Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale; ill. by Nathan Hale

When you think you've read another retelling of a fairy tale, along comes a graphic novel with a twist, and Rapunzel's not your ordinary princess.

In this graphic retelling, Rapunzel indeed does live in a palace with her evil stepmother, Gothel, but then the differences begin. Gothel has the power over the lands she rules where she can create lush farmland or barren deserts, depending on her whim and how much she pulls in from taxes. Rapunzel isn't aware of any of this until she climbs over the palace walls and sees the huge gap between her life in the castle and those who work the mines or try to make a living off of the land. And it is in the mines that she reunites with her mother and her memories come back.

Of course, Gothel has been trying to indoctrinate Rapunzel into taking over her kingdom and becoming evil herself, but when she realizes the impact of Rapunzel's reunion, it's time to ship her off. Where? To a tall huge tree in the middle of a swamp where Rapunzel becomes a teenager, and in her lonliness, finds a multitude of uses for her long tresses, including roping, tying, and whipping.

After her escape from the tree tower, Punzie runs into many characters, among them a thief named Jack, who, of course, has a stolen goose. And there the adventures begin, from traversing the kingdom to escaping the clutches of Gothel's evil servants to finding the heart of the magic Gothel uses to destroy people and communities.

A colorful and animated graphic novel, this is one that will please junior high audiences with some appreciation for lower high school graphic novel readers. This graphic novel pulls from fairy tales and tongue-in-cheek humor and readers watch Rapunzel grow up from a child to a teenager and finding herself along the way. Not quite the wild west (it has elements of fantasty intertwined), this story has illustrations that show the strength and depth of the main characters as well asd depicting minor ones just as well. Interestingly, teens I've given this too have all commented on how much the back cover illustration reminded them of Annie Oakley...fast paced, this will fly off of junior high shelves. Recommended.

Exposed by Susan Vaught

Chan Shealy hasn’t had a great year at school. Her reputation has been shattered, she has only one friend in the world, and she’s beginning to worry about her weight. But nothing has been as bad as seeing her ex, Adam-P, with Ellis, the blonde and beautiful majorette nemesis.

Chan also feels so disconnected from her family. She’s embarrassed of her father’s weight, her mother’s ridiculous political shirts, and her eight year old sister Lauren’s goth frame of mind. In short, Chan feels totally isolated. The only thing that keeps her company is her love for all things Emily Dickinson and her best friend, Devin.
Factor in the emotional and family disconnect, add a lot of pressure from her coach, the Bear, to win regionals, sprinkle in the fact that she caught the gift that never goes away from her loser ex, and Chan goes to the only place she feels beautiful, protected, and loved – her fantasies.

And through a simple chat room, her fantasies begin to come alive, especially when she meets cute Paul, who understands everything she’s going through and says the things she loves to hear. Little by little, their relationships becomes deeper and stronger, and Paul tests Chan’s love by asking for more – more secrets, more photos, more chat time…Chan doesn’t realize that the protected places of her fantasies have left her fully exposed, in a real and dangerous place online.

When teens today think they are extremely savvy at technology, out comes a book that looks at their innocence. Susan Vaught captures the essence of this and then allows the reader to see the dark side of virtual relationships. Even when the reader thinks he/she knows what’s going to happen next, Vaught takes them on another twist and turn, showing how a teen can get so caught up with strangers and the “anonymous” protection of the internet that it can affect all relationships – not just themselves. Once started, this book was hard to put down. Excellent read; highly recommended.

Booktrailer - Shift by Jennifer Bradbury

New booktrailer!

Vibes by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Kristi likes her cat Minie (as in mouse), opera music, unusual practical jokes, and making her own clothes from anything and everything. She doesn’t have the greatest relationship with her mom, her dad split a couple of years ago, and her best friend now hangs out with the popular kids and makes fun of her. And the guy that she crushed on? He now thinks she’s sick. How does she know all of that? She’s psychic, of course.

Going to school is not something Kristi enjoys, but it has it’s defining moments. She does have Jacob Flax as a friend, but he seems to only think about one thing, and life goes on as usual, until she meets the new student, a guy named Mallory, who has defiance issues similar to hers.

