The 2003 Best Books for Young Adults List!
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There were 203 nominated titles
for the 2003 list. These are the 72 books that made
the final list!
Links jump to Amazon.ca -- check out their reviews, too!
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Alvarez, Julia. Before We Were Free.
Historical / Dominican Republic
- The author's writing style allowed me
to get close with the characters which I thought was important. The
main character's thoughts on freedom were enlightening and a written
version of something I could never express. This is one of the rare
books that truly touched me and made me cry. 4Q4P. IP, 15.
- Like: good story line, interesting characters.
Dislikes: part with diary (too much like Anne Frank and rather dull),
not enough action or suspence, plot strayed too much and didn't stay
focused. 3Q 3P. SS, 14.
- I think that this book is fairly good, but I
found it too similar to the Diary of Anne Frank. However, if I were to
judge this book solely on its merits and downfalls, I feel that it was
a fairly good book. 3Q 3P. JI, 16.
- I liked this book but nothing really stood out.
It was well written and kept you interested until the end. 5Q 3P. EW,
13.
- I like this book because some of it was written
like a journal. I liked the main character and found her believable.
3Q 4P.EH, 15.
Anderson, Laurie Halse.
Catalyst
Contemporary
- I liked how the character was slightly neurotic and for someone
who tried to keep such control over her life made such a gamble. I
liked how everyone was off kilter but it seemed normal, not odd. When
Teri entered the picture I thought she'd be there for a chapter or
two, but instead became such an important part of the story, how Teri
& Katie's story became one (sort of). 4Q 3P. EA, 18.
- Kate is a great
charater - just crazy enough to be really interesting, not so crazy
that you can't relate. I doubt that there is a teenager in the world
that hasn't experienced insomnia before - maybe just not to the extent
that Kate did. Kate is aan overacheiver in a super high stress
situation, being a daughter, replacement mom, hostess, and supposedly
university bound AP student - I was kind of disapointed (in a morbid
kind of way) that her pulled pec didn't turn out to be a heart attack.
That would have made for an interesting twist...5Q 4P. JI, 17.
Anderson, M. T.
Feed.
Finalist: National Book
Award * LA Times Book Prize
Auch, Mary Jane.
Ashes of Roses.
Historical Fiction / Immigrants / Labour Union
- I really liked this authors knowledge
of the actual event which was incorporated into the storyline and I
also enjoyed the immigrants point of view (it’s like you’re seeing
everything for the first time) and I liked that everything was
described extremely well. Excellent plot, believable characters. NM,
14.
- The beginning was slow and I almost
lost interest but the events picked up towards the end and I regained
interest. SL, 13.
- I loved this book! You could really
identify with all the characters. The author writes so that you feel
like your inside the story watching all the events happening. 5Q5P.
CS, 15
- I thought that this book did a good
job at describing the life of immigrant families during the time
period and it showed how hard it really was to get into and make a
life in the land of opportunity and the land of the free. She did a
really good job of describing the characters and developing their
personalities. 4Q 4P. NT, 16
Bardi, Abby. The Book of Fred: A Novel.
Contemporary (Cults)
- I liked how each main character had
their own book and how each book would start when Mary Fred arrives
and would progress further than the preceding book. It was so great
when at the end of the book of Heather something happened to M.F. but
you didn't find out what it was till half way through Roy's book.
5Q4P. KH,
15
- I liked how the story was told by all
4 characters and how it went over some events with each character and
told of some that hadn't been mentioned before by others. It was funny
and sad and had its happy ending. 4Q3P. EA, 17.
- It got boring at parts. 3Q 4P.
AR, 14
- It was extremely enjoyable,
entirely believable and definitely a book I would like to re-read. 5Q
4P. KH, 17.
Barker, Clive.Abarat
Fantasy
- I loved how different the book was. The characters were so different.
The whole world that Abarat is, is completely different and so
imaginative, not just a technicolour version of modern day earth. I
liked the different islands, how they each had their own names and
personalities, the squids' used to see far and wide, the glyphs, the
animals that are not animals. 5Q 5P. EA, 17.
- It was frightening at the beginnning 'cause I
didn't know what to expect. 5Q 5P. AR, 14.
- The Characters and setting of this book were
highly imaginative. The Author created dozens of original creatures,
like Christopher Carrion who once had his lips sewn shut by his
grandmother. These creatures were the main thing that kept me reading,
just to find out what would come next, yet other than that, the story
line and theme were not very stong. There's this girl in this
fantastic realm and she's just sort of hangin' around trying to stay
away from the people who would do her harm. 4Q 4P. KR, 14.
Bechard, Margaret.
Hanging on to Max
Contemporary (Single father)
- I liked that it had some troubles that teens
actually have. 5Q 5P KB, 14.
- The ending felt rushed, but other than that I
really can't think of much to improve. It was really well done. 5Q 4P
AB, 16.
- Usually you
would find books about teenage mothers but I felt this was an
extremely accurate portrayal of the teen father role. The characters
were really well written, especially Max. After spending a lot of time
with babies his age I could easily imagine his actions and
personality. 4Q 4P. KH, 15.
- It was a neat concept, a new twist for teen
parenting. Unfortunately, the fact that he gave up his son only
reinforced the idea that the father can't be a parent. It would have
been cooler if he had kept Max and the flash forward could have shown
his success. 3Q 2P. KH, 17
Black,
Holly.
Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale
.
Fantasy / Faerie
- I liked how they had the seelie and unseelie courts
and all the different creatures, the kelpie, pixies, dwarves and so
on. I liked how they followed the rule of 3 and iron and name. It was
a really fun book. The author actually did some research, rather than
writing what she thought the fairies were like. I also liked how it
didn't make faeries to be cute little creatures and how even the queen
of the "better" court was mean. 4Q 5P. EA, 18
- I really really love the cover, I know it's only an
advance readers copy, but they shouldn't change the cover. The whole
idea the story presents is really cool. I don't normally like fantasy
books, but this one relates to stuff that would really happen. The
characters are really amazing. I found that some stuff would happen
but wouldn't match up with other stuff that happened. for example in
the evening Kaye put her rats on her shelf but then she fell asleep,
the next evening the rats are back in the cage safe and sound.I didn't
feel that the book was complete.4Q3P. KH,
15
- Fairly enjoyable. No real plot twist - predictable. The story
itself was a bit typical. Perhaps its because I've read so much
Laurell K. Hamilton that my standards for the
supernatural/preternatural have been set so high. "shrug". 3Q 5P. JL,
16.
- This book was simply amazing. Beautiful, life-like characters who
are very easy to relate to. It was very enjoyable to read, I think
because I supported the protagonist throughout the book. Novels get
annoying when characters are stupid or make clearly bad choices. 5Q
4P. RL, 15.
- The author shouldn't use the sentence "Kaye let out a breath she
didn't know she had been holding" so often. 5Q 5P. AR, 14.
- The premise of this story was highly enjoyable, but the quality of
writing was at best so-so. I liked the idea of there being both good
and not so nice faeries out there. The characters were ok, but there
wasn't much depth to most of them. It seems like a waste of a
perfectly good story line because of the apparent lack of effort in
the actually writing of the story. 3Q 4P. JI, 16.
- I can't keep them straight - the Seelie Court and the Unseelie
Court, who's working for whom. I do like the fairy idea, though, who
doesn't have an imaginary friend when they're growing up? 4Q 2P CS,
13.
- The writing style was nice in this book. I really loved the
descriptions of all the faeries and their clothes and food and houses.
I was sort of confused at some parts of it and it was a little slow.
4Q 4P.BM, 15
- I thought that this book was excellently written. It was full of
imagination, and was wonderful in both its description and its
dialogue. Although this book wouldn't be suitable for younger readers,
I feel that older readers would really enjoy reading it. The main
character, Kaye, was well drawn, and was not the stereotypical 'good
teenager' that is the subject of many novels. She was a layered
character with believable thoughts and actions, and although the book
was written in the third person, it really conveyed a sense of Kaye as
a person. This book was a new take on fairy tales- it didn't portray
the faeries as cute, helpful little sprites, but as people, with the
same character traits and fallibility as people. The other main
character, Roiben, was interesting, in that he was portrayed as a
helpless slave, yet as a strong person who ultimately triumphs. 5Q 5P.
JW, 15
Blackwood, Gary L.
The Year of the Hangman
Alternative history. (War of Independence)
- I liked how it
was an alternate history, it gives you insight to what might be if the
patriots hadn’t won the revolution. 5Q 4P. AR, 14.
Breslin, Theresa.
Remembrance
.
Historical/World War I
- Though I found this book thoroughly
depressing I quite enjoyed it. I thought that it was interesting that
this book was written from third person because I got to know what 6
people were thinking and feeling. I really enjoyed the use of letters
to some of the characters to get ideas across. I even cried when one
of the characters had died. 5Q4P. NM, 13.
- This book was really sad. It's quite
accurate and really makes you think about how young people really were
when they become a part of the war and how devastating it was. 4Q3P
KW, 14.
- It was a hard book to get into, all the
interesting stuff wa near the end. The author put very vivid pictures
in your head and I really liked how she wrote the different views of
the people, it gave you a great idea as to how everyone felf about the
war (a soldier, a nurse, someone who doesn't agree with the war) 4Q
3P. EW, 13.
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Chambers, Aidan.
Postcards from No Man's Land
.
Historical Fiction / World War II
Winner: Carnegie Medal; Printz Medal 2003
- I loved this book! I loved the way it
paralleled the two stories one modern and one during the second World
War. It goes to show how love and self discover are timeless. 5Q 5P. NT, 16
- Now this book was ok at most in my opinion.
There were times where I didn't understand why the author was putting
such importance on some things that happened. Like Ton for example.
The most I can make out of that is he's telling us that not everything
is what is seems. What the whole book in the end was that a semi
depressed boy went to visit his grandfather's grave, finds out that
his grandfather wasn't as perfect as his grandmother said, which
resulted in him finding out he has Dutch family (which his regular
family doesn't know about) and might turn out to be bi. I don't think
his mother will be very happy. The two stories were ok. Didn't mirror
each other, nor did it do anything to further the cause of love. I
mean, married guy gets another girl pregnant (after his wife) and then
dies. Not his fault, I know, but still, was he thinking of his wife?
Nope. And the boy's cousin doesn't believe in conventional love,
thinks marriage is crap. Nope, love took a beating in this one. 3Q 3P.
EA, 18.
Clements, Andrew.
Things Not Seen
.
Science fiction / Invisibility
- Some of the scientific stuff mentioned
in this book was difficult to understand, but then again, maybe it was
written not to be understood? I really felt like I was there in the
story, watching the characters, feeling what they're feeling and I
give credit to authors that have that ability. 4Q 5P. NM, 13
- I like the ending [ed. for spoilers].
5Q 5P. AR, 14
- I thought this book was really exiting. The
whole idea of some one disappearing was pretty cool. I could not put
this book down. I think the topic of feeling invisible is something a
lot of teenagers can relate to. I liked the fact that the boy
dealt with the problem and didn't depend solely on his parents. Some
of the stuff when they rattled on about scientific stuff was
boring. 4Q 4P. EH, 15.
