DBRLTeen

• Rated 5 stars

“So many authors are writing seriously good books for teens/young adults these days, and many of these books are great reading for both teens and adults! High school student Marcelo has Asperger’s Syndrome. People notice that he has trouble communicating the way others do, and also has intense interests and knowledge in some particular areas. His father wants him to be “normal”, and is pressuring Marcelo to leave the private school where he’s happy, to attend a large public high school where he can learn to act like others do.

Marcelo is constantly confronted by those who think he lacks intelligence because of his condition and the way in which he speaks, who think he can’t learn, or can’t understand what’s going on. Marcelo proves them wrong! Marcelo has to confront his father in the process, but he stays true to himself and his ethics and grows in the process.

So DBRLTeen recommends Marcelo in the Real World, by Francisco X. Stork, because by seeing what is ugly inside of ourselves, we can learn, like Marcelo, to “forgive, love kindness, walk humbly.”

Check out the author’s website at http://www.franciscostork.com”

DBRLTeen wrote this review Friday, April 24 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“San is a new eighth-grader at school, and not particularly happy to be there. He has a somewhat cynical yet humorous way of looking at things, as we see on page 2:

So. Eighth grade. Second semester. New state. Math was math - algebra, of course. They always stick the Asian kid in the algebra class. Science was science. Fortunately I know how to roll a stupid little metal car down a ramp and use a stopwatch, so no problemo there. In English, all I could figure out the first day was that the teacher was nuts - so again, same stuff, different time zone. Gym, lunch - I honed my skills at standing and sitting in the corner. I also continued my long-standing tradition of eating nothing but pasta and fruit in the cafeteria - I’d never been to a public school that knew how to cook actual meat. Oh, I almost forgot home economics. Brownies. Made with applesauce. No wonder America’s kids have lost their way.

Great writing, even though your English teacher may object to all the incomplete sentences! But the author creates a really interesting character that you feel you know right away. Unfortunately San falls victim to the greatest enemy 8th-grade boys face: their inability to successfully relate to 8th-grade girls. We all try to make ourselves look a little better than we are when we’re trying to impress someone, but San carries it to extremes, creating a whole new persona for himself as a Zen master to impress a girl. Unfortunately San is NOT a zen master, so many hours in the library (Yea!) researching the subject is required. (Please do not follow San’s example by lying to a librarian in order to use the library computers!) Lots of library humour, school humour, and zen humour, too.

So DBRLTeen recommends Zen and the Art of Faking It, by Jordan Sonnenblick. You’ll learn a lot about zen. More important, you’ll have a chance to think about the consequences of lying about yourself to impress others.

Visit the author’s website at http://www.jordansonnenblick.com/”

DBRLTeen wrote this review Friday, April 24 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

““All I can tell you is that you better live each day like it was your last, because you never know. Take a lesson from me, one minute I’m picking figs, the next minute I’m dead.”

Teens always want to be famous. Now don’t try to deny it! Mrs. D. knows you all hope to be famous performers or sports stars or writers or scientists or celebrities of every sort and description - it’s in your blood and you can’t help it. It’s human nature to want recognition from others, and the more the better!

But what if you never become famous? Aren’t there enough silly celebrities running around making fools of themselves in public? What if you just live an ordinary life? Is such a life even worth bothering with?

That’s why Mrs. D. recommends Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven, by Fannie Flagg. Elner Shimfissle, an elderly woman known only by her friends and family, is the center of this story (even though she is dead for much of it!), and if you thought it wouldn’t be fun to be old, think again! Elner is the kind of person we all like to be around - friendly, funny, and still curious about life. Although this book wasn’t written for teens, Mrs. D. thinks its a great way for teens to experience how wonderful life is, even when you’re old, and not famous at all.

The problem is if you spend all your time dreaming about being famous in your future, you’re missing your present. Are you living right today?”

DBRLTeen wrote this review Friday, March 27 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“The difficult thing about making a family work is deciding who gets what they want - the parents or the children? 15-year-old Ben is settled into his own life and looking forward to getting a car when he turns 16, but as so often happens in young adult novels his mother has recently and unexpectedly died. When catastrophes happen in life the young expect adults to know how to cope, but as Mrs. D. is sure you know adults are really just people like you and often can’t cope any better than you can. Ben’s father is devastated by his wife’s death, and hatches the scheme of selling the house and taking Ben and his brothers (Dylan, 11, and Gerry, 5) on a year-long sailing trip through the Bahamas. Perhaps this will help him forget and move on. All three boys hate the idea, but as you probably also know parents sometimes just won’t listen.

To make matters worse (this is a young adult novel as Mrs. D. mentioned before so matters always get worse) their father suddenly disappears (yes, disappears, it’s quite surprising) from their yacht in the middle of the Carribean, leaving Ben and his brothers to face life-threatening situations on their own. You’ll learn the things that can go wrong on a sailboat from this book, and goodness knows there are a lot of them! Ask Mrs. D. to tell you sometime about when she was caught in a monsoon off the Seychelles in her 30-foot ketch - she hasn’t been quite as fond of mizzenmasts since!

