This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills: Book Review

This Adventure Ends
Author: Emma Mills
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, 2016

Reviewer: Sharon M. Himsl

Age level: 15 up, Young Adult

Pages: 308


Sloane Finch is not sure what to expect when she moves with her family from New York to Florida her senior year. She’s never been all that close with kids in school, except for maybe in elementary school. Besides, her life is plenty full—voice lessons for one, and maybe music school next year. There is also her father’s “fic” to read. Dad, publicly known as Everett Finch, is a popular literary romance writer. Sloane reviews his work faithfully, even in his current writer’s slump. Meanwhile, Mom and Dad have urged her to make new friends.

To Sloane’s surprise, her sharp-witted and sassy personality quickly wins over a group of friends who adore her honest, frank manner. Among them are Vera and Gabe, the Fuller twins, who have been grieving over the death of their talented artist mother. It doesn’t help that they have a new twenty-something stepmom to boot. When Sloane learns from Gabe that one of their mother’s paintings had been mistakenly sold, it only seems right to locate the art. She gets another friend to help, determined to surprise the twins with the lost painting.

Problems develop, however, including marital strife between Sloane’s parents, which test her overall trust in relationships. Life is no longer tied up neat and securely like her dad’s fiction. Friendship and love in the real world do not come with guarantees. Being more open with her friends and accepting their love is hard at first, but a happy outcome follows with the budding romance between Sloane and Gabe. She has never been kissed by a boy before, not once, although that is about to change. The story itself is slow to develop, as Mills sets up characters, but the intelligent and witty dialog make This Adventure Ends enjoyable to read.

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing

Hideout by Watt Key: Book Review

Hideout
Author: Watt Key
Reviewer: Sharon M. Himsl
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, 2017
Ages: 12 up, Young Adult
Pages: 311

When Sam moves to Pascagoula, Mississippi, his parents buy him a small boat on his twelfth birthday to explore nearby King’s Bayou, a marshy delta that runs deep into the wilderness. For most boys, having your own boat would feel like a dream come true, and Sam might have agreed, had it not been for the day he was beaten up at school as the new kid in town. Now that summer is here, escaping the humiliation of that awful day is all he can think about. It doesn't matter that another boy, Grover, his only friend at the moment, also had been beaten up. Sam is certain of one thing. He feels like “a loser,” and being around Grover only reminds him of that fact. 

Sam explores King’s Bayou in his new boat alone, mulling over all that happened. Ignoring his Chief of Police dad’s warning not to go too far and to avoid certain areas, Sam meets a boy his age named Davey, who has been hiding out in a shack and living in despicable conditions. Davey claims to be waiting for his father and brother to arrive. Sam secretly helps Davey survive, bringing him food and supplies over the next few days, but as the friendship grows, a mystery unfolds. Sam begins to suspect a terrible crime has been committed by Davey's family. Faced with helping his new friend without betraying him, he wrestles with telling someone. Grover? His Chief of Police father? Dad won't be happy he traveled so far into the delta, but as events become life threatening, Sam is forced to act. 

A good book for middle grade and younger teen boys, on the level of Gary Paulsen's books. Enjoy!

 

Finding Perfect by Elly Swartz: Book Review

Finding Perfect
Author: Elly Swartz

Reviewer: Sharon M. Himsl
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2016
Ages: 8 to 12, Middle Grade

For twelve-year-old Molly Nathans, life was perfect once. Mom and Dad were happy and not separated. Her friend Hannah’s family wasn’t planning to move far away and her other friend Bridget wasn’t obsessed with collecting obituaries after a family member died. Molly doesn’t think there is anything wrong with striving for perfection. If she wants to arrange her glass animal figurines perfectly, so many inches apart, it’s one thing she can control in her otherwise imperfect world. Of most importance, she wants to fix her parent’s marriage. Mom moved out and took a job in another city, leaving Dad to care for Molly and her siblings, Ian and Kate. Her old sister Kate is just plain mad, convinced that Mom has left for good. Ian, the younger of the three, misses Mom and cries a lot. 

