"Lifting the Sky" by Mackie d'Arge

Ever since her dad left the familywhen she was small, 12-year-old Blue has continually moved from place to place with her ranch-hand mother. Finally, Blue can hardly believe her luck - her mom has been hired to manage the ranch of Blue's dreams - the house and mountains even match a drawing that Blue once drew. In short order, Blue acquires a pair of orphaned calves to take for, a friend from the neighboring reservation, and the strange and wonderful ability to see the auras - the colors, lights, and energies - given off by all living things. Blue begins to realize her special talents might actually enable her to find her place in the world when she learns she can manipulate the auras to help heal injuries. Blue's "dream-come-true" is threatened, however, when her and her mother's past starts to catch up with them.

I'll probably never live on an isolated ranch in Wyoming, but after reading this book, I think I have a good idea what it would be like. I love the ability of some authors who create characters so real and believable that one feels one can actually go track them down for a good visit. Blue is such an appealing character, one can't help but hope that things work out for her. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves animals and nature, or who is wondering about their own place in the world. Plus, who couldn't use a little virtual vacation in the mountains of Wyoming?

I'd rate this book FIVE out of FIVE stars.

"Ruined" by Paula Morris

Rebecca, newly transplanted to New Orleans to live with an aunt, feels like a fish out of water. Battling homesickness for New York City and her traveling father, Rebecca must also deal with the cliques in her new school, which seem to be focused entirely on the importance of local family history, social class, and the upcoming Mardi Gras season of parties and parades. Although at first content to be an outsider, Rebecca's interest and involvement with the popular group is intensified after she becomes friends with a mysterious girl who seems to be living in the cemetary. Rebecca becomes intent to solve the mystery of her new friend and the 150-year-old curse associated with a local mansion.

Reading "Ruined" is the next best thing to an actual visit to the city of New Orleans. Morris skillfully describes the neighborhoods, streets, and cemetaries of the city and makes them part of the action and atmosphere. One can easily imagine the frenzy and excitement of attending one of the Mardi Gras parades while reading of it in this book. The mystery that embroils Rebecca snakes its way through the city, its parties, and its inhabitants, wrapping itself ever tighter around our heroine.

Although some of the action seems at times to be a little too outlandish to be believable, the nifty plot twists keep one reading. I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery involving history, ghosts, and curses! Rated FOUR and a HALF out of FIVE stars.

"Looks" by Madeleine George

Meghan, a morbidly-obese sophomore, spends her school days trying to disappear from the eyes and thoughts of the often cruel high school students and personnel. A master at stealing blank passes from the school secretary, she spends much of the day in the nurse's office or a neglected music room, all the better to avoid the vicious taunts made by the clique of football players who torment her. Meghan is quite successful at maintaining her "invisibility" until a new girl arrives at school. Aimee, a talented poet deep in the denial of an eating disorder, is as thin as Meghan is large. After Meghan sees Aimee being befriended by Cara, a girl who did Meghan a great wrong in the past, she is roused to warn Aimee, even if it means once again opening herself to others. When Aimee is indeed betrayed by Cara, the two plot join together to plot revenge.

George's writing is hypnotic - sparse, elegant, and revealing - drawing the reader into the story of this unlikely pair. The opening scene has one flying through the clouds to finally zero through the school's very walls to witness the characters within, but by the end of the book, one feels as though they have zeroed in on Meghan's and Aimee's very souls. One is left to wonder - is their revenge justified? Will the damage done by past betrayals be healed?

I would rate this book FOUR and a HALF out of five stars.

"Starclimber" by Kenneth Oppel

Despite my day job (The Librarian) and the fact that I love to read, I usually can't sit still long enough to read for long sessions. I made an exception this weekend when I absolutely tore through "Starclimber", the third of the books in the "Airborn" series. I couldn't put it down!

