Kliatt articles from January 2006

Kliatt archives from January 2006

To blog or not to blog?
January 1, 2006... In a saturated market, it takes more than a hot concept, great writing, and an appealing cover to ensure a book's success. No wonder, then, that so many authors are trying blogging on for size. After all, a blog (short for "web log") picks up...

Bondoux, Anne-Laure. The killer's tears.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... BONDOUX, Anne-Laure. The killer's tears. Random House, Delacorte. 163p. map. c2003.0385-73293-7 $15.95. JSA* This deceptively simple tale, a prizewinner in France, is in fact a haunting exploration of guilt and innocence, and of the...

Budhos, Marina. Ask Me No Questions.(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... BUDHOS, Marina. Ask me no questions. Simon & Schuster, Atheneum. 162p. c2006. 1-4169-0351-8. $16.95. JS There are thousands of illegal residents in the US, and those from Muslim countries have been targeted since 9/11. Budhos, who has...

Cabot, Meg. Avalon High.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... CABOT, Meg. Avalon High. HarperCollins. 304p. c2005. 0-06-075586-5. $16.99. (Lib. bdg: 006-075587-3. $17.89.) JS Ellie (named for Elaine, the Lady of Shalott of Tennyson's poem) is starting her junior year at a new high school instead of...

Chandler, Pauline. Warrior Girl: A Novel of Joan of Arc.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... Chandler, Pauline. Warrior girl, a novel of Joan of Arc. HarperCollins, Greenwillow. 354p. c2006.0-06-084102-8. $16.99. JS Our modern-day sensibilities are uncomfortable with the basic Joan of Arc story. A young girl seeing and hearing...

Cheripko, Jan. Sun Moon Stars Rain.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... CHERIPKO, Jan. Sun moon stars rain. Front Street, Boyd Mills. 176p. c2006. 1-932425-53-5. $16.95. JS We meet Danny Murtaugh on an ice-covered day as he wanders through land owned by old Mr. Garrick. He is home from college, not for the...

Collins, Paul. The Skyborn.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... COLLINS, Paul. The skyborn. (sequel to The Earthborn.) Tot, Starscape. 271p. c2005. 10:0765-31273-5. $17.95. SA The Skyborn follows The Earthborn (and anticipates The Hiveborn) in recounting the conflicts of aliens and humans, both...

Draper, Sharon. Copper Sun.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... DRAPER, Sharon. Copper sun. Simon & Schuster. 308p. c2006. 0-689-82181-6. $16.95. S In the classic The Souls of Black Folk, W.E.B. Du Bois, speaking of the slaves' sorrow songs, writes, "Through all of the Sorrow Songs there breathes a...

Elliott, Patricia. Murkmere.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... ELLIOTT, Patricia. Murkmere. Little, Brown. 344p. c2006. 0-316-1042-1. $16.99. JS A Gothic fantasy filled with brilliant images and concepts, Murkmere tells of a strong village girl named Aggie who is selected to be the companion to a fey...

Fredericks, Mariah. Crunch Time.(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... FREDERICKS, Mariah. Crunch time. Simon & Schuster, Atheneum. 317p. c2006. 0-689-863938X. $15.95. JS Junior year, competitive schools, SATs, and a guidance counselor's power plays: these all adds up to crunch time, as any high school...

Gutman, Dan. Satch and Me.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... GUTMAN, Dan. Satch and me. (A Baseball Card Adventure.) HarperCollins. 192p. illus, bibliog. c2006.0-06-059491-8. $15.99. (Lib. bdg: 0-06059492-6. $16.89.) J* In this seventh adventure featuring Stosh, a 13-year-old with the ability to...

Hartinger, Brent. Grand and Humble.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... HARTINGER, Brent. Grand & Humble. HarperCollins. 224p. c2006. 0-05-056727-9. $15.99. (Lib. bdg: 0-06-056728-7. $16.89.) S Popular jock Harlan and backstage geek Manny are the same age and attend the same high school, but they're very...

