Bruiser

Neal Shusterman is on my top 5 young adult author list. My students and I love all of his books. I couldn’t wait to read his newest book, Bruiser. I had a difficult time putting this book down even when I knew I needed to get some sleep. This book is narrated by four of the main characters. Sixteen-year-old Tennyson starts off by telling the readers that he isn’t happy with his twin sister’s choice in boyfriends. He is going to keep his eye on both of them. Brontë, Tennyson’s twin, explains why she is attracted to Brewster (nicknamed Bruiser) – it’s an underdog thing – she is determined to help improve his image. Along the way, she falls in love. Brewster, or Bruiser, is a large guy with a bad reputation and rough home life. He has a special gift that helps those he cares about…ultimately, it could destroy him. Cody, Bruiser’s eight-year-old brother, has been protected by his older brother his entire life. I love that each chapter starts off with a SAT-type vocabulary word…the twins’ parents are college professors, hence, their literary names. This book will make you reflect on mankind’s natural instinct for peace and wellbeing. Neal Shusterman’s works include Unwind, Antsy Does Time, Everlost, Everwild, The Schwa Was Here, and the Dark Fusion series. Click on the video below to learn more about Neal Shusterman.

Dizzy in Your Eyes: Poems about Love

Pat Mora’s Dizzy in Your Eyes: Poems about Love is a must have in a middle school library collection. The Hispanic author does a fantastic job of explaining the different types of poems in this collection. The fifty poems in this book model the many different types of relationships in which we experience love in our lives. Her poetry expresses all stages of love as well. Pat Mora’s other works include two award-winning picture books: Doña Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart and Tomás and the Library Lady.

One of the Survivors

One of the Survivors is the latest realistic fiction book from Susan Shaw. Fourteen-year-old Joey Campbell has been through a lot in his short life. There was a deadly fire at his high school. Joey and his best friend, Maureen, were the only survivors from his class. Now everyone believes that he and Maureen must have started the fire, because they knew to leave the classroom. A year and half before the school fire, Joey’s mother perished in a house fire trying to save their family cat. He wishes he could have stopped her. Joey constantly thinks about his friends from class, their unique personalities, and their lifeless bodies as they were carried out of the school by the firemen. Could it be worse to be one of the survivors? His father asks him to write in a journal to help him handle all of it. This is a quick read that alternates between journal entries and Joey’s recollections. Other great reads by Susan Shaw include Safe, The Boy from the Basement, and Black-eyed Susie.

Beautiful Dead: Jonas

Eden Maguire’s Beautiful Dead: Jonas is a great recommendation for Twilight fans although there are no vampires in this story. Four teenagers from one high school have died in different accidents in one year. The most recent death has left Darina mourning the loss of the love of her life, Phoenix. She soon discovers that these teens’ souls are in limbo somewhere between heaven and earth for one year’s time. Jonas’s death was the first and his soul will be trapped unless Darina can find out exactly what caused his fatal accident before the one year anniversary of his death. Darina’s only hope is Zoey, Jonas’s girlfriend. Zoey survived the tragic accident, but is left unable to walk and has no memory of the accident itself. This novel is filled with romance and suspense. The series will continue with book #2 – Beautiful Dead: Arizona – which comes out on October 5th.

The Demon King

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima is a fantasy of epic proportions rich in characters and setting. It is on the Texas Lone Star reading list 2010. Chima’s earlier works include the popular Heir series (Warrior Heir, Wizard Heir, and Dragon Heir). The Seven Realms are in turmoil with war and hunger. Han Alister, a young man from the wrong side of the tracks, has had to fight for everything his family has. When he and a friend come upon wizards in the forests who have set fire to the lands, he takes a powerful amulet from them. He doesn’t realize the amulet once belonged to the legendary Demon King. Princess Raisa ana’Marianna is a strong-willed royalty who is being wooed by one of the wizards, Micah Bayar. Although she is reluctant, she will soon have to choose someone to marry. The tale bounces between these two characters’ dramatic stories. The beginning of this book takes some time to set the foundation as there are many characters and lands in the Seven Realms. The ending left me ready for book #2 (The Exiled Queen) which comes out on September 28, 2010.

The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet

Erin Dionne, author of Models Don’t Eat Chocolate Cookies, entertains us once again in The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet. What could be worse than having your mom walk into your school on the first day of your eighth grade year dressed up like a character from William Shakespeare’s plays? Try having your genius seven-year-old sister taking classes at your middle school while you struggle with pre-algebra. How about having your best friend, Tyler, start liking you? Consequently, you act so weird anytime he is around. Everything is a tragedy for Hamlet (given this name by parents who live and breathe Shakespeare). This book has the right amount of humor, family issues, and teen angst to keep readers wanting to see what happens next. Readers who have felt second best to a “perfect” sibling will be able to relate to Hamlet’s situation.

They Never Came Back

They Never Came Back by Caroline B. Cooney is realistic fiction that alternates between two identities of the same girl. Fifteen-year-old Cathy Ferris has spent the last five years creating a new life for herself. One that is very different from the extravagant life she led as Murielle Lyman. Five years ago, her parents fled the country to avoid embezzlement charges. Murielle was left behind. Now in high school, she is suddenly recognized by her cousin, Tommy, at summer school. Will she act as bait to help the FBI capture her parents? Will she let everyone know who she really is? Caroline B. Cooney’s other exciting reads include Code Orange, The Face on the Milk Carton, and Driver’s Ed.