Rachel's Review: Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto

Uzumaki Naruto is a normal student trying to pass in the Ninja Academy... or so he thinks. Naruto is actually a boy holding the ninetails fox demon possession in his body, while he doesn't even know about it. Having Sasuke, as scheming homocidal teen and Sakura, a love-sick girl crazy about Sasuke, all are in training to become true ninjas. Sasuke wants to learn just to kill; Sakura, to follow Sasuke around. Naruto wishes to learn to become the next Hokage. What will happen when their teacher is crazy, and doesn't like them?

Rating: 4Q, 4P

Surrender by Sonya Hartnett

Horror comes in many forms. Horror can be used to entertain, frighten, or disturb us. Horror can be far removed from us or horror can be so close that it rules our lives and disturbs our families and inner core. You are about to find out how much horror and damage a person can sustain and still remain intact. “I am dying: it’s a beautiful word. Like the long slow sigh of a cello: dying. But the sound of it is the only beautiful thing about it.” Gabriel lies slowing dying and remembers his childhood, growing up in a small town, a town that made being part of abnormal family more difficult. Around the age of nine Gabriel remembers the day he met Finnigan, a wild boy who lived in the forest, without a real home, family, or rules. A boy who wasn’t afraid to take revenge against the people who were cruel to Gabriel; a boy who didn’t care about being good; a boy who would make Gabriel regret the day they met. What will Gabriel have to do to make Finnigan surrender?

Printz Honor book 2007

August 08 Teen Book Club selection

Carrie's Review: City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

After an unknown disaster destroys human civilization on earth, 100 surviving adults and children known as 'the builders' create an underground city known as Ember. It's now the year 241 in Ember and 12 year olds Lina and Doon are drawing their careers as part of graduation. To her dismay Lina draws Pipeworks laborer meaning she will have to work down in the tunnels. Doon is also discouraged when he draws the job of Messenger. This duty is Ember's only source of communication. Naturally, the two switch. Doon has a passion for figuring out how to help Ember continue to thrive and the only thing keeping the town lit is an ancient generator hidden in the pipeworks. However, when the lights start flickering and food supplies start coming up short Lina and Doon realize they must find the legendary escape route established by the builders. Their biggest obstacle however may be escaping from the clutches of the corrupt Mayor. The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau is an electric, fast read with a cliffhanger ending that will leave readers desperate for more. Check out the motion picture coming in October!
Rating: 4.5Q, 5P

Jessica's Review: Geeks by Jon Katz

Geeks has been quoted as being "an uplifting and hugely compassionate book" (Philidelphia Inquirer) as well as "a story of triumph, friendship, love, and above all, about being human and reaching for dreams in a hard-wired world" (Seattle Times Book Review). The book opens with various descriptions and definitions of what being a geek truly means which is followed by a forward about the ascension of geeks through history. But this story in particular is told by journalist Jon Katz and is the story of two boys, lost and out of place in a small town in Idaho, who used their self proclaimed geek titles as well as the internet to get out into the world and start lives for themselves. This is a story of the struggle of Jesse and Eric, their struggles in life, and their need not for acceptance but to find a life that fit their own personalities, suspicious of authority and questioning the structures of society such as politics and religon. The strictly Mormon town of Caldwell, ID was not the place for their computer genius so they set off for Chicago. This book documents their trip as well as the struggle of geeks across the country as Columbine, the shootings in Littleton, CO, occurs . The profiling and cruel torment that geeks went through acorss the country is chronicled by this journalist that decided it was his mission to give these people a voice. I would suggest this book to anyone who reads stories of outcasts, modern biographies of struggle, or any book about getting by on anything but socal standard. Overall it was a great eye opening book.
Rating: 4Q,3P

