Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger

I have to admit that I checked this out, kept it forever, returned it, checked it out again, and finally cracked it open. It was delightful. Not quite enough magic to be truly in my polite society fantasy collection, but close enough. It has all the delightful insanity of Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate with none of the politics and angst that made me lose interest in the later books (none of the sexytimes either, but oh well it is a teen book).

Sophronia is a typical tomboy; she doesn't fit into polite society, prefers climbing to etiquette, and can't imagine why her sisters like all those "girly" things like dresses. That is, until she finds herself packed off to a very unique finishing school. Before she's even arrived, she's made a new friend, a new enemy, and discovered she has some surprising skills. But the story doesn't end there; mechanimals, eyelash-fluttering practice, sooties, vampires, werewolves, and more will all come her way before she even begins to be finished.

I love how Carriger brings out stereotypes and just when you're rolling your eyes and thinking "I've read that before" she suddenly flips them on their head. Sophronia is a tomboy and her mother is exasperated, but she agrees to pack her off more because she simply doesn't know what to do with her than because she's worried about conventions. Sophronia's friends aren't perfect paragons, they can be whiny, traitorous, sulky, and make mistakes, in other words, typical pre-teens. Sophronia herself is neither fighting for her independence nor completely lacking self-esteem. She quickly comes to see the value of "girly" things and discovers she has more skills than she knew, but she always has a core of inner stubbornness and self-identity that shine through, keeping her the main protagonist.

Verdict: As you can tell, I loved this story. Would I buy it for the library? Well...probably not. Steampunk and polite society fantasies seem to be much more popular with adults than kids or teens, at least at my library. It's actually kind of an odd book. It has a very clean, delightful adventure feeling (except for the parts where they talk about assassinations) that makes it feel more middle grade, but the way it's marketed and the reading level make it feel more young adult (not to mention the potential assassinations). If you have a lot of fans of Gail Carriger's books, definitely buy this one, otherwise I'd recommend it for your personal collections and enjoyment.

ISBN: 9780316190084; Published 2013 by Little, Brown; Donated to the library

Nonfiction Monday: Primates: The fearless science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Birute Galdikas by Jim Ottaviani and Maris Wicks

A lot of talk about this new nonfiction graphic novel is going around, so I borrowed it from another library. Being the independent (i.e. cranky and opinionated) reviewer that I am, I can see that it's intriguing but I also see some issues with the story.

This is a combined narrative of three women who studied primates. It begins with Jane Goodall, who loved animals and, after meeting Louis Leakey, suddenly found herself studying chimpanzees. The story then segues into the similar life of Dian Fossey and her study of gorillas. Finally, it introduces Birute Galdikas and her life with the orangutans. The story concludes with some thoughtful reflections on where each woman is now and how her research changed her life; Galdikas eventually separated from her husband and married a local man who understood that she would not be leaving the jungle. Dian Fossey lived a difficult and controversial life and it ended tragically. Jane Goodall managed to combine both worlds and transition from her research to become a public figure, speaking out to save chimpanzees.

An afterword talks about the difference between fact and fiction, and how the authors blended both to write a narrative about the three women. A bibliography of resources on all three women and related articles and books is included.

The illustrations reminded me of Lucy Knisley's neat, tidy lines and soft colors. The story is laid out in neatly organized small panels and there's an oddly clean look to everything, even when the women are sifting dung or covered in mud.

This is certainly a great introduction to the complicated lives of three important women. It hints delicately at the controversies and issues surrounding them, from Leakey's penchant for young, single women and his weird ideas about research, to the lack of scientific credentials and their sometimes rocky personal and public relationships. It talks honestly about the differences between the initially romantic view of Goodall and Fossey and the harsh realities of research alone in the jungle and trying to move between two worlds.

I found the blending of the three stories somewhat confusing. Although the three women are drawn differently, it was hard to tell sometimes when they had moved from one to another, especially when they were younger. Mainly, however, I wonder who the audience for this book really is. The art has a friendly, uncomplicated feel with a light comic touch and just looking at the pictures I'd expect it to be for a much younger audience. However, the story itself touches on more adult themes (the women's relationship with Leakey and others, Fossey's death, etc.). Then again, these situations are all very glossed over, sometimes so much that you can't even tell what they're hinting at, which was annoying.

Verdict: Although I'm not sure of the audience for this (and nonfiction graphic novels don't do well at my library) and I did find some of it confusing, it really is a good introduction to three influential women and the art is very attractive. I'd probably put it in teen and see what happens.

ISBN: 9781596438651; Published 2013 by First Second; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Added to the library's order list for further consideration

Nonfiction Monday: Bad Girls by Jane Yolen and Heidi Y. Stemple, illustrated by Rebecca Guay

This looked really interesting when I glanced through it at ALA Midwinter last January and I got tired of waiting for someone to buy it so I could read it, so I went ahead and purchased it for our library. I'm a little disappointed, as it didn't turn out to be as unique (or interesting) as I had hoped, but it's still a good read.

The brief introduction talks a little about how we see women and how we decide who's "bad". Did they commit crimes or were they just strong women in a time that was viewed as wrong? What was the context of their actions? It ends with a one-page comic introducing the authors, Jane Yolen and her daughter Heidi, and a little dialogue about their opinions on the women ensues.

