The Waterless Sea- Kate Constable
In this tightly woven sequel to
The Singer of all Songs, Calwyn and Co., still flush from their success in defeating the evil sorcerer Samis, are now on their way to the Empire of Merithuros. There, they hope to rescue two small siblings who were stolen away from Heben, a fallen prince with a decidedly suspicious nature toward magic makers. Within the lighter-than-air walls of Merithuros’ Palace of Cobwebs, Calwyn finds the children she seeks, but also a terrible secret of how these children and many others have been used and abused by the Empire for their power of chantment. Meanwhile, Darrow, Calwyn’s mysterious mentor and friend, has gone off on a lonely quest to decide the fate of the powerful ruby ring he pried from the dead Samis’s finger. The two will finally meet again within the walls of the Black Palace, where Darrow will declare his feelings, and Calwyn will lose all she holds dear, in the dry desert world of the waterless sea.
The Waterless Sea is the rich centerpiece of the Chanters of Tremaris trilogy; answering questions raised in the
first book, while piquing interest in the eagerly awaited third novel. Young readers will have their curiosity about Darrow’s troubled past satisfied, even as they are left hanging in a quietly desperate ending that finds Darrow and Calwyn separated once again. While awaiting the third volume, Tremaris enthusiasts can ease their fantasy jones by checking out the similarly fine
Gifts by Ursula K. Le Guin. (Ages 10-14)
—Jennifer Hubert
The Tenth Power - Kate Constable
Grade 6 Up–In the final installment of this trilogy, Calwyn, who once had several of the nine singing magic powers (called chantments), has lost all of her extraordinary gifts. Bitterly, she returns to Antaris with hopes of recuperation, but instead finds that a number of the chanters have been affected with a deadly snow-sickness. Entrusted by the dying high priestess with knowledge of a wheel that contains the tenth power to heal the world, Calwyn sets out with her companions to track down Samis, a wicked sorcerer whom she had believed was dead, and wrest from him the missing half of the wheel. On her perilous journey, she discovers a long-lost relative, delves deeper into the conflicted relationship with her chanter friend Darrow, and discovers new gifts that lead her reluctantly toward her destiny as the Singer of All Songs. As in the other two books, the detailed descriptions of the settings and the natures of the various chantments are what give the story the richness of elaborate tapestries. There are many characters to keep track of, and while Calwyns friendship with the healer Halasaa has become more fleshed out, her romance with Darrow doesnt have the intense chemistry demanded of the narrative, and her later relationship with Samis strains credulity. However, there is much to enjoy and ponder in a trilogy that strives to ask hard, thoughtful questions, even if it cant always answer them.
–Farida S. Dowler, Mercer Island Library, WA
Signer of all Songs - Kate Constable
Aussie author Kate Constable has brought a music inspired fantasy to the States that is on a par with celebrated works like Edith Pattou's
East, and
The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman. In
The Singer of All Songs, young Calwyn is a Daughter of Tarsis, an order of priestesses who have mastered the ice call--a singing power over cold and frost. She lives with her sisters behind an enormous wall of ice that separates their small valley from hostile neighbors in the tensely divided lands of Tremaris. This seemingly impervious barrier is breached by a wounded "Outlander" named Darrow, who comes to the priestesses with a wild tale about an evil Sorcerer named Samis who has sworn to learn the Nine Chantments of the separate lands of Tremaris so that he can rule them as the powerful Singer of All Songs. When the elder priestesses dismiss his rantings and ord! er his sacrifice to the Goddess, Calwyn becomes determined to save his life and join his quest. Together, the two new friends travel into dangerous territories, assembling a rag tag crew of comrades along the way who agree to help prevent Samis from mastering the Nine Chantments. Constable has bewitchingly reinterpreted pagan lore for a new generation, and
Singer will easily find an appreciative audience amongst devotees of
Tamora Pierce and
Garth Nix. Although the pacing of the novel is decidedly measured in places, it only helps the reader appreciate the author's rich characterizations and imaginative settings. Young fantasy fans will find much to sing about in this first installment of a planned trilogy.
