Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Jones, D. W. (2001). Howl's Moving Castle (p. 336). Eos.

ISBN: 006441034X

$6.99 paperback

Reader's Annotation: Sophie upsets a witch, who turns her into an old lady, and she seeks help from a wizard to get back to her true form.

Summary: Sophie doesn't expect much excitement in her life, because she is the oldest of her siblings, and interesting things don't happen to oldest siblings. She settles into a life of hat making, while her sisters are apprenticed to more exciting careers. But it is in the hatmaker's shop that Sophie runs into a witch, who, displeased with the service, turns Sophie into an old woman. Sophie cannot tell anyone who she really is, or explain the curse. She leaves the hat shop and ends up at Howl's Moving Castle, the home of the local wizard with an unpleasant reputation. Once there, Sophie makes a deal with the fire demon, that if she will help him, he will change her back. Life at Howl's Castle is unusual, but not unpleasant, and Sophie manages to have several adventures, even though she is the oldest of her sisters.

Genre: book, adventure, coming of age, fairy tale, family, fantasy, fiction, identity, love story, magic, siblings

Series : The sequel to this book is "The Castle in the Air."

Evaluation: A classic sort of fantasy story with an unexpected ending. The middle sections of the book may prove challenging for slower readers, but the payoff at the end is worthwhile.

Why it belongs in a Tween Collection: Robin McKinley has written many fine books with strong girl characters and this is right up there with her classics. Her stories often advocate determined study to solve problems, and trial and error processes. Nobody has told Mirasol how to solve her problems, she has to try different things until she gets it right, and she has to trust her instinct. A good selection for fantasy readers. Also, like other McKinley classics, Chalice is full of animals helping the heroine. Bees and horses in this case.

Readalikes :

• Harry Potter series by JK Rowling
• The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander
  
• Spindle's End by Robin McKinley
  

Other Useful Info:

• Diana Wynne Jones' Website
  

Reviews:
From School Library Journal
Grade 6 Up Sophie Hatter reads a great deal and soon realizes that as the eldest of three daughters she is doomed to an uninteresting future. She resigns herself to making a living as a hatter and helping her younger sisters prepare to make their fortunes. But adventure seeks her out in the shop where she sits alone, dreaming over her hats. The wicked Witch of the Waste, angered by "competition" in the area, turns her into a old woman, so she seeks refuge inside the strange moving castle of the wizard Howl. Howl, advertised by his apprentice as an eater of souls, lives a mad, frantic life trying to escape the curse the witch has placed on him, find the perfect girl of his dreams and end the contract he and his fire demon have entered. Sophie, against her best instincts and at first unaware of her own powers, falls in love. So goes this intricate, humorous and puzzling tale of fantasy and adventure which should both challenge and involve readers. Jones has created an engaging set of characters and found a new use for many of the appurtenances of fairy talesseven league boots and invisible cloaks, among others. At times, the action becomes so complex that readers may have to go back to see what actually happened, and at the end so many loose ends have to be tied up at once that it's dizzying. Yet Jones' inventiveness never fails, and her conclusion is infinitely satisfying.

War, Women and the News by Catherine Gourley

Gourly, C. (2007). War, Women and the News: How Female Journalists Won the Battle to Cover World War I. (p. 198). Athenum Books for Young Readers.

ISBN: 0689877528

$21.99 hardcover

Reader's Annotation: This book describes how women journalists became war reporters and photojournalists on the front lines of World War II.

Summary: This book ends with a discussion of Christiane Amanpour, who has covered news in war zones for CNN for more than 20 years. She is following in the footsteps of women like Margaret Bourke White and Therese Bonney who struggled to be allowed to cover the news during World War II. Before the war began, women who wrote for newspapers were called "newshens" and their work was confined to the women's pages of newspapers. They wrote mostly society gossip and housekeeping tips. As the war began, however, a handful of brave women became the first female journalists to write and photograph from the front lines of battle. This book tells their stories.

Genre: nonfiction, war, career, women's history

Series : This book is not part of a series.

Evaluation: This book did a good job of describing how several women broke into the field of journalism during World War II, though it was occasionally difficult to keep track of who was who, or where in the War the story was. I still think it would be a great addition to any history lesson on WWII.

