The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is about Katniss Everdeen, a 16 year old girl living in the Seam, the 12th district of Panem, the land formerly known as North America. Ever since the Capitol defeated the 13 districts in the big war, The Hunger Games have taken place each year. One boy and one girl from each of the remaining 12 districts is randomly selected to "compete" in the games. Every year from the time children turn twelve until they turn eighteen, their names get entered into the drawing for the games. One time at age twelve, twice at age thirteen, three times at age fourteen, and so on, until they are ineligible to play at age nineteen. Children who are poor, whose families can't affort to live on their meager earnings can enter their names an additional time for each family member in return for one year's worth of grain and oil. When the names are drawn, the children must go to The Capitol, undergo three day's worth of training, and must fight one another to the death. The last one standing is delcared the winner. In this story, Prim, Katniss's twelve year old sister is the one chosen. Katniss volunteers to go in her place along with a boy from her community, Peeta. Their only trainer is the one former winner of the Hunger Games from their district, a drunk who can barely stand. It is every child for themselves as the Hunger Games begin.

I couldn't put this book down. I read the entire novel in one day's time. It is very engaging with a lot of action. It is definitely for more mature readers who can handle the violence and death. There are twists and turns along with surprises no one could guess! I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series!

The Juliet Club by Suzanne Harper

The Juliet Club by Suzanne Harper is about Kate, a high school student who wins an essay contest about her favorite Shakespeare play and is invited to spend the summer in Italy studying Romeo and Juliet. Her friends in the United States are confident that Kate will fall in love over the summer, but prim and proper Kate is equally as sure of the opposite. Kate and her father end up staying at the mansion of the world's foremost expert on Shakespeare (much to her father's chagrin, for he fancies himself as the foremost expert). While there she meets many friends who have also been selected to participate in the summer seminar, including Silvia, a dark and brooding Italian beauty, and Giacomo, a playboy who is only interested in flirting. Silvia and her friends hatch a plan to get back at Giacomo for his flirtatious ways and force him and Kate to fall in love. Kate just happens to overhear the plan, and she and Giacomo create their own plan instead: to pretend that they've fallen in love and then expose the others' plot.

This was a fun read. I don't know too much about Shakespeare's other plays, but I enjoyed the references to A Midsummer Night's Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, Henry V, and of course, Romeo and Juliet. All of the winners of the contest end up falling for someone unexpected and the story has a very happy ending!

Chess Rumble by G. Neri

Chess Rumble by G. Neri is about Marcus, a tough teen growing up in the inner city. His life is turned upside down when his sister dies of a heart attack. Suddenly, Marcus is extremely angry. He gets into fights all the time, at home and at school, picks on his younger twin brothers, and even threatens his own mother. His father eventually leaves the family, and Marcus feels alone. Things escalate at school, where Latrell, a long-time rival of Marcus's, picks on him and beats him up. One afternoon while playing basketball, Marcus stumbles upon some tough old guys playing chess in the park. One challenges him to a match. Not wanting to back down, Marcus tries, but loses badly to his opponent. CM, the chess master, helps Marcus realize that chess, like life, is all about knowing your moves in advance and anticipating the outcomes before doing anything. As Marcus becomes better and better at chess, things in his life start getting better - he even invites Latrell to play with him!

This was a quick read for me. I really enjoyed the story and how the author portrayed all of the characters. The character of Marcus seems so familiar to me. I also enjoyed the way the author used street vernacular. It makes the story seem believable. I think this would appeal to a wide audience.

The Ghost of Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen

The Ghost of Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen is the sequel to Touching Spirit Bear. In Touching Spirit Bear Cole and Peter were sent to Alaska by the Native American leaders in their Circle as a way to heal and work through their inner demons. Cole was a violent bully who beat Peter badly enough to give him a head injury. Peter, after the beating, became suicidal and explosive. Eventually, they became friends on the island. In the sequel, Cole and Peter return from Alaska to use what they've learned in the real world. Both have a hard time adjusting. They are both plagued by bullies, anger issues, and a desire to return to the island, where life was easier. Eventually, they find something to work toward and put all of their positive energy to use.

I loved Touching Spirit Bear when I read it several years ago. I was excited to read the sequel, but was disappointed. I found it a little "preachy" and somewhat boring. I had a hard time investing in the ideas Peter and Cole had. Some of the ways the boys dealt with the bullies at their school seemed very unrealistic.

