Codes for Reviews

First Initial (Overall Rating):
E = Exceptional
VG = Very Good
G = Good
F = Fair
NR = Not Recommended

Second Initital (Reading Level):
A = Average Reading Level
E = Easy
M = Mature

“The views expressed are of individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views of their respective institutions.”

For more information about YAR, please email Dora Ho at dorah2005@gmail.com


Saturday, April 9, 2011

Jane

High School Fiction

G/A Lindner, April. Jane. Poppy, 2010. 384p. 978-0-316-08420-8. 17.99.

In this modern retelling of Jane Eyre, 19 year old Jane Moore becomes the nanny to rockstar Nico Rathburn’s little girl. The storyline is essentially the same as the original novel but updated for a new generation of readers. This book could be a great introduction to the classic, a fun read for fans of the original or just a good read for anyone interested in romance with a little mystery mixed in. Loren Spector, LAPL, Felipe de Neve

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Grounded

General Middle School Fiction G/A. Klise, Kate. Grounded. Feiwel and Friends, 2010. ISBN: 9780312570392. 196p. 16.99 Daralynn Oakland is the kind of girl who likes to escape her mother’s watchful eye. This trait saves her life the summer before sixth grade, when she is grounded for going fishing without permission. Because of this, she escapes the plane crash that kills her father and two siblings. Instead of drawing closer together in their grief, Daralynn and her mother, Hattie, cope separately. Daralynn sorts out her thoughts by imagining what she would tell her father in a letter, while Hattie becomes angry and determines to keep Daralynn closer to home. But Hattie can’t keep them isolated from their Ozark community forever. Daralynn’s energy and sensibility make this a warm story of community and how they all recover from tragedy. Anjelique Granados, CoLAPL-Angelo M. Iacoboni

Saturday, April 2, 2011

The Kneebone Boy

General YA Fiction Category

VG/A Potter, Ellen. The Kneebone Boy. 2010. ISN: 978-0-312-37772-4.. 282p. $16.99.

Otto, Lucia and Max are the Hardscrabble children. Their mother has been missing for quite sometimes. One day, their father has to leave for a sudden assignment and he sent them off to London to stay with their Aunt Angela. Unfortunately, there was a misunderstanding with whoever answered Angela’s phone. The children were not picked up at the London train station. Somehow, the three of them managed to find Angela’s apartment, however Angela is now in Berlin, Germany. At this point, they have to find another place to stay for the night. Max remembered the address of their Great Aunt Hattie from a letter that their father received recently. They went on their adventure to find her hoping that she would allow them to stay. As they find their Great Aunt Hattie, they discover that she was not an old lady, but a young American woman who stayed in a castle in the city of Snoring-by-the-Sea. Great Aunt Hattie encourage the children to go on their own adventure, she believe children should discover their own adventure before they reach the age of fourteen. Indeed, they discover a secret passage to the Kneebone Castle and eventually they learned something unusual about their mother. The writer has a very interest narrative style and most teenagers will find it very easy to follow and enjoy the story very much. Especially in the beginning of the story, the author indicates “I can’t tell you which Hardscrabble I am – Otto, Luica or Max,” that it is because the story belongs to all of them. Dora Ho, Young Adult Librarian - Los Angeles Public Library.