By: madaunt,
on 8/24/2009
By: madaunt,
on 5/10/2009
By: madaunt,
on 9/21/2008
By: madaunt,
on 9/18/2008
By: claire pettifor,
on 6/18/2008
Poor snowman never seems to catch a break.
Another one for the Winter Series...
claire
By: Becky Laney,
on 2/23/2008
Some of you may be shaking your heads and thinking, "What on earth is Becky doing joining another challenge when she has so so so so so much to do????" My answer, well, I'm going to be reading these books anyway, I might as well lump them together and say they're challenge reads. (The challenge goes through February)
A is for Angst by Barbara Haworth-Attard
The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss
Revolution is Not A Dinner Party by Ying Chang Compestine
While Shepherds Watched by Steven Roberts
Christmas Jars by Jason F. Wright
The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
Right Behind You by Gail Giles
Dawn and Dusk by Alice Mead
Edward's Eyes by Patricia MacLachlan
No Talking by Andrew Clements
Winnie the Pooh and House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne
Memoirs of A Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
Lessons From A Dead Girl by Jo Knowles
Accidental Time Machine by Joe Haldeman
Old Twentieth by Joe Haldeman
The Fold by An Na.
Matilda by Roald Dahl
The Entertainer and the Dybbuk by Sid Fleischman
By: Becky Laney,
on 1/10/2008
Bray, Libba. 2007. The Sweet Far Thing.
The Sweet Far Thing concludes the trilogy following Gemma Doyle and her quests in and out of the realms. (The first being A Great and Terrible Beauty which I read at least six months or so before I started blogging so there's no record of what I thought. And the second being Rebel Angels which I reviewed last winter/spring.) The book is heavy both in content and weight. 819 pages. Most of them of seventeen-year-old Gemma confused about who she is and what she wants. At the end of Rebel Angels, Gemma bound the magic of the realms to herself. She had promised several different peoples or tribes that she would later share the magic and make peace throughout the realms; she would issue in a new era of peace and unity. The close of Rebel Angels also saw the death of Circe. (or did it???)
The Sweet Far Thing picks up three months later. It is spring. Felicity and Gemma are getting ready to make their debut in society. And Ann, poor Ann, is still going to be a governess. She's still being treated horribly by the other girls at Spence Academy. Mrs. Nightwing is planning a big masked ball in honor of the graduating class--the class of which Gemma and Felicity and Ann are a part. The other buzz around campus is the ongoing work to complete the East Wing. Mrs. Nightwing is determined that the East Wing which was originally destroyed by fire twenty-five years before, needs to be rebuilt in order for Spence to regain its honor and prestige. But there are many people who fear what will happen when the East Wing is rebuilt. They're afraid of what might become unsealed and unburied. The Gypsies. Mother Elena especially is full of warnings. Most of which go unheeded. But such is the way with those that prophesy foreshadowing.
Getting back to Gemma. Gemma was having an identity crisis of sorts in Rebel Angels. She feared that no one really loved her for her. That her father and grandmother and brother all have their own "idea" of who she is. An idea that is far from reality. And she's worried that her friends just love her, just include her because of her magic, because of her power. She was tempted for a while by a boy, Simon, but then felt he didn't love her for her, know her for her either.
This quote is from Rebel Angels:
To Felicity and Ann, I’m a means into the realms.
To Grandmama, I am something to be molded into shape.
To Tom, I am a sister to be endured.
To Father, I am a good girl, always one step away from disappointing him.
To Simon, I’m a mystery.
To Kartik, I am a task he must master.
My refelection stares back at me, waiting for an introduction. Hello, girl in the mirror. You are Gemma Doyle. And I’ve no idea who you really are. (396-397)
Back to Sweet Far Thing. So Gemma is still learning who she is, what she wants, what she needs, and even learning what she fears most. When the book opens, the reader learns that Gemma has not been able to regain access to the realms. She can no longer conjure up the white door. She has seemingly lost her power. Also of note, the dreams and visions have stopped for the most part. But with 819 pages, the reader knows this powerlessness won't last long. Gemma will find a way; she always finds a way to get what she wants or what she thinks she wants.
There is mystery, confusion, epic battles between good and evil, trickery, betrayal, secrets, lies, love and lost love, fear and hope. There is family drama and school drama. And drama between friends as boundaries are pushed or nudged and little lies are told. Fans of the series will no doubt be anxious to read this saga through to its bittersweet conclusion. (I read it in two days.) But I'm unable to predict how they'll feel about the ending. I know my response. (Though I won't go there here in this post.) But how will fans react?