Why it belongs in a Tween Collection: The combination of photos, story, and clips from newspapers helped to keep what sometimes felt like a rather long book flowing. As an adult, I found it interesting to understand some of the backstory on photos I'd seen hundreds of times, but I'm not sure that same thrill would exist for tweens, but maybe it would. Also a good illustration for tweens about a time in history when women really had to struggle to break into a field dominated by men.

Readalikes :

• Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery by Russell Freedman
• The Road Home by Ellen Emerson White
  

Other Useful Info:

• Publisher's website
  

Reviews:
From School Library Journal
Grade 6–8—Gourley's passion is sharper than her focus in this introduction to more than a dozen writers and journalists who "refused to be left behind." After opening with a glimpse of photographer Dickey Chapelle, who convinced a reluctant colonel that the lack of women's "facilities" in a war zone would be a solvable issue, the author launches into a lengthy but incidental account of how the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression opened the door a crack for female field investigators and "sob sisters," some of whom, though dismissively transformed into "paper dolls" or "newshens," courageously followed the GIs overseas in pursuit of the story. Darting from Europe to the Pacific and back (with a stop to record Dorothea Lange's long-suppressed coverage of the displacement of Japanese Americans on the West Coast), Gourley provides an overview of major events, but only fragmentary looks at what her subjects actually experienced or wrote. There are also frequent disconnects between the narrative and accompanying pictures; some pictures are tantalizingly described but not reproduced, others are irrelevant or details of shots shown later in full, and a quote inset into a view of German soldiers marching through Warsaw specifically refers to other-than-Polish refugees. Capped by massive resource lists, this is a worthy work, but more loosely organized and less likely to intrigue readers than Penny Colman's Where the Action Was: Women War Correspondents in World War II (Crown, 2002).—John Peters, New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Angel Experiment by James Patterson

Patterson, J. (2005). The Angel Experiment (p. 432). Little, Brown Young Readers.

ISBN : 031615556X

$16.99 hardcover

Reader's Annotation: A family of genetically altered bird-humans return to the lab that created them to rescue their youngest sibling, who has been recaptured.

Summary: Fourteen year old Max, short for Maximum Ride, tries to look out for her adopted siblings, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel. They're an unusual family (if you couldn't tell by their names) or rather, flock -- they are 98% human, and 2% bird. The flying part is great, but the flock has some big problems. They escaped from "The School," the lab that created them and kept them in cages for testing for the first years of their lives. Now, the Erasers, genetically engineering werewolves, are after them. They capture Angel, the youngest. The others return to the School they've always dreaded to free her. They make new friends, and are betrayed by old friends. Then Max starts to hear a voice in her head, telling her she needs to do more than protect her flock....she needs to save the world.

Genre: fiction, sci-fi, siblings, fiction, adventure, action

Series : Maximum Ride Series

1. The Angel Experiment
2. School's Out -- Forever
3. Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports
4. The Final Warning
5. Water Wings (to be published March 2009)
   

Evaluation: An exciting tale for anyone who's ever wished they could fly, I tore through this book in a matter of hours. The book is violent, with scientific experiments being conducted on children as if they were lab rats. I would give this book out with a warning, most likely.

Why it belongs in a Tween Collection: A fast paced action story that is hugely popular with tween readers, a tween collection would not be complete without it. There is a movie in the works, and Patterson is well known for both his books for young readers and his books for adults.

Readalikes :

• Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
  
• Eva by Peter Dickinson
• Airborn by Kenneth Oppel
  

Other Useful Info:

