Sucks to Be Me

  Mina's parents are vampires and now Mina has several weeks to decide if she wants to change into a vampire and leave her life behind or stay human and loose her family. There are of course boys, best friends, the junior prom and teachers complicating her life.


This is a fun book for teens. It's a quick read and has a plot and characters that young teens will embrace. If you are a fan of Sarah Mlynowski's Magic in Manhattan series or Meg Cabot's paranormal romances then you will love this book. It is light and cute as opposed to deep sexy and scary like vampire books written for older teens.

Appropriateness:  This book has no sex scenes (and the only mentions of sex are related to sex talks with parents) which makes it appropriate for young teens and tweens who want to read about teenagers but aren't ready for books that have more adult themes. This is a perfect book for the middle school set.

Awake at Dawn

Awake at Dawn is the sequel to Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter.  Born at Midnight stars Kylie who is sent by her mother to a camp for troubled teens after being busted at a party by the police.  While on the bus Kylie notices that the kids seem strange and after she arrives at the camp finds out that it's a camp for supernatural teens.  They don't know exactly what Kylie is, just that she can see ghosts.  Kylie soon gets entwined in a mystery and is torn between a cute faerie and a werewolf.

Awake at Dawn continues our story back at camp where we left off.  Kylie is being haunted by a bloody woman who tells her that she needs to help a friend or her friend will die but gives no more information than that and her romantic relationships continue to confuse her.  Kylie also starts getting powers and wonders what type of creature she will be.

Awake at Dawn was not as good as the first book in the series but did answer questions that were left hanging at the end of the last book and the tone continued to be the same.  I did feel that the story moved slowly however and I didn't find myself rushing to find out what would happen next.  I would recommend this book for readers who enjoyed the first book but if readers were unsure about the first book I'd skip it.

Appropriateness:  There are some heavy make out sessions and some discussions of sex between the characters.  I would recommend this book to teens 14+ that enjoy paranormal romance.

Winter in Wartime

Winter in Wartime by Jan Terlouw has been a classic in the Netherlands for decades.  It is a story of a boy who works for the resistance while his country is occupied by the Nazi's.  Michiel spends his time riding his bike to do errands for his friends and neighbors while staying out of the way of the Nazi's that have occupied his town.  When his friend gives him an envelope to pass on to a member of the resistance before he goes missing Michiel finds himself doing his part to help the resistance and must find who is leaking information to the Nazis.

This is a fantastic novel that tells a side of WWII that hasn't been told much before in children's literature, what it was like to live in a land occupied by the Nazi's and the male viewpoint provides a protagonist that boys will be able to relate to.  There is danger and heartache and mystery.  This is a book that I would recommend to teachers and parents alike.

Appropriateness:  This book like most books taking place in wartime covers some difficult subjects, however it is not as difficult as many WWII books because Michiel is a member of a town that is occupied as opposed to being in a concentration camp or having to hide so it can be read by younger readers.  There are deaths of people close to Michiel that can be a bit traumatic but he is never in a large amount of danger.  I would recommend this book to readers 9-14 and would highlight this as a good book for boys. 

The Princess Curse

The Princess Curse by Merrie Haskell is a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses with a few other tales sprinkled in.  Reveka a herbalist's apprentice is determined to solve the silly curse of the castle that makes the princesses ruin their dancing slippers nightly.  Revka wants the prize money from solving the mystery so that she can buy herself a place in a convent so she can become a herbalist.  Revka soon finds that the curse is not as silly as she once thought and is swept into a world she never imagined. 

I have read several retellings of The Twelve Dancing Princesses and I've yet to tire of the story.  Haskell takes the bare bones of the story and merges it with the Persephone story and a hint of Beauty and the Beast and gives us a strong female heroine who desires to free herself from societal expectations.   I loved the story and finished it quickly and feel that it will be enjoyed by fairytale fans of all ages.

