28) Mostly Ghostly: Who Let the Ghosts Out?

Bibliography: Stine, R.L; Mostly Ghostly: Who Let the Ghosts Out?; Delacorte Press; New York; 2004; 144 pages; ISBN 978-0-385-74663-6.

Plot: Max is a straight “A” eleven year old boy.  He swears that there is a ghost that haunts the kitchen of his house at night.  One night while he is practicing his magic tricks, two ghosts appear in his room.  Nicky and Tara have just realized they are ghosts and they have no recollection of what happened to them or anything that happened to them when they were alive.  Tara and Nicky decide that Max is the perfect person to help them find their parents and what happened to them.  As a trade for helping them, Tara and Nicky will also help Max.  Unfortunately, Max is being tortured by an animal ghost named Phears to get to Tara and Nicky.  This is the first book in the Mostly Ghostly series.

Review:  The book begins with Tara and Nicky walking home.  However, they have no idea where they are coming from or why no one acknowledges them on the street.  When they finally get to their house, they find that their key doesn’t work in the door and that there is a new family living in their house.  Max and his family are living in Tara and Nicky’s old house.  Max likes school and magic, but is not popular and is failing physical education.  Max’s father and older brother are very large, muscular men.  His father decides it is best for Max to switch to Plover School where he will get a “proper” education. 

When Max meets Tara and Nicky, the ghosts decide that they will help him stay out of Plover School if he will help them find their parents.  Max is also being tortured by an animal ghost, Phears, who is looking for Nicky and Tara.  Max finds himself in some sticky situations as Nicky and Tara try to help him. 

The novel is scary and funny all within a few pages.  While readers will cringe at Phears, they will shortly be laughing at the issues that Nicky and Tara cause for Max.  I really liked this book, and I hope other readers will enjoy the characters of Max, Tara and Nicky throughout the rest of the series.

Genre: Horror/Ghosts

Interest Level: age 9-12

Related Books: The Great Ghost Rescue by Eva Ibbotson; Why I’m Not Afraid of Ghosts by Nina Kiriki Hoffman; Ghost Camp by R.L. Stine.

Characters: 

Max – The human boy that lives in Nicky’s old room

Tara – Just realized that she is a ghost but can’t remember what happened

Nicky – A ghost, can’t remember what happened to him or his parents

Phears – An animal ghost that is after Tara and Nicky.

Author Information: http://rlstine.com/about/

27) The Girl’s Body Book: Everything You Need to Know for Growing up YOU

Bibliography: Dunham, R.N, Kelli; The Girl’s Body Book: Everything You Need to Know for Growing up YOU; Applesauce Press; Maine; 2008; 116 pages; ISBN 978-1-60433-004-5.

Plot: Dunham provides honest answers to girls' most pressing (and embarrassing) questions. The text reassures girls entering puberty that their changing bodies and feelings are perfectly normal. Breast development, body hair, and menstruation are explained along with practical information about bras and sanitary products. The later chapters discuss the emotional side of entering adolescence—one's changing relationships with friends and family and the effects of surging hormones. The author maintains the neutrality of a good healthcare provider and does not waver into a lecture. However, the "Notes from a Real Girl" passages don't always ring true. They sound like a real girl who was an adolescent in the 1980s. Overall, the book's tone and lively cartoon illustrations are friendly and nonthreatening. While this title does not stand out as groundbreaking or new, it's still a solid choice for basic information about puberty. (www.amazon.com)

Review:  This book is chocked full of information for girls starting to go through puberty.  The book includes information on everything from periods to bullying.  The book also offers advice for actual preteens that have gone through the same things.  Preteen girls will be able to use this book to have all of their questions answered.  They can also use this book as a supplement to find an adult that can help them find their answers.  Preteen girls will love all the information they gain by reading this book.

Genre: Nonfiction/Self Help

Interest Level: age 8 and up

Related Books: Friends: Making Them and Keeping Them by Patti Kelley Criswell; What Would You Do? by Patti Kelley Criswell.