By: Becky Laney,
on 1/8/2008
Wyss, Johann. The Swiss Family Robinson.
First published in 1812, this novel is about how one family survives a shipwreck and how they come to create a new home for themselves far away from civilization. I read the book because I have literally been hearing how *wonderful* it is my whole life. Yes, The Swiss Family Robinson is one of my mother's favorite books. But in childhood, the closest I could get to the novel--the closest I would get to the novel--was an abridged version. But even the abridged version, I gave up after a few chapters. So I was determined to not let 2008 go by without reading--really reading--this classic.
What did I think about it? Honestly? Well, it's still not my cup of tea. I still don't like it. The violence. The brutality. The absurdity. Granted in 1812, I'm sure it wasn't an absurd idea to kill animals for fun, for sport, or for a "learning" opportunity to learn what it was and how it worked. But for me, I saw it as a bunch of guys--a father and sons ranging in age from small to teen--who thrived on killing animals. True, some of the kills were for food or to protect their lives, but others seemed more trivial for me. Yes, the family needed to eat in order to survive. But I think some of it was pure overkill. But as I said, this wouldn't have ruffled any feathers in 1812 when it was published. I think--although I am not sure--that there was a philosophy that to study an animal meant to study the animal's corpse.
Besides the death of all those animals, and the passing dangers of island life, the book is filled with lessons and descriptions. The father has the need--and I'm not negating the need in actuality--to share every bit of knowledge in his head. And I'd be the first to admit, that if I were to be shipwrecked on an island, I'd want this guy around. First of all, he knows everything. It doesn't matter what subject. It doesn't matter how random or trivial, how broad or specific, this man knows it all. He knows how to do everything, how to make everything. This man is more knowledgeable than a walking set of encyclopedias. Now, if you were actually on the island and fighting for your survival. Receiving lessons of this sort, would be necessary and beneficial. To the ordinary reader--okay just this ordinary reader--some of the lessons are well, quite honestly, boring. You could skip these passages altogether and still follow the basic story.
One other thing that irritated me about the book. The woman never is given a name. The man isn't either, by the way, but he is the narrator. He is the "I" of the story so it isn't so obvious. The kids all have names. The animals all have names. The wife? Not named. I'd rather Grizzle the donkey be called "the donkey" or "that donkey" than to go 377 pages through a book where one of the main characters is simply called "the mother."
And it should be a crime what Wyss did to Grizzle by the way. Seriously. That's just wrong. It's beyond calloused or cruel.
By: Becky Laney,
on 12/17/2007
Karlene is hosting a Winter Reading Challenge. It goes from December 22nd 2007 to March 19th 2008.
I'll be reading:
At least one book by Jane Austen (maybe two for my Austen mini-challenge)
At least one book by Zora Neale Hurston (maybe two or three for my Zora Neale Hurston Mini-Challenge)
Winnie the Pooh and House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne (for the Celebrating the Author challenge)
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder (I'd love to read all the Little House books actually. But I don't know if I'll have time. This is also for the Celebrating the Author challenge and the Decades Challenge.)
In My Hands: Memories of A Holocaust Rescuer by Irene Gut Opdyke
and
I Will Plant You A Lilac Tree by Laura Hillman (both for the In Their Shoes challenge and the Jewish Literature Challenge and the Back to History challenge .)
Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss (for the Seafaring Challenge)
By: Becky Laney,
on 12/4/2007
Some of you may be shaking your heads and thinking, "What on earth is Becky doing joining another challenge when she has so so so so so much to do????" My answer, well, I'm going to be reading these books anyway, I might as well lump them together and say they're challenge reads. (The challenge goes through February)
As some of you (or most of you) may know I'm involved in the Cybils. I'm on the nominating panel in the YA category. There are 123 books nominated. I've read about 42-44 somewhere in there. While, I don't see myself getting to all of them by the deadline. (Our top ten lists are due in just two weeks. And our big, big deadline is December 28th). I would like to read most of them whenever I can. So heavy in December, with a few coming in the later months perhaps. Some of these depend on whether publishers send review copies.
I will be trying to choose books ONLY from this list. Essentially, if the book isn't on this list, it isn't going to get read in the month of December. I might squeeze in a few picture books now and then. But if it's a novel, it has to be from this list.
