A Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Farmer
SUMMARY: Twelve-year-old Nahmo, fleeing an impending marriage to a cruel man with three wives, sets out for Zimbabwe on a leaky boat. Soon, strong currents sweep her entirely off track and she struggles to overcome drowning, starvation, and attacks by animals. Nhamo's journey brings her closer to the African spirit world as she struggles against lonliness and toward a new life.
OPINION: Although this book is set in Africa, it is not fantasy like Farmer's book The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm. It is historical fiction, set in the early 1980s, when Mozambique and Zimbabwe had recently won their independence from colonial Portugal and Britain. This book deals with the intersection of tribal traditions and modern lifestyles, and tells a gripping story as well!
4.26.2005
Book Review: Saving Francesca
Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
SUMMARY: Francesca (Frankie) is one of only 30 girls at the formerly-all-boys St. Sebastian's...and the only girls she knows from her old school are psycho. Throw in living with a depressed mother, being dissed by former friends, and being surrounded daily by lots of gross, sexist boys, and you can see why Francesca needs saving!
OPINION: This book nicely walks the fine line between fluffy chic-lit and serious drama. It deals with friends, boys, and romance...but also concerns a family falling apart from depression. It takes place in Australia, so there are a few obscure cultural references. But it is a great read, simultaneously humorous and serious. FYI--This book was on the BBYA 2005 Top Ten list.
SUMMARY: Francesca (Frankie) is one of only 30 girls at the formerly-all-boys St. Sebastian's...and the only girls she knows from her old school are psycho. Throw in living with a depressed mother, being dissed by former friends, and being surrounded daily by lots of gross, sexist boys, and you can see why Francesca needs saving!
OPINION: This book nicely walks the fine line between fluffy chic-lit and serious drama. It deals with friends, boys, and romance...but also concerns a family falling apart from depression. It takes place in Australia, so there are a few obscure cultural references. But it is a great read, simultaneously humorous and serious. FYI--This book was on the BBYA 2005 Top Ten list.
4.18.2005
Don't Ask Alice
Did you know that the famous diary Go Ask Alice is really just anti-drug propaganda written by adults, including Beatrice Sparks? Beatrice Sparks wrote several other fake diaries about issues like teen pregnancy, AIDS, and homelessness. To find out more, read some of the negative reviews on Amazon or visit the Snopes urban legend article about the book.
4.13.2005
Book Review: Boy2Girl
Boy2Girl by Terence Blacker
SUMMARY: Matthew's American cousin, Sam, has come to London to live with the family. Matthew and his "mates" decide that Sam must undertake a challenge to prove that he will be a loyal friend: he must start the new school by year posing as a girl for an entire week!
OPINION: This book is really funny and upbeat. It is not an "issue" book and does not really address issues of gender or sexuality. The situation with Sam just escalates until it is way out of control, invoving a soccer riot, a smitten 12th-grade hunk, a dad who just got out of jail, and a school talent show gone bad!
SUMMARY: Matthew's American cousin, Sam, has come to London to live with the family. Matthew and his "mates" decide that Sam must undertake a challenge to prove that he will be a loyal friend: he must start the new school by year posing as a girl for an entire week!
OPINION: This book is really funny and upbeat. It is not an "issue" book and does not really address issues of gender or sexuality. The situation with Sam just escalates until it is way out of control, invoving a soccer riot, a smitten 12th-grade hunk, a dad who just got out of jail, and a school talent show gone bad!
4.12.2005
New Books!
I just covered ten NEW books for the teen corner, so look for them next time you come in!
