Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




2011 Best Books for Teens: Exploring the Past


Showing

Cover art for STRINGS ATTACHED
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 1, 2011

"National Book Award–winner Blundell (What I Saw and How I Lied, 2008) delivers a brilliantly conceived novel set against the backdrop of the 1950 Kefauver mob hearings and the Red Scare with a story of redemption and truth at its core. (Historical fiction. 14 & up)"
Caught up in dreams of dancing on Broadway, Kit Corrigan unwisely accepts an apartment and a nightclub job from mob lawyer Nate Benedict in exchange for keeping tabs on his son Billy, who's enlisted in the Army along with Kit's brother, Jamie. Read full book review >
Cover art for BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 22, 2011

"Sepetys' flowing prose gently carries readers through the crushing tragedy of this tale that needs telling. (maps, timeline, author's note) (Historical fiction. 12 & up, adult)"
This bitterly sad, fluidly written historical novel tackles a topic woefully underdiscussed in English-language children's fiction: Joseph Stalin's reign of terror. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE FITZOSBORNES IN EXILE
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 5, 2011

"Multilayered and engrossing, Cooper's tale alternates between frothy fun and heartbreaking seriousness with utter mastery. (author's note) (Historical fiction. YA)"
Having narrowly escaped the Nazi bombing of their miniscule island kingdom, the young impoverished royal family of Montmaray is living in exile in England with their very wealthy aunt (A Brief History of Montmaray, 2008). Read full book review >
Cover art for OUT OF SHADOWS
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 15, 2011

"In its portrayal of race relations in a wounded country as well as of the ugly power dynamics of a community of adolescent boys, this novel excels, bringing readers up to the grim, uncertain present with mastery. (Historical fiction. 14 & up)"
A boarding-school story set in the aftermath of the Rhodesian Civil War examines evil from all sides and provides no easy answers. Read full book review >
Cover art for BOOTLEG
CHILDREN'S
Released: May 24, 2011

"An informative, insightful account of a fascinating period of American history. (glossary, bibliography, source notes) (Nonfiction. 12 & up)"
When Congress passed the 18th Amendment, prohibiting the manufacture and sale of alcohol, supporters were convinced it would create a stronger, more moral nation. Instead, it ushered in an era of corruption and lawlessness, here brought to life with a fast-paced, gripping narrative and period photographs. Read full book review >
Cover art for WHITE CROW
CHILDREN'S
Released: July 5, 2011

"Wickedly macabre and absolutely terrifying. (Horror. 14 & up)"
Two girls are brought together more from ennui than anything else in this riveting tale that brings the murderous history of a disintegrating coastal town into the present. Read full book review >