Juvenile Titles - Towanda Public Library Wish List

The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet

Hoping to fly under the radar in middle school, Hamlet’s dream of a quiet eighth-grade year is dashed. Her genius seven-year-old sister, Desdemona, is also enrolled in eighth grade so she can fill her homeschooled curriculum deficiencies in the arts before moving on to college, and her flamboyant Shakespearean scholar parents—in full Elizabethan garb—offer their expertise in Hamlet’s class. Hamlet vacillates between being protective of Dezzie and distancing herself. But when two popular girls befriend Dezzie, Hamlet wonders at their motives and causes a rift with her sister when she voices the suspicion that they are taking advantage of Dezzie’s smarts to help them pass their classes. Hamlet further stands out during a dazzling reading of A Midsummer Night's Dream,which reveals her natural talent for theater. Some sisterly bonding, the sweet flutterings of a first romance, and a creatively contrived comeuppance for the mean girls make this a cheerful read for younger middle-schoolers. Grades 4-7. --Heather Booth
http://www.amazon.com/Total-Tragedy-Girl-Named-Hamlet/dp/0803732988/ref=cm_lmf_tit_11_russss0

The Doom Machine

Starred Review. Grade 4–7—Teague doesn't hold anything back in his first full-length novel. Readers are treated to some of his classic storytelling elements including inquisitive kids, aliens of many varieties, and interesting gizmos. In 1956, Jack Creedle is just beginning his paper route when a flying saucer passes overhead and lands nearby. A week later Vern Hollow is mostly deserted when Isadora Shumway and her mother, a highly respected scientist, arrive there as their car gives out. Jack repairs it and he and the Shumways attempt to leave town with Jack's Uncle Bud. Of course, all four of them are captured by the alien skreeps, giant spiderlike beings from a vast and cruel empire. As in any epic, these heroes journey across strange landscapes, face difficult choices, receive unexpected help, and eventually triumph with their new allies. The author subtly weaves in commentary on the skreeps, who think only of themselves and who leave entire worlds barren in order to enjoy their resources. Teague's signature artwork livens up an already gripping story. This isn't hard science fiction, but talk of wormholes and other science fits the story well. It's a great story with engaging characters and a good deal of humor.—Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Library, Wisconsin Rapids, WI
http://www.amazon.com/Doom-Machine-Mark-Teague/dp/0545151422/ref=cm_lmf_tit_1_russss0#_

Falling In

Grade 3–6—Isabelle Bean has no friends since her classmates consider her weird and even scary. She prefers thrift shops to the mall and dresses in whatever she feels like at the moment. One day, sitting in class concentrating on a strange buzzing sound, she is sent to the principal's office for not paying attention. She opens the door to a supply closet and is plunged into a fairy-talelike world in an alternate universe. She encounters children traveling to the "camps" to avoid being eaten by the Witch of the Woods and meets Hen, and they set out on their own in the opposite direction. Arriving at a cozy cottage, the girls are welcomed by Grete, an elderly woman who uses plants to heal. Isabelle learns that Grete is her grandmother and that she may be the "witch" the people have been taught to fear. Armed with only her determination and intuitive nature, Isabelle marches off to the camps to dispel the rumor of the witch. It is here the plot thickens as Dowell offers twists, turns, and a tragic near-death. Throughout the book she addresses readers directly as though she is telling the story to them. Isabelle's adventures come to a satisfying conclusion as she "falls out" of her school closet a little wiser and maybe a bit more likely to make a friend, and she reminds readers to just believe that "the doors are out there. Don't be afraid to turn the knob."—D. Maria LaRocco, Cuyahoga Public Library, Strongsville, OH
http://www.amazon.com/Falling-Frances-ORoark-Dowell/dp/141695032X/ref=cm_lmf_tit_3_russss0

