End-Of-Year Catch-up: Teen Fiction

 The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks

• Very funny story about pathetic, spindly, whiny vampires with recurring gastrointestinal issues and no superpowers whatsoever.   

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

• Another near-future dystopia, this one in a post-oil world where sea levels have risen dramatically. Nailer is a desperately poor boy from a ship breaking yard trying to survive and escape his grim circumstances.  The story is well-written, with plausible characters, some good adventure, and a little social analysis.  Well done. 

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

• Jenna Fox awakes from a long coma with no memory of her previous life.  As she pieces her world together she begins to question her own humanity and the ethics of biomedical advancements. 
• I wasn't entirely satisfied with this book.  As a personal-identity exploration, it worked just fine, but the broader social issues were addressed shallowly.  I was also irked by a character being morally let off the hook for beating someone nearly to death just because he was a drug dealer.  

The Declaration by Gemma Malley

• This book peeved me so much I almost didn't finish it.  The characters were fairly flat and the premise is unconvincing.  Science has discovered a way for people to live forever, but due to overpopulation fears, childbearing is largely criminalized.  Plotholes abound.  People would not blindly accept this.

Catch-up Post 4: Children's Fiction

I Am in a Book by Mo Willems

• Another glorious addition to my favourite series of readers, the Elephant & Piggie books.  In this metafictional story, Elephant and Piggie realize that they have a reader, and consequently have the power to make someone else say whatever silly words they want.  Their only fear is what will happen when the book ends... But don't worry.  They have a solution that everyone should be happy with: "Will you please read us again?"

Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst

• Lulu hates to hear the word, "No."  She screams and screams until her parents give her whatever they want, but when she asks for a brontosaurus for her birthday they will not budge.  She sets out to get one for herself, only to learn that the brontosaurus has other ideas.

Bink & Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee

• Three short episodes about two friends, featuring imagination, colourful socks, and a golfish.  Good for new readers.  

Catch-up Post 3: Comics for Adults (Four by Gilbert Hernandez)

Gilbert Hernandez is pondering life beyond his fictional town of Palomar in these four graphic novels.   Having written several trade paperbacks focused on Luba, the hammer-wielding mayor of Palomar, these recent titles shift attention to Luba's half-sister Fritz.  I don't mind Fritz, but she isn't a character I'm particularly fascinated by, and I miss the magic realism of Palomar.

High Soft Lisp

• The story of Fritz, her multiple marriages and b-movie film career.    

Chance in Hell

•  A standalone story.  When I read it I hadn't realized that it's a fictional movie with Fritz in a small non-speaking role.  The story is bloody and inconclusive.  A small child referred to as "The Empress" lives in a garbage dump until a man takes her home to give her a better life.  We see her as a cynical, violent adolescent, then jump ahead to her adulthood.  She is inscrutable, showing little emotion or connection to any other people.  It is difficult to get attached to a character like this.  Not one of my favourites from Hernandez.

The Troublemakers

• Another film starring Fritz, this time in a major role.  A handful of con artists try to trick each other out of a pool of money.  I'm not terribly fond of stories where everyone is out to get everyone else and no one knows who is on their side and who is betraying them.  Consequently, I'm lukewarm on this title.

Speak of the Devil

•  A third comic version of an imaginary movie that I would never watch.  Voyeurism and senseless murder without enough character developmen to explain why a teenaged girl would act this way.  Perhaps if I were a fan of slasher movies I'd get more out of this.  At least the art is as beautiful as ever even if the story isn't to my taste.

Catch-up Post 2: Children's Comics

Definitely Not for Little Ones by Rotraut Susanne Berner

• Brief retellings of Grimm fairy tales as comics.  Humourous and a little wicked, these are not as sanitized as common versions parents tell their preschoolers.  The book includes a mix of popular and lesser known stories.  Some episodes feel too abrupt, but this should appeal to young readers in elementary school who like their stories quick and just a little dark.  

Binky to the Rescue by Ashley Spires

• In Binky the Space Cat's second tale, the eponymous kitty must survive an adventure into outer space (outside his house).  His companion and copilot (a mouse toy) has fallen out a window and is in danger from aliens (wasps).  Binky is a hilariously delusional cat and readers will enjoy his misunderstandings and imagined dangers in a very normal home environment.  Spires has created some fun comics for new readers to devour. 

Catch-up Post 1: Teen Fiction

Leviathan and Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld

• Mechanical marvels, monstrous genetically engineered beasts of burden, intrigue, adventure and war.  A girl dressed as a boy regularly exhibits more valour than anyone else.  Air heroics and good-natured characters are reminiscent of Oppel's Airborn series.  Good for the younger end of teen lit readership or advanced elementary aged readers.

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

• This was a disappointment to me.  I either disliked, or didn't feel much connection to most characters, and I wasn't thrilled by the plot.  Multiple elements of the story felt like alternate-era rehashing of Clare's previous series.  Some language read awkwardly (ie overuse of "your precious ____").  Didn't work for me

The Giver by Lois Lowry

•  A dystopian classic I'd somehow missed reading.  Gentle pace allows readers to think and feel their way through the story, which contrasts with the frenetic plots of the Hunger Games and other current dystopian yarns.  Nice story; might need to read the sequel to see how everything turned out.

Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden

• Seven teenagers return from a camping trip to find their town empty, pets dead or dying, and communication lines and power cut off.  When they realize that their country has been invaded they set out to discover where their families are, whether they can help, and how to survive through the war.  Characters are believable; strong and smart but confused, upset, and fallible. Small acts of heroism and bravery are exciting to read, and are written carefully enough to allow for reflection. 

Alice, I Think (and sequels), by Susan Juby

 October became Canadian teen trilogy month for me.  Susan Juby's informative and sarcastically funny Nice Recovery inspired me to read her Alice series, set in Smithers, Juby's hometown in Northern BC.

Alice took me a little time to warm up to.  I spent the first half of Alice, I Think gritting my teeth at her intense self-centredness and wanting to shake some sense into her.  Part of my pain may have been influenced by the recognition that at age fifteen I was probably only a little less selfish and reactive than her.

Alice cares too much about looking good, but has the most bizarre fashion sense that anyone in her town has ever seen.  She has nothing in the way of social skills, which she blames on spending most of her life homeschooled, but may have as much to do with her near-complete absence of empathy.  Alice has beyond-terrible judgement. She stalks customers at her workplace (convinced they're all shoplifters), freezes up when physically attacked by a drunken teen delinquent, and tells half-truths to her therapist so he doesn't have a breakdown like the last one did.

By the end of Alice, I Think, I'd laughed hard enough and been sufficiently charmed to read the rest of the series.  Miss Smithers, my favourite of the three, sees Alice competing in the local pageant and sabotaging herself at all turns.  She spends most of her clothing-allowance for the contest on a pair of leather pants, leaving her almost nothing to cobble together the rest of her outfits.  She publishes (somewhat unintentionally) scathing articles about friends, family, and fellow contestants in her zine.  And sadly, with a combination of neglect and unreasonable demands, she chases away her endearingly awkward boyfriend. Alice Macleod, Realist at Last, continues with more romantic foibles, false representations to employers, and failure to complete a single act of housework.

All three books end fairly abruptly, but as the stories are character rather than plot-centric, I didn't mind too much.  I would have liked to know a little more about what was happening with other characters, but this is Alice's diary, and Alice doesn't care enough to talk too long about anyone else.  Sigh.  I laughed enough that I'll forgive her. 

Airborn, Skybreaker, and Starclimber, by Kenneth Oppel

Kenneth Oppel is a superstar of Canadian teen lit.  I'd been feeling terribly neglectful for failing to read his popular, multi-award winning steampunk series, so a couple of weeks ago I set about reading all three.

Airborn, Skybreaker, and Starclimber are adventure stories with elements of survival, fantasy, and (very) light romance.  Matt Cruse, a cabinboy when we meet him, is a resourceful, hardworking, and thoughtful fellow.  Confident without arrogance and eminently capable, he saves the day on more than one occasion.

In Airborn, I found Matt to be a little too perfect, but Oppel takes him out of his comfort zone in the sequels and bestows him with a few human flaws.  His friend Kate De Vries is a  bookish-but-tough girl born into priviledge and out to prove herself in a man's world.  In other words, she's a little cliche, especially when paired against Matt's poor working-class upbringing.  Nevertheless, they're an enjoyable pair to read about, and contribute to the series' appeal to both male and female readers. 

Steampunk elements are introduced mostly as background to the story, providing cultural context or technological challenges.  Each book sees Matt and Kate aboard a different kind of air or spacecraft with structures and characteristics that our own world has never seen.

 My library shelves this series in the teen section, but the story is light enough that I'd happily recommend it to strong readers in elementary school.

Nice Recovery, by Susan Juby

Knowing  Susan Juby only as an award-winning author of teen fiction, I was more than a little surprised to hear that she'd written a memoir about her teen alcoholism and subsequent recovery at age 20.  I was intrigued enough to check out her talk at a local literary festival, and was terribly impressed by her sarcastic humour and strength.

Nice Recovery is funny, insightful, and a little grim.   Juby doesn't tell the whole tale of what was happening around her, but respecting the privacy of family and friends,  focuses on her own experiences.  As a former blackout drunk she also acknowledges that her memory is a little unreliable in the details. Nevertheless, she remembers the projectile vomiting, fistfights, and teenaged self-centredness well enough.  This is no self-aggrandizing saga of golden days, and Juby's grounded honesty serves the story well.

My library files this book in both the adult and teen sections, but I'd be selective about which teens I'd recommend it to.  It's a compelling read, but it is aimed at the adult reader.  Juby is looking back on an anxious, self-destructive, and self-loathing time in her life from a very adult perspective that would have been impossible before she entered recovery.

Would You, by Marthe Jocelyn

I rarely read realistic fiction, but this came highly recommended by another librarian. 

For Natalie and her friends, summer revolves around their part-time jobs and evenings sneaking swims in backyard pools around their town.  In September, Natalie's sister Claire will be moving away to university, but for now, it's life as usual.  Until it's not.  A car accident throws Natalie's life upside down and holds her whole family in limbo. 

Natalie's narrative voice is unique and realistic.  She's not a perfect protagonist.  She and her friends don't follow all the rules, but they aren't too bad either.  They're bored teens in a small town or suburb.  Nobody is prepared to face losing someone they love, and their confused and disoriented upset rings true.

The Maze Runner, by James Dashner

The Maze Runner belongs to the current batch of dystopian teen trilogies.  The second volume, The Scorch Trials, hits the bookstores tomorrow.  The book is populated almost entirely by male characters, which is a contrast to popular female-fronted dystopias such as The Hunger Games and Incarceron.

