We Will Not Be Silent: The White Rose Student Resistance Movement That Defied Adolf Hitler by Russell Freedman (2016, Clarion Books; 112 pages) This nonfiction book -- by Russell Freedman, American biographer and the author of nearly 50 books for young people -- is an account of the White Rose movement, its origins, its significance, and its extraordinary members. Inspiring brave members who were willing to sacrifice everything for freedom fighting against Germany’s Nazi regime from within. The book is, of course, fantastic, filled with a wonderful historical collection of black and white pictures belonging to that period. The book also contains a fantastic chapter on source notes, and a brilliant selected bibliography for those who will want to continue reading about this crucial period in human history. But beyond that, what is marvelous about We Will Not Be Silent is the fantastic narrative used by Mr. Freedman to introduce us to White Rose members Hans and Sophie Scholl. Brother and sister, both had been loyal members of Hitler Youth as children, but came to doubt the humanity and integrity of their leaders. Details of how they came to those doubts are abundant in the first chapters of the book, and they are, I believe, a great perspective of how the environment can shape our thoughts if we are awake and aware. The Scholls and other like-minded young people decided to form the White Rose to spread the message of resistance all across Germany and they did so by writing and distributing leaflets at the risk of their own lives. One of the most powerful pictures in the book is the picture of Hans' portable typewriter. So much said in just a picture! The format of the book is fantastic, with clear pictures, and great fonts. The reading of this book should be a must, and I recommend it for readers of all ages: youth with a curiosity for history and a desire to get involved in social change projects will devour the story of the Scholls and the White Rose Student Resistance Movement; adults will refresh in their memory a part of history that should not and cannot be forgotten. Find this title in our catalog: We Will Not Be Silent Recommended by: Maite
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My Sister Rosa by Justine Larbalestier (2016, Soho Teen; 320- pages) This book is a bloody masterpiece, a brilliant thriller that will shake you, dazzle you and leave you speechless. It is one of those JT novels that you can't put down. It starts like this: "Rosa is pushing all the buttons." Che Taylor is a seventeen-year-old boy in a strange new country, and he's the only one who knows his ten year-old-sister is a deadly psychopath. They are Aussies arriving in New York City, that presents in itself as much of a challenge to him as to his sister's sinister and devious behavior. Rosa, one of those characters able to leave the pages and stand up at your side, with all the creepiness involved, is a smart girl, talented, pretty and very good at hiding what she is and the violence she's capable of. Che and Rosa's parents refuse to see the warning signs of Rosa's "acting out." This is a thriller and a story about immigration. It is also a story about love. Che needs to balance his desire to protect his little sister from the world with the painful and desperate need to protect the world from her. Expect dark humor, disconcert, brilliance, secrets, unexpected romance and great dialogues. And characters walking with you all along. Recommended for older teens and adults. Find this title in our catalog: My Sister Rosa Recommended by: Maite Smiler's Bones by Peter Lerangis (2005, Scholastic Press; 160 pages) In 1897, famed explorer Robert Peary took six Eskimos from their homes to be "introduced" to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Among the six were a father and son, Qisuk ("Smiler") and Minik. They became living, breathing museum exhibits. Soon, four of the original Eskimos were dead - including Smiler, whose burial was not at all what it appeared to be. One of the survivors returned to Greenland, leaving young Minik to be the only living Polar Eskimo in New York for twelve long years. Smiler's Bones is Minik's story, a tale of lies and deceptions and a reflection on the price of exploration. Minik's story brings us many questions about science, racism and ethics. The author's choice of a first-person point of view works very well, and Minik's character becomes unforgettable. I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes stories based on reality, and to those who enjoy stories about discovering the truth, even if it is painful. Find this title in our catalog: Smiler's Bones Recommended by: Maite EXIT, PURSUED BY A BEAR -- a beautifully written portrait of a young woman facing the unthinkable8/24/2016 Exit, Pursued By a Bear by E.K. Johnston (2016, Dutton Books For Young Readers; 256 pages) This is the story of Hermione Winters, the captain of her cheerleading team. She is the popular, envied girlfriend and the queen of her school. The book is the story of her last year at school and how she discovers that most of the time, even when we seem to be in control, an event can change our lives forever. And that is what happens to Hermione when someone puts something in her drink at a party, a moment that determines the new labels she will be both wearing and fighting for the weeks to come. The story is heartbreaking and empowering. It celebrates the power of friendship, it talks about the difficult decisions that have to be made, and about how to work and deal with trauma. The book is beautifully written and the story is so engaging that you simply can't put the book down until you get to the final page. The pages are filled with tenderness, rawness, and truth. This is the portrait of a young woman facing an unthinkable void. It is also a portrait of a strong and fierce friendship between women, and a portrait of the horrors of sexual violence. There is a great conversation in the book between Hermione and a pastor that also brings faith and spirituality to the table in times of trauma. And the story does a great job describing the cheerleading world, and treating it with respect, as a sport. "Broken is harder to deal with. That´s the first time I´ve thought of myself as broken. Polly won´t let me, I don´t think, but everyone else seems to expect it. And maybe I am. Maybe this would be easier if I acted like I am broken. Then they´ll be able to fix me. You can´t fix something that doesn´t know it´s