Kazumi Reads

Plot Summary:
After the loss of her father, Jill has not only shut everyone out her life, she feels that she nothing, or no one, can ever make her feel alive and happy. For Mandy, being pregnant was the last thing she had ever wanted, including the grief that her mother gives her and the fact that she could easily mess up the life of her unborn child just like mother. In order to provide her child with a home, Mandy contacts Jill's mother who decides that after losing her husband, she wanted to adopt a child. Unfortunately, Jill sees this differently and believes that her mother is trying to replace her father. Moreover, Jill was much closer to her dad so the new baby would be replacing her because she graduates in a year since she is not a "mommy's little girl." When Jill and Mandy meet, for the first time, they don't know really what to expect; for Mandy, she just wants what's best for her baby and Jill doesn't want her mother get hurt by adopting a child from a stranger who maybe using them for their money and a place to live. Although Jill won't take a chance on Mandy, it's Mandy who eventually shows Jill just how scared and brave a person can be when happiness is at stake. In this emotional story, two teens must retreat from their old habits and open their hearts to find the love they are looking for and, ultimately, for themselves.

Critical Evaluation:
In this tale of loss and redemption, two teen girls are forced to deal with their issues. Ever since the death of her father, Jill has not allowed herself to grieve; instead, she had chased away her friends, her boyfriend, and taken it out on her mother. For Mandy, no one, not even her mother, have been there for her or provide her with guidance and words of encouragement. In essence, the two girls are complete opposites where one would trade the loss of her father than live with her mother. This story tackles very sensitive issues that not only affect adults, but are extremely difficult for teenagers to deal with on their own. Sara Zarr gives readers the opportunity to look at this situation from Jill and Mandy's point of view, which evoke empathy, patience, and understanding. More importantly, this story revolves around the central theme that love comes in all forms and anyone can have as long as they want it. For me, I had a hard time with Jill because she has everything in the world and yet she she refuses to live. As for Mandy, all I could see is a lost child who is having a child. The more I read, the more I learned that these characters are much more complex, especially when they would contradict themselves.   Given the nature of this story, a happy ending seems like a long shot, but, luckily, the ending will definitely surprise the reader.

Information about the Author:
According to her website, Sara Zarr currently lives with her husband in Salt Lake City, Utah. Along with writing YA novels, she also contributes articles regarding faith, God, and culture. According to a Wikipedia article, Zarr based her debut novel, About a Girl, on the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart  and Once Was Lost revolves around faith, identity, and home. She has written four teen novels and is working on her fifth entitled The Lucy Variations. 

Genre:
Teen Contemporary Fiction

Reading Level/Interest:
Grades 10& up

Books Similar to Save a Life:

• The First Part Last by Angela Johnson
• Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen
  

Awards & Recognition:

• Publisher's Weekly Starred Review (10/24/2011)
• Booklist Starred Review (11/01/2011)
• Kirkus Starred Review (11/01/2011)
• VOYA Starred Review (12/01/2011)
  

Do you ever wonder what it takes to be a super sleuth? Come and have a cup of tea and watch Detective Sherlock Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England. Rated PG-13

Thursday,
March 22nd
3 p.m.
Reese Hall

No reservations required.

Celebrate 2012 Geek out @ Your Library Teen Tech Week by gaming through time with the original Nintendo NES, Nintendo 64, and the Nintendo Wii.

Thursday, March 8
3-5 p.m.
Reese Hall

Refreshments will be provided so get ready to geek out!

No reservations required!

Plot Summary:
Nine years ago, Ethan was abducted by two men in a black car. He was only seven years old and his little brother, Blake, saw Ethan jump into the car. Nine years have passed and Ethan has no memory of his real family except for the pictures that he feels attached to. After finding his family, Ethan must take back what is his and resume of life of normalcy. However, the house, the people, the memories are nothing but blank canvases? Why can't he remember the fun times he had with his parents? How can he explain to his brother why he jumped into that car? Although the family seemed to have moved forward with life (Ethan has a little sister now), when they got the call that he had been found, everything turned upside down. What is even harder is that his "BFF" happens to be hottest girl he has ever seen, yet he can't remember here. Despite the awkwardness of reacquainting himself with his loved ones, but the person who is hit the hardest is not Ethan, but his brother, Blake. Why couldn't he accept the fact that his big brother has been found? Why does Ethan feel that something is missing?

