Nominee for the 2007 Cybil Awards in Fantasy and Science Fiction.

Choices by Deborah Lynn Jacobs.

Kathleen’s brother dies in a car accident coming to pick her up from a party.  After his death, Kathleen learns that it is possible for her to move between realities and visit multiple universes where her life is similar but not the same.  As she starts to wonder about her sanity, she learns that Luke is also a shifter who can move about in the same way.  Luke becomes her only constant as Kathleen continues to wake up in new and unexpected realities.  Can Kathleen figure out how to control the shifting?  And if she can, can she find a reality where her brother didn’t die?

This impossible-to-put-down book is a breathtaking rollercoaster ride.  Kathleen’s character is vivid and constantly interesting as is the plot as it veers from reality to reality.  The writing is strong and controlled allowing the characters to take a wild ride, but making it completely believable.  Jacobs does an admirable job of creating alternate Kathleens who are just as interesting and convincing as the original without losing the focus and forward motion of the novel. 

Get it into the hands of teens who enjoy science fiction, but it will also be of interest to teens who enjoy general fiction.  The book should also be recommended to reluctant readers who may find themselves unable to put it down too.

Nominated for a 2007 Cybil in Fantasy and Sci Fi.

Red Spikes by Margo Lanagan.

This third book of short stories by Lanagan demonstrates exactly how short story collections should work.  I consider Lanagan a student of Ray Bradbury, whose short story collections filled my teenage summers.  Like Bradbury, Lanagan takes a supernatural or science fiction genre and delicately creates stories that within a few short pages create entire worlds.  Lanagan’s stories are surprising, wondrous and at times quite horrific. 

One never quite knows where the story is headed, when the twist is coming, or if there will be a twist at all.  It makes the reading of the stories a very dynamic and engaging activity.  Unlike novels, there is no settling in with characters, no constant narration, no ground to rest on.  Here there is only the whirl of worlds, the dance of planets, and possibilities to explore. 

Lanagan excels at taking complex worlds and distilling them into an instance that speaks to their enormity.  She can create characters you care deeply about within a few paragraphs.  Her skill with this limiting form is astounding as her prose remains light and accessible while revealing so much more underneath.  There is a crystalline beauty to the stories as they chime together to a greater whole. 

Recommended for teens willing to try short stories.  These stories should be offered side-by-side with Bradbury’s as a recommendation. 

Good Enough to Eat by Brock Cole

There was once a poor girl who had no family and was forced to beg her way through life.  The townspeople considered her a pest, so when the evil ogre demands a fair maiden be given to him, the girl is the first choice of sacrifice.  The girl has lived with the townsfolk giving her cruel nicknames, but she uses those nicknames against the ogre and finds her own way out the situation.

I know that first paragraph is vague, but the joy of this sort of story is seeing how it all fits together, rather like a puzzle.  Cole has created a book that will flow off of your tongue as you read it aloud.  It almost reads itself simply because of his skill in creating prose and telling a good tale.  Here he has created a lively adventurous tale filled with traditional touches that begs to be shared or learned as a story to tell.

Cole’s illustrations also contribute to the traditional feel of the story, but the girl being the smart one, the hero is certainly not traditional nor are the message of this tale about individuality, courage and grace.

Highly recommended as a read aloud for 5-9 year olds.  There is a deep enough story here to keep the older children engaged and such a life and flow that younger children will enjoy it as well. 

Go to Bed, Monster! by Natasha Wing, illustrated by Sylvie Kantorovitz

When Lucy doesn’t want to go to bed one night, she decides to stay up and draw.  She draws a series of shapes that turn into a drawing of a monster who comes to life and plays with her.  They play and play, until Lucy is tired and ready for bed.  But Monster isn’t!  So Lucy has to give him a bed, feed him, let him drink, make him a potty, and much more before Monster finally, reluctantly gives in to sleep.

This clever twist on parenting and getting children to sleep will be enjoyed with enthusiasm by all children.  Children will especially like the touch of potty humor and the demands of Monster.  The text of the book is a breeze to read aloud, and Monster gives readers a chance to flaunt their monster voices with great glee.  The illustrations are also very friendly, especially the thick, crayon of Monster.  No child will be scared of this Monster!

Recommended for bedtime storytimes or for use as a bedtime story for your own Monsters.

Fiona Loves the Night by Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Charest, illustrated by Amanda Shepherd.

Fiona is a little girl who falls asleep when the rest of her family does but awakens when the moon is at her window.  So she heads outside because she loves nighttime so much.  She looks at the stars, listens to the sounds, sees night creatures, feels plants, and just engages with the night on many levels.