Molly convinces herself that she can fix her parent’s marriage by winning the Poetry Slam at school. Mom would then feel compelled to return home for the awards ceremony and see the error of her ways. As the poetry candidates are narrowed down, it becomes clear Molly will win. But also clear is Molly’s strange behavior of late. For instance, instead of washing her hands just once, she repeats the process again and again, and her glass figurines are never, ever, in the right position. Most bizarre is her compulsion to count numbers in her head. Added to this strange behavior, Molly believes that if she doesn’t perform these acts, something terrible will happen to Ian. 

By the time her friends and Dad (and eventually, Mom) begin questioning her behavior, Molly has learned online she has a mental condition called Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Ignoring Molly’s attempt to hide her symptoms, family and friends intervene. They learn that others in Molly’s family have been OCD, and Mom and Dad learn the importance of tending to the needs of their family. The author does a great job creating a believable story about a real disorder that often begins in childhood. A book I would recommend.


Author of THE SHELLS OF MERSING
Check out new Goodreads REVIEW 

The Classics - Opening Lines: Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

"The first place that I can well remember was a large pleasant meadow with a pond of clear water in it. Some shady trees leaned over it, and rushes and water-lilies grew at the deep end. Over the hedge on one side we looked into a plowed field, and on the other we looked over a gate at our master's house, which stood by the roadside;" 

(Published 1877) 

I love the classics and plan to share more "opening lines" over the coming months. Comment if you like, or read for inspiration. Writing styles were different then, but were they really? 

The May Queen Murders by Sarah Jude: Book Review

 
The May Queen Murders
Author: Sarah Jude
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016
Age: 12 up, Young Adult
Reviewer: Sharon M. Himsl
Pages: 288




Sixteen-year-old Ivy Templeton knows Rowan’s Glen all too well. She has lived in the Missouri Ozarks among the hill folk her entire life. In Rowan's Glen, the girls wear long skirts, the boys wear trousers and suspenders. At school they are outcasts, considered a cult, but truth be told, superstition permeates their very culture and way of life. 

Ivy and the other girls in the Glen wear red bracelets to ward off evil. A scissor falling on the floor is a bad sign or a clock stopping at four forty-four, a death omen, and Ivy has witnessed both lately. Frightening dreams foretell something dreadful. When Ivy sees a “shadow self,” another death omen, she realizes the shadow belongs to Heather, her cousin and best friend. 

Heather has been drifting away lately and Ivy wonders if she has a secret boyfriend, but why then is she being so secretive? Heather wanders off at night and everyone in the Glen knows it isn’t safe to be alone at night. Ivy fears for Heather's life, especially now that she's been elected as the new May Queen at school. Years ago, before Ivy was born, someone murdered a May Queen. 

Most believe she was murdered by Birch Markle, a mentally deranged local who disappeared into the woods after the murder never to be seen again. It's the main reason the hill folk avoid the woods today. Most belief he's still there hiding out somewhere. Screams are common in the woods at night, and lately animals have been showing up dead, killed by human hands the authorities claim. 

Ivy seeks comfort in the arms of Rook, a boy she has long known and loved. A romance grows, but fate is against them from the start. As they unravel the mystery of 'what's happening to Heather' they uncover a murder that seemingly had nothing to do with Birch Markle at all, but everything to do with Rook’s father. A string of murders follows to cover up the crime, including the shocking murder of Heather. She apparently knew too much. 

Fair warning, this is a dark story. There is a particularly gruesome, bloody chapter at the end that sends readers on a horrific “slash and cut” roller coaster. It's not even clear if Rook and Ivy will survive the grisly ordeal, and you find yourself bracing for the worst, but I won't spoil the ending for you. Needless to the say, the surviving characters are forever haunted when the dust settles.

Friday Barnes Girl Detective by R.A. Spratt and Phil Gosier: Book Review

 
Friday Barnes: Girl Detective
Author: R.A. Spratt
Illustrator: Phil Gosier
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, 2016 
Reviewer: Sharon M. Himsl
Age: 8 to 12, Middle Grade
Pages: 255



 
Possibilities soar when spunky eleven-year-old Friday Barnes solves a bank robbery and receives fifty thousand dollars as reward. Emboldened, she announces she’s sending herself to a boarding school with the money, Highcrest Academy. “But why,” asks her father. “Because I want to do something different,” Friday replies. 

