3 More Book Posters - Easy Readers' Advisory

JPEG files for these Book Posters are available here.

Kick-Ass Femmes in YA Literature - Part 3

	Scarlet of Marissa Meyer's Scarlet Book 2 of the Lunar Chronicles Scarlet's grandmother disappears without a trace and the police refuse to investigate citing her grandmother's odd nature.  Undeterred, Scarlet begins tracking down her grandmother's whereabouts with the assistance of the strangely intriguing fighter, Wolf.  Little does Scarlet know that the trail will land both Scarlet and Wolf at the center of an interplanetary war. Traits: Loving, Curious, Insightful, Accepting
	Danielle of Lauren Roedy Vaughn's OCD, The Dude and Me Danielle doesn't fit in.  Which doesn't really bother her - she likes keeping people at a distance, but does land her in a social skills class where she meets Daniel, a boy who is determined to know the real Danielle. Traits: Original, Quirky, Free-spirited, Thoughtful
	Addison of Kasie West's Pivot Point When faced with a choice, Addison has the unique ability to see the futures attached to each decision.  After her parents announce they are getting a divorce and Addison much choose which parent to live with, she uses her ability to view the results of her choice.  No matter which choice Addison makes, she will lose someone dear to her.  Which choice would you make? Traits: Insightful, Loyal, Independent, Friendly
	Mary Shelley of Cat Winter's In the Shadow of Blackbirds America 1918; the height of the Spanish Influenza pandemic. Dead line the streets and Spirit Photography and seances prey on the grieving. Mary Shelley doesn't believe in Spiritualism or that the dead really can commune with the living.  But logic and reason are hard to hold onto when you are haunted. Traits: Scientifically Minded, Curious, Logical, Thoughtful
	Juliet of Megan Shepherd's The Madman's Daughter Daughter of the infamous Dr. Moreau, Juliet is barely surviving when she discovers that her father is actually alive and in hiding on an island in the South Pacific. Finagling passage to the island, Juliet comes face to face with the horror of Moreau's madness. Traits: Determined, Kind, Curious, Pragmatic

Kick-Ass Femmes in YA Literature, Part 1

Kick-Ass Femmes in YA Literature, Part 2

Who is YOUR favorite heroine?

The Books are Coming, The Books Are Coming! Summer 2013 Titles

There are SO MANY YA releases this summer that I'm completely psyched about reading!

Here's my list. What are YOU excited about?

These books are available for pre-order through:

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, & Indie Bound.

Review: 'Shatter Me' by Tahereh Mafi

I have been locked up for 264 days.

I have nothing but a small notebook and a broken pen and

the numbers in my head to keep me company.  1 window. 4 walls.

144 square feet of space. 26 letters in an alphabet I haven't spoken

in 264 days of isolation.

6,336 hours since I've touched another human being.

Juliette hasn't spoken in almost a year. Hasn't interacted with another person in months. She spends her days counting cracks in the walls and peering through the small, dingy window of her cell waiting. Waiting to see a bird fly. Waiting for her life to make sense. Waiting. Then Adam is shoved into her cell. Just like that - everything changes.

As long as she can remember, Juliette has been different. A freak. A danger. The slightest brush of her skin causes overwhelming pain in the recipient and even brief full contact will kill. An accidental murder lands her in a series of juvenile detention centers and psych wards until, finally, she is placed in an asylum where she exists in total isolation and borderline mental breakdown. Juliette is fascinating. She is strong-willed and passionate, but damaged in multiple ways due to her experiences at the hands of her parents, teachers, classmates and jailers.  Every person who might have cared for or about Juliette has betrayed her, yet she remains hopeful of a better existence.  Each day she watches from her tiny window for a bird to fly past; her personal miracle.

