Noah Barleywater Runs Away by John Boyne

Noah is only eight and still innocent enough to believe that running away from problems will rid him of the problems. We are given a vivid picture of him quietly leaving the house, walking down the road, and taking one last look back at home and that is when normalacy ends. The reader is slowly, yet convincingly thrust into a world that is not ordinary as Noah travels through villages where apple trees walk out into the sun each morning, where apples disappear from his pocket, and when the road slowly becomes a path and then disappears in the midst of a dense wood. Meeting a talking dachshund and ever-hungry donkey, Noah finds nothing unusual about that until he comes upon a  toy shop that is every child's dream. While becoming lost in the multitude of unique wooden toys, Noah begins to notice their magical qualities: ever watchful puppets, scurrying wooden mice, and a clock that eats. To top it off, there is an unusual toymaker who offers Noah lunch  and ultimately a story to tell. It is a story that deeply affects Noah, a story of adventure but also regret as the Toymaker relates how he wasn't there when his father ultimately dies. It is then that the author gently leads his young readers to the realization that Noah's problem is that his mother is dying and through the gently guidance of the old Toymaker, Noah returns home to be with his mother.

The author has taken the story of Pinocchio and has continued the story of the puppet's adventure, and consequence, of being a real boy who makes real-life mistakes. Within this story's construct, the author provides gentle lessons for young readers about responsibility, love, and family.  A delightful surprise of a book, young readers will find this story engrossing with its magical overtones, balanced by a real life drama that is sadly, all too true for many young children.

Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile by Gloria Houston

Houston, Gloria. 2011. Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile. Illus. by Susan Lamb.

Harper Collins

In a time when librarians are hitting the floor like excess film, this book seeks to be uplifting and positive about the effect that a librarian can have upon a community but in this reviewers opinion,  it falls short.

Ever since Dorothy was a young girl she wanted to be a librarian because she loves books and people. Ideally she wants to be a librarian in a fine brick building but after marrying, she finds herself in a small rural area in North Carolina that has no library. The town rallies and buys a book mobile and with donated books, Dorothy begins traveling throughout the area. In time, a small house is donated to become the local library and as Dorothy nears retirement, she still helps people find that just right book(s).

There are numerous disappointments for me with this book. Miss Dorothy may love books and wish to bring them to others but she does not speak or believe like I would hope a librarian would. When the people came together and decided they needed a book mobile to reach all the people, Dorothy argued that “A library is a building with shelves and books and windows.” Yet the people persevered and collected enough funds to buy a bookmobile. When a house was finally donated to be the town library, Dorothy shows no joy but states, “It will have to do.” Miss Dorothy sighed, remembering the fine brick library in her hometown. How depressing to have a populace that loves and wants access to books and does the best they can, only to have the librarian sigh and be unhappy with the best that there can be.

The illustrations are fluffy and idealistic, so far from the historical truth of this area during the early 1900s. Everyone is well dressed, the houses are all in a state of perfection, and there are no obvious signs of differing economic or educational status other than one log house. I so wanted to like this book, hoping for a positive story of a librarian’s influence upon a community. While some influence is apparent in the story, in my opinion it isn’t enough to compensate for the poor outlook of a librarian.

Thelonious Mouse by Orel Protopopescu

Protopopescu, Orel. 2011. Thelonious Mouse. Illus. by Anne Wilsdorf. Farrar Straus Giroux. ISBN: 9780374374471

Grades 3 – 5

Thelonious is a cool cat, for a mouse. In fact, he’s nothing like your typical mouse. He’s as cool as the eight-footed time of his rhythm and rhymes that populate this rather delightful picture book complete with illustrations that are as busy as Thelonious.

