VVMBookBlog

This is one of my favorite kinds of books–teen main characters trying to make sense of their world and who they are, parents who seem to be clueless, possibilities of hope laced in the story, and enough action and conflict to keep me reading to the end!

17-year-old Liam is the son of a former fashion model and a straight-arrow, no-nonsense father who doesn’t approve of anything Liam does.  Too much bad behavior finally gets Liam kicked out of the house and he goes to live with his father’s brother, “Aunt Pete,” a DJ, glam rocker, who is gay, lives in a trailer and has his own issues with Liam’s father and grandparents.  It seems like Liam couldn’t find many more ways to get in trouble, even after moving in with Aunt Pete.  But working with Liam to figure out why he is such a “screwup” is what keeps us reading to the end of this very satisfying story.

Go Liam!

As this story begins, DeShawn is 12 and living a large city housing project with his grandmother and older sister–his mother was killed earlier in the crossfire of neighborhood  gang warfare.  Even at 12, DeShawn has seen much evidence of gang violence and knows many friends and relatives who are now dead or in jail because of gang activities.  He’s smart enough to know that he wants and needs to stay away from gangs, and a couple of his teachers try to help him get enrolled in a special school that would improve his hopes for the future.  Unfortunately, life for him, his family and friends depends so much on the activities of the rival gangs in his neighborhood that trying to escape it is nearly impossible.

The book is divided into sections based on DeShawn’s age until he reaches 18, and his life becomes more and more complex and challenging.  I had to keep reading to see what would happen to DeShawn, all while feeling the hopelessness of his living situation, which was the author’s purpose in writing this book.  I think students who enjoy reading our “street lit” books will like this one, even though the dialogue and language didn’t seem very authentic–”school-safe” maybe but not authentic.

The author says we as a country need to do something soon about the problems of inner-city youth and families, and gives information and data to support his message. It’s a hard topic to read about and harder still to experience.

First there was Hoot, then Flush and now we have Scat!  Maybe because it’s been a couple years since Flush, but I think Scat is my favorite Carl Hiaasen book so far.  Again there’s an environmental scare–this time it’s a sighting of a very rare Florida panther in the Everglades.  And again there is the greedy business–this time an oil company wanting to drill an illegal oil pipeline on protected state property NEXT to their own oil-less property.

There are many heroes in this story, most very surprising so I can’t tell you who they are here.  I can say that very-scary Biology teacher, Mrs. Bunny Starch, takes her class, including good guys Nick and Marta, to the Black Vine Swamp and ends up disappearing very mysteriously.  While on the field trip, Nick is on the lookout for a panther, but then the trip is cut short by a wildfire of mysterious origin that scares them all back to the buses. And where is Duane Scrod, Jr., aka “Smoke,” whose last class interaction with Mrs. Starch ended badly!

So many great characters in this story, and lots of good side stories to keep you reading and wondering how it’s all going to turn out.  Hoot, Flush, Scat…what will come next?

Maya is 11 and has been raised by her very overprotective grandmother in California since her parents were killed in a car accident.  When her grandmother dies of a stroke, Maya goes to live with her mother’s family in Wyoming and discovers her love for horses and rediscovers her memories of her mother who was disliked by her grandmother.  As she overcomes her fears and becomes acquainted with her grandfather, uncle and Aunt Vi, she learns about her mother’s love for horses and a particular horse by the name of Artemisia.  A violent earthquake brings Maya and Artemisia together one day, forcing them to help each other to safety.

Chapters alternate between hearing the story from the point of view of both Maya and Artemisia. The reader gets to know Maya and struggles with her as she patiently survives her life with her domineering grandmother and then adjusts to her new life with her mother’s relatives.  Animal lovers, especially those who like horses, will really enjoy this book, but so will anyone who just wants a good story.

Cecelia is 14 years old and has always known the secret that she was the true princess of the kingdom of Suala.  By day she is the poor peasant girl orphan living in a remote village but by night she is being tutored in palace life by Sir Stephen, a knight from the kingdom.  When she senses that her identity has been revealed and she is in danger, she and her friend, Harper, leave their homes and make their way to the palace, only to find out that there are eleven other girls there with the same story!  Now who is the true princess?

If you’ve read and liked Just Ella by the same author or similar “Cinderella”-type stories, you’ll enjoy the twists and turns faced by Cecelia and her friends as they try to figure out this princess mystery.