Midnight Magic by Avi

Genre: Modern Fantasy

Awards: 2002 Nominee for the Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award

Summary: Mangus the Magician has been forced to recant his magic and Fabrizio, his trusted assistant, has decided to stand by his master. The story opens with Fabrizio laying out his tarot cards to a distubing reading and, if this were not enough, there is a knock at the door. The magician, Mangus is being summoned to the castle.

Both Mangus and Fabrizio are surprised to learn that the reason for the summons is that the princess claims to be haunted by a ghost and Mangus is called to rid the castle of the ghost. While trying to solve the problem, the pair are drawn into a mess of conspiracy and murder which seems to involve everyone in the castle. They also are caught in a time restraint as the princess is due to marry the evil Count in only a few days.

This is truely a historical fiction mystery wrapped in a ghost story!

Reaction: Now this was a satisfying fantasy! Not only was it a fantasy story, but it also had aspects of historical fiction and mystery. Avi is a fantastic writer and this story kept me turning the pages. I loved this book.

Recommended to: I think that this book would be appealing to students from grades 5 - 10. It has aspects of many genres that students love and, with a male main chatacter, this would be a great title to recommend to boys.

Book Talk Hook: Do you enjoy reading fantastic historical fiction? mystery? or ghost stories? All of these genres are represented in this incredible book by a prolific author.

Dust by Arthur Slade

Genre: Modern Fantasy

Awards: 2004 ALA Best Books for Young People

Summary: The Canadian countryside is devestated by a drought. Robert Steelgate, 11, seems unphased by it until his seven-year-old brother Matthew becomes missing when he walks to town.
Robert has some suspition that Abram Harsich, a mexmerizing newcomer to town has something to do with the disappearance of his brother. His suspitions become more and more strong as more and more children become missing and the townspeople around him become drawn to Abram's seemingly magic ways and powerful effect over people. Robert gathers the courage to visit Mr. Harsich's house and what he discovers changes the town forever.

Reaction: I found the book, Dust, to be interesting, but strange at the same time. I think that the author would do well at writing historical fiction. Those parts of the story that learned toward historical fiction were, in my oppinion, much better than the fantasy aspects. Fantasy is not my reading of choice, though, so maybe others would really like the book. There was a lot of symbolism in the story and much of it, I am sure, went over my head. I don't tend to get a lot of sybolism.

Recommended to: Dust would be a good title to recommend to students in 7-9th grades who enjoy reading both historical fiction and fantastical fantasy. This book is a mix of both.

Book Talk Hook: Do you find yourself getting strong feelings about new people who enter your life? Can you often get both good and bad "vibes" from people around you? If so, you may enjoy reading Dust by Arthur Slade.

Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief by Wendelin Van Draanen

Genre: Realistic Fiction - sports, mysteries, adventure

Awards: 1999 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Juvenile Mystery, 2000 Massachusetts Children's Book Master List

Summary: Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief is the first in a young-adult mystery series of what will be 20 titles in all. In this story, Samantha, a seventh-grader, is living with her grandmother in a subsidized housing unit which doesn't allow Grams to house Sammy. Because of this, Sammy tells people she is just visiting her Grams and has to keep all of her possessions in the bottom drawer of a dresser. Sammy has taken to watching the neighborhood through her grandmother's binoculars and just happens to spot the latest in a rash of neighborhood burglaries through them. She must use her sharp observational skills without ruffling too many feathers and getting caught. Samantha ends up catching the theif, making new friends, and growing closer to her grandmother in this fun, fast-paced, adventure.

Reaction: I actually use this book on unabridged audio C.D. as a "read-aloud" each year with my fifth-graders. They love it and end up checking out the other published books in the series from the library (more than half of the 20 titles are currently published). The reason that I like this book so well is because it is funny and lighthearted, yet is full of positive messages without once being "preachy". There are no overtly violent or sexual scenes in the book, making it an option to use in the classroom.

Recommended to: Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief is a great book for students in grades 4-8 who enjoy mysteries. As the character gets older through the next several titles in the series I would say that students through grade 9 might be enticed to try them. The fairly easy reading level will make the book accessable to less-able readers.

Book Talk Hook: Have you ever seen something happen that you know needs to be reported, but you don't know how to report it without getting yourself wrapped up in the "mess"?

Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher

Genre: Realistic Fiction - sports, mysteries, adventure

Awards: ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, ALA Best of the Best Books for Young Adults, School Library Journal Best Book, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, School Library Journal Best of the Best in YA Literature

Summary: Athletic Shorts is a collection of six short stories. They are not, as the title suggests, "sports stories", but each story involves athletes in some way.

"A Brief Moment in the Life of Angus Bethune" is about an overweight wrestler who has two sets of gay parents and has been elected "Senior Winter Ball King". He knows that the election has been rigged to make fun of him but he decides to make the best of it.

"The Pin" tells the story of wrestler Johnny Rivers who can't seem to ever live up to his dad's expectations of him (but neither can anyone in the family). It all comes to a head when Johnny gets the chance to wrestle his father in a "father-son" exhibition wrestling match at the school. Neither Dad, nor Son wants to lose this match.

In "The Other Pin", Petey Shropshire has to wrestle a girl and he is in no way happy about it. He knows, whether he wins or not, it will be humiliating. While at the mall, Petey and his buddy start flirting with two girls. They find out that one of them is Chris, the girl Petey has to wrestle.

"Goin' Fishin'" shares the story of Lionel Serbousek's struggle dealing with his own rage toward "Neal", the boy who, while drunk, smashes his boat into Lionel's family's boat, killing Lionel's parents and five-year-old brother. Neal becomes a homeless drug addict while being consumed with guilt. Lionel has to find a way to overcome his hatred and help Neal.

