Survival Strategies of the Almost Brave by Jen White

Survival Strategies of the Almost Brave by Jen White -- After their mother dies, Liberty and her little sister are reunited with their father, who left them when Liberty was a preschooler. When he abandons them at a truck stop in the middle of the desert, Liberty knows that it's up to her to take care of her sister and get the two of them to safety. Liberty loves to learn about the ways animals adapt in order to survive. Maybe she will find some survival strategies of her own.

This is a good, solid read. The two sisters are believable characters and the setting is also strong. The episodic plot is fast-paced. Readers who enjoy books like Homecoming and Waiting for Normal should take a look at this one.

(Reviewed from a copy borrowed through my library system.)

Once Was A Time by Leila Sales

Once Was a Time by Leila Sales -- Charlotte Bromley believes in time travel, and so does her best friend Kitty. After all, Charlotte's father is a scientist, and the British government has recruited him to do secret research on the subject to aid the war effort. Charlotte's father believes that portals sometimes appear, seemingly at random, and nobody can know where or when one might end up if one were to enter such a portal. Charlotte doesn't think she would enter one, even if she were to see it, but Kitty thinks it would be a great adventure. However, when the two girls' lives are suddenly in danger, it is Charlotte who slips through the portal that miraculously appears, leaving Kitty behind. Where will Charlotte end up -- and will she ever be able to return to her own time?

I really liked this book in spite of a few flaws. The dialogue and characterization are extremely strong, and the story is engaging. While reading, I had a nagging feeling that the plot relied too much upon coincidences, though the ending wrapped up at least some of them. I also felt that Charlotte was allowed to do some things she would not have been able to do in the real world, things not related to the science fiction aspects of the story. Still, I would recommend this, especially to those who enjoyed When You Reach Me.

I did not intend to read two time travel stories back to back -- it just worked out that way!

(Reviewed from an advance copy, courtesy of the publisher.)

Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor

Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor -- Mourning the death of her mother, Hope travels to Scotland to visit family she has never before met. She learns that her mother's side of the family hides a fantastic secret: they can harness the power of the earth's ley lines in order to travel through time. Even more incredibly, Hope learns that her mother is not dead, just trapped in the past. If she wants to save her mother, Hope must travel back in time to the court of Eleanor of Aquitaine. It won't be easy, but Hope is willing to do whatever it takes. The past can be a dangerous place, though . . . and her mother's family are not the only time travelers out there. . . .

This is a very enjoyable read, with great characters and a gripping plot. While I'm not sure I completely buy into the mechanics of time travel as described in the world of this book, those details didn't bother me while I was reading. I'd recommend this, especially to fans of Outlander. While it's likely that this will become a series, the story wraps up sufficiently in order to make for a satisfying reading experience.

(Reviewed from an advance copy, courtesy of the publisher.)

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson -- It all starts when Astrid's mom takes Astrid and her best friend Nicole to the roller derby. Astrid immediately falls in love with the sport, but Nicole is less enthralled. When Astrid decides to sign up for a summer roller derby camp, Nicole declines, electing to attend dance camp instead with Rachel, a girl Astrid has never gotten along with. Does this mean that Nicole and Astrid aren't friends any more? And what will become of Astrid's roller derby dreams when she encounters the rigors of training?

This Newbery Honor winner is a fun, fast read that will appeal to fans of Raina Telgemeier's graphic novels. I enjoyed it, and I learned a lot about roller derby, as a bonus!

(Reviewed from a copy borrowed through my library system.)

Waylon! One Awesome Thing by Sara Pennypacker

Waylon! One Awesome Thing by Sara Pennypacker

For Waylon, fourth grade is shaping up to be, well, less than awesome. It all started when Arlo, the undisputed king of the fourth-grade boys, decided to divide the boys up into teams. At first, Arlo said he wanted Waylon on his team, but now he seems to have changed his mind. What if Arlo doesn't put Waylon on either team? Also, Baxter Boylin, troublemaker extraordinaire, has returned to school. What if Arlo puts Waylon and Baxter on a team by themselves? Waylon has always loved science facts and finding the "one awesome thing" every day, but now he's having trouble finding anything awesome about school.

I was so sad to see the end of the Clementine series, and I'm so excited to see this new collaboration by Pennypacker and Frazee. This series features a different main character from the same class, so Clementine and other familiar characters make cameo appearances, but Waylon (once described by Clementine as "the scienciest kid" in her class) is the star. And I have to say, this first book is pretty great. In fact, I suspect that this series is just going to keep getting . . . Even! More! Awesome!

(Reviewed from an advance copy, courtesy of the publisher.)