Not content to scurry quietly around like his siblings who are proper mice, Thelonious dances and prances his way across the floor, slapping his tail while scavenging for food when Fat Cat naps. Yet even when the cat wakes up and gives chase, Thelonious can’t help but sing and swing his tail in time with his songs as he scampers gleefully back to his hole. Taking pride in never losing his beat, no matter how close the chase, he finally is just a wee bit too cocky for his own good. Thelonious ends up trapped in the dollhouse but, never one to let a little bit of misfortune dull his day, Thelonious manages to sing the cat asleep and once more makes it home. Eventually, after several more near misses, Thelonious converts Fat Cat to the music and the story ends on a rather joyful note as both cat and mice end up cohabitating and dancing to Thelonious’ music.

It is a delightful book but with text that is quite difficult for a young child’s picture book. Consequently I can’t help but recommend this book for older readers who may struggle with a complex vocabulary but who may have the abilities to figure it out. Music teachers will delight in this opportunity to address the rhythms and rhymes of music, language arts instructors will enjoy the nonstop application of action verbs, rhyming words, and sequential actions, and students will have a small taste of ‘scat’, a light mimicking of the style of the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan.

The Trouble with Chickens by Doreen Cronin

Cronin, Doreen. 2011. The Trouble with Chickens: A J.J. Tully Mystery. Illus by Kevin Cornell. ISBN: 9780061215322

Grades (2?) 3 – 5

For young readers that enjoy a good mystery, this book will certainly please! J.J. Tully is a retired Search and Rescue dog that is just trying to relax in his retirement when a chicken comes to him for help in finding one, no wait, two, of her chicks. With her promise of pay (a cheeseburger) Tully begins to collect clues and before he knows it, and of the chickens are missing and he is in need of rescuing!

Cronin’s dry wit is clearly shown in Tully’s thoughts, words, and deeds as well as her descriptions and even the name of the arch-enemy, Vince the Funnel. The book reads like an adult mystery in its presentation of deadpan first person commentary from Tully and yet Cronin gives her young audience their due by crafting a mystery that is child friendly in the story line. Short, concise sentences remind one of late night Humphrey Bogart movies while word play, puns and similes run rampant throughout this small chapter book. How easily this book will become a teacher’s best friend in teaching these concepts as well as visualization techniques.

…this chick had already learned that life outside the shell is not all it was cracked up to be. (pg. 12

The rug carried me like a sled. (pg. 71)

He had a long, skinny build, beady eyes, and a giant white funnel around his neck.

He looked like a cross between a dachshund and a lamp. Vince the funnel. (pg. 37)

I could go on but since this book is just crammed with these literary devices, I hesitate to recommend it to children below third grade except for gifted readers.Then again, children learn through reading and this is a great story for a young reader to discover the wonderful play of words and how it enriches the reading experience.

A great little story that should be considered for a collection, either in a library or classroom, as it is a tongue-in-check mystery that is greatly different than Cam Jansen, A to Z Mysteries, and Nate the Great.

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Aguirre, Ann. 2011. Enclave. Macmillan. ISBN: 9780312650087

Grades 9 – 12

The Elders always did what was best for the group, right? No one questions them, knowing that the Enclave’s residents very existence is owed to the Elder’s management. But why do they not tolerate differences? Why do they ignore the warning signs of danger from the Freaks, who are becoming more organized? The Freaks could bring about the death of everyone and Deuce has first hand experience of their ferocity and budding intelligence.

The Enclave has carved out a generational existence in the tunnels, surviving by living in groups: breeders, hunters, builders, leaders. With a life span of about 25 years, it is the only life Deuce knows. She wants nothing more than to be a hunter for the Enclave, scouring the tunnels for food while eluding, or killing, the Freaks that seek out human flesh. Yet when she finds that the Freaks are becoming smarter and more organized, her warnings fall on deaf ears. She begins to question everything that she has known and ultimately is exiled with Fade, her partner. With Fade at her side, they emerge from the tunnels and Deuce is faced with seeing the sun for the first time, the feel rain on her face, and the cold touch of snow. Yet Topside has its own dangers of gangs and Freaks that Deuce and Fade must combat as they head north where there is hope for a safe existence. But is it possible? Will they ever truly be safe?