I found the story less gripping than others of the genre.  The boys are trapped within a huge shifting maze and remember nothing of their previous lives except their names.  They are evidently being manipulated by someone, but there isn't much information to go by.  The book attempts to convey high emotion (the protagonist spends much of the book in abject terror), but the characters aren't particularly interesting and I didn't buy in to the premise.

Jack of Fables: Turning Pages, by Bill Willingham

This is the volume that I skipped because my library was slow to order it.  Now the plot of Volume 6 makes so much more sense! 

I still don't like Jack nearly as much as the parent series, Fables, but this is the best volume I can remember reading.  Why?  There is less Jack in this arc and more of everybody else.  The first half focuses on Bigby Wolf, then sheriff of Fabletown,  and the second half on the Page Sisters, three smart, tough sometime-villains and "librarians" of the Golden Boughs Retirement Village. 

The Sandman: The Dream Hunters by Neil Gaiman & P. Craig Russell

An adaptation of an earlier text (previously released as an illustrated book), The Dream Hunters is a stand-alone story in the world of The Sandman.  It is an original story told in the style of a folktale in which a young Japanese monk earns the love and protection of a fox spirit.

I prefer the original Sandman comics to standalone stories or adaptations by other authors, but this is a gentle, pleasant tale.  The Sandman character himself is softened, which lightens the story and feels appropriate to the folktale style.

Creature and Bird by Andrew Zuckerman

These stunning collections of studio photography feature a wide range of animal subjects brought into sharp focus against a seamless white background.

A selection of photos from Creature were later featured in the alphabet book Creature ABC.  While the variety in Creature is greater, this is one brick of a book, and I appreciate the portability and affordability of the abbreviated children's version.  It is exciting without being overwhelming, as Creature is in danger of being.

Bird brings every feather into focus and every talon into sharp view.  Infinitely varied, the birds in this book are in turn alienating, inviting, ethereal and predatory.  Having seen some of the photos from Creature before, I found Bird to be more of a revelation.  I had forgotten or had not known how strange some birds can be, or the odd bald spots and patterns of feathers on species that I had thought I knew.

My favourite images capture the wide round eyes and marionette posture of the Secretary Bird, which bring nothing to mind so much as a fantastically spindly muppet.

Smile, by Raina Telgemeier

Smile is an adventure in orthodontics.  The author chronicles the pre-teen trauma of knocking out her front teeth and the dental procedures that followed over the next few years.  This is a warm, lighthearted read with some social awkwardness and a few cringe-worthy moments.  The illustrations are colourful and inviting, and the story has more substance than most graphic novels (or non-fiction) for children.

New Tales from Old Palomar (1-3), by Gilbert Hernandez

Hernandez' tales of magic realism in a small Central American town are entrancing and soap-opera addictive.

These three 32-page stories revisit Palomar's past, presenting another layer of the town's strange history. The books were released as part of the Ignatz series, a collection of short affordable comics partway between pamphlets and graphic novels. 

Demon's Covenant, by Sarah Rees Brennan

The follow-up to Sarah Rees Brennan's Demon's Lexicon is just as dark and broody a read.  In this sequel, the rough and abrupt Nick takes a back seat to Mae who struggles to protect her brother Jamie while following her own heart.  Nick is still compellingly dark and sarcastic while aloof and a little inhuman.

This book has just the right balance of intrigue, romance, and the unknown to entrance its readers.  Unusually, I find myself a little irritated by the cover, which is unrepresentative of the characters within.  Mae is a pink-haired high school goth girl who is neither so tall nor slender as the image on the cover of the book.  Her personal strength is a major part of her charm, and I wish that the book's publisher's represented her more consistently.

Mouse Guard, Fall 1152, by David Peterson

Mouse Guard is one of the best graphic novels in the children's section at my library. The visuals are fantastic, and it's an excellent storyline for children.  Sometimes I felt that the narrative could be a little more solid, and character arcs could be a little more straight forward, but I enjoyed reading this book.

White Cat, by Holly Black

White Cat is the first of Holly Black's new Curseworkers series, following a family of supernatural mafiosa.  I love the worlds that Holly Black creates.  Tithe, Valiant, and Ironside are some of my favourite teen novels, and some of the best examples of the Urban Fantasy genre.  They feature strong protagonists, surreal worldviews, and strange mysteries.

White Cat's male protagonist may garner this book a broader readership than Black's faerie novels, especially with the focus on grifting and underworld life.  This is good for the library where there seem to be so many more stereotypically "girl" than "boy" books in the teen section.  I'm always glad to have books like this that are likely to have wide appeal.

I enjoyed White Cat a great deal.  I could not put it down once I began reading.  Initially, I thought the story was predictable, and that I knew exactly where the narrative was going. Then Black threw me an unexpected loop and I was so happy to be surprised.  I can't wait until the next novel.

How to Be a Pirate, by Cressida Cowell

"How to Be a Pirate" is Cressida Cowell's second "How to Train Your Dragon" book.  Like the first, it is funny and good-natured.  I considered reading the whole series, but decided that I should keep the rest for when I really need a relaxing, amusing read (in between the next heavy teen novels).  I loved this book like I loved the first, and like the first my only significant issue was the lack of female characters.  I don't think a single girl or woman was mentioned in this book, not even Hiccup's mother Valhallarama.  I'm a little perplexed by this.  I know that research suggests that boys are much more interested in books that feature male protagonists, but this doesn't explain why there should be no female characters at all in an entire novel.  Nevertheless, I laughed a lot at this book and read with great joy.  When I have the time, I'll certainly be reading the rest of Cowell's novels.

