Reading Roundup: December 2010

By the Numbers
Teen: 19
Tween: 8
Children: 14

Sources
Review Copies: 4
Swapped: 3
Purchased: 2
Library: 25

Standouts
Teen: The Miles Between by Mary Pearson
All Destiny wants for her birthday is one perfect day, where the world is fair. How she gets it, in a tangle of coincidence that add up to something much greater, is the impetus for this thoughtful and surprising novel.
Tween: Remember Little Rock: the time, the people, the stories by Robert Paul Walker
At its heart, this book is about nine kids who wanted to go to school. Walker does a bang-up job of exploring this simple desire and at the same time the boiling stew of racism, fear, and courage that surrounded school integration in Little Rock, Arkansas. Extra kudos for looking at what happened throughout the following school year and making it clear that the opening of the school doors was not the end of the struggle.
Children: Max Quigley, Technically Not a Bully by James Roy
Talk about actions being louder than words. While Max Quigley steadfastly refutes any charges of bullying and constantly denigrates the nerdy Triffin Nordstrom, his actions trace the changes in his character. Often compared to Diary of a Wimpy Kid, I like this book better. Throw tomatoes if you must.

Because I Want To Awards
Most Literary Book to Pass My 50-Page Test: Adios, Nirvana by Conrad Wesselhoeft (in fact, I loved it. If I'm able to pin down exactly how and why, you might actually get a review out of me for this one.)
Worthiest Sequel: TIE Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson and It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han
Tailor-Made for Science Geeks of All Ages: Cars on Mars: roving the red planet by Alexandra Siy
Best Bud Ever: my friend Nyssa for hooking me up with an ARC of Huntress by Malinda Lo. Mini-review: better than Ash, and I LOVED Ash.

Reading Roundup: November 2010

By the Numbers
Teen: 20
Tween: 5
Children: 4

Sources
Review Copies: 6
Library: 20

Standouts
Teen: Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Think you know what a teen paranormal book is going to be all about? Think again. Barnes upends conventions all over this tale of a girl literally raised by wolves. Best of all? There's a window open for a sequel, but not a great gaping garage door.
Tween: Julia Gillian and the Quest for Joy by Alison McGhee
McGhee doesn't disappoint in her follow-up to the quietly marvelous Julia Gillian and the Art of Knowing. Serious, sensitive Julia Gillian feels her way through the early tween years the same way we all did--by making mistakes and learning from them.
Children: Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Floca
Want to feel the magic and wonder of the first moon landing for yourself? This book will probably the closest you can get to actually being there.

Because I Want To Awards
Will Make Your Brain Hurt: The Long Wait for Tomorrow by Joaquin Dorfman
More Than I Expected: Chasing Boys by Karen Tayleur
Worth the Wait: Tales From Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan