The Rivals by Daisy Whitney

Book Jacket

When Alex Patrick was assulted by another student last year, her elite boarding school wouldn't do anything about it.  This year Alex is head of the Mockingbirds, a secret society of students who police and protect the student body.  While she desperately wants to live up to the legacy that's been given to her, she's now dealing with a case unlike any the Mockingbirds have seen before.

It isn't rape.  It isn't bullying.  It isn't hate speech.  A far-reaching prescription drug ring has sprung up, and students are using the drugs to cheat.  But how do you try a case with no obvious victim?  Especially when the facts don't add up, and each new clue drives a wedge between Alex and the people she loves most--her friends, her boyfriend, and her fellow Mockingbirds.

As Alex unravels the layers of deciet within the school, the administration, and even the student body the Mockingbirds protect, her struggle to navigate the murky waters of vigilante justice threaten to reveal even more about herself.

Review

I didn't think The Mockingbirds needed a sequel, but...I was wrong!  It did, and The Rivals delivers.  Some of my favorite parts involved watching Alex grow stronger by dealing with the aftermath of last year's date rape and the subsequent trial.  Some students (and teachers, pardon me while I throw up) blame Alex for what happened, so she has to deal with snide comments, sidelong looks, and shoves in the hallway. 

That sucks, and that's not all.  She also has to deal with her memories.  Could she have done more to avoid it?  Fight him off?  And will she ever enjoy time with her boyfriend without flashing back to that awful night?

Thank goodness Alex is one of the strongest, coolest girls I've ever read about.  She hurts, but she perseveres.  More than that, she turns her pain into a drive to help others.  Which is just what she does as the new leader of the Mockingbirds, trying to suss out a drug/cheating ring at her school.

I'll be honest.  That part (uh, the plot) wasn't what made this book awesome.  It did bring up some interesting questions, like how do you prosecute a group of people who are not hurting anyone in particular but everyone in general?  But law stuff is not my passion.  I love relationships.  I loved seeing Alex break and mend her friendships with T.S. and Maia.  I loved seeing her communicate honestly with her boyfriend Martin while they deal with disagreements and jealousy.  I loved seeing her learn to trust the faculty members who actually care more for their students than their national ranking.  And I loved seeing her relationship with her piano, how losing herself in music gave her peace and clarity.

Alex is an awesome role model, and while the Mockingbirds have some flaws, it is a great role model as well.  Bring on the teenage social justic vigilantes!

Five out of five Ravel pieces.

Release Date: February 2012
Reading Level: Grade 9+
Where In Dunlap Public Library's Collection: YPL WHI

LEGO Construction Club

This week the kids made traps, and...I am now a little afraid of them.  If they ever grow up to create secret lairs, I am not going to visit!  There were traps to cut off your arms, traps to blow you up, and traps put you in prison.  Also, one girl made a bunch of butterflies. 

Pictures below the cut!

Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech

Book Jacket

Jack
Room 204--Miss Stretchberry

February 25

Today the fat black cat
up in the tree
by the bus stop
dropped a nut on my head
thunk
and when I yelled at it
that fat black cat said
Murr-mee-urr
in a
nasty
spiteful
way.

I hate that cat.

This is the story of
Jack
words
wounds
silence
teacher
and cat.

Review

I love cats, so of course I adored this book (not what you'd expect from the title, but people change).  The way Jack described their giddy playfulness and silliness was evocative, just like poems ought to be.  Skitter McSkitters sounds awesome.

It is extremely unlikely that Miss Stretchberry would move up to teach Jack again for another school year, and spend the whole year on poetry, but do I care?  Nope.  This time she teaches a bit more of the technical side of poetry, and it was cool to see Jack explore the worlds of alliteration, similes, and onomatopoeia.

The highlight of this book, though, is Jack's slow description of his mother.  His questions about hearing sounds, feeling sounds, and seeing sounds were simply wonderful.  Magic in word form.  Mostly because of these entries, I felt like Hate That Cat was a much better showing than Love That Dog.  Which makes sense, as he is now a year older and begins the story fiercely in love with poetry and the magic it can inspire.

Five out of five bowls of milk.

Release Date: February 2010
Reading Level: Grade 3+
Where In Dunlap Public Library's Collection: Not currently in our collection.

The Familiars by Adam Epstein & Andrew Jacobson

Book Jacket

When Aldwyn, a young alley cat on the run, ducks into a mysterious pet shop, he doesn't expect his life to change.  But that's exactly what happens when Jack, a young wizard, picks Aldwyn to be his magical familiar.

Finally off the tough streets, Aldwyn thinks he's got it made.  He just has to convince the other familiars--the know-it-all blue jay Skylar and the friendly tree frog Gilbert--that he's the telekinetic cat he claims to be.  But when Jack and two other wizards in training are captured by a terrible evil, it will take all of Aldwyn's street smarts, a few good friends, and a nose for adventure to save the day!

Review

I picked up this book because a kid came into the library desperate for its sequel.  He was bouncing with excitement about this story, so naturally, it became the next Bluestem nominee on my list to read.  When I started The Familiars, I mentally groaned, because talking animals are not my favorite kind of book.  Fortunately, Epstein and Jacobson totally changed my mind!