Holder, Nancy. Pretty Little Devils.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... HOLDER, Nancy. Pretty little devils. Penguin, Razorbill. 250p. c2006. 1-59514-030-1. $14.99. JS Cross Mean Girls with Scream and you have the makings of Holder's novel about the dark side of high school. The PLDs are the most popular...

Hughes, Dean. Search and Destroy.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... HUGHES, Dean. Search and destroy. Simon & Schuster, Atheneum. 224p. bibliog, c2006. 0-68987023-X. $16.95. SA* Rick, just graduated from high school in 1969, doesn't know what to do with his life, and he longs to escape from his bullying...

Jenkins, A.M. Beating heart: A Ghost Story.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... JENKINS, A.M. Beating heart; a ghost story, HarperCollins. 243p. c2006. 0-06-0546077. $15.99. JS Filled with the heat of awakening sexuality, Jenkins' story crosses decades and genres as memory and reality meet each other in a dance...

Kalstein, Dave. Prodigy.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... KALSTEIN, Dave. Prodigy. St. Martin's Press, Holtzbrinck. 322p. c2006. 0-312-34096-6. $23.95. SA The year is 2036, and graduates of the elite prep school Stansbury are dying at an alarming rate. Who is next to go--and why? One of the few...

Kerr, M.E. Your Eyes in Stars.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... KERR, M.E. Your eyes in stars. HarperCollins. 229p. 2006. 0-06-075682-9. $15.99. JS This novel has a certain similarity to Holes but, while the plot elements are disparate, they don't come together with the neat satisfaction of Sachar's...

Kidd, Ronald. Monkey Town: The Summer of the Scopes Trial.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... KIDD, Ronald. Monkey Town; the summer of the Scopes trial. Simon & Schuster. 264p. c2006. 1-4169-0572-3. $15.95. J What with the current debate in our culture about teaching evolution or intelligent design theory, returning to the Scopes...

Klause, Annette Curtis. Freaks: Alive, on the Inside!(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... KLAUSE, Annette Curtis. Freaks; alive, on the inside! Simon & Schuster. 336p. c2006. 0689-87037-X. $16.96. S Teenage Abel stands out in his surroundings because he's the only one who's "normal": he has grown up in a freak show, the...

Langrish, Katherine. Troll Mill.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... LANGRISH, Katherine. Troll Mill. (Sequel to Troll Fell.) HarperCollins. 276p. map. c2006. 006.058307-X. $15.99. JS Readers of Langrish's previous novel, Troll Fell, will be eager to find out how Peer Ulfsson has fared after being freed from...

Levithan, David. Marley's Ghost.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... LEVITHAN, David. Marley's ghost. Penguin, Dial. 176p. 0-8037-3063-2. c2006. $14.99. JS This novel is a faithful "remix" of the familiar Charles Dickens Christmas story. It is organized and arranged in the same pattern of five staves and...

McNeal, Laura & Tom. Crushed.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... McNEAL, Laura & Tom. Crushed. Random House, Knopf. 292p. c2006. 0-375-83105-3. $15.95. JS This is the third book with a one-word title the McNeal writing partnership has published; the others are Crooked and Zipped. Like the others, this...

Paver, Michelle. Spirit Walker.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... PAVER, Michelle. Spirit walker. (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, #2.) Harper Collins. 360p. c2006. 0-06-072826.0. $16.99. JS This second book in Paver's series, following Wolf Brother, takes readers back 6,000 years ago again with Torak,...

Pratchett, Terry.Johnny and the Dead.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... PRATCHETT, Terry. Johnny and the dead. (The Johnny Maxwell Trilogy, Book 2.) HarperCollins. 224p. c2006, 1993.0-06-054188-1. $15.99. (Lib. bdg: 0-06-054189-X. $18.89.) JS Johnny, a 12-year-old British boy, discovers he can see and hear...

