Books nominated for the 2005 Best Books for Young Adults List that didn't make the list...

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Adoff, Jaime Levi. Names Will Never Hurt Me

Alvarez, Julia. Finding Miracles.

Finding Miracles was a touching book about going back to your family roots. The writing style was good, with lots of description and excellent imagery. The characters were lovable and changed throughout the novel. This was an enjoyable book, but not really anything special. 4Q 4P. VM, 14.

Avi and Rachel Vail. Never Mind!: A Twin Novel.

Barron, T. A. The Great Tree of Avalon: Child of the Dark Prophecy.

Cover Barry, Dave & Ridley Pearson. Peter and the Starcatchers .

Bell, Hilari. Flame .

I thought this was a pretty good book. The plot was interesting, and I liked how it divided into different view points. I wish the characters had been a bit more likeable though. One was a spoiled brat and one was a criminal who betrayed his country. Its obviously part of a larger series. The plot was engrossing enough- and the characters matured enough- that I can't wait to read the sequel. 4Q 3P. Gr 7-9. A, 13.

Bennett, Cherie & Jeff Gottesfeld. A Heart Divided

This is the best book! First of all, there is a fantastic romance between a girl from New Jersey and a guy from Tennessee that is super real. Their families don't like each other at all. The girl moves to Tennessee and falls in love with the guy. The whole thing happens while there is a big controversy over the Confederate flag at their school. I couldn't put this book down, there is so much excitement. I also learned a lot about the issue from it. 5Q 5P. Gr 10-12+. A, 15.

this was a really eye opening book, but it was done in such an objective manner that I didn't feel like it was preaching to the choir. The intensity of belief surrounding a symbol often takes over the minds of people. i think the confederate flag is usually seen one way by a single person and this book was very revealing that you need to take in all the things it represents. 4Q 4P. K, 18.

A Heart Divided is definetely a Newberry Award quality book. Cherie Bennett has used her remarkable writing talent to create a book that will have any reader completely spellbound. Bennett manages to capture the essence of young adulthood and it's challenges, pleasures, and risks. A barrier Bennett flew over with flyer colors is writing about a problem that exists today- the Confederate Flag as a symbol of many schools down South. A Heart Divided is surely one of the most remarkable pieces ever written for young adults. 5Q 4P. J, 13.

This book was awesome! Anyone, anywhere in the country can find a way to connect with this book. It is moving- it opened my eyes to racism that was going on in my own community. It also explained both sides of racism, especially to African Americans- a lot of research had to have gone on in this book, because it explains everything, while carrying on a fabulous story. I have recommened it to everyone I know! These Authors are truly blessed, and I have been blessed to read their works. 5Q 5P. LM, 15.

Sixteen-year-old Kate Pride is outraged when her parents inform her that they are moving. Not only moving a few miles away, but hundreds of thousands of miles away, from their beloved hometown of New Jersey, to Redford, Tennessee. Kate is horrified at the thought of leaving her closest friends behind, as well as giving up the spot that she earned in a prestigious playwriting workshop. In Redford, racial tensions quickly arise, as Kate admits that she is a very northern teenager, in a very southern town. These differences prompt her to write a play. Her play is about the town's choices to fly the Confederate flag, and the opposition that the movement causes. However, when Jack Redford steps into the picture, a Romeo-and-Juliet type love affair begins. Suddenly Jack is trying to explain to his Mother why he doesn't want to attend the Citadel, even though it is a family tradition, and Kate joins various high school students in the attempt to get the school team's name changed to something else and to get the town to stop flying their Confederate flag. The voice of Kate Pride is wise beyond her 16-years. She is intelligent and confident, determined and strong. Kate is a role model for teenage girls the world over, as she speaks to readers, rathern than down to them. ...For once, two authors of the young adult genre have decided to give their lead character a plot, and voice of importance. A HEART DIVIDED will leave a lasting impression. Don't miss it! 5Q 5P.ES, 18.

I have a system for reading books: read the ones that look the best first, and then get around to the others. This one was in the latter pile, but it sure doesn't deserve to be there. Once I started reading I couldn't put it down, and the ending is done marvously, with Kate's play. It confused me a bit when Kate's parents said, "I wish Portia could be here", I thougt that she had died, but everything is perfectly clarified in the play. The best thing about this book is that it is realistic. I don't know if there are any southern towns that still fly the Confederate flag, but I don't think I would be raving about this book the way that I am if the pair had run off back to Jersey and all that rebel stuff. 4Q 4P. CS, 15.

I thought this was an incredibly thoughtful, well rounded book that approached the issues of racism and the divisions in the south in a very good way. It was balanced, insightful and very thought provoking for the reader. The characters are very real and you care about them. The writing is engaging and appealing right off the bat, this book does not take a lot of effort to slog through, it's enjoyable and light, while still giving the weighty issues the importance they deserve. The one weakness I thought was the play at the end. It was a good play, but it didn't seem like it was worked into the book very well. It made the ending a bit more muddled. It could have been very concise if the play was left out, and it wouldn't have lost much. 4Q 4P. C, 15.

Bloor, Edward. Story Time.

cover Bone, Ian. The Song of an Innocent Bystander .

Booth, Martin. Doctor Illuminatus: The Alchemist's Son.

Boyce, Frank Cottrell. Millions.

Brooks, Kevin. Kissing the Rain.

This is the one major QUESTION that I'd like to ASK the author: is there something wrong with your cApSlOcK KeY? Because all the capitalization was GETTING pretty annoying. And half THE stuff that was CAPITALIZED, or meant something else (LIKE where he WROTE truth=lies and lies=truth) didn't even make ANY SENSE. Enough said about that. It was hard to follow Moos' story because of the way he told it, I mean, I understand that it was trying to show how confused he really was, but the ending is a cop out too. He can't decide whether he wants his dad locked up or Vine's men to come after him, so he decides to kill Vine. The way that he comes to that solution is okay, but the fact where he actually thinks he can get away with it and actually leaves to carry it out is a cop-out. The way that the story is told, is above all, just not interesting to read. The plot is good, but the way it is being told needs to be re-thought a lot. 2Q 2P. CS, 15.

Brugman, Alyssa. Walking Naked.

I liked this book because everything that happens to Megan with her friends, is very real and happens to girls all the time. I think that this book could help girls if they are going through problems with friendship, and it could help them deal with it. I thought the characters in this book were good, especially Megan and Perdita. I really liked the end because it was well written and I thought it had a lot of emotion in it. I think that the people reading this book would probably just be girls, and that it is a good book for us girls to read. 4Q 4P. Gr 7-9. JS, 15.

I didn't like the book until the last couple of chapters. However, the last few chapters were very well done, showing what had come of Megan's actions, at least she realized the wrongness of these actions, and was able to reflect on her life up until that point, everything that Perdita had been trying to show her, although Megan came upon these realiztions a tad too late. When I actually think about this book, I realize that it actually is a pretty good book, though it may take a couple of re-readings to firmly establish that point. Maybe the reason that I didn't like the majority of the chapters was because Megan was perfect in relaying the sterotypes of a popular girl: her way, or no way. That's why the last chapters are so good, because of the sharp contrast. 3Q3P. CS, 15.

This was a pretty good book, and the plot is an intersting and unique idea, but I don't think it's anything special. I didn't really enjoy reading this book, or care about what happened to the characters. I was not able to get to know the characters, understand why they did the things they did, or picture the surroundings. Overall, it's a cool idea for a book, but the lack of description sort of ruined it.4Q 4P. VM, 14.

Caletti, Deb. Honey, Baby, Sweetheart

Cann, Kate. Hard Cash . Comments

City of One: Young Writers Speak to the World. From WritersCorps, edited by Colette DeDonato.

Clugston-Major, Chynna. Scooter Girl.

Cofer, Judith Ortiz. Call Me Maria: A Novel in Letters, Poems, and Prose.

Cohn, Rachel. Pop Princess .

i truly enjoyed these book even tho i thought it was going to be a britney spears autobiography (**shivers**) so when i finally got into the book and it was nothing like what i was expecting i was happy. also it kinda open ur eyes to all the stuff that happen behind the stage. and i was also happy that the author wrote another book after gingerbread that was better that the first one. 4Q 4P. SS, 15.