Friday’s parents and four adult siblings, all of whom are geniuses, have devoted themselves to studying theoretical physics. They only assumed Friday, also a genius, would do the same. Friday was born to her mother late in life, and with the exception of a doting uncle, often fends for herself alone. She even made an electric bicycle once when her parents failed to pick her up from school events. Friday’s vast knowledge from reading books and learning how things work has made her into a good debater—and a detective. Friday uses her gifts to convince her parents. Now the plan is to attend school unnoticed, so she can quietly observe and learn. 

The first day at school goes wrong when a car accidentally bumps into her in the school parking lot. She is only slightly hurt, but word gets out she is different. Not only does Friday dress weird in brown cardigans, she is extremely smart. Acceptance comes from her equally geeky roommate Melanie, and oddly, from Friday’s ability to solve mysteries at school, one being the strange swamp yeti. 

She ends up solving a diamond smuggling operation, but Ian Waitscott, the smartest and cutest boy in class remains her enemy. Unfortunately, Ian’s dad went to prison as a result of the bank caper Friday had solved earlier. When police arrest Friday at the end, readers may wonder if Ian played a role. The next edition reveals the outcome. A rollicking read overall, Gosier’s cartoon illustrations are entertaining and a good match. A cute story, and one I would give my granddaughter. 

The Scar Boys by Len Vlahos: Book Review

The Scar Boys
Author: Len Vlahos
Publisher: Egmont USA, 2014  
Reviewer: Sharon M. Himsl
Age: 14 to 17, Young Adult
Pages: 237

Len Vlahos captures the angst of a shy teen boy who is isolated from his peers because of his ugly appearance. Set in the 1980s, Harry tells his story with a measure of humor and witty sarcasm. Harry feels like a “monster,” but truth be told, if appearances count, he is, at least physically. Bullied at age eight by classmates and tied to a tree in a thunderstorm, lightning strikes the tree, leaving Harry with hideous facial scars. Harry endures years of physical pain and emotional damage, but learns to cope with the help of a psychiatrist. 

Friendless for the most part in school, Harry is surprised one day when Johnny, one of the popular kids, befriends him. Life takes a dramatic turn. Harry discovers a vast love of guitar music and finds acceptance among his peers. Together he and Johnny form a rock band called the "Scar Boys." Life in the band is great at first, until the summer of high school graduation, when the band goes on tour. Harry is shocked to learn that Johnny plans to quit the band in college. Devastated, Harry could care less about college. Guitar and the "Scar Boys" have become his life--and identity. 

Harry’s world topples. Adding to complications, he has fallen in love with band member, Chey, who doesn’t seem to mind his scars. Problem is, she has fallen in love with Johnny and Harry is jealous. In a flare up, Johnny abandons the tour midway. Driving home, he's involved in an accident and permanently loses a leg. For the first time, it is Johnny who feels like the “monster.” He even pushes Chey away, to spare her the agony of seeing him permanently disabled. Harry, who has long been on the receiving end of the friendship, swallows his pride and reaches out to Johnny. He convinces him he was wrong about Chey, and possibly about the band. Music can heal him too and so the friendship matures.  

Written as Harry's college admissions essay initially, Vlahos digs deep into the hearts of these teens, sharing a story partly based on personal experience. Chapter titles are songs from the 1980's period. 

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing
 

Dead Upon a Time by Elizabeth Paulson: Book Review

Dead Upon a Time
Author: Elizabeth Paulson
Publisher: Scholastic Press, 2015
Age: 12 up, Young Adult
Pages: 211

 
Once upon a time there was a young woman named Kate Wood, who took food baskets to Nan (her grandmother) in the woods, fought off wolves, and like Nan, was “uncommon.” Shunned by the Shepherd Grove villagers because of her family’s magical powers, Kate is desperate for help when Nan disappears. Her one clue is the strange tapestry that Nan left behind, with terrible scenes of suffering stitched into the fabric showing children imprisoned in cell blocks. 