This is a nice switch of perspective.  Readers of Harry Potter are familiar with the idea that wizards often have toads (Trevor!) or cats (Crookshanks!) as pets.  The Familiars makes them the heroes and sets them in a wonderfully realized fantasy world.  Honestly, the lowkey mentions of their fantastical world were my favorite parts, whether they were storm berries, lightning-made horses, or Scribius, the map-making pen.  So clever!

Sorry to keep on with the Harry Potter references, but surely I'm not the only one to see echoes of the Golden Trio?  Skylar the know-it-all bluejay who is dead useful but a bit annoying--Hermione in the early books.  Gilbert the comic relief tree frog who is mostly stupid but sometimes comes through in a pinch--definitely Ron.  And then we've got Aldwyn the cat, who is very resourceful, relies on street smarts more than intelligence, and constantly feels like he can't live up to others' expectations.  Yup, that's Harry.

Are the similarities deliberate or unintentional?  Like I care.  I loved the Trio in Harry Potter, and I love the trio in The Familiars.  Unlikely frienships that blossom in the face of danger and mutual dependency are always my favorite. 

This is a great fun book that looks at the unseens side of magic--the animals!

Four out of five Hydras of Mukrete.

Release Date: June 2011
Reading Level: Grade 3+
Where In Dunlap Public Library's Collection: BLUESTEM

39 Clues: Beyond the Grave by Jude Watson

Book Jacket

Betrayed by their cousins, abandoned by their uncle, and with only the slimmest hint to guide them, fourteen-year-old Amy Cahill and her younger brother, Dan, rush off to Egypt on the hunt for 39 Clues that lead to a source of an unimaginable power.  But when they arrive, Amy and Dan get something completely unexpected--a message from their dead grandmother, Grace.  Did Grace set out to help the two orphans...or are Amy and Dan heading for the most devastating betrayal of all?

Review

This time: Egypt!  I've had friends who were obsessed with Egyptian history, but sadly, I don't share their enthusiasm.  Still, Watson made the markets of Cairo sparkle with life, and I really really want to see the colorfully painted tomb of Nefertari.  Is that real?

This there were no Holts (who cares?) or Kabras (sob!), but we got a whole lot more Grace.  It was nice to see the Cahill kids grieve for their deceased grandmother.  They also dealt with doubting her love for them, and finding reassurance in the strangest places.

We also got a glimpse into Irina's motivations, and it turns out she's a far more sympathetic character than I would have imagined.  Yay for complicated villains!  Bai Oh is creepy, although I like how the clan divisions are made so obviously absurd in him.  If he supports the Ekaterinas more than anything ever, then I'm guessing the moral of the story will be for the different branches to work together.

Four out of five crocodiles.

Release Date:  June 2009
Reading Level: Grade 3+
Where In Dunlap Public Library's Collection: J 39C

How Tia Lola Came to (Visit) Stay by Julia Alvarez

Book Jacket

When Migeul's Tia Lola come from the Dominican Republic to Vermont to help out his mami, Miguel is worried that his unusual aunt will make it even more difficult to make new friends.  It's been hard enough moving from New York City and leaving Papi behind.  Sometimes he wishes Tia Lola would go back to the island.

But then he wouldn't have the treats she's putting in his lunch box, which he's sure helped him make the baseball team.  And she really needs his help to learn English so she doesn't use all the words she knows at once: "One-way-caution-you're-welcome-thanks-for-asking."

So Miguel changes his wish to a new one, and he finally even figures out a clever way to make it come true.

Review

This is a great book that deals with family relationships, dealing with divorce, struggling with moving, trying to make friends, and learning to be proud of yourself and your heritage.  That's a lot for one little book to cover, but Alvarez juggles all these themes very well. 

There is also a huge emphasis on Latin American culture, which was great!  I lived with a Cuban American girl in college, and her bombastic personality and tendencies to dance to loud reggaeton in our living room was brought back to mind while reading this book.  Tia Lola is a force to be reckoned with.  Her enthusiasm and love of life is evident, whether she's speaking Spanish or English.  She is an inspiration to us all to be ourselves, and to invite others into our happiness.

I'm a big fan of books that introduce Midwesterners to different cultures, and this one does that nicely.  It also plays to fears and doubts that we all have, making it great for any reader at any age.

Four out of five pinatas.

Release Date:  August 2002
Reading Level: Grade 3+
Where In Dunlap Public Library's Collection: BLUESTEM

Even Monsters Need Haircuts by Matthew McElligott

Book Jacket

Stop in for a shave and a scare cut.

Review

I love the easy way this book deals with monsters--there's no scare factor.  The vampires and hairy things and mummies are presented either matter-of-factly or comically. 

The nameless protagonist watches his father cut people's hair during the day.  One night a month, a bat named Vlad comes to his window and escorts him back to the shop for a night of cutting monster's hair.  They use rotting tonic and shamp-ewww.  It's all extremely adorable.

I think this book will go a long way in making kids less frightened of traditional horror creatures.  And it's also quite creative!  Frankenstien always gets the same haircut, Medusa likes to try new styles, and skeletons?  No one quite knows what to do for them.

Very enjoyable.

Four out of five festering lotions.

Release Date:  July 2010
Reading Level: Grade K+
Where In Dunlap Public Library's Collection: MONARCH