Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Going Bovine by Libba Bray is about a boy named Cameron who is kind of a loser.  He's one of those I'm-just-going-to-sit-around-and-not-do-anything types.  He has a set of normal parents, who don't really understand him, and a twin sister who's his polar opposite.  About 80 pages in, Cameron finds out he has Mad Cow disease.  Only, he doesn't really have mad cow disease.  His brain is being attacked by alien prions that came through this portal that this scientist named Dr. X left open.  The universe is about to combust from the dark matter, and Cameron is about to die.  To save himself, and everyone else, he has to go find Dr. X.  He's told all this by a punk rock angel named Dulcie.  So, Cameron sets out on his journey to save the universe with his new best friend Gonzo, a very short dude who's afraid of everything.  On his journey he encounters CESSNAB (a Utopian church dedicated to bowling and vanilla smoothies), a garden gnome named Balder who is actually a Norse God in disguise, a dead jazz musician, fire giants, the wizard of reckoning, an MTV-esque beach party, and a company that sells snow globes and wants to turn everyone into a snow globe.  The book was a psychedelic road trip, and an overall good, if not strange, read.
You also might want to check out this video of Libba Bray talking about her book.

The ISBN number is: 978-0385733977 and the price is: $17.99. published 2009

Review by E. Roohi -

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

Impossible by Nancy Werlin , 978-0142414910 9.99 paperback


Impossible is a wonderful dark fairy tale based on the folksong Scarborough Fair. In this story Lucy is the latest in a long line of women who get pregnant at 18, and then go crazy when they deliver. Lucy discovers that this is a curse from the Elfin Knight, who was spurned by her foremother many many generations ago. However, since she is pregnant, she has only a short period of time to fulfill the three impossible tasks from the song. With the help from her foster family and her next door neighbor, Lucy takes the challenge on. The only distraction from this book is near the end when Lucy is racing against the rising tide, and the author gives her 12 hours to do it in. This careless timeline could have been overcome by some more careful editing.


Check out the Video

Review by Niki Roohi Goldenview Middle School Librarian Anchorage School District

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead 978-0385737425, 2009, hbk $15.99

Miranda is in the 6th grade in New York City in 1978, and her life is changing in the last year of elementary school. Her best friend Sal stops talking to her, unexpectedly, after being punched by a strange kid. She goes out of her comfort zone to make new friends, including the boy who punched Sal. Her mother is preparing to go on The $20,000 Pyramid, and a weird homeless man has taken up residence outside her apartment building. Then she starts getting strange notes that predict the future, but she is warned not to share them. The story takes all three of these strands and weaves them into a neat time-travel story, but it is the details of this story that make it so comfortable to read. Miranda deals with friendship and school like most children do, and it is wonderful to see her growing and changing as she realizes her strengths and weaknesses. She finally learns how to relate to Sal, and to her three new friends, her mother and mother’s boyfriend, and even to the weird laughing man on the street corner. And did I mention that there is time travel involved?

This quiet story is highly recommended to upper elementary and middle schoolers who like stories about school, friendship, and yes, a bit of science fiction.

Review by Niki Roohi, Goldenview Middle School Librarian Anchorage Alaska

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork 978-0-545-05474-4 pub 2009 $17.99


Marcelo has Asperger’s Syndrome and has gone to a special school all his life. About to enter his senior year and looking forward to a job in the school’s stables looking after the ponies, his father gets him a job at his law firm instead. His father has never quite been comfortable with the idea that his son is different and coerces Marcelo into taking the job after his rival at the law firm brings his son in for the summer, to prove that he is normal. Marcelo is extremely resentful but has no choice but to obey. He ends up in the mailroom working with Jasmine who knows all the politics of the place and refuses to follow the conventions. She does not want Marcelo there, but leaves him alone. Theri friendship slowly forms when Marcelo accidentally becomes involved in one of the law firm’s cases, and she agrees to help him. But Marcelo is on the wrong side of the case, and he soon has choices to make between right and wrong, his father and his new friend. In the meantime he finds his father may be right about becoming independent, and he experiences romance for the first time.

Marcelo is a wonderful character and you will enjoy getting to know him. This book is reminiscent of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and is highly recommended for middle school and high school.

Review by Niki Roohi, Goldenview MS Librarian

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson, 2008, 978-0312594411 pbk $8.99

Who is Jenna Fox? Not even Jenna knows. Waking up after what she is told has been a year in a coma, Jenna doesn’t remember anything about her past but she does know that something is wrong with her present. Why does her grandmother dislike her? Why does it seem as if her parents are hiding her?

The slow unfolding of this story is one of its strengths and it sucked me in right from the beginning . I really liked the way that Pearson allows Jenna to struggle with what it means to be human, a person, and to have a real identity without beating the reader over the head with it. The ethical issues that are raised in the book are not solved, nor should they be. Highly recommended for MS/HS

Check out the book trailer here.



