CHILDREN'S
Released: April 1, 2012
"The issue is seldom front and center in books for teens, but Vivian refuses to falsify or avoid the uncomfortable realities that looks alone confer status, and their power is greatest when obscured by the pretense that "looks don't matter." (Fiction. 12 & up)"
This riveting exploration of physical appearance and the status it confers opens a cultural conversation that's needed to happen for a long time.
Read full book review >
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 13, 2012
"Realistic grief, humor, camp, crime investigation--and plenty of good boner jokes. (Fiction. 12-16)"
Hilarious wit and serious gloom blend seamlessly as Guy wades through the year after his dad's death.
Read full book review >
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 17, 2012
"A high-quality, absorbing drama. (Paranormal historical romance. 12 & up)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 1, 2012
"While some may guess the plot twist, Petrucha nonetheless provides both a well-crafted romp through yesteryear's New York and an enticing companion for it. (Historical mystery. 12-15)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 28, 2012
"What's ultimately lacking, though, is a compelling link between myth and contemporary tale. (French glossary, author's note) (Fiction. 12 & up)"
Smart, handsome, athletic Gil Marsh, 17, hero of this contemporary take on the
Gilgamesh epic (and first literary bromance) thinks he has no competition. Then hirsute Enko Labette shows up at Uruk High.
Read full book review >
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 1, 2012
"While in the end there are some plotlines left untied in slice-of-life fashion, the bittersweet resolution of the main conflict is deeply satisfying. (Fiction. 13 & up)"
A novel with alternating narrators takes an unusually interesting twist due to one of the character's habitual tendency toward self-delusion.
Read full book review >
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 27, 2012
"Fizzy style fails to buoy a slow-moving plot. Fans of Child's other works, however, will likely still be interested in checking this one out. (Mystery. 9-14)"
Ruby Redfort, the young sleuth in an imagined book series adored by Child's already-established character Clarice Bean, begins her very own series with this lukewarm mystery.
Read full book review >
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 1, 2012
"Part science fiction, part adventure, part mystery, but every bit engrossing; be sure to start the hold list for the sequel. (Science fiction. 12 & up) "
Vivid imagination and deft storytelling make for refreshing speculative fiction in this time-travel tale.
Read full book review >
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 2, 2012
"An impressive blend of biography and magical realism. (author's notes; select bibliography) (Fantasy. 14 & up)"
A 20th-century teen artist and 19th-century French poet Arthur Rimbaud transcend time and place in this luminous paean to the transformative power of art.
Read full book review >
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 3, 2012
"If you haven't discovered this series yet, get going; if you're already a fan, why are you even reading this review? (Urban fantasy/thriller. 14 & up)"
The conclusion to Black's brilliant and unusual Curse Workers trilogy lives up to its predecessors.
Read full book review >
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 3, 2012
"A page turner--with grace. (map, list of characters) (Historical thriller. 14 & up)"
Fiction and history coalesce in a rich, ripping tale of assassinations, political intrigue and religion in 15th-century Brittany.
Read full book review >
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 3, 2012
"Still there is much to satisfy the blood-and-gore lust of older teen CSI and serial-killer fans. (Thriller. 15 & up)"
When your father is the most notorious serial killer of the 21st century, having a normal life is a struggle. So is not following in his footsteps.
Read full book review >