Ben finds himself facing great danger because of the selfish decisions of his father. How can Ben ever forgive him? Mrs. D. recommends The Great Wide Sea, by M. H. Herlong, because we all need to learn how to forgive.

Check out the author’s website at www.thegreatwidesea.com!”

DBRLTeen wrote this review Thursday, February 19 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

““A rousing tale of techno-geek rebellion.” That’s what it says on the cover, and goodness knows Mrs. D. is no techno-geek, but she did enjoy this book. Teens who follow the news may be aware there are some who feel our country went too far in violating civil liberties after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and that’s the theme of this novel. Terrorists have struck in San Francisco this time, and the response by the Department of Homeland Security is draconian (look it up). A teen hacker named Marcus and his friends seem to be the only ones willing to challenge them. Now some people think hackers are the bad guys, always breaking into computer systems, stealing identities and credit card numbers and military secrets, but actually hackers are just people who enjoy solving problems involving technology.

An interesting sub-plot is how Marcus has to defy not only the authorities, who are trying to find and arrest him, but his own father, who believes the government’s response is appropriate. Teens often find themselves opposing their parents’ views. Mrs. D. remembers heated discussions with dear Papa about the League of Nations…

Cory Doctorow has written a well-researched novel - his descriptions of how to create xbox networks, encrypt communications, and disrupt security devices are accurate and Mrs. D. fears some of our teen readers may want to try some of his tricks - not at the library, please! Find out more about Cory Doctorow on his website at craphound.com.

So Mrs. D. recommends Little Brother, by Cory Doctorow, because although technology can be used to oppress us, it can also be used to set us free.”

DBRLTeen wrote this review Monday, February 2 2009. ( reply | permalink )

0 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 5 stars

“Such a lovely little book! Mrs. D. is so grateful that every once in awhile a fine writer will attempt to make us think about important things and give us a chance to learn some wisdom rather than merely entertaining us! This book is written in a style called magical realism, like dear Gabriel García Márquez’ “One Hundred Years of Solitude”, which you’ve surely read, or will some day. Wikipedia defines magical realism as “an artistic genre in which magical elements or illogical scenarios appear in an otherwise realistic or even “normal” setting” (at least, this is how Wikipedia defines it today: tomorrow, who knows?). Who is the boy who unexpectedly comes to visit Matilda in her old age, prompting her to tell him her life’s story? Is he even real, or imaginary? And who, after all, was Feather, the young man Matilda fell in love with after seeing him talking to, of all things, a pelican! These questions are essential to understanding the book, yet they are not answered, as essential questions often remain unanswered in life.

So many celebrities, politicians, and advertisers make a mountain of money and a boatload of fame by telling us what we want to hear, instead of the truth, which we usually don’t want to hear. (You can be the next American Idol! Your dreadful little voice and lack of training and practice will be no obstacle if you only believe in yourself!) The truth is we’re only mortal after all, not gods, we can’t create the perfect world for ourselves. We can’t have everything (or everyone) we want. That’s the wisdom this book is trying to make us think about.

So Mrs. D. recommends “The Ghost’s Child”, by Sonya Hartnett, because we all need to build our lives on a foundation of truth, not delusions.”

DBRLTeen wrote this review Wednesday, January 21 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“Danny doesn’t fit in. His mother is white and his father Mexican. His father left his mother and moved back to Mexico. Danny is spending the summer with his father’s family in San Diego, but he doesn’t know Spanish, and they see him as white. They live in a poverty-stricken part of the city where violence and crime are frequent occurrences. During the school year he attends a private school where everyone else is white and sees him as Mexican. His mother is dating a white man and wants Danny to move with them to San Francisco, but he prefers his father’s family.

Danny has one thing going for him – he’s a seriously great pitcher. He has another thing going for him, too – his family loves him. Danny’s big issue is one common to teens – what is his future? Can he escape his present unhappiness and bad circumstances and have a better life some day?

Why should you read this?

Most of you probably aren’t of mixed race, an ethnic minority, living in poverty, with an absent parent. But even though Danny is different than you, and lives in a place very different from yours, and faces problems you’ll never encounter, inside you may find he is human and understandable, just like you. Writers (and librarians (and teachers)) hope that if you can learn to understand fictional characters who are different than you, it will help you understand real people who are different than you…and that can make your real life, and relationships, much easier….

Now a few words about words – writers have a choice in how to write conversations. They can use clean sanitized language that anyone’s Grandma would approve of, or occasional profanity that makes characters seem more real but makes some people mad at libraries. This author chose to use realistic language – and its not for the faint of heart.

But DBRLteen recommends Mexican WhiteBoy by Matt de la Pena anyway, because great books can take you beyond mere words.”

