Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets.

Hate List along with Thirteen Reasons Why may be one of the best young adult books I have this semester. There is so much heartfelt emotion and revelation within this book and I found that amazing. Valerie is learning to recover after a school shooting that was done by her own boyfriend. She has to come to terms with how the school and community feels about her as well as her parents. The author does a wonderful job showing how Nick (the shooter) has a good side even when everyone else only saw him as the bad guy. She has a good relationship with her therapist who is largely responsible for helping her get through her senior year. She realizes that she does not particularly belong in this community but she figures out what she can do with her life once she is done with school. I didn't want to put the book down especially when I was given flashbacks on the actual day of the shooting and snippets of good days Valerie had with Nick. This novel is definitely not appropriate for the younger audience but I believe that anybody 12 and up can handle this storyline. While the shooting was set in a high school, there have been school shootings in middle school so I feel that it is acceptable to anybody in middle school or higher.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker--his classmate and crush--who committed suicide two weeks earlier.
On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

I want to start out this review by saying the age level for this book is teetering between 12 and up as well as 14 and up. I think the best that I can say about it is that it deals with some heavy emotions and subjects that basically an accelerated reader could handle. I would compromise and say 13 and up since some of the storyline is about how girl in question starts out high school and continues on from there. The subject of suicide is never a light subject to anybody so this book may not be for everybody but I think it really tells a message. If you pay attention more to someone and lend your heart and hand...you may be able to save them. Unfortunately, this is not the case in the book because Clay is listening to the tapes that she created and she has been dead for a couple of weeks by this point. I haven't been touched by a book in awhile and this book really toyed with my emotions. I have to say that I was feeling what Clay felt while he was listening to certain tapes and I couldn't believe some of the events that happened to Hannah. Though there were a few times where I felt that she was really good at harboring a grudge and not good at letting go of it. This book was so incredibly frustrating for me as well as Clay because there was absolutely NOTHING you could do to change the ending. Hannah is gone. You're aware of this in the beginning and yet you think something different will happen throughout some of the stories. There was one point where Clay started screaming and I wanted to do the same thing. This book is definitely not a book for younger kids and you have to be in the right mindset for it as well but I would recommend it to the older tweens if not the teens.

Sleepover directed by Joe Nussbaum

In the summer before their freshman year in high school, Julie has a slumber party with her best friends: Hannah, Nancy and Farrah. As a trio, they end up having the adventure of their lives. In an attempt to cast off their 'less-than-cool' reputations once and for all, Julie and her friends enter into an all-night scavenger hunt against their popular girl rivals. Hijacking dad's car, sneaking into clubs, evading Julie's mother, and even a first kiss--anything is possible at Julie's sleepover.

I found myself watching this movie on spring break (and only now just reviewing it) while I was bored. The movie did generally remind me of a girly tween Ferris Bueller's Day Off with the group of girls ending up in different places all over town. Julie is the main character who has a crush on a boy but doesn't have the guts to act on her feelings. The movie plays out like most tweeny bopper romance movies do where the main character goes through a transformation and finds a way to either talk to the crush or impress the crush. There are some amusing points of this movie but I felt it was a bit too bubblegum for me. I know there must be some smart tween movies like there were in the 80s with The Breakfast Club and 16 Candles. I felt that the director focused mainly on the unbelievable in order to get the most amount of laughs. The movie staved off my boredom for the most part but I would have changed the channel if a better movie had come on TV. I would give the movie a 2.5 stars out of 5. It was not a completely ridiculous movie but it was not something that would stand out above others.

Into the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst

Something strange is trying to grow under 12-year-old Julie's bed. Her mother, Rapunzel, wants to keep it hidden, but The Wild is determined to escape and when it does, it turns Julie's town into a fairy tale on steroids. Rapunzel's been trying to lead a normal life, but now all the plots and patterns of the old stories threaten to ensnare everyone within reach, former fairy-tale characters and denizens of the modern suburbs, alike. Julie has to do some sleuthing, some quick thinking, and learn to negotiate her way past expected, stereotypical folkloric responses in order to break The Wild's hold on reality.

I was recommended this book by a fellow librarian who liked to read young adult books amongst other books. Now, I am always recommending this book to the younger teen audience who likes to read fantasy books. This book was well done in the aspect of mixing fairy tale with the real life. It is like what happens after the happily ever after that makes you think about how the characters really like their own tale. I am a bit fan of fantasy so I really liked the picture that this book painted. The main character is generally annoyed in the beginning for having to keep an eye on the fairy tale land but when things go terribly awry, she must figure out how to take part in the fairy tale world and yet avoid becoming stuck in an endless loop of her own fairy tale. While I believe younger boys may enjoy this book, it geared more towards the tween girls and that is who I generally recommend the book to whenever asked.

Firegirl by Tony Abbott

Tom Bender's seventh grade class has a new student named Jessica Fenney. While anyone would be curious about a new student, Jessica's burned appearance is anything but ordinary, and speculation flies as to why she's here and what happened. Tom, who is experiencing difficulties with his only friend Jeff, finds himself interacting with Jessica more than anyone else. Does that make them friends, or will the rumors ruin any chance at friendship?