- The think I liked about this book was it gave
you a problem from the start and didn't drag on for chapters till you
got to the interesting part of the story. It also gave you reasons to
read on so you couldn't put it down. 5Q 4P.EC, 13.
Cohn, Rachel.
Gingerbread
.Contemporary / Adoption
- Ah, the trials and tribulations of the
semi-ordinary, semi-crazy-weird-commune girl, Cyd Charisse. This book is
for girls, stereotypical gay men, and guys who are comfortable in their
sexuality. The writing’s pretty good, as in engrossing. The thing about
this book, though, is that not too many people can identify with the
characters (how many people do you know have 2 rich dads- one bio, one
adoptive- are a love child and whose mother is probably the furthest
thing from a love child-producer you can imagine?) All in all I think
its popularity will outweigh its goodness, but it still works. KC, 16
- Great, perfect, couldn't have been written
better. I really liked that the main character was exactly like me. 5Q
5P. KB, 14.
- It was funny, had a lot of humor. The
descriptions of everything were good. 4Q 4P NY, 15.
- This book was very compelling, in that it deals
with issues many teenage gils face today-teenage pregnancy,
abortion-and threw in an original protagonist, with her blak combat
platforms and rag-doll Gingerbread. The story line is believable along
with the language and slang used by the characters, phrases like "no
biggie" which add to the realism of the book. It was a quick read that
left one smiling and hoping that everything will work out okay for the
main character. 5Q 4P. KR, 14.
- The realism of the book you could feel like you
were Cyd. You understood what the character was thinking. ...I hope
another book comes out from her. 5Q 5P. AM, 13.
- This was a very good, kinda serious
but still funny book. I love how this character always holds onto her
doll, and how she puts her life in to perspective. Overall it is a
very good read. 5Q 4P. LW, 14.
Crowe, Chris.
Mississippi Trial, 1955
Historical / Racism / Civil Rights
de Lint, Charles. Seven Wild Sisters
Fantasy / Contemporary Fairy Tale
Desai Hidier, Tanuja.
Born Confused
.
Contemporary
- To be honest, when I first got this, I wasn't
too interested in it. But now, I adore it, love it, add it to my
collection of all-time favorite books. How a white Canadian girl can
identify with an Indian-American girl is beyond me, but I did. A
coming-of-age book that isn't melodramatic or overreactive or anything
of the sort. It felt good. And it held to my ideals, because I know
that if the book were real life, Karsh and Dimple will be together
forever. Score! 5Q 5P. KC, 16.
Dessen, Sarah.
This Lullaby
.
Contemporary
- Alrighty. I am a sap. This book was
great. I (of course) sympathized with Dexter and Lissa, and a hell of
a lot identified with them too. But, on the other hand, this book
pissed me off, too. I likened it to Chicago popcorn. You get your
cheese and your caramel all in one, sweet and salty. KC, 16
- Sappy love story. A bit predictable at
times. The main character’s development had me confused as to what
kind of person she was. KH, 17.
- This book has a decent story and
likeable characters. I liked how the author developed a lot of
characters instead of just a couple of main ones. This book was also
big enough to be a satisfying read. 4Q4P. JI, 16
- I loved the idea that the book
presented. This book made me think about love differently. I loved the
characters. Remy was such a real character. I got to see what life was
like through her eyes and most of all felt like I was Remy while I was
reading the book. That is what I think makes a great book. 5Q 5P. KH,
15
Ellis, Deborah. Parvana's Journey
Contemporary/Afghanistan/Sequel to The Breadwinner
Etchemendy, Nancy.
Cat in Glass and Other Tales of
the Unnatural.
Fama, Elizabeth.
Overboard
.
This was a fantastic book. It was a little slow
right in the middle, but on the whole it was a really exciting action
packed read. The author allows us into a world that we have no
conception of what so ever and shows us that family is more important
than anything and that if you really love each other you can overcome
anything. "Overboard" reminded me a lot of a modern day "Titanic". The
main character is interesting and fun to be with. 5Q 5P. CL, 15
Farmer, Nancy.
The House of the Scorpion.
Winner: 2002 National Book Award; Newbery Honor
Book 2003; Printz Honor Book 2003
Science Fiction / Cloning
- This book was a wonderfully intriguing read
that took cloning to the next level. Each part of the book, from the
country Opium controlled by the Drug Lords and the Clones who have
their minds destroyed at birth have scarily real possibilities in the
world today. The book addresses many issues that the world will be
dealing with in the future and incorporates original characters who
act like real people such as their hatred of clones, who they feel are
not real people. The story starts fast and flows smoothly the entire
way and one will have trouble putting it down.5Q 5P. KR, 14.
Ferris, Jean
Once Upon a Marigold
Fractured Fairy Tale
-
While written for a definitively younger
audience, the general storyline will appeal to a variety of ages
stretching to the LATE teens (my 20 year old sister picked it up and
liked it). Story moved a bit quick at times, but was easy to follow.
Word play was amusing enough that it made me smile, but didn’t
appeal much to my sense of humor. The main characters are easy to
like – I found myself identifying with the long-suffering pigeon
Walter, in particular. Me and the birds, what can I say? Overall, I
have a feeling this book will appeal to a lot of people. JL, 16.
-
I really liked this book. Like adored.
It was well written. I liked the characters, I liked the dogs. The
sort of main guy is named Christian (I think this is a veiled
tribute to Hans Christian Anderson, father of Fairy Tales) I also
liked the triplets, because they were neither ugly, evil or stupid.
Yay! And they’re blonde. But for using a plot device from the
beginning of time, it is nice and new and fresh. KC, 16.
