Even though Celie has an older sister and two older brothers–Princess Lilah, Prince Bran and Prince Rolf–Celie is the only one of her siblings who is interested in mapping the magical rooms of Castle Glower.  Everyone else, from the royal family to the chambermaids and stable boys just follow the two rules of the castle.  Rule One: The Throne Room is always to the east, and Rule Two: If you turn left three times and climb through the next window, you’ll end up in the kitchen, where the helpful kitchen staff will help you get to the Throne Room.  Celie is the only one who tries to figure out how Castle Glower works.  And it seems that the castle loves her for it…she gets flowers in her room when she’s sick, and comfortable furniture when she need it. In fact, everyone acknowledges that the Castle knows what’s best for the kingdom and for the royal family.

When Celie’s parents go away to attend Prince Bran’s graduation from The College of Wizardry, Celie, Lilah and Rolf must remain at the Castle.  None of them are very happy about it, but members of the royal family have a duty to the people, and that includes making sure that they aren’t all exposed to danger at the same time.  Unfortunately, even the much-loved Glower family has enemies who would enjoy taking over their kingdom.  Celie continues to work on her maps, tease her sister and have adventures with Rolf while they await the return of their parents and oldest brother.

But then the unthinkable happens. One of the soldiers returns with news of an attack in the forest: the King, the Queen and Prince Bran were all injured, and the rest of the soldiers were killed.  When the royal guard returns to the site, there is no sign of  the bodies. The King, The Queen and Prince Bran are declared dead, and Rolf, who was happily heir apparent, is suddenly to be crowned King Glower the Eightieth. Although Celie, Rolf and Lilah all staunchly declare that their parents and brother cannot be dead, Ambassadors from neighboring kingdoms start showing up at the castle, invited by the Royal Counselors.  The Counsel wants to crown Rolf as king immediately, marry off Lilah to a prince of a neighboring kingdom, and declare themselves regents.  No one quite knows what to do with Celie.

This is fine with Celie, because she seems to be the only one that notices that Castle Glower is changing. Secret passageways, new turns, even a brand new tower room supplied with spy tools, supplies and several mysterious objects have appeared overnight. Castle Glower is preparing to fight!  And so is Celie. Can a magical castle and one young princess , with the help of her brother and sister, several loyal servants and a few new allies manage to save the kingdom?  They are sure going to try!

* * *

I loved, loved, loved Tuesdays at the Castle, by Jessica Day George.  It has twists and turns and magic…and that’s just the castle!  It also has a spunky young heroine and a great cast of characters.  There’s humor and mystery and political intrigue, as well as dangerous situations, creepy characters and even some slapstick comedy.  It’s a great read!

Jessica Day George has written several other popular titles: the Dragon Slippers, Dragon Flight and Dragon Spear trilogy, as well as Princess of the Midnight Ball and Princess of Glass, based on the fairy tale story  The Twelve Dancing Princesses.  She has been one of the authors whose books I’ve enjoyed very much in the past; but Tuesdays at the Castle is my new favorite.

If you’re a fan of books by Diana Wynne Jones or Patricia Wrede, you’ll love Tuesdays at the Castle. It’s a wonderful book that stands alone, but I’m crossing my fingers that we may see more of Celie, Rolf and Castle Glower in the future.  I’d recommend it to fantasy fans in grades 4 – 6, and it would be a great read-aloud for slightly younger kids.

So try Tuesdays at the Castle, and see what you think!

::Kelly::

Open Book is an email newsletter of book recommendations for teens. It is sent twice a month and includes book excerpts in six teen fiction categories (realistic fiction, historical fiction, action/ adventure/fantasy/science fiction, romance, the buzz: middle school, and the buzz: high school). If you wish to subscribe to Open Book, please email smatathia@minlib.net or sign up in person at the Youth Services desk at the Library. Open Book email newsletters are also archived here on our blog.

Here are the picks for this week…

Don’t forget to click on the title to be connected to our catalog where you can

-Request the book

-Read reviews of the book from multiple sources

Realistic Fiction

Girl’s Don’t Fly by Kristen Chandler

Myra, a high school senior, will do almost anything to win a contest and earn money for a study trip to the Galapagos Islands, which would mean getting away from her demanding family life in Utah and ex-boyfriend Erik, but Erik is set on winning the same contest.

See excerpt

Historical Fiction

I Pledge Allegiance by Chris Lynch

Four best friends serving in the Vietnam War make a pledge to one another that they will do all they can to return home safely together.

See excerpt

Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Seventeen-year-old Karou, a lovely, enigmatic art student in a Prague boarding school, carries a sketchbook of hideous, frightening monsters–the chimaerae who form the only family she has ever known.

See excerpt

Romance

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Hadley and Oliver fall in love on the flight from New York to London, but after a cinematic kiss they lose track of each other at the airport until fate brings them back together on a very momentous day.

See excerpt

Buzz: Middle School

The Notorious Benedict Arnold:  A True Story of Adventure, Heroism, & Bravery by Steve Sheinkin

Provides a biography of America’s first traitor–Benedict Arnold–that reads like an adventure tale, full of heroism, treachery, battle scenes, and surprising twists.