Reminiscent of the creative vision of Jules Verne, Oppel has created an alternate Earth reality, in which the development of air travel centered around air ships (huge air-filled balloons) rather than airplanes. The culture, dress, and societal norms of the characters seem to be taking place in what would be the 1880s on Earth. The series revolves around the characters of Matt, an eager teen who signs up for any air-related adventure, and Kate, a determined young scientist who also happens to be Matt's romantic interest. In "Starclimber", Matt and Kate are involved in the incredible development of a vessel whose mission is to travel to space. As a slew of exciting and nerve-racking adventures unfold, Matt and Kate try to hide their romance from the other "astralnauts".

The characters are so appealing and expressively portrayed that I felt I was reading about the adventures of old friends. The technology invented on this world is so very different from our own, yet so creatively imagined, one can easily believe in every last bit of it. How can a vessel travel into space in a world that has not developed computers or even jet engines? You'll have to read to find out Oppel's clever solution! And have I mentioned adventures? There are thrills, chills, and suspense on nearly every page.

You can easily jump in to Matt and Kate's world with "Starclimber", or read the two titles previous to this one: "Airborn" and "Skybreaker." There's also a nifty website at: http://www.airborn.ca/starclimber.html.

I'd rate this book FIVE out of five stars - can't wait for the next one!

"Sister Wife" by Shelley Hrdlitschka

Born in raised within the strict precepts of a religious movement in the isolated community of Unity, Celeste has been rasied with the idea that polygamy, and complete and total obedience to the man of the family, is the only way a woman will be allowed into heaven. As she approaches her own assignment as wife to an older man, Celeste, at the age of fifteen, is struggling to accept her destiny. Her questioning attitude becomes a problem to the community when she is seen breaking a taboo by becoming close to Jon, another teenager who has his own doubts about a future in Unity. An arranged marriage is quickly scheduled, and Celeste must quickly act to decide her future.

Although life in polygamous communities might seem like a bizarre twist of religious convention to most freedom-loving readers of our culture, Hrdlitschka skirts any question of the legitimacy of these sects by examining the community of Unity from several different viewpoints, including those of a outsider who found security in the community, and Celeste's sister who is fully committed to the life. The reader is left to fully understand Celeste's decisions and motivations. This compelling study of people whose individualities are never allowed to develop is a page-turner!

Rated FIVe out of FIVE stars.

"The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer

This companion novel to "Life As We Knew It" tells the story of the fight for survival after a global catastrophe from the viewpoint of 17-year-old Alex Morales. Unlike the small-town heroine of "Life", Alex is a native New Yorker whose life changes dramatically after the moon is pushed out of its orbit due to an asteroid collision. Millions of lives are immediately lost to tsunamis, flooding, weather changes, and electrical disruption, and the dismal forecast of any improvement in services or food supply are not lost on Alex, who is immediately thrust into caregiver to his two younger sisters.

Alex continually wrestles with his faith and morals as he struggles to survive and provide food, heat, and security to his family. Pfeffer unscrolls the horrors of a civilization's collapse slowly, though, making each new disruption to Alex's "normal" life even more powerful. It will not be easy to forget the nightmarish implications of "body shopping", for example. The reader, along with Alex and his sisters, find optimism for the future perhaps the hardest ideal to have faith in when faced with the day-to-day struggles to survive.

Rated FIVE out of FIVE stars.

"Living Dead Girl" by Elizabeth Scott

This book should be issued with a first aid kit of upset-stomach relief, tissues, and heart medication, as the reader is immediately plunged, along with the main character Alice, into her nightmare world spent as the kidnap victim of her captor Ray. Since she was snatched at the age of ten, Alice is forced to spend her days as the victim of mental, physical, and sexual abuse by the monster who controls every aspect of her life. Now that she is fifteen, Alice comes to realize that Ray is planning to supplement his "family", and Alice must join him in his plans to find the right girl.

Reminiscent of "Such a Pretty Girl" by Laura Weiss, this book, although gripping and unforgettable, pushes the boundaries of content for young adult fiction. The descriptions of the abuses suffered by Alice, although not explicit, leave no doubt to the horrors the character is experiencing. I often had to just put the book down to escape the revulsion felt by the powerful and gripping story. The ending is unforgettable.

For mature readers only, I'd rate this FIVE out of FIVE stars. If you have any doubts about your maturity level (and I'm not talking about your reading level), please wait to read this novel.

"Shift" by Jennifer Bradbury

During the summer before his freshman year at college, Chris decides to bike cross-country with his best friend Win. Near the end of their journey, Win disappears and Chris is left to return home alone. Now, back at school, Chris now must deal with the investigator, hired by Win's controlling and powerful father, who is intent on discovering Win's whereabouts.

As Chris reflects on the summer with Win, it becomes clearer to Chris that the journey was a deeper one than a mere cross-country bike ride. Chris must explore the a more mature meaning of friendship, family, and loyalty, and decide the appropriate actions that will affect the destinies of all involved parties.

In her debut novel, Bradbury writes like an expert in the world of long-distance biking (as well she should, as she herself has accomplished a cross-country trek). She also brings an authentic voice to the lives of mature adolescents. With every page, the reader is brought along on Chris' and Win's journey, sharing their flat tires, pranks, convenience store dinners, and conversations. The characters' actions ring true to their motivations. I was sorry to see this journey end with the last page - the characters were so alive to me I felt they might be biking up my driveway any minute! I look forward to Bradbury's next novel.

"Beneath My Mother's Feet" by Amjed Qamar

Nazia is a Indian schoolgirl devoted to her mother and the life her mother has planned for her - to be married later this year (her fourteenth) and become a dutiful wife and daughter-in-law in her new family. Nazia's life, however, takes a sudden turn when her working class family is suddenly plunged into poverty upon the loss of her father's job. A plummeting drop in pride and social standing follows as Nazia and her younger siblings must follow their mother into housekeeping (and living in a shack on the grounds) for a wealthier woman.

Nazia is determined to rise from poverty, and even begins to question marrying her bethrothed, but to do so means doing the unimaginable - breaking from the sacrificial duty expected of her from her mother and family. Will she be able to risk all in her quest for a better life?

The tale of Nazia and her family makes one realize that a life free from having to daily find food, shelter, and a measure of safety are not to be taken for granted. A book is a success when it makes me wonder how would I measure up if I were placed in the position of Nazia. How would one not only survive but thrive, imagining a life that has not before been part of your imagination? One is left to compare one's own hopes and dreams with the ones of the characters in this novel.

Rated FOUR out of FIVE stars.

"The Possibilities of Sainthood" by Donna Freitas

It's nice for a girl to have a hobby, and Antonia Lucia Labella has a whopper - every month, she writes a letter to the Vatican petitioning for a new patron saint (as in The Patron Saint of Figs, or The Patron Saint of Irons) AND nominating herself for the position. She is undeterred from her passion despite a. her fractious, if loving relationship with her Italian mother b. her job at her mother's Italian market c. her longing to receive her first kiss and d. the fact that the Church only canonizes dead miracle-workers as saints.

Antonia buffers her petitions by diligently studying about, and praying for assistance, from the many patron saints in her Saint Diary. She also breezes through her home, school, and neighborhood with a determined faith in herself, her family, and her future, working miracles large and small with humor, open-mindedness, and faith.

Freitas paints a wonderful portrait of an appealing, positive, and determined young woman. Although Antonia's life is highly influenced by her Italian heritage and Catholic religion, her quests are ones that any teen can identify with, and the humor that is found on every page makes this a terrific read. Sigh - the only detail lacking in this novel is a recipe for the Italian wandies (pastry) that were mentioned in Chapter 20 - they sound delicious!

Rated FOUR and a HALF out of five stars.

"Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson

When visiting the many attractions at Niagara Falls, many tourists make a stop to ride the cable car over the giant Whirlpool. As one hovers over that impressive natural phenomenon of swirling torrents, a basic primal fear starts to set in - What if the cable car snapped? What if you fell in the monstrous vortex? Surely that would mean the end of life for any living creature sucked into the depths through that power. So overpowering that you wonder that if you were caught and dragged below, would even your spirit be able to escape the pull?