There are no flat characters in 'Shatter Me'.  Each character is given a back story, relevance and individuality which makes for a very rich, believable dystopian read.  There are also few characters who do not have at least some redeeming value (though the 'bad guy' truly is a sociopathic monster).  Mafi puts the reader into a police state where fear is a primary motive and neighbors betray neighbors.  The levels of paranoia and desperation demonstrated by the characters of 'Shatter Me' are wonderfully illuminated by Mafi's use of language.

'Shatter Me' is one of the most beautifully written novels I've ever read.  Poignant, thought-provoking and amazingly lyrical.  This is so much more than just another dystopian novel and I highly recommend it to both teen and adult readers.

Book Source: Personal Copy
Reviewer: Rebecca

Recommended Ages: 14+ Mature themes, psychological abuse
Recommended for Readers of:

Review: 'Going Vintage' by Lindsey Leavitt

I’m a little bothered that my hypothesis wasn’t entirely right.

I thought The List was going to take me back to a simpler time, 

but in some ways it’s just made my life more complicated. 

“It’s not that different now, is it? Being sixteen?”

“Adolescence is the same tragedy being performed again and again. 

The only things that change are the stage props.”

After Mallory discovers that her boyfriend has been cheating on her with a girl he met online, her perfect world comes crashing down in a messy social networking confrontation. But when Mallory discovers a list of goals her Grandmother wrote for her senior year, she is inspired by the simplicity of teenage life back then. Now, Mallory is swearing off boys and modern conveniences and, with her sister’s help, checking off each item on her Grandma’s to-do list, circa 1962. Along the way, Mallory will uncover family secrets, discover her purpose, and, just maybe, find a new steady.

A lovely blend of Sarah Dessen and Stephanie Perkins, Going Vintage is the perfect contemporary romance: light and breezy on the surface, surprisingly thoughtful at its core. I was initially attracted to this novel because of the brightly colored cover with its vintage feel (even as a librarian, I still judge books by the cover!), but the plot pulled me in almost immediately. Leavitt has an easy, clean writing style that fits the light, funny feel of the book. Quirky characters, retro goals (Find a steady! Become secretary of the pep club!) and relevant themes of connectivity and unplugging make this a charming, relatable YA novel.

What really makes Going Vintage shine, however, are the characters. Mallory is a brilliant, realistic narrator. She’s quirky and funny and obsessed with lists, but she’s also confused and uncertain. For the first time, she actually wants to follow through on a plan, but she still has to move past her usual ambivalence. As it turns out, living like its 1962 while everyone around you moves in the 21^st century is difficult. I’m not adventurous enough (or crazy enough, perhaps?) to try one of these social experiments myself, so I appreciated Mallory’s uncertainty and her few setbacks more than the actual plan. It felt more true to life than if she had wholeheartedly thrown herself into it without any hesitation.

Leavitt also did a nice job writing most of the secondary characters. The boyfriend was appropriately awful, and the new boy was sweet and quirky, the perfect friend and possible love interest. The rest of Mallory’s friends were fairly one-dimensional, but their single-minded focus on social networking and texting worked for the purposes of the story. I thought Leavitt did a wonderful job with Mallory’s family members, particularly her younger sister, Ginnie, who is smart, focused and wise beyond her years. I loved seeing Mallory and Ginnie’s interactions in such a positive and supportive light. Mallory’s Grandma was the other stand-out. Her changing relationship with Mallory and her reconnection with her past added a nice dimension to the overall novel.

Going Vintage is a delightful contemporary romance perfect for a lazy day on the beach or a night in on the couch. It’s as bright, quirky and colorful as the retro cover would suggest!

Book Source: From the publisher, via NetGalley (Thank you Bloomsbury!)

Reviewer: Kimberly

Recommended Ages: 12+

Recommended for Readers of:

8 Oldies But Goodies: Graphic Novels & Manga for Modern Teens

There are few things in this world as frustrating as waiting for the next volume of a current comic or manga to release.  It's like being cut off from finishing a book in the middle of a chapter and often requires a wait of a month or more.  Teens love graphic novels (for obvious reasons) but often have a hard time waiting patiently for the next volume to make it onto library shelves.