Reinhardt, Dana. A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life.(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... REINHARDT, Dana. A brief chapter in my impossible life. Random House, Wendy Lamb. 228p. c2006.0-385-74698-9. $15.95. SA* This is an outstanding first novel by an enormously talented writer, described in the foreword as a "nonpracticing...

Russon, Penni. Undine: the Magic, the Girl, the Ocean Inside Her.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... RUSSON, Penni. Undine; the magic, the girl, the ocean inside her. Harper Collins. 325p. c2006. 0-06-079389-9. $15.99. J Teenager Undine doesn't understand herself. That isn't unusual. She hears a compelling voice that urges her to go to the...

Sachar, Louis. Small Steps.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... SACHAR, Louis. Small steps. Random House, Delacorte. 272p. c2006. 0-385-73314-3. $16.95. (Lib. bdg: 0-385-90333-2. $18.99.) JS* Sachar's Holes won the National Book Award and the Newbery Medal, among other honors, and YAs, teachers and...

Shaw, Tucker. The Hookup Artist.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... SHAW, Tucker. The hookup artist. HarperCollins. 200p. c2005. 0-06-075620-9. $15.99. JS Lucas is the designated matchmaker in his high school, setting up cheerleaders and outcasts alike. As Thomas Jefferson's own cupid, he can find the...

Stone, Tanya Lee. A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl, A Novel.(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... STONE, Tanya Lee. A bad boy can be good for a girl, a novel. Random House, Wendy Lamb. 223p. c2006. 0-385-74702-0. $14.95. S* This amazing first novel is one of the most honest treatments of teenage sexuality to be found in YA fiction--it...

Stroud, Jonathan. Ptolemy's Gate.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... STROUD, Jonathan. Ptolemy's gate. (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book Three.) Hyperion, Miramax. 501p. c2006. 0-7868-1861-1. $17.95. SA* Fans of Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus Trilogy will not be disappointed by this third and final book. It is...

Tal, Eve. Double Crossing.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... TAL, Eve. Double crossing. Cinco Puntos Press. 261p. c2005. 0-938317-94-6. $16.95. J Raizel Balaban is almost 12 years old and she is about to journey from the Ukraine to America. With the Czar taking young men into the army, with pogroms,...

Turner, Ann. Hard Hit.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... TURNER, Ann. Hard hit. Scholastic. 167p. c2006. 0-439-29660-3. $16.99. SA Death of a beloved family member, in this case a father, is indeed a hard hit, and using the poetry format to tell of the impending death and the family's grief is a...

Turner, Megan Whalen. The King of Attolia.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... TURNER, Megan Whalen. The King of Attolia. (Sequel to The Thief and The Queen of Attolia.) HarperCollins. 390p. c2006. 978-0-06083577-4. $16.99. JS First, let me say that it is necessary to read the first two books to understand the main...

Updale, Eleanor. Montmorency and the Assassins.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... UPDALE, Eleanor. Montmorency and the assassins. Scholastic, Orchard Books. 416p. c2006. 0.439-68343-2. $16.99. JSA In this third historical novel featuring thief-turned-gentleman/spy Montmorency, the story begins in 1898, with Montmorency...

Waite, Judy. Forbidden.(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... WAITE, Judy. Forbidden. Simon & Schuster, Atheneum. 256p. c2006. 0-689-87642-4. $16.95. JS This novel, set in England, is a compelling look at the inside workings of a religious cult. The protagonist, Elinor, is 15 years old and has been...

Ackroyd, Peter. The Clerksenwell Tales.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... ACKROYD, Peter. The Clerksenwell Tales. Random House, Anchor. 213p. c2004. 1-4000-75955. $13.95. A Peter Ackroyd's splendid novel uses Chaucer's Canterbury Tales as the frame for an erudite tale of 14th-century political and religious...

