Reviews+

A fun treatment of punctuation

Today we review three thrillingly original works of speculative fiction. Let’s start with a post-apocalyptic, dystopian debut novel. The Office of Mercy is being marketed as a Hunger Games readalike. (I’ve also seen comparisons to recent Alex Award winner, Pure). However, debut author Djanikian is more concerned with ethical questions than fast-paced action. The Alphas had good intentions [...]

Navigating Early By Clare Vanderpool Delacorte Press (Random House) ISBN: 9780385742092 $16.99 Grades 5-8 In Stores *Best New Book* Find it at: Schuler Books | Your Library When Moon Over Manifest won the 2011 Newbery Medal, it took everyone off guard. Any time a debut novel receives that sort of recognition, the followup isn’t just [...]

The expert narration coupled with a powerful and heartfelt story make E.M. Kokie's Personal Effects audiobook a must-have for all high school and public library collections.

The cold weather is back, and the best way to fight it a blanket, a cup of hot chocolate, and some good comics from this week’s list! The Sonic the Hedgehog spin-off series, Sonic Universe, is about to hit a milestone as the 49th issue is released from Archie Comics. Drawn and Quarterly releases two [...]

You've heard of the Follett Challenge, right? The grand-prize winner will receive $60,000 in Follett products and services. More than 100 educators have applied and sent in their three- to five-minute videos, and voting is now officially open. And here's a shameless plug: the home of our teen reviewers, Patrick F. Taylor Science and Technology Academy, is one of the applicants, and it sure would love to have you vote for its video submission. The video with the most votes is up for a $5,000 prize; voting closes on March 18, and you can vote every day.

A powerful and uplifting biography of a 19th-century slave who was also a talented artist.

Whether memoir or realistic fiction, many teens respond to stories of struggle that are told from the heart. Here are three to recommend. Let’s begin with a love story. We haven’t featured many love stories here. At least, not weepy, traditional ones that earn a starred review! Many are couched in historical fiction or the [...]

It’s Nevada, 1869, and 15-year-old Jim and his injured horse, Promise, are struggling to make it across the 40-Mile Desert. They're rescued by Mutt, Golgotha’s Native American deputy, who encourages Jim to settle in his town. And it’s a good thing he agrees, because along with the sheriff and a few other key residents, they are about to fight a great battle to save the Earth, heaven, and hell—one whose seeds were planted when the world was first created.