DBRLTeen wrote this review Wednesday, January 7 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“Kirsten is feeling insecure at the start of the new school year at her private school. She has gained a lot of weight over the summer, her parents are arguing with each other all the time (divorcing?), and she seems to be losing her best friend who would rather hang out with the more popular crowd.

Of course, she’s not the only one feeling like an outsider. Walker is a new student and one of only three black students at the school. Matteo is embarassed because his mother works as a maid for one of the rich families at the school.

There is a huge and completely unexpected surprise 3/4 of the way through the book. But Dbrlteen does not tell secrets…

Maybe we can’t avoid judging each other by outside appearance - looks, clothes, weight, race, family income… but outsiders can start by connecting with each other. Kirsten and Walker start on page 3. How? Complete strangers, one says something, and the other answers. Not so hard if you’ll give it a try.

So DBRLteen recommends If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period because the more connections we make with people different from us, the more we learn they’re not so different from us after all, and the richer we all are.

Visit Gennifer Choldenko’s website (She also wrote Al Capone Does My Shirts.)”

DBRLTeen wrote this review Wednesday, December 31 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

““Joie de vivre” - a French expression translated as “joy of life”, defined on Wikipedia as “a joy of everything, a comprehensive joy, a philosophy of life, a Weltanschauung. Robert’s Dictionnaire says joie…involves one’s whole being.” (Mrs. D. kindly requests that you not tell the other librarians that she uses Wikipedia…some of them are a little, well, 20th century, you know…)

Mrs. D. is going to break with tradition and tell you NOT to read this book. DON’T read this book if you’re happy with your life, everything is coming up roses, and you are secure and confident in the direction your life is taking and your place in the world. SAVE this book for when life turns gray, and you need a good cheer-up. It will make you feel good about being human again.

Lily is in high school, the only sensible person in her muddled up family. She manages the meals and the household chores but resents it. Her father left and went to America when she was a baby, her mother keeps bringing old people home from work to stay over, her older brother Lonnie and grandfather are feuding over Lonnie’s inability to stick with any life plans he makes, her grandmother has an imaginary friend named Sef, etc. etc. etc. Everyone in this book is mad at a parent or child or grandparent or misunderstood by them or mad about being misunderstood by them. Misunderstandings abound in this book, but isn’t that part of being human? (Mrs. D. suspects that it is.)

How will this muddled up bunch of characters (and Mrs. D. has only mentioned half of them) untangle their knotted relationships? Dear Ms. Clarke (you’ve forgotten she is the author, haven’t you, but Mrs. D. is happy to remind you as many times as you need…), Ms. Clarke, who as Mrs. D. was just saying, is a gifted author who can make you feel that something good is coming, that there will be a happy ending after all, that chapter after chapter is building to an inevitable resolution of everyone’s difficulties, and yet even though this turns out to be true the ending is still simply glorious! You won’t want to miss it! Wait until you find out who Mrs. Nightingale really is - Mrs. D. almost forgot she works in a library and gave a joyous shout when she found out…(thankfully she remembered just in time - one doesn’t shout in the libary, does one?)

Is life really like this? Is there a happy ending for all of us? While reading this book, its hard not to believe that life should be, could be, will be this way if we just keep muddling along as best we can…hope keeps us going, doesn’t it?

So Mrs. D. recommends “One Whole and Perfect Day”, by Judith Clarke, because we all need to feel good about life and the possibilities it holds every once in a while.

By the way, Ms. Clarke (must Mrs. D. remind you again who she is?) is Australian (no, not that country in Europe, that’s Austria - she’s Australian, you know, kangaroos and koalas), and the book is chock full of Australianisms, if that’s a proper word. Mrs. D. is up-to-date enough to know that a “bestie” in Australia is what you youngsters these days call a “bff”. Such a lovely country, Australia is, remind Mrs. D. to tell you sometime about when she was stationed there during the war…”

DBRLTeen wrote this review Wednesday, December 31 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“Love - such a common human emotion, such an important part of our lives, dominating our daydreams, the topic of so many songs and poems and greeting cards. So why is it so hard for teenagers to figure out?

Will Tuppence has started to notice his friend Mi-Su in a romantic way. But does she like him that way or not? Should he kiss her? Ask her out? How? One day she seems to be interested in him, the next day someone else. Will’s detailed plans for getting Mi-Su to be his girlfriend always work better in his imagination than in real life.

And what does all this have to do with skateboarding, Monopoly games, proton decay, and kid sisters?

This is a love story, but not the one you think. And it does have a happy ending, but not the one you expect. Mr. Fritz recommends Smiles to Go, by Jerry Spinelli. And if you haven’t read them yet you are also directed to read his Maniac Magee and Stargirl. Some writers are so good they must not be missed.

(Visit Jerry Spinelli’s website, and find out how to start a Stargirl Society at your school!)”

DBRLTeen wrote this review Monday, November 3 2008. ( reply | permalink )