--Jennifer Hubert
Undercover
Beth Kephart
Review
"(An) intelligent, multilayered love story…Neatly balancing action and contemplation, Kephart offers a plethora of images, ideas about literature and even some well-known poems along with a plot that will speak to many teens." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A beautifully written, engrossing tale…This is a book that no serious-minded teen will want to miss, and high school English teachers may also take note as it has a well-crafted and highly teachable text." Rhona Campbell, Washington, DC Public Library -- School Library Journal (starred review)
"Readers will fall easily into the compelling premise and Elisa’s memorable, graceful voice, and have no trouble recognizing the teen’s quiet courage as she leaves her comfortable isolation, claims her own talents, and embraces the people who matter most." -- Booklist (starred review)
Grade 9 Up - Sixteen-year-old Miles Halter's adolescence has been one long nonevent - no challenge, no girls, no mischief, and no real friends. Seeking what Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps," he leaves Florida for a boarding school in Birmingham, AL. His roommate, Chip, is a dirt-poor genius scholarship student with a Napoleon complex who lives to one-up the school's rich preppies. Chip's best friend is Alaska Young, with whom Miles and every other male in her orbit falls instantly in love. She is literate, articulate, and beautiful, and she exhibits a reckless combination of adventurous and self-destructive behavior. She and Chip teach Miles to drink, smoke, and plot elaborate pranks. Alaska's story unfolds in all-night bull sessions, and the depth of her unhappiness becomes obvious. Green's dialogue is crisp, especially between Miles and Chip. His descriptions and Miles's inner monologues can be philosophically dense, but are well within the comprehension of sensitive teen readers. The chapters of the novel are headed by a number of days "before" and "after" what readers surmise is Alaska's suicide. These placeholders sustain the mood of possibility and foreboding, and the story moves methodically to its ambiguous climax. The language and sexual situations are aptly and realistically drawn, but sophisticated in nature. Miles's narration is alive with sweet, self-deprecating humor, and his obvious struggle to tell the story truthfully adds to his believability. Like Phineas in John Knowles's
A Separate Peace(S & S, 1960), Green draws Alaska so lovingly, in self-loathing darkness as well as energetic light, that readers mourn her loss along with her friends.
- Johanna Lewis, New York Public Library
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A Crooked Kind of Perfect
Linda Urban
From School Library Journal
Grade 4–6—An impressive and poignant debut novel. Eleven-year-old Zoe dreams of giving piano recitals at Carnegie Hall. When her father purchases a Perfectone D-60, though, she must settle for the sounds of the organ rather than the distinguished sounds of a baby grand. Her organ teacher, Mabelline Person, notices the child's small talent for music and recommends her for the "Perfectone Perform-O-Rama"; she will play Neil Diamond's "Forever in Blue Jeans." Accepting this new twist to her ambitions, Zoe must depend on a quirky support system: her father, who gets anxious when he leaves the house and who earns diplomas from Living Room University; her workaholic mother; and her classmate Wheeler, who follows Zoe home from school daily to spend time with her father, baking. Playing television theme songs from the '60s and '70s rather than Bach doesn't get Zoe down. Instead, aware of the stark difference between her dream and her reality, she forges ahead and, as an underdog, faces the uncertainty of entering the competition. In the end, resilient and resourceful Zoe finds perfection in the most imperfect and unique situations, and she shines. The refreshing writing is full of pearls of wisdom, and readers will relate to this fully developed character. The sensitive story is filled with hope and humor. It has a feel-good quality and a subtle message about how doing one's best and believing in oneself are what really matter.—
Jennifer Cogan, Bucks County Free Library, Doylestown, PA
Copyright
Evil Genius
Catherine Jinks
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Is it possible to cultivate readers' affection for a character who has been trained from his tenderest years to dismiss evil as a "loaded word"? Australian writer Jinks, author of the Crusades-era Pagan series, successfully meets the challenge in this very different novel. She devises gradations of wrongdoing so steep that her antihero's adversaries leave him (almost) smelling like a rose. At age seven, child prodigy Cadel Piggott lands in a shrink's office for illegal computer hacking, where psychologist Thaddeus Roth delivers startling counsel: "Next time, don't get caught." Thaddeus is an agent of Cadel's real father, a brilliant crook who, from behind bars, manages to place Cadel at the secretive Axis Institute for World Domination. By 13, Cadel is earnestly studying "Infiltration, Misinformation, and Embezzlement," but as he increasingly relies on an outside friendship, he privately plots to extricate himself from the paterfamilias.Comic-book fans will enjoy the school's aspiring villains (including one who floors foes with deadly B.O.), but this is more than a campy set-piece. Cadel's turnabout is convincingly hampered by his difficulty recognizing appropriate outlets for rage, and Jinks' whiplash-inducing suspense writing will gratify fans of Anthony Horowitz's high-tech spy scenarios. Although some of the technical concerns of evil geniuses (firewalls, tax shelters, nanotechnology) may stymie less-patient readers, most will press on, riveted by the chilling aspects of a child trapped in adult agendas that, iceberglike, hide beneath the surface. Mattson, Jennifer
Copyright © American Library Association.