Critical Evaluation:
Honestly, I could not put this book down. Lisa McMann delivered an incredibly suspenseful and heartbreaking tale of a boy who was kidnapped as a child. Not only is this story a quick read, it will appeal to those who want to read about issues such as child abduction and its effects on those who were traumatized. Ethan's character is so complex and his experiences are so heartbreaking that one would be more than happy to see him with his family again. However, what most people don't take into account, is that the person who was kidnapped has to find a way to transition themselves back to normalcy and even relate to their own family. Moreover, with a child as young as Ethan was, readers will learn the effects of Stockholm Syndrome, especially when he admits that he does not like bad-mouthing the woman who abducted him. The psychological war that is going on in Ethan's head is very real including the way Blake treats him; it was hard to see Ethan's brother treat him like a complete stranger and, eventually, a complete fake. The bond between Ethan and Gracie is just precious. Gracie was born after Ethan's disappearance so his sudden appearance is just as tough on Gracie as it is Ethan. Although the ending leaves the reader hanging, it leaves room for a possible sequel that will explain what happened to Ethan when he ran away. This is an incredibly moving tale about family dynamics.

Information about the Author:
Lisa McMann was born on February 24 in Holland, Michigan and eventually moved to Arizona with family in 2004. She had two brothers and sisters who have given many nieces and nephews. According to her website:

The first summer we lived here, we totally tried frying an egg on the sidewalk. Basically, it made a mess. We try to go on vacation during the summer to get out of Phoenix, and I usually do a conference or two if it’s in a nice-weather city in order to escape the heat. In the fall, winter and spring, the weather here suits me just fine. I like to cook, swim, read, and hang out with my husband and kids. I also love watching reality TV shows, even the sappy ones that make me cry, and I’m not afraid to admit it.

Genre:
Teen Suspense, Teen Contemporary Fiction

Reading Level/Interest:
Grades 9 & up

Books Similar to Dead to Me:

• Stolen by Lucy Christopher
• Dead Girls Don't Write Letter by Gail Giles
  

Awards & Recognition:

" McMann's narrative is layered and emotional, with constant questions about family dynamics, identity and reconciliation. While an amnesia-based plot risks a quick foray into formula, this resists, balancing the fractured nature of Ethan's recollections nicely with the character's development. The sibling rivalry builds secondary tension and suspense."

"McMann's gripping new novel...will leave readers burning for closure long after its chilling ending.... [Her] succinct first-person narrative skillfully carries the authenticity of a teenage boy, his fractured memory and reintegration into a family who expects much from him, despite his scarring childhood. Her exploration of an abductee psyche is both illuminating and unsettling and is realistically portrayed... With a disturbing and raw ending, "Dead to You "is unforgettable." --Adam Silvera, Books of Wonder
"--Kirkus Reviews"

Plot Summary:
Hazel Grace is a survivor. Diagnosed with Stage IV Thyroid Cancer, her life should have been over last year. However, she proved the doctors wrong by making a miraculous recovery. However, the treatments and the cancer have left her lungs filled with tiny tumors that need to be eradicated with medicine, but leaves Hazel permanently dependent to on oxygen tank named Philip. What should have been the typical life of a teenager, Hazel is light years ahead of peers except that she doesn't have a lot of friends and prefers to spend her time alone. In order to get her out of the house, her mother forces her to attend a support group at the local church, which she finds utterly depressing and boring until Gus came around. In fact, Hazel never thought a gorgeous boy would show up to this group, nor did she count on the fact that he actually thought she was beautiful. Confused, and unsure why this perfectly normal guy would want to be with her, she learns that he too is a cancer survivor and he has a prosthetic leg. Although this fact does not change anything, Hazel is forced to tear down the walls she has put between herself and live the life that she has been given even if for a little while longer.
 
Critical Evaluation:
John Green ceases to amaze me. Not only is he able to tackle all kinds of issues teens face, he is able to do it in a way that one forgets that this novel was written by an adult. Those who have cancer survivors in their family, or are one, will definitely be touched and moved by the relationship between Gus and Hazel. Although we tend to think teenagers are unable to fully understand the circumstances of life, Green conveys that teens are a lot more smarter, and mature, than most of adults when faced with adversity. Not only do these teens take their sickness seriously, they are actually able to poke fun at it and use it to their advantage to prove that sick kids are not so willingly able to give up on life. I will warn readers that tears will be shed, but along with the sadness, there is this renewed sense of hope that when we lose someone, they are never really gone. On a personal note, my aunt, who passed away almost ten years ago, was diagnosed with a brain tumor and underwent chemo (which was completely experimental at the time) that destroyed her lungs. She, like Hazel, could not be without her oxygen, but, even on the worst days, she did everything she could to fight her illness. Although the human body is fragile, the soul and spirit are much stronger; Hazel and Gus know that mourning will does not fill feel the empty space in our hearts, but living keeping the memories alive will help us get thought those days and on with our lives. Beautiful, beautiful story.    