Children have been disappearing from Shepherd Grove for some time now. Kate goes to her childhood friend Jack (also “uncommon”), who has been hiding in the woods ever since the ‘giant killing’ fiasco. He agrees to help, but they are captured a short time later by Constable Sterling of the village and taken to King Wilhelm for questioning, where they learn that Princess Ella has also disappeared. Kate convinces King Wilhelm that she and Jack can find Ella along with Nan. Privately, she suspects his evil new wife, Queen Cecilia. Adding to her suspicions, Kate finds a tapestry similar to Nan’s in Ella’s belongings, with the words “you’re next” inscribed at the top. 

Also, stitched in both tapestries is a trail of vines that leads to a brick fortress, which Kate and Jack find and follow in the forest. Arriving at the fortress, they meet Nan’s evil twin, Catarina. She has been luring Nan and Kate all along and needs “uncommon blood” to maintain her evil state and beauty. Kate offers her life in exchange for Ella, the children, and Jack (also captured), who are then released. To Kate's surprise, Constable Sterling arrives unexpectedly (they had long since ditched him). 

An enchantment spell is lifted revealing his true identity, Kate’s long lost father. Catarina is quickly defeated and imprisoned. Kate happily takes up residence with her father and Nan. Jack is content to stay in the woods and most of the children happily live with Ella and the king. Their families and evil Queen Cecilia remain a mystery, but that’s another story. A bit too fairy tale-ish for me, but I'm sure some will love this rather dark tale.

The Secrets We Keep by Trisha Leaver: Book Review

The Secrets We Keep
Author: Trisha Leaver
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2015
Age: 12 up, Young Adult
Pages: 294

It's the summer before her senior year. Ella Lawton has dreams of going to a prestigious art school with her best friend Josh after graduation, and aside from her identical twin (Maddy) sister's obnoxious behavior since starting high school, life has been manageable. Ella is the studious, artistic twin who gets good grades (geeky by the popular crowd’s standards), while Maddy is the hipper of the two. She dresses cool, knows how to wear makeup, and as co-captain of the field hockey team, is both gorgeous and popular. 

But here lies the problem. Ella often has to rescue or cover for Maddy, who loves to party. She even does her assignments and takes exams when she needs help. Ella puts up with it for the most part; she loves her sister. But one night, on yet another rescue mission (Maddy calls from a party), they get into a big fight and crash the car. Ella, who was driving, survives, but Maddy dies instantly. When Ella regains consciousness she's horrified to learn she has killed her sister, and vows then and there she will sacrifice her own life and pretend to be Maddy henceforth. Since Maddy was wearing Ella’s coat at the time of her death, convincing the hospital is easy. When asked her name, Ella claims to be Maddy and the impossible lie begins. 

Ella is convinced she can pull off the ruse. She has pretended to be Maddy numerous times before, and since she is recovering and grieving, she manages to keep Maddy’s boyfriend Alex placated when her behavior seems odd. This works for awhile until her childhood friend Josh figures out the lie (he happens to also be in love with Ella). Keeping her parents at a distance is another problem. Added to this, Ella uncovers a dark secret Maddy had been hiding that has seriously affected classmate Molly’s scholarship eligibility in college. Molly failed a drug test because of something Maddy did. Knowing what she knows, Ella is faced with doing the right thing.....telling the truth. 

Copyright 2015 © Sharon M. Himsl

The Outside by Laura Bickle: Book Review

The Outside
Author: Laura Bickle 
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Ages: 12 up, Young Adult, 2013
Pages: 313

Katie is unsure what happened to her parents and sister after she was banned from the Amish community. She only knows that after her indiscretion with Alex, a non-Amish man she had fallen deeply in love with, she could never return. Like all Amish teens, Katie had fantasized about seeing “the outside” world, an opportunity she would have been granted in time, but times were different now. A terrible plague had been unleashed into the world that turned people into vampires, including, she is certain, some members of her beloved community. The only safe thing to do is to leave the area. 