1. Boy2Girl by Terence Blacker
2. The Artemis Fowl Files by Eoin Colfer
3. Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher
4. LBD: It's A Girl Thing by Grace Dent
5. Coram Boy by Jamila Gavin
6. It's Your World--If You Don't Like It, Change It: Activism for Teenagers by Mikki Halpin
7. Talk by Kathe Koja
8. Brother Hood by Janet McDonald
9. The Search for Belle Prater by Ruth White
10. A Thief in the House of Memory by Tim Wynne-Jones
1. Boy2Girl by Terence Blacker
2. The Artemis Fowl Files by Eoin Colfer
3. Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher
4. LBD: It's A Girl Thing by Grace Dent
5. Coram Boy by Jamila Gavin
6. It's Your World--If You Don't Like It, Change It: Activism for Teenagers by Mikki Halpin
7. Talk by Kathe Koja
8. Brother Hood by Janet McDonald
9. The Search for Belle Prater by Ruth White
10. A Thief in the House of Memory by Tim Wynne-Jones
4.11.2005
Book Review: Heaven
Heaven by Angela Johnson
SUMMARY: Marley has lived in Heaven since she was two years old, when her mother found a postcard postmarked HEAVEN, OH on a park bench and decided that was where she wanted to raise her family. And for twelve years, Marley's hometown has lived up to its name. Then one day a letter arrives from Alabama, and Marley's life is turned upside down. Marley doesn't even know who she is anymore--but where can she go for answers, when she's been deceived by the very people she should be able to trust the most?
OPINION: This book is short and beautiful. It includes unique and mysterious characters, and is a satisfying read. This book is a partner book to The First Part Last, which is about teen-aged Bobby and his daughter, Feather. Although this book is about Marley, Bobby and Feather are characters, and we get a glimpse of how he is managing.
SUMMARY: Marley has lived in Heaven since she was two years old, when her mother found a postcard postmarked HEAVEN, OH on a park bench and decided that was where she wanted to raise her family. And for twelve years, Marley's hometown has lived up to its name. Then one day a letter arrives from Alabama, and Marley's life is turned upside down. Marley doesn't even know who she is anymore--but where can she go for answers, when she's been deceived by the very people she should be able to trust the most?
OPINION: This book is short and beautiful. It includes unique and mysterious characters, and is a satisfying read. This book is a partner book to The First Part Last, which is about teen-aged Bobby and his daughter, Feather. Although this book is about Marley, Bobby and Feather are characters, and we get a glimpse of how he is managing.
Book Review: Hard Love
Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger
SUMMARY: Since his parents' divorce, John's mother hasn't touched him, her new fiancé wants them to move away, and his father would rather be anywhere than at Friday night dinner with his son. It's no wonder John writes articles like "Interview with the Stepfather" and "Memoirs from Hell" for his zine, Bananafish. Hanging out at Tower Records, John finds other zines, like the amazing Escape Velocity by Marisol, a self-proclaimed "Puerto Rican Cuban Yankee Lesbian." When John meets Marisol, hard love is born.
OPINION: This book was not at all what I expected it to be. And I really liked it for that. The story is an intimate look at a not-so-intimate friendship. If you are a writer of any kind, you will appreciate the centrality of teens' writing to this story.
SUMMARY: Since his parents' divorce, John's mother hasn't touched him, her new fiancé wants them to move away, and his father would rather be anywhere than at Friday night dinner with his son. It's no wonder John writes articles like "Interview with the Stepfather" and "Memoirs from Hell" for his zine, Bananafish. Hanging out at Tower Records, John finds other zines, like the amazing Escape Velocity by Marisol, a self-proclaimed "Puerto Rican Cuban Yankee Lesbian." When John meets Marisol, hard love is born.
OPINION: This book was not at all what I expected it to be. And I really liked it for that. The story is an intimate look at a not-so-intimate friendship. If you are a writer of any kind, you will appreciate the centrality of teens' writing to this story.
