Bibliotechies » It’s a Guy Thing

Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Lizsays — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 01:15:24 +0000

Dystopian tales filled with violence, intrigue and romance. Ultimately through the courage of those who challenge the new world order, there is hope. Well-written and thought-provoking, these are a must read. Recommended for middle and high school students and their parents!

Shift by Jennifer Bradbury

Lizsays — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 13:11:24 +0000

When best friends Chris and Win go on a cross country bicycle trek the summer after graduating and only one returns, the FBI wants to know what happened.

Liz says:

“This is a favorite for many kids. Girls and boys rave about this one! It’s an intriguing mystery with the perfect combination of suspense and good storytelling. I recommend this one to kids who like to read and to reluctant readers!!”

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Lizsays — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:14:34 +0000

Three teens embark upon a cross-country journey in order to escape from a society that salvages body parts from children ages thirteen to eighteen.

Liz says:

“To say this book is thought-provoking, entertaining and amazing is to put it mildly. This is a page turner. The characters are so real and their stories so gripping, you cannot put it down!”

Absolutely True Diary of Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Lizsays — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 17:13:57 +0000

Budding cartoonist Junior leaves his troubled school on the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend an all-white farm town school where the only other Native American is the school mascot.

Liz says:

“This is a must read for 8th grade boys and older – 9th grade may even be more appropriate. Adults should read this too. Junior’s humorous, irreverent voice and drawings give a hard, honest look at life on a Reservation. This story is semi-autobiographical.”

2010 Printz Award Winner Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Lizsays — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:33:42 +0000

Cameron Smith, a disaffected sixteen-year-old diagnosed with mad cow disease, sets off on a road trip with a death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf he meets in the hospital in an attempt to find a cure.

Liz says:

“Holy Cow! It’s hard even to comprehend how to describe this masterpiece. Crazy, epic, fun, funny, tragic, ironic are just a few words that come to mind. This is for a reader who likes a long book that goes off in wild tangents. For those who decide to sink their teeth into this treasure, you will not be disappointed .”

2010 Schneider Family Book Award Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

pforray — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:04:22 +0000

Marcelo Sandoval, a seventeen-year-old boy on the high-functioning end of the autistic spectrum, faces new challenges, including romance and injustice, when he goes to work for his father in the mailroom of a corporate law firm.

Liz says:

“Having attended a special school for his whole life, Marcelo’s father decides that Marcelo should go to public school for his senior year of high school. Marcelo loves his school and is especially attached to a program there that allows him to work with horses. He makes a “deal” with his mom that if he goes to work at his father’s law firm for the summer and gives an honest try at working in the “real world” he can then choose which school he will go to. Over the course of the summer, Marcelo experiences many challenges and encounters injustice and dishonesty. Marcelo’s unflinching goodness and unique sense of the world make this a powerful story with the lasting effect of new understanding and empathy.” (Received 5 starred reviews).

carascherzer — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 19:35:28 +0000

You Don’t Know Me by David Klass

carascherzer — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:08:25 +0000

Fourteen-year-old John creates alternative realities in his mind as he tries to deal with his mother’s abusive boyfriend, his crush on a beautiful, but shallow classmate and other problems at school.

Liz says:

“Right from the start, John catches the reader off guard as he directs his thoughts toward his mother. It’s almost as if this is told from a 4th person narration. This is a gripping story of mental and physical abuse and there are some harrowing scenes. It’s an amazing story with an amazing ending.”

Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman

carascherzer — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:28:20 +0000

Seventeen-year-old Vince’s life is constantly complicated by the fact that he is the son of a powerful Mafia boss, a relationship that threatens to destroy his romance with the daughter of an FBI agent.

Liz says:

“This hilariously funny book is a modern day version of Romeo & Juliet without the tough language and the horrific tragedy! You will be laughing from the first scene.” (Sequel – Son of the Mob: Hollywood Hustle)

Notes from the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick

carascherzer — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:22:15 +0000

After being assigned to perform community service at a nursing home, sixteen-year-old Alex befriends a cantankerous old man who has some lessons to impart about jazz guitar playing, love, and forgiveness.

Liz says:

“Sonnenblick’s ability to capture believable voices and to deliver a meaningful story is amazing. There’s some tough stuff in this book but its well worth it.”