Star Island, by Carl Hiaasen

The Governor and Jim Tile are at it again!  This time Hiaasen takes on pop music and real estate developers.  If you haven't read any of the books in this series I strongly recommend starting at the beginning.  It will be difficult to fully understand many of the character and plot twists if you do not have the history of these two characters.

Hiaasen generally writes amusing and slightly outrageous tales set in Florida.  That's true of this book as well.  The governor's antics are somewhat predictable, but still amusing.  This is a good book for relief from high-stress weeks.  It will offer diversion and a few chuckles.  I've added "ecology" as a tag because of the Governor's choice of "residence" and his mission.

This is definitely an adult book.  I don't think I would probably mention it in schools.  (Does that make it a guilty pleasure for me?) 

Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green and David Leviathan

Those of you familiar with David Leviathan's writings will not be surprised that gay teens are some of the main characters in this book. That being said, this is a book that I would be most interested in trying out with a straight adolescent males. I also think that young women would enjoy it greatly.

Both Green and Leviathan have a wonderful ability to capture the angst of adolescent social relationships, both romantic and platonic.  They're also able to create extremely amusing scenes that turn on a point. Many readers will both laugh and cry on the same page. Something else that I appreciate about this book  is that contemporary parents and other adults are represented with empathy and sensitivity.

 Although the two Will Graysons are the main characters of the story, Tiny Cooper, a football player/playwright is equally important within the story. Although much of the plot focuses on romance, I believe that the primary theme has to do with friendship. Much of the plot centers around his dramatic aspiration but as both a playwright and producer of musicals.

Also important part of the book is Will Grayson's struggle with depression. I believe I detect John Green's influence here. Readers who have lived with a close friend or family member suffering from depression below find this a very helpful but look at the inside experience.

Some will undoubtedly suggest that the but story is too much like the popular television series " Glee." It does have similarities, but I do believe that the authors' have also created a more nuanced look at friendships and romance. Certainly any adolescent who enjoys the television show will thoroughly appreciate this novel.

Witch's Business, by Diana Wynne Jones

I am a great fan of Jones books.  Particularly I think The Dark a Lord of Derkholm and the Year of the Griffin are wonderful books for readers who enjoyed the Harry Potter series.  Jones has a wonderful sense of humor and makes fantasy quite believable.In some ways I prefer her take on schools and the politics surrounding them to that of J.K. Rowling. I also appreciate the way that Jones shows in her book the ways that adolescents can break through boundaries of status and social group to achieve a shared goal.

Jones is a British author and sometimes her language and colloquialisms are a little bit challenging for American readers.  But her understanding of the interests and lives of young adolescents make any struggles worthwhile. This is a reissue of her first novel and is currently out of print, but still available through a variety of online booksellers. This is the second time that I have been able to read a first book from a popular author. (The other was Patricia Briggs.) It's fascinating to see how their craft improves over time.  I would love to be able to use the use in an author study unit with adolescents to show stronger vs. weaker writing. It would take some considerable time which, unfortunately, is not typically available in classrooms due to pressures from standardized tests and district curriculum mandates.

The Mostly Ture Adventures of Homer P. Figg, by Rodman Philbrick (2009)

I picked this up after reading Freak the Mighty, and discovering that Philbrick was a prolific YA writer who deserved some additional attention.  I had a little trouble getting engaged with this book.  The voice of the narrator was a bit off-putting.  Homer P. Figg is a teen from Vermont whose evil uncle, Squinton Leach, has become his guardian after the death of both of his parents.  Leach sells Homer's older brother, Harold, as a replacement for the drafted son of a wealthy Vermonter during the Civil War.  The plot is developed around Homer's devoted quest to rescue his brother.  The dialect used is a little too "backwoods hick" for my comfort.  It could be that the average American spoke like this during the 1860's, but I found it distracting.

As an historical novel this does highlight some of the issues and events of the period.  Of course slavery and the underground railroad are explored, but so are many other historical elements including the war, travel, corruption, spying, and inventions. 

I would be interested to see if younger readers could work around the dialect and ironic voice that Philbrick uses.  I'm not ready to give up on him as a writer, but this particular book is not going to appear on my short list.