This Dystopian novel is strongly crafted, guaranteed to capture the reader with the story of a strong girl who survives through her wits and strengths. While there is a building of romantic tension between Deuce and Fade, this novel is doesn’t rely on sex or profanity to attract a reader. Rather, the superb writing and fascinating story line will hook both girls and boys as they eagerly hope for a second book.This is a good contender for one of the best books published in 2011.

The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

Armstrong, Kelley. 2011. The Gathering. ISBN: 9780061797026

Grades9 – 12

Could Maya be a genetic experiment that seeks to bring forth a recessive gene for skinwalking? According to gorgeous Rafeal, she is. At first Maya is dubious about this ...news until she begins realize that her talents for healing wild animals is more than average. Skinwalking is the ability to change into animal form and supposedly Maya is beginning to come into her abilities. Adopted as a baby, Maya is fully aware of her Native American heritage and sports a birthmark of a cat’s paw on her hip. It is this birthmark that indicates her future as a Skinwalker and ties her to Rafael and his sister Annie.
In a novel fraught with murder, intrigue, and teen relationships, the story is slow to evolve with plenty of opportunities to accurately predict what is coming due to concepts used in other novels. Set in a small company town on Vancover Island with a population of less than 200, Maya is a feisty yet level headed character that seems to live an idyllic life. The town, land, park, and even some of the people are owned by the St. Cloud Corporation who supposedly deals with secretive medical research. Uh huh. This reviewer has run into this concept several times before. The fairly competent reader will quickly see the writing on the wall in this story but will have to wait for the next book in this series to see the accuracy of their predictions.
While I am attracted to the setting in this novel, the rest is fairly shallow, which is unusual for this best selling author who is responsible for the New York Times bestselling Darkest Power trilogy. Some young adults will enjoy this novel but it does lack depth and complexity.

Worst. Vampire. Ever. by Caissie St. Onge

St. Onge, Caissie. 2011. Worst. Vampire. Ever. Random House. 9780375868917

Grades: 6 – 9

Life isn’t easy for Jane Jones. Unlike the vampires in so many of today’s novels she is a gangly, nerdy fifteen year old vampire who lacks supernatural good looks, does not have supernatural strength or abilities, and is blood intolerant. Yep, that’s right; Jane is allergic to all types of blood except for one rare type, and what kind of vampire has an allergy to blood? To top it off, she isn’t pretty, lacks social skills, and has never had a boyfriend.

Jane, whose real name is Josephine, is ninety years old and was only fifteen years old during the dust bowl era of United States. Once she and her family had been turned (unwillingly), they began to move every four years from one town to another. At this latest school Jane experiences the same trials and tribulations as any geeky high school girl yet for the first time there are two boys who are taken with her; one a living boy and the other a vampire. To top it off, there is the mysterious teacher who seems to want something, an assistant principal who thinks Jane has an eating disorder (ha!), and a jealous vampire girl who wants Jane out of the picture.

In the midst of the deluge of vampire books, this one is a refreshing change guaranteed to make you smile throughout. It defies the established created norms found in so many of the vampire novels today and the humorous voice of the main character is an easy one to like. While this isn’t a stellar novel worthy of Newbery consideration it is a delightful tongue-in-cheek relaxing read that is a girl pleaser. It is certainly one that should be considered for a collection and would make for a delightful comparison with one of the more established vampire novels.

The Chaos by Rachel Ward

Ward, Rachel. 2011. The Chaos. Scholastics, Inc. ISBN: 9780545242691

Grades: 9 – 12

For those who loved Ward’s first book, Num8ers, book two will not disappoint! Rather, readers will find this book to be better crafted, more character driven and stronger development, and definitely more action packed.

Jem’s son, Adam, is now fifteen and exhibits not only his mother’s talent to see someone’s date of death but also to feel and see how that person dies. Adam also exemplifies his father’s energy and spontaneous reactions to anything that bothers him. When Adam notices that hundreds of people are slated to die on the same day, 01012027, he begins to panic and finally comes to terms with the fact that he has to let people know that a catastrophe is going to happen. At the same time Adam meets Sarah who has seen Adam in her nightmares, nightmares of a catastrophic event that plague her every night since becoming pregnant with her father’s child. Adam is drawn to Sarah, loves Sarah, and does everything possible to save her and her child. Both stories come together in a dramatic climax that pulls together dreams, dates, death, and love. The reader will not be disappointed in the least as the story ends with a clean tie up except for one small question; What gifts does Mia, Sarah’s young baby, have that could change the dates of one’s death? Ward leaves the reader grasping for her next book in the series, Infinity.