Anansi Boys
by Neil Gaiman
Adult/High School–Charles Fat Charlie Nancy leads a normal, boring existence in London. However, when he calls the U.S. to invite his estranged father to his wedding, he learns that the man just died. After jetting off to Florida for the funeral, Charlie not only discovers a brother he didn't know he had, but also learns that his father was the West African trickster god, Anansi. Charlie's brother, who possesses his own magical powers, later visits him at home and spins Charlie's life out of control, getting him fired, sleeping with his fiancée, and even getting him arrested for a white-collar crime. Charlie fights back with assistance from other gods, and that's when the real trouble begins. They lead the brothers into adventures that are at times scary or downright hysterical. At first Charlie is overwhelmed by this new world, but he is Anansi's son and shows just as much flair for trickery as his brother. With its quirky, inventive fantasy, this is a real treat for Gaiman's fans. Here, he writes with a fuller sense of character. Focusing on a smaller cast gives him the room to breathe life into these figures.
Anansi is also a story about fathers, sons, and brothers and how difficult it can be to get along even when they are so similar. Darkly funny and heartwarming to the end, this book is an addictive read not easily forgotten.
–Matthew L. Moffett, Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale
Copyright © Reed Business Information
Realist at Last
Susan Juby
Gr. 8-11. The inimitable heroine first met in
Alice, I Think (2003) is back for more adventures in nonconformity. Homeschooled for 10 years and recently returned to public school, Alice comes from a family steeped in nontraditionalism. In this saga of her seventeenth summer, she must endure a breakup with her boyfriend, would-be beaus who disgust her, her inability to get or keep a job, her mother's incarceration for protesting a smelting factory, and a new therapist who refuses to coddle her. Fortunately for the reader, all is told with deliciously dark humor; one of the best parts is the ongoing screenplay Alice constructs, with herself as star. Yes, Alice is annoyingly self-absorbed, but she's also very aware of it, and her dead-funny voice makes her even more sympathetic. While readers of previous Alice titles will obviously get more out of this than those new to the series, teens meeting Alice for the first time will catch on quickly and will likely be charmed.
Debbie Carton
Copyright © American Library Association.
Half-Moon Investigations
by Eoin Colfe
Grade 4-7-Diminutive Fletcher Moon may not be the most popular 12-year-old in his Irish town but he's proud-maybe a little too proud-of the badge that he constantly flashes to let everyone know that he's an online graduate of a private detective academy in Washington, DC. The other kids admit that Fletcher, aka Half Moon, has solved several tough cases at Saint Jerome's Elementary and Middle School, so they come to him when they have a problem. But when super all-in-pink girly-girl April Devereux hires him to find a lock of a pop star's hair that she claims was stolen by one of the Sharkeys-a family of well-known criminals-everything starts going wrong for Fletcher. His precious badge is taken, he finds a single huge footprint at every crime scene, and he's picked up by the local police for arson when the Devereux playhouse burns down. When Fletcher goes on the run, who becomes his number-one ally? Young Red Sharkey. A typically funny Colfer offering without the mania of the Artemis Fowl series (Hyperion), the story wittily delivers the message that some people aren't-for good or ill-who they appear to be. Kids who enjoy comic mysteries will have a great time with
Half Moon, and the conclusion drops plenty of hints that this could become a series.
-Walter Minkel, New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information
Midshipwizard Halcyon Blithe
James M Ward
Hogwarts goes to sea in Ward's workmanlike fantasy debut. Setting off from the land of Arcania, 12- and 13-year-old aspiring wizards learn how to sail a vessel affixed to the back of a huge sea-dragon and to battle the nasty shape-changers of the enemy Maleen. At 16, the book's hero, Halcyon, is nearly an old man, though he gives no thought to age, while the skipper calls every member of the crew, male and female alike, his "men." There's no romance and the main action focuses on Halcyon's efforts to overcome the threats of a court-martial and an unknown villain whose weird identity is saved for the climax. Ward's eager if plodding midshipwizards are unlikely to unseat Harry Potter, but they do come across as appealing and credible young teens, the novel's obvious audience.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.
Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You
Peter Cameron
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Though he's been accepted by Brown University, 18-year-old James isn't sure he wants to go to college. What he really wants is to buy a nice house in a small town somewhere in the Midwest—Indiana, perhaps. In the meantime, however, he has a dull, make-work job at his thrice-married mother's Manhattan art gallery, where he finds himself attracted to her assistant, an older man named John. In a clumsy attempt to capture John's attention, James winds up accused of sexual harassment! A critically acclaimed author of adult fiction, Cameron makes a singularly auspicious entry into the world of YA with this beautifully conceived and written coming-of-age novel that is, at turns, funny, sad, tender, and sophisticated. James makes a memorable protagonist, touching in his inability to connect with the world but always entertaining in his first-person account of his New York environment, his fractured family, his disastrous trip to the nation's capital, and his ongoing bouts with psychoanalysis. In the process he dramatizes the ambivalences and uncertainties of adolescence in ways that both teen and adult readers will savor and remember. Cart, Michael
Peaches
by Jodi Lynn Anderson
From Booklist
Gr. 8-11. Anderson's debut reads like a first cousin to Ann Brashares' Traveling Pants series. Here, rather than the perfect pair of jeans, it's an intoxicating peach orchard that works its magic on three teens, brought together to pick fruit in the summer before their last year of high school. Shy, awkward Birdie, the homeschooled daughter of the Darlington Orchard's owners; Leeda, Birdie's gorgeous, wealthy, "kind of cold and uptight" cousin; and restless, rebellious Murphy discover in one another a strong, unlikely friendship that helps each girl move past her own limitations and open herself to thrilling possibilities. The Darlington's financial troubles, overtures from a sleazy developer, and several dreamy romantic interests add tension and intrigue to the friendship story. Interspersed vignettes of momentous scenes from the orchard's past add to the setting's mysterious aura, and Anderson's vivid descriptions of the scented rows of trees, buzzing with heat and life, echo the restlessness of her well-drawn teen characters. A charming, breezy choice for strong and reluctant readers alike.
Gillian Engberg
Wicked Lovely
Melissa Marr
Melissa Marr adds elegantly to the sub-genre of Urban Faery with this enticing, well-researched fantasy for teens. Wicked Lovely takes place in modern-day Huntsdale, a small city south of Pittsburgh whose name evokes the Wild Hunt of mythology. High school junior Aislinn and her grandmother have followed strict rules all their lives to hide their ability to see faeries because faeries don't like it when mortals can see them, and faeries can be very cruel. Only the strongest faeries can withstand iron, however, so Aislinn prefers the city with its steel girders and bridges. She takes refuge with Seth, her would-be lover, who lives in a set of old train carriages.
But now Aislinn is being stalked by two of the faeries who are able to take on human form and are not deterred by steel. What do they want from her?
One is Keenan, the Summer King, who has been looking for his Queen for nine centuries, bound by the rules and rituals that govern his quest. The other is Donia, a victim of those rules, consigned to the role of Winter Girl when she failed Keenan's test, yet still in love with him. Certain that Aislinn is the woman he must marry, Keenan shows up as a charismatic new student at her high school, unaware that she sees his true form. He's determined to court her and is puzzled by her rebuffs. Suddenly, none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe is working anymore, but things aren't going as Keenan expects either. Both will have to change, make startling compromises and enlist surprising allies if they want to break free from the wicked game that has ensnared them.
Their greatest challenge will be to avoid the fatal traps laid by Keenan's mother, the Winter Queen. She will lose her power if Keenan finds his mate, and she will do anything to stop this. Unfortunately, she's a little too over the top to be totally threatening, a campy version of Hans Christian Andersen's Snow Queen -- part Disney witch, part Endora in "Bewitched." But this didn't stop me from devouring the book.
Marr creates a fully realized world that conveys the details and the politics of faery life. The suspense remains taut, as the point of view shifts between Aislinn, Keenan and Donia, allowing the reader to develop sympathy for all of them. Marr's lyrical language and sensual imagery capture both the confused emotions and the physicality of adolescence.
The romantic scenes are delicious. The fantasy of being pursued by two young men is alluring in itself, but when one is a pierced and tattooed sexy outsider and the other is a blindingly beautiful King of Faery, how much better can it get? Halfway through the book, I knew which characters I wanted to end up together, and that made me read greedily on. Readers will beg for a sequel.
Copyright 2007, The Washington Post.
Brisingr
Paolini
OATHS SWORN . . . loyalties tested . . . forces collide.