68 Knots
written by Evans, Michael Robert
Tanglewood Press
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A is for Angst
written by Haworth-Attard, Barbara
Harper Collins Canada
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A Swift Pure Cry
written by Dowd, Siobhan
David Fickling
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Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, The
written by Alexie, Sherman
Little, Brown
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Angels on Sunset Boulevard
written by de la Cruz, Melissa
Simon & Schuster
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Another Kind of Cowboy
written by Juby, Susan
HarperTeen
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Back Talk
written by Richards, Alex
Flux
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Bad Girls Club
written by Gregerson, Judy
Blooming Tree Press
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Beauty Shop for Rent
written by Bowers, Laura
Harcourt
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Before I Die
written by Downham, Jenny
David Fickling
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Before, After, and Somebody In Between
written by Garsee, Jeannine
Bloomsbury
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Beige
written by Castellucci, Cecil
Candlewick
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Big Slick
written by Luper, Eric
FSG
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Billie Standish Was Here
written by Crocker, Nancy
Simon & Schuster
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Blood Brothers
written by Harazin, S.A.
Delacorte
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Bloom
written by Scott, Elizabeth
Simon Pulse
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Boy Toy
written by Lyga, Barry
Houghton Mifflin
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Boys Next Door, The
written by Echols, Jennifer
Simon Pulse
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Brothers, Boyfriends & Other Criminal Minds
written by Lurie, April
Delacorte
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Candy in Action
written by Roth, Matthue
SoftSkull Press
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Carpe Diem
written by Cornwell, Autumn
Feiwel and Friends
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Cassandra's Sister
written by Bennett, Veronica
Candlewick
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Circle the Truth
written by Schmatz, Pat
Carolrhoda
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Converting Kate
written by Weinheimer, Beckie
Viking
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Crazy In Love
written by Mackall, Dandi Daley
Dutton
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Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy
written by Carter, Ally
Hyperion
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Cupcake
written by Cohn, Rachel
Simon & Schuster
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Cures for Heartbreak
written by Rabb, Margo
Delacorte
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Dawn and Dusk
written by Mead, Alice
FSG
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Deadline
written by Crutcher, Chris
HarperTeen
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Diamonds in the Shadow
written by Cooney, Caroline B
Delacorte
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Does My Head Look Big In This?
written by Abdel-Fattah, Randa
Orchard Books
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Don't Get it Twisted
written by Chase, Paula
Dafina
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Dramarama
written by Lockhart, E.
Hyperion
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Enter Three Witches
written by Cooney, Caroline B
Scholastic
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Ethan, Suspended
written by Ehrenberg, Pamela
Eerdmans
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Evil Genius
written by Jinks, Catherine
Harcourt
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Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature
written by Brande, Robin
Knopf
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Finch Goes Wild
written by Janet Gingold
Windstorm Creative, Blue Works Division
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Freak Show
written by St. James, James
Dutton
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Freshman Focus
written by Sarratt, Carla
Outskirts
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Friends Unlikely
written by Alvis, Susan Smith
Amira Press
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Fringe Girl in Love
written by Frankel, Valerie
NAL Trade
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Get Well Soon
written by Halpern, Julie
Feiwel & Friends
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Girl At Sea
written by Johnson, Maureen
HarperTeen
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Glass
written by Hopkins, Ellen
Margaret K. McElderry
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Graffiti Girl
written by Parra, Kelly
MTV
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grl2grl: Short Fictions
written by Peters, Julie Anne
Little, Brown
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Head Case
written by Aronson, Sarah
Roaring Brook
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Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall
written by Mass, Wendy
Little, Brown
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High Spirits
written by Salerni, Dianne
iUniverse
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Holdup
written by Fields, Terri
Roaring Brook
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How to Get Suspended and Influence People
written by Selzer, Adam
Delacorte
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How to Ruin My Teenage Life
written by Elkeles, Simone
Flux
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Hunter's Heart
written by Green, Julia
Carolrhoda Books
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In Search of Mockingbird
written by Ellsworth, Loretta
Henry Holt
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In the Name of God
written by Jolin, Paula
Roaring Brook
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Inner Circle
written by Brian, Kate
Simon Pulse
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It's Not About the Accent
written by Ferrer, Caridad
MTV
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Kiss & Blog
written by Noel, Alyson
St. Martin's
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Leaving Paradise
written by Elkeles, Simone