With a heavy heart, Katie sets off on a journey with Alex to find his family in the north, along with Ginger, an older non-Amish woman searching for her family, and a skittish horse named Horus. Travel is only safe during the day. At night they must find shelter quickly or face attack by roving vampires. Attacks are inevitable and the three become able-bodied vampire killers. Sadly, Ginger is eventually bitten and killed. 

Desperate for answers, Alex seeks a scientific solution, Katie a spiritual one. Katie knows that the holy Himmelsbrief, the letter she faithfully wears on her chest, has protected them more than once from vampire attacks, as has locating and standing on holy ground or a religious site. But when the letter is lost, their options begin to dwindle.

Hope surfaces when they meet a man who has discovered a serum that makes the body luminescent at night. Miraculously, vampires are warded off by the bright glow. Armed with the serum they set off to share the remedy with any survivors they can find. Katie heads for home, Alex continues north to find his family. They part ways, unsure if they will ever see each other again, but love triumphs in the end. 

The Outside is a wonderful tale read alone, a real page-turner, but for back story readers may want to read the prequel, The Hallowed Ones. Personally, I longed for more oomph in the final testing of Alex's and Katie's commitment to each other. The seeds of drama were certainly there, but it felt cut off. Perhaps word count was an issue. It's just that I wanted to hang out with these characters a bit longer. Perhaps there is a sequel. 

Copyright 2015 © Sharon M. Himsl
 

When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds: Book Review

When I Was the Greatest
Author: Jason Reynolds
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2014
Age: 12 up, Young Adult
Pages: 232

Fifteen-year-old Allen, or Ali, as his eleven-year-old sister Jazz nicknamed him, lives in the rough Brooklyn district of Bed-Stuy, a black ghetto neighborhood dominated by gangs, guns, and drugs. Ali's dedicated mom, Doris, works hard to keep Ali and Jazz out of trouble, in spite of their dad’s absence, who only occasionally visits. It helps that Doris is a social worker. She knows how to keep her kids on track, even the two neighbor boys, Noodles and Needles, whose mother is mostly absent and dad is long gone. 

Needles has Tourette’s Syndrome, a strange condition that causes his arms to flail unexpectedly and curse words to fly out of his mouth. Noodles struggles with caring for his brother alone and deals with a lot of anger. Ali is really his only friend. Meanwhile, Doris discovers that learning how to knit eases the symptoms of Tourette’s Syndrome. Needles (as nicknamed) takes up knitting and the effect is rather dramatic, enough so that when Ali and Noodles learn of a party, Needles is also invited. 

They have to lie about their age to attend the 'over eighteen' party, and things go bad from there. Needles has an attack and accidentally stabs someone with his knitting needle. A fight breaks out. Ali dives into the brawl, while Noodles freezes on the sideline and does nothing to help his brother. Fortunately, Ali’s boxing skills help him beat off two guys. Word gets out after the fight that the two guys are now looking for him. Ali’s dad gets involved and prevents any further bloodshed. Meanwhile, Noodles must deal with his failure. The friendship and family loyalty are thus tested but forgiveness triumphs in the end. 

There is much to love in Reynold’s book, its authentic language and introduction to black ghetto culture, for one, but character voice and development surpasses all. The side characters are just as interesting.
Further, I was not familiar with Tourette's Syndrome at all. I love that Needles's control of his condition is helped when he takes up knitting, despite causing him so much trouble at the party. Reynolds has a way of pulling things together at the end, where what this book also does well, is show the power of family. 