See excerpt

Buzz:  High School

When Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

Seventeen-year-old Cullen’s summer in Lily, Arkansas, is marked by his cousin’s death by overdose, an alleged spotting of a woodpecker thought to be extinct, failed romances, and his younger brother’s sudden disappearance.

See excerpt

* * *

It was a dark and stormy night…and  Meg Murry is up in her bedroom, worrying. The oldest child and only daughter of two scientists, Meg feels like a failure.  Even though her parents are brilliant, Meg has just been dropped to the lowest level in her class. She’s on the verge of being held back, and the other girls in her class think she’s loud and immature. Even Sandy and Dennys, her ten year old brothers think that she should be less of a delinquent.  No one understands that most of the time when Meg gets into fights, she’s defending her family…especially her father and her baby brother, Charles Wallace.

Charles Wallace is her favorite person in the world…her little brother, who didn’t talk until he was four, but who at five seems to be both brilliant and maybe a little psychic. He knows things that he shouldn’t know, and talks like he’s already graduated from college.  But he’s still a little boy, and Meg protects him.  She has to, because the other problem in her life is that her father is missing, and people are talking. No one, not even her mother, knows where he is.

But as Meg and Charles Wallace and their mother are enjoying cocoa in the middle of the storm, they’re interrupted by a peculiar character–Mrs Whatsit, who says she’s lost. After an intriguing conversation, the Murrys help her out and send her on her way.

After school the next day, Charles Wallace meets Meg.  On the way home, they run into Calvin O’Keefe, a boy Meg has seen around school, but who she doesn’t really know. Calvin is smart,  and after a bit of an interrogation from Charles Wallace, the two boys become fast friends, despite an almost ten-year difference in their ages.  Calvin joins the Murrys for dinner, and suddenly Meg finds herself liking the older boy too.  Charles Wallace brings Calvin and Meg to meet his friend Mrs Who, another peculiar woman who is a friend of Mrs Whatsit. That night, after dinner, Calvin and Meg go for a walk.

Just as Meg finishes telling Calvin about her father and how concerned she is about him, Charles Wallace runs up to them and tells them to get ready.  Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who and a new person…Mrs Which appear, and whisk all three children away to…somewhere through space and time.

Suddenly, Meg, Charles Wallace and Calvin are off on the journey of a lifetime. If they work together, there’s a chance they can find and rescue Meg’s father. But there’s also a chance they could get lost along the way.  Can they overcome the dangers of the universe? Will they be able to stay strong enough to remain together? Can they find their father?

You’ll have to read to find out.

* * *

I remember my first time reading A Wrinkle in Time.  It was the first week of fifth grade, and my teacher, Mrs. Pyle, told us it would be one of the books we’d be reading in the spring. It sounded so interesting that I went to the library and took it out. I read it once, and then read it again.  Then it was in the Weekly Reader Book order, so bought it so I could re-read the best bits as often as I wanted to.

Unlike some of our other Old Favorites, A Wrinkle in Time has never been forgotten. It’s also never been out of print.  It won the  Newbery Award as the most distinguished title in  literature for young readers in 1962.

Madeleine L’Engle wrote several sequels to A Wrinkle in Time, including A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters and An Acceptable Time.  Several members of the Murry/O’Keefe families have appeared in other of L’Engle’s novels.

If you like science fiction or stories about unusual families, you should enjoy A Wrinkle in Time. It’s a book everyone should read at least once in their lives.  I’d recommend it to a good fifth grade reader, but to understand all the science and emotions in the story, it’s probably best enjoyed in sixth or seventh grade.  It makes a wonderful selection for a parent/child book group.

There’s a 50th anniversary edition of A Wrinkle in Time coming out this spring, with lots of interesting extras included. There’s a graphic novel currently being adapted, that should also come out in the fall of 2012. And although the book was made into a mini series in 2003, it has been optioned to be a major motion picture, maybe in 2013.  If a movie version does get made, I’ll definitely be in line the first week to see it!

So if you’re a fan of A Wrinkle in Time, there’s a lot coming out for the 50th anniversary!  And if you’re not a fan…yet…read the book, and see what you think. Then let me know!

::Kelly::

Survival

From deserted tropical islands to freezing arctic tundra, these heroic stories of people versus nature will be sure to thrill you.

Adrift by Allan Baillie

While playing pirates with his little sister and her cat in an old crate he finds on the beach, a young boy suddenly discovers that they are adrift on the sea and that he must somehow keep them all alive.

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

During one of his several adventurous voyages in the 1600′s an Englishman becomes the sole survivor of a shipwreck and lives for nearly thirty years on a deserted island.

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

A young boy relates his adventures during the year he spends living alone in the Catskill Mountains including his struggle for survival, his dependence on nature, his animal friends, and his ultimate realization that he needs human companionship.

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George

While running away from home and an unwanted marriage, a thirteen-year-old Eskimo girl becomes lost on the North Slope of Alaska and is befriended by a wolf pack

Julie by Jean Craighead George

When Julie returns to her father’s Eskimo village, she struggles to find a way to save her beloved wolves in a changing Arctic world and she falls in love with a young Siberian man.

