Fairest – Gail Carson Levine

 
Levine, Gail Carson. (2006). Fairest. New York: HarperCollins Publishing.
Recommendation source: It was a book chosen for the LSC 531 Materials Promotion Project
Reading level: Grade 7+
Brief summary: After a chance encounter with a duchess at her family’s inn, fifteen-year-old Aza is invited to attend the royal wedding. There she is befriended by the beautiful but manipulative [...]

Read Full Post »

The Sandman (Vol. 2): The Doll’s House – Neil Gaiman

Gaiman, N. (1995). The Sandman (Vol. 2): The Doll’s House. New York: DC Comics.
Recommendation source: The second volume of a Graphic Novel I previously enjoyed
Reading level: Grades 10-12
Brief summary: This second installment of the Sandman Graphic Novels is just as excellent as it’s predecessor. The themes of this series are slightly more mature and [...]

Read Full Post »

The Sandman (Vol. 1): Preludes and Nocturnes – Neil Gaiman

 Gaiman, Neil.  (1995). The Sandman (Vol. 1): Preludes and Nocturnes. New York: DC Comics.
Recommendation source: A librarian at the Warwick Public Library
Reading level: Grades 10-12
Brief summary: An excellent graphic novel intended for an older audience. In this first volume, the reader is introduced to a variety of characters that are suffering because Dream has been [...]

Read Full Post »

Death Note (Volume 2) – Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata

Ohba, Tsugumi & Obata, Takeshi. (2005). Death Note (Volume 2). San Francisco: VIZ Media LLC.
Recommendation source: The following volume of a previous item choice that I enjoyed
Reading level: Grade 9+
Brief summary: Light is learning more about the uses of the Death God’s notebook and he is truly testing the limits of it’s power. He knows [...]

Read Full Post »

Death Note (Volume 1) – Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata

 
Ohba, Tsugumi & Obata, Takeshi. (2005). Death Note (Volume 1). San Francisco: VIZ Media LLC.
Recommendation source: I watched the anime videos and enjoyed it so the novelization seemed to be a good place to find my first manga.
Reading level: Grades 9+
Brief summary: Light Yagami is a star pupil in Japan, always coming in at the [...]

Read Full Post »

American Born Chinese – Gene Luen Yang

 
Yang, Gene Luen. (2006). American Born Chinese. New York: First Second.
Recommendation source: Classmates from LSC 531, book promotions project
Awards: 2007 Printz award
Reading level: Grade 7+
Brief summary: American Born Chinese tells the story of Jin Wang, a Chinese-American boy trying to fit in at his predominantly white school. Intelligent,
creative, and extremely funny, this book will [...]

Read Full Post »

Every Man for Himself: Ten Short Stories about Being a Guy

Mercado, Nancy (ed.) (2007). Every Man for Himself: Ten Short Stories about Being a Guy. New York: Speak.
Recommendation source: YALSA booklist
Reading level: Grade 8+
Brief summary: A collection of 10 short stories written by a variety of prominent male authors, such as; Walter Dean Myers, David Lubar, and Craig Thompson. These authors share stories that [...]

Read Full Post »

Riding the Bus with my Sister – Rachel Simon

Simon, Rachel. (2002). Riding the Bus With My Sister: A True Life Journey. New York: Plume.
Recommendation source: A Rosie O’Donell recommended book.
Reading level: Grade 9+
Brief summary: Rachel Simon’s sister Beth is a spirited woman who lives intensely and often joyfully. Beth, who has mental retardation, spends her days riding the buses in her Pennsylvania city. [...]

Read Full Post »

Stargirl – Jerry Spinelli

Spinelli, Jerry. (2000). Stargirl.  New York: Knopf
Recommendation source: A Student from LSC 531
Reading level: Grades 6-10
Brief summary: Stargirl. From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of color and sound, the hallways hum with the murmur of “Stargirl, Stargirl.” She captures Leo Borlock’s heart with just one smile. She sparks a [...]

Read Full Post »

Crash – Jerry Spinelli

 Spinelli, Jerry. (1996). Crash. New York: Knopf.
Recommendation source: A student from LSC 531
Reading level: Grades 5-7
Brief summary: Crash feels passionately about many things: the violence of football; being in charge; the way he looks in shoulder pads; never being second in anything; and the most expensive sneakers at the mall. Although a stereotypical bully, the [...]

Read Full Post »

A Mango Shaped Space – Wendy Mass

Mass, Wendy. (2005). A Mango Shaped Space. New York: Little, Brown.
Recommendation Source: www.amazon.com
Awards: 2004 Schnieder Family Book Award winner
Reading level: Grade 6+
Brief summary: 13-year old Mia sees and hears things differently from almost everyone else she knows. Ever since an embarassing moment in the third grade she has never told anyone about her differences. Eventally [...]

Read Full Post »

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants – Ann Brashares

Brashares, Ann. (2003). The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. New York: Delacorte Press.
Recommendation source: Popular book among young adult females
Reading level: Grade 6+
Brief summary:A pair of jeans purchased at a thrift store is the unlikely bond that keeps four best friends emotionally connected during the first summer that they spend physically apart. Carmen doesn’t think [...]

Read Full Post »

Monster – Walter Dean Myers

 
Myers, Walter Dean. (2004). Monster. New York: Amistad.
Recommendation source: Required reading for the course.
Awards: 200 National Book Award Finalist, 2000 Coretta Scott King Honor, 2000 Printz Award
Reading level: Grade 7+
Scholarly review: (School Library Journal) Steve Harmon, 16, is accused of serving as a lookout for a robbery of a Harlem drugstore. The owner was shot [...]

Read Full Post »

A Step from Heaven – An Na

Na, An.  (2003). A Step from Heaven. New York: Puffin.
Recommendation source: Required reading for the course.
Awards: 2002 Printz award for young adult literature
Reading level: Grade 8+
Brief summary: Young Ju is an immigrant from Korea.  She and her family move to California and she struggles with being both and Asian-American as well as retaining her Korean [...]

Read Full Post »

In the Time of the Butterflies – Julia Alvarez

 Alvarez, Julia (1995). In the Time of the Butterflies. New York: Plume.
Recommendation source: Required reading for the course.
Reading level: Grade 9+
Brief summary: Four sisters from the Dominican Republic are growing up in a time of revolution.  María Teresa, Patria, Dede and Minerva all take part in sharing the historical story of the Mirabel sisters through [...]

Read Full Post »

Picture Perfect – Elaine Marie Alphin

 Alphin, Elaine Marie. (2003). Picture Perfect. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Books.
Recommendation source: Librarian at the Providence Public Library.
Reading level: Grades 5-8
Brief summary: Ian is a 14 year-old boy who never can seem to live up to his father’s expectations.  The harder he tries to be the perfect son, the more he sees himself failing.  His friends [...]

Read Full Post »

Hidden Roots – Joseph Bruchac

 Bruchac, Joseph. (2006). Hidden Roots. New York: Scholastic Paperbacks.
Recommendation source: Required reading for the course.
Reading level: Grades 5-9
Brief summary: Eleven-year-old Sonny and his mother can’t predict his father’s sudden abusive rages. Jake’s anger only gets worse after long days at the paper mill — and when Uncle Louis appears. Louis seems to show up when [...]

Read Full Post »

Left Behind – Tim LeHaye & Jerry Jenkins

LeHaye, Tim, & Jenkins, Jerry. (2000). Left Behind.  Wheaton, IL: Tyndale.
Recommendation source: Required reading for the course.
Reading level: Grade 9+
Brief summary: Late one night, millions of people disappear leaving their belongings as the only traces that they were ever there to begin with.  Rayford Steele lost much of his family in the disappearances and is [...]

Read Full Post »

Out of the Dust – Karen Hesse

 Hesse, Karen. (2005). Out of the Dust. New York: Scholastic, Inc.
Recommendation source: Required reading for the course.
Awards: 1998 Newbery Medal winner
Reading level: Grades 6-8
Brief summary: The land in Oklahoma has been over-farmed  and over-cultivated, as a result there is nothing but sand and dust in the air.  Billie Jo writes of her experiences growing up during [...]

Read Full Post »

The Secret Life of Bees – Sue Monk Kidd

Kidd, Sue Monk. (2003). The Secret Life of Bees. New York: Penguin Books
Recommendation source: Required reading for the course.
Reading level: Grade 7+
Brief summary: Lily is a young girl who just can’t stand her life at home. She runs away to a town a few hours away and discovers three sisters who teach her about [...]

Read Full Post »

The Bluest Eye – Toni Morrison

Morrison, Toni. (2005). The Bluest Eye. New York: Plume.
Recommendation source: Required reading for the course.
Reading level: Grade 9+
Brief summary: The Breedloves have a reputation in town. No one likes them and everyone lets them know it. Follow Pecola Breedlove as she goes through things that no young girl should ever have to experience.
Librarian’s [...]

Read Full Post »

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – J. K. Rowling

Rowling, J.K. (2004). Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. London: Bloomsbury.
Recommendation source: Required reading for the course.
Reading level: All ages
Brief summary: Harry Potter, a young boy, is thrust into a world of witchcraft and wizardry that he never knew existed. Join him in a serious of adventures as he finds out that there is a [...]

Read Full Post »