Mary's Review: Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata

Everyone and their grandmother has heard of Death Note as of this review. The live action movie was recently released in theaters, the anime is a runaway hit on Adult Swim, US distributors are planning a remake, and there is enough fanfic on the internet to drown us all. But what about the thing that started it all? The original manga is in its sixth printing here in the US, and for good reason. Death Note is a very intelligent series, full of thought on the nature of right and wrong and whether the ends justify the means. Light Yagami finds the titular Death Note, the rules of which state that 'whoever's name is written in the note shall die'. Light, idealist that he is, decides that he'll utilize this tool to rid the world of criminals. Of course, he will also become the god of said new world. So he goes to work, and pretty soon people start noticing the mysterious deaths (the DN kills by heart attack unless other means are specified). People start calling the phenomenon 'Kira' (Japanese derivative of the English 'killer'), and Light garners the attention of the super detective L. From there its a spiral into traps and countertraps ('if I were in this situation I would do this, but that's what he'd expect me to do, but he KNOWS that I would know he knows' and the like) as the two genius young men face off. There's a lot to love here: Obata's art is of an unusually realistic style, resulting in a nice change of pace from your average manga; Light and L's mind games are compelling, as are their characters-you have to give credit to a series that makes you at least occasionally (and grudgingly) cheer for the manipulative sociopath; and best of all the series is a mere twelve volumes (plus a side novel and encyclopedia), a miraculously short length for a Shonen Jump title. The series has its downsides as well though, which bear mentioning in any recommendation: its wordy, enough that the thick volumes take approximately twice as long to read as the average manga. This is more apparant in the manga than the anime, and more than a few people have been scared off because of it. The series also takes a turn in its second half, introducing new characters and switching gears plot-wise, that is not popular with all of the fans. This part ultimately comes down to personal preference, though it is something for the prospective reader to keep in mind. And finally let us not forget that the characters have some crippling weaknesses along with their compelling strengths. Sure, Light is a fascinating protagonist, but he's also a sociopath who manipulates and lies to all of the people close to him. The female characters of DN are weak across the board, rarely rising above the position of killed/manipulated/totally useless. And though the focus on L and Light drives the plot, it leaves some of the secondary characters woefully underdeveloped (and never is this more clear than in the second half). By and large, however, this series deserves all of the high praise heaped upon it. It has drama, a strong plot, an attractive lead (for the shallow person in us all), a moral quandry, and (gasp) a strong stock of intelligence. A series like this does not come about every day.

Final verdict: 5Q, 4P

Coraline: Graphic Novel by Neil Gaiman –adapted by P. Craig Russell

Adapted from the book of the same name, Coraline is the story of a girl who discovers a whole new world behind the doorway in the family room. Coraline must decide whether she is willing to leave her “real” family for this other world, a world in which her other parents lavish her with love and attention. A world where cats speak, rats sing, and her other mother’s long spindly fingers with blood red nails aren’t nearly as creepy as her shiny black button eyes. Will Coraline choose to stay “for ever and always”?

The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

We already know the damage. Asteroid hit moon, moon pushed closer to Earth, horrendous weather, massive death tolls, tremendous suffering. This time we see the devastation through the eyes of Alex Morales, a 17-year-old Catholic Puerto Rican American, living on the upper west side of New York City. He’s working the counter at Joey's Pizza the night of May 18th. That night, as Alex and sisters Bri (14) and Julie (12) climb into bed, they only know the electricity is out and that they are alone. Alex’s father is in Puerto Rico for grandmother’s funeral, his mother has been called to the hospital where she works—requiring her to take the subway to Queens, and his brother Carlos is a Marine stationed in California. They will have to wait until morning to learn of the moon and the resulting devastation. And their lives will only get more difficult as the days with no word from parents, no electricity, and dwindling food supplies stretch forward. Will the chaos of New York City consume the strength and faith Alex and the girls need to survive? Is it possible that they too will be among The Dead and the Gone?
This novel is a companion to the acclaimed Life As We Knew It.

Joanna L's Review:The Young Wizards series by Diane Duane

This is a really awesome series. I like it because it is about wizards but it is not overwhelmingly fantastical. It has hints of science fiction in it as well. I think it is a great series to start on if you finished Harry Potter and you need a new series.