Mad About Madeline, by Ludwig Bemelmans

This hardcover includes all the Madeline books.  As I'd only read a couple of them I thought it was time to acquaint myself with the rest.  I expected to love them.  I didn't.

Why?  I've been a stickler for poetry forms since I was a teenager, and the lack of consistent rhyme scheme in the Madeline books irritates me to no end.  You have to read the whole book to know HOW to read them, pacing breath and pronunciation differently every few lines.  Couplets are often inconsistent with the preceding and following couplets.  It sounds like the poetry I wrote when I was ten years old.  I understand that young children may not have a problem with the lyrical scheme and that many feel a deep love for these stories.  Perhaps if I'd read them as a child I'd feel the same way.  It is unfortunate that I did not.  I'd like to enjoy them, but it seems I am a little too late.  Madeline herself is a charming character, but the narrative is inconsistently written.  I'll keep these book stocked in my library, but won't be reading them in storytime.

Creature ABC, by Andrew Zuckerman

Creature ABC is a gorgeous alphabet/nature book.  Each letter is illustrated by two pages of crisply detailed photography of fish, insects, birds, amphibians,and mammals.

Few books take my breath away as this does.  Each scale of the chameleon, feather of the yellow canary, and quill of the porcupine stands out in sharp relief against the white studio background.  The mandrill stares at the camera, looking unnervingly reminiscent of a man in a monkey mask.  This is a book to inspire a new generation of naturalists.

The book is a child's version of this artist's coffee table book Creature, which I think I'll need to seek out next.  I expect I'll seldom see this book again once I return it to the library.  It's so captivating that it won't last an hour on the shelf before another child snaps it up.  I love carrying books that inspire such joy and awe.

The Maze of Bones, by Rick Riordan

The Maze of Bones is the first book of The 39 Clues, a hybrid creation from Scholastic Books.  Conceived as a book series, card game, video game, and contest, it's a very slick production.  Scholastic has stated their intention to draw reluctant readers to the books through the games, and while I'm sure that happens once in a while, it just feels like a highly designed marketing scheme to me.

Scholastic recruited a number of children's authors to write these books, which has the side-effect in library-land that the books aren't filed together on the shelf.  The first book is written by children's lit superstar Rick Riordan, with further volumes by heavyweights Gordon Korman, Margaret Peterson Haddix and a handful of others.

The Maze of Bones is a mystery adventure series, part Da Vinci Code and part Harry Potter.  The protagonists are orphans seeking to live up to their birthright,  out-think their relatives and competitors, and crack a code to find a treasure that could change the world.  Plot-holes include: several minors jetting across continents with no recognizable adult supervision, and poorly explained animosity between members of the four family groups.  Most characters are quite superficial, and everyone seems to solve obscure clues far too easily and at exactly the same pace.   I'm glad that it's inspired kids to keep reading, but I think I'll be reading the Wikipedia entries to see what I'm missing in the rest of the series.

Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay, the final volume of the Hunger Games trilogy, was the most anticipated teen novel of the summer.  It's an often-violent dystopian adventure featuring political intrigue, media manipulation, propaganda, and a love triangle.

Katniss Everdeen, victor of the Hunger Games and survivor of the Quarter Quell is in the spotlight of yet another deadly serious media production.  The rebels of District 13 want her to be the public face of their fight against the ruling Capital, but their methods and motivations are unnervingly close to those of the power that they would unseat.  Katniss must again pick her battles, deciding how best to support her family, survive her manipulators, maintain her individuality, and fight for a just society.

Katniss is one stubborn survivor.  She is passionate, impulsive, and increasingly bitter and shellshocked as the trilogy progresses.  In Mockingjay she spends about half her time in hospital beds recovering from one injury or another.  Katniss seems to be about to crack up at any moment which is a little unnerving when we're used to seeing her so strong, no less so when compared to the mental fragility of the other previous victors.  Each is shown to be suffering from some form of mental illness or post-traumatic stress.  It's been a while since I've read the previous books, but I think this one may be even more grim and violent.  Or perhaps the violence of war is more shockingly realistic than the reality show violence of the previous books.

I enjoyed Mockingjay, and Katniss is one of my favourite kick-ass protagonists, but I still can't get my head around why this series has captured so much attention.  The subject matter is timely and the books are page-turners, but there are other good books out there that don't inspire a fraction of this excitement.  A book store employee I was chatting with observed that it's one of the few series that appeals to both boys and girls, which may be part of the explanation, but I imagine in the end it comes down to luck.  The Hunger Games captured the right attention at the right time and has been launched into series super-stardom.

Ivy + Bean, by Annie Barrows

Last week I read the first three books in the Ivy + Bean series.  They're remarkably popular with 6 to 9 year old girls in my neighbourhood and I wanted to know what I was peddling.

Ivy and Bean did not expect to like each other.  Ivy is quiet and bookish while Bean can't sit still or stay out of trouble.  However, they both have active imaginations, like a good adventure, and are willing to break the rules.  They are an inseparable pair who have fantastic fun together, whether making magic potions, chasing away ghosts, or digging up dinosaur bones.