-
Funny. 4Q 4P.
AR, 14
-
This is a charming book. I loved
the characters, the dogs were a great touch. It was amazing how
things related to modern day. P-mail is brilliant! I loved to read
tales about royalty and evil and magical things when I was a kid and
this book was just an older version. 5Q 5P. KH, 15.
Frank, E. R.
America.
Contemporary / Foster Care / Psychiatric Care
- I completely disliked the horrible
grammar in this book. Also, the character develops much too easily. I
say that this is a grade 10-12 book, because of the grammar, and the
subject matter. I disliked it so much, I couldn’t even finish it.
Ack!3Q 3P KP, 15
- The grammar and vocabulary are
horrible. The characters are stereotypical. The writing seems
almost infantile -- ok I'm being too harsh. But I couldn't even finish
this book. 2Q 3P. JL, 15.
-
Maybe I read too sloppy and so
missed a lot of stuff, or this book really isn’t that great. The main
story line was good but all the sex talk was blah. 3Q 2P. NY, 15.
-
The story was somewhat blah
(for lack of a better word.) It took a bit to adjust to the
storytelling, by both the author and character. The book wasn’t
horrible but it wasn’t good either. 2Q 3P. EA, 17.
Frank, Hillary.
Better Than Running at Night
.
Freymann-Weyr, Garret.
My Heartbeat
.
Contemporary / Homosexuality / Relationships
- It started out a little slow but
eventually everything started to pick up. The voice was very good.
Made me think of cool winds. I enjoyed how it was mostly told from an
unbiased opinion -- point of view. The tone was smooth. JL, 16
- I loved the characters and
storyline. The ending was perfect. It was deep and touching and I
loved it. KC, 16.
- Wow! This is a book about love.
It is not silly like most teen novels that attempt to tackle this
subject. Instead, it is honest and believable. This book is full of
secrets, confusion and desires of the characters. The ending is
satisfying as it does not try to explain every last thought and
occurrence as some books will. Does not take on overly "educational"
point of view on gay rights or teen sexuality. It is positive and
tolerant, not preachy. 5Q4P. JI, 16.
Froese, Deborah.
Out of the fire
.
Contemporary / Burns
- This is an excellent book because it
is realistic. I liked how it flashes back to important events in her
past. JB, 15
- Out of the Fire was an inspirational
novel that I really liked reading. This novel has some romanticism and
some depressing moments.I used this book for a novel report. It was
fantastic and worked really well. CL, 15
- I thought it was pretty realistic. It wasn't
one of those books that ends with a forced ending and a "they all
lived happily ever after." 5Q 3P. AB, 16.
- I liked that it has realistic conflicts. 5Q 5P.
KB, 14.
Gaiman, Neil; Dave McKean, il.
Coraline.
Fantasy / Horror
-
What I liked was how the book was
creepy, not scary, which works better for the younger audience and the
young heroine. I liked how it wasn't bloody either, and how her advice
came from other sources such as the cat and mice. It was to some point
predictable, I guess for an older reader. EA, 18
- This wasn't another sappy happy fantasy where everything is
perfect in the end. Nor was it one of those incredibly boring,
unbelieveable, normal fantasies. This was a dark and dismal yet
appealing and interesting book which, in the end turned out
satisfactory (as in "everything was perfect"). This book also proved
the fact that the author has a wonderfuly creative imagination but you
must read it to find out why. 5Q 4P. EH, 12.
Giff, Patricia Reilly
Pictures of Hollis Woods
Contemporary/Foster Care
Giles, Gail.
Shattering Glass.
Contemporary / Bullying / Murder
- Extremely well written. The characters
had oodles of depth. The way it played out gave a nice twist at the
end. Fabulous! KH, 17
- I thought that the book rocked. It was
so descriptive but you never get to find out what went on exactly
because everyone has a different opinion. The subject matter is
intense but it gives a good description of the way that highschool can
be. The situation is tonned up a bit but it is still pretty
accurate.5Q 4P. NT, 16
- Everything was
awesome. 5P 5P. KB, 14.
Green Man: Tales from the Mythic Forest.
Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling, ed; Charles Vess, il.
Short Stories / Fantasy
- A very good selection of stories. 5Q
4P. AR, 14
Grimes, Nikki.
Bronx Masquerade
Contemporary / School / Poetry
- It gave a nice look into the lives of
kids and avoided stereotypes. KH, 17
- I liked the mixture of prose and
poetry, how they come together to tell a collective story. Many
distinct voices offer perspective of unique individuals and the voice
of teens growing up in the Bronx. CM, 16
- I liked the poetry. 5Q 5P. KB, 14.
- This book was enjoyable. The
poetry was really good. I liked how there were different points of
view for a lot of the people and how they explained their poems. This
book reminded me of Life is Funny by E.R. Frank. 4Q 4P. KH, 15.
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Halam, Ann.
Dr. Franklin's Island
. Science Fiction / Genetic Experimentation / Survival
- (Note about the cover art: It's incredibly
perfect after you read the book, but might not create a good first
impression on people.) This book is amazing. It weaves complicated
concepts like genetics and evolution into a young adult book that is
not only perfectly easy to comprehend, but completely blows you away!
There is amazing character development in the book and the author
manages to make it all seem incredibly realistic. A plane
crashes off a remote island near Ecuador and three kids are stranded.
After spending over forty days on the island trying to survive, they
are captured by the diabolical Dr Franklin and his crew. He is a
genetics pioneer and needs resilient teenage bodies to experiment on.
