Interstellar Pig

Interstellar Pig. By William Sleator. Puffin, 1995. 208 pages. PB $6.99 ISBN 978-0140375954

Summary: When Barney was invited to play Interstellar Pig with his cottage neighbors he didn’t realize that his performance in the game could impact his non-gaming world. As he explores his cottage, Barney locates papers that lead him to Piggy. The player that controls Piggy ultimately decides the destiny for their planet and other worlds. When Piggy is found, all other words apart from the winner’s planet will instantly vanish. Will Barney be able to save his world and the entire galaxy?

Critical Review: Interstellar Pig is a fascinating example of science fiction writing at its best. Sleator’s prose vividly recreates Barney’s experiences. The rules and technological related aspects of the novel are clearly written in an engaging style. I heartedly recommend this novel to young fans of the genre.

Genre: Science Fiction

Reading/Interest Level: 10 years and up

Reviews: Publishers Weekly (2004, February 9)

Similar Materials: William Sleater’s House of Stairs and Singularity 

Subjects/Themes: human-alien encounters; pigs; board games; cottages; summer vacations; neighbors

Character Names: Barney; Zena; Manny; Joe; Captain Lantham

Author Website: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~sleator/billy/index.html

Brief Annotation: Can Barney save his world and the galaxy from complete annilhation when he joins his neighbors in a game of Interstellar Pig?

Artemis Fowl

Artemis Fowl. By Eoin Colfer. Hyperion, 2001. 277 pages. Tr. $16.95 ISBN 978-0786808014

Summary: It’s been two years after his multimillionaire father’s disappearance in Greece, and Artemis Fowl II needs to step into his dad’s place and provide for his mother and himself. When searching online he finds a secret book that belongs to the people, a group of mythical, elf-like creatures, and threatens a member of the group to reveal the location of the tome. From here he can access the wealth of this group, but can he succeed without being caught by the police or being attacked by a biological weapon?

Critical Review: Others have compared Colfer’s Artemis Fowl to J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter. I do not see the connection. Artemis II is an evil, vile and selfish little boy. Though he comes to the aid of his insane mother, the moral values on display in Harry Potter are absent here. If you’re looking for Harry Potter readalikes, look to Lemony Snicket, Phillip Pullman, and Brain Jacques.

Genre: Fantasy; Action and Adventure

Reading/Interest Level: 9-12 years 

Awards: Costa Book Awards (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2001
Galaxy British Book Awards (WON AWARD) 2002
Original Voices Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2002
Nevada Young Reader's Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2003
Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2003
Massachusetts Children's Book Award (WON AWARD) 2003
Bilby (Books I Love Best Yearly) Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2003
Young Reader's Choice Award (WON AWARD) 2004
Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2004
Iowa Teen Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2005
Nene Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2006
Wyoming Indian Paintbrush Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2004
SCASL Book Award (South Carolina) (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2004
Garden State Teen Book Award (WON AWARD) 2004
Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2008

Reviews:  Library Journal (2001, June 15); School Library Journal (2001, May 1); Booklist (2001, April 15); Publishers Weekly (2001, April 9); Kirkus Reviews (2001, April 1)

Series: The Artemis Fowl series

Similar Materials: The Following books in the Artemis Fowl series: The Arctic Incident; The Eternity Code; The Opal Deception; The Lost Colony; The Time Paradox; The Atlantis Complex

Subjects/Themes: law and crime, Europe, kidnapping, England, mothers and sons, fairies, fantasy and magic, action and adventure 

Character Names: Artemis Fowl II; Butler; Captain Holly Shorter; Commander Julius Root; Foaly; Mulch Diggums; Briar Cudgeon

Author Website: http://www.eoincolfer.com/

Brief Annotation: A twelve-year-old criminal mastermind locates an Elfish treasure while surfing on the Internet. 

The Fairy Tale Detectives

The Fairy Tale Detectives. By Michael Buckley. Illustrated by Peter Ferguson. Amulet, 2007. 304 pages. PB $6.95 ISBN 978-0810993228

Summary: After moving from one foster home to another, Daphne and Sabrina receive word that their grandmother is alive and that she wants to care for them. Life with their grandmother is a shock to the girls. Their eccentric grandmother believes in fairies and informs her granddaughters that they are actually related to the Grimm Brothers. Sabrina is certain that this is not her grandmother, and urges her Daphne to runaway. On their journey the sisters meet many characters from the Grimm brother's fairy tales and learn more about themselves. 

Critical Review: Buckley’s novel magically intertwines stories from “A Midsummer’s Night Dream”, “Jack and the Beanstalk”, “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”, “The Three Little Pigs”, and “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”. Prince Charming is also part of the story, as is the Magic Mirror from “Snow White”. The Grimm sisters learn that they are responsible for writing additional fairy tales, and learn that their grandmother is telling them the truth.