Each chapter features a different woman, telling her story in two or three pages. The chapters open with a stunning painting by Rebecca Guay and end in a comic showing the two authors discussing the personage (as well as cooking, shopping, or just chatting together). The stories begin with Biblical characters, Delilah and Jezebel, then moves on to Cleopatra, Salome, and other well-known "bad girls" including Anne Boleyn, Bloody Mary, Elisabeth Bathory, Moll Cutpurse, Tituba, Anne Bonney and Mary Read, Peggy Shippen Arnold, Catherine the Great, Rose O'Neal Greenhow (Rebel Rose), Belle Starr, Calamity Jane, Lizzie Borden, Madame Alexe Popova, Pearl Hart, Typhoid Mary, Mata Hari, Ma Barker, Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner, Bonnie Parker (of Bonnie and Clyde fame) and Virginia Hill. The book ends with a conclusion, discussing "modern times and changing gender roles" and encourages readers to decide for themselves about the women featured in the book. There's a bibliography divided into resources for each woman and an index.

The stories of the women are written in a conversational, speculative style. Did they really do those things? Is that what they thought/said/felt? You decide. It wasn't to my taste - I like my straight-forward history, but it will probably pull more kids in to read this, as will the short chapters and art. My main disappointments were that all the women featured were pretty old hat, the same people you'd automatically think of when talking about history's bad girls. As the stories moved to the modern day, they were pretty much all American as well. I was hoping for a more diverse grouping and I was familiar with all of them already except a couple of the modern gangster girls and Madame Popova. I also found the comic sections a bit bland - they're mostly just talking heads or swirling skirts, showing Yolen and Stemple chatting as they hang out together.

Audience is tricky on this one. There's a few mild references in the stories that might make this inappropriate for really picky parents or younger kids, but the narrative style doesn't seem like it would attract teens (who don't read much nonfiction in my library anyways). I decided to put this in my juvenile nonfiction, since generally speaking I've found parents are a little more relaxed about "content" if it's historical and I think this would be perfectly appropriate for most middle school readers, and probably down to age 9 depending on the child.

Verdict: I prefer Goosebottom's collections of Dastardly Dames and Real Princesses for learning about a wider variety of historical women, but this was an interesting browsing collection and I think the art will attract readers. An optional purchase if you think there's an audience in your library.

ISBN: 9781580891851; Published 2013 by Charlesbridge; Purchased for the library

The Phoenix Files: Arrival by Chris Morphew

It's bad enough when Luke's parents get divorced; it's worse when his mom accepts a job in the middle of nowhere and drags him off to Phoenix. She's excited about a brand new start, but Luke just wants to stay at his school, with his friends, and most of all near his dad.

Then they arrive at Phoenix. It's a brand-new town in the outback of Australia and everything is shiny new...except there's no cell phone reception, no internet, and no tv. The school seems just like everything other school; there's a class clown called Peter who offers to show Luke around and a nice enough girl named Jordan, who seems to have some history with Peter.

But some things seem a little...off. Why is Luke's the last locker? Why are there no cars? Why, in the middle of nowhere, does a brand-new town have a strange homeless man called Crazy Bill? When a mysterious tape, hinting at dangerous conspiracies, is given to the three, they start investigating and turn up what seems to be a conspiracy to end the world and start fresh with the people in the town of Phoenix. They can't trust anyone; not their parents, the other kids who seem to have secrets of their own, or the adults who are in the power of the lethal head of security, Calvin. Even Crazy Bill, who at first seems to be helping them, turns out to be dangerous and his strange powers are frightening.

I thought the description of this sounded interesting; I'm always up for a good adventure story, as are my middle school readers, but it turned out to be, well, rather boring. Most of the story is spent hinting at possible conspiracies and even the few exciting things that do happen (Luke's run-in with Crazy Bill, discovering the giant warehouse) are written in a flat "and then this happened" way that makes them, well, boring. The author also interjects language like "crap" but they don't feel like genuine dialogue, more like "this is how teens talk, time to put in another mild swearword". I figured out the hints right away and so there wasn't much suspense left for the rest of the book. There's also no character development to make up for the lack of actual action. We know that there's something going on with Peter and the other kids, that Jordan is a risk-taker, and that Luke misses his dad, but we don't really get a sense of who they are as teens. It's almost 300 pages of build-up and just when it actually starts to get interesting, it ends.

Verdict: I think the sequels probably are more interesting and if you stick to it until about 2/3 of the way through it heats up a little, but my readers of end-of-the-world conspiracy adventures are not going to stick with it that long. If they had taken the language out and cut it down a bit it would be a perfectly good choice for older middle grade. An additional purchase if you have kids who don't mind the slow build-up - but if you do decide to buy it, you need to buy the sequels simultaneously to get the whole story. There are three books of a planned six-book series out now.

ISBN: 9781610670913; Published June 2012 by Kane Miller Books; Review copy provided by the publisher

Fantastic Four Season One by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and David Marquez

I am methodically working my way through as many of the Marvel rebooted first volumes, as possible. Just for fun and also to figure out which to buy for the teen and adult collections. I bought this one before I had read it, since the couple Fantastic Four collections we have do check out. I'm sure this one will, although it's a bit more adult angsty than teen adventure and blowing up bad guys, but personally I really hated it. I liked Ultimate Fantastic Four (not ALL of them, just the first couple volumes) and the only character in this reboot that made sense or that I liked was Johnny, which was weird because usually I find him kind of annoying.

Reed is an egomaniac who purposely risks the lives of his friends and family to be the first into space, ahead of the official launch. He's a really unpleasant personality and one wonders exactly why Susan likes him. Until you realize that she apparently has no job or means of support, so I assume she's living off her sort-of-fiancee while doing lunch and shopping with her girlfriends and complaining about him. He spends a lot more time with his lab assistant, Alyssa, and it's never really clearly defined whether he's just totally clueless and selfish, or whether he was cheating on Sue, or just thinking about it. Or if he actually has a relationship with Susan outside of her own mind. The same problem with Ben as always - he's supposed to be this giant dumb lunk, but also...a crack airforce pilot? Johnny actually makes sense in this one - he loves cars and models on the side to pay for his cars. He is also a mechanic and enjoys what he does.