Appropriateness:   There is no adult content in this book although there are some talk as to how royal marriages worked with very young brides and why the girls did not get pregnant until they were older.  Nothing that would bother me as a parent even for a young child  I would recommend this book to a middle grade audience 11-15  (although it is interesting enough for older readers who are fairy tale fans).

Review Copy Obtained From Amazon Vine

Fairy Bad Day

Fairy Bad Day by Amanda Ashby stars Emma who goes to a boarding school for kids who have The Sight to see and slay monsters that came over before the gates were closed.  Emma is sure she is going to be assigned to be a dragon slayer when she gets her assignment.  She is to be a fairy slayer, the first ever  She is not only upset at this assignment (which has her patrolling the mall with bags of skittles) which causes much teasing but she has to join up with Curtis the dragon slayer for an assignment.  When she spots a large fairy which no one else can see she must figure out how to slay him before something horrible happens.

I loved this book.  It was fantastic and so funny.  Emma was strong and resourceful and her banter with Curtis is perfect.  The mystery and world building were well crafted and made for a great setting for a humorous story.  There was enough action and romance to round out the story into something really special.  This is a quick and entertaining read that will have readers wanting more. 

Appropriateness:  There are no adult themes in this book.  The relationship is fairly innocent and sweet.  I would recommend this book to teens 12+ looking for a funny paranormal romance.

The Name of the Star

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson follows Rory who starts attending a boarding school in London as a Ripper copycat takes hold of the city.  The city is enthralled and terrified of this murderer who has been able to perform these gruesome murders without being spotted by any witnesses or the cameras that line the street.  After rushing back to her dorm on the night of one of the murders Rory sees the main suspect and becomes part of a world she never knew existed.

I really enjoyed this book.  The boarding school environment and students was (I never tire of reading about boarding schools) and the characters were realistic and nicely quirky.  The mystery and the mythology kept me guessing and then fell into place in an original way.  The book combines history and fiction in a way that makes the reader want to do research on Jack the Ripper.  I not only finished the book quickly but got to the point where I was bringing the book downstairs with me because I was hungry but didn't want to stop reading.

Appropriateness:  This book has quite a bit of underage drinking (or not quite so underage because of them being in the UK and drinking laws being different there).  Rory partakes but does not drink to excess.  It's a good starter in talking to your child about handling alcohol in college.  The romance is limited to kissing (although it gets hot and heavy) and there is some rather graphic violence.  I would recommend this book to an older teen audience 14+ (although I wouldn't find it inappropriate for older middle school readers) who are fans of the paranormal.

Touch a Denazen Novel

Touch a Denazen Novel by Jus Accardo follows Deznee a rebellious teen who runs off with Kale, a boy she meets that is running away from some strange men, as an opportunity to anger her father.  She soon learns that he has a terrifying power and that her father is not who she believed.  Her father is the head of an evil organization that captures and uses people with powers.  Kale escaped from this organization and his touch kills anything organic (except for Deznee).

This book had major major issues (although it was interesting enough to finish).  To start off with Deznee is completely unlikeable.  She has the "to stupid to live" syndrome where if she has to make a big choice she probably makes the one that's more dangerous or makes the least amount of sense.  Her attraction and "love" for Kale seems to have no reason other than it irritates her father and his creepy puppy-dog love for her.  Things pop up conveniently without much rhyme or reason and the plot was very clunky.  However, despite all these problems I will admit that I was engrossed enough by the story, the organization was interesting to read about as were the powers and Kale's learning about the world.  I finished the book very quickly and couldn't put it down and I think if there had been some serious slash and rewrite editing this could have been terrific instead of just OK.

Appropriateness:  This book really pushes the boundaries in every way as a young adult novel.  There is so much sexual content and the sex scene it is detailed enough that it would make some adults uncomfortable (although it is not erotica) much less young teens (there is a mention of her being on the pill which seems to be an excuse as to why they don't need condoms -- note to author, both please!).  There is drug use and drug dealing and drunkenness and excess amounts of rebellion and one of the worst parent-child relationships I've read in YA lit.  With all that said, Deznee is in no way portrayed as positive, a role model or even normal.  She's portrayed as a wild child who has a horrible life and is extremely rebellious and she pays for it.  I would recommend this book to teens 16+ and fans of urban fantasy (particularly readers who read adult romance and won't be turned off by the sex).