Genre: Mystery; Fantasy; Adventure

Reading/Interest Level: 9-12 years 

Awards: Beehive Children's Fictional Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2007
Wyoming Indian Paintbrush Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2008
Grand Canyon Reader Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2009

Reviews: School Library Journal (2006, June 1 and January 1); Publishers Weekly (2005, December 19); Voice of Youth Advocates (2005, December 1); Booklist (2005, November 15)

Series: The Sisters Grimm series

Similar Materials: The following books in the Sisters Grimm series: The Sisters Grimm the Unusual Suspects; The Sisters Grimm the Problem Child; The Sisters Grimm: Once Upon a Crime; The Sisters Grimm: Magic and Other Misdemeanors; The Sisters Grimm: Tales from the Hood; The Sisters Grimm: The Everafter War

Subjects/Themes: monsters; multigenerational families; orphans and foster homes; siblings; sisters; grandparents; fairies; everafters

Character Names: Sabrina; Daphne; Grandmother Relda Grimm; Mr. Canis; Puck; Magic Mirror; Jack the Giant Killer; Mayor Charming/Prince Charming; Mama Bear; Tinman; Big Bad Wolf; Mr. Seven; Elvis

Author Website: http://www.sistersgrimm.com/

Brief Annotation: Unsure about whether their grandmother is telling them the truth, Sabrina and Daphne runaway and meet characters from several Grimm Brothers stories. 

The Face on the Milk Carton

The Face on the Milk Carton. By Caroline B. Cooney. Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 1996. 192 pages. Tr. $15.95 ISBN 978-0385323284

Summary: One day while having lunch at school, Janie Johnson is surprised to see her face peering back at her from a friend’s milk carton advertisement; Jennie Spring went missing from her parents twelve years ago. Seeing this picture of a twelve-year-old girl brings back a slew of unpleasant memories to Janie. Back at home she locates several pictures and school papers signed with Hannah’s name. Her parents explain that she’s actually their granddaughter, and that Hannah – a member of a cult - is her real mother.  Their explanation sounds fishy too Janie, and with the help of her boyfriend, Reeve, does some extra digging into her past.

Critical Review: The topic of Cooney’s mystery is especially dark. I have some definite qualms with recommending this book to tweens. If I toss my objections about the topic to the side, however, I can certainly see merit in this book. Cooney’s style of writing is so engaging, that I found it difficult to put the book down. If I experienced such an overwhelming urge to press ahead, despite my objections to disturbing plot, I can only imagine the effect this book might have on reluctant readers. I would heartedly recommend this book to tweens that can accept disturbing plots. For those looking for warm-hearted mysteries, I recommend Michael Buckley’s “Fairy Tale Detectives” series.

Genre: Mystery

Reading/Interest Level: 12-17 years

Awards: Young Reader’s Choice Award, 1993

Reviews: School Library Journal (1999, September 1)

Similar Materials: The following books in the Janie series: Whatever Happened to Janie?, The Voice on the Radio, What Janie Found

Series: the Janie books

Subjects/Themes: parental kidnapping; parents and child; social issues; parenting; identity

Character Names: Janice Johnson; Jennie Spring; Hannah; Mr. and Mrs. Johnson; Reeve, Lizzie

Author Website: http://www.carolinebcooneybooks.com/

Brief Annotation: An adolescent girl sees a picture of herself as a missing child on a milk carton, leading her to question whether her parents kidnapped her.

Uglies

Uglies. By Scott Westerfield. Simon Pulse, 2005. 448 pages. PB $9.99 ISBN 978-0689865381

Summary: In the town of New Pretty, everyone under the age of sixteen is ugly. Fifteen-year-old Tally Youngblood is avidly anticipating her sixteenth birthday, when her ugliness will turn into her into a stunning beauty. Tally’s friend Shay is an anomaly. She wants to hold on to her ugliness, and opts to run away before her sixteenth birthday. Shay’s decision pains Tally and forces her to question her community’s values. However, to Tally the urge to become pretty is too strong, and when Dr. Cable informs Tally that her pretty operation will only take place if she finds Shay and brings her back to the community, Tally quickly sets out to find her friend. In the primitive town of Smoky, Tally finds Shay in a community where freedom is valued above all, and learns to appreciate this too. With time she decides that she doesn’t want to go through with her pretty operation. Unfortunately she hits her tracker in error, notifying Dr. Cable and New Pretty Town’s leaders of their whereabouts. Will Tally, Shay, and their friend David be able to escape, or will they be forced to become pretty?

Critical Review: Uglies leaves a lot for readers to look forward to in the series. Westerfield captures the anxiety that comes with physical development. Children have infinite freedom; they are not judged by their looks alone, and do not spend an infinite amount of time fretting about their appearance in front of a mirror. Yet, this all changes when children turn into adolescents. Tweens are different from teens and from children, as we’ve discussed in this course. However, the onset of secondary characteristics places tweens closer to the teen camp. Consequently tween girls are apt to pay attention to previously unheard of topics, such as fashion, diets, makeup, hairstyles, boys, etc. The media certainly does not help tween girls, by appropriating skinny models as the norm. It is wise to encourage tweens to rethink overly focusing on outer beauty. The Uglies series is a worthy step towards teaching tweens that genuine beauty comes from within.