Coleman, Michael. On the Run

It was interseting how greatly the main characters views on everything changed throught the story. Although the booked seemed simillar to others I have read ("First Stone" by Don Aker) it still was quite interesting. There were many messages throughout the entire story, the most imporant of which I believed was "a leopard can change his spots." It seems that at the beginning Luke is a bad apple, and all the police think so. AS the story progresses, his situation changes and so do his "spots". It can be a very enjoyable book for alomst anyone who reads it. 4Q 3P. CS, 15.

Constable, Kate. The Singer of All Songs (Chanters of Tremaris, Bk 1)

Lionboy Cooley, Beth. Ostrich Eye .

Corder, Zizou. Lionboy.

This is THE best book I have EVER read. The cover was awesome, with the lion to show is book Does have to do with lions. I love how it is set in the future, and I love the character. Zizou, keep up the amazing work! 5Q 5P. GF, 12.

Croci, Pascal. Auschwitz .

Crossley-Holland, Kevin. King of the Middle March: Arthur Trilogy, Book Three.

Delaney, Mark. Pepperland

Dessen, Sarah. The Truth about Forever.

This book was pretty enjoyable, it has interesting characters and fun ideas, like the catering company and Wes's sculptures. It seems like most of Sarah Dessen's books are variations on the same sort of plot, but I didn't like this one as much as I liked some of her other books. Some parts got to be a bit too sweet/sappy for me.. Good book, but not amazing and not much to set it apart from others. 4Q 4P. Gr 7-11. BM, 16.

First of all, even though I was pretty impressed with this book, I'd like to explain my P&Q rating, why, even though I liked the book so much, why i only gave it a five and a four. And the reason is this: it starts off so slow, and personally, I had a really hard time getting into the book, which might throw off some people. However, once I became involved in the story, I couldn't put the book down, I think it was around the part where she `starts working with Wish catering. This is a book where you have to read it a couple of times to fully wring all the truth and meaning out of it, although I don't think Macy is so obsessed with forever as she is obsessed with being perfect, or even what the exact definition of perfect is. I think I understand what Wes means when she sees his orginal heart in hand scuplture, that it's like she's seen it before, because the miniature one was the one that her dad had bought for her for Christmas, and Wes thought that Macy had already opened the gift? ... Nothing in this book is rushed, which is a nice change, and now, thinking about the end, it IS a little sappy, how her mom is relaxing a bit more and how everything is getting better with the beachhouse and stuff, however, it's not like this ending was just pulled out of the air, the townhouse opening helped lead up to the ending, and everything is tied in, like Wes' final truth question, and how they end up running. Awwwwwwwwwww. 5Q4P. CS, 15

Dunkle, Clare B. Close Kin: Book II -- The Hollow Kingdom trilogy.

Cover

DuPrau, Jeanne. The People of Sparks

Ehrenhaft, Daniel. 10 Things to Do Before I Die.

I thought that this was an awsome book. I really like how the exitment grows up sloly then something stupid happens. Like when Burger was on the sub-way and he was going to be "war buddies" with the mean looking guy then the guy curses at him. If you look closely at the bottom corer of each page you will see the dead face on the front of the book and i think that that is pretty cool. 5Q 5P. DB, 13.

I didn't like this book very much, it was probably because I was SO frusterated with the characters throughout nearly the whole book. I mean, Ted (the main character) finds out he has been poisoned and has 24 hours left to live. His 2 best friends decide to get REALLY drunk with him, and then make a list of 10 things he should do before he dies. The first item on the list was 'Lose Virginity', and you can see that the book goes downhill from there... ESPECIALLY, when his friend decides it would be a good idea to hire a prostitute for him to lose his virginity with!!! The characters, but mostly Ted, were really really, well, stupid. Foolish, I guess. Ted wouldn't even go to the hospital. But it was obvious that Ted wouldn't die, because since the book was written from his point of view, how would that work? It was also just very obvious that wouldnt happen and that everything would be just fine in the end. I can't really see this book going anywhere. 2Q 3P. AA, 13.

