Written by Carl Hiaasen
Published by Knopf, 2012
ISBN 9780375868429

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a Carl Hiaasen fan. I enjoy the weird humor, bizarre characters, edgy plots and the seething outrage against the despoliation of the Florida environment that underlies so many of his adult novels. Chomp is his fourth young adult novel, and it shares with its brethren many of the virtues of Hiaasen’s adult novels.

As in his other three YA novels (Hoot, Flush, and Scat), the protagonist is a boy in his early teens, attending school and coping with a loving but unconventional family. In this case, Wahoo (yes, he was named after a fish) has a father who is a professional animal wrangler, and who has been having problems ever since he was hit on the head by a falling frozen iguana. When a big-time reality TV survivalist named Derek Badger comes to hire Wahoo’s father to work on an episode set in the Everglades, the fun begins.

Wahoo acquires a (girl) friend named Tuna whose father is abusive, Derek Badger gets chomped by a gator, a turtle, and assorted other creatures, the TV crew gets marooned in the swamp, and bad weather moves in. Derek Badger becomes convinced he is turning into a vampire, Tuna’s father shows up with a hand gun, and it is up to Wahoo and Tuna to save Derek, Wahoo’s father, and the television show (Wahoo’s family really needs the income).

The writing is fast-paced and entertaining. Humor and genuine suspense are artfully blended throughout the book. Hiaasen gives his young protagonists plenty of grit and know-how, and provides the reader with a greater appreciation and understanding of the Everglades and its wildlife in a very non-textbook manner. As with Hiaasen’s other YA books, Chomp is likely to appeal to reluctant readers on the strength of the young male protagonist, the humor, and the bizarre and occasionally slightly grisly events that occur. Eager readers will enjoy the books at least as much.

—Steve Mudd, author

Written by Tony Abbott
Published by Little, Brown, 2006
ISBN 9780316011716

Everyone at some point in their life finds a friend that brings out the best in them or changes them in a positive way. This is the way Tom, in the book Firegirl, feels about Jessica, a quiet, shy girl who was badly burned in a fire. Nobody wanted to be Jessica’s friend because of the way she looked. Everyone judged Jessica by the way she looked. At first Tom didn’t like Jessica just because he was going off of the rumors and judgments made by his classmates and peers. Finally, after ignoring her and pretending he didn’t care, Tom looked beyond her appearance and found the real Jessica. Jessica became the friend that nobody else was to Tom.

Tony Abbott, the author of Firegirl, teaches that there is more to a person than what they look like. Along with every person comes a personality waiting to be discovered by a true friend.

—Megan Zamow, 6th Grader

Written by Tad Williams and Deborah Beale
Illustrated by Greg Swearingen
Published by Quercus Fiction, 2009
ISBN: 9781849161619

What happens when you discover relatives you didn’t know you had, and your mother sends you to their farm for the summer? In the best of scenerios that might mean a few horses, cows and perhaps early morning chores… But what if the farm is no ordinary farm and you are dragged into secrets involving care of dragons, mysterious caverns that take you to other dimensions and farm hands who are not what they appear to be?

The Dragons of Ordinary Farm is a riveting novel that will appeal to younger Harry Potter fans. The first in a series by bestselling author Tad Williams (The Dragonbone Chair, the Otherland cycle, Shadowmarch) and his wife Deborah Beale, this tale will keep readers spellbound.

—Heidi Håvan Grosch, educator and children’s literature enthusiast

Written by Georgia Bragg
Illustrated by Kevin O’Malley
Published by Walker & Company, 2011
ISBN 9780802798176

“I don’t like to read—it’s boring.”  “I hate history—it’s boring.”  “Science and lots of facts and details are boring.”

If the preceding statements apply to you, your children, your students, or anyone else you care about, boy do I have the book for you! How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous is perhaps the most entertaining book I have ever read that is all about history, biography, and a little bit of science and medical information. Amazon says it is for ages 10 and up, and I can personally attest that readers many decades older than 10 can not only enjoy this book immensely, but also learn a thing or two.