This is a lovely book.  It offers a child who is not afraid of the dark at all, but revels in it.  The language of the book is rich, evocative and really creates the mood of a summer night.  The addition of the noises of the night on many pages will help children engage with the story even more.  Matching the language in their richness, the illustrations are done with deep color and have a thickness and body that speak to the deepness of night.  There are no murky grays of evening here, just the deep blues and blacks of real night with sudden bursts of color. 

Recommended for bedtime story times though not a great way to settle children for the night.  This book invites exploration of the dark outdoors and you may find yourself outside with flashlights rather than starting to doze. 

Bear’s Day Out by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Adrian Reynolds.

The author of the beloved We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, returns in great style with this new offering.  Bear lives in a cave all alone and spends each day singing to himself.  But when he hears the noise of the city, he decides to travel there and see it.  He is very unhappy until he meets a group of children who help him get back home. 

Just as in We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, Rosen plays with sounds and rhythms, creating a book that welcomes children to participate in the telling of the story.  I can’t imagine it will take long before preschool teachers have figured out hand gestures to go along with this story.  Rosen has used a different sort of pattern in this book where the bear makes a statement, it is repeated as a question, and then declared with an exclamation point.  Show children the pattern, and they will eagerly join in asking the question and then shouting the exclamation. 

Reynolds’ art is also wonderful, filled with deep but welcoming colors in a friendly cartoon style.  Children will feel at home between these covers at once. 

Highly recommended for use in toddler and preschool storytimes, I would use it as the final rambunctious book that draws everyone’s attention back after hearing several other stories.  I would also recommend it to first grade classrooms where they are learning about patterns.  What a fun and interesting way to bring literature and math together.

First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger.

This picture book opens with pages filled with thick paint and deep color.  It features paper cut-outs which children love that demonstrate transformations in nature.  From egg to chicken, from tadpole to frog, from caterpillar to butterfly.  Each transformation offers a cut-out panel and friendly, simple paintings.  The text of the book is equally accessible with just a few words per page and plenty of pictorial clues to the content. 

Highly recommended for early readers, this book would also be welcome in any classroom of toddlers and preschoolers.

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale.

I have heard wonderful things about this book for months, so the minute I got it I moved it to the top of my reading pile.  (This is why I never seem to get to those down at the bottom.)  It did not disappoint!

Dashti and her mistress, Lady Saren, are locked in a tower together for seven years because Lady Saren refuses to wed a man she hates.  Dashti is a mucker girl, a girl used to a nomadic life on the steppes.  Luckily, she knows how to write and creates a diary of their time in the tower.  Lady Saren slowly grows more and more strange as the time passes, and Dashti tries to cure her with her healing songs but it doesn’t help.  Cold, rats and spoiling food fill their days except for the ones where the outside world intrudes.  It is when Lady Saren’s suitor comes to visit the tower that Dashti truly comes to life.  She plays the part of her mistress with him and they form a friendly bond.  But then he leaves and doesn’t return despite his promises.  In fact, after a visit from the suitor that Lady Saren hates, no one at all comes to their tower not even the guards posted there by Saren’s father. 

Hale has managed to make a gripping story of imprisonment, primarily due to the enchanting voice of Dashti, a down-to-earth girl who finds herself as a lady’s maid despite the poverty she came from.  Dashti is a heroine with a clear voice, level head and plenty of bravery and resourcefulness.  She is nicely contrasted against the weakness and wealth of Lady Saren, who could have been a very cardboard character but also provides a welcome depth and interesting story. 

It is the writing here that really shines.  It is evocative, universal and yet stays friendly and easy to read. 

Highly recommended for teen readers who enjoyed Hale’s previous books.  I would also recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy featuring strong female characters, such as those who read Tamora Pierce. 

First Light by Rebecca Stead.

Peter is very excited to be joining his parents on a scientific trip to Greenland.  His father is studying global warming, and his mother is happily joining him to work on her book.  While Peter is happy to go, he is also dealing with headaches and strange visions that come out of nowhere. 

Thea has never left her home beneath the ice, a place of safety for her people when they fled persecution on the surface.  Thea believes that her people need to find a way to the surface, even though her own mother died during a similar search.  Now if Thea can only convince others in her community that it is worth the risk.

The two stories of these teens are very different, yet meld into something much more complete when together.  The skill of weaving the two worlds together is evident in the balancing; neither story dominates.  Skill was also necessary when the two worlds collide and neither story is sacrificed at that point either.  Equally important are the twists and turns of the story itself.  At some points the reader will think they understand it all, just to have it twisted away from them, creating a very thrilling read.  Characterization is strong, with even secondary characters having unique personalities and perspectives.  There is a real depth to the story, made even deeper by the presence of global warming, social persecution, and destiny. 

Highly recommended, this book offers unique world-building without leaving earth.  Should be recommended to teen lovers of both science fiction and fantasy who are ready for some depth that doesn’t compromise the ease of reading.