School isn’t your typical school. It has Morning Meetings, Explorations in Nature (ie science) and the Contemplation Room. Kristi thinks of it more like a joke than school, but it’s someplace she can get lost in, even if there aren’t that many students. And when her best friend Jacob decides to share with everyone during morning meeting he’s going to improve himself, the principal decides it needs to be an entire school project with partners. And Kristi’s is….Gusty, the golden god and her old crush.

As with anything in life, Kristi meets this expectation by pushing away and making sure her shell remains intact – no one in, herself left out. But the more the project goes on, the more unsure Kristi is of not only her abilities as a psychic, but also about herself and her relationships, especially those with her parents. Can she juggle who she is as well as come to terms with who others think she is? Could Kristi possibly let go and find there is more out there than surface matieral?

Amy Kathleen Ryan has invented a unique, quirky, and strong main character that continues to resonate throughout the book. The more into the story the reader gets, the more layers are peeled back not only in Kristi, but in all of the characters. A fast read with plenty of depth in dealing with issues of friendships, family, and personal lives. If you have readers who loved Cohn’s Gingerbread or Alex Bradley’s Hot Lunch, they need to take a look at larger than life Kristi. Highly recommended.

Gone by Michael Grant

The small community of Perdido Beach has long been named Fallout Alley because of the nuclear power plant built ten miles up the road. On a typical day, Sam, Astrid, Quinn and Edilio are in class. Sam and Quinn are making plans to ride surf waves while Astrid figuring out the next AP Physics questions. And then….
Poof! The teacher disappears
No one really knows what happens at first glance, but slowly realization sets in. The adults – all of them – are gone. And with that realization come great challenges and responsibilities. What happens in a world when everyone over the age of 15 disappears? Who takes control and who creates chaos? These are just some questions already coming to the forefront of everyone’s minds, but more than that, at the moment, is the chance to indulge in every kid’s fantasy….total disorder with no consequences.
But when reality sets in, from finding dead babies forgotten at home to trying to put out an apartment building fire, the kids and teens start looking for a natural leader, and Sam is put on the forefront. It’s not something he wants to do, and is challenged at the beginning by the bullies in town, especially Orc, who wields power through intimidation.
Sam, Astrid, Quinn and Edilio begin the long journey of trying to find out what happened and soon come against a barrier around their town. Is it something that barricades them from the outside world or are they in an alternate universe? No one knows for sure; the only thing they understand is they are isolated.
Along with the isolation, some of the kids are experiencing some strange manifestations, including the ability to teleport, start fires, read minds and defy gravity. But with power comes great responsibility, and when students from the private Coates Academy with even greater power and less morals descend into town and begin to take over….
The book begins with intensity and slowly loses that intensity only for it to pick up again with the denouement. The reader gets to see distinct personalities early in the book and decide which side of the line the characters fall, with some of them even surprising the reader. An excellent pair with Lord of the Flies, Michael Grant creates the science fiction version of a world gone awry when the only people left to create a new society are kids.

The Savage by David Almond; illustrated by Dave McKean

What happens when something so traumatic happens in your life that it begins to blur between reality and fantasy? Are you still a mild-mannered Blue or a savage? That is the premise of David Almond’s new book, and interestingly enough, he takes on this book while doing some unique blending of his own.

Blue has lived a pretty happy and decent life with his parents and little sister. The only exception is Hopper, who takes every advantage he can to belittle, spit on and cause Blue pain. The only person who helps Blue through this situation is his dad….but one day, unexpectedly, his father has a heart attack and there is only a huge hole in Blue’s life.

His teachers and his mother know that Blue will have to find a way to cope with this sudden and tragic loss, and the avenue he turns to is writing. He begins to create a character, a savage boy, that helps him deal with his loss, his anger, and his hatred and love for people through this alternate persona. And with the continuation of the savage boy’s story, Blue’s inner life of struggle begins to unfold.

David Almond, along with illustrator Dave McKean has created a book that looks into how a traumatic experience evolves from the pages of a young man’s journal into real life. They have taken this book to a new type of print – a fusion of a novel with that of a graphic novel, where chapters are entwined. This, in turn, also solidifies the story of Blue, between reality and fantasy. As Blue’s savage boy persona becomes more real, Blue’s real life becomes to evolve. Symbolism is one of the driving forces in this book and one that older readers will catch onto. Although a short book, it may make some readers go back to the graphic pages to understand just exactly how Blue copes with
trauma, both past and present.

