Darth Paper Strikes Back (MG)

Darth Paper Strikes Back. Tom Angleberger. 2011. Harry N. Abrams. 176 pages.

It is a dark time at McQuarrie Middle School...when did it start? I can tell you exactly when it started.
The first day of school. The very first day of seventh grade. We didn't even get one good day. We got, like, five minutes.

Darth Paper Strikes Back is the sequel to The Strange Case of Origami Yoda. Sixth grade is over, seventh grade is just beginning. And it seems the wisdom of everyone's favorite origami Yoda isn't as revered or respected as in previous days. Teachers and administrators aren't so fond of the "disruptions" made by Dwight and his paper puppet. And there are some in the class who are oh-so-tired of it all. Or at least tired of Dwight getting all the attention. Harvey a student who can be a little mean at times--but isn't quite a complete bully at heart--comes to school with Darth Paper. And thus a NEW saga begins.

So the novel begins with bad news. Dwight has been kicked out of school. He may or may not be allowed to return after a few weeks. His case has to come before the school board. His friends want to help him, of course. And so they set about writing this casebook as to why Dwight and his origami Yoda are positive influences on the school, on the class. They're defending their friend.

So the book has multiple narrators. And there are many stories to tell. If you liked the first book, then you'll definitely want to read this one! It's an entertaining read!

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , friendship , Harry N. Abrams , humor , J Fiction , J Realistic Fiction , review copy , school

Trauma Queen (MG)

Trauma Queen. Barbara Dee. 2011. Simon & Schuster. 272 pages.

I am standing outside homeroom in yellow flannel monkey pajamas.
Everyone else is dressed normally: jeans, track pants, sweaters, whatever.
Apparently because today, Monday, February 3, is not Pajama Day at Crampton Middle School. Also apparently I am the only one who is celebrating Pajama Day, because I am the only one whose mother told her it was Pajama Day. 

Marigold doesn't always love her mom. You see, Marigold's mom is a performance artist. She does crazy, crazy, embarrassing things in front of people...on purpose. Sometimes Marigold wishes her Mom could really stick to one performance: normal, sane, ordinary mother of two. But that's a role she rarely does.

Trauma Queen is about new beginnings. Marigold's family is starting over--again. The last town, well, it didn't end so well. On the positive side, Marigold made a friend--a really good friend--a girl named Emma. And things seemed to be going well until Emma's mom met Marigold's mom. Then it got UGLY, UGLY, SUPER-UGLY. Now Emma isn't allowed to speak with her...at all. So it's just as well, I suppose, that they did start over in a new town. But some things Marigold can't really forget.

One of the things that I LOVED about Trauma Queen were the characters. I thought they were well-developed. I loved how we get to know Marigold's family: her mom, her sister, Kennedy, her Gram. I especially loved to see the conversations between Mari and her Gram. I did. I loved how we get to know Marigold's classmates. Those that like Marigold (Layla, Ethan, Brody, etc.). And those that don't (Jada). WE get to see the tensions in her class. And it's so well done! It felt very authentic. I thought the author did a great job with showing not telling.

It was easy to love Marigold. It was easy to sympathize with her. But it was also easy--at least for me--to see the Mom's strengths. I couldn't not like the Mom. I couldn't. And when she started working with some of Marigold's classmates in an after school program, well, I admired her all the more. Was she perfect? No. Of course not. But she was not "the enemy" out to ruin her daughter's life. Seeing Gram, Mom, and Marigold together, well, it felt right. This novel has substance and depth.

I would definitely recommend Trauma Queen. I've also read This is Me From Now On.

My favorite quote:

But how do you know you're seeing things through your own eyes? Maybe you think you are, but really, you're just collecting other people's points of view. Maybe you're seeing the world through their eyes, and you don't even know it. (211)

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , family , J Fiction , J Realistic Fiction , review copy , school , Simon and Schuster , YA Fiction , YA realistic fiction

Doggirl (MG/YA)

Doggirl. Robin Brande. 2011. Ryer Publishing. 269 pages. 

I believe in signs. And this one said: Dog trainer needed immediately. Must provide own dog. I snatched the paper off the announcement board before anyone else could see it. 

Riley Case is a girl after my own heart, and her story touched me.