Julie’s Wolf Pack by Jean Craighead George

Continues the story of Julie and her wolves in which Kapu must protect his pack from famine and disease while uniting it under his new leadership.

Anna’s Blizzard by Alison Hart

Having never excelled at schoolwork, twelve-year-old Anna discovers that she may know a few things about survival when the 1888 Children’s Blizzard traps her and her classmates in their Nebraska schoolhouse.

Emma’s River by Alison Hart

In 1852, Emma, her pregnant mother and her pony board the steamboat Sally May to meet her father in St. Joseph, Missouri, but when the ship suddenly explodes in a fiery blaze, Emma and all onboard must fight for their survival in the icy waters of the Missouri River.

A Million Shades of Gray by Cynthia Kadohata

In 1975 after American troops pull out of Vietnam, a thirteen-year-old boy and his beloved elephant escape into the jungle when the Viet Cong attack his village.

Shipwreck ( Island Series #1) by Gordon Korman

Six kids, Nick, J.J., Will, Lyssa, Charla, and Ian, are thrown together against their will on a small boat that will make a one-month journey on the Pacific Ocean. They have all been sent for different reasons. But these six totally different kids have to learn to work together to survive a vicious storm and a shipwreck that leave them stranded in the middle of the ocean with no food, no water, and almost no hope for survival.

Survival ( Island Series #2) by Gordon Korman

The group reunites with two other teens who also survived the boating accident. When a plane lands on the island, the teens witness a murder and decide it would be dangerous to come out of hiding. The men are smugglers dealing in ivory tusks and rare animal parts. In addition, the island once housed a military base during WWII and is still home to the third atomic bomb.

Escape ( Island Series #3) by Gordon Korman

Luke, Charla, Will, Lyssa, J.J., and Ian aren’t alone on their desert island. They’ve survived so far, but now their enemies are closing in. They have only one chance to escape. Will they make it?

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

The adventures of an unusual dog, part St. Bernard, part Scotch shepherd, that is forcibly taken to the Klondike gold fields where he eventually becomes the leader of a wolf pack.

Lost in the Barrens by Farley Mowatt

Awasin and Jamie, brothers in courage, meet a challenge many mountain men could not endure.  When their canoe is destroyed by the fury of the rapids, they must face the wilderness with no food and no hope of rescue. To survive, they build an igloo, battle a towering grizzly bear, track several wolves, slaughter caribou for food and clothing.  Two lost huskies they tame bring companionship–and maybe a way home from their dangerous adventure.

The Borrowers Afield by Mary Norton

The further adventures of the family of miniature people who, after losing their home under the kitchen floor of an old English house, are forced to move out to the fields.

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell

Left alone on a beautiful but isolated island off the coast of California, a young Indian girl spends eighteen years, not only merely surviving through her enormous courage and self-reliance, but also finding a measure of happiness in her solitary life.

Nim’s Island by Wendy Orr

Nim loves her island home and the animals she shares it with even while her scientist father is away doing research, but trouble is on the way and a new e-mail friend could be the only one who can help.

Hachet (#1) by Gary Paulsen

After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the wilderness, learning to survive initially with only the aid of a hatchet given to him by his mother, and learning also to survive his parents’ divorce.

The River (#2) by Gary Paulsen

Because of his success surviving alone in the wilderness for fifty-four days, fifteen-year-old Brian, profoundly changed by his time in the wild, is asked to undergo a similar experience to help scientists learn more about the psychology of survival.

Brian’s Winter (#3) by Gary Paulsen

Instead of being rescued from a plane crash, as in the author’s book Hatchet, this story portrays what would have happened to Brian had he been forced to survive a winter in the wilderness with only his survival pack and hatchet.

Brian’s Return (#4) by Gary Paulsen

After having survived alone in the wilderness, Brian finds that he can no longer live in the city but must return to the place where he really belongs.

Brian’s Hunt (#5) by Gary Paulsen

Two years after having survived a plane crash into the Canadian wilderness, a sixteen-year-old returns to the wild to befriend a wounded dog and hunt a rogue bear.

A Dog’s Way Home by Bobbie Pyron

After a car accident strands them at opposite ends of the Blue Ridge Parkway, eleven-year-old Abby and her beloved sheltie Tam overcome months filled with physical and emotional challenges to find their way back to each other.

Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes

In New Orleans’ Ninth Ward, twelve-year-old Lanesha, who can see spirits, and her adopted grandmother have no choice but to stay and weather the storm as Hurricane Katrina bears down upon them.

Winter Danger by William Steele

A young pioneer boy must adjust to settled frontier life when his father leaves him with relatives and returns to the woods.

