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A Librarian Reads Bumped

Tuesday, June 21st, 2011

Bumped by Megan McCafferty

What if only teenagers could have babies? This is the reality in the world of Bumped. A virus has left everyone in the world older then 18 infertile. Even in vitro fertilization no longer works. Condoms have been banned and society has changed to embrace teenage pregnancy. Advertising teaches children that the most important part thing about them is their ability to reproduce. Teens have babies in order to auction them off to couples who want children. Some teens can go “pro” and get endorsements, college tuition and other awards to have babies with very specific genes.

Melody is one such girl. Her adopted parents have groomed her all her life to be a breeder. Melody is special because of her specific DNA traits. Melody even has an agent that helped her sign a deal with a couple, the Jaydens, who wants the most genetically gifted baby ever. The Jaydens have searched for years to find  the perfect partner for Melody. Melody is getting older though and only has a few years before infertility sets in. Little does she know that the Jaydens have set her up with the most sought after teenage male in the whole world, Johndoe.

But before she can learn the news her life is thrown into chaos by her long lost identical twin, Harmony. Separated at birth, Harmony has grown up in Goodside, a sequestered community of religious conservatives who believe that breeding should only be done within marriage. Melody is sure her sister is here to save her soul. But when Melody’s breeding agent calls to inform her about Johndoe, he confuses Harmony for Melody. Now the twins are mixed up and their lives are spiraling out of control.

Bumped is an excellent book, mixing humor and science fiction while raising important questions about sex in a teenager’s life. The most interesting thing is that answers aren’t easily found. Melody and Harmony struggle with different understandings of life, sex, and how to be a good person. I highly recommend the book but caution that is appropriate for mature readers that are 16 and up.

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Scat: A Review by Aimee

Monday, June 20th, 2011

Scat by Carl Hiaasen
4 Stars

Marta and Nick live in Florida and they go to middle school, and they are really good friends. And they have a really mean science teacher who is really strict and barely smiles,Mrs.Bunny Starch. Mrs.Starch to the kids decides the class is going to take a class trip to Black Vine Swamp. But when a student with asthma loses her inhaler Mrs.S goes back and looks for it then a forest fire starts and they have to go back without her. Later they send a search party for her but don’t find her. The next day they find a note that was unsigned, the message claimed that she wasn’t missing she was attending a family emergency. And the headmaster and the police believed it was true, and not a joke so that’s what there going along with it. But Marta and Nick don’t believe it at all they think something is up. And they think it is a serious problem. So they search around and find things they never expected. If you want to find out what happened to Mrs.Starch! You have to read this book. It involves nature, and mystery Carl Hiaasen is a wonderful author and he wrote another good book. That is why I gave him 4 out of 5 stars.

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Jake Drake Class Clown: A Review by Luis

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

Jake Drake Class Clown by Andrew Clements
5 Stars

Jake Drake has always been a good boy, but when he got Mrs. Bruce as a teacher his life was changed. It started at the class spelling bee. The rule was say-spell-say but the first person just spells the word which was mouse. She started to spell the word mouse but she only got to say the ‘m’ and the ‘o’ when the teacher stopped her and said she was out. Then it was Jake drake’s friends turn. But he was too scared to say anything so he was out too. Then it was Jake Drake’s turn and he said ‘’mouse m-i-c-k-y mouse’’ and then Mrs. Bruce told him to see her after school but in his mind he secretly said no. That was the first time he had ever made a joke or made the whole class laugh and he was not even trying so he wondered what would happen if he actually tried. So at dinner he asked his dad what hand he uses while eating ice-cream and his dad said he uses his right hand and then Jake Drake said that that was funny because! he always uses a spoon. Then the next day he burped a good long burp and them everyone started laughing and then Mrs. Bruce ran out crying. This book gets 5 stars because it’s a great story. The best part was when Mrs. Bruce ran out crying.

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A Librarian Reads The Second Base Club

Friday, May 20th, 2011

The Second Base Club by Greg Trine

Elroy and Vern are best friends and incoming sophomores. One of their favorite hobbies is checking out girls and rating them from 1 to 10. They both wish they could have girlfriends. Unfortunately they get tongue tied before they can ask out any of the girls they know.

Elroy tries all sorts of plans to get a girl. He joins the wrestling team even though he is small and weak. He starts lifting weights to get abs and pecs. He even starts a band. No matter what the girls just turn him down.

Soon Elroy discovers that the school’s star quarterback and ladies man leads a secret group of athletes in the Second Base Club. They jocks keep score of how far they get with girls and keep score. The goal is to get the most points before the end of the year. Elroy is at first disgusted by the Second Base Club and considers them jerks. But as the year drags on he begins to wonder if being a jerk is the only way to a woman’s heart.

Can Elroy ever be truly himself or will he become a pig just to kiss a girl? As his hormones rage Elroy struggles with what is right and what is wrong. Will he be man enough to find a girl on his own or will he resort to the ways of the Second Base Club?

I really enjoyed The Second Base Club a lot because it captures the torment young men go through of being stuck between their hormones and respect for others. If you want a funny coming of age story about finding who you are and how to talk to women you can’t go wrong here. But because of it’s content the book is appropriate for ages 14 and up.

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A Librarian Reads Frankie Landau-Banks

Thursday, March 17th, 2011

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

Frankie is a sophomore at an elite boarding school called Alabaster. Her father went to Alabaster and is still friends with his high school companions to this very day. They help each other get jobs, promotions, and most of all money. Frankie’s father claims that Alabaster is where she will learn how the world works. But all Frankie can see is that Alabaster is where young white men with money become old white men with even more money. How does she as a female fit into that world?

One example of the male centric attitude at Alabaster is a secret society that Frankie’s father used to belong to: The Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds. It’s a male only club that pulls pranks, but also is made up of the most influential male upperclassmen of Alabaster. These are the future businessmen, lawyers, and politicians; those who could most impact the world.

But Frankie can’t join because she is a woman. What is worse is that the Order wouldn’t even conceive of letting women be a part of it. It just so happens that  Frankie’s new boyfriend is the leader of the current Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds. But what is better is that she discovers that the order has lost the Order’s journal that details its notorious history.

Frankie decides then what she will do. She will find the Order’s journal, and then covertly take over the Order through an anonymous email address. Then with the Order’s help she hopes to pull off the best school prank that Alabaster has seen in decades. Then she can prove that she is just as good as any man.

Except Frankie gets carried away with proving herself. What is she really after? And once the pranks start piling up who will take the blame? Is Frankie willing to betray her friends, boyfriend, and the school just to make a point? Does Frankie even know what point she is making? Or has she just fallen to the basest of motivations: revenge?

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is an amazingly entertaining and thought provoking book. It is highly recommended and appropriate for ages 14 and up.

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