Following the colossal battle against the Empire’s warriors on the Burning Plains, Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have narrowly escaped with their lives. Still there is more at hand for the Rider and his dragon, as Eragon finds himself bound by a tangle of promises he may not be able to keep.
First is Eragon’s oath to his cousin Roran: to help rescue Roran’s beloved, Katrina, from King Galbatorix’s clutches. But Eragon owes his loyalty to others, too. The Varden are in desperate need of his talents and strength—as are the elves and dwarves. When unrest claims the rebels and danger strikes from every corner, Eragon must make choices— choices that take him across the Empire and beyond, choices that may lead to unimagined sacrifice.
Eragon is the greatest hope to rid the land of tyranny. Can this once-simple farm boy unite the rebel forces and defeat the king?
About the Author
Christopher Paolini’s abiding love of fantasy and science fiction inspired him to begin writing his debut novel,
Eragon, when he graduated from high school at 15. He lives in Paradise Valley, Montana.
Princess Academy
Shannon Hale
From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 5-9–The thought of being a princess never occurred to the girls living on Mount Eskel. Most plan to work in the quarry like the generations before them. When it is announced that the prince will choose a bride from their village, 14-year-old Miri, who thinks she is being kept from working in the quarry because of her small stature, believes that this is her opportunity to prove her worth to her father. All eligible females are sent off to attend a special academy where they face many challenges and hardships as they are forced to adapt to the cultured life of a lowlander. First, strict Tutor Olana denies a visit home. Then, they are cut off from their village by heavy winter snowstorms. As their isolation increases, competition builds among them. The story is much like the mountains, with plenty of suspenseful moments that peak and fall, building into the next intense event. Miri discovers much about herself, including a special talent called quarry speak, a silent way to communicate. She uses this ability in many ways, most importantly to save herself and the other girls from harm. Each girl's story is brought to a satisfying conclusion, but this is not a fluffy, predictable fairy tale, even though it has wonderful moments of humor. Instead, Hale weaves an intricate, multilayered story about families, relationships, education, and the place we call home.
–Linda L. Plevak, Saint Mary's Hall, San Antonio, TX
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Listening for Lions
by Gloria Whelan
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Gr. 6-9. In 1919, in British East Africa, 13-year-old Rachel loses her missionary parents during an influenza epidemic. When she turns to her English neighbors for help, the Pritchards ensnare her in a shocking, ill-intentioned scheme. Disowned by their rich family, they had planned to send their daughter, Valerie, to her grandfather's estate in England, where they hoped she would help to reinstate them in his will. But after Valerie dies of flu, the Pritchards conspire to send Rachel, whose red hair matches their daughter's. Whelan creates deliciously odious villains in the Pritchard parents, who, with shameless cunning, manipulate Rachel into agreeing to the deceit. Once in England, Rachel and the perilously ill grandfather develop a surprisingly strong, affectionate bond, although she continues the ruse, believing that "one more disappointment would be the end of the old man." In a straightforward, sympathetic voice, Rachel tells an involving, episodic story that follows her across continents and through life stages as she grapples with her dishonesty, grief for her lost parents and life in Africa, and looming questions about how to prepare for grown-up life at a time when few choices were allowed to women. Gentle, nostalgic, and fueled with old-fashioned girl power, this involving orphan story will please fans of Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic
The Secret Garden (1912) and Eva Ibbotson's
The Star of Kazan (2004).
Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Elise Broach
From Booklist
Gr. 6-9. As usual, sixth-grader Hero's Shakespearean name prompts teasing in her new school, and her loving parents are clueless about her difficulties. Then intriguing, elderly neighbor Mrs. Roth tells her about the enormous diamond rumored to be hidden in Hero's new house. Helped by Mrs. Roth and cute eighth-grader Danny, Hero launches into a stealthy search that unearths links between the diamond's original owner and Edward de Vere, a nobleman believed by some to be the original author of Shakespeare's plays. Broach is an Elizabethan scholar, and she follows the story's detailed historical references with an endnote that further explains the true, fascinating debate about de Vere. The frequent Shakespearean quotes often feel purposeful, and the connections between clues seem too far reaching. But Broach writes with an assured sense of family dynamics and middle-school anxieties, and sophisticated readers, particularly fans of Blue Balliett's
Chasing Vermeer (2004), will appreciate the true emotions, the rich language, and the revelations of many-layered mysteries that tie the past to the present.
Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Christmas 2008
Whidbey Island Friday December 19, 2008