• Maximum Ride Website
• James Patterson's Website
• IMDB Movie Page
  

Reviews:
From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up–A group of genetically enhanced kids who can fly and have other unique talents are on the run from part-human, part-wolf predators called Erasers in this exciting SF thriller that's not wholly original but is still a compelling read. Max, 14, and her adopted family–Fang and Iggy, both 13, Nudge, 11, Gazzy, 8, and Angel, 6–were all created as experiments in a lab called the School. Jeb, a sympathetic scientist, helped them escape and, since then, they've been living on their own. The Erasers have orders to kill them so the world will never find out they exist. Max's old childhood friend, Ari, now an Eraser leader, tracks them down, kidnaps Angel, and transports her back to the School to live like a lab rat again. The youngsters are forced to use their special talents to rescue her as they attempt to learn about their pasts and their destinies. The novel ends with the promise that this journey will continue in the sequel. As with Patterson's adult mystery thrillers, in-depth characterization is secondary to the fast-moving plot. The narrative alternates between Max's first-person point-of-view and that of the others in the third person, but readers don't get to know Max very well. The only major flaw is that the children sound like adults most of the time. This novel is reminiscent of David Lubar's Hidden Talents (Tor, 1999) and Ann Halam's Dr. Franklin's Island (Random, 2002).–Sharon Rawlins, Piscataway Public Library, NJ

The Redheaded Princess by Ann Rinaldi

Rinaldi, A. (2008). The Redheaded Princess: A Novel (p. 224). HarperCollins.

ISBN : 0060733748

$15.99 hardcover

Reader's Annotation: Elizabeth navigates the complex and dangerous courts of Tudor England, struggling to survive and longing to be the Queen of England.

Summary: As the daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth has grown up in the midst of the drama of Tudor England. She longs to be the Queen, but doubts she will ever get her chance. She has been in and out of the line of succession for the throne, and in and out of favor with various reigning monarchs. She needs all of her wits, and advice from good friends to not only stay alive, but to have her chance to be the Queen of England.

Genre: historical fiction, royalty

Series :not part of a series

Evaluation: This is a great story, fairly historically accurate, as best I could tell, if occasionally vague in detail. The characters and tone of the story will keep a tween reader engaged. There were a few pages of description of the relationship between Elizabeth and Thomas Seymour, where he was tickling or spanking her, that would make me a little nervous about handing this book to a young tween. I would probably mention it to a parent if they were with the tween.

Why it belongs in a Tween Collection: Historical novels can help tweens wrap their heads around their history assignments, and the royalty element will definitely capture some readers interest.

Readalikes :

• Beware, Princess Elizabeth : A Young Royals Book by Carolyn Meyer
  
• Queen's Own Fool by Jane Yolen
  

Other Useful Info:

• Ann Rinaldi bio, from Scholastic
• Biography of Elizabeth I
  

Reviews:

Courtesy of Teens Read Too, March 18, 2008

In Rinaldi's spectacular new book for young adults, she's moved beyond American history to British, and the tale of a young redheaded girl who yearned to be queen.

Despised by her father and sister, shoved aside by the nation's leaders, and motherless, young Elizabeth I grows up at her country estate where she learns from a young age the dangers of crossing paths with monarchs. She realizes that even though her sister and her brother stand between her and the Crown, she will one day be queen.

THE REDHEADED PRINCESS is her sharp, fast-paced, and beautifully wrought story of how that came to be.

Wonderfully detailed and breathtakingly accurate, this is perhaps the most engaging book that tells of Elizabeth's plights and triumphs.

Stormbreaker : the Graphic Novel by Anthony Horowitz and others

Horowitz, A. (2006). Stormbreaker: The Graphic Novel (Alex Rider) (p. 144). Philomel.

ISBN : 0399246339

$14.99 paperback

Reader's Annotation: Alex Rider attempts to avenge his murdered uncle by helping a British spy agency stop a terrorist from unleashing a deadly virus.

Summary: An adaptation of the book by the same title. Alex Rider knows something is suspicious about the car accident that killed his uncle, and only living relative. But he is surprised to discover his uncle, whom he always knew as a banker, is actually a spy for Britan's top spy agency, MI6. Even more surprising, the MI6 folks want Alex's help. He's given a bit of training, and sent in to finish the mission his uncle started. Darrius Sayle is an entrepreneur who has developed a new supercomputer, the Stormbreaker. He's offered to give one to every school in Britain, and a ceremony has been planned to commemorate the occasion, with the Prime Minister flicking the switch to activate all the computers at once. The MI6 officers think there is more to Sayle than generosity, and it's up to Alex to find out what the computer are really supposed to do.