Review copy provided by netgalley

Tuesdays at the Castle

Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George takes place in a magical castle that is constantly changing.  The castle creates, changes and moves rooms and passageways based on how it feels about the people inside.  Princess Celie has always loved the castle and it's changes and has been slowly making an atlas mapping out the castle.  When her parents leave to pick her brother up from wizard school a new tower appears that only Celie can find.  They then go missing and are presumed dead and a prince from a near by kingdom is trying to wrangle himself in control of the kingdom and Celie must use her knowledge of the kingdom to save the day.

This is a delightful fairy tale like story filled with royalty, political intrigue and a magic castle.  I found myself engrossed in the story and rooting for Celie,her siblings and the castle as they try to save their castle and kingdom from those that want to take over.  I loved this book and finished it quickly and was enchanted by the magical castle.

Appropriateness:  There is nothing objectionable in this book.  It is written for the middle grade reader (9-12) and is romance free (it is interesting enough for older readers however the main character is 11).  It would make a fantastic read aloud for kids on the younger end of the spectrum.  The lexile for George's other middle grade books are around 850 with a grade level equivalent of 5.7 making this a good book for advanced readers or to use as a read aloud.

Review copy obtained from amazon vine

Past Perfect

Past Perfect by Lelia Sales follows Chelsea who is spending the summer, like every summer before working at a colonial historical village.  Chelsea has spent the past several months getting over a breakup and is not happy when her Ex Boyfriend is at orientation.  To make things more complicated Chelsea has been elected second in command of the War between her colonial village and the Confederate one across the street and when she's kidnapped she falls for Dan who is one of the enemy.

I LOVED this book.  It was hysterical.  I couldn't get enough of the historical village and the prank filled war between the two battling sides.  The details in the small characters were great and made the book from the dorky boy with a big crush to her father the history buff and her best friend who is joining her in becoming an ice cream connoisseur.  The romance is a very small part of the book with a larger part being Chelsea getting over her ex-boyfriend and realizing that perhaps things were not as perfect as she remembered.  I loved this book, it was laugh out loud funny.

 Appropriateness:  There are some drunken party scenes in the book although Chelsea does not get drunk.  The romance is limited to kissing (although they are hot kisses) and the kids pull a lot of pranks that ride the line in their legality.  I would recommend this book to readers 12+ who are fans of romantic comedy and chic lit.

If you liked this book and the reenactment village setting then be sure to pre-order Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink by Stephanie Kate Strohm which comes out in May it has a similar feel to this book.

Mousenet

Mousenet by Prudence Breitrose stars Megan a lonely girl who helps to change the world.  Megan is visiting her uncle after leaving an isolated island that she lived on with her mother when her uncle gives her his new invention the thumbtop, a miniature computer.  The mouse nation who has been watching this development of the thumbtop soon gets in touch with Megan after she moves to Washington State with her father.  Megan and her mouse friends must work to bring thumbtops to the mouse nation while also keeping the mouse nation secret from humans.

I loved this book.  It was fantastic and I couldn't wait to get back to it to read more.  Megan was a great girl who was not afraid to be herself.  I loved all the mice and the whole idea of the mouse nation.  The subplot involving Megan trying to fit into a new environment and a new family was interesting and something that kids could relate too. 

Appropriateness:  I would recommend this book to kids 9-14 and would also recommend this as a read aloud as the story is interesting enough to appeal to adults as well as kids.  The only negative in terms of kids liking this book is the length.  The ARC was around four hundred pages and while the print was larger than normal and there were a few pictures it is longer than many young readers will be able to handle.  There is no adult content in the story and the only questionable behavior is some minor breaking and entering and lying to parents that is related to the fantasy side of the story.  While this book is primarily about a girl I think that boys would enjoy the story and would be able to relate to either Megan's cousin Joey or the male mouse characters (who are pretty awesome).

