The Lions of Little Rock

General YA Historical Fiction

VG/A. Levine, Kristin. The Lions of Little Rock. G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2012. 304 p. 9780399256448 $16.99

This book takes place the year after the Little Rock Nine integrated the city's high schools when Little Rock decided to close the high schools down rather than continue with integration.

Marlee is a quiet girl with few friends. Her best friend and confidante is her older sister Judy who encourages her to speak up in school. When she partners up with the new girl, Liz, for an oral presentation, Marlee starts to come out of her shell. Then the unthinkable happens:  Judy is sent away to stay with her grandmother and continue school and Liz turns out to be a colored girl who is passing for white. Will Marlee learn to speak up by herself?

Sarah Mae Harper, CoLAPL-AC Bilbrew Library

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

High School Fiction

G/M  Saenz, Benjamin Alire.  Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.  Simon & Schuster, 2012.  368p.  9781442408920.  $16.99.

When Aristotle meets Dante at the public pool the summer before sophomore year they form an immediate friendship. It’s a tough summer though for the boys, first dealing with illness then a terrible accident and to top it off Dante’s family is moving to Chicago for the next year. When Dante returns home to Texas the following summer, their relationship is a little strained, especially once Dante comes out and admits he has feelings for Ari. The book deals with some heavy topics, including anger, loneliness and sexuality, which makes it more appropriate for high school students. Since there are not many realistic fiction books dealing with these topics and with an entirely Mexican-American cast, it would make a great addition to any library collection that serves that community. Loren Spector, LAPL, Felipe de Neve

Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone

High School Fiction

F/A  Rosenfield, Kat.  Amelia Ann is Dead and Gone.  Dutton, 2012.  288p.  978-0-525-42389-8.  17.99.

Everyone knows everyone else in Rebecca’s small hometown. So when an unknown young woman is found beaten to death on the side of the road everyone is affected. It especially confuses Rebecca (Becca) who had always dreamed of leaving her town and boyfriend behind to go away to college, but now that she’s graduated she’s confused about what to do. She also thinks that she might know what happened to the dead girl, but all of her actions have consequences. The narration goes back and forth between Becca, Amelia (the deceased) and a third person narrator a little too often to keep up the flow of the novel, but the different narrators let the reader see the similarities between Becca and Amelia. Rosenfield does a good job of keeping the reader confused about what really transpired the night that Amelia Ann died and who exactly killed her. Older teens or young adults with an interest in mystery books will enjoy. Loren Spector, LAPL, Felipe de Neve

Friends With Boys

Young Adult Graphic Novel

G/A  Hicks, Faith Erin.  Friends With Boys.  First Second, 2012.  224p.  978-1-59643-556-8.  15.99.

Maggie has been home schooled by her mother her whole life, but now it’s time for high school, and like her 3 older brothers before her she will go to public school for the first time. Maggie immediately befriends brother and sister, Alistair and Lucy at school. Lucy is the first girl she has ever been friends with. But Maggie is plagued by the ghost of an old woman in the cemetery and with Lucy’s help hatches a plan to hopefully solve the ghost’s problem and get her to leave. The plan goes awry and Maggie must fix it. With great artwork and a fun story, Hicks has written/drawn a good story for all ages. Hopefully this won’t be the last time that we get to read about Maggie and her brothers’ hijinks. Loren Spector, LAPL, Felipe de Neve

TO THE MOUNTAINTOP

ADULT/YA NONFICTION

E/M  Hunter-Gault, Charlayne.  To The Mountaintop.  Roaring Brook, 2012.  198p.  978-1-59643-605-3.  22.99.  A well seasoned journalist recounts the stressful, yet history making civil rights era of the 60s.  Even though she, herself, met with grave challenges as one of the first black students to attend an all-white University of Georgia, she expounds on the involvement and sacrifices of others.  Blacks and whites, northerners and southerners, young and old were involved in efforts to register African Americans for voting.  Lives were sacrificed and injuries were suffered on behalf of entitled rights for all.  This account of history is well supported with an eight-page timeline, a thorough index, a collection of articles, b/w photos and newspaper reprints.  E.M. Roublow, LAPL, San Pedro Branch.

Code Name Verity

Young Adult Historical Fiction

E/A  Wein, Elizabeth.  Code Name Verity.  Hyperion, 2012.  352p.  978-1-4231-5219-4.  16.99.

After two British girls, a pilot and a spy, crash their plane in Nazi occupied France, the spy is captured and imprisoned by the Germans. She is forced to give up her secrets and reveal her mission in writing. Instead, she tells us the story of her friend Maddie, the pilot of the crashed plane, whom she assumes is dead. Beautifully written and well researched, the author keeps you on the edge of your seat. Once the reader gets to the second half of the book, their perspective is completely altered, everything thought to be true isn’t exactly as it seems. The author does such an amazing job of incorporating clues that as a reader you’ll want to start from the beginning again to see what you might have missed. Highly recommended. Loren Spector, LAPL, Felipe de Neve 

BILLIONS OF YEARS, AMAZING CHANGES

V/A  Pringle, Laurence.  Billions of Years, Amazing Changes.  Boyds Mills, 2011.  102p.  978-1-59078-723-6.  17.95.  Our fascinating world continuously changes -- keeping us human beings observing and studying how these natural changes impact life.  Some situations in life can be explained with the assistance of DNA.  Some aspects of health can be adversely affected by unruly mutations.  Non-domesticated creatures compete for food and adapt to their surroundings in order to survive.  And fossils serve as a recorded history of past lives.  Glossary terms are clearly defined.  Most index entries offer referrals to several pages.  Each page number is accompanied by the silhouette of an elephant.  Handsome and well-labeled photographs plus a crisp, neat text beckon readers to learn in a fun way.  E.M. Roublow, LAPL, San Pedro Branch.