Rating: 5Q, 3P

Chanda L's Review: Eldest by Christopher Paolini

This book is the most awesome book in the world!!!!!!!!!!!! It is full of adventure and surprises. It was a very good book and you should put it on your must read list!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rating: 5Q, 5P

Jessica's Review: Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

When you think of the average 12-year-old boy you think of games, getting dirty, and having fun. When you open the front cover of this book to discover what its about, you find that Artemis is by no means the average 12-year-old. A genius. A criminal mastermind. A millionaire. And to top things off, he has discovered a secret society of fairies and kidnapped one of them, Holly Short. This book is full of adventure and excitement as well as characters and events you would never expect. Its a quick easy read and very entertaining.
Rating: 4Q, 4P

Rachel's Review: Tithe by Holly Black

Kaye Feirch was always considered odd, because she had "Little Fairie Friends" who used to watch her and play with her when she was young. Now 16-years-old, Kaye's friends have disappeared since she moved back to her Grandma's. Her mom is scrambling, trying to find another band to start so she and Kaye can get a new home. Kaye decides to go to a party with her best friend Janet, but when she walks home after enchanting Kenny, Janet's boyfriend, Kaye finds "The Dark Knight". His name is Roiben, and he is a fairie. He is tall, has silver hair, and is badly wounded when she finds him. There are two courts, the Seelie, which is the good court, and the Unseelie, the bad court. Roiben is the Knight of the Unseelie court, and has to obey everything his Queen demands. Problem is, Halloween night is soon, and on that night, there is a "tithe" given of human blood to bond the fairie folk not in a court to the rules of the courts. The Unseelie queen ordered Roiben to bring Kaye in for the tithe. It becomes a battle of wits, and of love, when Roiben and Kaye fall for each other and Roiben has to kill her.
Rating: 4Q, 4P

Carrie's Review: Tiger by Jeff Stone

Tiger by Jeff Stone is book one of the epic teen series The Five Ancestors which takes place in 1650 A.D. China. It tells the story of five young temple brothers: Fu (Tiger), Malao (Monkey), She (Snake), Hok (Crane), and Long (Dragon). All five brothers live together peacefully in their temple mastering their individual animal styles of Kung-Fu with Grandmaster, the only parent they have ever known. However, this peace does not last as their evil brother Ying (Eagle), who abandoned the temple and now works for the corrupt emperor, moves in with emperial troops. Ying and his men destroy the temple and kill Grandmaster in a desperate search to find the sacred dragon scrolls. It is Ying's goal to use these scrolls to become a master of Dragon Kung-Fu and be the most powerful martial artist in all of China. Grandmaster planned ahead and hid the five young monks so that they could escape alive with the scrolls. After they successfully steal the dragon scrolls back they flee into the woods. Each ancestor must take is own path in order to discover who they really are and learn more about their mysterious paths. It is when they all five meet again that the mystery of Ying's deception and greed for the scrolls finally begin to unravel. These books are an excellent choice for those interested in foreign cultures, history, mysterious and of course, action and adventure.

Rating: Q: 5 P:5

Mary's Review: The Naked Roommate by Harlan Cohen

This book should be on a list of required reading somewhere; it not only compiles an extremely thick list of tips for the future college student, but makes the material easily readable. If all else fails, Cohen suggests its usefulness as a doorstop. Now, there is no way that a person could encounter every situation listed in this book. That's what makes its format so user friendly: the chapters each focus on a different area of college life, with approximately one tip per page (set up in a question, testimony, advice format). And the testimonies often turn out to be the best part, shedding light from a real rather than theoretical perspective. Occasionally this ends up being hit or miss: blurbs don't say much, after all. The advice too suffers from this problem. It is sound, solid advice that is applicable to the vast public, but Cohen's opinions also shine through on certain subjects. Fine, its documented that living on campus can be socially beneficial, but it does not mean that pushing such a lifestyle to the exclusion of most advice for other scenarios is the way to go. On the other hand, for the dorm set, this book is a veritable bible of information. With graduation only days away, this tome is worthy of a look see.

Final Verdict: 4P 3Q

Breaking Dawn info!!!!

Here's a sneak peek of the new Stephenie Meyer book, Breaking Dawn, due out on August 2nd. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20203238,00.html?iid=top25-20080530-Stephenie+Meyer%3A+Exclusive+book+preview

Also, check out the cover!!

Make sure to mark your calendars for Friday, August 1st at 5pm. Our end of summer reading party is a Breaking Dawn release party. We'll have Twilight inspired food and activities as well as costume and trivia contests.