Copyright 2014 © Sharon M. Himsl

Nancy Drew Diaries - Sabotage at Willow Woods: Book Review

Nancy Drew Diaries: Sabotage at Willow Woods

Author: Carolyn Keene
Publisher: Aladdin, 2014
Age: 8-12, Middle Grade fiction
Pages: 167

Not everyone in Nancy’s community is in favor of the new sports arena proposed for Boylestown High School (BHS). The cost not only detracts from academics, the proposed location would destroy beautiful Willow Woods. Already BHS’s Green Club has voiced a protest. Meanwhile, Carrie Kim, a candidate running for city council and cousin of Nancy’s good friend George, has vowed to make the arena a reality. Nancy, George, and another friend Bess become involved when Carrie is sent two threatening notes, including a box containing a dead squirrel. Nancy is almost certain the Green Club is responsible, and while undercover, determines that club member Barney is the instigator. Nancy goes to the police and has Barney arrested. However, Nancy could not be more wrong. She then stumbles onto the truth, learning that Carrie’s campaign manager is the real culprit. Barney is exonerated and a new location for the much needed football field is found. Nancy’s nearly perfect boyfriend Ned is supportive through it all. Young readers will adore his comment, “All I ever ask is that you be yourself, Nancy.”

Short diary excerpts help pace this #5 book in the Nancy Drew Diaries series. As typical of a Nancy Drew mystery, the plot of Sabotage at Willow Woods is rather predictable, but having said that, it was comfortable and fun to read. The story is safe for the youngest readers in the 8-12 range and a sure bet for any concerned mom or grandmother looking for a book to give as a gift.   

Copyright 2014 © Sharon M. Himsl

Independent Publisher Book Awards: 2013

Last but not least, the IPPY Awards. The Independent Publisher Book Awards were created in 1996 in recognition of independent authors and publishers. Since then there have been over 3,000 IPPY Awards . . . and the number is growing. Included are genres reviewed here, but there are plenty more at their site. Check it out!


Fiction: Juvenile

--Gold - The Bulldoggers Club: The Tale of the Ill-Gotten Catfish by Barbara Hay (The RoadRunner Press)
--Silver - Martin McMillan and the Secret of the Ruby Elephant by Elaine Russell (Create Space)
--Bronze - Prairie Journey by Frances Bonney Jenner (Irie Books)

Fiction: Young Adult

--Gold - The Immortal Von B. by M. Scott Carter (The RoadRunner Press)
--Silver (tie) - Bi-Normal by M.G. Higgins (Saddleback Publishing) and Untraceable: The Nature of Grace series, Book 1, by S.R. Johannes (Coleman and Stott)
--Bronze - The Elephant of Surprise by Brent Hartinger (Buddha Kitty Books)

Fiction (Multicultural): Young Adult and Juvenile

--Gold - Three Years and Eight Months by Icy Smith, illustrated by Jennifer Kindert (East West Discovery Press)
--Silver - Robinson’s Hood by Jeff Gottesfeld (Saddleback Educational Publishing)
--Bronze - Tessa’s Dance by David Edward Walker (Thoughtful Publishing Company)

Nonfiction (Multicultural): Young Adult and Juvenile

--Gold - People Who Said No by Laura Scandiffio (Annick Press)
--Silver - I Call Him My Brother by Chris Morse and Robel Alemu; edited by Carolynne Krusi (Authorhouse Publishing)
--Bronze - Rangoli: An Indian Art Activity Book by Suma O’Farrell (Mazaa LLC)

Nonfiction: Young Adult and Juvenile

--Gold - Their Skeletons Speak by Sally M. Walker and Douglas W. Owsley (Lerner Publishing Group)
--Silver - Understand Your Self by Dale Carson and Kishore Khairnar (Bick Publishing House)
--Bronze (tie) - Soup Should Be Seen, Not Heard! by Beth Brainard (Good Idea Kids); and Wondrous Creatures by Dean Jacobs and Amy Tharp (Self-Published)

Picture Books: Children (7 and under)
--Gold - Arlo Needs Glasses by Barney Saltzberg (Workman Publishing)
--Silver (tie) - A Night Time Story by Roberto Aliaga, illustrated by Sonja Wimmer (Cuento de Luz); and Bee Life by Lynette Evans, illustrated by Francesca D’Ottavi (Insight Kids)
--Bronze - You Can Count on Gracie by Joan Harrison (Little Minute Publishing)

Picture Books: All Ages

--Gold - America’s National Parks: A Pop-Up Book by Don Compton (W.W. West)
--Silver (tie) - Whose Egg? by Lynette Evans, illustrated by Guy Troughton (Insight Editions); and Rabbityness by Jo Empson (Child’s Play)
--Bronze - Belle, the Last Mule at Gee’s Bend by Calvin Alexander Ramsey and Bettye Stroud, illustrated by John Holyfield (Candlewick Press)