Review by Ann Morgester, Library Curriculum Coordinator, Anchorage School District

Boost by Kathy Mackel

Boost Mackel, Kathy: – Savvy is 13, 6 foot 2 and mad about basketball – she has won a spot on the 18U (18 and unders) team and despite her raw talent, she needs to boost her game if she is going to play at the level she needs to so that she can get off the bench and start the game. When steroids are found, the questions of whose world is going to come crashing down throws her game.

I really liked this book. Savvy is a strong character who is learning to be part of a team and to do the right thing. I liked that the issue of steroids was looked at from the point of view of girls, since so often the books we see on the topic focus on boys sports.

Recommended for MS and HS libraries
Review by Ann Morgester, ASD Library Curriculum Coordinator, Anchorage School district

Sister Wife by Shelley Hrdlitschka

Sister Wife by Shelley Hrdlitschka - 978-1-55143-927-3 - 12.95 - Orca Book Publishers

Celeste lives in Unity, a rural town founded by The Movement, a fundamentalist religious group that believes in pure faith, and obedience. Polygamy is the norm where young girls are assigned to much older husbands. Celeste questions her faith, the beliefs of her community and struggles to find the strength to break free while she worries that her actions will bring shame to her family.

One of the things that I like about this book is that while it shows the beliefs of the community as harsh, and the struggle of Celeste and others is real - it does not demonize the beliefs and shows that while some are not suited to the life, others thrive in it and find joy and fulfillment there. I found it gripping and had a hard time putting it down - it is told in the alternating voices of three girls in the community - Celeste, who questions, Nannette, who finds strength and peace in her beliefs, and Taviana, who was saved from a life as a prostitute and has found healing in the town of Unity, but must leave the town abruptly when the police come looking for her.

Highly Recommended for MS/HS
Ann Morgester, Library Curriculum Coordinator, Anchorage School District

Night Wings by Joseph Bruchac

Night Wings by Joseph Bruchac with Illustrations by Sally Wern Comport 2009 Harper Collins Publishers 978-0-06-112318-4 $16.89

I think this book would make a great read-aloud, especially at this time of the year when spooky, scary stories are in demand. Some of the characters are a little one-dimensional, the bad guys are nothing but bad! Which does add to scariness of the story. Bruchac's characters play up the stereotypical the stoic indian, to their advantage. The plot is well paced and filled with Abenaki folklore.

Heather Fleming, Librarian, Jane Mears Middle School

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH; Reprint edition (August 25, 2009) ISBN-13: 978-0786838196

Are you looking for a female character to offset Bella from Twilight? Then try The Disreputable History!

Frankie is a smart, confident teenager in a beautiful body. While she is happy at first with the attention she gets from Matthew, the most popular boy in school, she begins to realize that neither he, nor his friends, take her seriously, nor will they ever include her in their group. Frankie becomes Matthew's girlfriend, and discovers that he is the leader of a secret all boys club. The boys do mindless pranks around the school as a form of bonding. When she discovers them she sends them emails posing as someone else and soon takes control of the group. She soon has them performing pranks with a social message, but none of the boys seem to understand what they are really doing, nor do they ever suspect that pretty Frankie is behind it all. It all comes to a head at the end of the semester when a prank goes wrong. The ending is not neat and tidy, but it will leave you thinking about what it means to be true to yourself.

Recommended for high school and middle school. Most girls should love this character and feel empowered by her.

Nicole Roohi, librarian, Goldenview Middle School.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaimon with Illustrations by Dave McKean 2008 Harper Collins Publishers 978-0-06-053092-1 $17.99

Nobody Owens has been raised in the graveyard by the ghosts after he wanders there the night his family is murdered by a shadowy figure named Jack. This a gem of a book. The multi-generational cast of ghosts who range from a Roman to a much more modern witch take on the task of raising and protecting Bod. Bod of course ventures out from the graveyard on occasion to experience the wider world but he comes back home to the "people" who love and care for him. (Yes indeed, you should be seeing shades of The Jungle Book) This story is a charming look at what it means to grow up, make mistakes, and become a member of society. The black and white illustrations through out the book are lovely and help to visualize the story.

School Library Journal recommends it for ages 11 and up. Click here is their very informative review.

Review by Ann Morgester Library Curriculum Coordinator Anchorage School District

Inexcusable by Chris Lynch

Inexcusable by Chris Lynch, 2007 Paperback 7.99 978-1416939726

Keir is convinced he is a good guy. Most of the town is convinced as well despite a list of inappropriate and vicious behavior that Keir and the town laugh off as youthful high spirits. Keir is accused of date rape by Gigi. In the end, this story told in the first person by Keir, ends with the realization that Keir is indeed a rapist, although it is unclear if Keir, who ends up almost catatonic at the end accepts responsibility. Despite an impressive string of reviews, I found this book to be self- aggrandizing and so morally ambiguous as to leave me wondering at the end if Keir would ever accept responsibility for anything. I can see where Lynch was heading with this one, but he didn't get there for me.
It could work for your most advanced HS readers.