The stories are light and warm.  Ivy and Bean have just the right mix of naughtiness and niceness that readers can identify with and yearn to emulate.  I'll be interested to see how they stand up over time, but I suspect they'll be on our shelves for a good while.  They're a great post-reader, early-chapter book level that kids love and parents won't object to. 

Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater

One of the big books of the moment.  Shiver has been on every (teen) award list I've seen lately.  It's a poetic and evocative take on the urban fantasy/supernatural romance genre.  

I find myself without a strong opinion on this one, perhaps because it is presented very well despite being too romantic for my personal tastes.  I appreciate the understated sorrow simmering beneath the surface of the love story.  Sam is defined by language and loss (and the loss of language).  He's a beautiful character, displaying integrity and compassion without seeming too perfect.  Grace is shallow in comparison but has lived a much more sheltered life.  She is independent and self-assured, with convincingly realistic teenaged gripes.  There are a few minor characters who I expected more of in this book.  Their stories felt unfinished so  I'm wondering if they have a role in the sequel.

I like Stiefvater's re-imagining of werewolf mythology.  Her wolves are rendered powerless over their lives; quite apt in a novel for teens.  They are just as passionate and wild, but more tragically sympathetic than the traditional werewolf is.  The book will appeal to Twilight fans as well as those with more cultivated tastes.

Just the Right Size, by Nicola Davies

Animal facts for fascinated young minds.  This book explains the physical rules that limit the size, strength, habits and habitats of various kinds of animal life.

With engaging illustrations and clear but not simplistic text,  this is one well-done information book.

The Elephant and Piggie books, by Mo Willems

I'm on the hunt for stories that can be adapted into puppet plays.  They're fun to tell at storytimes or class visits.  Mo Willem's Elephant and Piggie books have potential.  They're short, funny, entirely told with dialogue and actions, and usually feature two speakers.

So far, "Pigs Make Me Sneeze!" looks most promising; it's ready-made for audience participation.  I'm halfway through reading/rereading the rest to see which others feel ripe for retelling.

Books in this Series (So Far):
Today I Will Fly!*
My Friend is Sad *
There is a Bird on Your Head!*
I Am Invited to a Party!*
I Love My New Toy! *
I Will Surprise My Friend!*
Are You Ready To Play Outside?*
Watch Me Throw The Ball!*
Elephants Cannot Dance!*
Pigs Make Me Sneeze!*
I am Going!*
Can I Play Too?*

* Titles I've read

How to Train Your Dragon, by Cressida Cowell

I hesitate too long before reading popular children's lit, fearing that I'll find it shallow or bland.  I know I'm a critical reader, but I really want to like books.  I just need them to be well written, believable (for whatever world they're placed in), and respectful enough of the reader not to leave gaping plot holes.  It's maddening how often a book fails to meet those criteria.

I was relieved and delighted by how much fun I had reading How to Train Your Dragon. The absurd humour, simple pen and ink illustrations, ridiculous adults, and underdog nature of the protagonist are joyfully reminiscent of Roald Dahl.  I was willingly charmed into forgetting that Hiccup's thoughtfulness and creativity were always going to save the day where his fellow vikings' dumb brute strength could not.  Hiccup's achievements are well won and the story is a  playful well-paced romp. 

My only question: Where are all the girls and women?

The Dead-Tossed Waves, by Carrie Ryan

I read this because I am addicted to stories.  Once begun, it is difficult to let something go.  Even when the first story does not leave me particularly satisfied.

This companion novel to The Forest of Hands and Teeth begins in the town  Mary arrived in at the end of the story and follows her daughter Gabry through similar emotional territory.  We have the love triangle, the childhood crush, the growing apart from the childhood best friend, the fear and fascination with the outside world, the absent/aloof parents, and the dangerous journey.  It's true that these elements resonate with teen existence, but didn't I already read this story?

We also have a girl whom multiple boys love and will incomprehensibly sacrifice themselves for even while she yoyos between them.  I was profoundly unconvinced when she finally decided that one of them was resolutely the one.  This is sinking into Twilight territory here.  Mary, though selfish, was braver, stronger, and more independent.  Gabry wants others to solve her problems for her.  While there is a glut of unattainably strong females in teen lit these days, this flipside of damsels is not the answer.

The New Brighton Archeological Society, by Mark Andrew Smith

Their parents lost during an expedition, four children are sent to an old manor house to live.  There, they uncover secrets their parents had kept and begin to pursue their legacy.

I found this story predictable, characters flat, and plot contrived.  All problems are solved too easily and with too little thought, as though no alternatives exist.  While children are less likely to be bothered by structural blandness, I'm unlikely to recommend this widely.  There are better stories available.

Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love, by Chris Roberson & Shawn McManus

My impatience for the next volume of Fables to be published was somewhat tempered by the release of Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love.  This single-volume spin-off is a Fables take on the spy genre, complete with fancy gadgets, fancier parties, and elaborate plots.  With more humour than romance (but a little of that too), Cinderella dons the public face of a shoe-store proprieter and frequent holidayer while privately protecting the interests of Fabletown around the globe.

Cinderella is a breath of fresh air after the Jack spin-off which always leaves me gritting my teeth over just how much I dislike the title character.  Cindy is smart, likeable, and offers a refreshingly new perspective on the Fables universe.  I still prefer the regular series, whether due to Bill Willingham's writing or the presence of my favourite characters, but this was a pleasant read.  And now it's back to the waiting game.  Only three and a half months until the next Fables.