Flux
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Lemonade Mouth
written by Hughes, Mark Peter
Delacorte
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Lessons from a Dead Girl
written by Knowles, Jo
Candlewick
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Lion Hunter
written by Wein, Elizabeth
Viking
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Long May She Reign
written by White, Ellen Emerson
Feiwel & Friends
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Love, Stargirl
written by Spinelli, Jerry
Knopf
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Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac
written by Zevin, Gabrielle
FSG
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Mistik Lake
written by Brooks, Martha
FSG
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Naomi & Ely's No Kiss List
written by Cohn, Rachel & David Levithan
Knopf
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Nature of Jade, The
written by Caletti, Deb
Simon & Schuster
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Notes on a Near-Life Experience
written by Olivia Birdsall
Delacorte
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Off Season, The
written by Murdock, Catherine Gilbert
Houghton Mifflin
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Someday this Pain Will Be Useful to You
written by Cameron, Peter
FSG
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Or Not
written by Mandabach, Brian
Flux
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Other Half of Me, The
written by Franklin, Emily
Random House
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Outside the Box
written by Allosso, Dan
iUniverse
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Pants on Fire
written by Cabot, Meg
HarperTeen
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Parrotfish
written by Wittlinger, Ellen
Simon & Schuster
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Peak
written by Smith, Roland
Harcourt
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Poison Apples, The
written by Archer, Lily
Feiwel and Friends
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Porcupine
written by Tilly, Meg
Tundra
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Prime Choice
written by Moore, Stephanie Perry
Dafina
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Princess on the Brink
written by Cabot, Meg
HarperTeen
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Quad
written by Watson, Carrie Gordon
Razorbill
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Quaking
written by Erskine, Kathryn
Philomel
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Rat Life
written by Arnold, Tedd
Dial (Penguin)
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Red Glass
written by Resau, Laura
Random
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Red Moon at Sharpsburg
written by Wells, Rosemary
Viking
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Remembering Raquel
written by Vande Velde, Vivian
Harcourt
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Revenge of the Homecoming Queen
written by Hale, Stephanie
Berkley Trade
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Revolution is Not a Dinner Party
written by Compestine, Ying Chang
Henry Holt
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Right Behind You
written by Giles, Gail
Little, Brown
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Rubber Houses
written by Yeomans, Ellen
Little, Brown
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Saving Zoe
written by Noel, Alyson
St. Martin's Griffin
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Shark Girl
written by Bingham, Kelly
Candlewick
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Slam
written by Hornby, Nick
Putnam
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Snitch
written by van Diepen, Allison
Simon Pulse
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So Not the Drama
written by Chase, Paula
Dafina
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Something Rotten
written by Gratz, Alan
Dial
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Song of the Sparrow
written by Sandell, Lisa Ann
Scholastic
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Spell Book of Listen Taylor
written by Moriarty, Jaclyn
Arthur A. Levine
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Split Screen
written by Hartinger, Brent
HarperTeen
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Story of a Girl
written by Zarr, Sara
Little, Brown
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Strange Relations
written by Levitin, Sonia
Knopf
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Such a Pretty Girl
written by Wiess, Laura
MTV
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Tamar
written by Peet, Mal
Candlewick
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Thirteen Reasons Why
written by Asher, Jay
Razorbill
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This is What I Did
written by Ellis, Ann Dee
Little, Brown
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Tin Angel
written by Cowan, Shannon
Lobster Press
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Tips on Having a Gay (ex)Boyfriend
written by Jones, Carrie
Flux
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Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress
written by Ferraro, Tina
Delacorte
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Total Constant Order
written by Chappell, Crissa-jean
HarperTeen
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Touching Snow
written by Felin, M. Sindy
Atheneum
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Twisted
written by Anderson, Laurie Halse
Viking
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Under the Banyan Tree
written by De Palma, Toni
Holiday House
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Undercover
written by Kephart, Beth
HarperTeen
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Walking on Glass
written by Fullerton, Alma
HarperTeen
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We are SO Crashing Your Bar Mitzvah
written by Rosenbloom, Fiona
Hyperion
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Wednesday Wars, The
written by Schmidt, Gary D.
Clarion
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White Darkness, The
written by Mccaughrean, Geraldine
HarperTeen
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Wonders of the World
written by Yansky, Brian
Flux
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Zen and the Art of Faking It
written by Sonnenblick, Jordan
Scholastic
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he's superb!