Watch for this type of format in books….Almond’s is only the beginning. Perfect match with Venomous by Christopher Krovatin, another book that blends graphic and traditional prose with anger issues of young adults.

Playing with Matches by Brian Katcher

A neutron walks into a bar and orders a beer….the bartender gives it to him and says, "For you, no charge..."
And so begins the life of Leon Sanders, junior at Zummer High School, whose architecture reminds him of an enormous bomb shelter or an insane asylum.

Leon’s always grown up as a nerd. He’s surrounded himself with sci-fi movies and figurines, and is probably the only one who checks books out of the library at high school. But his status has changed some. From uber nerd in junior high to being unknown in high school, Leon thinks of it as a step up. His group of friends consists of Samantha (a feminist); Rob (who always looks mad) and Johnny and Jimmy (two brothers who “get nostalgic over their greatest farts.) And then there’s the crush…
Amy is the toned cheerleader goddess Leon has always fantasized about ever since he was in the fourth grade. He watches her daily, but she never sees him and the only thing he can hope for is that she will one day look his way and see him. But until then….

School drones one with projects. In his history class, partners are picked and who does Leon end up with? None other than Melody Hannon, the girl whose status is even beneath the nerds. And why? Because of her severely scarred face, caused by a fire when she was four years old. Leon can’t believe his ill fortune but deals with the fact that once again, bad luck follows him.
But what once was just a school project turns into something else entirely, and one that Leon or Melody didn’t even expect. Their academic partnering turns to friendship, which slowly becomes romance – a first for both of them. The only thing Leon can’t get over is her face, but the more he is around her, the more he realizes what beauty is.

But never underestimate the powers of Leon Sanders, especially when it comes to the goddess called Amy. She takes a sudden interest in Leon and when this happens, the only thing he can compare it to is winning the lottery. So he dumps Melody and although he cares for her, she doesn’t matter as much as the lottery ticket with the grand prize - Amy. And things get truly bad for Leon Sanders….

What an AMAZING book!! Brian Katcher’s first YA novel truly packs a punch. The reader can’t help but laugh at Leon’s character and the way he sees the world, but also realizes that he is seriously playing with fire, and emotional fires can burn the hottest. The characters are solid creating the social cliques found in all high schools and the plot is believable and realistic. But it’s the theme that’s the gut-puncher…the motor that will drive this book into YA hands to be talked about and passed around. The ending was thought-provoking, leaving it into the hands of the reader to think about. Kudos to Katcher’s first novel!!

Beastly booktrailer

Final one! Thanks, all!

The Latent Powers of Dylan Fontaine by April Lurie

Dylan Fontaine is….well, it’s easier to explain him. He’s a neat freak, he’s become the caretaker of his family and their cat ever since his mom ditched him, his brother, and his ob-gyn father for Phillippe the artist, to live in the Village in NYC. And that’s just the beginning of his story.

Another part of Dylan is that he’s a nice guy. So why is he in jail? Because he was caught shop-lifting, and the worst part is that he’s spending time locked up for stealing UNDERWEAR….all the time trying to explain to Officer Greenwood about the travails and dangers of trans fat in foods.

But Dylan has a romantic side as well. The love of his life, Angie, has asked him to star in her latest film creation, starring him. He’s excited about the whole deal, including rumors that she’s broken up with Jonathan. He can’t wait to get started, until…Jonathan shows up to help on the project as well!!

Dylan’s only source of love and frustration comes mostly from his relationship with his brother Randy. He loves the guy, but can’t see why Randy is throwing away so much talent and intelligence on guys in the band who won’t take showers and are always stoned. Dylan just doesn’t understand and his frustration is growing…

So what does he do? How can he cope? He finds his avenues and begins to use them to change his life, his way of thinking, his romantic interests, and his obsessive/compulsive neatness behaviors. Some things can be changed, the key is time.

