Book Reviews for Teens
Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman
Shawn McDaniel has cerebral palsy. With no control of physical
functions, he appears to the outside world, including his family,
to be hopelessly retarded-a "vegetable." Because he narrates the
story, readers know that he is, in fact, a near genius, completely
aware of his surroundings, and able to remember everything he has
ever heard. He has a rich inner life, full of humor and insight,
and is capable of the most normal feelings of a 14 -year-old boy.
Most of his day is spent in a wheelchair where he is attended to by
his mother and older siblings. His father, an author and celebrity
on the talk-show circuit, left the family because of Shawn and his
problems, but maintains a relationship with him. Shawn suspects that
his father, in order to end his perceived pain and suffering, is
considering killing him. With this intriguing premise, Trueman
presents readers with thought-provoking issues. The character of
Shawn, compassionately drawn, will challenge them to look beyond
people's surfaces. His struggle to be known, and ultimately loved,
is vividly captured, and the issue of euthanasia is handled boldly
but sensitively. In the final scene, Shawn, alone with his father,
waits vulnerably as the man struggles with his options. Readers must
draw their own conclusions as his father's dilemma is left unresolved. This story is bound to spark much lively discussion.
(From School Library Journal)
Hawksong by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
In this engaging fantasy, Danica Shardae is an avian
shapeshifter. She is a princess of her people who,
like the birds they become, is reserved and disciplined,
yet full of passion. Her people have been at war with
the serpiente, a people who shapeshift into serpent
forms, for so many years that no one remembers how it
all started. The hatred and bloodshed have taken a
heavy toll on both sides, and Danica and Zane Cobriana,
a prince among the serpiente, are determined to stop it,
at any cost. He is the last of his line as is Danica
and so he proposes that the avian and serpiente royalty
meet at a neutral place and seek mediation to end the
war. The mediator proposal-that Danica and Zane marry-
is so crazy and repugnant a plan that both parties leave
immediately. The young people, however, consider it in
spite of the apparent lunacy, for it would mean an end
to the fighting. But can they pull it off? And can
they keep the dissenters among them from destroying this
shred of chance for peace? This book takes the Romeo
and Juliet angle to new heights and is dealt with in a
completely original way. It's a love story and a plea
for peace, and an intriguing look at a world that is
teeming with tension and danger and beauty.
Atwater-Rhodes has created a stunning adventure that
draws readers in and leaves them begging for more.
(From School Library Journal)
Teen's Top Ten Books!
Over 1700 teens voted on-line for
their favorite books for the first annual Teens' Top Ten (TTT),
sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a
division of the American Library Association (ALA). Waterloo Public
Library has the following winning books:
What Happened to Lani Garver?-- Carol Plum-Ucci
Abhorsen-- Garth Nix
The First Part Last-- Angela Johnson
Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale-- Holly Black
The Second Summer of the Sisterhood- Ann Brashares
A Wizard Alone: Young Wizards Book 6 -- Diane Duane
The True Meaning of Cleavage-- Mariah Fredericks
Dead Girls Don't Write Letters-- Gail Giles
True Confessions of a Heartless Girl-- Martha Brooks
America-- E.R. Frank
JUST ARRIVED!
MORE CASSETTE AND C.D. BOOKS
A new shipment of +fiction and young adult chapter
books on c.d. and cassette tapes have just arrived! If
you wish to read along with the audios, the Youth Department personnel will be happy to
locate the book in print. Look for these audio books in the youth
video aisle!
Guides to Good Books:
Other Interesting Web Sites
See Music under The Arts section of this web site for web sites about music,
including links to web sites with song lyrics.
