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 November 2004 Book Picks
This month's reviews are taken from TeenReads.com.
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Born Blue by Han Nolan
"Born Blue by Han Nolan is a moving story of little girl who loses everything but finds that her most precious gifts are inside. When her world keeps falling apart, her voice and her passion keep her strong enough to survive anything. Despite being moved around to different foster families, having an unplanned pregnancy, and feeling cheated by what life has given her, Leshaya holds tightly to her dream of one day singing like the "ladies." After traveling around the South and singing with many different bands, she eventually joins a band that gets radio play for one of their songs. But that doesn't mean life gets any easier for Leshaya. There are more twists and turns to the story of her struggle to find a better life, but she never gives up."
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Freaky Green Eyes by Joyce Carol Oates
"Fifteen-year-old Franky Pierson knows that her famous sportscaster father has a bad temper. She also knows that her parents do not get along and that sometimes violence erupts. When her mother moves into a cabin she owns and only visits a few days a week, Franky thinks they just need their own space for a little while. But things seem to get worse and her father's behavior becomes more extreme.
Franky's alter ego, Freaky Green Eyes, is a tough personality that saves her from dangerous and scary situations and is now needed more and more often at home. When her mother disappears, Franky does not want to know what happened. But the truth always seems to have a way of getting out."
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The Glass Cafe by Gary Paulsen
"Twelve-year-old Tony Henson is a skilled artist and his mother Alice is an exotic dancer at the Kitty Kat Club. Inspired by the backstage life of the club, Tony starts accompanying his mother to work and draws pictures of the dancers there. He gives some of the drawings to Ms. Klein, his art teacher. She thinks they are wonderful and submits them in an art contest.
One day while getting ready for work, Alice receives a call from the state government. The Social Services Agency has seen her son's pictures and are accusing her of letting Tony draw pornographic pictures of naked women. A few days later, she is arrested. Will Alice be proven to be an innocent and responsible mother as her son believes her to be, or will she be sent to jail?"
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The Gospel According to Larry by Janet Taihjan
"Josh Swensen is not your average 17-year-old. At the age of two, he was figuring out algebraic equations with colored magnetic numbers. He is a prodigy who only wants to make the world a better place. Josh's wish comes true when his virtual alter ego, Larry, becomes a huge media sensation. Larry has his own Web site where he posts sermons on anti-consumerism and has a large following of adults and teens. Meanwhile, Larry's identity is a mystery to everyone. While it seems as if the whole world is trying to figure out Larry's true identity, Josh feels trapped inside his own creation. What will happen to the world, and to Larry, if he is exposed? "
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| What's That Smell? Oh, It's Me by Tucker Shaw
"Mood swings, zits, strange new bodily functions, the prom . . . The teenage years are tough enough. But when something really mortifying happens, they can be unbearable. That's why Tucker Shaw and AlloyBooks have put together the ultimate handbook for anyone who wants to get from childhood to adulthood relatively unscathed. From dealing with wrecking your dad's car to stopping an overflowing toilet at your crush's house, What's That Smell? is the perfect guide for anyone who might fall prey to any number of teen nightmares. (And guess what? That is everyone.)" |
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