convinced that another series might not be in the works for Rossamund. This is recommended for readers of fantasy grades 9 through adult.
Stupid Fast
by Geoff Herbach
Felton Reinstein is a 16-year-old “friendless squirrel nut” until a growth spirt during the spring suddenly makes him 7” taller and 40 pounds heavier, and he finds that he can run “stupid fast”. Immediately the coach and jocks from school take notice and want him to begin training for football. And, a beautiful African American girl, living with her father in his best friend Gus’s house while the family is in Venezuela, likes him! Things aren’t going so well on the home front, however. Felton’s mom, Jerri, is having a breakdown though he's not sure what set her off. Since his father committed suicide 10 years prior, Felton and his 13-year-old brother Andrew are left to fend for themselves during her bouts of extreme selfishness. It is obvious that Andrew suffers from his mother’s neglect. As well, she had made him stop playing piano, his most beloved hobby. As a result, Andrew becomes preoccupied with fire and dressing like a pirate. Staying away from home as much as possible, Felton throws himself into his workouts, while also performing Gus's paper route, and spending as much time with his girlfriend as possible, even though he knows he should probably call his grandmother for help. He has a memory, though, that prevents him from doing this. Readers will appreciate the satisfying conclusion for the boys. Recommended for readers in grades 9 and up who enjoy realistic fiction and a terrific male voice. This is not a sports story, but rather a story that mentions sports, so this probably isn't for the sports fanatic. It is humorous and it is serious, but don't let the cover fool you into believing it is about football. This is also really fun to listen to on audio. In fact, I think it works better as an audio due to the writing style and because the narrator is so animated. He immediately sucks the listener in, and it's so funny as well, I guarantee that it will be hard to turn off.
by Geoff Herbach
Felton Reinstein is a 16-year-old “friendless squirrel nut” until a growth spirt during the spring suddenly makes him 7” taller and 40 pounds heavier, and he finds that he can run “stupid fast”. Immediately the coach and jocks from school take notice and want him to begin training for football. And, a beautiful African American girl, living with her father in his best friend Gus’s house while the family is in Venezuela, likes him! Things aren’t going so well on the home front, however. Felton’s mom, Jerri, is having a breakdown though he's not sure what set her off. Since his father committed suicide 10 years prior, Felton and his 13-year-old brother Andrew are left to fend for themselves during her bouts of extreme selfishness. It is obvious that Andrew suffers from his mother’s neglect. As well, she had made him stop playing piano, his most beloved hobby. As a result, Andrew becomes preoccupied with fire and dressing like a pirate. Staying away from home as much as possible, Felton throws himself into his workouts, while also performing Gus's paper route, and spending as much time with his girlfriend as possible, even though he knows he should probably call his grandmother for help. He has a memory, though, that prevents him from doing this. Readers will appreciate the satisfying conclusion for the boys. Recommended for readers in grades 9 and up who enjoy realistic fiction and a terrific male voice. This is not a sports story, but rather a story that mentions sports, so this probably isn't for the sports fanatic. It is humorous and it is serious, but don't let the cover fool you into believing it is about football. This is also really fun to listen to on audio. In fact, I think it works better as an audio due to the writing style and because the narrator is so animated. He immediately sucks the listener in, and it's so funny as well, I guarantee that it will be hard to turn off.
Rotters
by Daniel Kraus
When 16-year-old Joey’s mother is killed by a bus in Chicago, he is sent to live with a father he’s never met in Iowa. The kids at his new school immediately begin to bully him, and the teachers wrongly assume he is a trouble-maker and poor student when they find out he is the “garbage man’s” son. Everything about his father and his cabin reeks. Joey is left alone for days with no food, no transportation to school, and no idea what his father really does during his trips away. He attempts to keep some semblance of his previous life in Chicago - maintaining his straight-A status and playing trumpet with the school band. But his best efforts are thwarted by an unaccepting community. He leaves frantic, pleading messages with his best friend in Chicago, who thinks Joey is over-reacting and eventually tells him to stop calling. Gradually he learns that his father is a grave robber, and eager for something and someone to fill the void of his now empty life, Joey is trained by his father how to steal valuables from graves while leaving the plot seemingly untouched. It turns out this requires a lot of skill involving strength, speed, stealthiness, and cleverness. Joey is introduced to a nationwide society of grave robbers, the last of their generation, as he and his father travel across the country stealing from the dead. This suspenseful and emotional tale will not only surprise you, but keep you wondering how anything good can come out of it. Awarded the 2012 Odyssey Award winner for best audio, this book is appropriate for readers in grades 9 and up who enjoy a complicated journey as everything a boy was is stripped away and filled with something so unexpected. Filled with multiple memorable characters, this is highly recommended (especially as an audio!).
by Daniel Kraus
When 16-year-old Joey’s mother is killed by a bus in Chicago, he is sent to live with a father he’s never met in Iowa. The kids at his new school immediately begin to bully him, and the teachers wrongly assume he is a trouble-maker and poor student when they find out he is the “garbage man’s” son. Everything about his father and his cabin reeks. Joey is left alone for days with no food, no transportation to school, and no idea what his father really does during his trips away. He attempts to keep some semblance of his previous life in Chicago - maintaining his straight-A status and playing trumpet with the school band. But his best efforts are thwarted by an unaccepting community. He leaves frantic, pleading messages with his best friend in Chicago, who thinks Joey is over-reacting and eventually tells him to stop calling. Gradually he learns that his father is a grave robber, and eager for something and someone to fill the void of his now empty life, Joey is trained by his father how to steal valuables from graves while leaving the plot seemingly untouched. It turns out this requires a lot of skill involving strength, speed, stealthiness, and cleverness. Joey is introduced to a nationwide society of grave robbers, the last of their generation, as he and his father travel across the country stealing from the dead. This suspenseful and emotional tale will not only surprise you, but keep you wondering how anything good can come out of it. Awarded the 2012 Odyssey Award winner for best audio, this book is appropriate for readers in grades 9 and up who enjoy a complicated journey as everything a boy was is stripped away and filled with something so unexpected. Filled with multiple memorable characters, this is highly recommended (especially as an audio!).