broken." A must read. Find this title in our catalog: Exit, Pursued By a Bear Recommended by: Maite Ask Me How I Got Here by Christine Heppermann (Greenwillow Books, 2016; 240 pages) The author of the acclaimed Poised Apples, Christine Heppermann, has written a brave, beautiful and thought-provoking novel in verse about a young woman and the aftermath of a life-altering decision. This is a book about Addie, a young adult who has always known what she was running toward: in cross country, in life and in love. Her life turns around when unexpectedly she gets pregnant and she chooses to end the pregnancy. This book is not a book about making the decision of having an abortion. This is a story about accepting how our decisions will alter or shape who we are, for better or for worse. This is also a story about love, acceptance, great families, and self-discovery. For Addy, her choice was the right decision to make, but after it was made, nothing was the same. It is rare to find young adult books that approach this topic the way that Christine Heppermann has. She has been able to bring us a character who is not defined by the choice she takes. You won't find here the typical pregnant teen story. The raw sincerity of the author allows the character to exist with the choice she made, without being just that. The novel is an emotional journey in verse of a very important and delicate moment in the life of a woman who will discover beautiful and surprising facts about herself in the aftermath of her life-altering decision. The writing is gorgeous and adults and mature teens not looking for radical answers about abortion and its consequences will appreciate the author's sensitivity and honesty. She has absolutely nailed the portrait of Addy, with all her complexities. Her honesty is fantastic and the free verse poems are a perfect vessel to let it run. The reader will find herself or himself carried along by humor and emotion, rawness and deep thoughts. From the novel: Pro-choice Going home from work on the bus, a woman sat next to a man who was eating a falafel wrap. It smelled incredible, so she asked him where he got it. That's why I exist: Because my mother chose not to stand. Because my father was not in the mood for Chinese. Find this title in our catalog: Ask Me How I Got Here Recommended by: Maite The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry (2016, Viking Books for Young Readers; 496 pages) The author of All the Truth That’s In Me will release a new historical fiction young adult novel in April. I’ve been able to read an advance reader’s copy, and I found it fascinating. The novel is set in Medieval France, under the shadow of The Inquisition. There, the lives of two extraordinary young women, a mystic and a matchmaker, collide, resulting in miracles that put an entire village in mortal danger. This book is the story of Dolssa. The back cover of the book adds this information: “In the waning days of the thirteenth century, a Dominican friar stumbled on a secret that the Church had intended to keep buried forever-a testimony so dangerous, it had to be burned. Hidden in the archives, among decades of records, was a story-the shocking, heartbreaking, awe-inspiring story of an unlikely friendship, of thwarted love, of a searing mission for vengeance that brought the wrath of a ruthless and far reaching hierarchy down to crush an entire village. All because of one girl, Dolssa, who refused to remain silent.” With unique characters and a strong plot, this reading was a transcendent experience that I recommend to readers with a passion for historical novels, religious mystics or gender politics. Find this title in our catalog: The Passion of Dolssa Recommended by: Maite Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (2015, Henry Holt and Co.; 480 pages) It has been considered one of the best books released this year and everybody is talking about it. Six of Crows is the beginning of a new Fantasy series written by Leigh Bardugo, who brings us another stunningly compelling story with epic adventure centered around a band of misfits who set out to take on an impossible heist. The premise is this: six young criminals are hired to break into (and then out of) the most secure prison in the world, a premise that compares to that of Danny Ocean and his Ocean's 11. The world of Six of Crows is set in the universe created in the Grisha Trilogy, but you don't need to read the trilogy in order to enjoy, and love, this book. The novel, set two years after Ruin and Rising, is narrated from the perspectives of 6 of the characters: Kaz Brekker, Inej, Nina, Jesper, Wylan and Matthias. “Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price–and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone… A convict with a thirst for revenge. A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager. A runaway with a privileged past. A spy known as the Wraith. A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums. A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes. Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.” The book starts with a long and somewhat hard to read chapter that serves as a prologue and as an introduction into the universe of the Grisha. I had to fight to finish this first chapter, but once I crossed it, I was in heaven. Heaven is good literature, filled with fantastic and diverse teen characters. Heaven is finding a new fabulous villain to fall in love with. And heaven is to get lost in a plot where the reader simply reads and goes along, enjoying the adventure through the eyes of six different characters- six points of view of six anti-heroes to love. I want to emphasize that this novel cares about diversity. There is an African-American character, a bisexual character and a gay character. And then, of course, the author chooses to include disability as a main aspect of the greatest protagonist -- for me -- of all. This is something unique and fantastic: a disabled protagonist in genre fiction. We read about PTSD and Kaz, the main protagonist, has chronic pain and a limp from an old injury, and he uses a cane to help him get around. And we also read about one of the characters being dyslexic. From the NPR review of the book by Jason Sheeha: "Bardugo has created a grimy fantasy with a thin blank-punk veneer laid over the top. There are knives and rifles, magic and technology — everything mashed together in a jumble of influences that is wickedly attractive because (and not in spite