Review by Ann Morgester Library Curriculum Coordinator, Anchorage School District

Boy Kills Man by Matt Whyman

Boy Kills Man by Matt Wyman, 2006 Harper Teen (no longer in print)

12 year old boys are made into disposable assassins in Medellin, Colombia. It ends badly for everyone except the Ghost (drug lord). What a sad and depressing little book. I don’t see anything redeeming about it. Not recomended for school libraries.

Review by Ann Morgester Library Curriculum Coordinator, Anchorage School District

Winter Girls: Laurie Halse Anderson

This was a really hard book for me to read. Lia has been best friends with Cassie for years. They share a lot - including their anorexia. After they have a falling out and don't speak for several months, Lia receives 33 calls from Cassie in one weekend. But she is still mad and so she doesn't answer the phone. Cassie is then found dead in a hotel room. When Lia plays the voice messages from the calls it is just heartbreaking. Lia is also on a downward spiral and there is real question throughout the book if she can save herself.

Anderson uses a number of interesting techniques in this book; strikethroughs, italics, and offsets to illustrate Lia's state of mind (see video of Laurie Halse Anderson talking about Wintergirls ) This is a harsh book that pulls no punches about the effects of Anorexia on the body. Lia's brain is starving and it is clear that this is part of what keeps the spiral going. There has been some concern that this book may "glamorize" or "teach" anorexia. There is an interesting NYT article on the topic. Eating disorders is a difficult topic to write about but Anderson does it with her usual style and grace. I highly recommend this book for HS.

Review by Ann Morgester Library Curriculum Coordinator, Anchorage School District

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

Twisted Laurie Halse Anderson 978-0142411841 9.99 2007 Viking Pub.

Laurie Halse Anderson doesn’t pick easy topics to write about. From the story of a high school girl who is silent and hides in the janitor’s closet because she has to face the boy who raped her every day at school (Speak) to living through a yellow fever epidemic (Fever 1793) to Twisted, she tackles difficult topics with authentic teen voices. In Twisted, Tyler is a social misfit who is treated as a “problem” so not surprisingly, he acts out. He makes a poor decision and in learning to accept the consequences for his actions he must make decisions about what kind of person he will choose to become. Tyler’s family is emotionally unstable and it is reflected in his own actions. This book deals candidly with the issues of integrity, emotional abuse, self-identity, rage, and violence. At one point, Tyler smashes his father’s train set up. “The temporary rivets holding me together loosened, glowing hot under the pressure that prevented me from turning the bat on my father.....I hit the train table harder so I wouldn’t hit him.” The explosion of violence culminates his decision to choose who he will become, rather than accepting others expectations and perceptions of him. He chooses to make his own decisions rather than to allow himself to continue to twist under other peoples toxic opinions. Tyler’s humor, though increasingly dark throughout the book, and his very realistic voice made me cheer for him all the way through. Highly recommended for High School.

Ann Morgester, Library Curriculum Coordinator, Anchorage School District

Teaching the Digital Generation By Kelly, McCain & Jukes

Teaching the Digital Generation: No More Cookie-Cutter High Schools by Frank S. Kelly, Ted McCain and Ian Jukes. Corwin Press (2008), Paperback, 280 pages 978-1-4129-3927-0

The basic premise of this book is not new by any stretch, but interestingly still needs to be said, over and over. Our schools are not functional in teaching our students what they need to be successful in the 21st century. Our student's brains are wired differently due to early and consistent exposure to digital media and we need to get on board. I agree completely and appreciate that the authors take a very bottom up approach in that they focus on the physical design of learning spaces as being the first step. If we don't change the spaces we teach in, we will have a much harder time changing our teaching. They are also very clear that a community vision must exist before design and construction begin and they do not mince words when they say that it will "take great courage, steadfast commitment, and a lot of just plain hard work to sustain the vision.” (67). After laying out their reasoning, the authors elaborate on 11 different school designs with the emphasis on the fact that there is no one right answer for every kid. Each of the 11 designs is preceded by a two-page graphic of the concept which is then followed by a short elaboration and a rubric which each design is evaluated against. While the need for professional development is stressed and the resistance of teachers, parents and administrators being asked to move out of their comfort zone is addressed, the book is focused on the physical design of the learning spaces.

The authors explore how the physical design of the school must support 21st century curriculum, but how that curriculum is designed would very much depend on the vision that the community creates and the specific model or models that used. The authors address many aspects of the digital age high school but as a school librarian, I am concerned that most of their models do not have an information center (library/commons) and that while there is much mention of online access to library materials and information there is no discussion of how those materials will be selected, evaluated, and where students are to get voluntary reading material is left out entirely.

I would highly recommend that anyone contemplating a school remodel or construction read this book immediately. If nothing else, it will make you question your assumptions and “the way we have always done it” which is not a bad thing at all.

Related Book: The New Learning Commons: Where learners win byDavid V. Loertscher, Carol Koechlin and Sandi Zwaan; ISBN: 978-1-933170-40-4; Hi Willow Research and Publishing; 2008

Related Websites: No More Cookie Cutter High Schools http://web.mac.com/iajukes/nomoreookiecutterschools/Blog/Blog.html

Review by Ann Morgester Library Curriculum Coordinator, Anchorage School District