4.08.2005
Book Review: Bad Boy
Bad Boy: A Memoir by Walter Dean Myers
BEST QUOTE: "My response to my problems was to immerse myself in literature. Books are often touted by librarians as vehicles to carry you far away. I most often saw them as a way of hiding one self inside the other. What I had to hide was the self who was a reader, who loved poetry." (page 126)
SUMMARY: As a boy, Walter Dean Myers was quick--tempered and physically strong, always ready for a fight. He also read voraciously--he would check out books from the library and carry them home, hidden in brown paper bags in order to avoid other boys' teasing. He aspired to be a writer. But growing up in a poor family in Harlem, he began to doubt himself and the values that he had always relied on, attending high school less and less, turning to the streets and his books for comfort. This autobiography is a interesting window into Harlem as it was the 1940s and 50s.
OPINION: Walter Dean Myers is one of the most famous YA writers, not even counting the fact that he is one of a few people writing convincingly about young black men. If you have not read his books, look for Monster, Shooter, Hoops, or Scorpions next time you are in the Teen Corner.
BEST QUOTE: "My response to my problems was to immerse myself in literature. Books are often touted by librarians as vehicles to carry you far away. I most often saw them as a way of hiding one self inside the other. What I had to hide was the self who was a reader, who loved poetry." (page 126)
SUMMARY: As a boy, Walter Dean Myers was quick--tempered and physically strong, always ready for a fight. He also read voraciously--he would check out books from the library and carry them home, hidden in brown paper bags in order to avoid other boys' teasing. He aspired to be a writer. But growing up in a poor family in Harlem, he began to doubt himself and the values that he had always relied on, attending high school less and less, turning to the streets and his books for comfort. This autobiography is a interesting window into Harlem as it was the 1940s and 50s.
OPINION: Walter Dean Myers is one of the most famous YA writers, not even counting the fact that he is one of a few people writing convincingly about young black men. If you have not read his books, look for Monster, Shooter, Hoops, or Scorpions next time you are in the Teen Corner.
4.07.2005
Book Review: The Winter Prince
The Winter Prince by Elizabeth E. Wein
SUMMARY: Medraut, illegitimate eldest son the high king of Britain, cannot be heir to the throne. Instead, his younger half-brother, Lleu, fragile and inexperienced, is chosen. Medraut cannot bear to be commanded and contradicted by this weakling brother who he feels has usurped both his birthright and his father's favor. Torn and bitter, he joins Morgause, the high king's treacherous sister, in a plot to force Artos to forfeit his power and kingdom in exchange for Lleu's life. But this plot soon proves to be much more--a battlefield on which Medraut is forced to decide, for good or evil, where his own allegiance truly lies.
OPINION: This book uses a unique storytelling style, which is cool but also hard to follow in the beginning. Nonetheless, it is a great story with plenty of treachery and betrayal to keep you interested. Plus, it draws inspiration from the Arthurian legend. This is the first book in a trilogy that also includes A Coalition of Lions (book 2) and The Sunbird (book 3).
SUMMARY: Medraut, illegitimate eldest son the high king of Britain, cannot be heir to the throne. Instead, his younger half-brother, Lleu, fragile and inexperienced, is chosen. Medraut cannot bear to be commanded and contradicted by this weakling brother who he feels has usurped both his birthright and his father's favor. Torn and bitter, he joins Morgause, the high king's treacherous sister, in a plot to force Artos to forfeit his power and kingdom in exchange for Lleu's life. But this plot soon proves to be much more--a battlefield on which Medraut is forced to decide, for good or evil, where his own allegiance truly lies.
OPINION: This book uses a unique storytelling style, which is cool but also hard to follow in the beginning. Nonetheless, it is a great story with plenty of treachery and betrayal to keep you interested. Plus, it draws inspiration from the Arthurian legend. This is the first book in a trilogy that also includes A Coalition of Lions (book 2) and The Sunbird (book 3).
4.05.2005
Book Review: A Coalition of Lions
A Coalition of Lions by Elizabeth E. Wein
SUMMARY: After the death of virtually all of her family in the battle of Camlan, Goewin, Princess of Britain, makes a desperate journey to African Aksum to meet with Constantine, the British ambassador and her fiance. But Aksum is undergoing political turmoil, and Goewin's relationship with its ambassador to Britain makes her position more than precarious. Caught between two countries, with the power to transform or end lives, Goewin fights to find and claim her place in a world that has suddenly, irrevocably changed.