I want to start this review right off by saying I would highly recommend this book to ANY and all middle schoolers because it is a beautiful book. It may be a shorter read but it is a book that requires the reader to really open up and imagine how their life can be changed by one person. Tom Bender has cars on his mind until Jessica comes into his classroom. She has been severely burned by an automobile accident and all the kids look at her like she is a monster. Tom feels horrible every time his friend Jeff makes fun of her and calls her ugly. I love that Tom doesn't become part of the crowd and just see Jessica as this ugly creature but somebody who has suffered greatly and needs a friend. He is very hesitant in the beginning because it can be hard to react to a tragedy like this. He feels guilty for what has happened to her even if it is not his own fault. He opens himself up and really sees what is going on instead of many of his classmates. Tom himself may not be the most popular kid in the class but by the end of the book, his actions are acknowledged which makes it the best part of the book. This is a very touching and heartfelt story that I would love anybody to read who is willing.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Meet the kid who made "wimpy" cool, in a family comedy motion picture based on the best-selling illustrated novel Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney, the first in a series that has thus far sold... Meet the kid who made "wimpy" cool, in a family comedy motion picture based on the best-selling illustrated novel Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney, the first in a series that has thus far sold 28 million books. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID chronicles the adventures of wisecracking pre-teen Greg Heffley, who must somehow survive the scariest time of anyone's life....middle school.

I finally got the chance to see Diary of A Wimpy Kid and went in not having read any of the books. I checked out the audience and noticed that they were all tween boys so I knew the target audience. I was fully prepared for a movie that leaned more towards jokes that boys like and I was not disappointed. Both my friend and I enjoyed the movie but I was slightly uncomfortable/grossed out by some of the boy jokes. I know I've become a full adult when I think a joke is gross instead of just funny. Boogers and moldy cheese aside, I thought the movie did a pretty good job relating to starting out middle school. The main character was trying to fit in and become popular during his first year in middle school and it felt like I was reliving my own life. I don't even really feel the need to recommend it to the tween audience as I saw plenty of them in the theater. I can definitely say that it is geared more towards the boys than the girls and I think that's a good idea since so many movies these days are geared towards girls.

How to Train Your Dragon

A hapless young Viking who aspires to hunt dragons becomes the unlikely owner of a young dragon himself, and learns there may be more to the creatures than he assumed.

I realize that this movie is based of a book but I've never actually heard of the book. I decided to take my friend along to see this movie and I sized up the audience when we arrived. It basically all consisted of the younger audience it was intended for but I did not feel that out of place. I also happened to see it in 3D even though I tend to avoid 3D movies due to the headaches that I get. Thankfully the 3D effects only slightly bugged and most of the effects were seamless throughout the movie. My friend and I both thoroughly enjoyed the movie and felt that it was perfect for both the younger and older audience. I was mostly engrossed in the music oddly enough which made me became all that more attached to the movie. Hiccup, the young viking, was well developed and I absolutely loved the dragon, Toothless. I may not be able to say how faithful the movie was compared to the book but I would recommend it to anybody that asks.

Waiting for You by Susan Colasanti

At the beginning of her sophomore year, Marisa is ready for a fresh start and, more importantly, a boyfriend. So when the handsome and popular Derek asks her out, Marisa thinks her long wait for happiness is over. But several bumps in the road—including her parents’ unexpected separation, a fight with her best friend, and a shocking disappointment in her relationship with Derek—test Marisa’s ability to maintain her new outlook. Only the anonymous DJ, whose underground podcasts have the school’s ear, seems to understand what Marisa is going through. But she has no idea who he is—or does she?

Waiting For You is one of those typical teen romance books where girl likes boy while another boy likes her and gets the boy while the other boy looks on. There are a few twists throughout the book that were nice and a bit of an homage to Pump Up the Volume. It was generally a light read because the most revelating that happens to Marisa is that she realizes the boy she likes is a jerk and the boy that likes her is the one for her. Marisa does have to go through a parental divorce over the course of the school year which some teenagers can relate to in real life. Marisa thought her parents were the perfect couple but found out to be mistaken. This book is no award winner but it is an entertaining book for the girls who may find themselves in the same situation.

Rules by Cynthia Lord

Twelve-year-old Catherine has conflicting feelings about her younger brother, David, who is autistic. While she loves him, she is also embarrassed by his behavior and feels neglected by their parents. In an effort to keep life on an even keel, Catherine creates rules for him (It's okay to hug Mom but not the clerk at the video store). Each chapter title is also a rule, and lots more are interspersed throughout the book. When Kristi moves in next door, Catherine hopes that the girl will become a friend, but is anxious about her reaction to David. Then Catherine meets and befriends Jason, a nonverbal paraplegic who uses a book of pictures to communicate, she begins to understand that normal is difficult, and perhaps unnecessary, to define. Rules of behavior are less important than acceptance of others. Catherine is an endearing narrator who tells her story with both humor and heartbreak. Her love for her brother is as real as are her frustrations with him.

I think I went generally overboard on trying to find more books to read because I have over 20 books lying by my bedside waiting to be read. Rules was one of the first books I checked out among this big stack and finally got around to it during the break. I have to say that I was really impressed with this book in general with how it related to well to that of a frustrated twelve year old. I loved the relationship between Catherine and her autistic brother and how she took control of him. It is hard to deal with a differently abled sibling and the author really puts that all into perspective. While it may be hard to to deal with her brother David on a regular basis, she still feels the need to take care of him and love him. I also love how the author creates the relationship between Jason, another disabled kid, and Catherine. She is still a normal 12 year old but everything around her is different and complicated. This book is well written and deserves the Schneider Family Book Award that it received.