Rampant, by Diana Peterfreund

The two word booktalk: "Killer Unicorns"*

Another new teen novel about a seemingly-normal young woman who turns out to be more than she seems.  In the post-Buffy era there is a whole bevy of powerful girls battling, dating, and/or becoming supernatural creatures.  We've seen it with vampires (House of Night, etc), fairies (Tithe, Wicked Lovely), demons (Demon's Lexicon), werewolves (Shiver), angels (Blue Bloods), and all-of-the-above (City of Bones).  I love strong women, but I'm growing a little tired of the same old thing.  I probably wouldn't have picked this up if a free copy hadn't fallen into my lap. 

These unicorns are as far from innocent and gentle as you can get.  They're bloodthirsty man-eaters with fangs and venomous horns.  Only virgins from particular bloodlines are capable of defeating them in battle, which is where our heroine comes in.

The book set off a few of my pet peeves as a reader.  Details of the premise are not always consistent with history or character behaviour, and it's unclear what can be explained by science and what is simply "magic".  Certain conflicts are wrapped up too easily, and loose ends are ignored at the conclusion.  I hope that some of these will be addressed in the upcoming sequel, Ascendant.  Less demanding readers will simply enjoy the adventure and the love story.

* Not coined by me.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green & David Levithan

My interest was piqued when I heard that Will Grayson, Will Grayson was the first book with gay protagonists to make the New York Times bestsellers list for children.  The novel is a collaboration by two award-winning authors, John Green (Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines) and David Levithan (Boy Meets Boy, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist).  They write alternating chapters from the perspective of two high schoolers named Will Grayson. 

Both Will Graysons are complex and believable though not always likable, which is how I prefer my teen characters.  Since most teens are at least a little self-centred and/or oblivious, I respect authors who address this quality.  The Graysons are both hindered by social fears, but are dragged toward acceptance through their friendship with Tiny Cooper, a very large, very proudly gay, football player who writes and stars in a musical about his own life.  Tiny Cooper is one of the best characters I've read in a long time.  He completely steals the show and is on his way to becoming a beloved and iconic character. 

I loved this book, and relished the ride, up until the cheesy-hollywood-ending made me roll my eyes.  I suppose I can forgive that.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, by Joss Whedon

When Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended it's television run in 2003 creator Joss Whedon still had stories to tell, so he relaunched the show as a comic book.  This has been so successful that other cancelled tv shows (Pushing Daisies, Charmed) have followed suit.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8 picks up sometime after Sunnydale's destruction at the end of the show's seven season run.  There are now hundreds of slayers worldwide with more than enough trouble to keep them all busy.  Buffy has evolved into a General of sorts, overseeing squads of slayers across the globe. 

The series maintains the feel of the show with consistent characters and villains old and new.  I've been enjoying getting my fix of kick-ass women and sarcastic quips, but I've found the plotlines jump around a little.  It may just be that reading comics is faster than watching tv shows, so everything seems to go by at double speed.  There is less narrative time to reflect and observe character development.  Also, with the comic starting a year or so after the show ended, there are gaps in continuity.  This break allowed characters to grow up a little in the time gone by, but as a reader it left me feeling behind on the action.

Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour, by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Scott Pilgrim continues to obliviously sleepwalk through most of his life, but is a fine fighter when necessary.  I appreciated Ramona taking up arms alongside him this time around.  I also found myself relieved to see that she could be equally oblivious and thoughtless as it makes their romance seem far more plausible and deserved.

A consistent conclusion for this surreal, slacker comic series.

Unwind, by Neal Shusterman

Unwind is another dystopian adventure.  The premise: the United States had a second civil war over the abortion issue.  The war eventually resolved with an agreement that from conception to age 13, no child could be harmed.  However, when children are between 13 and 18 years old their parents can choose to unwind them.  This involves harvesting every part of their body for transplantation.  They are not considered to be dead as every part of them will be alive.  I don't need to go into how impossibly silly this all is.

The three protagonists are runaway teenagers trying to remain whole until their 18th birthdays when they can no longer become unwound.  Relying on themselves and each other, they learn about friendship, love, regret, anger, forgiveness, and despair.  Once you get over the premise, it's a pretty nice story about growing up and accepting yourself. A straight-forward adventure story with some likeable characters.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth, by Carrie Ryan

The Forest of Hands and Teeth is far better than I expected a zombie survival story to be.  Also, far more romantic.

Mary lives in a small village surrounded by a tall fence.  Outside that fence is the Forest of Hands and Teeth, a no man's land inhabited by their undead neighbours.  Inside, the villagers believe that they are the last bastion of humanity in a world overtaken by the unconsecrated.  They live simple lives, farming, patrolling the fences, and building up the human race, as they are instructed to do by their religious leaders. Mary dreams of a life beyond the fences, but it is only after a series of tragedies that she seriously considers leaving all that she knows.

Typical to this dystopian adventure genre, Mary uncovers hints that all is not as it seems, and that their leaders may not be entirely benevolent.  Complicating matters is her love for Travis who is betrothed to her best friend Cassandra while she herself is betrothed to Travis' brother Harry who may be in love with either her or Cassandra or both.  It's all quite dramatic, but social customs keep everyone frustratingly impotent until the unconsecrated attack and everyone goes into survival mode.