of) the characters inhabiting it so fully. It's a slick trick of world-building that eschews the info-dump (save that first regrettable chapter) in favor of making the world simply the world, defined by the way the characters move through it. The smell of coal smoke in the morning does more to set a scene than 10,000 words describing the industry that produces it." And Bardugo certainly knows how her world smells.” Read the book and do it now! To explore more about the Six of Crows universe, click here. Find this title in our catalog: Six of Crows Recommended by: Maite Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (2015, St. Martin's Griffin; 528 pages) Rainbow Rowell is one of my favorite authors these days. She writes both for teens and adults. Her book Eleanor and Park is one of the most beautiful stories you'll read, but I won´t write a review about that book because you can find a great review of it at Bookshelf Envy -- our teen reviews blog -- written by wonderful Kaya. Rowell also wrote Fangirl, giving birth to two great characters named Cath and Levi. I mention Fangirl because Carry On has its origins in that book. In Fangirl, college freshman Cath is famous on the Internet for her Simon Snow fanfiction—written with her twin Wren—but far less capable at interacting with people IRL. Cath's sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can't let go. Now that they're going to college she is outside of her comfort zone. Simon Snow is definitely staying in her world. That's Fangirl. Then comes Carry On. Rowell describes it like this: "After I finished writing Fangirl, I kept thinking about Simon and Baz and the World of Mages … I wanted to write more about them, but I didn’t want to write the full series GTL-style. And I also didn’t want to write through Cath’s hands and brain. I wanted to explore what I would do with this world and these characters. So, even though I’m writing a book that was inspired by fictional fanfiction of a fictional series …… I think what I’m writing now is canon." What is Carry On? The publishers describe the book this way: ¨Carry On is a ghost story, a love story, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story—but far, far more monsters." This is a book where fan fiction comes to life, it is a book conceived like a Russian doll, a nest: a book inside of another book inspired by a book outside her book! And it has a connection with Harry Potter! A total winner. It is funny, and clever and the plot evolves around a fun world. Rainbow Rowell has created a world of warm and complex characters, totally charming, opening to the readers the messiness of growing up into themselves. I recommend ALL of Rainbow Rowell's books. And I recommend you read this one as soon as you can get your hands on it, specially if you are a fan of Harry Potter. An excerpt about the book written by the author: "Simon Snow just wants to relax and savor his last year at the Watford School of Magicks, but no one will let him. His girlfriend broke up with him, his best friend is a pest, and his mentor keeps trying to hide him away in the mountains where maybe he’ll be safe. Simon can’t even enjoy the fact that his roommate and longtime nemesis is missing, because he can’t stop worrying about the evil git. Plus there are ghosts. And vampires. And actual evil things trying to shut Simon down. When you’re the most powerful magician the world has ever known, you never get to relax and savor anything." Find this title in our catalog: Carry On Recommended by: Maite Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, Deborah Biancotti (2015, Simon Pulse; 560 pages) X-Men meets Heroes when New York Times bestselling author Scott Westerfeld teams up with award-winning authors Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti to create a sizzling new series filled with action and adventure. This young adult novel got to my hands as an advance reading copy, which I devoured in a few days. The novel is more than 500 pages, but it is very fast-paced and well-written, action-packed as well as humorous. The book was written by three authors, a fact that I usually don’t find very attractive, but they have been able to find a unique and homogenous voice in their communal writing: Scott Westerfeld is the author of the Leviathan series, the first book of which was the winner of the 2010 Locus Award for Best Young Adult Fiction. Margo Lanagan has been publishing stories for children, young adults, and adult readers for twenty-five years, and Deborah Biancotti has written two short story collections: Bad Power and A Book of Endings. The story follows six American teenagers, all born in the year 2000. They all have some kind of superpower. The powers are all different from one another. These teens have formed a team and call themselves Zeroes (a sarcastic spin on the word “heroes”), and they attempt missions to learn more about their powers. The difference between Zeroes and superheroes is that Zeroes don’t feel in any way like heroes; quite the contrary. Many of them suffer their superpowers, to the point of impacting their lives in very dramatic ways. The plot is told from six different points of view, each one of them through the eyes of one of the Zeroes. This book will appeal to fans of super hero fiction and those wanting to read something to forget about daily life chores. I think it will become a popular book/series. Find this title in our catalog: Zeroes Recommended by: Maite The Diviners by Libba Bray (2013, Little, Brown Books For Young Readers; 608 pages) This book is a paranormal historical novel that would be a perfect read to celebrate the spirit of Halloween and the Day of the Dead. The plot follows seventeen-year-old Evie O'Neill, a young girl in the 1920’s, as she helps her uncle Will - curator of the fictional "Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult" - uncover the killer behind a mysterious series of murders after a spirit named Naughty John is awakened. The book has been nominated for an Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy as well as a Bram Stoker Award, and was one of the YALSA's picks for "best audiobook of 2012." Lair of Dreams, the sequel to The Diviners, was released in August of 2015 and is now available at the library! To read the author’s blog, click here Find this title in our catalog: The Diviners Recommended by: Maite |
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March 2018
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