Since there's not much more annoying than a whiny teenager, I've created a list of older ("classic") graphic novels that are completely finished (or have at least 10 volumes) to keep your teens happy while they wait.  Enjoy!

Title

	Title: The Arrival Series: n/a Author: Shaun Tan Volumes: 1 Status: Completed Where to Get It: Available at many book and comic retailers Recommended Ages: All Synopsis:  This graphic novel reads like a silent film following the experiences of a traveler who arrives and makes his way in a new, unfamiliar place.  *One of the most poignant and beautiful graphic novels I've read.
	Title: The Grand Quest a.k.a. Fire & Flight Series: ElfQuest Authors: Wendy & Richard Pini Volumes: 18+ Status: Completed (The Final Quest is ongoing as a web comic) Where to Get It: Out of print, but can view series  for free here. Recommended Ages: 16+ for sensuality, adult situations & some nudity Synopsis: After betrayal leaves the Wolfriders stranded in a foreign land, Cutter must ensure the survival of his tribe while they search for a new home.  But this journey leads to an adventure the elves could never have imagined.
	Title: Legends in Exile Series: Fables Author: Bill Willingham Volumes: 18+ Status: Ongoing Where to Get It: Published through Vertigo (an imprint of DC Comics). Available at many book and comic retailers. Recommended Ages: 16+ for sensuality, adult situations & some nudity Synopsis: Characters from folklore have been driven from their homeland and are settled in the community of Fabletown in the busy metropolis of New York City.  Willingham has re-imagined familiar characters and created a multi-layered, dynamic series with a truly epic scope.
	Title: Hikaru no Go, Volume 1 Series: Hikaru no Go Author: Yumi Hotta Volumes: 23 Status: Completed Where to Get It: Can be found in many book and comic retailers. Recommended Ages: 10+ mild language Synopsis: Middle school student Hikaru discovers an ancient Go board in his grandfather's attic, only to find that it is haunted by the spirit of a long-dead Go Master. Now the ghost won't leave Hikaru alone until he learns to play Go!
	Title: Hana Kimi, Volume 1 (a.k.a Hanazakari no Kimitachi e) Series: Hana Kimi Author: Hisaya Nakajo Volumes: 23 Status: Completed Where to Get It: Published in the US by Viz Media. New 3-in-1 editions available. Recommended Ages: 15+ gender-bending, romance, mild sensuality Synopsis: Mizuki Ashiya has such a crush on Japanese track star Izumi Sano that she decides to move to Japan, disguise herself as a boy, and enroll in Sano's all-boys boarding school.  Much gender confusion and hilarity ensues.
	Title: Mars, Volume 1 Series: Mars Author: Fuyumi Soryo Volumes: 15 Status: Completed Where to Get It: Out of Print. Can be found online at sites such as MangaReader or individual sellers on Amazon. Recommended Ages: 16+ sexual abuse, rape, romance, adult situations Synopsis: Bad boy Rey and gentle, artistic Kira are worlds apart in personalities, but may just be perfect for each other. When Rey rescues Kira from the hands of her sleazy art teacher, Kira finds the courage to ask Rey to model for her. However, as their relationship blooms, the jealousy of an upperclassman and dark secrets from Kira's past come back to haunt them.
	Title: Mr. Stuffins Series: n/a Authors: Andrew Cosby & Johanna Stokes Volumes: 1 Status: Completed Where to Get It: Multiple book and comic retailers Recommended Ages: 12+ mild language, spy action, violence Synopsis: An A.I. spy personality ends up loaded into a Teddy-Ruxpin-like stuffed animal who, when powered up, believes he has a mission to complete that is critical to national security. *Make sure to read the tweets at the end!
	Title: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Volume 1 Series: Sailor Moon Authors: Naoko Takeuchi Volumes: 12 (as of this post 8 volumes available) Status: Ongoing Where to Get It: Kodansha Comics is re-releasing the Sailor Moon manga as a 12-volume set in celebration of Sailor Moon's 20th anniversary. Recommended Ages: 12+ Synopsis: Usagi Tsugino and her friends may seem like your average high school students, but they each have a secret identity as supernatural protectors of Earth!