While the romantic angst dragged on a little too much for my sensibilities, this book is perfect for readers who have finished Twilight but like a little surreality in their love stories.  Besides, it's better written, the protagonist is stronger and smarter, and there are sequels for the story addicts.

Lips Touch: Three Times, by Laini Taylor

A trio of short stories/novellas involving the supernatural and some life-changing kisses.  Each section begins with a series of lush illustrations that sets the scene for the tale to come.  The stories are sensual and teasingly dark, drawing the reader in to each of three very different worlds.

I liked this book far more than I expected to.  I feared that it would be heavy on the romance, but it's very gentle, like reading fables.  It deserves all the accolades it's received.  Well done.

Incarceron, by Catherine Fisher

This may be one of the next big things in teen lit.  At the very least it will attract readers of other popular series like the Hunger Games and Uglies.   The New Yorker recently discussed these and other teen novels representing the recent trend of  dystopian speculative fiction. I've been working my way through the books they mention.

Incarceron is an enormous self-sufficient prison in which it's residents have been trapped for generations.  Only its warden knows the location or extent of the place.  In the outside world Incarceron is believed to be a paradise, but those inside know it to be a hell. The setting in the outside world offers a twist on the semi-historical court motif.  The society has technology far in advance of our own, but lives as though it is the 17th century due to laws established by a paranoid monarchy seeking to avoid rebellion.  The premise is flawed, but at least it's creative.

The plot elements are familiar.  The warden's daughter wishes to escape an arranged marriage, and to solve the mystery of Incarceron while a band of prisoners attempts to escape the place.  All are intelligent and resourceful, but no one knows the true story of Incarceron except for the scheming warden. 

I enjoyed the book as a fun read, but wasn't particularly inspired by it.  However, I know a number of my local teen readers will eat it up, so I'll be sure to display it prominently.

Dragon's Heart, by Jane Yolen

I may not have known  it, but I've been waiting for this book since I was ten or twelve years old.  Dragon's Heart concludes Yolen's Pit Dragon Chronicles, a fantastic series that had been left with a somewhat weak conclusion.  This book answers lingering questions, wraps up some very loose ends, and gives readers a glimpse of the repercussions of the dramatic events that took place in the second and third books of the series.

Jakkin and Akki return from their exile in the mountains to find society altered, and their place therein uncertain.  They carry with them a secret that could mean the end of the dragons of Austar IV if they aren't careful with the information.  While tormented with this uncertainty and fear they are once again dragged into political machinations and unforseen consequences. 

Fans of the original trilogy will be satisfied that the characters, plot, setting, and overall narrative feel right, true to the series despite the twenty-two year break between the third and fourth novels.  New readers should be able to enjoy this book with help from the introduction, but would do better to find the earlier books first. 

Salt & Gool, by Maurice Gee

Maurice Gee is a New Zealand author who had escaped my notice despite his impressive body of work.  He's written books for adults, teens, and children.

This month I read the first two novels of his yet-to-be-completed Salt trilogy.   I loved the first one.  It's situated in a dystopian colonial society where the native population are kept in squalour and used as slave labour.  These two ethnic groups are reminiscent of the British and the Maori, although Salt takes place in an alternate world with its own history, technology, and native species.

Salt brings together Hari, a grimly single-minded native boy, with Pearl, a privileged girl from one of the ruling families.  She is escaping a forced marriage to a despicable but powerful man, while he seeks to save his father from Deep Salt, the most mysterious and dreaded of the work sites.  What they discover is worse than they could have imagined.

Gool is an unusual sequel.  It picks up sixteen years after Salt left off, with (SPOILER) Pearl and Hari's children.  A new threat has entered their world, and they are sent on their own quest to avert what amounts to the end of life.

I wasn't as fond of Gool as of Salt.  I was quite attached to Hari and it took  some time for me to adjust to new protagonists who weren't as interesting as he had been.  I found the story itself less compelling as well.  Certain plot elements felt contrived, with answers coming too easily.  It involved less exploration of society and emphasized more of the mystical and fantastical elements of the story than its predecessor.  This might please some readers, but it wasn't what had attracted me to the first novel.  Nevertheless, I'll be keeping my eyes open for when the third book hits the market.

Footnotes in Gaza, by Joe Sacco

Joe Sacco may be the graphic novelist I most admire, no less for there being nothing novelistic about his work.  Sacco's intricately-researched books are more accurately described as graphic journalism.  They centre on first-hand interviews with residents of war zones and survivors of horrific events, transforming news headlines into human stories.  The best known are Palestine and Safe Area Gorazde, both powerful texts with lasting value. 

With Footnotes in Gaza, Sacco aims his pen to the past, delving into two massacres that occurred in Gaza in 1956.  These events in Khan Younis and Rafah were lost as historical footnotes, barely noted in  contemporary UN reports.  The book intersperses Sacco's interviews with elderly residents about 1956 with details of daily life in these Palestinian neighbourhoods.  In 2002 and 2003 when Sacco was conducting research, the second intifada was active, home demolitions were a regular occurrence, and Israel had not yet withdrawn from Gaza.

There is a gentleness to Sacco's writing.  He is a compassionate journalist who tries to get as close to the truth as possible without endangering or exploiting his assistants or interviewees.  I found this book more painful to read than his previous work, whether due to the graphic depictions of violence and abuse, or merely because I have forgotten the details of his previous books.  I may need to reread Palestine and Safe Area Gorazde. 