OPINION: This is the second book in the trilogy that also includes The Winter Prince (book 1) and The Sunbird (book 3). I liked this book very much, expecially because it has such a strong female character! It is also the only one that has an author's note at the end explaining the history behind the books. It was really interesting to learn about the real events and people that inspired the book!
SUMMARY: After the death of virtually all of her family in the battle of Camlan, Goewin, Princess of Britain, makes a desperate journey to African Aksum to meet with Constantine, the British ambassador and her fiance. But Aksum is undergoing political turmoil, and Goewin's relationship with its ambassador to Britain makes her position more than precarious. Caught between two countries, with the power to transform or end lives, Goewin fights to find and claim her place in a world that has suddenly, irrevocably changed.
OPINION: This is the second book in the trilogy that also includes The Winter Prince (book 1) and The Sunbird (book 3). I liked this book very much, expecially because it has such a strong female character! It is also the only one that has an author's note at the end explaining the history behind the books. It was really interesting to learn about the real events and people that inspired the book!
4.01.2005
Book Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
SUMMARY: Charlie is a freshman. And while's he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. He's a wallflower--shy and introspective, and intelligent beyond his years, if not very savvy in the social arts. We learn about Charlie through the letters he writes to someone who he hopes will be a good listener. Charlie encounters the same struggles that many kids face in high school--how to make friends, the intensity of a crush, family tensions, a first relationship--but he must also deal with his best friend's recent suicide.
OPINION: This was Chbosky's first novel, and it is amazing. Charlie is a unique character, yet his high school experiences are very realistic. Whether you love high school or hate it, whether you agree with his choices or not, you will feel infinite along with Charlie as you read this book. This is a classic coming-of-age novel with a striking perspective.
SUMMARY: Charlie is a freshman. And while's he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. He's a wallflower--shy and introspective, and intelligent beyond his years, if not very savvy in the social arts. We learn about Charlie through the letters he writes to someone who he hopes will be a good listener. Charlie encounters the same struggles that many kids face in high school--how to make friends, the intensity of a crush, family tensions, a first relationship--but he must also deal with his best friend's recent suicide.
OPINION: This was Chbosky's first novel, and it is amazing. Charlie is a unique character, yet his high school experiences are very realistic. Whether you love high school or hate it, whether you agree with his choices or not, you will feel infinite along with Charlie as you read this book. This is a classic coming-of-age novel with a striking perspective.
3.31.2005
Book Review: Luna
Luna by Julie Anne Peters
SUMMARY: Peters tells two stories in this groundbreaking novel--one about Regan, and the other about Liam, Regan's transgender brother, who is the son his father expects by day but a young woman, Luna, by night. Fiercely protective of Liam/Luna, Regan has put her life on hold; she worries about her brother's female self being discovered and the family's reaction, and she fears that her brother may someday give in to despair. While Regan wonders if she will ever be able to have a life separate from the needs of her sibling, Liam seriously begins to consider a permanent change.
OPINION: I was not very impressed with this book. True, it is one of only a few teen books that deals with this issue, but it was not very believable. For example, the parents and other minor characters seemed two-dimensional and stereotypical. Then there was Liam/Luna, a high school genius who was independently wealthy from his computer business. If that wasn't enough of a stretch, then he leaves school and his business to run off to the West Coast to live with a transgender person he met on the internet. That is not a good way to deal with your personal issues, people!
SUMMARY: Peters tells two stories in this groundbreaking novel--one about Regan, and the other about Liam, Regan's transgender brother, who is the son his father expects by day but a young woman, Luna, by night. Fiercely protective of Liam/Luna, Regan has put her life on hold; she worries about her brother's female self being discovered and the family's reaction, and she fears that her brother may someday give in to despair. While Regan wonders if she will ever be able to have a life separate from the needs of her sibling, Liam seriously begins to consider a permanent change.