Mysterious Island by Jules Verne

The enthralling tale of five men and a dog who land in a balloon on a faraway, fantastic island of bewildering goings-on and their struggle to survive as they uncover the island’s secret.
]]> http://bellaonbooks.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/3660/feed/ 0 bellaonbooks http://bellaonbooks.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/open-book-january-13-2011/ http://bellaonbooks.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/open-book-january-13-2011/#comments Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:45:27 +0000 BellaOnBooks http://bellaonbooks.wordpress.com/?p=3644 ]]> OPEN BOOK: AN EMAIL NEWSLETTER FOR TEENS
from the Weston Public Library

Open Book is an email newsletter of book recommendations for teens. It is sent twice a month and includes book excerpts in six teen fiction categories (realistic fiction, historical fiction, action/ adventure/fantasy/science fiction, romance, the buzz: middle school, and the buzz: high school). If you wish to subscribe to Open Book, please email smatathia@minlib.net or sign up in person at the Youth Services desk at the Library. Open Book email newsletters are also archived here on our blog.

Here are the picks for this week…

Don’t forget to click on the title to be connected to our catalog where you can

-Request the book

-Read reviews of the book from multiple sources

Realistic Fiction

This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel

When his twin brother falls ill in the family’s chateau in the independent republic of Geneva in the eighteenth century, sixteen-year-old Victor Frankenstein embarks on a dangerous and uncertain quest to create the forbidden Elixir of Life described in an ancient text in the family’s secret Biblioteka Obscura.

See excerpt

Historical Fiction

David by Mary Hoffman

An eighteen-year-old stonecutter who is caught in the middle of political conflict in Florence, Italy, in the early 1500s, must flee for his life in disguise because his has become the best-known face and figure in Florence.

See excerpt

Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction

Michael Vey:  The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans

To everyone at Meridian High School, fourteen-year-old Michael Vey is nothing special, just the kid who has Tourette’s syndrome. But in truth, Michael is extremely special–he has electric powers. Michael thinks he is unique until he discovers that a cheerleader named Taylor has the same mysterious powers. With the help of Michael’s friend, Ostin, the three of them set out to discover how Michael and Taylor ended up with their abilities, and their investigation soon brings them to the attention of a powerful group who wants to control the electric teens–and through them, the world.

See excerpt

Romance

Past Perfect by Leila Sales

Sixteen-year-old Chelsea knows what to expect when she returns for a summer of historical reenactment at Colonial Essex Village until she learns that her ex-boyfriend is working there, too, and then meets the very attractive Dan who works at a rival historical village.

See excerpt

Buzz: Middle School

Eon:  The Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman

Sixteen-year-old Eon hopes to become an apprentice to one of the twelve energy dragons of good fortune and learn to be its main interpreter, but to do so will require much, including keeping secret that she is a girl.

See excerpt

Buzz:  High School

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Sixteen-year-old Hazel, a stage IV thyroid cancer patient, has accepted her terminal diagnosis until a chance meeting with a boy at cancer support group forces her to reexamine her perspective on love, loss, and life.

See excerpt

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 44,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 16 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

 

Who were they?

Your most commented on post in 2011 was Old Favorite: Merlin’s Mistake

 

Attractions in 2011

These are the posts that got the most views in 2011.

• 1 Booklist: Ghosts!
• 2 Teens: If You Like The Hunger Games
• 3 Teens: If You Like The Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter
• 4 Booklist: The Mysterious Benedict Society and other Quirky Kids
• 5 Booklist: The Titanic

Come in and see our Best Books of 2011 displays, and vote for your favorites for the Newbery and Caldecott Awards.  Will you be right?  Find out on January 23rd!  That’s when the American Library Association will announce the official winners!

For now, here are a list of our favorites:

Naamah and the Ark at Night, By Susan Bartoletti, Illustrated by Holly Meade

The Adventures of Mark Twain, by Huckleberry Finn, By Robert Burleigh, Illustrated by Barry Blitt

Night Flight: Amelia Earhart Crosses the Atlantic, By Robert Burleigh, Illustrated by Wendell Minor

The Money We’ll Save, Written and Illustrated by Brock Cole

A Dazzling Display of Dogs, By Besty Franco, Illustrated by Michael Wertz

Blue Chicken, Written and Illustrated by Deborah Freedman

Say Hello to Zorro, Written and Illustrated by Carter Goodrich

Perfect Square, Written and Illustrated by Michael Hall

Red Sled, Written and Illustrated by Lita Judge

Worst of Friends: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and the True Story of an American Feud, By Suzanne Tripp Jurmain, Illustrated by Larry Day

Neville, By Norton Juster, Illustrated by G. Brian Karas

I Want My Hat Back, Written and Illustrated by Jon Klassen

All the Water in the World, By George Ella Lyon, Illustrated by Katherine Tillotson

Me…Jane, Written and Illustrated by Patrick McDonnell

A Ball for Daisy, Written and Illustrated by Chris Raschka

Stars, Written by Mary Lynn Ray, Illustrated by Marla Frazee

Blackout, Written and Illustrated by John Rocco

Where’s Walrus?  Written and Illustrated by Stephen Savage

Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature, By Joyce Sidman, Illustrated by Beth Krommes

Grandpa Green, Written and Illustrated by Lane Smith

Jonathan and the Big Blue Boat, Written and Illustrated by Philip Stead

Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of the Macy’s Parade, Written and Illustrated by Melissa Sweet