Information about the Author:
Honestly, I am just gonna leave the link to the author's website only because it so cool! Check this link out:
http://johngreenbooks.com/bio-contact/

Genre:
Teen Contemporary Fiction

Reading Level/Interest:
Grades 9 & up

Books Similar The Fault in Our Stars:

• It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini 
• Stoner & Spaz by Ron Koertge
  

Awards & Recognition:

• Starred Review Booklist (1/1/2012)
• Starred Review Kirkus (1/15/2012)
• Starred Review Publisher Weekly (1/16/2012)
• Starred Review School Library Journal (2/1/2012)
  

Plot Summary:
Meggie loves books. In fact, not only does she love books, she cannot sleep, eat, or breathe without them. Thanks to her father, Mo, and his profession (he is a bookbinder), Meggie passes her time with books. However, she isn't like most twelve-year-old girls. Meggie lost her mother when she was three-years-old and it's been her and Mo ever since. What's even more unusual is that she and Mo are constantly moving so her idea of home is the van parked outside of their temporary homestead. What was supposed to be another lazy evening, Meggie spots a man lurking outside their "home" in the rain. When she tells her father, he goes to meet this man, who turns out to be an old acquaintance of Mo's. Although Meggie does not like the idea of a stranger visiting them so late, she overhears that this man is not just a stranger, but someone from past who carries many secrets and a warning that Capricorn is after a specific book that Mo has. Unlike most collectors, Capricorn is evil and dangerous who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. What Meggie doesn't know is that her mother's disappearance, the stranger's warning, and Capricorn's threats are all related to a single book that her father refuses to hand over, which leads to an adventure that can only be found in the books that Meggie loves.

Critical Evaluation:
Inkheart is one of the most detailed, thorough, and and epic tween novel I have ever read. In many respects, readers have to have the patience to digest the background story before the adventure really begins. I will admit that my interest was waning because there would be moments of story-->action-->story. Although I wasn't sure what to expect, I kept on reading and I am so glad I did! The characters in this story are utterly amazing, in the fact, they all have stories and personalities of their own. My favorite character in this story is Elinor because not only did she grow, as a person, she changed immensely, which gives readers hope that she will be more loving, courageous, and determined. Moreover, her transformation proves that even the most stubborn character can change, including the villains. Lastly, another aspect of this story, is the ending of this book prepares the readers for an adventure that leaves them craving the next installment. This feeling is important to motivate the reader to keep reading, which is essential for any series.

Information about the Author:
Cornelia Funke was born in 1958 in Westphalia, German. According to Scholastic Publishers:

Following a post-graduate course in book illustration at the Hamburg State College of Design, Cornelia Funke worked as a designer and illustrator of children’s books. But disappointment in the way some of the stories were told, combined with her desire to draw fantastic creatures and magical worlds rather than the familiar situations of school and home, inspired her to write her own stories.

 Cornelia Funke is a huge fan of J.R.R. Tolkies, J.M. Barrie, and C.S. Lewis; she loves a good fantasy and she clearly has good taste. Before becoming an author, Funke worked as a social worker where her experience, during that time, provided her with ideas for future works:

When I finished the school I wanted to change the world and I though the best way would be to become a social worker. I worked for three years on an adventure playground in Hamburg and I’ll never forget the children I met there. Many of them came from very difficult backgrounds and dysfunctional families, but I respected them so much for their courage and their compassion for one another. I saw them care for their siblings, where their parents didn’t care at all. I saw them laugh although life didn’t give them much to laugh about. They taught me so much that I still owe them.

Genre:
Tween Fantasy

Reading Level/Interest:
Grades 5-7
 

Books Similar to Inkheart:

• The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
• Fablehaven by Brandon Mull and Brandon Dorman

Awards & Recognition:

• Starred Review Kirkus (9/15/2003)
• Starred Review Publisher's Weekly (7/21/2003)