The Adventures of Blue Avenger: A Novel by Norma Howe

Scientists say that in human males, a single seminal emission contains something in the neighborhood of 300 million spermatozoa.

On his birthday, sixteen year old David Bruce Schumacher decides to change his name to Blue Avenger. Blue Avenger stands up for the little guy, fights injustice and does everything David didn't do including boldly pursuing Omaha Nebraska Brown. Throughout the book, free will versus determinism is discussed in a clever, humorous way.

I enjoyed this book very much, falling in love with Blue Avenger's heart. The author was able to wind the free will and determinism discussion within the story so it didn't feel like a dry philosophical discussion.

Howe, N. (1999). The adventures of blue avenger: A novel. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company.
ISBN: 0805060626

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

That fool of a fairy Lucinda did not intend to lay a curse on me.

And so begins this retelling of the tale of Cinderella. Ella was blessed at birth by a fairy with the gift of obedience - imagine having to obey everyone! Ella does what she can to rebel and delay following orders but in the end she must. After her mother passes away, her father remarries the evil stepmother and terrible stepsisters we are all familiar. Ella does not sit by passively accepting her fate. She searches for the fairy to end her curse, torments her stepsisters right back and falls in love with her prince. Like all good fairy tales, it is only when Ella realizes her own strength found within that everything ends happily ever after. The glass slippers, pumpkin coach and fairy godmother are all found here just as in the original Cinderella. Ella and the prince first become friends and then fall in love. A nice change of pace over the 'their eyes meet, fall in love and live happily ever after' love story.

I thought the author did a great job demonstrating Ella as a strong, feisty girl.

Levine, G. C. (1997). Ella enchanted. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers.
ISBN:0060275103

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

The morning after noted child prodigy Colin Singleton graduated from high school and got dumped for the nineteenth time by a girl named Katherine, he took a bath.

After begin dumped yet again by a Katherine, Colin's best friend, Hassan, insists on a road trip to cure Colin's broken heart. They land in Gutshot and are convinced to stay by a cast of locals. While there, Colin attempts to prove a theorem of relationships.

The author created interesting characters that I could relate to and the dialogue had a natural rhythm. Footnotes are found throughout the book offering further explanation to the conversation. I was not distracted by this structure.

Green, J. (2006). An abundance of katherines. New York, NY: Penguin Group.
ISBN: 9780142412022
256 pages

The World According to Dog: Poems and Teen Voices by Joyce Sidman

I dream of deep-sea fishing: awake to find dog breathing in my face.

A collection of poetry by Joyce Sidman along with dog essays written by teens. Photos accompany the poems and essays and the author includes a page of dog terms.

I am a dog person so this was a hit with me! The poems and essays captured the dog's spirit. I burst out laughing numerous times. Poems were haiku and free verse. I didn't remember how to write a haiku until I saw the three lines on a page and fifth grade poetry came flooding back. Definitely a great gift for dog lovers. It would be a good book to introduce poetry to reluctant poetry readers, like myself.

Sidman, J. (2003). The world according to dog: Poems and teen voices. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.
ISBN: 0618174974
80 pages
Photographs by Doug Mindell

Nineteen Varieties of Gazelle by Naomi Shibab Nye

Three hours after the buildings feel, he took a seat beside me.

A collection of poems about being an Arab American, the Middle East and family. The collection was inspired by the events of September 11, 2001.

I am the least qualified person to talk about poetry. I have spent very little time reading any poetry except Robert Frost. And I only read his works because he was assigned as "my poet" in fifth grade to report on. I admire poets because they are deliberate in choosing words and evoke visions and emotions with these few words. I have been inspired while working on this contract to read more poetry. I

I enjoyed these poems and will purchase the book to read them over again. I believe this book would be appropriate for all ages.

Nye, N. S. (2002). Nineteen varieties of gazelle. New York, NY: Green Willow Books.
ISBN: 0060097655
160 pages

Avalon High by Meg Cabot

"You are so lucky."

Ellie is forced to live in Annapolis MD her junior year while her medieval scholar parents are on sabbatical. She starts at Avalon High and meets Will. Soon, she starts to notice similarities to her friends at Avalon and the legend of King Arthur.

Cabot, M. (2006). Avalon high. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN: 0060755865
288 pages

Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louis Rennison

Dad had Uncle Eddie around, so naturally they had to come and see what I was up to.

The journal of a year in the life of a fourteen year old British girl describing her quest for the love of Peter, a smaller nose and her controlling her wildcat, Angus.

I didn't like this book because it read like a younger version of Bridget Jones. I guess if someone had not read or watched Bridget Jones it might sound original and interesting.

Rennison, L. (2003). Angus, thongs and full frontal snogging: Confessions of georgia nicolson. New York, NY: Avon Books.
ISBN: 0060521848
234 pages

Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas

Though I tried to clear my head of the effects of the fat, resiny doobie I'd polished off an hour before, things were still fuzzy as I stumbled into senior counselor Jeff DeMouy's office.