These are supposed to be fresh starts for the characters so people not familiar with them can just pick up and start reading, but a huge portion of the story has Namor attacking Johnny because he thinks he's the...previous Human Torch? Who was somehow involved in the destruction of Atlantis and causing Namor to become a street guy? And Mole Man is good but misunderstood? I don't know where any of these storylines came from and found it confusing. There's an additional comic at the back, which I didn't really look at - all the characters were heavily-muscled and there were multiple Reeds and...yeah.

The art is pretty basic, not so weird that it can't be followed, but it doesn't seem to have any particular style. That's fine by me - when I read a superhero comic I want to think about the action and characters and not the artistic ability of the creators. However, it was so generic that I didn't get any good feeling for the time period. No time maybe? The hairstyles, behavior, and language seem contemporary, Reed's competing with a shuttle launch for space tourism? And Ben Grimm and his friends in his childhood flashbacks wears a cap and seems to be in the 1920s.

Verdict: This is rated T+ and although there aren't a lot of graphic situations (unless you count Sue's friends and Alyssa joking that they wouldn't date Reed because he feels like an "inflatable pool toy") it feels much more slanted toward an adult audience. The concerns and emotions of the characters are all adult and I particularly disliked how Sue and Reed's characters were presented. However, Fantastic Four is popular and I think it will circulate. If I had read it first I might have put it in the adult collection though.

ISBN: 9780785156413; Published February 2012 by Marvel; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library

Peanut by Ayun Halliday and Paul Hoppe

Sadie is starting her sophomore year at a new school - again. Her old friends have all been left behind and, as one of them tells her, it's a chance to reinvent herself.

So she invents a self with a peanut allergy.

At first, it works out well. She has friends (though she's not super popular, but then she never was) and people are interested in her. It's something to talk about, a way to break the ice. But then it starts getting more and more complicated and she has to tell more and more lies until finally the whole story implodes and she's worse off than when she started. However, there's hope for the future and Sadie has certainly learned some lessons about friendship and being honest in how who you are.

The art is simple navy and black lines, with just Sadie's red shirt as a focal point of color. It's sketchy, but not casual and the reader moves quickly from panel to panel, following the characters' emotions and behavior.

When I first read the description of this book it sounded gimmicky, but it really isn't at all. It's not about what it's like to be different or have a disability. Sadie notices how people treat her from the morbidly curious to the offensively cliquish, but it doesn't really impact her. There's an underlying current of figuring out who you are and how to connect to people and be honest, but ultimately it's really just a good school story. The embarrassment, the friendships, and trying to find a place to fit in the world.

Verdict: This is perfect for the kids who devoured Raina Telgemeier's Smile and Drama and want something a little more mature. It reminded me a lot of Page by Paige, which I adored. It's appropriate, content-wise, for the middle school and younger crowd, but the themes of relationships and trying to figure out who you are will resonate most strongly with young teens. Strongly recommended. [an eagle-eyed reader pointed out a brief reference to masturbation that I'd missed, so I'd amend this to middle school, at least for a public library. Schools - better stick to high school]

ISBN: 9780375865909; Published December 2012 by Schwartz & Wade/Random House; Review copy provided by the publisher; Added to the library

Eliza's Journal by Caelyn AB Williams, illustrated by Kati Green

Eliza isn't really happy about being sent to live with her aunt and uncle on Orcas Island, WA, for the summer. She'd rather be anywhere else - art camp, Florida with her parents, or just hanging around. She's so bored that she even starts writing a journal. Then she meets the Tanners, Charlie and his dad, and gets a job drawing their strange geology artifacts. Uncle Pat is wary and doesn't like her hanging out with Charlie; there's something strange about the Tanners. But Eliza loves her job and maybe even Charlie. Eventually, she realizes her uncle is right - there is something very strange about the Tanners.

Craigmore Creations is a small, niche press that publishes books about geology and natural history. I requested a review copy of this title, even though I don't normally review teen fiction, because I was intrigued by the delicate drawings of Kati Green and I happen to be very interested in the Puget Sound area.

Warning: Here Be Spoilers.

The art was interesting and I really enjoyed the extra dimension it brought to the story. The story itself is not going to be for everyone - most teens won't be interested. It moves very slowly and the story unfolds at a leisurely pace. Although Eliza's story is meant to be contemporary (she mentions an ipod in the first chapter) her voice in the journal entries doesn't really sound like the average contemporary teen and the text is awkward and clunky in places. She also uses weird word choices like "retiring" instead of going to bed. There are some mild swears, "damn" and "hell" but they feel more like they were put in to show that she was a real, contemporary teen than actually part of her personality. The big reveal - the Tanners are time travelers - seems to have just been thrown in casually and after a little surprise, Eliza pretty much says "ok, can I draw more fossils now?"

Verdict: That being said, some teens will enjoy this story. It's different and the art is intriguing. Eliza's awkward journey will resonate with kids who feel out of place with their peers and have specialized interests. I wouldn't hand this to the average teen or add it to a library like mine, with space issues where every book has to pull its own weight, but for a larger library or as a present for a special teen, it would be a success.

ISBN: 9780984442256; Published October 2012 by Craigmore Creations; Review copy provided by the publisher; Put aside for winter reading program prize for the teens.

A Bad Day for Voodoo by Jeff Strand

Oooh, a teen review! This is probably the last of my handful of teen reviews for the year. I rarely review teen titles, so you know this one has to be extra, extra good right?