 * * *

The Mostly True Story of Jack, By Kelly Barnhill

Chime, By Franny Billingsley

The Penderwicks at Point Mouette, By Jeanne Birdsall

Small Persons with Wings, By Ellen Booraem

Jefferson’s Sons, By Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Dragon Castle, By Joseph Bruchac

The Cheshire Cheese Cat, By Carren Agra Deedy

Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart, By Candace Fleming

Dead End in Norvelt, By Jack Gantos

Tuesdays at the Castle, By Jessica Day George

True (…sort of), By Katherine Hannigan

Small as an Elephant, By Jennifer Richard Jacobson

Inside Out & Back Again, By Thanhha Lai

The Friendship Doll, By Kirby Larson

A Monster Calls, By Patrick Ness

The Aviary, By Kathleen O’Dell

Words in the Dust, By Trent Reedy

Bluefish, By Pat Schmatz

Okay for Now, By Gary D. Schmidt

The Emerald Atlas, By John Stephens

Hound Dog True, By Linda Urban

Breadcrumbs, By Anne Ursu

Pie, By Sarah Weeks

 * * *

Remember, any new book published in 2011 in the US is eligible!  Please come by the library to vote, and feel free to add any suggestions you might have.  If you’d like to share here, just let us know which book YOU think might win an Award!

::Kelly::

Exotic locales, wild animals and survival skills—whether these characters find themselves in a dangerous situation in the Himalayas or the Caribbean, here are a bunch of books you won’t want to miss!

* * *

 Corbalis, Judy.  The Ice Cream Heroes
While delivering an ice pick to his mountaineering mother in the Himalayas, Oskar and his friend Henrietta, a girl dressed in a gorillagram costume, meet a tribe of abominable snowmen and find themselves captives in a palace made of ice cream.

Creech, Sharon.  Bloomability
All her life, Dinnie’s been on the move with her family, each time getting into deeper trouble. Then, without warning, she is snatched by relatives and taken far away to the other side of the world. Dinnie arrives in Switzerland and becomes a pupil at an international boarding school high in the mountains. Separated from her family, she starts a new life that’s strange and frightening…beautiful and full of adventure.

 Curry, Jane Louise.  The Ice Ghosts Mystery
Perry, Mab, Oriole Bird and their mother fly to Austria in search of the kids’ father. Professor Bird has disappeared while investigating strange earth tremors. Villainous Dr. Pfnur is clearly up to no good, but surely he can’t be making earthquakes! And surely the giant creature…the reputed ice ghost–that Mab sees can’t be real. Can it?

Doyle, Bill.  Everest
On this epic climb up Mount Everest, readers are part of the youngest team ever to climb the world’s tallest peak. Only YOU can make the right choice about your own survival and then experience the consequences of those choices. Will you summit Mount Everest and return to base camp safely? Will you be forced to turn back earlyor worse? Only you can determine your own fate!

Easley, MaryAnn.  I Am the Ice Worm
Allison is traveling to visit her mother when her plane crashes near the Arctic Circle. The pilot is killed and Allison is alone in a wilderness of ice and snow. Thankfully she’s rescued by an I-upiat trapper who takes her to his village. Here she is the “ice worm,” the outsider, far removed from her life in Southern California. But as time passes, the villagers change Allison’s life, and she changes theirs as well.

 Exquisite Corpse Adventure
It all starts with a train rushing through the night. . . . Well, actually, it starts when author Jon Scieszka writes a cliff-hanger episode and passes it on to the next writer, who continues the story and passes it on. Think werewolves and mad scientists, a talking pig, plenty of explosions, a blue Star Wars lunchbox, two meatballs, a whole army of villains and varmints, and one just plain bad egg. Not to mention our heroes, twins Nancy and Joe, raised in a circus, who must find the pieces of a Top-Secret Robot in order to rescue their parents before . . . tick, tick, tick!

Hahn, Mary Downing. The Spanish Kidnapping Disaster
When Felix and her stepsister Amy got lost in the middle of Spain, the mysterious Grace came to their rescue. Grace not only helped them find the rest of the family, but volunteered to show Felix, Amy, and her brother castles and windmills. It’s not until they’re in Grace’s car bouncing down a dusty back road, that Felix realizes something is very wrong. Grace is not her friend…and they’re headed for the most dangerous and terrifying experience of their lives!

Houston, James.  Frozen Fire
The Canadian Arctic – a frozen land where bone-chilling winds and negative forty degree temperatures can last for days on end.  Matthew and Kayak are familiar with the territory, and they plan carefully before they set out on their secret snowmobile search – a search for Matthew’s missing father. But when the boys become stranded, every minute is a struggle for survival.

 Ihimaera, Witi.  Whale Rider
Kahu’s people claim descent from the legendary “whale rider” of the Maori in New Zealand. In every generation, a male heir has inherited the title of chief. But now the aging chief is desperate to find a successor. Kahu is his only great-grandchild, but tradition has no use for a girl. When hundreds of whales beach themselves and threaten the future of the tribe, it is Kahu who reveals that she has the ancient gift of communicating with whales.