Agonito, Rosemary & Agonito, Joseph. Buffalo Calf Road Woman: The Story of a Warrior of the Little Bighorn.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... AGONITO, Rosemary & AGONITO, Joseph. Buffalo Calf Road Woman; the story of a warrior of the Little Bighorn. Globe Pequot, Two Dot. 242p. bibliog, c2006. 0-7627-3817-0. $12.95. SA Rosemary and Joseph Agonito, drawn to "An intriguing...

Bryant, Jen. The Trial, A Novel.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... BRYANT, Jen. The trial, a novel. Random House, Yearling. 169p. c2004. 0-440-41986-7 $5.99. JS To quote the review of the hardcover in KLIATT, May 2004: This is Bryant's first novel for YAs; she chooses the verse format to tell how one girl...

Cook, Trish. So Lyrical.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... COOK, Trish. So lyrical. Penguin, New American Library. 222p. c2005. 0-451-21508-7. $8.99. S Trace lives with her "hippy-style" mother Bebe in Winnetka, Illinois, where Bebe moved when she was 18, unmarried, and pregnant with Trace. Bebe...

Fogelin, Adrian. My Bother's Hero.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... FOGELIN, Adrian. My brother's hero. Peachtree. 200p. c2002. 1-56145-352-8. $6.95. J Thirteen-year-old Ben Floyd is stuck somewhere in between being a child and being an adult. He is stuck between regarding his childhood playmate Cass as a...

Friedman, Aimee. A Novel Idea.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... FRIEDMAN, Aimee. A novel idea. Simon & Schuster, Pulse. 234p. c2006. 1-4169-0785-8. $5.99. JS This newest entry in the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies line is sure to please. After being told by her guidance counselor that she needs...

Hapka, Cathy. Pardon My French.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... HAPKA, Cathy. Pardon my French. (Students Across the Seven Seas.) Penguin, Speak. 224p. c2005.0-14-240459-4. $6.99. JS Nicole is positive she is going to hate Paris. She is only taking part in the study abroad program because her parents...

Harrison, Lisi. Invasion of the Boy Snatchers: a clique novel.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... HARRISON, Lisi. Invasion of the boy snatchers; a clique novel. Little, Brown. 252p. c2005. 0-316-70134-3. $9.99. J Massie Block, queen of the exclusive junior high clique The Pretty Committee, is back for another installment of her life as...

Hopkins, Cathy. Mates, Dates, and Diamond Destiny.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... HOPKINS, Cathy. Mates, dates, and diamond destiny. Simon & Schuster. 249p. c2005. 0-689-87697-1. $5.99. J HOPKINS, Cathy. Mates, dates, and great escapes. Simon & Schuster. 198p. c2004. 0-689-87695-5. $5.99. J Cathy Hopkins writes of...

Horniman, Joanne. Secret Scribbled Notebooks.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... HORNIMAN, Joanne. Secret scribbled notebooks. Independent Publishers Group. 219p. c2004. 1-74114-406-X. $7.95. S Secret Scribbled Notebooks is for readers who look up words in the dictionary to learn definitions and origins; for readers who...

Lachtman, Ofelia Dumas. The Trouble With Tessa.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... LACHTMAN, Ofelia Dumas. The trouble with Tessa. Pinata Books. 122p. c2005. 1-55885-448-7. $9.95. J Writing about Tessa's summer break before sixth grade, author Lachtman introduces young readers into the welcoming home of Tessa's extended...

Malkin, Nina. 6x: The Uncensored Confessions.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... MALKIN, Nina. 6X; the uncensored confessions. Scholastic. 278p. c2005. 0-439-72421-X. $8.99. S Set up like a video diary, this tares the reader behind the scenes with 6X, a hot new pop/rock band breaking onto the scene. 6X is the creation...

Paulsen, Gary. Brian's Hunt.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... PAULSEN, Gary. Brian's hunt. Random House, Laurel Leaf. 103p. c2004. 0-553-49415-5. $5.99. J* To quote the review of the hardcover in KLIATT, January 2004: Brian, hero of Hatchet, The River, Brian's Winter and Brian's Return, is now 16,...

