3.5 Stars

 Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham

Jane should have been grateful.  She could have died that day.The shark attack left her body lifeless. The blood loss so severe she almost died before reaching a hospital.  Is it selfish to not feel grateful? To wonder if a boy will ever want to kiss you? To grieve the loss of her future art career – her drawing talents?

Her friends try to be understanding, but they don’t get it. Who cares about who is dating who?  What other girls are wearing?  What guys will be at the party Friday night?

Jane is lost. Her life left behind- her identity swallowed, consumed, and left ravaged by a shark. Things will never be the same.

Friday, April 10, 2009

 4 Stars

Happy Kid! By Gail Gauthier

Could things get any worse??  Kyle suddenly found himself placed in advanced Language Arts and Social Studies classes.  Now he had to spend hours doing homework just to scrape by, and he was stuck eating lunch with the dorky A-list kids. He never had time to hang out with his friend Luke anymore.  And to top it off, Luke had already found Kyle’s replacement.

Kyle didn’t think he would ever be able to shake the bus incident.  Kids still stared at him like he was an ax murderer, and the troublemakers had even started a Kyle fan club.

It was just a screwdriver for pete’s sake.

Kyle had made the screwdriver at school.  It just happened to fall out of his backpack on the bus, right when the bus driver was looking in the rearview mirror.  Kyle didn't mean anything by grabbing the handle and holding the screwdriver upright.  According to the driver. Kyle was waving around a weapon.  A Weapon??

Kyle didn't mean to freak the driver out.  Next thing you know, 911...What's Your Emergency?

No biggie.  Even though Kyle had to sit in the police car until his dad showed up, everything did eventually get cleared up in the end.

So why won’t people move beyond it?

Kyle’s mom is tired of him moping around so she makes an offer he can’t refuse.  Kyle will get paid for every chapter he reads of this cheesy self-help book – as if that would make a difference in his life or make him "happier."

To Kyle’s surprise, it actually does.

Though his life overall still stinks, Kyle begins to see a little light at the end of the tunnel.

Great story - lots of laughs.  If you liked Diary of a Wimpy Kid, try Happy Kid!

Friday, April 10, 2009

 Toby Wheeler: Eighth Grade Benchwarmer by Thatcher Heldring

       4 stars 

Why do your friends suddenly change in middle school?  Toby liked the way things used to be.  He would hang out with his best friend JJ, pull crazy pranks at school, and spent hours playing street ball and basketball at the rec center.  Now that they’re in 8^th grade, JJ doesn’t have time for Toby. 

JJ has a stuck-up girlfriend, Valerie, and spends all of his time playing guitar in a lame garage band.  To make matters worse, JJ never even shoots hoops with Toby anymore.   

When Toby’s basketball rival, Vinny, made fun of him and told Toby he was a weak player, Toby decided he wasn’t going to put up with being slammed by anyone.  He’d try out for the boy’s basketball team, show that punk Vinny how good a player he really is, and find a way to spend time with his friend JJ again.   

Toby’s plan didn’t exactly turn out the way he had hoped.   

Toby makes his middle school team, but he finds himself warming the bench during every game.  The coach picks on him constantly, and his teammates, even JJ, make fun of the way he plays. 

Not only that, but the coach’s daughter seems to have a crush on him.  Just what he needed – another reason for Coach not to like him. Toby is surprised to find out, however, that being a benchwarmer is not always so bad. 

Watch Toby become a fan favorite, get the hottest girl in school, and realize that the best shooter on the team is not always the star player. 

Great story for anyone who feels like he/she always comes in last place!      

Friday, April 10, 2009

 

 

   Four Stars

Taken by Edward Bloor

Charity wakes up groggy, tired, and confused.  The last memory she had was being taken to a hospital.  Her face still felt flush with a fever, and she was weak and tired.  Charity soon realized she is not at a hospital, and these men were not doctors.

Charity’s greatest fear has become a reality – she’s been kidnapped. 

In 2036, the children of the wealthy are frequent targets for kidnappers.  Even with the top notch security in her Highlands community, the constant supervision surrounding her and monitoring her every movement, the guards and security systems meant to protect her, Charity has still become a target.  She’s just a means to an end - a ticket being used by kidnappers to cash in ransom money.

Charity hopes and prays her father can be reached, and he is willing to follow the kidnapper’s demands and instructions. If her father acts quickly, Charity will not be harmed.  Despite how hard her father tries to save her, the plan fails.

When one of the kidnapper’s identity is revealed, Charity feels shocked and betrayed.  She knows there are no guarantees, and she must now be willing to act in order to save herself– be prepared to fight and to flee.  What Charity does not realize is that being kidnapped will actually save her in the end. 

Losing the life she has now and leaving others behind is the only way she will ever experience true freedom and happiness.

Exciting, and totally unexpected – right up until the satisfying conclusion.

Friday, April 10, 2009

 

 

 

 

       Five Stars   

Not your Mama's Rapunzel!

 I admit it.  I've never read a graphic novel.  The pictures in most make my eyes cross.  I like simple uncluttered lines of text. This graphic novel, however, may make me a fan of the genre.  Rapunzel's Revenge would never captivate readers if not for the amazing artwork.  In this spin on the traditional Rapunzel fairy tale, Rapunzel refuses to be the helpless beauty in the woods - waiting to be rescued by her prince.

As a young girl, Rapunzel began having strange dreams.  She dreamed of an unknown woman frequently.  The woman was kind, affectionate, and loving to Rapunzel - everything her own mother was not.  Rapunzel knew she should be grateful for the beautiful castle she lived in and fine clothing she wore.  Rapunzel, though, was miserable.  Her life was empty and lonely.  She was always isolated from other people, never allowed to explore beyond the castle walls.  Despite her separation, Rapunzel soon learned from her own observations that Mother Gothel was a cruel, cold woman - a witch with magic powers she used to dominate others. 

When Rapunzel finally manages to sneak away and meets the woman in her childhood dreams, she and the woman realize they are actually daughter and child.  Mother Gothel had ripped Rapunzel away from her mother at a young age, and her real mother had been grieving ever since. 

When Rapunzel confronts Mother Gothel, she finds herself in an even more miserable situation - she's locked away for years - deep in a tower in the woods.  Here, Rapunzel realizes she has to take a stand for herself, her real mother, and all the townspeople Mother Gothel has abused. 

Part fairy tale, western, romance, and comedy, Rapunzel's Revenge is a wild ride you'll never forget!  I couldn't put this book down.  Rapunzel is one of the greatest heroines you'll ever meet.  The expressive sketches in this graphic novel make the story come alive, with humor written within the graphics themselves.  Loved it!

Friday, April 10, 2009