Kick-Ass Femmes in YA Literature - Part 2

Finding strong, independent female characters in popular literature can be difficult, but there are some Ladies of the Pages that do the female gender proud:

	Cammie of Ally Carter's I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You - Book one of the Gallagher Girl series Cammie is a second generation Gallagher Girl attending the prestigious Gallagher Academy - which just happens to be a training facility for teenage spies.  She and her classmates excel at tailing, hand-to-hand combat and code cracking, but Cammie's special talent is for blending into the background.  She prides herself on not being noticed.  So when a boy from the local town actually does notice her, Cammie is stunned.  Could he be the boy of her dreams? Perhaps.  But falling in love is difficult when your trying to uncover a national conspiracy, keep your grades up and keep your mom, the super-spy, in the dark. Traits: Loyal, Intelligent, Friendly
	Pressia of Pure by Julianna Baggott The Detonations destroyed the world as it was; what has survived is utterly changed from the Before.  Groupies roam the streets turning their many eyes in search of victims, OSR takes anyone over the age of 16 to be either soldier or cannon-fodder, and altered strange amalgamations of animal, plant and mineral wait for the unwary.  Above the turmoil of the outside sits the Dome, a haven where the Pures where protected from the blasts and where they wait for the Earth to renew itself.  Pressia has just turned 16 and the OSR is coming for her; but she does not want to kill or be killed and, in running, puts herself on an even more dangerous path.  Click here for full review. Traits: Kind, Thoughtful, Resourceful, Determined
	Sunday of Enchanted by Alethea Kontis Sunday is the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter and, in a land where magic abounds, this can mean many things.  But Sunday has lived all her life in the shadow of her older sisters experiencing none of their adventures except vicariously through the stories.  Sunday loves stories, hearing them, collecting them, creating her own and writing them down in her magical never-ending journal.  But Sunday never tells stories, over time she has discovered that her tales have an unfortunate habit of coming true, so she contents herself with her journal and her dreams.  Until one day she befriends an enchanted frog in the Wood and unknowingly sets her own story in motion.  For full review click here. Traits: Loyal, Creative, Kind
	Aislinn of Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr The fey realm gets a bit darker in this urban fantasy.  Aislinn has been raised by three rules: don't stare at invisible fairies; don't speak to invisible fairies; and don't ever attract fairies attention.  But those rules will not keep her safe from Keenan, the Summer King, who has spent the last 900 years searching for the one girl capable of becoming his Summer Queen.  Now Aislinn faces an impossible choice: give up her freedom (and possibly her life) to become Keenan's Queen, or watch the world and the people she loves descend into unending Winter. Traits: Fierce, Determined, Self-Possessed
	Cleo of Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes For a hundred years magic, the lifeblood of the three realms of Mytica, has been fading, slowly killing the land and driving two of the three kingdoms into desperate straits.  Cleo, Jonas, Lucia and Magnus soon discover that the actions of a single person can change the course of history and determine a nation's fate. Traits: Loving, Passionate, Strong-Willed

Looking Forward To In 2013

Here's the list of books (so far) that I'm looking forward to in 2013.

Which titles are you anticipating?

March 2013	March 2013	February 2013	February 2013
February 2013	February 2013	February 2013	January 2013
January 2013	January 2013	January 2013	March 2013
April 2013	Sometime 2013	April 2013	April 2013
	Hero by Alethea Kontis Woodcutters Series, Book 2
June 2013	Sometime 2013	July 2013	January 2013