The three are subjected to his ruthless tests and alterations, and no
attempt to escape goes unpunished! Fabulously written. A candidate if
I ever saw one! 5Q 5P. RD, 13
- I enjoyed how the feelings of the main
character were described but I found the plot a touch contrived, and
the scenario of teenagers being changed into animals just a little too
unbelievable. 4Q 3P. JW, 15.
- I though this was a pretty good book,
but I think it might be too sci-fi for some people. I won't give away
the story, but the kids in the book go through quite a bit of really
weird stuff when they are "patients" of Dr. Franklin. This book has
classic mad scientist, tormented assistant and tourtured "patient"
characters which I found enjoyable. The plot is just a little bit too
far "out there" for me. 4Q 3P. JI, 17.
Hiaasen, Carl.
Hoot
#154 Newbery Honor Book 2003
Mystery / Endangered Animals
- This was a
pretty fun book with cool characters. It had a lot of good ideas but I
probably would have liked it better if I were a couple of years
younger. 4Q 3P. BM, 15.
- It was a good book with interesting characters
and animals like the sparkly tailed snakes and mullet fingers.I found
it quite an easy read, kind of weird 4Q 3P. NB, 12
Holeman, Linda.
Search of the Moon King's Daughter.
Historical / England
- Simple in the way that it is all based on
one thing, Emmeline's mother. It starts with the factory accident, and
all that follows is a domino chain started by the accident. Nothing
unexpected happens (sub plot.) 3Q 4P. CS, 13.
Jordan, Sherryl.
The Hunting of the Last Dragon
Fantasy / Historical
- Amazing overall book, with a great
combination of medieval elements and a modern writing style.
Historical fic to some extent but having a dragon made it very cool.
RL, 15
- This book has great emotion and character. It
was very good. 4Q 4P. SC, 13
Kidd, Sue Monk.
The Secret Life of Bees
.
Historical / 1960s Georgia
-
I liked how this book gave the message that
your mother is not just the one who gave birth to you. Lily found
out that her mothers were the ones who cared for her, cried with
her, comforted her and laughed with her. EW, 13.
-
This book has a very slow beginning. You can’t
get into the action because there is none. Its very confusing,
people who enjoy analyzing books would like this one for its
symbolism. JB, 16.
-
I thought that this book rocked. To me it seemed to
do an awesome job of showing how even in the 60's there was a lot of
racial discrimination against the black people and that it was
really hard for a lot of people to overcome even with Martin Luther
King Jr. leading the fight for freedom. It also touched me that one
persons journey to escape from a horrid life and find the truth
about her life allowed her to overcome these very same
discrimination and change others along her path. I liked how this
book was centered around a bee farm because it is an unusual setting
and definitley added to the mood of the book. I also liked the way
that it looked at religion and sort of questioned the norms by
providing a historical alternative to the classic christian portrayal
of Mary. 5Q 5P. NT, 16.
-
I thought this book was boring. It took forever just to get through
one part of the book. Nothing in this book was very exiting. Some
parts were okay, like the jail stuff, but the stuff in-between the
exiting moments were just so boring. I am sure the the whole bee
thing was a some how related to the rest of the book but I didn't
get most of the bee stuff and found boring. I didn't enjoy the
amount of swearing in this book. 2Q 1P. EH, 15.
Koertge, Ron.
Stoner & Spaz.
Contemporary / Friendship / Cerebral Palsy
- This book was so fun to read! I
felt that I read accurate portrayals of life for the two characters!
KH, 15
- This was an amazing book to read. There were no
stereotypes or teenage cliches. It was so amazing! It's about being
yourself and realizing that what you look like isn't who you are.
Everyone should read it. Fabulous descriptions. Emotions are captured
and every character seems like someone you've seen before on the bus,
or at school. KH, 17.
- The main character, Ben, was really funny and
you could understand what he was feeling. The characters were all very
believable and the plot is really original. It was interesting to read
about someone with cerebral palsy. BM, 14
- This book was really good because of the way
the author developed the characters. He also has that great nack for
showing what life is like in a highschool and how for the most part if
you are different than you are an outcast or grouped with people
deemed "like you". One very cool thing was that he showed that even
though the cliques ar there that with a little urging and the finding
of some common threads that friendships can be born. 5Q 4P. NT, 16
Korman, Gordon.
Son of the Mob
(Top
10 BBYA)
Contemporary / Organized Crime
- This was a fun read. It talks to you about
freedom and how hard the choices of life can be. I like how it shows
that even mob and mafia members have families and that they didn't
necessarily choose to be involved in the life. The book also shows how
important friends and family are. 4Q 4P. NT, 16
- Really funny. Good work by Gordon Korman (as
per usual). I have always adored his works. However, it really
surprised me when I realized this was written by him. I hadn't glanced
at the author's name until about a quarter of the way through, and the
writing style hadn't appeared to be familiar up until then. A really
different approach for him this time - the jokes have gotten a lot
more contemporary and more of a teenager-ish feel to them. People
who've read his previous work will understand what I mean. Great book.
Really identified with some of the characters. 5Q 4P. JL, 16.
Lawrence, Iain.
The Lightkeeper's Daughter
.(Top 10 BBYA)
Contemporary
- I didn't really like it, nor did I finish it.
It's not so sad really, although I was convinced that the brother was
the father of the child. 4Q 2P. KC, 16
Leavitt, Martine.
The
Dollmage.
Fantasy
- This book taught me a lot about human
psychology. TD, 16.
- Many parallels to "The Giver"
though ending is not as profound. Use of first person enhances the
story (usually detracts but in this case Martine managed to maintain
omniscience through flashback), we get into story more. This is one of
those books that make readers go "Wow, over already? I want more" JM,
15
- I loved the poetic style and language. I felt
the writing was very strong, and the author very much manipulated my
emotions. I also enjoyed the world that she created. Although I
enjoyed the book, I found it to be quite a painful read, and I was
angry or sad through most of it. I found it very hard to sympathise
with the storyteller, especially at first, but I found her character
arc/development fascinating, and I came to terms with her in the end.