E-BOOKS

E-Books: Juvenile and Young Adult Fiction 
 
--Gold - Wish I could have said goodbye by Shari A. Brady (Wise Owl Press)
--Silver - Finding Peace: A Medieval Romance by Lisa Shea (Minerva Webworks)

--Bronze - Long Black Veil by Jeanette Battista (Self-Published)

E-Books: Children's Picture Books

--Gold - Red Is… by Ivy Wong (Ripple Digital Publishing)

--Silver - Every Walrus Can Fly by Brian Phillips (The Basement)

--Bronze - Egg Mania by Sherry Maysonave (Empowerment Productions)

  

YALSA Awards for Young Adult: 2013

Here are some of the YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) book awards honoring young adult writers in 2013. Among its missions, YALSA strives to evaluate material of interest to teens (12-18) and to expand the library's outreach. Additional awards and book summaries can be found at their website. Check it out! 



Morris Award (honors best YA Debut Books)

Winner:
--Seraphina  by Rachel Hartman (Random House for Young Readers, 2012)

Finalists:
--Wonder Show by Hannah Barnaby (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2013)
--Love and Other Perishable Items by Laura Buzo (Ember, 2013) 
--After the Snow by S. D. Crockett (Feiwel & Friends, 2012)
--The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth (Balzer + Bray, reprint 2013)


Michael L. Printz Award (honors literary excellence in YA)

Winner:
--In Darkness by Nick Lake (Bloomsbury Books for Young Readers, 2012)

Honor Books:
--Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz (Simon & Schuster BFYR, 2012)
--Code Name Verity  by Elizabeth Wein (Hyperion, reprint 2013)
--Dodger  by Terry Pratchett (HarperCollins Children’s Books, reprint 2013)
--The White Bicycle  by Beverley Brenna (Red Deer Press, 2012)


Nonfiction Awards (honors best YA nonfiction) 


Winner:
--Bomb: The Race to Build - and Steal- the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin (Flash Point, 2012)

Finalists:
--Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different, a biography by Karen Blumenthal (Square Fish, 2012) 
--Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great ---Survivor B95 by Phillip Hoose (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2012)
--Titanic: Voices from the Disaster by Deborah Hopkinson (Scholastic Press, 2012)
--We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March by Cynthia Levinson (Peachtree Publishers, 2012)

The 39 Clues: Cahill Files: Spymasters by Clifford Riley: Book Review

The 39 Clues: Cahill Files: Spymasters
Author: Clifford Riley
Publisher: Scholastic Inc., 2013
Age level: 8-12, Middle Grade
Pages: 250



The 39 Clues: Cahill Files: Spymasters continues the Cahill family saga and the secrets they have guarded for generations. Their enemies, the Vespers, are constantly on the prowl searching for artifacts, documents, and other items capable of causing grave harm in the world. Three stories are told.

In the Redcoat Chase, twelve-year-old Frederick is sent on an important Cahill mission. America is at war (1814) with Britain. Frederick must locate the map to Gideon’s ring. Frederick races to the White House on horseback, chased by a Redcoat Vesper. Frederick meets the first lady and both are nearly killed in the search.

In The Houdini Escape, young Harry Houdini is a poor immigrant’s son in New York City (1891), earning little performing magic tricks. Overhearing a man bullying his ailing father (a Cahill descendant), Harry confronts a powerful Vesper named Zoltan. Instead he is kidnapped, bound, and thrown into the harbor. Cleverly skilled with ropes, Harry easily escapes. Zoltan captures him again and threatens to kill Harry’s family, unless he agrees to steal a valuable museum artifact. Harry agrees, performing his greatest magic trick yet. 

In The Submarine Job, fourteen-year-old Fiske Cahill rushes to help his sister. She is guarding a ring the Vespers desperately want. The year is 1955. Fiske takes the ring and goes undercover as the grandson of an admiral. He boards the USS Nautilus, the first ever nuclear submarine, and heads for safety in Puerto Rico. However, an undercover Vesper also boards and Fiske must fight for his life.