Pennington, Kate. Brief Candle.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... PENNINGTON, Kate. Brief candle. Trafalgar Square. 262p. c2004.0-340-87370-1, $12.50. JS Authors will tell you that one of the questions they are asked most often is "where did you get your ideas?" Readers will delight in this tale of the...

Polak, Monique. Home Invasion.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... POLAK, Monique. Home invasion. Orca, Soundings. 105p. c2005. 1-55143-482-2. $795, JS Josh is going through a lot of changes. His mother has married a spacey artist named Clay; Josh is unimpressed by Clay's looks (He's got chipmunk cheeks...

Priest, Cherie. Four and Twenty Blackbirds.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... PRIEST, Cherie. Four and twenty blackbirds. birds. Tot. 285p. c2003. 0-765-31308-1. $13.95. SA Blackbirds is a modern version of the Southern Gothic novel, with at least four and twenty standard horror elements: ghosts, scary mansions,...

Reisman, Nancy. The First Desire, a novel.(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... REISMAN, Nancy. The first desire, a novel. Random House, Anchor. 310p. c2004. 1-4000-77990. $13.95. A The second quarter of the 20th century marks the period when the five Cohen children step into their highly individuated and stylized...

Scott, Kieran. Jingle Boy.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... SCOTT, Kieran. Jingle boy. Random House, Laurel-Leaf. 230p. c2003. 0-440-23831-5. $5.99. JS To quote the review of the hardcover in KLIATT, September 2003: Everyone loves Christmas, but no one more than Paul Nicholas, whose family has more...

Shapiro, David L. Sara's Journey.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... SHAPIRO, David L. Sara's journey. Jewish Publication Society. 291p. c2005. 0-8276-0776-8. $12.95. JS The struggles of Sara and those dear to her unfold from a brutal Russian winter of 1919 to the State of Israel's first spring in 1948....

Spinelli, Jerry. Milkweed.(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... SPINELLI, Jerry. Milkweed. Random House. 208p. c2003.0-440-42005-9. $6.50. J* To quote the review of the audiobook in KLIATT, January 2004: "In a world gone crazy, "Gypsy, "Runt," or eventually "Misha" is the narrator, a small boy of...

Thomson, John. A Small Boat at the Bottom of the Sea.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... THOMSON, John. A small boat at the bottom of the sea. Milkweed. 148p. c2005. 157131-656-6. $6.95. JS Donovan has been sent to live with his Uncle Bix and his Aunt Hattie for the summer, and is quite unhappy. His father and his Uncle Bix...

Wastvedt, Tricia. The River.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... WASTVEDT, Tricia. The river. Grove Atlantic. 345p. c2004. 0-8021-7007-2. $14.00. SA In 1958, two children accidentally drown in the river near the English village of Cameldip. The story of what happens to their parents, Isabel and Robert,...

Wittlinger, Ellen. Heart on My Sleeve.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... WITTLINGER, Ellen. Heart on my sleeve. Simon & Schuster, Pulse. 219p. c2004. 0-689-849992. $6.99. JS To quote the review of the hardcover in KLIATT, July 2004: Wittlinger has been a successful author of YA novels such as Hard Love, Razzle,...

Wyatt, Melissa. Raising the Griffin.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... WYATT, Melissa. Raising the griffin. Random House, Dell, Laurel-Leaf. 279p. c2004. 0-44023821-8. $6.50. JS A young man born Alexei Nikolas Tibor Ivorovich Varenhoff remembers his grandfather "raising the griffin" as he put the Rovenian...

Carey, Jacqueline. Banewreaker.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... CAREY, Jacqueline. Banewreaker. (The Sundering, Vol. 1.) Tor. 502p. c2004. 0-765-34429-7, $7.99. SA Satoris was one of the seven Shapers who formed the Earth and those in it: humans, elves, trolls, werewolves and dragons. The Shaper's War...