Overall, I thought it was a powerful, thoughtful book, and I would
recommend it to anyone who is up for it. 4Q 3P. CM, 16
- I liked this book because it shows what a lot
of feeling and character. I really, really liked it. It showed what
some people do to other people. It was sad and exciting. 5Q 5P. JC, 11
- I like how the author has started the story
with something you don't have a clue about. Then she explains
everything later in the story. 5Q 4P. ZE, 11
- it was very different but it made it
interesting. 3Q 4P. SC, 13
- I really liked the story. I liked how the whole
time the story was being told by the old dollmage, but I don't see how
she could have known some of the things she told. 4Q 4P. GB, 13.
- It was amazing.It mainly talks
about the trails of a young girl as she grows into adulthood in
different times and religon.She is not the chosen one even though she
has a promise doll.
"One of the promise dolls had a smile and hungtrue.The other promise
doll hung crookedly, and on it's small face was a frown" 4Q 4P IH, 13.
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McCaughrean, Geraldine.
Kite Rider.
Historical Fiction Winner: Carnegie Medal
- The only thing I disliked about this book was
it dragged on a bit so after one exciting thing happened it was a few
chapters before something else interesting happened. 4Q 4P. EC, 13.
Miller, Mary Beth.
Aimee
.
Contemporary / Suicide
- I liked this book. I honestly didn't put it
down unless I HAD to sleep. I love the way you learn small bits of
Zoe's past while you also learn about what's going on in the present.
I also like how you don't find out Zoe's name until the end. KH,15
- It was completely realistic. All the characters
were believable and many reminded me of my own friends. The language
was awesome too. When the main character finally resolves her problem
it was really nice that the author avoided the cliched breakthrough
with a psychiatrist. KH, 17
- It was a little confusing at first the way the
book jumps from the past to the present, but once I got used to it I
think it was a very good way to tell the story. The book would have
been way different if it was told all in order. The mystery about the
main character's name was cool, too. 4Q 5P BM, 14
- Aimee was a book that was way too depressing.
The plot was well done, but other than that this book has no award
winning features. The characters focused on the bad things in life. I
must say that one thing I did like was the way the book ended. Other
than that I had a hard time reading the first 3/4 of this book. The
subject matter in this book is very sketching and so the book might
not do as well as the author had hoped. Intended for people 15 and up.
Do not let younger children read this. It was even too much for me in
some parts. Especially when you finally figure out what hapenned to
Aimee in the end. 3Q 3P. CL, 15
- The only thing I did not like wa how they never
mentioned the narrators name until the very end of the book. 4.5Q 4P.
MG, 16
Moore, Christopher.
Lamb: The Gospel According
to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal. (Top
10 BBYA)
- It inspires great things. Fascinating,
exciting, intriguing, perfect. Amazing characters, fantastic plot,
perfect in every way and then some. KH, 17
Oates, Joyce Carol.
Big Mouth & Ugly Girl
Contemporary / High School / Bomb Threats
- Likes: topics (bomb scare - how there was no innocent until proven
guilty and that one is condemned by rumors) : switch from 3d person to 1st
person (not a fan of first person, but it gave a different perspective)
Dislike:
whining tone of Ursula (at beginning), the whole black and white
attitudes
of the characters at beginning -anon.
- Writing style was casual-cool and I really enjoyed the way she made
all the
different perspectives. It was strange how well I could identify with
the characters at time - in ways Ursula is far too much like me. The
characters are all pretty much very cool. It seems like an actual high school.
Even my high school. Plot is real and viable. For some reason the end of
chapter 48 didn't sit so well. While it did make sense, it just seemed to leave something unsaid, unfinished.
4Q 4P. JL, 16
- I like how the book had dates on the chapters because it gave the
book a sense of time line. 5Q 4P. JB, 15.
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Park, Linda Sue.
When My Name Was Keoko
.
Historical Fiction / WWII / Korea
- I liked that Sun-hee’s family kind of rebelled.
For example, even thought the Japanese made so many laws at home Sun-hees
family called each other their Korean names. I also liked that even
though a lot of people hated the Japanese Sun-hee still liked to learn
Keinji and was chosen leader. SC, 12.
- Mediocre at best. The story could have been done
much better. I didn’t even get a real feel for the war. Still, it was
acceptable. KC, 16.
- The historical
content in this book was very informative and interesting but its
delivery was integral to, and part of the story, which was good. I
really enjoyed learning about this part of Korean history. Park raised
many fundamental questions regarding humanity, human nature and the
nature of an oppressed people. 3.5Q 4P. CM, 16
- I thought it was well written with a nice blend
of fiction and non-fiction. The feelings of all the characters were
very vivid. 5Q 4P. JW, 12
- This has officially become one of my fave
books. The book was fact/fiction. I loved the way it was written like
diary entries between a brother and sister. And I learned a lot about
the war going on at that time. 5Q 4PAM. 12
- I liked the historical content, but if you're
interested in that, this book will be pretty much useless. I also
liked how the book showed that not all people complied with the rules
forced upon them. I found that the book spent too much time on the
minor characters though, and not enough in description of the war. 4Q
3P. SC, 16
Placide, Jaira.
Fresh Girl.
Contemporary / Haiti
- I like how it was written. She portrayed the
girl & what she thought very well. It was funny reading about how
Mardi (the girl) would deal with certain situations. 4Q 4P. MG, 16.