Set in England and told in alternating voices, Ward moves the action forward, with each voice pulling the reader into that character’s innermost thoughts and actions as it moves on to the next series of events. Ward deftly weaves in drugs, bullying, family drama, love, and incest into the overall story, not letting these items be the focus of the story.Aside from strong language, this is an excellent book well worth including in a library’s collection or recommending to young adults with a love of underdogs and a slightly dystopian future.
A word of caution, profanity is used frequently throughout the story.

Bloodline Rising by Katy Moran

What if you could control what people said or if you could will people not to see you? For thirteen year old Cai, these talents set him apart and with the death of his sister and the absence of his larger than life father, Cai turns to the streets of Constantinople. On the streets he is known as the ghost, one who has a talent to not be seen. Finding no theft impossible, including spying on the Emperor, Cai unwittingly brings danger to his family. With his father return, suspicion is turned upon Cai’s family and before Cai can warn his family he is caught, sold into slavery and taken to the British Isles, the land of his parents. Yet questions abound for Cai. What connections do his parents have with the ruler of Great Britian and why did they leave? Why is Cai now held as a hostage in the most powerful family in the British Isles as they prepare for war? Cai continues to grow in his talents of hypnosis and ability to disappear from other’s notice but what does the future hold for him? Set in post Roman occupied British Isles, this riveting novel accurately depicts the life and hardships of a land that is coming into its own. It is a companion novel to Bloodline but this action packed story stands on its own as the voice of Cai carries the reader through action, danger, self-discovery, and rites of passage.

This book can be recommended without hesitation to either boys or girls who seek an action novel, set in a historical past that is also driven by the strength of the main character. The character is complex yet believable, exemplifying the inner doubts and exterior emotional actions of a young teenager who must survive in a hostile environment. Of particular note, this novel entertains without the need to rely on some of the more edgy topics, such as drugs, sex, and more. 

Reading Level: Older Readers (Ages 11–13) Mature Readers (Ages 14 and up) 

Department Nineteen by William Hill

Imagine that your father has killed himself and you have no idea why. Worse your mother is kidnapped by a vampire and you find that the monster of Frankenstein is a family protector. Such are the events that have taken place in Jamie’s life within a short period of time and Jamie finds himself joining an elite secret military force that seeks out and destroys vampires. While Jamie’s fear of vampires gives him pause, he overcomes it in the quest to rescue his mother from the hands of Alexandru, a vampire elder whose violence is legendary. With the help of specialized weapons and Larissa, the young vampire girl held captive by Department Nineteen, they begin to scour the Isles to find Jaime’s mother. Yet something bigger is set into motion as rumors of the revival of Dracula are combined with the wide spread slaughter of humans by vampires. Department Nineteen is now faced with bigger challenges and Jamie finds himself caught in the midst. Will he be able to save his mother and foil Alexandru’s attempts to kill them both? Or will he be forced to help combat a bigger problem that threatens mankind? Yet in the back of his mind he can’t help but wonder about Larissa, her desire to help him, and more importantly, a kiss that they shared.

This fast action novel will appeal to boys who are looking for an edgy, military driven vampire story where a young man is the powerful main character. The character’s emotional distress and confusion is believable yet he rallies from each setback stronger and more mature in thoughts, words, and deeds becoming what all young men desire to be, a hero. Set in present day England, the story moves quickly between military operations and personal conflicts between Jamie and the other characters. As a character, he will appeal to boys who seek a modern day, realistic hero; a young man that overcomes great odds, is instinctively skilled in military operations, and is very attracted to a young, beautiful vampire.