Well, not really. It's more that it appeals to my somewhat odd sense of humor. I generally don't read "good" books. I do collection development for the teens through a combination of Junior Library Guild, bestseller lists, review journals, teen requests, and suggestions from other librarians who are more teen-centric than I am. Teens at our library are pretty much ignored unless they're making too much noise. I do skim through everything I buy though, which is how I found this title.

So, Tyler is a pretty average sophomore. He's not a genius, but he studies hard, has a girlfriend (Kelley) and is still a little surprised that she picked him, and has a sort of best friend, Adam. He's pretty mad that his nasty history teacher, Mr. Click, gave him on F on his history test. It wasn't his fault that one of the biggest, toughest guys in school cheated off his paper!

Tyler is thinking of telling the principal, but Adam (who might just be a little psycho) has a better idea: Voodoo! Tyler thinks the whole idea is crazy, but one little accident later, there are body parts flying, then dead bodies, thugs, police, insane religious cults, and he's missing a significant number of toes. Several wild car chases and a lot of blood later, the story is over and the reader is sick with laughter (or just sick, depending on your tolerance level for gore). The violence isn't actually that graphic, descriptively speaking, except for maybe the part with the ear.

This story reminded me really strongly of the Deadpool comics (of which I am a big fan). Authorial interjections (both from Jeff Strand and Tyler himself, who tells the story), snarky jokes written into the text, like a book review cheat guide chapter and a missing chapter replaced by a letter from the fictional editor, lots of witty dialogue, insanity that's somehow logical, and gore pepper the text.

The characters themselves are hilarious starting with the narrator, clueless good guy Tyler "I advocate peaceful solutions to conflict whenever possible, and there are very few circumstances under which it's okay to bash somebody's head against the wall. I feel that this was one of them."

Psycho neurotic Adam, "He gave us a smile that was a combination of Oh yeah, dude, I'm totally evil and I want my mommy."

Snarky smart Kelley, "You know Tyler, I'm putting up with a lot for a relationship that was never going to last past high school."

There are a couple points where the additional material is a bit too much - the editorial letter was kind of annoying and the final FAQ could have been left out - but overall this was a funny, funny read and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Verdict: As the author says, "[you have to] think that people losing body parts is funny, because that's basically the whole book." Teens who like funny, bloody, and weird will go for this. It never crosses the line into gross or graphic and there is lots of snark. So, basically, anyone who likes Deadpool but less graphic.

ISBN: 1402266804; Published June 2012 by Sourcebooks Fire; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library

Paranormalists Case 1: Haunting of Apartment 101 by Megan Atwood

Darby Creek is Lerner's imprint that publishes titles for beginning and struggling readers. Some of their titles, like Pamela Service's Alien Agent series, are awesome.

This title is not awesome and I was disappointed.

Jane was ignored in middle school and kids never remembered her name, so now she goes by Jinx, wears black clothes, dyes her hair, is hostile to everyone, and trusts no one except her family and Jackson. Jackson is a quarterback on the sophomore football team, universally popular, but still hurting from his dad's death four years ago.

Recently, Jinx has finally gotten her Paranormalists website/blog up and running and is determined to track down some real ghosts, which Jackson will then exorcise (not that he's sure how this works, but that's his part of the team). But Jinx is furious when Jackson insists on helping Emily, one of the high school kids who always forgot Jinx's name in middle school. Using Jinx's tech and Jackson's research, they discover the secret to the terrifying haunting going on in Emily's apartment, but the discovery will also destroy their friendship.

This is the first title in a series and presumably the characters will be fleshed out more in additional installments, but the writing is bland and choppy and the characters are unrealistic. The main characters, Jinx and Jackson, are cardboard cutouts and tell the reader what they're feeling, instead of showing through the story. Their behavior is more like middle school students and it's hard to believe they're in high school.

>For example - the reader is constantly told how popular Jackson is, but his actions and behavior don't support this. Basically, he's a high school quarterback who shows no interest in girls and doesn't spend time with anyone but Jinx (and an occasional hanging out with the football team).

Jinx is "a freak," because she dyes her hair, wears black clothes and is reputed to deal in black magic. She sounds pretty Goth to me but among the various school cliques, she doesn't list Goths - is she the only one in the entire school - a school large enough to have separate football teams for each grade level? Would she really stick out that much in a school this size? And if she has no friends, how did word get around about her transformation during the summer before her freshman year? Jinx's character also doesn't fit with her sudden infatuation with one of the teachers (mentioned several times in one chapter and then never referenced again).

How, exactly, does having kids forget your name in middle school (in what must have been a huge school) translate to never being able to trust anyone? Why does Jackson demand that Jinx completely and absolutely trust him? Creepy! If Jackson was really so popular, he should have had friends to share with Jinx. Does Jackson actually have any friends other than Jinx? It doesn't look like it.

Finally, why is Jinx's mom concerned about Jackson? If I had a daughter who, in the summer between middle school and high school had a major personality change and became hostile, pathologically unable to trust anyone, and had no friends other than one boy all because no one paid attention to her, she's the one I'd be concerned about! I find it hard to believe that parents strict enough to set a curfew aren't concerned about Jinx's attitude (or the amount of time Jackson hangs out in her bedroom) and let her go off to a sleepover with a girl they don't know.

Verdict: The ghost hunting plot would make a passable middle grade novel or even a good teen title for struggling readers, but only if you completely rewrote the main characters. Their behavior and motivations don't make sense and the awkward and choppy writing style is hard to read. Not recommended.

ISBN: 9780761383321; Published October 2012 by Darby Creek/Lerner; Egalley provided by publisher through Netgalley

Sherlock Holmes, the legend begins: Rebel Fire by Andrew Lane

I rarely read - or review - sequels and I've been making a determined effort to limit my series buying this year. But sometimes I come upon something that's just so good I can't resist!