The subject makes this book especially attractive to reluctant boy readers, since the subject matter is death in all its icky, gory details—it’s the literary equivalent of catching crayfish in your bare hands or dropping a frog down someone’s shirt (but in a good, educational way).  Croaked describes the lives and especially the deaths of 19 famous personages, from King Tut to Albert Einstein, and in each case includes a couple of extra pages of related facts about the manner of death, medicine at the time, the society of the time, and just plain interesting trivia. The chapters average only around 8 pages in length, so the reluctant reader gets plenty of chances to catch his (or her) breath before moving on.

The book’s tone is engaging—a bit snarky at times, a little tongue-in-cheek, slightly irreverent—just the sort of thing to make reading it more fun than work. It’s not stuffy enough to scare readers away! The illustrations reinforce that tone, as epitomized by the skeleton doctor on the book’s cover.

I’ve stressed the “reluctant reader” appeal of Croaked, but I also urge anyone who enjoys a good read and a plethora of fascinating facts to pick up this book—it’s to die for! You won’t be sorry.

—Steve Mudd, author

Written by Erica Silverman
Painted by Betsy Lewin
Published by Harcourt, 2008
ISBN 9780152053840

“It’s raining at the ranch! So pull on your slicker for a little story weather and a lot of splashy fun.”

The latest in the award-winning series about Cowgirl Kate and her horse Cocoa, Rain or Shine explores what happens when it rains. Do horses get sick? Can you go outside and stay dry if you have a rain jacket? Can you race thunder? Does everything look brighter and smell better after the rain? Beautiful watercolor illustrations grace every page, inviting the young reader to play in the rain. A great book for horse lovers and a fun read aloud for the classroom. “Whatever the weather, these cowpoke pals are sticking together.”

(Quotes taken from the book jacket.)

—Heidi Håvan Grosch, educator and children’s literature enthusiast

Written by Loretta Ellsworth
Published by Walker Childrens, 2011
ISBN 9780802723055

I love Loretta Ellsworth for two reasons: she is from Minnesota (I have had the chance to meet her several times and she is terrific), and she writes about things no one else writes about (shrouding women, organ donation, great literature, and now synesthesia and photographic memory). I read so much young adult literature with the same tried and true storylines, that something new always (at least initially) grabs my attention. Ellsworth’s latest book, Unforgettable, is her best book yet!

Before I picked up Unforgettable, I had just finished reading The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender, which led me to look up and think about the condition known as “synesthesia.” So it was meant to be that I would next pick up Unforgettable by Loretta Ellsworth, which begins with Baxter Green remembering the day when he was three years old and landed on his head after falling off a swing. This head trauma results in Baxter now remembering every single thing that he experiences. In addition, he associates sounds, particularly the sounds of people’s voices, with some other visceral visual image—for instance, the girl he loves in kindergarten sounds like yellow daffodils.

Twelve years later, fifteen-year-old Baxter and his mother have just moved to Wellington, Minnesota. His mother’s former boyfriend, Dink, is being released from a California prison. Dink was in prison because he forced a young Baxter to use his memory skills to memorize account numbers at his place of employment, which he then used for criminal activity. This plot strand adds suspense and drama to Unforgettable. Another strand involves the real reason that Baxter and his mother ended up in Wellington. Unbeknownst to his mother, Baxter has seen to it that they “chose” Wellington because he knows that the girl with the daffodil voice, Halle Phillips, now resides in Wellington. Ellsworth uses allusions to The Great Gatsby to compare the relationship between Baxter and Halle to that of Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan. This plot strand adds romance and its own suspense to the novel. A third strand involves mining in northern Minnesota. Wellington is a mining town on the Iron Range where many have died from Mesothelioma, a cancer known to be caused by taconite, a by-product of iron ore mining. It just so happens that Halle’s father is an executive at the mine. More tension is added. Ellsworth weaves the three strands in Unforgettable together seamlessly to create a cloth that the reader can wrap himself/herself in and savor.