Krishnaswami, Uma.  The Grand Plan to Fix Everything
Dini loves Bollywood movies. So she would have been really excited about her family’s move to India IF they were moving anywhere near the center of the Bollywood universe. But no, Dini’s stuck in a tiny village that she can’t even find on a map. But small villages can have surprises, and soon Dini is hard at work on a new life’s script in which she gets to meet her favorite star. However, real life is often more unpredictable than the movies, and when Dini starts plotting things get a little out of control….

Korman, Gordon.  The Island trilogy
Luke, J.J. Will, Lyssa, Charla, and Ian didn’t want to be on a boat in the first place, and they certainly didn’t want to be stuck at sea with a bunch of strangers. But when you’re in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, there’s no easy way out. When a terrifying storm hits, there’s no way to fully prepare; it’s all about survival.  Try Korman’s other survival trilogies in interesting locations: Dive, Everest and On the Run.

L’Engle, Madeleine.  Troubling a Star
Vicky Austin gets an incredible birthday gift from her aunt: a month-long trip to Antarctica. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime. But Vicky is nervous. She’s never been away from her family before. Once she sets off though, she finds that’s the least of her worries. She receives threatening letters. She’s surrounded by suspicious characters. Vicky no longer knows who to trust. And she may not make it home alive.

Levin, Mark.  The Family Hitchcock
Maddy and Benji are delighted to escape their usual vacation, until their father announces a house swap in Paris with the Vadims, a French family. But instead of a relaxing European vacation, it quickly becomes clear that something is very off about this house swap and the Vadims. When threatening characters start showing up, demanding a mysterious object, the Hitchcocks are caught in a whirl of intrigue… running for their lives through the streets and over the rooftops of Paris with no idea why!

London, C. Alexander  We Are Not Eaten by Yaks
Twins Oliver and Celia Navel live with their father, Dr. Navel. Their mother, Dr. Navel, has been missing for years. So when an explorer shows up with a clue as to where his wife could be, Dr. Navel drags Oliver and Celia to Tibet to find her. Once there, the twins fall out of airplanes, encounter Yetis, travel through waterfalls, and end up in the Demon Fortress of the Warrior King where they – just possibly – might find their mother and save their father.  Try the second Accidental Adventure too: We Dine with Cannibals.

Lord, Gabrielle.  Conspiracy 365 (series)
On New Year’s Eve, Cal is chased down the street by a crazed man with a deadly warning: They killed your father. They’ll kill you. You must survive the next 365 days! Forced into a life on the run, Cal finds himself hunted by ruthless criminals and the police. Somehow he must uncover the truth about his father’s mysterious death and solve the Ormond Singularity, a secret from the past, before the year is up. But who can he turn to when the whole world seems to want him dead? The clock is ticking and any second could be his last…

Lowry, Lois.  The Willoughbys
The Willoughby’s are old-fashioned children who adore old-fashioned adventures. Little do the Willoughby kids know that their neglectful mother and father are hatching an evil plan to get rid of them! Not to worry—these resourceful adventurers have a few plans of their own. But they have no idea what lies ahead in their quest to rid themselves of their ghastly parents and live happily ever after.

Meehan, Kierin.  Hannah’s Winter
Hannah would much rather be back in Australia, starting school with her friends. But Japan turns out to be nothing like she’d imagined, and when Hannah and her new friend Miki find an ancient message in the stationery shop, they are drawn into solving a mysterious riddle. Why do the beans go berserk during the bean-throwing festival? Who is the evil-eyed woman at Sarumaru Shrine? Why is Hannah attacked by flying donuts? And is the ocean boy really trying to tell her something?

Mikaelsen, Ben.  Red Midnight
Santiago and his little sister escape soldiers destroying their village, running for their lives. The only way they can be truly safe is to leave Guatemala behind forever. So Santiago and Angelina set sail in a kayak built by their uncle. Sailing through channels guarded by soldiers, shark-infested waters, and days of painful heat and raging storms, they face an almost impossible voyage hundreds of miles across the open ocean, heading for the hope of a new life in the United States.

Neale, Jonathan.  Lost at Sea
Orrie and Jack don’t know much about sailing, but they’re on a yacht, with their little brother, their mother, and her new boyfriend, Skip, sailing across the Atlantic ocean. Then Skip falls overboard. Something is wrong with their mother; she won’t leave her cabin. Orrie and Jack are used to taking care of her, but now it is up to them to navigate the thirty-six-foot boat to Antigua safely.  Also try the family’s second adventure: Himalaya.

Newsome, Richard.  The Billionaire’s Curse and The Emerald Casket
Gerald, Ruby, and Sam come upon research  indicating that Gerald’s family has been protecting a secret concerning the fate of the world, and they’re off to India to try to find out the truth. Friendships will be forged and broken. A city buried under the sea will be rediscovered. A whole mess of pigeons will be involved. And Gerald is going to have to make a choice between his love for his friends and the darkest desires of his heart.

Powell, Pamela.  The Turtle Watchers
Sisters Esther, Philomena, and Amelia observe a sea turtle laying her eggs. Because the eggs are considered a local delicacy, they decide to protect the nest from danger until the time of hatching. When the girls learn about the profitable black market for tortoise shell and stage a protest. Will they be able to witness the successful hatching of the eggs and escort the baby turtles toward the sea and safety?