Face Relations: 11 Stories about Seeing Beyond Color. Marilyn Singer, ed.

The Faery Reel: Tales from the Twilight Realm. Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling, ed. .

snowwalker Fisher, Catherine. Snow-Walker

Fromm, Pete. As Cool as I Am : A Novel.

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Gardner, Graham. Inventing Elliot

I think the Guardians went a littl over the top. The thing is, 'bullying' is already bad enough without having some form of organization. I think the idea that there is no purpose behind random acts of violence, behind the hatred and abuse that happens is more terrifying than some group of elitist bullies who control all the aspects of it. It was a bit too science fiction for what I asume the mssage of the book was. Oh, and the message came across in a very strong way that the victim is responsable for change, rather than really holding the abusers accoutnable. 3Q 3P. KH, 18.

The book was basically about a teenage boy who goes from a victim of bulling, to becoming a bully. It goes through all of his emotions during the time, and covers many issues of teenagers. The main reason I did not like it, was how emotional it was. Also, the main character acted like he was in grade 4. Over all, it had an interesting style of writing and an exciting plot. 3Q 3P. CS, 15.

Gardner, James Alan. Radiant.

Giles, Gail. Playing in Traffic.

Hallowell, Janis. The Annunciation of Francesca Dunn.

The Annunciation of Francesca Dunn is an amazing book. First of all, the idea for the book is truly unique and interesting; a teenage girl of the present day thinks that she is Mary reincarnated. Second, the writing style is incredible; the description paints excellent pictures and I felt as if I was in another world while I was reading this book. As well, the characters are complete and complex people. Each and every one of the characters in this book has a story of their own to tell, even the one's that are only mentioned breifly. The format of this book (narrated by four different people) makes it more real and fascinating to read, because you are able to see how each character interprets an event. Overall, The Annunciation of Francesca Dunn is a great book with a unique storyline, interesting characters and excellent description. 5Q 4P. VM, 14.

This is one of the best YA books I've read this year. You see this type of story, with the next coming of Christ and things like that, on the covers of tabloids and it always seems pretty ridiculous and stupid, but this story is a very interesting and thoughtful take on the idea. I liked having the perspectives of Sid and Anne, and especially Chester. I was a bit dissappointed when the chapters from Francesca's perspective were still written in the third person so you could never really know what she's thinking, but I guess that is what makes Francesca so mysterious, and keeps you guessing about who or what she really is. The parts about Chester's smells were really cool, I liked how the book brought up with both Francesca and Chester how medicating people for mental conditions can sometimes do more harm than good. I think this book would appeal to both teens and adults. 5Q 4P. BM, 16.

Hartinger, Brent. The Last Chance Texaco .

I picked this book because of the title. I'd read a book with the exact same title by Christine Pountney a few years ago. I think that the title fits this book very well, so I have no issues with it. I really enjoyed the book itself. The subject matter (orphans moving through the system of foster homes) is pretty interesting, and I think because this was written from an "insiders" point of view it was incredibly believeable. I liked the characters, and I loved the internal monologue that Lucy always had going on. I liked this book better than Brent Hartinger's last book "Geography Club." I think one of the good things about this book is that it's written by a man, narrated by a teenage girl, and could easily be read by a teenage boy. The cover is brilliant, it looks good without knowing the symbolism behind it, and once you do know, it's amazing. 4Q 4P . KH, 16

This book GRABS you and is so well written that you can't put it down! I spent one night reading till 2am and i finished it! The book is about a girl named Lucy who is in a Group Home, which is where people go when they lose their parents. This one is called Kindle Home a.k.a. The Last Chance Taxaco. Lucy's roommate's name is Yolanda, she seems like a regular kid, nice, kind but she has a deep secret that Lucy figures out.
Some other people she meets include Nate (who her boyfriend becomes), Joy (the mean, bossy type in Kindle Home), and the counslers, Mrs. Morgan, Ben, Gina and Leon.
This is a great book and I reccommend it to anyone who needs a good read! 5Q 5P. R, 13.

Heneghan, James and Bruce McBay. Waiting for Sarah .