For Further Information: The book lists several resources for further exploration.  I would suggest exploring Preteen Health Talk at www.pamf.org/preteen

26) The Feelings Book: The Care and Keeping of Your Emotions

Bibliography: Madison, Dr Lynda; The Feelings Book: The Care and Keeping of Your Emotions; American Girl Books; Wisconsin; 2002; 106 pages; ISBN 1-58485-528-2.

Plot: The Feelings Book is the emotional counterpart to the best-selling The Care & Keeping of You. It takes pretty scary questions-"Is it okay to feel this way? Am I normal?" and answers them in a friendly and understandable way. When girls are younger, their feelings seem simple--happy, sad, angry, mad--there isn't much to it. But as they get older, they may feel as if they're on emotional rollercoasters. Feelings get more complex and moods start swinging. This title helps girls learn to deal with their feelings. They'll get tips, how-to's, and straightforward advice on expressing feelings, understanding them, and handling them. Topics covered include: Sweaty Palms and Knocking Knees, Why Do You Cry?, Feeling Out of Control, Sorting it Out, Feeling Positive, Reaching Out to Others, Includes a section with strategies for coping with specific emotions (fear, anxiety, jealousy, anger, loneliness, sadness, grief, feeling safe). The overriding message is that if you learn about your feelings you can keep them from spinning out of control. You can be in the driver's seat--and that makes the ride on the rollercoaster a whole lot easier.

Discusses a variety of emotions girls might experience and suggests ways of dealing with them. (www.bn.com)

Review:  One thing that tweens have to deal with on a daily basis is their ever changing emotions.  This is a great book to help tweens understand better how they are feeling and how to deal with these feelings.  The book provides quizzes and letters to help tweens see that they are not alone in their ever changing world.  The book shows examples of other tweens dealing with their emotions and offers suggestions on how to work through what they are feeling.  This is a great book for tweens that are experiencing major changes and the emotions that come with that change.

Genre: Nonfiction/Self Help

Interest Level: age 8 and up

Related Books: Friends: Making Them and Keeping Them by Patti Kelley Criswell; What Would You Do? by Patti Kelley Criswell.

For Further Information: www.americangirl.com

25) The Misfits

Bibliography: Howe, James; The Misfits; Aladdin Paperbacks; New York; 2001; 274 pages; ISBN 0-689-83956-1.

Plot: Bobby is sick of the names that everyone calls him at school.  When his friend Addie decides to start up a third political party for the school elections, he suggests that instead of fighting for freedom they fight to stop name calling.  Bobby and his three friends, also known as the Gang of Five, start a list of all the names they have been called ever since kindergarten.  This list contains 72 names.  Seeing this, the group decides to stand up against bullying and creates the No-Name Political Party.

 

Review:  I found this book so inspiring. Everyone can relate to being called a name at some time or another.  Maybe the name is as simple as “geek” or as cruel as “fatso.”  No matter the name, it starts to define that person’s character.  Bobby and his friends are sick of being called names and they decide to stand up for what they know is right.  This book should be used in every middle school to show students the effects of the words they say. 

Bobby is a great person to have narrate this novel.  Even though he has been affected by the names he has been called, he still has the right frame of mind to know how to deal with it properly.  If this book had been narrated by Addie, not as many students would find inspiration in the novel.

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction/Coming of Age

Interest Level: age 10-14

Related Books: Rivals by Tim Green; Revenge of the Snob Squad by Julie Anne Peters; Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff.

Characters: 

Bobby – the narrator

Joe – Bobby’s friend.  He is gay.

Addie – Bobby’s friend since birth.  She wants to change the world starting with the middle school.

Skeezie – Bobby’s friend.

Author Information: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/james-howe

24) The Darlings Are Forever

Bibliography: Kantor, Melissa; The Darlings are Forever; Hyperion Books; New York; 2011; 328 pages; ISBN 978-142312714-7.

Plot: Best friends since kindergarten, Jane, Victoria, and Natalya must face high school without each other.  Each girl has been accepted to a different high school in New York City.  Jane will be attending the The Academy of the Performing Arts and trying to win her way into the school play.  Natalya will be at the elite Gainsford Academy.  The school focuses on academically gifted students.  Victoria will be attending Morningside, where teachers expect her to live up to her perfect older sister’s legacy.  Each girl has big developments in their lives, but in the end they know they will always be friends forever.