ARC Provided by Netgalley

Rip Tide

Rip Tide by Kat Falls is the sequel to Dark Life.  Dark Life follows Ty who lives on the ocean floor. When he meets a topsider (someone who lives on the surface) named Gemma together they must save the underground settlements from being destroyed by outlaws.

Rip Tide puts Ty and Gemma back together as they try to find their parents who were kidnapped after trying to sell their crops.  The pair are soon enveloped into the politics and class distinctions that are a reality for the ocean residents who aren't given enough supplies to live and are willing to take part in life threatening fights to help their towns.  Ty and Gemma face many dangerous situations as they search for Ty's parents.

Rip Tide was full of action and adventure and although it is a sequel to Dark Life it felt like it was written for a different and older audience.  Dark life is very political with the plot being based on the caste like system that keeps different groups of citizens in different lives.  In between the political wrangling is a ton of (often very violent) action scenes.  I had some problems getting through this book and found it fairly clunky and lacking the charm of the first book.

Appropriateness:  While the first book was written for a young middle grade audience (9-11) this book seemed like it was for a more mature audience (which is perfect if your child read the first book when if first came out) because of the political basis for the plot and because the book was very violent.  There are several brutal fight scenes which are a little much for an elementary school audience.  However, all the action will make this a must read for boys who will really enjoy the action scenes.  There is also a hint of romance and a tough female character for female readers.  The lexile of Dark Life was 690 putting the book at a fourth grade level so this book should be around the same.  I would recommend this book to readers 11-15

Review copy obtained by Amazon Vine

Sorry I Pooped in Your Shoe

Sorry I Pooped in Your Shoe: (and Other Heartwarming Letters from Doggie) by Jeremy Greenburg is a book with delightfully cute pictures of dogs followed by letters to their owners (or inanimate objects) .  These letters say all the things we would imagine that dogs would say such as "Piggy told me you said I was cuter as a puppy" and "why do you make me eat alone on the floor."

This is an adorably cute book that will have adults and kids laughing.  It would also make a good demonstration for a creative writing project for kids.  This is the type of book that you can put on your coffee table for adults and kids alike to enjoy.

Appropriateness:  This is  an adult book but it's one that kids would enjoy.  There is a little potty humor so you'd want to keep it away from kids who are still working on making sure that they don't repeat inappropriate phrases.  I would recommend it to kids and adults 8 and up.

ARC received from netgalley.

Lola and the Boy Next Door

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins is a companion novel to Anna and the French Kiss.  Lola is a flamboyant teen who believes in costumes as fashion.  Lola thinks everything is going fantastically, she has a 22 year old rocker boyfriend who meets with her Dads for brunch every week.  However when twins Cricket and Calliope move back in next door things get turned upside down.  Lola has a history with Cricket and things quickly get out of hand.

I am normally not a fan of "break up" romance.  Romances that focus on a girl finding out that the person she's with isn't right for her when someone better comes along.  However, Perkins gives us a boy that's so wrong for our heroine (he's 22) that you're just itching for her to see the light (and she does get flack from the people around her for lying to bad rocker boyfriend and stringing along Cricket).  Lola is a delightful and funny girl who isn't afraid to be different.  Cricket is cute (cute enough that I can forgive him for being named Cricket) and a perfect match to Lola's courageousness.  Lola's gay Dads are a nice addition and portrayed as normal adoptive parents who just happen to both be men and her troubled relationship with her birth mother seemed realistic.  I loved this book and could not put it down.  It is super romantic (even though it's breakup romance).

Appropriateness:  This is a sweet and funny romance.  Lola starts the book in a relationship with an older guy (she's 17, he's 22 making it borderline illegal) however, she slowly realizes that he might be attracted to her because she's young.  It makes for a good starting point when talking to your child about why older guys go after younger girls.  Lola is sexually active however there are no sex scenes.  Her boyfriend (who is legal) drinks and smokes (he's a bad boy) but she does not because of her family history of alcoholism.  I would recommend this book to fans of romance 12+

Prized

Prized by Caragh O'Brien is the second book in the Birthmarked Trilogy,  In the first book Gaia a teenage midwife escapes from the enclave, a society who has problems with reproduction, with her baby sister after the death of both of her parents.  This book follows Gaia as she enters a new society that has it's own problems.  In Sylum women are not only a minority but they are the rulers of the society presiding over the men and each other with an iron fist allowing for no flexibility.  Gaia finds herself quickly embroiled in the politics of this society through her midwifery and her unwillingness to compromise.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book as I felt that the author did a fantastic job wrapping up Birthmarked and found myself pleasantly surprised.  The author took readers into a society that while being quite different than the enclave still faced many of the same types of  problems.  Quite like the differences in The Giver and Gathering Blue two societies that are very different but still face the same sorts of problems, in this case of reproduction, genetics and a large part of the population not having control over their society.  Gaia continues to be a strong heroine and her romantic entanglements and midwife skills make for an interesting story.  I finished the book quickly and look forward to the final book in the series.

Appropriateness:  Part of the plot involves drugs that are smoked by members of the community.  It in no way glorifies drug use and I wouldn't find it questionable for even young children.  The romantic relationships involve nothing more than kissing.  I would recommend this book to fans of dystopian fiction 14+ however it is not inappropriate for younger readers.

Fetching

Fetching by Kiera Stewart stars Olivia a girl who lives with her grandmother a dog trainer.  Olivia and her friends have been bullied by the popular group at school so they decide to train them like dogs.  The girls find success with their methods but things are not as good on the top as they seem.

I really enjoyed this book.  While it's not the most original concept for adults it has a plot that teen and tween girls will love.  The story of girls coming up with a plan to knock the popular mean girls off the top rungs of middle school society is one that kids will love.  I enjoyed the varying characters.  The subplot about a girl who feels abandoned by her mother who is in a mental hospital is fantastic and really rounds out Olivia's character.

While some of the methods the girls (and boy) use aren't realistic there are some good lessons in the book.  The girls look for signs that the bullies are going to "attack" and deflect their behavior with distraction.  The girls have a bit of a physical transformation but nothing extreme.  Olivia gets some mascara, new jeans and some hair product, one of her friends starts wearing her hair away from her face which causes her acne to clear up a bit while another maintains her original way of dress which helps their self confidence.

Appropriateness:  This book has no adult content.  There is no romance beyond a couple crush comments.  The characters are eighth graders and nice kids.  I would recommend this book to girls 9-14.

Review copy provided by netgalley

Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings

Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings by Helene Boudreau follows Jade who falls asleep in the tub and wakes up suddenly with a tail.  She soon learns that her Mother was a mermaid.  What she doesn't understand is how her mother the Mermaid drowned.  While walking by the lake she hears a voice and falls in and finds out that her mother is alive but has been kept as a prisoner in the lake.  Jade must figure out how to save her mother and keep her secret safe.

This was a very cute middle grade novel.  Jade is a spunky kid who doesn't need anyone to come to her rescue.  I loved the relationship that she has with her father and it's nice to read a book about a girl who has such a good relationship with her father.  It is a sweet and quick read that young readers will enjoy.

Appropriateness:  Jade is fourteen and acts like a middle schooler.  There is some period stuff that might make boys uncomfortable but besides that there is nothing inappropriate in the book.  There is a bit of romance which is mostly a crush.  I would recommend this book to readers 9-14.

Follow Friday

Q. If you could pick one character in a book, movie or television show to swap places with, who would it be?

I would like to switch places with Amy Pond and ride around in the TARDIS with Dr Who having adventures.

