Notes from the Midnight Driver

by Jordan Sonnenblick
Hennepin County Library, paperback, 265 pages

This author nails the typical teenage voice well. Once again, he has created a character (Alex) who is self-centered at the start of the story, but grows up in a big way. I liked how he drew Steven and Annette (from Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie) into this story.

The reconciliation and family relationships piece was strong. This will be a fun book to talk about with kids. I cried, naturally. Laurie and Sol were my favorite characters. Sol was a blast!



Re-read it because I brought mostly non-fiction to the lake and I wanted to "zone out" with an easy book. (Some people zone out in front of the tv . . . )

Love this! Both funny and serious, it is so delightful.

Reconciliation - parents and kids. Owning your own responsibility.

Flush

CMSW, paperback, 263 pages

I had to re-read this because it's been enough years that the details were fuzzy. I enjoyed it and even laughed aloud a few times! Noah and Abbey are a great brother-sister duo. Shelley and Grandpa Bobby add a lot of zest to this story of a family trying to bring a polluting casino owner to justice. I like this one better than Hoot!

Soldier Boys

by Dean Hughes
paperback, CMSW, 230 pages
Maud Hart Lovelace nominee

Alternating between the stories of Dieter's rise in the Hitler Youth and Spence's choice to join the American army, this WWII tale definitely tells a tale of war. I found it interesting to see how the author showed Dieter's perspective and the events happening around him.

The ending caught me by surprise - I really didn't see it coming. This is a powerful war story, coming-of-age story, and great historical fiction. I'm not big on war fiction (too painful & too real!), but this book definitely kept my attention and interest.

Heat

by Mike Lupica
CMSW, paperback, 220 pages
MHL nominee

I loved this! What a wonderful story. Michael (Miguel to his family) Arroyo is an amazing 12-year old pitcher on a baseball team that hopes to make the Little League playoffs. When an opposing team's coach challenges Michael's true age, the baptism certificate from Cuba won't be enough. But Michael and his 17 year old brother have been hiding their father's death from everyone except Mrs. Cora for three months.

I loved the characters, the plot development, and the happy ending. The baseball stuff was good - I actually like baseball - but not overkill (IMHO). This is probably my favorite Lupica book so far! I definitely enjoyed the subplot with El Grande and Ellie!

Monsoon Summer

by Mitali Perkins
CMSW, paperback, 257 pages

Jazz (Jasmine) is falling in love with her friend and business partner, Steve. Her mom wants the family to spend the summer in India, working at an orphanage.

I enjoyed this book more than I expected. Jasmine was an interesting character (though I wish she would have worked up the courage to tell Steve about her feelings for him a little earlier) and it was nice to see how she changed her stance on helping others.

A little bit of romance and a lot of soul-searching, Perkins shows the remarkable differences between America and India without it seeming forced.

The Mirror's Tale

by P.W. Catanese
CMSW, paperback, 274 pages
Maud Hart Lovelace nominee

Bert and Will are the twin sons of Baron Charmaigne. They get in to too much trouble and the baron decides to separate them. He decides to send Will, who is more timid, to his brother in The Crags. He will keep Bert at home where he can keep a closer eye on him. But the two trade places, and Bert finds a powerful (and evil) mirror, while Will trains with the knight Andreas.

The first few pages of the story kind of turned me off. It seemed too predictable and dopey. I quickly started to care about the characters and what happened, though. I like how different elements were drawn into the story, and Parley and Elaine were wonderful characters. It will be easy to recommend this to fantasy readers.

Gossamer

by Lois Lowry
CMSW, paperback, 154 pages
Maud Hart Lovelace nominee

Littlest One is a dream-giving creature with lots of curiosity. When she irritates her teacher too much, she is assigned to Thin Elderly. The two of them try to protect the boy John and his elderly caregiver from the Sinisteeds who bring nightmares.

A cute story. Seems to be for a younger reader. It is probably one of the MHL titles on both division lists.

So B. It

by Sarah Weeks
Dakota County library, paperback, 245 pages

Another MHL nominee, this one is about a girl named Heidi whose mother is mentally handicapped. When Heidi was only a week old, they showed up on Bernadette's doorstep and she's been helping them out ever since. But Bernie is agoraphobic and cannot leave her apartment. As Heidi gets older and has more responsibilities, she wants to find out about her mother's past. When she finds some photographs, she gets clues that will take her from Reno to New York.

I liked this book, though it was kind of bittersweet. Heidi is a very realistic character (except for her "luck" - that's a supernatural element) and I found myself wanting her to know the truth. I enjoyed her book "Jumping the Scratch" more than this one, but she gets into kids' heads pretty well.

Jackie's Wild Seattle

by Will Hobbs
CMSW, paperback, 200 pages
Maud Hart Lovelace nominee

Shannon and Cody go to Seattle to stay with their uncle while their parents travel to Pakistan with Doctors Without Borders. They find out that they will spend their two months with him at an animal rescue shelter out in the woods, not at his old beach house like they had thought.

There are some questions to be answered, some new experiences to be had, and some friends to make. This story surprised me and I enjoyed it more than I expected!

Shackleton's Stowaway

by Victoria McKernan
Dakota County Library, paperback, 317 pages
Maud Hart Lovelace nominee

Wow. This would be an amazing story even without most of it being completely true. To know that these men actually survived in Antarctica for two years without our modern-day technologies just astounds me. This fictionalized story of the Shackleton south pole attempt centers on 18-year old Perce Blackborow who has stowed away on the expedition. Very cool. Of course, now I want to read a non-fiction book to find out what the author changed. I loved the maps and other information at the end of the story, too.

Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie

by David Lubar
Dakota County library, paperback, 279 pages

I loved this book! David Lubar is one of my favorite YA authors. This is one of the Division 2 Maud Hart Lovelace nominees for this year. Scott is starting senior high and is a bit concerned about his survival. Meanwhile, his older brother who dropped out of high school decides to move back home, and his mother announces that she's pregnant.

Scott decides to keep a notebook of advice for the new baby (insisting it is NOT a diary) and his thoughts are recorded for posterity. Funny, touching, realistic. This is a delightful book!

Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue

by Julius Lester
hardcover, CMSW, 176 pages

Based on a true account, this book is a painful look at the realities of the slave trade's impact on lives. Emma is a wonderful girl who has helped raise Frances and Sarah Butler ever since their mother left. Mr. Butler's gambling debts take a toll on everyone, especially when he agrees to sell slaves he had promisted to never sell.

Told from multiple perspectives, this would be an ideal discussion book. It is a challenging read (due to content) and has a lot of pain told out in people's own words.

One of the MHL nominees for 2008-09.