[ed censor.] Sarah is worked marvelously into this. ... And those little parts you forget about during the book, like Mike wanting to fly & the deal with Ben Packard, they're not forgotten, which nothing should ever be. For some odd reason, I'm thinking this would make a great book report book. 5Q 5P. Gr. 8-9. CS, 14.

I disliked the first chapter, they didn't describe the scenery or the accident as much as it should have been. I liked the way Sarah reminded him of his sister by painting and the way she acted and gave him support. ... liked the ending. 4Q 4P. RN, 16.

Hinton, S.E. Hawkes Harbor.

Herrick, Steve. The Simple Gift.

Hobbs, Valerie. Letting Go of Bobby James: Or How I Found My Self Of Steam.

Holiday, Billie and Arthur Herzog, Jr, God Bless the Child.

Hornschemeier, Paul. Mother, Come Home.

Depressing, hopeless, and downright dreadful in the end. I really didn't enjoy this graphic novel at all. The illustrations weren't anything special and the type was difficult to read in some spots for it was so small. 3Q 3P. KH, 18

Jinks, Catherine. Pagan in Exile

Jones, Patrick. Things Change

I like this book. The author wrote in details about how relationships went really close to real life. I don't have any dislikes. 4Q 4P. JZ, 15.

Juby, Susan. Miss Smithers

wow i luv this book. i think it might be my fav book for these summer yay well it was as good as the first one and maybe even bettter. i hope it makes the final list cuz it's awesome. and i've heard that even megcabot enjoyed these book so you see everyone likes it.5Q 5P. S, 15.

Kadohata, Cynthia. Kira-Kira. [Newbery Winner]

Kaplow, Robert. Me and Orson Welles: A Novel.

Koontz, Dean R. Odd Thomas

Lackey cover

Kushner, Tony. Brundibar Illustrated by Maurice Sendak.

Lackey, Mercedes. The Fairy Godmother.

Le Guin, Ursula. Gifts .

Gifts was overall not a very good book. I got to page 43 and found that I couldn't bear to keep on reading. The idea of the book was pretty cool, but the writing wasn't great and I had absolutely no idea what was going on. As well... this is one of those books where all of the names differ with just a few vowels, confusing! Gifts was not a good book, the front cover is incredibly boring, and the writing is incredibly boring. I don't reccomend it, for anyone! 3Q 2P. VM, 13.

All right, could be better. Hard to keep up with, confusing, not suitable for younger kids, because they just wouldn't understand it. I had a hard time understanding it. 3Q 3P. GF, 12.

I think this is the number 1 most confusing book I have ever read. I only made it to chapter 3. This book had made up places, made up first and last names and made up super powers. Not only where the names confusing there where tons of them, tons of places, names and super powers. I couldn't keep anything straight. By the third chapter I had no idea who was who, where they where from, what family they where related to, when the lived or what their super power was, so I gave up. 2Q 1P EH, 17.

Lee, Tanith. Piratica: A Daring Tale of a Singular Girl's Adventure Upon the High Seas.

Lynch, Chris. The Gravedigger's Cottage

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Mackler, Carolyn. Vegan Virgin Valentine.

Mark, Jan. Useful Idiots.

Martin, Ann M. Here Today.

I really really enjoyed this book. It was so unique in many ways and I found it absolutely fascinating. I loved how the children were named after famous people. Ellie's full name was Eleanor Roosevelt Dingman, her brother Albert's full name was Albert Einstein dingman, and her sister Marie was Marie Cure Dingman. I thought that was pretty neat. This was a pretty long book (over 300 pages) yet it kept my interest all the way through. For the first part Ellie's life seemed rather perfect. She was embarrassed by her mother and stuff like that, but everything seemed okay and everyone seemed happy. But then her family completely fell apart. Her mother went to live in new york, the 'ladies' down at the end of the street were moving and people were beating her up at school. But Ellie kept trying to fix everything, and I liked the how the book turned out in the end. This book was filled with emotions and feelings, and with problems, and friendships and families, and well-developed characters It was written so well, and I would definetely reccommend it. 5Q 4P. AA, 14.

McAlpine,Gordon. Mystery Box .

McFann, Jennifer.Laveidem.

McGhee, Alison. Snap: a novel.