Genre: Science Fiction

Reading/Interest Level: 12 and up

Awards: School Library Journal Best Books of the Year, 2005; Australian Science Fiction Achievement Awards (Ditmars) (Nominated for an Award) 2005

Reviews: Books in Canada; (2005, November 1); Voice of Youth Advocates (2005, June 1); Publishers Weekly (2005, March 21); Booklist (2005, March 15); School Library Journal (2005, March 1)

Series: the Uglies series 

Similar Materials: The following books in the Uglies series: Pretties, Specials, Extras

Subjects/Themes: beauty; individuality; social norms; conformity; Big Brother; body image; self-esteem; coming of age

Character Names: Tally Youngblood; Pevis; Shay; Dr. Cable; David; Az; Maddy

Author Website: http://scottwesterfeld.com/blog/

Brief Annotation: A fifteen-year-old girl vacillates between choosing inner or outer beauty in a futuristic society.

Lives of the Musicians: Good Times, Bad Times (and What the Neighbors Thought)

Lives of the Musicians: Good Times, Bad Times (and What the Neighbors Thought). Written by Kathleen Krull. Illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Trade & Reference Publishers, 2002. 96 pages. PB $12.00 ISBN 978-0152164362

Summary: Brief two-to-three page biographies are provided on musician-composers from Antonia Vivaldi through Woody Guthrie in this engaging nonfiction book for tweens. Hewitt’s illustrations are laugh-out-loud funny, and Krull’s prose does not disappoint. Did you know that Vivaldi was nicknamed the “Red Priest”, or that Bach had twenty-one children? Even tweens that pick up this book with a distaste for biographies and classical music will become enamored with Hewitt’s whimsical drawings and Krull’s insightful text.

Critical Review: It is unfortunate that a CD is not appended; however, lists of key pieces are cited, and a bibliography of related works is appended. Overall, the biography is a winner. This is a wonderful choice to introduce newcomers to the joys of classical music. After they’ve finished this book they could easily progress to more serious works.

Genre: Biography

Reading/Interest Level: 8-12 years

Reviews: School Library Journal (1993, May 1); Kirkus Reviews (1993, April 15); Booklist (1993, April 1); Publishers Weekly (1993, February 22)

Series: Lives of . . . Series

Similar Materials: Kathleen Krull’s and Kathryn Hewitt’s Lives of the Writers: Comedies, Tragedies (and What the Neighbors Thought; David W. Barber’s Bach, Beethoven and the Boys

Subjects/Themes: musicians; biographies

Author Website: http://www.kathleenkrull.com/

Illustrator Website: http://www.kathrynhewitt.com/

Brief Annotation: Nineteenth brief biographies on musicians between

Dork Diaries: Tales From a Not So Fabulous Life

The Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not so Fabulous Life. By Rachel Renee Russell. Illustrated by the author. Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, 2009. 288 pages. Tr. $12.99  ISBN 978-1416980063

Summary: When her father loses his job, Nikki Maxwell is alarmed to be enrolling in Westchester County Day School for eighth grade. Her mother adds to her misery by bringing home a diary instead of an Iphone. Now she’ll never be able to fit in with her designer-clad classmates. Within the pages of her diary, Nikki confides the loneliness and angst she feels about her new school. Will her unpopularity make it impossible for her to make friends and win the new art competition?

Critical Review: Rachel Renee Russell’s “Dork Diaries” series holds the same place for girls that Jeff Kinney’s “Wimpy Kid” series does for boys. Russell accurately depicts tween’s use of technology. The book begins with Nikki lamenting the fact that her mother will not purchase her an Iphone. With the loss of her father’s job, money is incredibly tight in the Maxwell household. Nikki’s parents cannot afford to purchase designer clothes or expensive phones, making it difficult for her to fit in with her snobby classmates. Russell emphasizes the overarching need of many girls to fit in and be popular. Nikki’s friends are uniformly unpopular among their peers, but they shine through their multifaceted interests. Not only are the girls interested in typical tween pastimes such as boys and fashion, but they also enjoy reading and drawing. Nikki aspires to become an artist, and takes first place at her school’s competition. Her maturity and confidence springs off the pages. 

Genre: Humor; Realistic Fiction

Reading/Interest Level: 9-13 years

Awards: Children’s Choice Book of the Year, 2010

Reviews: School Library Journal (2001, June 1)

Series: Dork Diaries

Similar Materials: Jeff Kinney’s “Wimpy Kid” series

Subjects/Themes: art; friendship; school and education; diaries; popularity; comics

Character Names: Nikki J. Maxwell; MacKenzie Hollister; Chloe Christina Garcia; Zoeysha Ebony Franklin; Brandon Roberts; Brianna Maxwell; Jessica; Violet Baker; Theodore L. Swagmire III

Author Website: http://www.dorkdiaries.com/

Brief Annotation: Nikki Maxwell embarks upon eighth grade at Westchester County Day School, and tries to