Plum-Ucci, Carol.
What Happened to Lani Garver .
Mystery
- This is one of the best books I have
read in a while. It had such a great message and I loved Lani's
character. It was cool to see Claire change throughout the book. Her
loyalty to Lani was so great. 5Q 5P. BM, 14
- I loved this book! The characters seem very
real, the plot line is enjoyable, and the book is a reasonable size to
cover the story. I really liked how the ending of the book leaves you
hanging just enough. It doens't quite explain everything, but it does
explain enough for you to feel satisfied. Oh, and the cover is great
because I think it personifies Lani perfectly. The "educational"
sub-plots (Claire's eating disorder, Lani being non gender specific,
etc.) were there, but not in your face like a lot of books for teens.
Over all a great read. 5Q 5P. JI, 16.
- I love every aspect of this book: the theme,
the plot, the characters and the moral. Very thought-provoking and
insanely easy to believe. 5Q 4P. SM, 15.
Powell, Randy.
Three Clams and an Oyster.
Contemporary / Humour / Flag Football
- This book made me laugh and laugh. I
like guy’s humor better than girls. I got weird looks ‘cause it made
me laugh out loud. Character portrayals are good. Girls not shaving
their legs is funny. So overall I would say this book is a positive
learning experience about flag football. KC, 16.
- I liked that it had a lot of conflict. 5Q 5P
KB, 14
- One of those books you keep reading just to
find out how it ends. The events leading up to the decision of who to
pick for their flag-football team interesting but the writer wrote
about 2 days for an entire book so eventually you just wanted to know
the ending and lost all interest in the rest of the book. 3Q3P. EW,
13.
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Rottman, S. L.
Stetson
.
Contemporary / Adoption / Cars
Santana, Patricia.
Motorcycle Ride on the Sea of Tranquility
Savage, Deborah.
Kotuku
.
Magic Realism / New Zealand
- Boring and tedious. Too slow to catch
anyone’s attention. Nothing was intriguing. Nothing captivated me
throughout the entire part I managed to struggle through. KH, 17.
- I didn't finish this book because it wasn't
very interesting. 2Q 1P. KH, 15.
- I liked that it had things from the past and
research on family history. 5Q 5P. KB, 14.
Sebold, Alice.
The Lovely Bones: a novel.
- The character development was fabulous. The
main character is so intense. The entire book is so unique. It is rare
that you find a book that has an original idea. 5Q 5P. KH, 17.
Shattered: Stories of
Children at War Jennifer Armstrong, ed.
- I thought it was a good book and the cover of
the book really gets the message across about children and war. Some
of the stories were better than others but they were all really
descriptive. 3Q 3P. JW, 12.
- It was hard to
say my opinions about this entire book all together, since it was a
bunch of short stories, all by different authors. Some of the stories
were exactly what you would expect in a book about the affect of war
on children. All together, this collection of stories are very
powerful. 4Q 3P. KW, 14.
- Some of the stories were exactly what you would
expect in a book about the affect of war on children, but others, like
Snap, Crackle, Pop, portray the affects in ways most people wouldn't
think of. 4Q 3P KW, 14.
Sheppard, Mary C.
Seven for a secret
.
Honour Book: CLA Young Adult Book of the Year 2002
Historical Fiction / Newfoundland
- What did I like about the book? Nothing really.
What did I dislike about the book? Nothing again, though I was
disappointed at the end where the main character ends up marrying the
guy because she gets knocked up. We all knew she was going to marry
him anyway. Just the reason for it in the end, I did not like. I
didn't hate or love it. There's nothing exceptional in the book to
make you care. 3Q 2P EA, 18
- Some content and language might not be appropriate for younger
readers.5Q 3P KE, 13
- I found this book hard to read because the
situation that the characters were in/their isolation from the rest of
the world and their lack of education was very frustrating. I couldn't
really relate to the characters in the book. 3Q3P JI, 16
Smith, Kevin and Phil Hester.
Green Arrow: Quiver
.
#170
Graphic Novel
- It's a graphic novel. It involves the Justice
League. Need I say more? Any diehard fan of Green Arrow should get
this. It's a little anthology about his reappearance to the crime
fighting world. Dark humor kind of funny, melodramatic as the best of
them, and pleasantly twisted. I wasn't too into the series before, but
I am now. I'm waiting for more. ^^; It's a graphic novel, so I don't
know if it's recommendable, but what the hell. On the list it goes! 5Q
5P. JL, 16
Smith, Sherri L.
Lucy the Giant.
#53
Contemporary / Bering Strait
Tolan, Stephanie.
Surviving the Applewhites.
Newbery Honor Book 2003
- There's really nothing wrong with this book
(Sound of Music is my fave movie) it's just too simple and doesn't
have award-winning material. I like how it switches from E.D. to Jake,
back and forth, but Jake should find out that E.D.'s real name is
Edith. There is a good plot (especially the goats & Destiny) but it's
just too simple. 5Q 4P CS, 13.
Toten, Teresa.
The
Game .
Comments
Contemporary / Breakdown
- Like: the mystery (what happened
to her sister & why did she forget & what did the father do), setting
of loony bin and how they seemed sane vs. the families on the outside.
Dislike: the ending (she remembered, broke down and suddenly all was
good) seemed like a copout ending to have everybody live happily ever
after. 4Q4P. AR, 20
- It was a nicely written "girls,
interrupted" for a younger generation. 4Q 4P. KH, 17.
- I really liked the fact that this book
made me realize that no matter how bad my problems are there will
usually be someone with an even bigger problem. 5Q 5P. KB, 13.