OPINION: I was not very impressed with this book. True, it is one of only a few teen books that deals with this issue, but it was not very believable. For example, the parents and other minor characters seemed two-dimensional and stereotypical. Then there was Liam/Luna, a high school genius who was independently wealthy from his computer business. If that wasn't enough of a stretch, then he leaves school and his business to run off to the West Coast to live with a transgender person he met on the internet. That is not a good way to deal with your personal issues, people!
3.29.2005
Book Review: The Sunbird
The Sunbird by Elizabeth E. Wein
SUMMARY: Telemakos is a blend of royal lines from two different countries: Britain and Aksum. He is also an exceptional listener and tracker, resolute and inventive in his ability to discover and retain information. Now his aunt Goewin, the British ambassador to Aksum, needs his skill to thwart the plague that threatens Aksum through black-market salt trading. This challenge will take all of Telemakos’s skill, strength, and courage--because otherwise it will cost him his life.
OPINION: The book reminded me of The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner, as well as Trickster's Choice and Trickster's Queen by Tamora Pierce, because of the main character is a spy. This fantasy book takes some inspiration from The Odyssey, yet also draws on ancient African history. The story takes place Aksum, Africa, an area that is now Eritrea and Ethiopia. It is the third book the author has written featuring this kingdom, the first two being The Winter Prince and A Coalition of Lions.
SUMMARY: Telemakos is a blend of royal lines from two different countries: Britain and Aksum. He is also an exceptional listener and tracker, resolute and inventive in his ability to discover and retain information. Now his aunt Goewin, the British ambassador to Aksum, needs his skill to thwart the plague that threatens Aksum through black-market salt trading. This challenge will take all of Telemakos’s skill, strength, and courage--because otherwise it will cost him his life.
OPINION: The book reminded me of The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner, as well as Trickster's Choice and Trickster's Queen by Tamora Pierce, because of the main character is a spy. This fantasy book takes some inspiration from The Odyssey, yet also draws on ancient African history. The story takes place Aksum, Africa, an area that is now Eritrea and Ethiopia. It is the third book the author has written featuring this kingdom, the first two being The Winter Prince and A Coalition of Lions.
3.28.2005
Book Review: Please Don't Kill the Freshman
Please Don't Kill the Freshman: A Memoir by Zoe Trope
SUMMARY: Zoe Trope's caustic coming-of-age diary rants and raves through her increasingly irrelevant high school career. Zoe's entries chronicle her tortured search for truth in love and art, her faltering faith in the value of activism in the face of universal apathy, and her bottomless disdain for just about every figure and fixture in her high school life.
OPINION: The stream-of-consciousness style writing style makes it stand out from other YA books. Also, the characters are called things like "Techno Boy," "Sloppy Charcoal," "Plum Sweater," "Tupperware," "Vegan Grrl," etc. This actually tells you more about the characters than their real names ever could. And an interesting note: Zoe Trope (not her real name) wrote this book in high school.
SUMMARY: Zoe Trope's caustic coming-of-age diary rants and raves through her increasingly irrelevant high school career. Zoe's entries chronicle her tortured search for truth in love and art, her faltering faith in the value of activism in the face of universal apathy, and her bottomless disdain for just about every figure and fixture in her high school life.
OPINION: The stream-of-consciousness style writing style makes it stand out from other YA books. Also, the characters are called things like "Techno Boy," "Sloppy Charcoal," "Plum Sweater," "Tupperware," "Vegan Grrl," etc. This actually tells you more about the characters than their real names ever could. And an interesting note: Zoe Trope (not her real name) wrote this book in high school.
3.23.2005
Book Review: Whale Talk
Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher
SUMMARY: Life as a person of color is not easy in the Pacific Northwest, home of the Aryan Nation. A natural athlete, T.J. Jones sees racisim and hatred in his community every day. This is part of the reason he refuses to play organized sports. That is, until he finds diversity and challenges the religion of athletics by bringing together a swim team of school outcasts.