While reading about the main character in Laurie Halse Anderson's Wintergirls, one can't help thinking that Lia is caught in a mental whirlpool so powerful that escape is impossible. As a teen obsessed with controlling caloric intake, Lia's every waking second is spent structuring her life on diminishing her food, her movements, her relationships. This disappearing act, instigated by a friend's death and seemingly uncaring parents, is so realistically created by Anderson, that the reader experiences, along with Lia, the powerful pull of anorexia on the mind, body, and spirit. Can Lia ever escape the illusion of the disease's control?

Anderson's writing successfully captures the dilemma of the disease on a teen's psyche, fully exploring its deceptive pull, to the gripping extent she also achieved in Speak. Highly recommended - FIVE stars.

"The School for Dangerous Girls" by Eliot Schrefer

Angie, a teen with a difficult and troubled adolescence who has depleted her mother's patience, is sent to Hidden Oaks, a reform school hidden deep in the Colorado countryside. A former boys' prep school with its own tragic past, the Hidden Oaks campus consists of severaltermined to find buildings surrounded by the ruins of former dormitories, gyms, and classroom buildings. Angie, along with the rest of the "dangerous girls", jockeys for position and standing in a group that suffers minimal interaction with the adults whose mission is to reform them. Once classes start, it becomes apparent that the students have been separated into two "strands" of girls - one whose members remain in classes, and another, whose members mysteriously disappear and are not heard from again.

As Angie attempts to find her place at Hidden Oaks and deal with her troubled past, she is also determined to discover the fates of the girls who have disappeared, and begins to suffer from the cruel and bizarre punishments of the teachers. The threatening setting of the ruined campus and deteriorating weather, coupled with the exploration of the dark side of group dynamics, make this a thriller from start to finish. One can't help but turn the pages to find the answers to the many mysteries embedded in the appropriately named Hidden Oaks.

I'd rate this book four out of five stars.

"The Underneath" by Kathi Appelt

A pregnant cat, abandoned deep in bayou country, finds a sense of safety and belonging when she decides to live in the crawl space under a cabin with a hound dog who lured her there with his lonesome song. The family is soon complete with two kittens, and Ranger, the dog who has been permanently chained to his position, immediately turns aside his loneliness to love and care for his new family. The cats are quickly taught to stay hidden quietly and carefully in the Underneath, for to come out into the sunshine could mean an encounter with the Monster who lives above them - a damaged recluse known as Gar-Face.

The unlimited monstrosity of Gar-Face becomes apparent when the animals' guard becomes lax and tragedy strikes. The animals are left with not much more than their unshakable motivations to once more find their sense of love and security complete once again within the bonds of their family, but to achieve their longing, they must all risk the ultimate sacrifice.

The lyrical nature of Appelt's writing is perfectly suited to the mysterious and secretive nature of the bayou in which the story takes place. The story of love, security, and freedom, battling with the presence of evil and death, is perfectly set and expressed in the story of these animals who have chosen to engage in that battle for each others' sakes. This 2009 Newbery Honor and National Book Award Finalist is well worth the reading, however, if you are a sucker for animals like I am, keep that tissue box handy!

FIVE out of FIVE stars.

"Unwind" by Neal Shusterman

Shusterman has done it again - taken the thread of reality as we know it today and unspooled its length straight into a nightmarish future that seems totally possible. Connor, Risa, and Lev are three teens who, by choice or circumstance, are slated as "Unwounds" - kids who are soon to be "harvested" for their body parts. In a society that has experienced and lived through the horror of a war between pro-choice and pro-life factions, parents can choose to have the lives of their teens "altered" to benefit the rest of humankind by the donation of their very bodies.

Although they have different degrees of dedication to the "cause", Connor, Risa, and Lev have all escaped their trip to the harvest camp, and find themselves literally running for their lives. Shusterman develops the three characters at the same time he creates a chilling atmosphere of fear and suspicion. One of the most terrifying passages I've ever read is the chapter in which the unwinding of one teen unfolds through his thoughts and words.

I'd rate this page-turner FIVE out of five stars.

"The White Darkness" by Geraldine McCaughrean

As a teenage girl who is obsessed with Antarctica, Sym is thrilled when her brilliant Uncle Victor steals her away from home and school for a three-week trip of a lifetime to that frozen wonderland. Sym is definitely in need of an adventure after experiencing the death of her father and bullying at school, and at first, Antarctica is everything she had always dreamed it would be - a place of incredible beauty and unimaginable emptiness, which somehow makes Sym feel stronger and more confident than she had ever felt at home. Soon, however, the other members of the travel group are feeling sick and incapacitated, and Uncle Victor's hidden agenda for the trip is revealed. Sym soon finds herself fighting for survival is one of the most uninhabitable places on earth, where even a few seconds of unprotected exposure means certain death.

McCaughrean's writing is lyrical, spell-binding, and spine-tingling. The visually lush descriptions of the hypnotic beauty of Antartica are seamlessly intermingled with Sym's attempts to remain sane and alive in unendurable circumstances. The reader, along with Sym, is drawn slowly and magnetically into the truths hidden in the alien landscape.

I rate this fiction tale of suspense FOUR and a HALF out of FIVE Stars.

"The True Meaning of Smekday" by Adam Rex

You would think that a book about aliens conquering Earth would be full of futuristic weapons, gory battles, and lots of ugly, horrific aliens, right? What you might NOT expect, and what you get plenty of in "The True Meaning of Smekday," is a lot of laughs along with the aliens, the adventure, and an extremely plucky and likeable heroine. Gratuity Tucci is an 11-year-old trying to reunite with her mother after the latter is abducted by the conquering alien race of Boov. The Boov, a race of three-foot high creatures with tiny hands and many legs, have ordered the entire human race to Arizona, and Gratuity is determined to get there illegally by driving by herself in her mom's old car along with their pet cat, Pig. Complications ensue when:

1. her car is damaged by patrolling Boov
2. her car is fixed by a Boov calling himself J.Lo
3. J.Lo reveals he is on the run from other Boov because of a horrible mistake he has made, and
4. J.Lo's horrible mistake involved insulting yet another conquering race of aliens.

So how does Gratuity juggle traveling with an enemy alien, looking for her mom, and trying to save the human race? With a lot of adventure, determination, and acceptance that friendship and family often comes in unexpected combinations.

If you like your thrillers interspersed with a lot of fun, you will love this book. I rate it FIVE out of FIVE stars!

Check out the funny official website, too: http://www.smekday.com/

"Converting Kate" by Beckie Weinheimer

Kate, newly relocated with her mom to Maine, was raised in Arizona within the strict guidelines of her mother's very conservative church. Now, though, a year after her father's unexpected death, Kate is in the process of questioning everything about her religious unbringing: the extremely modest clothing, the banning of all but church-approved reading material, and the constant proselytizing of church non-members. Instead, Kate joins the school cross-country team, makes a variety of friends, reads books that had been banned to her, and even starts attending the youth group run by the town's new liberal minister. Subsequently, Kate finds herself in an almost constant battle with her mother.

Like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, Kate finds in each new relationship, book, and experience a way to reform her beliefs and her way of thinking. Contrasting the lush greenery of Maine with the arid desert of Arizona, Kate emerges into a whole new world, inside and out.

Kate's search for her own moral compass is one with which most young adults can identify. Teens are naturals at questioning the rules and guidelines that adults can sometimes take for granted. Personally, I've always been fascinated with the psychology of how people form their beliefs, so "Converting Kate" was an especially good read for me. I admired Kate's strength in her struggle to question beliefs that were not personally valid for her.

Author Beckie Weinheimer was forty when she broke away from the church community that, from the time of her childhood, "dictated what I thought, drank, wore, read, and saw." In writing about a teen going through the same process, Weinheimer was successfully able to capture the emotions she must have had as a grown woman going through the same process making Kate's story very believable. You can read more about the author at her website: www.beckieweinheimer.com.

I'd rate this novel FOUR and a HALF out of FIVE stars.

"Elijah of Buxton" by Christopher Paul Curtis

Did you ever wish you could go back in history just to see how people looked, and talked, and dressed, what they ate, etc? This book is the next best thing to a time machine; it provides the reader with a first-class ticket to observe the community of Buxton, Ontario in the 1850s. Buxton was (and is) a real town that was founded by and for newly-freed slaves, most of whom escaped from their American slave owners. (The photo to the left is of a replica of the Freedom Bell, which was rung each time a newly escaped slave experienced their first day of freedom by seeking refuge in Buxton.)