Premonitions by Jude Watson

Premonitions by Jude Watson is about Gracie, a teenage girl who is just realizing that she has visions about people's past and future. After her father ran out on her and her mother died in a car accident, Gracie finally ends up living with her Aunt Shay and Cousin Diego. Her only friend on the tiny island just off of the Washington coast is Emily. When Emily suddenly disappears just after Gracie had a vision about her, Gracie realizes that she needs to crawl out of the protective shell she's built around herself and do something. With the help of Diego, Gracie uncovers a bizarre scheme and finds Emily. Unfortunately, Gracie puts herself into danger and becomes captured by the same psycho who has Emily. She has to use everything she knows about her new powers to get herself, Emily, and the other kids she finds out alive, before it's too late.

This was an exciting book. It was fun learning about Gracie's powers of ESP right along with her. The mystery was really interesting to try to solve as well! There were enough twists and turns to throw me off, just like Gracie. This is the first book in the Premonitions Series. Book two is called Disappearance.

Penny from Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm

Penny from Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm is about Penny, an Italian American girl living in the United States during the 1950s, just after WWII. She is torn between her American family that she lives with (her mother, grandmother and grandfather) and her Italian family (her Nonny, uncles, aunts and cousins). Penny's father died when Penny was little and no one will give her a straight answer about how. Penny and her cousin, Frankie, get into all kinds of trouble together over the summer. Unfortunately, while searching for their grandfather's hidden treasure in Nonny's basement, Penny has a terrible accident that lands her in the hospital. This turn of events actually brings both halves of her family closer and brings Penny closer to the truth about her father.

This wasn't my favorite book. It was a little hard for me to get through. I found it a bit slow. I did enjoy the historical portions about the relationship between the Italians and Americans right after WWII, however. The author's note at the end was also very interesting, as this story was based on the author's family.

Alone on a Wide Wide Sea by Michael Morpurgo

Alone on a Wide Wide Sea by Michael Morpurgo is about six year old Arthur, a boy sent from England to live in Australia after he is orphaned during WWII. He is separated from his sister, Kitty, and only has a key to remember her by. As he grows older, Arthur eventually forgets what the key goes to, and begins to believe that he may have even made up his sister in his mind. He is sent to live and work under the harshest of conditions with numerous other orphans on a farm in Australia. Eventually, he and his friend Marty are able to escape and live through young adulthood with a women in the Australian bush, helping her save and release hurt and orphaned animals. Through twists and turns, Arthur ends up working at a boat company in New Zealand and discovers a love for the sea. He transfers this love to his daughter, and they hatch a plan to sail their own boat to England to find his long lost sister, Kitty and finally discover the true meaning behind the key that Arthur still wears around his neck.

I absolutely loved this book. The first part of the story is told through Arthur's eyes, as a sort of memoir. Although it is fiction, it is very easy to believe that Arthur truly exists and that the reader has the unique opportunity to see his life and story through his eyes. The second part of the story is told in a similar way through the eyes of his daughter, Allie. This details her journey to England and what she finds when she finally arrives. I laughed out loud at parts of this and cried along with Allie during a particularly heart wrenching experience at sea. This is one of my favorites!

The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages

The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages is about 10 year old Dewey, the daughter of a scientist working on a top secret project for the U.S. government during WWII. After her grandmother has a stroke and is put into a home, Dewey goes to live with her father at the "Hill," a place that is so secret that it technically doesn't even exist. Many scientists live there and work on the "gadget" this is supposed to stop the war once and for all. Included among the scientists are Robert Oppenheimer and Richard Feynman. None of the kids who live at the Hill know what the scientists are working on, just that their parents are at the lab more than they are at home and that whatever gadget they are creating is important to the government.

I really enjoyed this book. It was recommended to me by a student and I can't wait to visit with her about it! Anyone who knows about the history of WWII knows that these two scientists were involved with creating the first atomic bomb, which eventually was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan at the end of the war. This book was really interesting because as the reader, I knew more than the characters about what would happen with the "gadget" and the consequences of using it on Japan. The main characters, Dewey and Suze were just trying to get through their own daily struggles as girls growing up during the 1940s on a top secret military base. They had the same types of experiences as girls growing up now - bullies, new friendships, family problems, etc.