- I loved this book. It really touched
me alot. It seems to speak really well about how when some thing
traumatic happens you quite often will not remember it correctly or
even at all. It also shows how families which are broken and have
abusers for parents will create major problems for the kids and may
cause them to turn to other things like drugs and alcohol to get away
from their lives. I also liked how it shows that you have to realise
what happened to you or even that there was a traumatic event and also
see that you can get through it before you can even hope to get on
with your life. I also liked how it shows that you have to feel safe
and like you are surrounded by people who you trust before you can
confront the issues. 5Q 5P. NT, 16.
- The beginning of the book was really hard to
keep reading but once you got past that the book was amazing. I love
all the characters but Scratch was one of my favorites, she's so
confident and tough but you know deep down she's got a soft spot. I
was so surprised at the end when the writer told you Kelly died. 5Q
4P. EW, 13.
Van Pelt, James.
Strangers and Beggars
Short Stories
Woodson, Jacqueline.
Hush
.
Finalist: 2002 National Book Award
Contemporary / Witness Protection
- This book was pretty well written and
I like the message of it. I felt it went in circles for the first bit.
Okay, her dad’s the only black cop in his precinct. That was mentioned
about 4 times, at least. And if Denver had such a sparce,
African-American community, why did it seem like they mostly had black
friends? I liked the older sister. And this book reconfirmed the
majority of my fears about major, organized religion. I liked the use
of the Jehovah’s Witness religion. I don’t see that much. Despite
this, though, and a few moments where it touched my heart, this book
hasn’t really stayed with me. KC, 16.
Yolen, Jane and Robert J. Harris.
Girl in a Cage
.
- I liked the
way we got to find out about what happened to Marjore before she was
captured. The way she made the cage into her “kingdom” was interesting
and fun to read about. I liked the bit in the back that told you what
really happened to all the characters. 5Q 4P. RS, 12.
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Nonfiction
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell.
Black Potatoes: The
Story of the Great Irish Famine, 1845-1850.
Fleischman, John.
Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but
True Story About Brain Science.
Phrenology / Neurology / Accident
- This was a very in depth look at
modern science 150 years ago. It was very factual but had a story to
it that kept you awake and interested. It was a great dosage of gore!
5Q 4P. EH, 12.
Gantos, Jack.
Hole in My Life
.
Autobiography / Jail
- It was completely up front and honest.
The author is narrating a part of his life and he doesn't try to make
you feel sorry for him, nor does he try to make it better. He knows
what he did was stupid. EA, 17
Hampton, Wilborn.
Meltdown: A Race Against
Nuclear Disaster at Three Mile Island: A Reporter's Story.
Nuclear Power / Radioactivity / Chernobyl / Hiroshima
- This book did an excellent job
depicting events day by day, hour by hour, and minute by minute. The
creepy photos also added a significant greatness to the story. What
also made the book great was that the reporter didn't know about
nuclear physics so I learned how everything worked and why it was
happening. EH, 12
- I didn’t even
know about this! It provided a lot of new information for me. I
thought it was written very well, the beginning made me want to
continue reading, the middle was suspenseful and the end was very
satisfying. 5Q 3P. MH, 14
McPherson, James M.
Fields of Fury: The American Civil War.
Nelson, Peter.
Left for Dead: A Young Man's
Search for Justice for the USS Indianapolis.
History / US Navy / Disaster
- 5Q 5P KE, 13
- Excellent, excellent book. Couldn't be better.
The amount of historical fact was mind blowing, however it kept true
to being a novel and not a documentary. The only criticism I can offer
is that the part where everything that was happening to the sailors'
physical condition was explained seemed to drone on but was so full of
facts that it wasn't boring. EH, 12
- I loved how the book was put together. First
they had the boy's story who started all of it, then they had a
chapter of the night the boat sank and then they explained everything.
By having that format the book hooked you in real fast. When I was
reading the different accounts of what happened that night I got
chills. 5Q 3P. EA, 18.
Nye, Naomi Shihab.
19 Varieties of Gazelle:
Poems of the Middle East.
Poetry Finalist:
2002 National Book
Award
- It was very descriptive. I could picture
everything they said. It was very educational, I learned a whole lot.
CM, 14
- Very touching poetry. Simple, yet beautiful
wording. Beautiful images & icons decorating the pages. Great imagery.
Wonderful! 5Q 5P. IP, 15
- The poems are beautiful - I always feel that a
poem is good when it makes me want to write my own. Throughout the
book I often had my hand itching for a pen. But while they are
all fairly good there are only one or two that really jump out at you.
5Q 4P. JL, 16
- I loved these poems. Ever since Sept 11 I have
wondered what it was like for people from the middle east who were
living in the United States. These poems, I felt, really were about
those people. I also felt that I learned a lot about life in the
middle east from the authors personal experiences that she wrote
about. I also liked how I could read a couple of poems and they didn't
take that long to read, then I could put the book down for a while and
when I went back to it I didn't feel like I had to re-read the
previous poem to understand the next part. 4Q4P. KH, 15.
Partridge.
This Land Was Made For You and Me:
The Life & Songs of Woody Guthrie.
Finalist: 2002 National Book Award
- I liked how painfully honest the book
was. How it chronicled all the hardships of Woody Guthrie's life, and
showed how that affected him, like fire, his sister's death and the
camping trip freak accident. 5Q 3P EA, 17.
Philbrick, Nathaniel.
Revenge of the Whale: The
True Story of the Whaleship Essex.
Boring. 3Q 3P.
AR, 14
Rall, Ted.
To Afghanistan and Back:
A Graphic
Travelogue.
Steinberg, JacquesThe Gatekeepers: Inside the
Admissions Process of a Premier College.
N.B. different subtitle in Canada
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