The Sky Inside by Clare B. Dunkle

Martin knows that spring is upon his neighborhood. How? Because everyone is switching their decals to the spring flowers. He remembers his grandmother telling him about strange creatures with wings that filled the sky, but surely, her mind was skipping…there hasn’t been anything like that. The only thing in the sky is the bubble with the clouds painted on them while bots go around checking the integrity of their “slice of paradise.”

Martin knows he and his family are the lucky ones that escaped from the outside to be contained in the world created for them. He lives with his parents and his new and improved Wonderbaby sister and for his birthday he gets an Alldog, a robo dog, for his birthday. In his world, the story of Peter Pan is about a lawyer battling Hook, a CEO; and everyday everyone votes live on choices the President presents. c

But things are not as they seem, especially when Martin discovers the underworld and the bots the government is putting into houses to monitor them. With his new Alldog, he begins to discover some horrible truths – including what happens when residents leave or try to leave their colony – and what is really happening in the world and the “normal” life he lives now.

If you are looking to find a science fiction book that looks at a world filled with politics and deceit, look no further. Dunkle has created a realistic world in which member of society willingly follow and trust what’s going on in order to live the life of ease. This is a book easily read and followed, even for non science fiction readers. Although not as “in your face” as other sci-fi books for older readers, this one can easily be used from early junior high to high school. Recommended.

Booktrailer - My Father's Son by Terri Fields

My Father's Son by Terri Fields

Kevin’s having an excellent day at school. An honors student, he does well in academics, has his best friend Jason who he hangs out and plays pick-up basketball with, and today, of all days….he’s got his first date with Emily….finally!!

It’s Friday night, and he’s ready to go out. Since his parents are divorced, this is his weekend to spend with his dad. Kevin gets in his Jeep his dad bought him and takes off to the party without a care in the world. The next day he wakes up and hangs with his dad, eating take-out food and playing video games. Not at all like living with his mom, who struggles to make ends meet and never ever talks about the divorce or what happened. Kevin loves his mom, but feels at home with his dad.

Then Sunday comes, and it destroys everything Kevin thought was safe and real. As he’s staring at the television screen, he sees the police have finally captured the notorious DB25 serial killer. And the person whose face is staring back at him is his father’s….

Kevin’s life becomes a living hell. He can’t stand to be at school because of the whispers behind his back. Emily has dumped him, claiming her parents don’t want her around him. Even his best friend quits talking to Kevin. But Kevin is a fighter, and he decides that if the police won’t find the evidence to find his father innocent, then he will. And a memory comes to the surface….where did his dad hide that small, portable laptop he’s never seen before? What happened to it?

Kevin wants answers, and the only he knows how is if his father will talk to him and tell him where his car is, where the laptop is…why they caught him trying to escape out the latest victim’s house. But the only thing his dad tells him is that he doesn’t want to see him ever again, and yes….he’s guilty. Kevin’s world is spinning out of control, and the only avenue left is for him to start looking into the past for answers, if he can find a past.

This is a gripping mystery thriller from beginning to end. Fast-paced, the plot races without letting up, going from one end of Kevin’s life to the other without slowing down. Readers will wonder if Kevin’s dad is innocent or guilty to the very end. Although parents take a back seat in most YA fiction, Kevin’s parents are full-court center, creating the backbone to the main character’s persona. Terri Fields has created a well-written mystery for teens that’s rated high in this YA genre. A definite read for anyone who loved Walter Sorrell’s First Shot.

The Connected Library

My TCEA presentation:

The Connected Library

View more presentations from Naomi Bates. (tags: libraries webpages)

Feathered by Laura Kasischke

Anne and Michelle were destined from the beginning to be friends. They met when they were three years old and have been friends ever since. Now seniors in high school, the girls are searching not only for adventure, but also to find themselves in a big world where colleges and distance will separate them. What better way to take a taste of the world than to go on spring break?
Anne and Michelle’s mothers are protective, to say the least, but also want their daughters to spread their wings. Armed thoroughly with advice, which both girls take seriously, they begin to prepare themselves to leave Glendale, Illinois behind and venture to Cancun Mexico. Together with their third but secondary friend Terri, they get on the plane and are ready for fun in the sun.
From the moment they land, the girls know that life as they knew it is over seven hours away and thus begins their spring break. The first time they see the Hotel del Sol, they realize that all the advice their parents instilled in them was for a reason. They stay together for a whole two hours before Terri disappears, only to be found at a bar with a guy going to USC. Michelle and Anne decide not to partake in the fun and instead find themselves alone by the pool, enjoying the blue they see everywhere and the experience of being responsible for their adult actions.
But their actions are soon put to the wayside when Michelle meets a father figure who asks them if they’d like to ride with him to the ruins of Chichen Itza. Both girls rely on the other to make the right decision, but it never appears. And the next day when they get into the car with a strange man, Anne’s alert bells go off. But it may be too late for both of them. On the second day of their spring break, the unthinkable and irreparable happens to the girls…
This is a cautionary tale told in differing timelines, from Anne’s past experience and Michelle’s current one. Sometimes teenagers feel invincible, and this book shows the vulnerability of teens when the lines are blurred and caution is thrown to the wind. The author allows the readers to use their imaginations to go through certain situations, never leaving behind the gratuitous encounters that would have marred the writing. A perfect fusion of Middlewestern teen life and Mayan history, this book is filled with symbolism taken from the title. Highly recommended.

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