Prager, Ellen.  Adventure on Dolphin Island
A vacation turns into a horrible nightmare when Kelly is swept off a boat in the Bermuda Triangle. Alone in the wild sea, she struggles for survival and fight her fears of the ocean and its creatures. When a dolphin appears, it brings Kelly to a mysterious tropical island, where she encounters stingrays, sea turtles, iguanas, giant tortoise, the fish of a coral reef, and more.. If she survives, the adventure will change Kelly’s life forever.

Reiche, Dietlof.  Ghost Ship
Vicki plans to spend her vacation waitressing in her father’s seaside restaurant. But when the bay goes dry and a 1772 sailing ship appears, Vicki’s course is reset. Where the greedy mayor sees dollar signs, and a nosy reporter sees something fishy, Vicki sees ghosts. Determined to discover the truth and to uncover old family secrets, Vicki and her new best friend Peter venture into the ocean deep to face the unimaginable.

Robbins, Ken.  Thumb and the Bad Guys
Thumb really wants to track down a bad guy. But with only 143 people in his remote British Columbia fishing village, could there even be any bad guys around? Where would they hide? Thumb and his pal Susan conduct a stakeout. Their suspicions focus on bald, toothless old Kirk McKenna, who has the revolting habit of spitting on the sidewalk. Meanwhile, the odd Ms. Weatherby, has arrived in town wearing heavy makeup and a terrible wig. Will the determined duo find their villain?

St. John, Lauren.  The White Giraffe
When Martine’s parents are killed, she goes to live on an African wildlife reserve with a grandmother she never even knew she had. Once there, she hears tales of a mythical white giraffe there. Her grandmother insists that the white giraffe is just a legend, but one stormy night, Martine looks out her bedroom window straight into the eyes of the tall silvery animal. Could it be just Martine’s imagination, or is the white giraffe real? And if so, why is everyone keeping its existence a secret?

Smith, Roland.  Thunder Cave
Determined, after his mother’s accidental death, to foil his stepfather’s plans for his future, Jacob travels alone to Africa in search of his father, a biologist studying elephants in a remote area of Kenya. While crossing the Kenyan bush, Jacob meets Supeet, a young Masai on a quest to end the drought, and the two join forces. On their trek they encounter a many dangers, including a ring of poachers, whose greed threatens Africa’s wildlife with extinction.

Starke, Ruth.  Noodle Pie
It’s Andy’s first trip on an airplane when he and his dad travel to Vietnam to meet all his relatives. Talk about culture shock! Everyone calls him by his Vietnamese name instead of Andy and he is stunned to discover the family restaurant is nothing like what he expected. Somehow though, Andy helps his Vietnamese family and his dad come to see things in a new way.

Stead, Rebecca.  First Light
Peter is thrilled to join his parents on an expedition to Greenland, where his father studies global warming. Peter will get to skip school, drive a dogsled, and–finally–share in his dad’s adventures. But on the ice cap, Peter struggles to understand a series of visions that both frighten and entice him. Nearby, Thea has never seen the sun. Her extraordinary people, suspected of witchcraft and nearly driven to extinction, have retreated to a secret world they’ve built deep inside the arctic ice. As Thea dreams of a path to Earth’s surface, Peter’s search for answers brings him ever closer to her hidden home.

Trueman, Terry.  Hurricane
Outside, the wind is a howling monster shrieking to get inside. Outside, everything is destroyed…  After hours of cowering in the dark with no lights, no warmth, and the terrible noises of the rain and wind pounding on the walls, José walks out his front door and steps into a nightmare. But his nightmare has only begun as he and the few who are left in his small village start to pull their lives back together.

Walters, Eric.  Northern Exposures
Kevin has just won a photography contest he doesn’t even remember entering.  The prize is a five-day trip to Manitoba, to photograph polar bears with a renowned wildlife photographer. It sounds pretty good though-it’s a chance for Kevin to escape his controlling parents and school. Of course, Kevin doesn’t count on losing his luggage, or becoming the youngest member of a seniors’ eco-tour, or finding himself sprinting across the tundra with a large, hungry polar bear behind him…

Yahalem, Eve. Escape Under the Forever Sky
Lucy Hoffman’s mom is the U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia, but her overprotective mother won’t let her out of the house, which means no game drives or hanging out with her friends. Frustrated and resentful, Lucy and a friend sneak out of the house and head into the city, where  Lucy is kidnapped and held for ransom. Isolated and without shoes, Lucy plans an escape using her knowledge of the African wilderness.

 * * *

Enjoy traveling the world–and surviving the experience–by book!

::Kelly::

Open Book is an email newsletter of book recommendations for teens. It is sent twice a month and includes book excerpts in six teen fiction categories (realistic fiction, historical fiction, action/ adventure/fantasy/science fiction, romance, the buzz: middle school, and the buzz: high school). If you wish to subscribe to Open Book, please email smatathia@minlib.net or sign up in person at the Youth Services desk at the Library. Open Book email newsletters are also archived here on our blog.