"Telephone Man" is the nickname of the title character in this story. He carries telephone equipment everywhere because he has found that fixing telephones is his "gift". He has been brought up by a racist father to believe that anyone of color is bad, especially if the person is black. After being saved from being beat-up and robbed by a gang by a black boy, he must consider if other opinions his father has taught him to believe are wrong.

"In the Time I Get" is the powerful story of Louie Banks who cleans a bar in the summer after his senior year in high school. While working, Louie meets the bar owner's nephew, Darren, who is staying with his uncle for the summer. After finding out that Darren is gay and has A.I.D.S., Louie has to decide how to he will deal with his homophobic best friend and still befriend Darren.

Reaction: WOW. This is one "heavy" book that is sure to grab the attention of anyone who would read it. It was not at all what I had anticipated it to be, but the stories were more than riveting. Athleticism is really a very small aspect of the stories in this book. The author, Chris Crutcher, is masterful at weaving experiences he has dealt with as an adolescent counselor into stories that young adults will want to read. This book will make anyone reevaluate their own prejustices.

Recommended to: Athletic Shorts is a powerful book that is full of mature topics that would be appropriate for high school students who can deal with tough language, raw emotion, and heavy issues.

Book Talk Hook: "Have you ever felt like people would act a whole lot different toward you if they walked in your shoes for one day?"

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Genre: Realistic Fiction - families, peers, romance, coming of age, challenges, communities

Awards: 2006 Michael L. Printz Award

Summary: Miles Halter (later nicknamed "Pudge") doesn't like his "safe" life at home in Florida. He doesn't have any close friends and spends his time reading biographies and collecting the "last words" of people. Miles' parents allow him to leave home to attend Culver Creek, a high school boarding school in Alabama where Miles' father attended school. This is the setting for the story.

Miles makes close friends for the first time while at boarding school and this is just the beginning of a long list of firsts: first drink, first prank, and first girlfriend, to name a few. Chip "Colonel" Martin, Takumi, and a girl named Alaska round out the group of main characters.

Alaska Young becomes somewhat of an obsession for Miles with her funny yet moody personality. She is "curvy" and flirtatious, but committed to a boyfriend who goes to school in Nashville, TN. One night while the group of friends is spending the weekend "away" from school in a barn, Alaska reveals that her mother died of a brain aneurysm when Alaska was a young girl and that Alaska has continued to blame herself for freezing up and not knowing what to do to save her mother.

Later, Alaska makes out with Miles while she is drunk and Miles feels like his life is really coming together. After receiving a mysterious phone call in the middle of that night, Alaska sobs to Miles "Pudge" and "the Colonel" to help her leave. They help her, even though she is drunk and they don't know where she is going.

The next day the student body learns of Alaska's death as she crashed into a police cruiser on the highway. "Pudge" (especially) and his friends are crushed, blaming themselves and then, later, trying to figure out if Alaska's death is an accident or suicide.

Reaction: I am using this book as my "edgy" title for the class. The book has been frought with controversy as the content deals directly with sexually explicit situations, drinking, smoking, and explicit language. I have struggled with what to write for my reaction.

This book is an incredible read. The story is multi-layered with richness of characters, setting, plot, and theme. All of these elements present not only a well-crafted technical piece of writing, but it is one that high school students will be drawn to and will see themselves in realisticly. This book was a fast read that kept my attention completely.

I can not, though, react to Looking for Alaska without saying two things. First, I think that this story could easily be just as good and just as enticing to students without some of the "edge" that it has in language and explicit sexual content. Second, in saying that, I have to say that this book is probably one of the most realistic views of late high school (and college) students that I have read. That makes me sad. Here is a portrait of young people that shows them dealing with parts of life that they should not have to be dealing with, and they are dealing with these things without strong, positive adult role models leading them. They "find the way", often making poor choices along the way.

Recommended to: Looking for Alaska is a book for no one younger than their junior year in high school. College students would probably enjoy this book, as well.

Book Talk Hook: Simply reading the inside book jacket to students would draw them to this book. Sharing some of the controversy over the book with the students would also be a hook to getting students interested in reading this title.

Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer

Genre: Realistic Fiction - families, peers, romance, coming of age, challenges, communities

Awards: 2001 Newbery Honor Book, ALA Notable Book, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

Summary: Sixteen-year-old Hope has had her share of trouble. Naming her "Tulip" as a baby, Hope's mother leaves her to be raised by her Aunt Addie. Addie and Tulip move from place to place trying to find themselves and a life of contentment. Having changed her name to "Hope", Hope and Addie move to Mulhoney, WI so that Addie can cook and Hope can waitress for the "Welcome Staircase" Diner.

Hope vows to be the world's greatest waitress at this, her new home even though she desperatly misses her friends and work in Brooklyn, NY. She never imagines what really happens as she falls in love with one of the diner's cooks and then helps the diner's owner try to overcome cancer and become the town's new mayor.

There is humor, action, romance, and compassion in this well-written book.

Reaction: Each of us strive for "hope" in our lives as we struggle through family, work, and friendship issues. As I read the optimism in the life of someone with many more problems than I have had, I felt encouraged and wanted to cheer Hope on to become a great waitress and find love with "Braverman". I wanted good to win over bad with G.T. winning his election campaign. I wanted the cancer to be gone. I wanted Addie to find a husband.

While all of these things didn't happen, the "hope" for them to happen compelled me to read on and complete the book. This inspirational title was a very fast read.

Recommended to: I don't know a type of reader who wouldn't like this book. We can all find a quality in Hope to relate to. A student who has had to struggle with learning, though, could really relate well and be encouraged by Hope Was Here.

Book Talk "Hook": Just reading the first three pages of Hope Was Here aloud to a class of students would draw many readers to this award-winning, fast read.