In terms of characterization, Ellsworth creates multi-dimensional characters who have realistic strengths and weaknesses. We invest in them, particularly Baxter, whose first-person narration allows us into his head, and we root for things to turn out well for them. The antagonists are sometimes a bit over the top and stereotypical—especially in the use of the name “Dink” for the former boyfriend.

There is much here to learn, ponder, and discuss. For those who have read The Great Gatsby (in many Minnesota high schools, this is found in junior level American literature curriculums), the allusions to Jay and Daisy add dimension to the story. For others, this might be a turn-off, as it is a considerable element in the story. As a former English teacher, I do appreciate Ellsworth’s homage to the classic literature, however. This was similar to her use of To Kill a Mockingbird in In Search of Mockingbird. The theme of harmful work environments, particularly those in the mines on the Iron Range, will be of particular interest to Minnesota teens. More universal themes, such as bullying, being different, being true to yourself, friendship, learning from your mistakes, being careful what you wish for, etc. will ring true for all teens and give teen readers much to consider.

All in all, this is a fine addition to young adult realistic fiction. I am going to buy more copies for my library. Congratulations to Minnesota author, Loretta Ellsworth!

—Terri Evans, high school media specialist

Written by John Green
Published by Dutton, 2012
ISBN 9780525478812

Stunning! For those who cling to the “classics” as the only true literature, literature far superior to contemporary young adult literature, The Fault in Our Stars will surely make them reconsider.

First of all, it is beautifully written. Open randomly to any page and point. You will see what I mean.

Secondly, it is filled with big ideas, worthy of thought and discussion.

Also, as someone who works with smart, witty, precocious teens on a daily basis, I know that some of them really do talk like this. The voices of the main characters, Hazel and Augustus, will ring true to the myriad of smart teens who read John Green. This is a story of extraordinary teens in extraordinary circumstances. There is nothing “normal” about them or their situations. Because of their unusual circumstances, they both read voraciously. As a result, their sophisticated thought processes and repartee work. John Green clearly believes in teens and their potential—just look at the Nerdfighter phenomenon! This is a smart book for smart readers.

In addition, for anyone who has held the hand of an individual he or she loves who was dying of cancer, The Fault in Our Stars rings very true. The death experience is something we all own. It is a part of our collective destinies. John Green takes us to a dark place where many are afraid to go and makes us take an honest look at what that place might look like. For some of us, this is purely speculative; for others who have stood on death’s doorstep or stood there with someone else, it is very real. This is the beauty of books. They provide us with those windows and mirrors from which to consider what it means to be human.

Finally, this book makes us feel something—the true test of a good book. It makes us laugh, groan, dread, cry, ponder…all of it. Readers will be exhausted when they are done. But what sweet exhaustion it will be!

John Green is someone special in the realms of contemporary young adult authors. Truly.

P.S. The commitment to the signing of all 150,000 first print copies of this book was, well, crazy. Who ever heard of an author risking bodily harm for his or her craft? Way to go, John Green!

—Terri Evans, high school media specialist

Written and illustrated by John Himmelman
Published by Henry Holt, 2006
ISBN 9780805079517

Things don’t always go right for Farmer Greenstalk and his family—he drops his watch down the well, Mrs. Greenstalk is too tired to make dinner, the duck drives off with the farmer’s truck… But not to worry! Chickens to the rescue! For each of these challenges and several others, the farmer’s chickens are more than up to the task of saving the day.

Chickens to the Rescue is a delightful book—the text is minimal but sufficient, and the real joy is in Himmelman’s illustrations of the chickens, first spotting the trouble, then flocking into action with enormous energy and organization.

Chickens make an unlikely emergency response team, and the ways in which Himmelman has them responding to the various emergencies are imaginative and more than a little amusing. This book is rated for ages 4 and up, and the pictures in and of themselves would provide a pre-reader with a very satisfying experience. As an adult, I, too, enjoyed the book’s detailed and clever illustrations and the wonderful absurdity of the action.

His follow-up books, Pigs to the Rescue (2010) and Cows to the Rescue (2011), also by Henry Holt, are equally well-illustrated, equally absurd, and equally enjoyable.

—Steve Mudd, author