Dalmas, John. The Second Coming.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... DALMAS, John. The second coming. Baen. 502p. c2004. 1-4165-0903-8. $7.99. SA Ngunda Aran started out as a black Canadian software genius, but lately rumors have been flying about his Millennium Foundation and his unique metaphysical...

East, Rebecca. A.D. 62: Pompeii.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... EAST, Rebecca. A.D. 62: Pompeii. iUniverse. 292p. c2003. 0-595-26882-X. $16.95. SA Miranda, a 21st-century scholar of classical languages and archaeology, agrees to be part of an experiment in time travel, lands in Pompeii in the year 62...

Kratman, Tom. A State of Disobedience.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... KRATMAN, Tom. A state of disobedience. Baen. 435p. c2003.0-7434-9920-4. $7.99. SA A Catholic mission in Texas is assaulted, and the priest and children are all murdered. Governor Juanita Sequin is outraged and wants to address the wrong,...

Pike, Christopher. Alosha.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... PIKE, Christopher. Alosha. Tor. 314p. c2004. 0765-34960-4. $6.99. JS Thirteen-year-old Ali Warner thinks she is a typical teenager in small-town Breakwater. Her mother was killed on Ali's 12th birthday and her long-distance trucker father...

Pierce, Tamora. Trickster's Queen.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... PIERCE, Tamora. Trickster's queen. (Sequel to Trickster's Choice). Random House. 467p. map. c2004. 0-375-82878-8. $8.95. JSA To quote the review of the hardcover in KLIATT, September 2004: Pierce continues the story of brave and clever Aly,...

Rabe, Jean. The Finest Creation.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... RABE, Jean. The finest creation. (Finest Trilogy.)Tor. 318p. c2004. 0-765-34727-X. $6.99. JSA The first volume in a fantasy trilogy, The Finest Creation asserts that horses are the safeguards of civilization. Often told from an equine...

Vizzini, Ned. Be More Chill.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... VIZZINI, Ned. Be more chill. Hyperion. 283p. c2004. 0-7868-0996-5. $7.99. S High school geek Jeremy is socially awkward, nearly friendless, and unhealthily obsessed with the confident and beautiful Christine. He goes through his school...

Westerfeld, Scott. Pretties.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... WESTERFELD, Scott. Pretties. (Sequel to Uglies.) Simon & Schuster. 370p. c2005. 0-689-865392. $8.99. JS* This gripping sequel to Uglies begins as Tally is enjoying her new life as a pretty. She's with her best friends Shay and Peris again,...

Weyn, Suzanne. The Night Dance.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... WEYN, Suzanne. The Night Dance. Simon & Schuster. 193p. c2005. 1-4169-0579-0. $5.99. JS In a fortified castle in the woods live a knight and his 12 redheaded daughters, locked away from harm and from the real world. But the girls have a...

Wolfe, Gene. The Knight.(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... WOLFE, Gene. The knight. (Book One of The Wizard Knight.).Tor. 527p. c2004. 0-755-34701-6. $7.99. SA Blending Arthurian legend and Celtic lore, Wolfe twists elements of the two into a refreshing fantasy. Detailing the life of a young boy...

Zettel, Sarah. The Firebird's Vengeance.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... ZETTEL, Sarah. The Firebird's vengeance. (Isavalta, Book 3.)Tor. 468p. c2004. 0-765-34723-7. $7.99. SA* Thirty years ago, a powerful sorceress in Isavalta imprisoned the immortal Firebird. Now her death has freed the Firebird, and it seeks...

Cavallaro, Michael. L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... CAVALLARO, Michael. L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz. Penguin, Puffin Graphics. 176p. illus, c2005.0-142-40470-5. $9.99. JSA The Wizard of Oz is an American classic. It would be an understatement to say that most people know the story, but...