The characters in this book, from the adults to the teens, make April Lurie’s book not only laugh-out-loud funny at times, but also allows the reader to delve into the bitterness of parents divorcing to seeing someone you love not care anymore. It’s written both with comedy and real-life situations in mind in perfect contrast to each other. This is definitely a must-read and a book worthy for all guy readers everywhere. Perfectly matched with Daniel Ehrenhaft’s Drawing a Blank: Or How I Tried to Solve a Mystery, End a Feud, and Land the Girl of My Dreams.

Thanks for the help! You chose...

Number two of the two videos! I posted as many comments as possible, but still received numerous emails on it as well. There were many that enjoyed Number one, but Number two was overwhelming! I'm going to take these off the web for awhile, to make sure they're correct. Thanks for Alex Flinn for emailing and telling me about a few things I need to fix! And thanks to you guys out there for helping out. Many said the two pieces were very similar, and I agree, but there were some differences....amazing, the help out there! : )
Now, it's off to buy several digital photoframes and upload them with bookcovers from this semester's booktalks as well as the one I'm going to present in the spring!

Skinned by Robin Wasserman

“Lia Kahn is dead”
“I am Lia Kahn.
Therefore – because this is a logic problem even a dim-witted child could solve – I am dead.
Except here’s the thing: I’m not.”

Lia has it all…beauty, a boyfriend, the most popular friends, a wealthy family, and a ViM (virtual machine) full of networked friends and a lifetime of vids. But in a blink of an eye, all is lost when an accident nearly kills her. Lia’s last memory as a human is the smell of burning flesh…
When she wakes up in a hospital, Lia is relieved to find out she survived that freak accident, but her nightmare only starts to begin when she realizes the truth. She is no longer human, but a mech-head, a skinner….her brain sliced and diced to program a computer instead. Not breath, no heartbeat, no hunger, no emotions – the only thing left of her is the essence of who she was. Even her body and face have been completely altered. And she’ll remain like this forever, uploading her memories every night before shutting down and hoping that her life can return to normal.

But can it? What exactly is Lia Kahn now? Does she still have human rights, or are those rights reserved? Her friends, her boyfriend…even her family don’t know how to treat her. Lia is caught between being a futuristic monster with the memories of a once real person and trying her hardest to be the only person she knows how to be. Even the Faithers are after her, believing that she is not a creature created by God, but an indecent machine created by man.

And during this time, she meets two very special people who will forever change her. One is human….the other a mech-head…and the decision she will ultimately make for herself and them will alter her “life” in so many ways….

Intense, thought-provoking and realistically written, this book takes the reader into the future and how changes of the power of technology in our daily lives alter us. Wasserman’s book will transport the reader to the future of America, where everything from the presidency to school life is dramatically different as we travel in Lia’s shoes. One can’t help comparing this to Pearson’s Adoration of Jenna Fox, but this is far more intense, with helplessness the only alternative in this disturbing tale of “utopia”. A must-read for any young adult who’s never read science fiction to those that devour it.

San Antonio Days...

I miss South Texas, but North Texas ain't bad either! Here's some pics on my lovely daughter Maddy and I! Loving La Villita!!

Took a hiatus...

I know...been gone for awhile, but I'm getting back in the game.
I think I needed a jumpstart, and I got that yesterday!! Teri Lesesne gave me the opportunity to moderate an author session at NCTE featuring three amazing people!!! Sean Beadoin is an amazing speaker - eloquent, entertaining, FUNNY!! John Green's personality really spoke when he did. He has such frenetic energy and definitely a unique perspective about life and writing that he draws from his past. Joan Bauer was funny, thought-provoking and shows why she's a staple in YA humor.
I was scared silly, but got through it, and did okay! So now, I get to go to the ALAN workshop and get to see everyone I've only known online! KEWL......

On a personal note, will be blogging about the AMAZING book called Skinned by Robin Wasserman. Of course, there'll be a comparison to Mary Pearson's Adoration of Jenna Fox, but this one is darker and takes a completely different slant on humanity. When you have Scott Westerfeld quoted on the cover, you know it'll be good...better...best....!
Also working on a new booktrailer for Beastly by Alex Flinn. The more I do, the better they get! Now to find some music.....

Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley

(2008). New York: Little Brown and Co.