Immaculate by Katelyn Detweiler

Immaculate by Katelyn Detweiler -- Mina never asked for a miracle. She's a straight-A student with a caring family, a great boyfriend, and two best friends who have known her practically all her life. When a strange old woman comes into the pizza shop where she works, Mina tries to be patient, despite the fact that it's almost closing time. But the old woman's bizarre conversation takes a turn for the alarming, and Mina finds herself saying anything to get the old lady out the door. She tries to put the encounter out of her mind -- but that proves impossible once the symptoms start to show. Mina, a girl who has never once slept with a boy, is pregnant. In the months that follow, some people believe her, others brand her a liar. A few practically worship her while others hate her. Friendships crumble, grades slip -- and Mina has to wonder: why her? Why now?

The interesting concept is what drew me in to this book, and the questions raised by that initial encounter were enough to keep me reading even through some flaws: the dialogue is stilted in places, and the younger sister is a little too perfect to be true. My main problem, though, is with the ending. None of the big questions are answered. It feels like it's setting up for another book, but I'm afraid I'm just not interested enough to continue with the series. Read this one only if you find the premise fascinating and you're okay with some ambiguity at the ending.

(Reviewed from an advance copy, courtesy of the publisher.)

The Cresswell Plot by Eliza Wass

The Cresswell Plot by Eliza Wass -- Castley's family is different. Her father believes, and teaches his family, that he is the recipient of divine revelation, and in consequence, only he and his family are going to heaven -- and only if they follow him with complete obedience. Castley and her five siblings live with their parents in a ramshackle house, selling junk their father finds on the side of the road in order to make enough money to buy food. They are alternately feared and ridiculed by the townspeople, and lately Castley has started wondering if their father's doctrine is really true, or if there's another way to live. What would it be like, to live like normal people? But she can't leave without her family, especially not without Caspar, the brother her father says she will be bound to for all eternity. As circumstances grow worse for the Cresswells, tension mounts. Their father declares that, perhaps soon, it will be time for them to go on to their eternal reward. Castley's not ready for heaven -- not yet. She's only just started exploring the possibilities of life in this world, and she's not ready to give it all up.

This chilling portrayal of a deeply dysfunctional and abusive family is a gripping read. I'm not sure the title quite matches up with the content (what plot?), and the ending left me with a few questions. Still, this is definitely a compelling and well-written book. I'd recommend it to V.C. Andrews fans.

(Reviewed from an advance copy, courtesy of the publisher.)

Newt's Emerald by Garth Nix

Newt's Emerald by Garth Nix is a delightful fantasy of manners.

Lady Truthful Newington -- Newt, to her rowdy crew of male cousins -- is looking forward to her first London season, but everything changes one dark and stormy night when the Newington Emerald, the family's most precious (and magically powerful) jewel disappears. Determined to track down the thief, Truthful disguises herself as a man and searches London for clues. During her quest, she meets Major Hartnett. She can't deny her attraction to him, but he's of the firm opinion that all women are heartless and deceitful -- what would he say if he learned of her disguise?

This is a terrifically fun read inspired by Austen, Heyer, and O'Brian. It's different from anything else Nix has ever written, but in no way inferior. Recommended to readers who enjoy both fantasy and Regency romances.

(Reviewed from a copy borrowed through my library system.)

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys is a companion to the author's earlier work, Between Shades of Gray. It follows Lina's cousin Joana, who faces her own harrowing journey through the turmoil of war. Joana is traveling with a group of refugees, desperately fleeing East Prussia as Soviet soldiers close in. Each member of the group carries his or her own secrets, some of which could be deadly in the wrong hands. And not all of them will survive the journey...

This story is just as harrowing and gripping as its companion work, and through it I learned about a massive tragedy with which I was unfamiliar. Just when you think you've heard about all of the horrors of World War II... Despite the occasionally grim details, I highly recommend this book, especially to fans of historical fiction.

(Reviewed from an advance copy, courtesy of the publisher.)

Did you miss me?

It's been a couple of months since I last posted here, and boy, were they busy!  I had a couple of big commitments that took over my free time, and the holidays added to the hustle and bustle.  I'm back now, hoping to blog more regularly in the future.  I'm cutting myself some slack when it comes to book reviews, so if my posts are shorter or less detailed than before, it's done in hopes of not ending up, as I did last year, with an enormous pile of books awaiting review, and having to eventually face the fact that I am not going to get them reviewed at all.  This year, I'm working under the assumption that a brief review is better than no review.  Of course, I'll write longer ones when possible.

Also, this year I didn't do my predictions for the ALA Youth Media Awards as I have in the past.  That was partly because I was busy, but also partly because I was serving on the Geisel committee, so I would not have been able to talk about picture books, anyway, since they fall within the purview of that committee.

Here are the books our committee selected as particularly distinguished:

I am pleased and proud of our winners, and of the work done by our committee.  And I'm looking forward to getting this blog back up and running!