Son of Neptune, by Rick Riordan

I am still feeling compelled to read this series.  In this latest book featuring Percy Jackson Riordan has told yet another story with enough plot twists and action to keep readers going.  I especially appreciated his humor in this book.  Riordan has managed to merge contemporary culture, particularly consumerism, with Roman and Greek gods and myths.  I think it can be used to help readers understand the role that these myths played in ancient cultures.

 Recently, with several co-authors, I published an article for teachers on using YA Literature and appropriate nonfiction to make the required study of The Odyssey something that is more engaging to ninth graders.  The various Percy Jackson  books were a large part of this.  (Along with Michael Scott's Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series.  Having these familiar and well loved books help young adults understand why their schools place such emphasis on The Odyssey and other classic works. 

I look forward to Riordan's next book in this series. 

Gilda Joyce: Psychic Investigator, by Jennifer Allison

This and Surviving the Applewhites are books I picked up to read as part of a unit on humor. Gilda Joyce is an amusing novel that I would recommend to young adults, but not one that I am going to suggest as a book for shared readings or literature discussion groups. Maybe I'm just getting an overdose of fantasy, but I found Gilda a little to "psychic" and predictable.

We have the dead parent, a trip away from adult supervision, and adolescent "detective" work. There were amusing episodes, but I was not completely engaged. Perhaps my problem was that I listened to this instead of reading it. Kirkus and Booklist both gave it quite positive reviews. This is a research study waiting to happen! Does listening to audio books create a different "read" of a book than when the reader is tied to paper or their Nook/Kindle/e-reader and perhaps more focused on the content.

This might be a good exploratory study--check back and I'll edit this post once I know

The Reformed Vampire Support Group, by Catherine Jinks

Any teacher wanting to explore point of view should consider this book. Yes, it is about Vampires but, they...

• live in Australia
• do not have super powers
• are sick and listless much of the time

Jinks makes this humorous vampire novel come to life. Yes, the Cullins family has made the Northwest US safe, but still are awesome. The Australian vampires in the Reformed Vampire Support Group are exploring group therapy as a way to deal with their many limitations and get control over their cravings.

I enjoyed every moment of the book. Especially if you are not a fantasy fan, this is a book you can share with the adolescents in your life. Even the most hard-core team Jacob or team Edward fan will enjoy this alternative view of vampire and werewolf cultures.

Schooled, by Gordon Korman

I opened this at a particularly good time. My workplace is particularly crazy the last couple of weeks. I needed a reminder that there are multiple perspectives in any situation and that all have value.

This is a funny book, but also has social value for teens. The protagonist, Capricorn (Cap) Anderson, is the last flower child on the last "commune." His grandmother, Rain (Rachel Esther Rosenblatt), has held onto the principles of the commune long after everyone else has left. She and Cap keep the spirit alive and live happily--just the two of them--on the land. When Rain falls out of a tree and breaks her hip Cap becomes involved with the child protective services and public school.

As a complete "flower child," Cap has had no exposure to television, telephones, or even other people. He discovers that he really only knows one person, his grandmother. As a result of Rain's hospitalization Cap enters Claverage middle school. He is totally unprepared for anything in middle school (or actually is the modern world).

Korman's book lets us look at the issues we all deal with on a daily basis with new eyes. The journey with Cap into the 21st century is certainly worth the time. It will help everyone examine their own place in the world and choices made.

Middle school teachers tell me that their students are wild about this book. I give it 4 stars

Happy Hour at Casa Dracula, Marta Acosta

I'm a vampire reader from way back. I bought Interview with the Vampire in it's first edition and have read all of Anne Rice except for her most recent book. I have looked at Happy Hour several times and finally purchased it. I'm going out this afternoon to purchase the next. It isn't great literature (hmmm--I hate to condemn a book like that, but I think others would agree with me), but it is lots of fun and exactly what I need at this point in the semester. It reminds me of Janet Evanovich but with a Latina heroine and set in California instead of Jersey.

Is it readable by teens--yes. There is "sex" but nothing particularly graphic. Some drinking but no drugs. Two elements that I like--Milagro (the main character) is a graduate of a "fancy university" and has lots of strong female friends. They also have some flaws so unrealistic expectations aren't raised. An aspect that is a little more perplexing is the portrayal of a "goth" teen who ends up the willing victim of a "bad" vampire and ends up running away to Las Vegas and training to become a card dealer.

Overall--It was just what I needed Saturday after a really long, hard, stressful week. Look out book store, here I come for the next title.