While I usually roll my eyes at prequels, sequels, etc. to classic novels, I really enjoyed Andrew Lane's Death Cloud, first in a series of novels about a teenage Sherlock Holmes. The mystery was rather easy to guess and I did think the cover, featuring a Justin Bieber look-alike, was awful and I didn't end up buying it.

This book is even more tightly plotted and has an awesome cover. What more could you want?

Sherlock is still living with his aunt and uncle, still getting occasional lessons from American Amyas Crow, and still uncertain about his feelings for Crow's daughter Virginia. However, when his brother Mycroft arrives with worrying news for Crow, Sherlock does his best to help. Unfortunately, things go bad fast and Sherlock finds himself sailing to America with the Crows on a desperate mission to save his friend Matty and prevent another Civil War. Along the way, they'll meet giant blood-sucking leeches, an insane John Wilkes Booth, and have some hair-raising experiences with trains.

The author's final notes link up several events with later plots of Holmes' life and expands on various historical information, also adding a bibliography.

Verdict: This is a fast-paced, excellent adventure story with the additional lure of historical information. The plot works much better than the first title in the series and I'm eagerly awaiting further revelations about Holmes' family secrets. This one will be popular with strong middle school and teen readers. I'd especially hand this one to guys who pride themselves on their reading ability and enjoy intricately plotted stories with an historical bent. There's quite a bit of violence, but also discussions of ethics and morality.

ISBN: 9780374387686; Published April 2012 by Farrar Straus and Giroux; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library

Play Ball by Nunzio Difilippis and Christina Weird, illustrated by Jackie Lewis

Dashiell isn't happy about her family's move to a new town. She misses her dad and blames her mom and her older sister Arica doesn't understand or care. But both Arica and Dashiell are excited about their new school - Arica is thrilled to finally be going to a coed public school and Dashiell is excited about the schools' championship baseball team, the Wildcats.

There's just one problem. At Phoenix High School, girls play softball and boys play baseball.

Despite doubts from her friends and family and discouragement from the team, coach, and school administration, Dashiell finds enough allies to give her a chance. It's not easy - she spends most of the season on the bench since the coach gives the starting shortstop position she should have had to another player. Her one supporter on the team, Ben (who I think is the captain?) starts dating her sister Arica, which leads to even more drama.

This is an upbeat, positive look at girls in sports - while Dashiell has a rough time initially, her ability eventually wins over the team, even the most negative guys, as well as the coach. Dashiell and the other characters aren't just cardboard cutouts for a story about civil rights though. They have other things going on in their lives - Dashiell and Arica have to learn to get along as sisters even though they're very different. Dashiell learns some hard truths about her dad and grows up enough to admit she's been wrong to her mom. Her teammate Ben, and Arica as his girlfriend, weather some tough spots in learning how to deal with relationships.

Jackie Lewis' black and white art is clean and attractive. It captures the movement and action of the sport as well as the emotion in the various characters' interaction. Even non-comic readers will be willing to pick this one up and will be attracted by the variety of characters and plot lines.

As always, Oni is optimistic in the matter of recommended ages (this is the publisher who suggests Courtney Crumrin for ages 7 and up). They've labeled this All Ages and while there's only a couple mild references to swearing (Dashiell swears at the principal, but her words are jumbled and her sister says "effin" leading Dashiell to respond "Seriously Arica, learn how to swear. It will make your point that much stronger.") this is a story about teens in high school, dating, growing up, learning how to navigate adult relationships and make decisions for themselves and isn't going to be of interest or appropriate for younger kids. I'd give it to middle school and older.

Verdict: A strong story, well-written and drawn characters, and an interesting, multi-layered plot will make this of interest to a wide variety of teens. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781934964798; Published April 2012 by Oni Press; Egalley provided by the publisher through Netgalley; Purchased for the library

12 Things to do before you crash and burn by James Proimos

After a number of picture books, James Proimos tries his hand at a young adult novel. I've looked at several of his previous works, Todd's TV, Paulie Pastrami, and the ever-popular Swim Swim, so I thought I'd pick this up.

I was first impressed by the length. Not many young adult authors can limit themselves to 121 pages, especially in this day of endless door-stopper series. And yet, so many middle schoolers (high schoolers just don't read) refuse to read these lengthy tomes. So, I was inclined to be pleased.

And pleased I was. This wasn't my usual kind of story; Hercules Martino has been sent to spend two weeks with his bachelor Uncle Anthony, the most boring man alive. Hercules dad has just died. Everyone thinks he was wonderful - Herc thinks otherwise. In just a week, with Uncle Anthony's boredom-preventing list, he will meet Strange Beautiful Unattainable Woman, get chased by dogs, eat at a homeless shelter, read Winnie-the-Pooh, shovel horse manure (or at least that was the original idea), and start to come to terms with his father's death and his own life.

This story is funnier than it sounds and more serious than you expect. If fits a lot into a little. Half the story is left untold, but the book tells more story than you would think possible.

[Yes, I am listening to Terry Pratchett at the moment]

Teens looking for funny, heartfelt, or "I have a report due tomorrow" will scoop this slim volume off the shelf and they won't be disappointed.

Verdict: Proimos' young adult debut is unconventional, interesting, well-written, and unique. There's a few mild instances of bad language and an oblique reference to sex which is later specified. I'd recommend this to older teens and/or reluctant readers.

ISBN: 9781596435957; Published November 2011 by Roaring Brook Press; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library

Nonfiction Monday: 97 Things to do before you finish high school by Erika Stalder

If your library is infected with a large population of aimless teens, as is mine, this may just be the book for you. While there's nothing more determined than a teen who doesn't want to do anything (except annoy adults and bat condoms around like balloons - true story) the 97 fascinating, weird, exciting, and fun things to do just might inspire a few of them to get out there and actually experience life!