McKay, Hilary. Indigo's Star.

McMullan, Margaret. How I Found the Strong.

A decent civil war story, How I Found The Strong was a bit too short (136 pages). Thus, I found the plot to rest a bit undeveloped, and with a very quickly written ending. Other than that, it was quite a good story. I enjoyed the fact that the main character wasn't a soldier, but rather a young boy who was too small to fight. There were a good variety of twists and turns and I quite liked the author's presentation of the boy's thoughts. 4Q 3P. EH, 14.

Morgenroth, Kate. Jude.

Moses, Sheila P. The Legend of Buddy Bush.

Moynahan, Molly. Stone Garden .

I loved this book, it made me cry, but I loved it. It is a very well written story about a girl who has lost her life's love, it is an emotional story that will register with almost everyone. As I previously mentioned, this story made a wreck out of me, I had just recovered myself from tears, when I would start crying again. Strangely enough though, it didn't make me feel depressed as some of the books in this genre do; instead it made me feel happy even though I was crying. I don't know how the author learned all of her insight into the human mind, but it really hits home as being completely authentic. This is not a book for boys as they will probably not understand it as it is from a girls perspective, on the other hand, it might be an educational read. An emotional read, that will make you realise some things that you never knew before, or explain some of your feelings. I think that this book really deserves an award for its frank but beautiful story. 5Q 4P. MC, 15.

I was sick of this book after reading only a few pages. The idea for the plot is really neat, but the actual book didn't really follow through with the expectations set my the inside cover. I found this book pretty bored, and disappointing but can't really say why. The description's ok, and the plot isn't especially predictable, but the book just wasn't very good. Only read it if you're extremely bored and this is the only book you own. 3Q 3P. VM, 14

Myers, Walter Dean. Shooter.

Nilsson, Per. Heart's Delight Translated by Tara Chance.

Nolan, Han. When We Were Saints.

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Peck, Richard. Past Perfect, Present Tense: New and Collected Stories.

Perez, Marlene. Unexpected Development .

Perkins, Mitali. Monsoon Summer.

I often found it very hard to empathise with Jazz, the main character of this book. I didn't understand why, when given so much opportunity to help people who really need it, she would resist doing it for so long. I don't think what happened to her with Mona was a valid reason for Jazz to act the way she did. Other than that, this book had a lot of interesting characters and nice descriptions of the Indian city. The super happy ending was pretty unrealistic, but this was still a fun, easy, interesting read. 3Q 4P. BM, 16.

Pierce, Meredith Ann. Waters Luminous and Deep.

Provoost, Anne. In the Shadow of the Ark .

Prue, Sally. Devil's Toenail.

Qualey, Marsha. Too Big a Storm .

Ryan, Pam Munoz. Becoming Naomi Leon

I really enjoyed this book. One of my favorite characters was the Grandma because she was very optimistic and she didn’t let any one come in and ruin her life. She fought for her beliefs. Most of the character in this book did the best to change their situations for the better. When something bad happened they didn't just sit around and cry about it. Although bad things where happening to the people in this book this was not a sad book. I loved the good feeling this book gave me. I think this book would be great for younger teenagers. This book was simple and positive. 4Q 4P. EH, 17.

Schneider, Helga. Let Me Go .

Book of Dead Days Searles, John. Strange But True .

Sedgwick, Marcus. Book of Dead Days .

Shea, Pegi Deitz. Tangled Threads: A Hmong Girl's Story .

The idea of this book is interesting, and the characters could be fun to read about, but I found this book a little boring. The back cover makes me think thay it'll be a book with a lot of suspense and twist, but it was all pretty predictable and slow. I felt ripped off by the ending, and the surprise twist mentioned on the back cover. Overall, this is a good book but I think it is meant for younger readers. 4Q 3P. VM, 14.

Shepard, Jim. Project X: a novel.

Sixteen: Stories About That Sweet and Bitter Birthday. Megan McCafferty, ed.

Sonnenblick, Jordan. Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie.

Sosnowski, David. Vamped : A Novel.

Stephens, J.B. The Big Empty.

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Tashjian, Janet. Vote for Larry.