Here are the picks for this week…

Don’t forget to click on the title to be connected to our catalog where you can

-Request the book

-Read reviews of the book from multiple sources

Realistic Fiction

My Name is Not Easy by Debby Dahl Edwardson

Alaskans Luke, Chickie, Sonny, Donna, and Amiq relate their experiences in the early 1960s when they are forced to attend a Catholic boarding school where, despite different tribal affiliations, they come to find a sort of family and home.

See excerpt

Historical Fiction

Bloodline by Katy Moran

While traveling through early seventh-century Britain trying to stop an impending war, Essa, who bears the blood of native British tribes and of the invading Anglish, discovers that his mother is alive and he, himself, is a prince of the northern kingdom, but he has loyalties and loved ones in the south to whom he is compelled to return.

See excerpt

Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction

Legend by Marie Lu

In a dark future, when North America has split into two warring nations, fifteen-year-olds Day, a famous criminal, and prodigy June, the brilliant soldier hired to capture him, discover that they have a common enemy.

See excerpt

Romance

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Nineteen-year-old returning champion Sean Kendrick competes against Puck Connolly, the first girl ever to ride in the annual Scorpio Races, both trying to keep hold of their dangerous water horses long enough to make it to the finish line.

See excerpt

Buzz: Middle School

Heist Society by Ally Carter

A group of teenagers uses their combined talents to re-steal several priceless paintings and save fifteen-year-old Kat Bishop’s father, himself an international art thief, from a vengeful collector.

See excerpt

Buzz: High School

Rotters by Daniel Kraus

Sixteen-year-old Joey’s life takes a very strange turn when his mother’s tragic death forces him to move from Chicago to rural Iowa with the father he has never known, and who is the town pariah.

See excerpt

If you really want to make a book gift special, try giving a title you loved as a child.  (Remember, it may not still be in print, so some extra searching may be required.)  Or maybe pair up a gift book with something more concrete…for example, if you’re giving a book about manatees, how about a stuffed manatee, a mug with a manatee on it,  or even a ticket to the Aquarium?  There are so many things you could do!

Good luck, and on with the suggestions!

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Great 2011 Books for Holiday Gifts:

Picture Books:

Burkert, Nancy.  Mouse & Lion

Carle, Eric.  The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse

Fisher, Valarie.  Everything I Need to Know Before I’m Five

Freedman, Deborah.  Blue Chicken

Jeffers, Oliver.  Stuck

Judge, Lita.  Red Sled

Juster, Norman.  Neville

Klassen, Jon.  I Want My Hat Back

Lichtenheld, Tom.  Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site

Nolan, Dennis.  Sea of Dreams

Rocco, John.  Blackout

Smith, Lane.  Grandpa Green

Tullet, Harve.  Press Here

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Juvenile Fiction:

Booram, Ellen.  Small Persons with Wings

Broach, Elise.  Missing on Superstition Mountain

George, Jessica Day.  Tuesdays at the Castle

Hannigan, Katherine.  True… (Sort of)

Mason, Simon.  Moon Pie

McLaughlin, Patricia.  Waiting for the Magic

Moriarity, Chris.  The Inquisitor’s Apprentice

Schmidt, Gary.  Okay for Now

Selznick, Brian.  Wonderstruck

Urban, Linda.  Hound Dog True

Ursu, Anne.  Breadcrumbs

Valente, Catherynne.  The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her own Making

Weeks, Sarah.  Pie

* * *

Teen Fiction:

The Chronicles of Harris Burdick : Fourteen Amazing Authors Tell the Tales illustrations by Chris Van Allsburgh

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

Chime by Franny Billingsley

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Withering Tights by Louise Rennison

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Life:  An Exploded Diagram by Mal Peet

The Outcasts (Brotherband Chronicles) by John Flanagan

The Always War by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Inheritance by Chris Paolini (The conclusion to the series Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr is finally here!)

The Death Cure by James Dashner
(1:  The Maze Runner  2:  The Scorch Trials 3:  The Death Cure)

Matched (Book 1) & Crossed (Book 2) by Ally Condie

Americapedia: Taking the Dumb Out of Freedom by Jodi Lynn Anderson

F in Exams:  The Very Best Totally Wrong Test Answers by Richard Benson

* * *

Poetry and Non-Fiction:

Aronson, Marc.  Trapped: How the World Rescued 33 Miners from 2,000 Feet Below the Chilean Desert

Chin, Jason.  Coral Reefs

Daniel, Noel.  Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm

Fleming, Candice.  Amelia Lost

Jenkins, Martin.  Can We Save the Tiger?

Lourie, Peter. The Manatee Scientists

McDonnell, Patrick.  Me…Jane. 

Sidman, Joyce. Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature

Silverstein, Shel.  Every Thing On It

Sweet, Melissa.  Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade

Young, Ed.  The House Baba Built: An Artist’s Childhood in China

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These books are all great reads too, so come in and check them out at the Library!  If you’re looking for more suggestions for gift-giving, please visit the library and ask one of our librarians for assistance.

::Kelly::