Riley is amazing with animals; she has been from the time she was baby. And she can make friends almost instantaneously with animals--dogs, cats, birds, you name it. She's been training her dogs after school, teaching them new tricks, and loving every minute of it. She's just as eager as they are to be reunited at the end of each school day. She just has a way about her. She's a natural.

But with people, it's a different story. Riley doesn't feel comfortable with people--at all. They scare her, intimidate her. She's so afraid of being rejected, so afraid of being laughed at or picked on, that she'd prefer to spend her school days being ignored. Being invisible. Blending in with the background. That is what she prefers. Or what she thinks she prefers. She may not have friends. She may not have a social life. But she feels it could always be worse.

It would be worse if she tried with all her heart to make friends...and failed. It would be worse if she made a best friend....only to lose her again.

So when Riley learns of this opportunity to be a dog trainer, this opportunity for her dogs to star in the school play, she's thrilled. Does that mean she doesn't have doubts and insecurities about this whole project? No. She's not worried about her dogs, no, they'll be just great with these new people. It's herself she's worried about. Will she 'ruin' her new start? Will she be too awkward? Will she say the wrong thing? What if she does something stupid, something embarrassing? What if she earns herself a string of nicknames? What if this project leads to her humiliation? What if she starts crying and can't stop?

Riley has strengths. She does. She even knows exactly what they are. But her confidence is still a little shaky in some areas. What Riley needs are some good friends. Friends that will listen; friends that will love. Riley needs to learn to laugh and smile and just be.

I loved this one. I just LOVED this one! I loved Riley, I did. I could relate to her in so many ways! And I loved the story, loved the pacing. I loved Riley's journey. I loved the process of her development and growth. It wasn't too fast or too slow. It was just right. And Nate?! Well, I'm quite happy with him!!! Their conversations together were great! I loved their last scene together, it was giddy-making! I'd share it with you, but, that would be saying too much!

My second-favorite scene would probably be the one between Beverly, the volunteer seamstress--a senior, I believe--and Riley.

"Do you think I'm...okay?"
Beverly gave me a funny look. "Okay, how?"
"You know...normal. Like someone...you could be friends with. I mean, not you, but I mean like...anyone." I covered my face my hands. "I never know how to talk."
Beverly peeled one of my hands away and held onto it. "Riley, if you're asking me whether you're the kind of person I could be friends with, the answer is yes. Because we are. And if you're asking me whether other people like you, the answer is still yes, they do. Is that what you want to know?"
I nodded.
"In case you haven't noticed, everyone in here is just a little bit...unusual. If we didn't have each other, we'd all be roaming the halls calling out, 'Friend! I need a friend!' Sometimes it just takes a while to figure out where you fit. You know?" (193-94)

I loved Doggirl because it felt so honest, so genuine. It's a novel with a lot of heart. And it's not just a novel about a friendless girl finding a place to belong. It's a book for animal-lovers--specifically dog-lovers--and a book for those that love drama and theater--or creative writing, or film-making. It's for any one who has ever felt different. (It may just be a novel for everyone.)

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , animals , coming of age , dogs , review copy , school , YA Fiction , YA realistic fiction , YA Romance

My Forever Friends

My Forever Friends (Friends for Keeps #4) Julie Bowe. 2011. July 2011. Penguin. 224 pages.

I'm Ida May and I'm feeling a little squished. That's because I'm sitting on a piano bench between Jenna Drews and Brooke Morgan. I was saving half of the bench for my best friend, Stacey Merriweather, but Jenna budged in before Stacey could. Jenna is my sometimes friend. Then Brooke budged in on the other side of me. Brook is my sometimes-not friend.

The first three books in this series are: My Last Best Friend , My New Best Friend, and My Best Frenemy. Ida May is still one of seven girls in Mr. Crow's fourth grade class. Tension is still high among the girls--Jenna, Brooke, Stacey, Ida May, Randi, Meeka, and Jolene--since Brooke and Jenna's big, big fight. And poor Ida May is feeling the pressure most of all. For Brooke is clinging to Stacey more than ever. And Jenna, well, Jenna is always around. Jenna and Rachel have been coming over after school every day since their mom, Mrs. Drews, is having a very difficult pregnancy. And Ida May is becoming really good at getting along with both. She's comfortable with Jenna, and she's losing that with Stacey. It's not always easy for Ida May to accept the changes. There are still times when she thinks Jenna is WAY too bossy, too much of a know-it-all. But she's beginning to love her unconditionally which is super-sweet. How can I not love Ida May having a big heart? Ida May realizes that she may be the only one able to repair the broken friendships tearing her class apart.