OPINION: Everyone has their personal demons, and the people in this book really struggle. The book is hopeful, though, with swim team success and family healing. The end made me cry. If you liked Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, this book is similar in its writing style and treatment of issues.
SUMMARY: Life as a person of color is not easy in the Pacific Northwest, home of the Aryan Nation. A natural athlete, T.J. Jones sees racisim and hatred in his community every day. This is part of the reason he refuses to play organized sports. That is, until he finds diversity and challenges the religion of athletics by bringing together a swim team of school outcasts.
OPINION: Everyone has their personal demons, and the people in this book really struggle. The book is hopeful, though, with swim team success and family healing. The end made me cry. If you liked Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, this book is similar in its writing style and treatment of issues.
3.21.2005
Book Review: Devil in the White City
Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson
SUMMARY: The glittering world of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair made Buffalo Bill's Wild West show and the Ferris wheel world famous. It also served as a cover for psychopaths and serial killers. Uncover the planning and execution of the fair...as well as the planning and execution of murder...
OPINION: This gripping book is nonfiction, but reads like a novel. It is long, but I couldn't put it down. There is a hometown connection, too: a Philadelphia detective solved the serial killer case! You can find this book in print, on tape, or on CD in the adult section of the library.
SUMMARY: The glittering world of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair made Buffalo Bill's Wild West show and the Ferris wheel world famous. It also served as a cover for psychopaths and serial killers. Uncover the planning and execution of the fair...as well as the planning and execution of murder...
OPINION: This gripping book is nonfiction, but reads like a novel. It is long, but I couldn't put it down. There is a hometown connection, too: a Philadelphia detective solved the serial killer case! You can find this book in print, on tape, or on CD in the adult section of the library.
3.19.2005
Book Review: Prom
Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson (NEW!)
Best quote from this book, when the main character is talking about her house:
"It was still spring, so the living room was a shrine to our baseball team, the Philadelphia Phillies. In the fall, Dad made it into a shrine to the Eagles (football). Winter was always a little weird. We'd get Flyers decorations (hockey), 76ers decorations (basketball), and Christmas decorations (baby Jesus, who was a Philly fan from way back)." --p.38
SUMMARY: Ashley doesn't care about the prom at all, but she is the exception in her urban Philadelphia high school. Everyone else is going crazy with prom plans...until their math teacher is arrested for stealing all the money from the prom account...
OPINION: This book is about average teens who are faced with an unreal situation. This story is part humor, part Cinderella, and part suspense! An interesting aside: In the author's notes, Laurie Halse Anderson gives props to Philadelphia's former modern rock station Y100 (*sigh*), which she listed to while writing the book!
Best quote from this book, when the main character is talking about her house:
"It was still spring, so the living room was a shrine to our baseball team, the Philadelphia Phillies. In the fall, Dad made it into a shrine to the Eagles (football). Winter was always a little weird. We'd get Flyers decorations (hockey), 76ers decorations (basketball), and Christmas decorations (baby Jesus, who was a Philly fan from way back)." --p.38
SUMMARY: Ashley doesn't care about the prom at all, but she is the exception in her urban Philadelphia high school. Everyone else is going crazy with prom plans...until their math teacher is arrested for stealing all the money from the prom account...
OPINION: This book is about average teens who are faced with an unreal situation. This story is part humor, part Cinderella, and part suspense! An interesting aside: In the author's notes, Laurie Halse Anderson gives props to Philadelphia's former modern rock station Y100 (*sigh*), which she listed to while writing the book!
3.18.2005
Book Review: Margaux with an X
Margaux with an X by Ron Koertge (NEW!)