Readers can learn more online and continue the popular adventure with the game cards provided. Having jumped into the middle of this series, it was not clear to me what exactly the 39 clues are. Riley seems to have deviated from the original quest, but maybe it doesn't matter. The 39 Clues: Cahill Files is an entertaining read, a good adventure story for boys especially, and full of historical references (at least in this edition).


Copyright 2014 © Sharon M. Himsl

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing
 

Cybils Award Finalists 2013: A Handy List

Children's and Young Adult Blogger's Literary Awards

Here are some of the finalists. Listed are genres I tend to review, but there are more! Click here for other awards and more information.

Fiction: Middle Grade 

--Escape from Mr. Lemoncellos' Library by Chris Grabenstein (Random House Books for Young Readers)
--Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz (Scholastic)
--Serafina's Promise by Ann E. Burg (Scholastic)
--The 14 Fibs of Gregory K. by Greg Pincus (Arthur A. Levine)
--Ultra by David Carroll (Scholastic Canada)

Fiction: Picture Books

--Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett (Disney Hyperion)
--If You Want to See a Whale by Julie Fogliano (Roaring Brook)
--Journey by Aaron Becker (Candlewick Press)
--Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown (Little, Brown)
--Open This Little Book by Jesse Klausmeir (Chronicle Books)
--Sophie's Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller (Schwarts and Wade Books)
--The Bear's Song by Benjamin Chaud (Chronicle Books)

Speculative Fiction (Science Fiction and Fantasy): Elementary and Middle Grade

--Jinx by Sage Blackwood (HarperCollins)
--Lockwood & Co.: The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud (Disney Hyperion)
--Rose by Holly Webb (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky)
--Sidekicked by John David Anderson (Walden Pond Press)
--The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson (Tor Teen)
--The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp by Kathi Appelt (Atheneum)
--The Water Castle by Megan Frazer Blakemore (Walker Books for Young Readers)

Nonfiction: Elementary and Middle Grade

--Anubis Speaks! by Vicky Alvear Shecter (Boyds Mills Press)
--Barbed Wire Baseball by Marisa Moss (Harry N. Abrams)
--How Big Were Dinosaurs? by Lita Judge (Roaring Brook)
--Locomotive by Brian Floca (Atheneum)
--Look Up! Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard by Annette LeBlanc Cate (Candlewick Press)
--The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos by Deborah Heiligman (Roaring Brook)
--Volcano Rising by Elizabeth Rusch and Susan Swan (Charlesbridge)

Fiction: Young Adult

--Dr. Bird's Advice for Sad Poets by Evan Roskos (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children)
--Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (St. Martin's Griffin)
--Out of The Easy by Ruta Sepetys (Philomel)
--Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein (Disney Hyperion)
--Sex and Violence by Carrie Mesrobian (Carolrhoda Books)
--Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina (Candlewick Press)

Nonfiction: Young Adult

--Breakfast on Mars and 37 Other Delectable Essays (Roaring Brook)
--Imprisoned: The Betrayal of Japanese Americans during World War II by Martin W. Sandler (Walker Books for Young Readers)
--The Boy on the Wooden Box: How the Impossible Became Possible . . . on Schindler's List by Leon Leyson (Atheneum)
--The Bronte Sisters: The Brief Lives of Charlotte, Emily, and Anne by Catherine Reef (Clarion Books)
--"The President Has Been Shot!" The Assassination of John F. Kennedy by James L. Swanson (Scholastic)

Speculative Fiction (Science Fiction & Fantasy): Young Adult

--Conjured by Sarah Beth Durst (Walker Books for Young Readers)
--Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin Trilogy) by Robin LaFevers (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
--Pantomime by Laura Lam (Strange Chemistry)
--Shadows by Robin McKinley (Nancy Paulsen Books)
--The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson (Arthur A. Levine)
--The Waking Dark by Robin Wasserman (Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers)
--William Shakespeare's Star Wars by Ian Doescher (Quirk Books)