Review:  I enjoyed this book.  The concept of three best friends being seperated for the first time is one that many teens will be able to relate to.  Kantor also developed three very different characters that many teen girls will be able to find themselves in.  Jane is the artsy one, with a passion for theatre.  Natalya is the smart one, with a passion for science and chess.  Victoria is the average girl, with a passion for cooking.  Out of all the characters I found something in each of them.  So many girls wish to play a part in a major theatre production.  Jane is the only freshman cast in her school’s big fall performance.  She feels special and enjoys the idea of being an oddity amongst her peers.  Natalya only wants to be part of the popular crowd.  Her actions make her change who she is to be included in the popular group.  Victoria wishes that people would stop thinking of her as the “good girl” and stop comparing her to her older sister.

Kantor does an excellent job with writing characters and situations that many teens will relate to.  When Jane develops a crush on her teacher, it is only a matter of time before she gets the wrong idea.  While I really enjoyed Jane’s story line, I kept thinking to myself, how many times has this concept been written.  So many times younger girls get the wrong impression from older influential adults.  I felt that Jane’s character was too smart to put herself into the situation.  She seems so in control of herself and her surroundings that I kept expecting her to see the roadblock that was ahead.

Victoria is probably my favorite character.  I totally understood what she was going through with her teachers always expecting her to live up to her older sister’s intellect.  I also felt for her when she was brought down by her actions.  She didn’t ask her dad to run for office; she didn’t ask that all of her actions be public knowledge.  I think out of all the characters, Victoria is the one that most readers will relate to.

Natalya bothered me.  While I enjoyed her character when she was with Jane and Victoria, her actions when they were not around made me want to rip my hair out.  Why did she want to be a friend of Morgan’s so badly?  I just felt that Morgan was such a transparent character that smart Natalya should have seen right through her.  I wanted Natalya to wake up and show the reader how smart she really was.

Even though I am wishy washy about this novel, I will be reading the follow up.  I have to know what happens next for these three girls.  I have a feeling that many readers will be asking for more for a long time.

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction/Chick Lit

Interest Level: age 12 and up

Related Books: Masquerade by Melissa de la Cruz; Princess Mia by Meg Cabot; TTYL by Lauren Myracle.

Author Information: http://www.melissakantor.com/about.html

23) Ditched: A Love Story

Bibliography: Mellom, Robin; Ditched: A Love Story; Hyperion Books; New York; 2012; 275 pages; ISBN 978-142314338-3.

Plot: Justina is left on the side of the road the morning after her junior prom.  At first she can’t remember what happened to make her end up in a ditch.  As she starts to get her bearings, she realizes that she is close to a 7-Eleven.  She figures that the employee working at the gas station will at least let her use the phone.  At 7-Eleven Justina is greeted by Gilda, who decides to take pity on her and asks what happened to her.  Slowly Justina tells the story of her junior prom and how she ended up ditched on the side of the road.

Review:  This book is super funny.  Justina takes the reader on a trip through her prom night and readers will be laughing at all of the predicaments she finds herself in.

The book begins with Justina on the side of a road unable to remember how she got there and what led up to her being left on the side of the road.  She slowly begins to remember things and realizes she knows just where she is.  “I suppose if I have to get ditched somewhere, I’m glad it’s at this 7-Eleven, not the sucky 7-Eleven near downtown.”  At this awesome 7-Eleven she is greeted by worker Gilda, who is willing to lend an ear and some food.  Justina starts her story at the beginning; how she even decided to go to prom.

Justina’s story is funny and at times unbelievable, while at the same time extremely believable.  Justina and her best friend, Ian, decide to go to prom together.  Over the last few months, Justina has developed feelings for Ian and feels that prom night is the perfect time to let him know.  She plans out how she will get him alone to test out his kissing.  She wants to know which kissing category Ian belongs in, since she believes this is how you can tell if a boy is boyfriend material.  However, from the minute Ian picks up Justina for the prom disaster strikes.  She ends up with curry on her dress before the two even get out of her house.