Trottier cover

Trottier, Maxine. Sister to the Wolf.

Walton, Jo. Tooth and Claw.

This was an incredible book. All the characters are dragons, but civilized. In fact, the point of the book is one dragon sueing another. There are some things which the author doesn't explain too well. For example: the dragons in this book eat each other when they die. Appearantely this causes them to grow. Why? Also, the priests in the book bind their wings so that they cannot fly. What is the symbolism in that. Is it like chastity? Aside from a few things, this book was awsome-ly good. 5Q 4P. AR, 16.

Weatherly, Lee. Missing Abby.

Westerfeld, Scott. The Secret Hour: Midnighters, Vol 1.

How do you bring forward a book centered on events, calculations and events beyond normal human imagining? What kind of book would you even be able to grasp? 'The Midnighters' is a thrilling and imaginative opening into a new dimension of earth. Scott Westerfield has brought forward genius in his opening of the 25th hour, an hour shut away from normal humans except for the special few born exactly at midnight. He introduces the 5 people who alone in Bixby, Oklahoma are awake and moving in the special Midnight hour. The Seer, Acrobat, Polymath and Mindcaster who are joined together at this secret time. The only people who could possibly make a difference against Darklings. They are all broiught together as a team, as the Midnighters by the New Girl. A girl who thought she was normal, a girl named Jessica Day who, is a shining sun amung those (the Midnighters) who cannot bear the light. It is she who will make the difference and it is she who could bring about the end...for the Darkling to stop her ascent into her new powers. 5Q 5P.Gr 7-12+ JF, 13.

I liked the idea that in a certain town the time stops at midnight, but the story could have been different. There are too many books out there already where the main character has the 'ultimate power' and will use it to vanquish the evil and save the world. 3Q 4P. AR, 16.

Though the premise of the book was original- a 'secret hour' in which time stands still and the dark creatures that once roamed the Earth are free once more- I found the storyline to be fairly predictable. It was easy to tell what the characters would do next, which detracted from my enjoyment of the book.
However, the setting was well imagined and described, especially the 'frozen' scenes, where the main characters interact with the midnight world. 3Q 4P. JW, 17.

Whitesel, Cheryl Aylward. Blue Fingers: A Ninja's Tale.

Overall, A Ninja's Tale is an amazing novel. The characters are complex and believable, there's just the right amount of description which paints great pictures, the plot is interesting and kept me hooked till the last page and lastly, I actually liked the ending of this book. Overall, I can't think of anything to critisize about this book; truly fantastic. 5Q 5P. VM, 14.

This book just seems so magical to me. Like, the way that the ninjas operate and stuff has this very mystic air about it, and when you're reading the book, it's like you feel that mysteriousness and superstition. There's only one thing that I don't understand during their trick, and that's who is supposed to represent Lord Udo's son? Because it seems that Blue Fingers is representing the son by playing the flute, yet Spider represents the son physically. I don't quite get that. Overall, a very good book (this is one not to judge by the sumnmary or the cover-look closely at the cover, there is actual folds in fabric around the ninja) and the author's note at the end just adds more information than what could be presented in the book, and the author's note is actually interesting. 4Q 5P. CS, 15.

Wild, Margaret. One Night .

This book was very gripping. The characters are interesting, and the story is a bit different from other teen pregnancy books that I've read. All of the characters were strange and unique. I thought it was a bit weird to include Bram and Al's problem's in with a story that seemed to be about Gabe and Helen. The back cover made it seem like the four characters would be given equal time in the story. I would have liked to hear more from Bram and Al. Overall, it was nothing amazing, but still interesting and worth reading. 4Q 4P. BM, 16.

This was an incredible book. The entire novel was written in poem form, but you forgot that once you started to read the book. The story is of a girl and a one night fling with a guy, when she gets pregnant. She runs away because of her parents. Even if this wasn't the best idea for a book, I think that it fit the style of the book. 5Q 4P. AR, 16

I ought to start checking the books before I leave the library to make sure that the books I choose aren't novels written in verse, because this one was. It was okay however, when I read books like this, it feels like I'm looking at this situation through a haze. Like, with normally written books, you can often feel that you're right there as the story is being told. However, with novels in verse, there's so much detail missing that you can't help but watch the story unflod through the haze. That was my major problem with the book, but otherwise, it was pretty good. 3Q 3P. CS, 15.