The people of the community come alive through the eyes and voice of Elijah, who has the honor of being the first child born into freedom. (He also holds a more dubious and disgusting honor of "anointing" famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass after he jiggled baby Elijah a little too emphatically after a feeding.) Elijah has been pegged as being a "fragile" boy - one whose tears and fears are always a little too close to the surface. As Elijah faces the challenges of adolescence, we get a fascinating, a very funny, glimpse into what it must have been like to grow up in a warm, supportive, rural community.

Curtis enhances Elijah's voice with plenty of humor (my favorite story involved Elijah's overwhelming fear of snakes), but the humor stops and real drama begins as Elijah travels to the American side of the river in order to attempt to retrieve stolen money that was to be used to buy a community member's still-enslaved family. Elijah's exploration of a seemingly-abandoned barn - and what he finds inside it - is both heart-stopping and heart-rending.

Read the novel "Elijah of Buxton" for the humor, the drama, and also for a fascinating glimpse into a group of people in the process of overcoming the physical and mental barriers to freedom.

Rated FIVE out of FIVE stars.

"The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs" by Jack Gantos

Did I hear you say that a "love curse" doesn't sound all that bad? Like something that might involve lots of chocolate and flowers? Think again! The "love curse" of the Rumbaugh family is obsessive ... no, Obsessive ... wait ... REALLY OBSESSIVE maternal love. And the Rumbaugh family hobby? Weeelllllll, that would be taxidermy (the preservation of dead animals).

YOU put the two together....

The gruesome sum is the basis for this quietly horrifying novel that follows the story of Ivy Spirco, a girl who grows up in a small town in Pennsylvania with nary a worry. After all, when a girl loves her mother the way Ivy does, whose got room for any worries? Well, except for the one nagging thought she has about the inevitable day her mother will die....

This novel starts out very quietly and unassumingly, until you realize you can't help developing goosebumps that get bigger with every chapter (or maybe it's that funny feeling you get in the back of your throat when you come across something very gruesome) . You can almost feel empathetic with Ivy and her solution to the Love Curse.

If you are the type that is disgusted by anything freaky, steer clear of this book.

If you are the type to like a lot of freakishness and bizareness with your horror, this is the book for you - FOUR and a HALF out of FIVE stars. And maybe get a blood test for any weird strain of love curses that may be flowing through your veins!

(Oh, I strongly suggest this for more mature readers.)

"Breakfast at Bloomingdale's" by Kristen Kemp

Ever dream of breaking out of your humdrum existence here in smalltown USA in order to pursue your "real" life and perfect career elsewhere? If so, you will easily identify with Kat Zappe (not her real name), who grew up in upstate New York dreaming about the day she will escape to NYC to pursue her dream of being a successful fashion designer with her much-beloved grandmother, who is also her fashionista-partner. Unfortunately, Kat must go solo in the pursuit of her dreams after the sudden death of grandma. Her back-up plan, running away from her estranged mother with her high-school boyfriend, also comes to a screeching halt when her boyfriend bails, leaving her stranded on the side of the highway on their way to create a new life in NYC. Not to be deterred, Kat zealously pursues her short-term goals (getting to and finding a place to live in the city), medium-term goals (winning a fashion-design contest for graduating high schoolers), and long-term goals (having her own fashion line, "Breakfast," for sale at Bloomingdale's) in a manner similar to heat-seeking missile seeking its target.

Although the writing, told in Kat's first-person style, can at times seem choppy and disjointed, it is always true to Kat's love and obsession with creating fashion. You will easily join in the fun with Kat and her mates as they design, cut, sew, and drape with abandon, and as Kate learns that while it may not be easy, creating a true life for oneself is always worth the effort.

(By the way, my 14-year-old daughter LOVED this book, and made me read it when she was done. I am glad she did.)

I rate this book FOUR out of FIVE stars.

So what dreams would you like to pursue to create your "real" life?