Slacker senior, Steve York, is short one credit for graduation. His guidance counselor challenges him to write 100 pages to make up that credit. Steve writes of his relationship with his father and the girl who broke his heart his junior year and comes to terms with his pain.

A funny story about a boy's search for identity. I recognized boys from my high school in this story.

Thomas, R. (1996). Rats saw god. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers.
ISBN: 0689802072
219 pages

LIfe in the Fat Lane by Cherie Bennett

"Which would you rather be, fat or dead?"

Sixteen year old Lara has it all - thin, popular, smart, perfect family, perfect boyfriend, pageant winner and now Homecoming Queen. Her world is turned upside down when she mysteriously begins to gain weight, almost 100 pounds over her junior year and suddenly life is not as perfect.

I enjoyed this book. My only criticism is I felt the easy road was taken by giving Lara a made up disease to explain weight gain. Otherwise her struggle to lose weight, deal with the gossip and family situation were depicted honestly. I liked that Lara did not lose the weight and live happily ever after but instead found self acceptance and value in her life and relationships. She became a real person.

Bennett, C. (1998). Life in the fat lane. New York, NY: Laurel-Leaf Books.
ISBN: 0440220297
260 pages

Forever by Judy Blume

Sybil Davison has a genius I.Q. and has been laid by at least six different guys.

Seniors in high school, Katherine and Michael, have fallen in love and imagine it will be forever. They begin a sexual relationship and soon college plans and summer jobs test the strength of their relationships.

The author captured the intensity of first love completely. The feelings, conversations and events leading up to beginning a sexual relationships were familiar and accurate. I know this book is challenged frequently but I wouldn't object to a young adult reading the story. It doesn't glorify sex or hide the change in relationship that happens when sex enters the picture. It is a realistic depiction and young adults need to see realism.

Blume, J. (1976). Forever. New York, NY: Pocket Books.
ISBN: 0671695304
220 pages

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

My name is Elizabeth but no one's ever called me that.

To escape from her father, stepmother and new step sister, Daisy goes to England to stay with her aunt and cousins. War breaks out leaving Daisy and her cousins to fend for themselves. Soon, soldiers split up the cousins by gender but not before Edmond and Daisy fall in love.

Rosoff, M. (2004). How i live now. New York, NY: Wendy Lamb Books.
ISBN: 0385746776
194 pages

Twilight: A Novel by Stephanie Meyer

I'd never given much thought to how I would die - though I'd had reason enough in the last few months - but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this.

Seventeen year old Bella moves to Washington and falls in love with her lab partner, Edward, a mysterious boy who turns out to be a vampire. Their courtship is interrupted when a "hunter" vampire goes after Bella and Edward and his family fight back.

I read numerous reviews prior which concluded the book was poorly written and dragged in places. With that in mind, I began reading the book. I would agree the writing is not as good as Chris Crutcher's novels. However, I found the story so compelling that I completely forgot about the writing, slow pacing, etc. I read it in one cold afternoon and closed the book wanting to read more. The author has captured that undefinable characteristic of a best seller.

Meyer, S. (2008). Twilight: A novel. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.
ISBN: 0316038377
498 pages

The First Part Last by Angela Johnson

My mom says that I didn't sleep through the night until I was eight years old.

Bobby becomes a teenage father and events lead to his full custody of his daughter. The story flashes back between Bobby's life before the birth and after. It is a realistic account of what it is like to be the sole parent at age 16 of an infant.

Excellent book. It is short but effective in getting the point across - having a baby at age 16 is hard!

Johnson, A. (2003). The first part last. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Adults.
ISBN: 0689849222
131 pages

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher

My dad left when I still had a month to go in the darkroom, and historically when people have tried to figure me out (as in, "What went wrong?"), they usually conclude that Mom spoiled me; gave me everything I wanted because I had no pappy.

Eric and Sarah were close friends growing up uniting in their differences but as Eric began to change, the friends grow apart. However, when Sarah needs him, Eric fights for her proving their friendship is as strong as ever. Strong opinions on God, abortion, organized religion, and suicide are weaved into the story. Friendship, love, self-acceptance and abuse are themes found in this story.

I love this book! The characters, situations and dialogue are drawn from real life. I will read more of Chris Crutcher's books.

Crutcher, C. (1993). Staying fat for sarah byrnes. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books.
ISBN: 0668115527
216 pages

Little Women or Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy by Louisa May Alcott

The unforgettable story of the four March sisters and their lives during the Civil War. We see these sisters mature and find love and heartbreak over the course of the book.

I have been rereading this book every few years since I was in fourth grade. The March sisters are like old friends. I read it this time in comparison t0 all the other books I have been reading in this "childrens" portion of my contract. I think the story would be difficult for some readers to sit through. It is slower paced and very descriptive. Depending on the mood a child was in, it might not be a hit.

Alcott, L.M. (no date). Little women. Garden City, NY: International Collectors Library.
No ISBN