The ideas are organized into nine sections: Personal development, With/for friends, With/for family, For your body, To get to know the world around you, To express yourself, To benefit your community and environment, Because you should, and Because you're only young once.

The ideas are much more varied and far-ranging than the usual entertainment/weird pranks/grand adventures I've seen in similar books in the past. They range from trying a new hairstyle to making a budget, taking a dance class to volunteering, researching your family tree to learning a foreign language.

The introduction emphasizes that this is a browsing, try a few things and move on kind of book - you're not supposed to do everything in the whole volume. Some things require travel or extensive time, some you might have already done. The ideas are peppered with interesting facts and extensions of the projects, websites to visit, and more ideas to try. The color scheme is navy, orange and green which gives it a nice, casual feel. The book is small and compact, about six inches square, and some libraries might be a little concerned about the small paperback, but I've never had problems with Zest's paperback bindings.

Verdict: While this might be most useful as a present to a teen (specifically one of those unmotivated and prone to boredom individuals) it's also a fun book to leave out in your young adult area and wait for inspiration to strike some of the aimless teens milling about.

ISBN: 9780979017308; Published May 2008 by Zest; Review copy provided by the publisher; Purchased for the library

Nonfiction Monday: Don't Sit on the Baby by Halley Bondy

Babysitting and bagging groceries are the only jobs in our small, quasi-rural community for teens (unless you're one of the couple very lucky ones I hire as my assistants!) and I'm always looking for books that will encourage teens to DO things - including building skills like babysitting.

We've got a couple babysitting handbooks already; some aimed at younger teens, some general, comprehensive ones that include everything up to the kitchen sink (along with 25 games to play with the kitchen sink). So why buy another babysitting for teens book?

The beauty of this little volume is that it's comprehensive while still being a quick guide. The three sections, Babysitting Breakdown, Essential Skills, and Business Basics, cover everything from child development to getting sick to how much to charge and they do it all in only 127 pages. This is the perfect quick guide to hand to a teen interested in getting a babysitting business going or needing an immediate refresher before they start babysitting in a couple hours.

The book begins with a quick rundown on basic types of babysitting and what different ages will need. It's also honest about the difficulties and potential gross factors, but also about the rewards and good experiences. Essential skills helps teens get organized, know what to ask parents, deal with emergencies, discipline problems, and health issues. The business section talks about finding, keeping, or quitting jobs as well as acting professionally and babysitting as a business.

This book is geared more towards older teens and nanny-type babysitting - dealing with illness, taking kids to after school events, helping with homework, long-term babysitting, etc. rather than just taking care of kids while the parents have an evening out. The tone is also more sophisticated and the style seems geared towards an older audience (in the legal section one of the things it says not to do which would endanger children is "show up intoxicated") so this will probably be most appreciated by older teens who want to babysit as a regular business.

Verdict: While younger kids will probably be better off with one of the more casual, babysitting for a couple hours in the evening and getting started guides like American Girl's guide, Don't sit on the baby is an excellent book for older teens looking to babysit as a regular business. I'd recommend purchasing this title to meet the needs of older teens and more serious babysitters along with Heidi Murkoff's What to expect baby-sitter's handbook for additional information. Recommended.

ISBN: 9780982732236; Published May 2012 by Zest Books; Review copy provided by publisher; Purchased for the library

Scandalous: 50 shocking events you should know about (so you can impress your friends) by Hallie Fryd

I'm always interested in the teen nonfiction that Zest Books produces. It's usually interesting, different, a little quirky. This book has the potential to be a popular browsing read for teens, but some major issues as well.

Exactly as the title says, it's 50 scandals spread over the past hundred years. Each scandal has a headline, date, and brief summary "the scoop" and a list of the principal characters involved, "the players." A page or two of more details, "what went down" gives more information. Each section also has a captioned photo, a couple quotes, what happened to the people involved afterwards, how the scandal affected history and culture, and similar scandals.

The scandals are a diverse group beginning in 1906 with a murder and ending in 2000 with the Bush/Gore election. Scandals include:

• Upton Sinclair's exposure of meat-packing plants
• The murder accusation of silent film star "Fatty" Arbuckle
• Lindbergh kidnapping
• Rosenberg's trial and execution
• Jerry Lee Lewis' underage marriage scandal
• Kent State shooting
• Tuskegee Syphilis Study
• Jonestown Massacre
• Madonna's Blond Ambition tour
• Rodney King and the race riots
• Bill Clinton sex scandal

As a matter of personal interest, I knew 30 of them! The writing style is racy, the information is divided into bite-size bits, and there's a good mixture of history, politics, celebrities, and mysteries all mixed in together. I received this title as part of my Junior Library Guild's standing order for my teen section in the popular picks for older teens.

So, what's not to like? Well...the complete lack of any kind of sources to start with. It was also a bit jarring to see scandals that I lived through, that people still argue about, presented in a couple of pages with a "this is how it was and this is how people see it now" attitude, which is a bit one-sided. Also, the typo on page 12. And the typo on page 23. And on page 44. And page 54. And page 68. Oh, and the grammatical error on page 81. The error on page 107 is a quote, so it could be the quote that's wrong, but it's a punctuation error so...at that point I stopped counting. I kept flipping to the back of the book to see if I had accidentally been shipped a galley. I checked a couple other reviews and apparently there are some factual errors as well, which I missed.

Verdict: It was a great idea and teens are probably unlikely to notice the errors, but I can't believe they didn't at least run a grammar check, which would have caught some of the obvious typos! If they amend it, it's a great book. Otherwise, I would only purchase it if you want an example of poor proofreading. I'd send it back, but it's already cataloged.