Genre: adventure, series, action

Series : Two Alex Rider graphic novels have been published to date:

1. Stormbreaker
2. Point Blank

Evaluation: Having read this back to back with the novel, I was rather put out by the changes that were made to the story. With a bit of research, I decided the graphic novel was closer in plot to the movie version than the novel version of the story. I enjoyed the graphic novel more than the book, even with the changes.

Why it belongs in a Tween Collection: Having another version of this popular story in a tween collection would be a good idea. Tweens who have read the book might pick up the graphic novel, and reluctant readers could be drawn to the novel via the graphic novel version.

Readalikes :

• Hardy Boys graphic novels by Scott Lobdell
• Redwall graphic novels by Brian Jacques
  

Other Useful Info:

• Official Alex Rider Website
• Anthony Horowitz's Website
• Stormbreaker Website
• Movie Trailer
  

Reviews:
From Booklist
An ode to rampant commercialism, this is not exactly based on Anthony Horowitz's thrill-a-second novel about 14-year-old Alex Rider, who discovers that his deceased uncle was a superspy and that Alex himself must face an evil businessman and his multitude of gruesome killers. No, this graphic novel springs from the screenplay for the recent movie, which is based on the novel--which, itself, is a clever compilation of James Bond movies. If it's possible, this is even more rapidly paced than the novel. Alex remains an appealing hero here, and the idea of a heroic teen up against insidious adults continues to be an extremely powerful draw for readers. The female art team casts the action in exciting manga style, and the digital colors produce an anime-like sense of depth and motion. Readers who already like Alex Rider will want this; even adventure lovers unfamiliar with the books will find it difficult to resist the hyperkinetic fun, although they may feel they have sold a bit of their souls to get it. Jesse Karp
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz

Horowitz, A. (2004). Stormbreaker (p. 256). Puffin.

ISBN : 014240165X

$17.99 hardback

Reader's Annotation: Alex Rider attempts to avenge his murdered uncle by helping a British spy agency stop a terrorist from unleashing a deadly virus.

Summary: Alex Rider knows something is suspicious about the car accident that killed his uncle, and only living relative. But he is surprised to discover his uncle, whom he always knew as a banker, is actually a spy for Britan's top spy agency, MI6. Even more surprising, the MI6 folks want Alex's help. He's given a bit of training, and sent in to finish the mission his uncle started. Herod Sayle is an entrepreneur who has developed a new supercomputer, the Stormbreaker. He's offered to give one to every school in Britain, and a ceremony has been planned to commemorate the occasion, with the Prime Minister flicking the switch to activate all the computers at once. The MI6 officers think there is more to Sayle than generosity, and it's up to Alex to find out what the computer are really supposed to do.

Genre: adventure, series, action

Series : Seven Alex Rider novels have been published to date:

1. Stormbreaker
2. Point Blank
3. Skeleton Key
4. Eagle Strike
5. Scorpia
6. Arkangel
7. Snakehead
   

Evaluation: This was certainly a non-stop action sort of book. While it's not exactly my favorite sort of book, I would certainly have no trouble recommending it to readers in search of action adventure stories.

Why it belongs in a Tween Collection: This would be a great pick for a reluctant reader who craves action stories. There is no extraneous descriptions, the writing is tight and focused. Alex is a great hero, well trained and rarely complaining, smart and strong. Additionally, there are six more books to read after this one, plus graphic novel adapations and a movie tie in. With all the slick publicity surrounding these books, a tween collection without them would be unthinkable.

Readalikes :

• Young James Bond books (Silverfin, etc) by Charlie Higson
• Maxium Ride series by James Patterson
• Among the Hidden series by Margaret Peterson Haddix
  

Other Useful Info:

• Official Alex Rider Website
• Anthony Horowitz's Website
• Stormbreaker Website
• Movie Trailer
  

Reviews:

From School Library Journal

Gr 5-9-Alex Rider's world is turned upside down when he discovers that his uncle and guardian has been murdered. The 14-year-old makes one discovery after another until he is sucked into his uncle's undercover world. The Special Operations Division of M16, his uncle's real employer, blackmails the teen into serving England. After two short weeks of training, Alex is equipped with several special toys like a Game Boy with unique cartridges that allow it to scan, fax, and emit smoke bombs. Alex's mission is to complete his uncle's last assignment, to discover the secret that Herod Sayle is hiding behind his generous donation of one of his supercomputers to every school in the country. When Alex enters Sayle's compound in Port Tallon, he discovers a strange world of secrets and villains including Mr. Grin, an ex-circus knife catcher, and Yassen Gregorovich, professional hit man. The novel provides bang after bang as Alex experiences and survives unbelievably dangerous episodes and eventually crashes through the roof of the Science Museum to save the day. Alex is a strong, smart hero. If readers consider luck the ruling factor in his universe, they will love this James Bond-style adventure. With short cliff-hanger chapters and its breathless pace, it is an excellent choice for reluctant readers. Warning: Suspend reality.

Lynn Bryant, formerly at Navarre High School, FL

Mister Monday by Garth Nix

Nix, G. (2003). The Keys to the Kingdom, Book 1: Mister Monday (p. 368). Scholastic Paperbacks.

ISBN : 0439551234

$16.45 school and library binding

Reader's Annotation: Arthur Penhaligon discovers a key shaped like the minute hand of a clock. Mister Monday wants his key back, and Arthur's adventure begins.

Summary: Arthur Penhaligon is an unlikely, asthmatic hero. He was destined to die, until a small key, shaped like the minute hand of a clock, saves his life. The key was delivered by a stranger, Mister Monday, from another dimension, along with a plague that threatens to destroy the world Arthur knows. He takes the key into a house that only he can see, in an attempt to save everything he knows. This key is only the first of seven, and Arthur's adventures have only just begun.

Genre: fantasy

Series : First of seven books in the "Keys to the Kingdom" series.

1. Mister Monday
2. Grim Tuesday
3. Drowned Wednesday
4. Sir Thursday
5. Lady Friday
6. Superior Saturday
7. Lord Sunday (not yet released)

Evaluation: I had been meaning to read this one for a while, given how popular they are with older readers in the Kids Room at my library. The cover art and clever titles have also appealed to me. I found the story very compelling at the start, I had a hard time tearing myself away from the book. As it went on though, my interest waned a little, and I found myself ready to get to the end. I'd read Tuesday, though, for certain.

Why it belongs in a Tween Collection: Readers finished with Harry Potter and looking for their next fantasy series would enjoy these books. The world is fully realized, the characters are approachable (boys and girls are friends, so far no romance) and while the violence is fairly tame, the overall timbre of the book is slightly dark, which makes it feel unlike a children's story. The plot and vocabulary are rich and varied, but not prohibitive. Additionally, the hero is asthmatic, which is an unusual character trait, and could possibly be inspiring to a reader with the same condition.

Readalikes :

• The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster and Jules Feiffer (for younger tweens)
• Harry Potter series by JK Rowling
• The Wrinkle in Time books by Madeline L'Engle
• The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula LeGuin

Other Useful Info:

• Wikipedia entry for Keys to the Kingdom series (good for sorting out who ruled what house, what their deadly sin was, etc.)
• Scholastic's Keys to the Kingdom website
• Author's website

Reviews:
From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-Arthur Penhaligon's school year is not off to a good start. On his first day, he suffers an asthma attack while running cross country and dreams that a mysterious figure hands him a key shaped like the minute hand of a clock. However, when he wakes up, he still has the key. That's when strange things begin to happen. Mister Monday dispatches terrifying, dog-faced Fetchers to retrieve it, a bizarre sleeping illness sweeps the city, and only Arthur can see the weird new house that appears in his neighborhood. The seventh grader knows it all has something to do with the key, one of seven elusive fragments of the Will to which he has become heir apparent, and a mysterious atlas. When he ventures inside the house, he meets more strange characters than he could have imagined, none of whom are what they seem. And, of course, he must battle Monday, who will do anything to get the key back. With the help of the key, Arthur must fight his way out. The first in a seven part series for middle graders is every bit as exciting and suspenseful as the author's previous young adult novels. Readers will eagerly anticipate the sequels.
Ginny Collier, Dekalb County Public Library, Chamblee, GA