The story revolves around the disaster of a dress that Justina is wearing the next morning.  The chapters are titled after the various stains and happenings that bring Justina to the end of the night at 7-Eleven telling her story to Gilda.

The downfall of this book is Ian.  While Mellom has created a great character in Justina, Ian is lacking.  Despite the constant reminder of Justina’s feelings for Ian, I couldn’t see why she was in love with him.  I wish that more time would have been spent on creating a character that would seem worthy of the books quirky narrator.

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction/Humor

Interest Level: age 12 and up

Related Books: Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett; The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks; Princess Mia by Meg Cabot.

Author Information: http://www.robinmellom.com/about/

22) The Westing Game

Bibliography: Raskin, Ellen; The Westing Game; Dutton Children’s Books; New York; 1978; 182 pages; ISBN 978-0-525-47137-0.

Plot: The Sunset Towers Apartment complex has just opened.  Realtor Barney Northrup introduces each character to the perfect apartment for their family.  When it is determined that the millionaire Sam Westing has died, the tenants of Sunset Towers are asked to attend a reading of the will.  At the reading it is determined that Westing has sixteen heirs.  He breaks the heirs up into eight groups and gives them clues to find who murdered Westing.  He gives each group ten thousand dollars as an incentive to play the game.  Whoever finds the murderer will inherit all of Westing’s two hundred million dollars.

Review:  The novel begins by introducing readers to Barney Northrup and the tenants of Sunset Towers.  It doesn’t take long for the novel to get to the mystery.  Turtle becomes interested in the Westing house after Otis tells her, Theo and Doug that it is rumored that Mr Westing is dead in the house.  Turtle decides to see for herself and goes into the house to see what she can find.  Unfortunately for her, she finds the dead body of Sam Westing lying in his bed.  The next morning Westing’s obituary is in the newspaper, and Otis Amber delivers sixteen letters to the heirs of the Westing fortune.

Even though this is a mystery, the characters of the book keep things lively and entertaining.  It’s interesting to see each character go through the clues and figure out exactly who the killer is.  The situations that occur as each team is working on their clues will keep readers interested. 

The ending threw me for a loop.  I honestly was stumped throughout the entire book.  This is a great read and tweens will enjoy every minute of this novel.

Genre: Mystery/Humor

Interest Level: age 9-12

Related Books: Floors by Patrick Carmen; Holes by Louis Sachar; Millions by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Characters:

Otis Amber – the sixty two year old delivery boy of Sunset Towers.  His partner is Berthe Crow.

Flora Baumbach – a tenant of Sunset Towers, she is an elderly dressmaker.  Her partner is Turtle.

Berthe Erica Crow – the cleaning woman of Sunset Towers.  Her partner is Otis Amber.

D. Denton Deere – he is a medical intern and engaged to marry Angela Wexler.  His partner is Chris Theodorakis.

J.J. Ford – the first female African American judge in Wisconsin.  Her partner is Sandy McSouthers.

Sandy McSouthers – the door man of Sunset Towers. 

Doug Hoo – the son of James Hoo.  He is a star track athlete.  His partner is Theo Theodorakis.

James Hoo – the owner of Shin Hoo’s restaurant in Sunset Towers.  His partner is Grace Windsor Wexler.

Sun Lin Hoo – James’ wife.  She doesn’t speak much English.  Her partner is Jake Wexler.

Sydelle Pulaski – a secretary living in Sunset Towers.  Her partner is Angela Wexler.

Chris Theodorakis – he is confined to a wheelchair after a severe illness.  He likes to watch birds from the windows of Sunset Towers.

Theo Theodorakis – a high school student that likes to play chess and hopes to be a writer someday.

Angela Wexler – Turtle’s sister.  She is planning her wedding to D. Denton Deere.

Grace Windsor Wexler – a mother and a decorator.

Jake Wexler – a podiatrist.

Turtle Wexler – a smart 13 year old girl that is known for her long braid and kicking anyone that dares to touch it.

Awards:

Newberry Medal for 1979

Author Information: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/ellen-raskin