The Case of the Missing Deed

The Case of the Missing Deed by Ellen Schwartz is a culinary mystery written for kids.  The book follows a group of cousins that have to find the deed to their grandmothers house that their dead grandfather hid somewhere so they can save it from a company that wants to take it so they can create a mine which will destroy the island..  After they look everywhere they decide to make their grandmother her favorite meal and they find a clue that leads them on a sort of treasure hunt though the recipe groups.  Will they be able to save their grandmothers house and the island before it's too late?

This is a fantastic book for middle grade readers.  It has the right amount of mystery and the recipes are very child friendly.  While the actual components of the mystery are a bit silly and not very realistic it's perfect for the intended audience.  It is a fast read that pre-teens will enjoy.

Appropriateness:  There is no adult content in the novel and no violence.  There is a hint of romance but nothing that would disturb even the most romance hating boys.  I would reccomend this book to readers 9-13 and it will appeal equally to boys and girls.

Review copy provided by netgalley

Rumors from the Boys Room

Rumors from the Boys Room by Rose Cooper is an illustrated novel about Sophia, middle school gossip blogger.  Sophia's notebook contains all the gossip she finds to post on her blog (not all of which ends up being accurate).  From her teacher mother's pregnancy to the new foreign exchange student at school Rose keeps us up with all the gossip.

This is a cute and easy book that young readers will enjoy.  It's partially illustrated with drawn pictures every couple pages to keep readers who are new to chapter books interested and the plot is very easy to follow.  I found myself smiling through Sophia's missteps and successes in her blog, friendships and first crushes.  

Appropriateness:  There is a bit of romance in this book of the crush type.  If you've got a kid that thinks that romance is gross then I'd skip this one.  Sophia is in middle school and her behavior is that of a young sixth grader and I feel this book will be of interest to girls 9-12 (or even younger if they're good readers, I'm sure my 7 year old would love this book).  It is short and easy to read for reluctant readers.

Review copy provided by NetGalley

Soldiers Game

 

Soldier's Game by James Killgore follows Ross, a young football (soccer) player named Ross as he learns the story of his great grandfather.  His great grandfather was a professional football player who (along with his entire team) joins the military and goes off to fight in the great war.

This is a fantastic book that combines sports and war history.  The reader is taken into the life of the soldier so they can really understand what it was like to be a soldier during world war one without feeling like you're stuck in a history book and the football sequences were fantastic.  There is a nice set of facts at the back so readers can get information about the war.  It is a short and quick read.

Appropriateness:  This is the perfect book for intermediate and middle school boys.  It is short (around 160 pages) and is full of sports and battle scenes that will encourage reluctant readers.  The war sequences are brutal but not graphic.  Ross is around 12 and while his great grandfather Jack is an adult the story is told in a way that will engage younger readers (a soccer star goes to war).  I would encourage teachers and librarians to get a copy to put on your shelf.

Review copy obtained by netgalley

Romance for Teens: You Had Me At Halo

You Had Me At Halo is an adult romance novel by Amanda Ashby who has recently written two very funny paranormal romances including Fairy Bad Day.  This novel stars Holly who is having a very difficult time adapting to her death.  She is insistent that she did not kill herself and ends up being sent back to earth in the body of her co-worker Vince who apparently just died.  Unfortunately Holly soon learns that Vince is not dead and the two of them must work together so Holly can find out the true story behind her death and move on.

It's always interesting to see books that authors write years before the books that made them famous.  This book has hints of the brilliance that comes through in Ashby's newer novels but lacks their originality.  This book has a plot that we've seen in several chick flicks and the twists are not that shocking.  It is however a nice and easy read and a sweet and fairly clean adult romance that teens will enjoy.

Appropriateness:  This is a fairly sweet and clean romance.  The two main characters share the same body so needless to say there is no sex.  There are a few illusions to erections and a couple drunken scenes that take place in a bar.  I would recommend this book for romance fans 13+  

You Had Me At Halo does not seem to be currently in print but is available for a low price in digital format and used copies are available (very cheap) through third party sellers.