Roadside Crosses, by Jeffery Deaver (2009)

This is a book I am going to bring to class today and recommend to teachers. Deaver is still exploring new literacies, the internet, and digital worlds. Roadside Crosses is a "Katherine Dance" book set in the Bay Area. It explores gaming culture and the dangers of the internet. Although Deaver portrays the dark side of the internet in this book and his most recent Lincoln Rhyme book I can't help but read a positive feeling about this new world we are all exploring as well.

There are some "contrived" plot twists and I considered the ultimate villain as a suspect from the beginning, but still the book was a compelling read. It also gave me some personal comfort in explorations of the difficulties of working within bureaucracies. Both this book and Michael Connely's recent novel The Scarecrow are going to stay in my home as reference sources.

Coraline, by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Dave McKean (2002)

After reading The Graveyard Book and American Gods I had planned to read the complete works of Neil Gaiman. I found this book engaging, but not necessarily one that I find compelling enough to recommend to others.

The market for this book is probably upper elementary. It's marked as 9-12 years old with a Lexile score of 740 (approximately 5th grade). I need to check with some 5th graders about their reaction to the book. It has been made into a film just this year. I didn't hear much buzz about the movie--perhaps it wasn't much of a hit. But, I've been preoccupied with work so I may just have missed it.

I can understand why it may not have been a big favorite of parents and kids. I found the plot and characters too "dark" for kids in this age-range. I would be afraid that my child would have nightmares after reading or viewing this. Overall the message/theme of the book is positive, but the landscapes and tone are too dark for me to want to recommend to younger readers. I don't necessarily see middle school/junior high students being drawn to this. But, I may be mistaken.

I have 2 more Gaiman books on my stack. I began Anansi Boys but turned instead to a Jeffery Deaver book for my next read. We'll see if I return to reading Gaiman--after finishing Deaver I picked up Lisa Lutz, The Spellman Files, as something a bit lighter. I need some comedy and humor in my life right now.

Becka Cooper Book 2: Blood Hound, by Tamora Pierce

I have been a fan of Pierce's various series for a long time now. I particularly enjoyed her first book in the Beka Cooper series. Beka is a street kid who lives and works in the slums "the lower city" of the capital city of Tortal. (Yes this is fantasy fiction). In the first book we followed her as she worked through the apprenticeship and training to become a "dog" (police office) in the roughest area of the city. She is aided by her "powers" to hear the spirits of dead who are riding pigeons, communicate with "spinners" (dust devils), and her cat who is a magical creature--perhaps a god.

In the second book Beka is now a full fledged "dog" and in search of good working partners. The main plot of the book surrounds a counterfeiting ring. A sub theme in the book appears to be GLBT rights. Several of the secondary characters are homosexual or transgendered. There is also more explicit sexuality than has appeared in Pierce's previous books.

Sexual orientation issues are a leading cause of suicide in young adults. I believe it is important for teachers to be aware of books they can recommend to students who have need this opportunity to explore the challenges they are facing. The sexuality issues are all treated very tastefully. But, I think teachers who have been fans of the other Pierce series should read the entirety of this book before they recommend it to readers. It is for a more mature reader than the Circle of Magic, Protector of the Small, Immortals, or Song of the Lioness series.

Paper Towns, by John Green (2008)

I'd like to recommend this book to both of my semi-adult children. As with Looking for Alaska, Green has created a powerful portrait of the tensions and vulnerabilities of adolescents approaching early adulthood. In this novel, again with a male protagonist, plot tension is maintained throughout the book. I won't spoil the ending.

There are many opportunities for interdisciplinary extensions in this book: cartography, poetry (especially Whitman & Plath), music, Florida, and New York. I would recommend this for students 9th grade and above.

The Broken Window, by Jeffery Deaver (2009)

Deaver is, indeed, one of America's most gripping detective fiction writers. Although I had lots of work I should have been doing, I ended up sitting in the backyard today finishing the book. The digital world is appearing more and more frequently in fiction and in this book Deaver has wound it together with data mining and homeland security. At the end of the book he offers a list of organizations that are attempting to preserve privacy rights. I will probably be visiting them in the next few days.

Other than the mention of rapes (no graphic details) this book could be used as a classroom recommendation. I doubt that it would serve as a whole group read, except perhaps in a technology or business course.

Stardust, by Neil Gaiman

I am working my way through Neil Gaiman's works after beginning with The Graveyard Book. Stardust (1999) is relatively old. It did not captivate me as Graveyard had done. However, it is an enjoyable read. I think many fans of fantasy will enjoy it greatly. It follows the basic quest format. There is magic, magical creatures, and fantasy throughout the book. It's theme is classic and holds up well under Gaiman's treatment.

Although it is not a book that will be at the top of my "must read" list for kids, it is going to be in my list of recommended reads for fantasy and mythology fans.