[Update: I received a note from the publisher that this book was published during an editorial transition period - and I'm happy to note that the errors will be corrected in the second printing! So hang on to your budgets until then because this is a fun title teens will enjoy.]

ISBN: 9780982732205; Published February 2012 by Zest Books; Borrowed from the library; Purchased through Junior Library Guild standing orders for the library

My boyfriend is a monster: I date dead people by Ann Kerns, illustrated by Janina Gorrissen

Yes, I am actually reviewing a young adult title! Although I'd give these to middle-schoolers - they're perfectly appropriate for 6th grade and up.


Nora is settling in to her family's new house, a historic Victorian mansion once inhabited by a famous author, when she discovers the previous tenants haven't quite left...she's never been able to talk to boys, but Tom, the friendly ghost, isn't like anyone she's ever met and she's perfectly happy...until the other ghosts appear, and they're not so friendly. With the help of a psychic, Nora sends the evil and lost ghosts and the darkness they've brought away.

SPOILERS
I have several tween and teen girls at my library who adore this series - they're also manga fans. I admit that I like them too. It's a somewhat guilty pleasure, as I can clearly see the flaws after I read them...but they're so much fun in the reading! This one was mostly sweet and romantic and the art was much better than the fairy title Under His Spell (the zombie one, I Love Him to Pieces is still my all-time favorite though!). I did think the characters were a bit one-dimensional. The back says Nora is kind of living in the past, but we don't really see anything in the book that backs that up. Also, other than a rather dreamy attraction there doesn't seem to be a reason for Nora to fall in love with Tom. One minute she's shrieking in terror, the next she's calling him her boyfriend and the next they're kissing. However, I do really like that this series has a strong dose of reality. In previous books, the female lead does not go gaily waltzing off into the sunset with a paranormal creature because they are IN LOVE. In My Boyfriend Bites, the guy kindly but firmly points out that the girl needs to do some major growing up and he's got problems of his own, in Under His Spell the girl backs off from spending the rest of her life in a fairy kingdom. In this book, Nora does NOT end up with Tom, he moves on to his family in the afterlife and she finds a real, live boy who likes her.

Verdict: If you have tween or young teen girls who are looking for a gentle romance with humor and you would also like to subtly reinforce the idea that there's more to relationships than psychic tinglies, this is the series to get. This particular entry was more sweet than funny, but the art was strong and it's a strong entry in the series.


ISBN: 9780761385493; Published January 2012 by Lerner Graphic Universe; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library

Read Scary: My boyfriend is a monster: Made for each other by Paul Storrie, illustrated by Eldon Cowgur

Marie is dealing with a series of painful tragedies. Her parents have been killed in a car crash and she's living with her blind aunt. Then three girls at her school are also killed. But she has her music, she's dealing with it, everything is fine. Until she meets Tom. He's a new student too and even more mysterious than she is. They have an instant attraction and Marie starts thinking life may not be so bad after all...until she discovers Tom's grisly secret and there's a sudden increase of deaths in the sleepy small town.

Is Tom her true love? Or is he a monster inside as well as outside?

This black and white graphic novel is a fast-paced, often funny, irreverent mixture of horror and romance. There's no time for the reader to roll their eyes at the paranormal cliche of instant attraction, because immediately afterwards the bodies start piling up. Marie's calm acceptance of her new boyfriend's grisly (one might even say disgusting) origins is a little hard to swallow, but with events happening right and left we aren't given time to think about the holes in the story. And it's FUN! Funeral jokes, true lurrvve, zombies, monsters, mad scientists, and more all mixed up in one wacky package that will have the reading on the edge of their seat one moment and sawing "awwwww" the next.

Verdict: Fans of paranormal romance, horror, and humor will love these quick bite graphic novels. Perfect for a fast, fun read with some shivers down the spine. Strongly recommended for your teen graphic novel section.

ISBN: 9780761356011; Published April 2011 by Lerner; ARC received from publisher at ALA Midwinter; Purchased whole series for the library

Read Scary: Teeth: Vampire Tales edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling

Yep, I'm actually reviewing a young adult book. This was pushed on me at ALA Midwinter and I meant to hand it out as a prize during the summer, but I glanced at it and then I started to read....

Windling and Datlow start out this star-studded collection with a look at vampires in legend and history - and very gruesome they all are! They talk about how vampires changed from disgusting creatures of horror to the dark, gothic, romantic figures they often are today in film and literature. And now the stories...

"Things to know about being dead by Genevieve Valentine" A teen girl rails against her fate when she's accidentally turned into jiang-shi, a kind of Chinese zombie/vampire. With her grandmother's help, she tries to deal with the problems of her new life. This isn't a cheerful story (hint: none of the stories in this book are cheerful) but there's some hope in the end for Suyin, even though she has to suffer a lot first.

"All Smiles by Steve Berman" Saul escapes from the "behavioral health care facility" his parents have consigned him to once he realizes it's more like a prison. But he discovers there's scarier things out there...

"Gap Year by Christopher Barzak" High school angst and identity crisis meets vampire hunger. Horror and further identity crises ensues.

"Bloody sunrise by Neil Gaiman" Umm...I'm not really into poetry?

"Flying by Delia Sherman" Lenka struggles to with her own fear over the leukemia she hopes is gone forever, her parents' overprotectiveness, and her desperate desire to return to the circus and the tightrope that is her life. Finally, she runs away and joins a small and very strange circus...

"Vampire Weather by Garth Nix" Secret mountain cult meets mainstreamed vampires meets burgeoning sexuality.