Charlotte Usher is trying so hard to make this year count. She has been meticulously studying photos and yearbooks of Petula and the two Wendy’s – the most popular girls in schools – in order to catch the attention of Damen, the god of high school. She’ll do anything to make this dream happen and go to the fall dance with him for her first kiss….

But a gummy bear gets in the way.

In fact, it gets so in the way of Charlotte’s air passage that she dies. Right there in the class where she felt his complete attention on her. Well, being a tutor to help him pass physics was just one way. Now it’s too late. Charlotte is dead, gone, and never been kissed.

But at her “new” high school, she learns that a bunch of those dearly departed, including Piccolo Pam (she swallowed her instrument), Metal Mike (music was his downfall), Deadhead Jerry (a hippie teen) and others, cannot not go to the next world until they embrace what it was that ultimately killed them – and not the obvious either. The answers lie in their textbook “Deadiquette” as well as their quest to save their home. If they can’t, they will live in limbo forever.

And Charlotte kind of likes that idea. She can now be around Damen as much as she wants to and he’ll never know she’s watching him. She can study Petula intensely and find out what makes her tick. She can be with the love of her life and pretend for eternity- but then Scarlet gets in the way.

Scarlet, Petula’s younger goth sister, is the only one who can see Charlotte and what she’s doing. When the two start talking, they realize they can experiment and fulfill their curiosity by switching themselves through possession….the only thing they didn’t bank on was how one girl could dramatically change the other’s life.

A refreshing, colorful, and hilarious outtake of death and gothic characters in today’s teen world just made its debut. The author is extremely witty and funny, starting off each chapter with a narrator’s synopsis that is a perfect fit for the reader. The imagination and style of the author are evident from beginning to end in this well-written book for teens. Mix a little “Scary Movie” humor in with “Mean Girls” characters; give it the all encompassing theme of true love and this unique author’s writing style, and you have yourself a true YA winner!

Can you pass this test? I CAN'T!!!!

http://www.addictinggames.com/thestupidtest4.html

The Missing Girl by Norma Fox Mazer

Five sisters, all with unique personalities: Beauty is the oldest, but she doesn’t live up to her name; Mim is the quiet, introspective sister that can calm the group; Stevie doesn’t want to live by the rules, she just wants to play the game her way; Fancy lives in her own world that revolves around her teacher and what she tells her special class; Autumn is the baby...

They all work and play together, but their lives are not as happy as they could be. The girls’ mother works hard to make ends meet since their father was hurt in an accident, but the money isn’t coming in. The fighting and stress between the parents is obvious, most notably at the dinner table, and the girls can only hope for the best and help contribute when they can.

What they don’t know is that someone….a typical, everyday, ordinary person…. is watching them, deciding which one he would want to take. But to him, it’s all a fantasy that cannot be acted upon. And that’s harmless, isn’t it? To think about it and not commit the act? But sometimes you can’t help yourself…

The girls’ world goes on a collision course when their parents decide that one of them has to leave home and her sisters to live with an aunt, but only until things are better financially at home. This doesn’t make any of them happy, especially when their cousin comes to take one of them away. But what happens to the other sister, who suddenly disappears, and no one knows where, is what causes their world to collapse. Where is she? Who is she with? What happened to her?

Norma Fox Mazer writes a story that depicts the separate but unified lives of the Herbert sisters and the roles they play when tragedy strikes. All of the girls reveal themselves slowly and innocently, while the other main character, the unnamed perpetrator, reveals himself almost from the start. The mood is automatically captured within the first chapter and the story unfolds itself smoothly, not in patches, where alternate views of the holistic situation is told through his side and the Herbert girls’ POV. The psychology of child abduction as well as the fallout of the victim’s family is realistically portrayed. This is an excellent read and good companion book to Scott’s Living Dead Girl.

Spooky, Ghostly, and Things that Go Bump...booklist!

Here is a list of the supernatural that I've read over the years. This is one of my genres on my Excel booklist that I print and put around the library. Enjoy!

666: The Number of the Beast (story collection)

Beating Heart: A Ghost Story
Jenkins, A.M.