I loved this one. I did. I am still loving Ida May and her friends and classmates. Bowe has brought this fourth-grade class to life. Each of the students has been developed--of course, some more than others. But even the boys have a little individuality, a little personality. I am loving Jenna too. I really felt for her in this one. I was so glad she found a champion in Ida May. Not that Jenna wants to admit she needs one. But still. You know I loved the characters. But I also LOVED the writing. Julie Bowe knows how to tell a good story. She definitely has a way with words. There was something special about this book.

There are things about Jenna I'd like to change. Her bossiness. The way she treats Rachel sometimes. Her grudge against Brooke. But there's one thing I wouldn't change. Jenna knows her talents and she isn't afraid to tell you. (37)

I think about Brooke. And Jenna. And how their talents fit together.
Jenna knows how to cook things up.
Brooke knows how to to add the sprinkles. (63)

"You can't unditch someone," I say to George. "All you can do is say you're sorry and hope they yank you back in." (128)

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , friendship , J Fiction , J Realistic Fiction , Penguin USA , review copy , school

Five Flavors of Dumb (YA)

Five Flavors of Dumb. Antony John. 2010. [November 2010] Penguin. 352 pages.

For the record, I wasn't around the day they decided to become Dumb. If I'd been their manager back then I'd have pointed out that the name, while accurate, was not exactly smart. It just encouraged people to question the band's intelligence, maybe even their sanity. And the way I saw it, Dumb didn't have much of it. But they weren't in the mood to be reasoned with. They'd just won Seattle's annual Teen Battle of the Bands, and they were milking their fifteen minutes for all it was worth.

I loved this one. I just loved it. One of the reasons why I loved it so much was the narration. I loved our narrator, Piper. She's a (beautiful) girl who is accustomed to not being heard. Most people--if they notice her at all--notice her for the wrong reasons. Something that will be challenged through the course of the novel. Piper is practically daring people to take notice of her now. For this deaf girl is about to take on a big challenge: she's going to be a manager of a rock band. She's determined to make this band a real band--a band that earns money. But the band, for better or worse, seems to be clashing in all the wrong ways. (Original band members: Tash, Will, and Josh.) In impossible-to-ignore ways. It certainly doesn't help matters that two new band members have joined Dumb since it won the Teen Battle of the Bands (Ed, Kallie). Can Piper do the impossible? Can she be the brains of Dumb?

Another reason I loved Five Flavors of the Dumb was the richness of its characters, the depth of the relationships, particularly family relationships. Piper has complex relationships with her mother, her father, her younger brother, Finn, and her baby sister, Grace. Especially since Grace has just had her cochlear implant turned on. And the operation was paid for with Piper's college fund. So, you can imagine, some of the difficulties Piper is facing as the novel opens.

I also loved how surprising the novel was--for me. I found it warm and satisfying, in all the right places, as the relationships develop and the plot unfolds. But it's more than that. Yes, it's got heart and soul. But it's more than that. It's got humor. It's got drama.

Five Flavors of Dumb is a great coming-of-age story set in Seattle. I'm happy to recommend it!

Winner of the 2011 Schneider Family Teen Book Award.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2010 , brothers and/or sisters , library book , Penguin USA , school , YA Fiction , YA realistic fiction , YA Romance

Captivate (YA)

Captivate. Carrie Jones. 2010. Bloomsbury. 276 pages.  

Sometimes there are these bizarre people who actually like physical education class.

Captivate is the sequel to Need. Both Need and Captivate would be good for fans of Stephenie Meyer and Melissa Marr. (Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange, and Fragile Eternity immediately come to mind.) It's YA fantasy with plenty of thrills--a dangerous romance. Zara, our heroine, is confused about many things. Her relationship with her father? Too complicated to fathom. Part of her hates the fact that she's had to lock him up so that the slaughtering of human boys would stop in her Maine town. But part of her realizes of course that while killing is never "good" it is sometimes necessary. She's also confused about pixies in general. After meeting--after rescuing--one pixie in particular, she's beginning to think for the first time that there may be a few good pixies out there. For this mysterious pixie--we don't learn his name (Astley) for quite a while--saves Zara time and time again. He seems to make it his business to keep her safe. (Which of course is threatening Nick's role in this drama.)