"Late Bloomer by Suzy McKee Charnas" Josh is desperate to please his parents and find his "talent." He's tried sciences, math, literature, art, and finally music. He's pretty sure he's really getting somewhere with his band and he doesn't mind working in the family's antique business too much, until some very strange customers show up. Josh thinks he finally has a chance to be different, amazing, talented, and a genius. Unfortunately, he's kind of dumb and messes the whole thing up.

"The list of definite endings by Kaaron Warren" Assisted suicide, vampire style.

"Best Friends Forever by Cecil Castellucci" A dying girl and a vampire meet and become best friends. Not at all what you're expecting.

"Sit the dead by Jeffrey Ford" Sometimes it's a good idea to find out a little more about your fiancee before you join in any family traditions...

"Sunbleached by Nathan Ballingrad" It's not a good idea to listen to vampires, no matter how good they sound. Because they will eat your whole family and take over your house. Really.

"Baby by Kathe Koja" Um...really, really creepy. and weird. Did I mention weird?

"In the future when all's well by Catherynne Valente" Vampirism as a sort of combination disease/drug. High school angst meets racism meets...I'm not sure exactly what.

"Transition by Melissa Marr" Um...didn't really read this one. A little to freaky for me. A little more romantic than some of the other offerings in this collection though. Except for all the parts where they kill people.

"History by Ellen Kushner" What happens when an obsessive historian meets a vampire who doesn't want to remember...

"The Perfect Dinner Party by Cassandra Clare & Holly Black" Psychotic vampires throw a dinner party.

"Slice of life by Lucius Shepard" Didn't really read this one.

"My generation by Emma Bull" or this one.

"Why light? by Tanith Lee" This one actually had an almost happy ending and was quite romantic.

Verdict: Hand this one to older teens and young adults looking for vampire stories with lots of blood and angst and for those who like more serious fantasy. The big names may draw in some readers, but more adults than teens I think.

ISBN: 9780061935152; Published April 2011 by HarperCollins; ARC received at ALA Midwinter 2011

Gear School by Adam Gallardo, Nuria Peris, Sergio Sandoval and Estudio Fenix

After reading this, I wondered if there was a movie or video game it was based on, since I felt that I was missing something the whole time. I dug around a bit and apparently Gear School is some kind of movie in Spain?

Anyways. In this graphic novel, Teresa is in a military academy learning to fly giant war plane/ship thingies called Gears. She is really, really bad at this. However, she keeps trying, sticks to her friend Moira who comes from a poor background, and has a crush on a student named Ben. Then it's time for her first real flight...and suddenly she's in a war she isn't ready for.

There was lots of action, and the art is clear and has nice lines - very animated, although only slightly anime, if you know what I mean. Several things that bugged me about this - I whipped through and read it very fast, and then realized that although I'd enjoyed reading it, I really didn't have much of an idea what was going on, either with Teresa or the war. We find out she's from a high class family in one brief exchange with another student and she's apparently in some kind of military academy, but we don't know anything about the world she's in - or her crush, Ben, or even much about Moira who's supposed to be her best friend.

I learned more about the background from the back of the book than the story itself. Which is where I found out she's supposed to be thirteen. Uh, no way. She's...well-endowed, to put it mildly, which some thirteen year olds are, but her face and body structure say at least twenty to me - and ALL the girls are equally well-endowed as well as being anorexically thin. This annoyed me.

Verdict: I enjoyed it while I was zipping through, but then realized that there wasn't much to set the story apart from any other "well-endowed girls in tight clothes shooting big guns" comic. Pass.

ISBN: 9781593078546; Published October 2007 by Dark Horse; Borrowed from the library

Accidental Genius of Weasel High by Rick Detorie

There are quite a few Wimpy Kid imitations out there. Personally, I didn't like Wimpy Kid at all - the main character is insufferably annoying and the kind of kid I would kick out of the library after about five minutes. However, some of the author/illustrators jumping on the bandwagon have produced some fun stories with much more likable characters, in my opinion.

Although there were a few confusing points in the story, for the most part I really liked Detorie's story of a hapless fourteen year old filmophile. Larkin desperately wants a new camcorder so he can get started on his way to becoming a world famous filmmaker. But his dad won't lend him the money to get one, citing the two bikes he carelessly left out to get stolen. Then he gets a part-time job working for an old lady, he loses the girlfriend he never had, he's got problems with a bully, and...could life get any worse?

Larkin is a completely believable 14 year old. His daydreams, fantasies, frustrations, and his whole voice are vibrant and sympathetic. He's not always a perfect guy, but he's pretty nice most of the time. He works hard to get what he wants, but sometimes he loses focus. I didn't care as much for Larkin's best friend, Freddie. He was too quirky to be believable and I didn't get why Larkin and Freddie were still friends, other than Larkin's reluctance to deal with people changing. Larkin's sister was extremely annoying, albeit a realistic character. I've mentioned before I have no patience with the "let the older teenager be nasty because he/she is going through a phase". Even allowing for Larkin's one-sided point of view, she takes unfair advantage of everyone and doesn't contribute anything to the family. I'm strongly in favor of teens contributing, adolescent angst or not.

This book is aimed at an older audience than Diary of a Wimpy Kid, although Larkin has some of the same worries and problems - like his height, annoying siblings, and trying to talk to girls. I liked the more organized illustrations - many of them in comic strip format. There isn't "inappropriate" material for younger readers, just a generally older feel. This would be a perfect book for 6th grade and up.

Verdict: Strongly recommended. I suggest this title and Emond's Happyface for kids who started Wimpy Kid in middle school and now want something older.

ISBN: 9781606841495; Published April 2011 by Egmont; ARC received from publisher at ALA Midwinter 2011; Purchased for the library