I'd recommend these books widely to adults and older teens.

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters, by Lenore Look

My love for Alvin Ho continues.  Reading the first novel was a revelation.   Last month I presented it at a booktalking workshop with other childrens' librarians, and post-talk feedback suggests that my joy was emanating from me in waves.  I'm pleased that I've succeeded in spreading the word to a few locally-influential folks.  I want to see these books in many little hands.

This second outing is like easing into a warm bath.  I know what to expect, but still leave the book warm, happy, and refreshed.  Alvin is still afraid to speak in school, but less afraid of girls (or at least his friend Flea), still cries regularly (and feels better afterward), still hilariously afraid of just about everything (school, heights, night, camping, bears, aliens, etc), and still makes a few humorous misinterpretations with his siblings (like the nature of credit cards).  Alvin's tough little sister Anibelly features prominently in this book, to great effect.  I wouldn't be surprised if she earns herself a spinoff series in a couple years.

There are a few stylistic differences between Alvin's banter in this book and the first novel.  I found his repeated phrases charming the first time around, and I miss them here.  However, I imagine they could have grown old quickly and Lenore Look may be attempting to avoid that.

I expect I'll talk these books up a fair amount as Summer Reading Club progresses, and will be looking forward to the release of the third episode in September

Uh-oh, Cleo, by Jessica Harper

First chapter books need to be very well done, or else they bore me tremendously.  There's nothing wrong with Uh-oh, Cleo.  It's a simple story about a little girl with a big family, and a trip to the emergency room for stitches.  The author does a fair job at laying out distinct personalities without relying too heavily on stereotype, but it's not the book for me.  I feel like I should appreciate the little songs and rhymes the mother invents for her children, but Frances just does that so much better.

I'll keep it in mind in case a parent asks me for a story about going to the doctor or the hospital.

Pretty Dead, by Francesca Lia Block

Francesca Lia Block has made her contribution to the body of current teen vampire novels, and it's a fair effort; surpassing most in the genre.  I still think Scott Westerfeld's Peeps is the best of the bunch, but it's low in romance which a lot of vampire-fiction readers demand.

Pretty Dead's Charlotte Emerson is one of the loneliest creatures you've ever met.  Turned at age seventeen, she's spent the last hundred years in regret, longing for a real human life. Then one day things begin to change.  She's writing again, feeling emotions and sensations more intensely, able to cry again, and even falling in love.  What could have happened, and does it have anything to do with her manipulative creator re-entering her life?

As most of the modern vampire stories do, Pretty Dead selectively interprets vampire mythology, and introduces a new element to shake up an old idea.  The tone of the novel is one of wistfulness, alienation, and desire.  Block is good at writing stories that feel dreamlike.  Her Weetzie Bat books are some of my favourite bright surreal re-imagine-my-world stories, but this one is much more haunting.   I doubt it will get as much notice as the superficial high school vampire series I've been seeing in my library, but it will attract some devoted readers.

Gruffen, by Chris d'Lacey

An early chapter book, just beyond the level of a reader.  Shallow story, with inexplicable magic clay molded and kilned to create magic dragon helpers.  I certainly hope that d'Lacey's other series, the Last Dragon Chronicles, written for older readers, is more substantial than this.

This book may appeal to girls who have completed the even-shallower  Rainbow Magic Fairy series.  The first in a series.

Half-Minute Horrors

An anthology of 70+ very short scary stories and comics by a who's who of children's, teen, and adult authors including Neil Gaiman, Lemony Snicket, Holly Black, Margaret Atwood, Kenneth Oppel, etc.  I was hoping to find a story or two that I might want to read at the beginning of a Summer Reading Club program this year, but after finding myself so easily creeped out, I decided not to spring these on anyone without their prior consent. 

Stories range from three lines to three pages long, and as might be expected, it takes some skill to create a sense of place, tension, and conclusion in that space.  Some are markedly stronger than others, and not always by authors that one would expect to languish or excel.  Certain common tropes become repetitive, so I would not recommend reading the book in a single sitting.  A perfect book for summer campfires or Hallowe'en frights.

Amelia Bedelia, by Peggy Parish

Amelia Bedelia makes fun of the arbitrariness of the English language, and how silly it would be if we interpreted everything we were told literally.  Amelia Bedelia is constantly doing the wrong thing, believing she's doing what she was instructed.  I imagine this is particularly amusing to young children who are still learning homonyms and confusing grammatical rules.  Amelia Bedelia herself is well-meaning but daffy, and readers can take outraged joy in knowing better than she does but being unable to correct her.

There are 12 original Amelia Bedelia stories by Peggy Parish, with another 15 to date written by her nephew Herman Parish.

Poppleton series, by Cynthia Rylant

Poppleton the pig moves out to a small town where he meets some good friends with whom he has some good friendly adventures.  Each book includes three chapter length stories.  They're reminiscent of Frog and Toad, but not quite so slapstick silly, and include a larger cast of characters.

The stories are generally charming, but Poppleton and his friends don't particularly captivate me, so apart from a couple stand out stories I'm unmoved.  However, I suspect an army of young readers may disagree with me on that score.  I would happily recommend these to new readers who are somewhat less jaded than I.

Titles
Poppleton*
Poppleton and Friends*
Poppleton Everyday*
Poppleton Forever
Poppleton in Spring*
Poppleton in Fall
Poppleton Has Fun*
Poppleton in Winter

* Titles I have read