SUMMARY: Margaux is the dream catch of every teenage male within her radar. She has perfected the arts of beauty, popularity, and sarcasm to escape the world of her her money-addicted parents (Dad = professional gambler, Mom = professional shopper) and a long-hidden secret. But, strangely, Margaux feels more like herself with David Riley, a scrawny, weak-chinned, animal loving oddball who has some secrets of his own.
OPINION: This book is a short read, but not too easy. Margaux loves words and ideas, which leads her away from her shallow, popular crowd. I didn't even know all the words she did...I had to look some up!!! If you like this book, we have Stoner and Spaz by the same author.
SUMMARY: Margaux is the dream catch of every teenage male within her radar. She has perfected the arts of beauty, popularity, and sarcasm to escape the world of her her money-addicted parents (Dad = professional gambler, Mom = professional shopper) and a long-hidden secret. But, strangely, Margaux feels more like herself with David Riley, a scrawny, weak-chinned, animal loving oddball who has some secrets of his own.
OPINION: This book is a short read, but not too easy. Margaux loves words and ideas, which leads her away from her shallow, popular crowd. I didn't even know all the words she did...I had to look some up!!! If you like this book, we have Stoner and Spaz by the same author.
3.14.2005
Book Review: Curse of the Blue Tattoo
Curse of the Blue Tattoo : Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady by Louis A. Meyer
SUMMARY: After being exposed as a girl, Jacky Faber is forced to leave the Dolphin and attend the elite Lawson Peabody School for Young Girls in Boston. But growing up on the streets of London and fighting pirates never prepared Jacky for her toughest battle yet: learning how to be a lady. And whenever Jacky roams the city in search of adventure, trouble is never far behind.
OPINION: This is the second book about Jacky. I have not read the first one (Bloody Jack), but now I am going to! I seriously couldn't put this book down. Everything in my house got negelected while I laid on the couch and read away the afternoon. Doesn't that sound like fun?! The only bad thing about this book: there is a HORSE named GRETCHEN!!
SUMMARY: After being exposed as a girl, Jacky Faber is forced to leave the Dolphin and attend the elite Lawson Peabody School for Young Girls in Boston. But growing up on the streets of London and fighting pirates never prepared Jacky for her toughest battle yet: learning how to be a lady. And whenever Jacky roams the city in search of adventure, trouble is never far behind.
OPINION: This is the second book about Jacky. I have not read the first one (Bloody Jack), but now I am going to! I seriously couldn't put this book down. Everything in my house got negelected while I laid on the couch and read away the afternoon. Doesn't that sound like fun?! The only bad thing about this book: there is a HORSE named GRETCHEN!!
Book Review: No Shame, No Fear
No Shame, No Fear by Ann Turnbull
SUMMARY: This is fast-paced historical drama set in England in 1662 amid the turmoil of the religious persecution of the Friends. Susanna Thorn, 15, is a Quaker with a strong and committed independent spirit. William Heywood, 17, is educated and comes from a wealthy, respectable family that adheres to the Church of England. They meet when she moves into town to work and develop a bond that cannot be broken by religion, law, or parents.
OPINION: This is an incredibly romantic piece of historical fiction that reads like a fluffy beach novel. I convinced our resident romance fan Ashley M. to read this book (against her will--she hates historical fiction) and she voluntarily told me she enjoyed it. She even recommended it to the book group members last week. So if that isn't a reason to read it, I don't know what is.
SUMMARY: This is fast-paced historical drama set in England in 1662 amid the turmoil of the religious persecution of the Friends. Susanna Thorn, 15, is a Quaker with a strong and committed independent spirit. William Heywood, 17, is educated and comes from a wealthy, respectable family that adheres to the Church of England. They meet when she moves into town to work and develop a bond that cannot be broken by religion, law, or parents.
OPINION: This is an incredibly romantic piece of historical fiction that reads like a fluffy beach novel. I convinced our resident romance fan Ashley M. to read this book (against her will--she hates historical fiction) and she voluntarily told me she enjoyed it. She even recommended it to the book group members last week. So if that isn't a reason to read it, I don't know what is.
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