Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


How do you make something of yourself when you are the 6th of 7 brothers and born into poverty? Cunxin spent his first 11 years as a dirt poor son of peasants in China. Then, quite by chance, he was chosen to be taken to Bejiing and the Madame Mao Dance Academy. With no experience of ballet let alone living in a city, Cunxin bravely endured the hardships of loneliness and the rigors of dance.

I was surprised at how involved I became in the life of Cunxin. The book is written very plainly in a declarative style. What catches your interest is this little boy's determination to become something and to make his family proud.

The book became a feature film and I was able to watch a Today Show interview, on the Internet, that Anne Curry had with Cunxin. This was interesting as I got to see the subject of the book and catch glimpses of his dancing.



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Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Fast paced novel based on the popular theme of jealousy and hatred. Plenty of soap opera bitchy-ness.



Seniors Brooke and Kathryn used to be friends. They have one thing in common, they both have beautiful voices, well they actually have two things in common if you count their hatred. Now they are bitter rivals in a vocal-music competition.

These fren-enemies battle it out at school and at home through alternating chapters. Who will you side with, rich popular Brooke, or petite awkward Kathryn?

Plenty of material to get your teeth into in this novel.





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Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer by John Grisham

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


To be a judge or a trial lawyer? Umm? Theo Boone is obsessed with all things legal. While he hasn’t taken the bar, he does offer advice to his friends, hangs out at the courthouse, and watches Perry Mason reruns. Things turn serious, however, when a witness to a murder, a young illegal immigrant, comes to Theo with evidence. So what to do with this bomb-shell?
John Grisham the well known adults’ author with best selling novels and mega-successful movies based on these books begins his YA career with a fast moving legal thriller full of explanations of many lawyer-ly issues. I read an interview with John Grisham where the author said he had talked with a group of middle-schoolers about the book. This audience where very forthright about what they wanted changed and what they liked. Therefore I am even more interested in reading the 2nd in the series to see if I can recognize differences in treatment and style.




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The Omnivore's Dilemma for Kids by Michael Pollan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Where do burgers come from? They start in feedlots where tens of thousands of cows stand on a hill of manure and eat from concrete troughs; their feed can contain chicken and cattle manure, chocolate, stale pastry, cement dust, molasses, candy, urea, hooves, feathers, meat scraps, fish meal, pasta, peanut skins, brewery wastes, cardboard, corn silage, pesticides.

And fries? Most potatoes start in huge fields sprayed with chemicals so toxic that no one's allowed to enter that field for five days after it's sprayed. Those chemicals stop the bugs, but the potatoes have to be stored for six months in a giant shed before they're safe for humans to eat.

Have you lost your appetite yet?

So what's an omnivore supposed to eat? An omnivore, someone who eats meat and vegetables, has a lot of choices. That's what Michael Pollan, the author of this book, discovered as he became a food detective and set out on a mission to understand what really goes on behind the scenes in food production.

This book will shock you with startling facts, scare you with the secrets that food producers would rather keep quiet, and probably make you a little sick when you learn some of the hidden truths behind the foods you eat.

You may not look at food quite the same way after this book.





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The Last Siege by Jonathan Stroud

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A boring Christmas vacation morphed into an adventure Emily never expected.

A group of children – loner Emily, local troublemaker Simon, and the decidedly off-beat Marcus – decide to break into the local ruined castle to look around, at Marcus’s urging. However, once they’re inside, they decide to come back to spend the night… and then once they’ve begun defending the keep, how long can they hold out against the siege of adults come to take them home? And why don’t they want to go home?

I really enjoyed this one. It was realistic with great believable dialog from the teens. It is well-written, humorous, and has plenty of action.





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Delirium by Lauren Oliver

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


This was tedious. It went on and on, repeating itself (that is how it seemed to me). It could be likened to a soap opera, where you watch a few episodes then miss a few weeks only to find that the action hasn't really progressed during your absence. I also don't seem to enjoy romantic novels - too slow moving.

So here is the School Library Journal review:

In this gripping dystopian novel set in a future Portland, ME, everyone is safe, unhappiness can be cured, and the freedoms we take for granted have been relinquished in the name of "security" and "the common good." There is no risk and no pain, or at least there won't be for 17-year-old Lena Haloway and her outspoken friend, Hana, once they turn 18. They will then be eligible, in fact forced, to undergo the procedure that will render them impervious to delirium—the disease that was formerly known as love. You can see, of course, right where this is headed, but the ride is well worthwhile. Lena is an engaging and believable protagonist, at first compliant, then questioning, and finally desperate to save herself and the irrepressible emotions blooming within her. Her journey to understanding is both painful and exhilarating as she meets free-spirited Alex, succumbs to delirium, and wrestles with the social code she's been taught so well. Ultimately, Lena gets a shocking glimpse into the world outside the city's borders and witnesses the barbaric underpinnings of the "safe" world in which she has lived. Especially heartbreaking is her discovery of the fate of her mother, who was unable to stop loving her husband and daughters and paid a terrible price for her transgression. On the other hand, Lena's caring but numbed-out aunt and her scrupulously compliant older sister make clear the consequences of obedience to tyranny. Strong characters, a vivid portrait of the lives of teens in a repressive society, and nagging questions that can be applied to our world today make this book especially compelling and discussable



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When the Black Girl Sings by Bil Wright

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I loved this novel. It may be predictable but touches on many teen issues, especially the ever present need to fit in and appreciate ones self.

Adopted by loving, white parents and taunted by classmates as the only African American girl in her elite, private school, Lahni Schuler, 14, is conflicted about her identity and deeply hurt by her parents’ separation.

When her mother takes her to an interdenominational church, Lahni is captivated by the soulful gospel singing. She joins the choir and receives inspiration from the flamboyant, talented director and organist. With a school singing competition coming up you will find the tension mounting. Also there is a boy stalking Lahni, so how will this aspect of the plot evolve? This story never gets heavy-handed ; the characters are well developed, believable and the narrative is real. You will find yourself rooting for the underdog and hoping the smug characters get their due too.





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Rikers High by Paul Volponi

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Really good look at life in jail for a teen, if you ever thought of doing something unlawful, this will cure you. Martin Stokes has landed in jail for steering, telling an undercover cop where to buy drugs. He is due to be released but due to various judicial mishaps he's being held at Riker's Island for a few weeks that turned into months while he waits for his trial to come up. He's learned how to navigate the system and avoid becoming the target of bullies, but an accidental knife slash to his face and a transfer to a new ward lands him in the jail school, and he is the new kid again. Volponi spent several years as a teacher at Rikers and everything that happens in this book he saw or heard about. There are some really good teachers who help and defend the juveniles against bad corrections officers, but also some worthless and dangerous teachers as well. This is a very realistic novel and a great look at the corrections system from one teenager's point of view.



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