But there is one thing that Zara is NOT confused about. Her love for Nick. She loves him. Oh how she loves him. She needs him. She wants him. She can't stop thinking about him. He's her everything. He'd do anything to keep her safe. And she'd do anything to keep him safe.

Captivate is dramatic. For me, the highlight of this one was the introduction of Astley. I liked the scenes between Zara and Astley best.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2010 , Bloomsbury USA , friendship , pixies , review copy , school , werewolves , YA Fiction , YA Paranormal , YA Romance

Prom & Prejudice (YA)

Prom & Prejudice. Elizabeth Eulberg. 2011. [January 2011] Scholastic. 288 pages.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single girl of high standing at Longbourn Academy must be in want of a prom date.

Lizzie Bennet is a scholarship girl at Longbourn Academy. And it's tough going--many of her classmates (especially girls like Caroline Bingley and Cat de Bourgh) take joy in tormenting her. Fortunately, she's found a friend in Jane, her roommate, and Charlotte, the second scholarship girl. And she loves her piano teacher, Mrs. Gardiner. This opportunity--as challenging as it is, socially--is once in a lifetime. And Lizzie is grateful, most of the time. If only her school wasn't so prom-obsessed. If only every Longbourn girl wasn't expected to go with someone from Pemberley Academy. If only Collin Williams wasn't the only Pemberley guy interested in her.

Lizzie Bennet first meets Will Darcy through Jane. She's unimpressed. Sure, he's cute. Sure, he's rich. But. He's such a snob. (She happened to overhear him saying some not so nice things about scholarship girls.) And these two seem destined to argue if their first few meetings are any indication...but he seems to be going out of his way to see her. He knows her schedule at the coffee shop. And it's rare he doesn't show up for one of her shifts. He seems to want something from her, but what?

I loved this one. I just LOVED it. It's clever; it's funny. As a modernization of Pride & Prejudice, it works really well. There are so many scenes that illustrate this...

One of her conversations with Collin:

"Elizabeth, did you find your jacket?" He motioned toward Jane's red wool coat, which I was now going to be wearing until the end of winter.
"Unfortunately, no."
"Oh, I am so sorry to hear that. I once lost a jacket that I loved very much. It was corduroy. No, tweed. Brownish gray. Really, it was a fine coat. My teddy bear had a matching one. We often wore them together. But then, one day, I left it in a park. When my mother and I went back for it, it was...gone."
"I can see you miss it," I said, looking for an escape route. (101)

One of the scenes where Jane's younger sister, Lydia, "shines":

"I'm just having fun," Lydia protested. "You're so uptight." Her eyes grew wide and she started jumping up and down. "No. Way. This song was, like, THE song from camp last summer. I totally remember the routine we came up with. An up-tempo pop song started playing on the sound system, and before any of us could stop her, Lydia was on the dance floor, spinning around with her arms stretched out. In less than ten seconds, she cleared a space of about ten feet around her. She was relishing the attention.
Jane was horrified. "Please make her stop." Her voice was nearly inaudible.
I headed over to the platform. Lydia was doing something that looked like the Charleston, but with her usual manic energy. She started spinning her fists in the air and shouting "WOO!" every few seconds. I could hear the snickering as I passed through the crowd. (94-95)

I appreciated this adaptation. I loved what Eulberg added to the story. I thought it was a nice balance between staying true to Austen's original story, and creating a great teen romance all her own.

Points of Interest: Romance, High School, Popularity, Bullying, Prom, Dating, Friendship, Music (Piano), Modern Adaptations of Classics, Jane Austen, Pride & Prejudice.

See also: The Lonely Hearts Club. Elizabeth Eulberg. Prada & Prejudice. by Mandy Hubbard.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Posted in 2011 , review copy , Scholastic , school , YA Fiction , YA realistic fiction , YA Romance