Clugston, Chynna. Queen Bee.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... CLUGSTON, Chynna. Queen Bee. Graphix. 112p. illus, c2005. 0-439-70987-3. $8.99. JS* Haley Madison, the main character of Queen Bee, wants to be the most popular girl at her new junior high school, but there are two things standing in her...

Cover, Arthur Byron, adapter. William Shakespeare's Macbeth.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... COVER, Arthur Byron, adapter. William Shakespeare's Macbeth. Illus. by Tony Leonard Tamai. Penguin, Puffin Graphics. 176p. illus. c2005.0-142-40409-8. $9.99. JSA Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's nastier tragedies. Macbeth murders his liege...

Gotsubo, Masaru. Samurai Champloo.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... GOTSUBO, Masaru. Samurai Champloo. Created by Manglobe. Tokyopop. 174p. illus, c2005. 1-591-82282-3. $9.99. SA Samurai Champloo is an action-comedy manga set during the Edo period in Japan. Fuu is a waitress who is on a quest: she wants to...

Lee, Myung-Jin. Lights Out.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... LEE, Myung-Jin. Lights out. Tokyopop. 208p. illus, c2005. 1-595-32360-0. $9.99. S Gung-Gun Nam (aka Gun) can't catch a break. He thought that transferring to Northern Art High School would help him start a new life, but for some reason...

Nihei, Tsutomu. Blame!(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... NIHEI, Tsutomu. Blame! Tokyopop. 248p. illus. c2005. 1-595-32834-3. $9.99. SA "Maybe on Earth. Maybe in the Future." Thus begins Blame! a post-apocalyptic saga set in a world of mega-skyscrapers. When our hero, Killy, is asked where he...

Smith Fisher, Jane. WJHC: Hold Tight!(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... SMITH FISHER, Jane. WJHC: hold tight! Wilson Place Comics. 96p. illus, c2005.0-974-42351-3. $11.95 J This chronicles the adventures of a group of six teens (three boys, three girls) who start up a high school radio station. The leader of...

Steinbach, Hans. A Midnight Opera.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... STEINBACH, Hans. A midnight opera. Tokyopop. illus, c2005. 1-598-16265-9. $9.99. JS Einblick DeLaLun, the main character of A Midnight Opera, spends his nights playing guitar in a heavy metal band and his days sleeping in a rented space in...

Bagdasarian, Adam. First French Kiss, and Other Traumas.(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... BAGDASARIAN, Adam. First French kiss, and other traumas. Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, Sunburst. 134p. c2002.0-374-42323-7 $5.95. JS Bagdasarian, author of Forgotten Fire, introduces us to Will, a young boy growing up in California, in this...

Barrett, Faith & Miller, Cristanne, eds. Words for the Hour: A New Anthology of American Civil War Poetry.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... BARRETT, Faith & MILLER, Cristanne, eds. "Words for the hour"; a new anthology of American Civil War poetry. Univ. of Massachusetts Press. 396p. notes, illus, c2005. 1-55649-509-6. $24.95. JSA* This is an annotated and effective...

Mark, Jan, comp. Jetblack Sunrise: Poems About War and Conflict.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... MARK, Jan, comp. A jetblack sunrise; poems about war and conflict. Trafalgar Square. 159p. illus, index, c2003. 0-340-89379-6. $8.99. JSA King David and William Shakespeare are among the earliest writers who share space in this anthology...

Paradiz, Valerie. Clever Maids: The Secret History of the Grimm Fairy Tales.(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... PARADIZ, Valerie. Clever maids; the secret history of the Grimm fairy tales. Basic Books. 222p. notes, bibliog, index, c2005. 0-46505491-9. $13.95. JSA A stunning revelation about the true source of the Grimms' fairy tale collection. The...

Bruchac, Joseph. Foot of the Mountain and Other Stories.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... BRUCHAC, Joseph. Foot of the mountain and other stories. Holy Cow Press, 137p. c2005.0-930100-62-X. $14.95. SA There are some wonderful short stories reflecting American Indian lore and culture in this collection of 18 stories and essays,...