I thought One Night was one of the best verse novels I've ever read. It had a large ensemble cast, but it was never difficult to tell people apart. The scenes between the young mother and her baby were very touching and well written. Everything was spare and not too wordy, but not just words thrown at random places on the page to look artsy (only one of those poems, and it still worked). The addition of the information about [...ed censor] almost added too much angst, but by that point, I was going to go wherever the author took me, and enjoy the ride and the great poetry. It was a great, quick read. 5Q 4P. C, 15.

Wilkins, Rose. So Super Starry.

Wittlinger, Ellen. Heart on My Sleeve

Woods, Brenda. Emako Blue.

Wyatt, Melissa. Raising the Griffin .

This is an amazing book that is similar to The Princess Diaries (but with a male main character) but with much more depth. It's really well written, and even though Alexei, the protagonist who finds out he's the prince of an Eastern European country, can be a pain sometimes, he's a superbly drawn character and his evolution seems perfectly natural. The ending is surprising and interesting, it avoids being a predictable and romantic one. This book will appeal to everybody. 5Q 5P. Below gr 7-Gr 11. C, 14.

Wyeth, Sharon Dennis. Orphea Proud .

Zahn, Timothy. Dragon and Soldier: The Second Dragonback Adventure.

Zahn, Timothy. The Green and the Gray.

Zeises, Lara M. Contents Under Pressure.

This book is amazing! Even though I guessed that Hannah was pregnant way before it actually said that Hannah was pregnant. I love Jack's character, I think it's pretty typical of males that age that happen to get their girlfriends pregnant, even if they love their girls a lot. Him having jazz to turn to to get away from the reality is perfect, but the fact that his little sister hero worships him makes things a little more complicated in the process. When Lucy has her own relationship with Tobin, it's dealt with very well, I especially like the part when they're making out at his house after the huge blow-up at Lucy's house, yet she totally sets the boundaries as to where they're going to go. You don't see a lot of that in books. Usually, if there's a scene like that in some novel, the girl is just going to let the guy do whatever he wants. Coming back to Jack, he's just a sweet character (although he does deserve a couple of slaps sometimes) because he knows he's messed up with his family, and especially his sister. The reality in this book is just amazing. 5Q 5P. CS, 15.

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Nonfiction

Abernathy, Donzaleigh. Partners to History: Martin Luther King Jr., Ralph David Abernathy, and the Civil Rights Movement.

Almond, Steve.Candyfreak: A Journey Through the Chocolate Underbelly of America.

I found this book quite entertaining. The author's writing is amusing and often humorous, and I often found the small anecdotes to be quite funny. Fortunately, the humor didn't detract from the book, in the sense that all of the information was easily conveyed. I also found myself relaying much of the interesting little tidbits of information to my friends and family. The writing itself isn't simplistic, but it's a little lacking in pizzazz, or extravagance. Since chocolate and candy are usually a pleasant subject, there was something lacking in the entusiasm of the writing; "colour", for lack of a better word. Overall, this is quite a well rounded read. 3Q 3P. EH, 14.

Botha, Ted. Mongo: Adventures in Trash.

The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong To Get Ahead.

Echlin, Kim. Inanna: From the Myths of Ancient Sumer

Glausiusz, Josie. Buzz: The Intimate Bond Between Humans and Insects.

Graydon, Shari. Made You Look: How Advertising Works and Why You Should Know.

Halls, Kelly Milner. Albino Animals.

Halpin, Mikki. It's Your World--If You Don't Like It, Change It: Activism for Teenagers.

Hill, Laban Carrick. Harlem Stomp!: A Cultural History of the Harlem Renaissance.

Is This Forever, or What?: Poems & Paintings From Texas. Naomi Shihab Nye, ed.

Krull, Kathleen. The Book of Rock Stars: 24 Musical Icons that Shine Through History

Macaulay, David. Mosque .

Murkoff, Heidi . The What to Expect Baby-Sitter's Handbook.