Drizzle

Grade 4–6—Polly Peabody, 11, lives on an unusual rhubarb farm where it rains at exactly 1 p.m. every Monday, and some of the plants taste like chocolate. Like her parents and her grandmother before her, Polly loves the farm with all her soul. When Aunt Edith shows her a secret room, a library, filled with writhing ivy and bugs that fly in patterns that spell out words, she is thrilled. But then the weekly rain stops, plants start to die, Polly's older brother becomes ill, and Aunt Edith pressures Polly's dad to sell the property. Now Polly must interpret the farm's signs and symptoms to figure out both the problem and the solution. Why won't those insects just spell out what she needs to do rather than give her vague and puzzling hints? Polly's anxiety and lack of self-confidence—she is reading Emerson's "Self-Reliance"—keep her from making friends and dealing with a bully at school, although for readers, as for Polly, it's the stuff that happens on the farm that is most compelling. In general, Polly's insect and plant acquaintances are more developed than most of the humans, who never quite become convincing characters. However, Polly's gradual discovery of her own strange power and the joy she takes in her ability to help those she loves best is both entertaining and gratifying. Give this whimsical fantasy to fans of Ingrid Law's Savvy
http://www.amazon.com/Drizzle-Kathleen-Van-Cleve/dp/0803733623/ref=cm_lmf_tit_4_russss0

The Last Newspaper Boy in America

Grade 4–7—The David family has delivered the Cooper County Caller to residents of Steele, PA, for as long as anyone can remember. Wil's 12th birthday signals that he will take over for his older brother, and he's been practicing his tosses from his bike. When the circulation manager phones the day before his start date to inform him that the Caller has decided to discontinue home delivery, Wil is devastated. The more he thinks about it, the madder he gets: folks in his rural community rely on that paper for important news and employment opportunities. Many are jobless since the factory shut down, and TV reception is iffy with no cable service. Putting his stubborn streak to good use, Wil goes up against the big corporation that bought the paper. Chapter titles resembling newspaper headlines foreshadow what is to come. Like the author's Free Baseball (2006) and 12 Again (2002, both Dutton), this novel has a likable protagonist, engaging secondary characters, realistic dialogue, and a fast-moving plot that both seasoned and reluctant readers will enjoy. While Michael Winerip's "Adam Canfield" titles (Candlewick) focus on the inside workings of newspaper production, Corbett offers a timely look at how increased dependence on electronic news sources is impacting small newspapers and their audiences. Youngsters who have grown up surrounded by cable television and online news will have much to ponder after they have turned the final pages of this thought-provoking story.—Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA
http://www.amazon.com/Last-Newspaper-Boy-America/dp/0525422056/ref=cm_lmf_tit_5_russss0#_

The Gravity Keeper

Occasionally breaking into the story with a first-person comment, this book’s omniscient narrator tells the story of 11-year-old Simon Bloom, who one day discovers a mysterious, hidden forest in the middle of his New Jersey town. Followed by timid Owen, Simon enters the clearing where a secret, powerful group, the Order of Physics, has just met and disbanded. The adventure begins when a large book pops out of nowhere and decks Simon. Entitled Teachers’ Edition of Physics, the book is filled with scientific formulas that Owen figures out how to use, much like magic spells. His increasing skills—he learns how to control gravity and friction—draw the attention of smart, popular Alysha, who joins Simon and Owen in marveling over the book’s secrets. Together, they must fight against a mysterious woman whose body is tattooed with scientific formulas and who is trying to take over the world. This is great, escapist fare for those smart middle-grade readers who are fascinated by science, magic, and adventure. Grades 4-7. --Diana Tixier Herald
http://www.amazon.com/Simon-Gravity-Keeper-Michael-Reisman/dp/0525479228/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0

Out of My Mind

Eleven-year-old Melody has a photographic memory. Her head is like a video camera that is always recording. Always. And there's no delete button. She's the smartest kid in her whole school—but no one knows it. Most people--her teachers and doctors included--don't think she's capable of learning, and up until recently her school days consisted of listening to the same preschool-level alphabet lessons again and again and again. If only she could speak up, if only she could tell people what she thinks and knows . . . but she can't, because Melody can't talk. She can't walk. She can't write.

Being stuck inside her head is making Melody go out of her mind--that is, until she discovers something that will allow her to speak for the first time ever. At last Melody has a voice . . . but not everyone around her is ready to hear it.

From multiple Coretta Scott King Award winner Sharon M. Draper comes a story full of heartache and hope. Get ready to meet a girl whose voice you'll never, ever forget.
http://www.amazon.com/Out-My-Mind-Sharon-Draper/dp/141697170X/ref=cm_lmf_tit_8_russss0#_