Bliss
Myracle, Lauren

Bloodline and Bloodline: The Reckoning
Cary, Kate

Blue Bloods
De la Cruz, Melissa

Boy who Couldn't Die, The
Sleator, William

Clay
Almond, David

Dead Connection
Price, Charlie

Death Collector, The
Richards, Justin

Demon Witch: Book II Sorcerers of the Nightwing
Huntington, Geoffrey

Devlish
Johnson, Maureen

Devouring, The
Holt, Simon

Doppelganger,
Stahler, David

Full Tilt
Schusterman, Neal

Gathering of Shades, A.
Stahler, David

Gothic!
Noyes, Deborah

Hellphone
Sleator, William

I Heart You, You Haunt Me
Schroeder, Lisa

Jade Green: A Ghost Story
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds

Keturah and Lord Death
Leavitt, Martine

Lord Loss: The Demonata (Demon Thief, Slawter, Bec)
Shan, Darren

Mister B. Gone
Barker, Clive

Night Road
Jenkins, A.M.

Peeps
Westerfeld, Scott

Powers
Jacobs, Deborah Lynn

Project 17
Stolarz, Amy

Prom Dates from Hell
Clement-Moore, Rosemary

Restless Dead
Noyes, Deborah

Road of the Dead, The
Brooks, Kevin

Skeleton Man
Bruchac, Joseph

Sledding Hill, The
Crutcher, Chris

Sorcerers of the Nightwing: Book One
Huntington, Geoffrey

Twlight series
Meyer, Stephanie

A prediction I made awhile ago...

Earlier this year, I shared with some people that I think it would be so cool if there were a book that incorporated both a novel and a graphic novel fused together. And at B&N, I found one that I thought would be interesting to read. It's a book by Christopher Krovatin called Venomous. Based on previous reviews of his book Heavy Metal and You, I decided to give this a try...and it had what I was looking for! In between each chapter is a dream sequence with graphic pictures inserted. The reader gets a look not only at Locke's life and how he deals with his deep anger issues, but also get the storyline of how he views his anger subconsciously, through the use of superheroes, in his dream state. I'm loving this read and the cover...well, that's what drew me. His only redeemer from the venom of his anger his is little brother but everyone can be the victim in his war against both sides of this intense character.

Christopher Krovatin writes about life of a teen guy in NYC with realism, and the characters are equally fascinating and only add to the overall character not only of the book itself, but of Locke, the main character, as well.

Book Pairs for High School

I've noticed a list going on, and thought I'd share mine on the blog. I've been working on this list for a couple of years now, and everytime I find a new book to read, I now automatically think, "what can I pair with this one?" So, here's what I got for NF/F:

America Through the Lens by Martin Sandler with Kissing Vanessa by Simon Cheshire

An American Plague by Jim Murphy and Fever, 1792 by Laurie Halse Anderson

Beautiful Cigar Girl by Daniel Stashower with An Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld

The Burn Journals by Brent Runyon with Impulse by Ellen Hopkins

Close to Shore by Michael Capuzzo with Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham

The Code Book by Simon Singh with The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

The Endurance by Caroline Alexander with Surviving Antarctic by Andrea White

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser with My Big Fat Manifesto by Susan Vaught

The Great Fire by Jim Murphy with Worlds Afire by Paul Janeszcko

Guinea Pig Scientists by Leslie Dendy and Mel Boring with Double Helix by Nancy Werlin

He's Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt with A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl by Tanya Lee Stone

Hitler Youth by Susan Bartoletti with Daniel Half-Human and the Good Nazi by Daniel Chotjewitz

Isaac's Storm by Eric Larson with Hurricane Song by Paul Volponi

Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich with A Room on Lorelei Street by Mary Pearson

The Notebook Girls by Julia Baskin et al with Headlong by Kathe Koja

Portrait of a Killer by Patricia Cornwell with the Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding

Republic of Pirates by Colin Woodward with Pirates! by Celia Rees

Spook by Mary Roach with The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson

Stiff by Mary Roach with The Christopher Killer by Alane Ferguson

Witch Hunt by Marc Aronson with The Minister's Daughter by Julie Hearn

No Choirboy by Susan Kuklin with Juvie Three by Gordon Korman

** So, that's all I have for now...am working on more that pairing, also looking at triplets. Hope this will help anyone out there!! : )
Buenos Noches!

Headlong book trailer

Tell me what you think....