Please enable JavaScript
All Books | Page 52 | LitPick Book Reviews
All Books
The Last Little Blue Envelope
Synopsis:

Ginny Blackstone thought that the biggest adventure of her life was behind her. She spent last summer traveling around Europe, following the tasks her aunt Peg laid out in a series of letters before she died. When someone stole Ginny's backpack—and the last little blue envelope inside—she resigned herself to never knowing how it was supposed to end.

Months later, a mysterious boy contacts Ginny from London, saying he's found her bag. Finally, Ginny can finish what she started. But instead of ending her journey, the last letter starts a new adventure—one filled with old friends, new loves, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Ginny finds she must hold on to her wits . . . and her heart. This time, there are no instructions.

Publication Date: 04/26/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Nerd Camp
Elissa Brent Weissman
Synopsis: Ten-year-old Gabe has just been accepted to the Summer Center for Gifted Enrichment. That means he’ll be spending six weeks at sleep-away camp writing poetry and perfecting logic proofs. S.C.G.E. has been a summer home to some legendary middle-school smarty-pants (and future Jeopardy! contestants), but it has a reputation for being, well, a Nerd Camp. S.C.G.E = Smart Camp for Geeks and Eggheads.

But, is Gabe really a geek? He’s never thought about it much, but that was before he met Zack, his hip, LA-cool, soon-to-be step-brother. Now, Gabe is worried that Zack will think he’s a nerd, not only a nerd, but JUST a nerd. A wild summer at camp—complete with a midnight canoe ride to “Dead Man’s Island”—makes Gabe realize that Zack may not be the brother he'd always dreamed of, but that doesn't mean they can't be friends.

This clever, fun summer read from Elissa Brent Weissman is full of great minor characters (like a bunkmate who solves math problems in his sleep) and silly subplots (like the geekiest lice outbreak ever). Adjust your head-gear, pack your camp bag and get ready to geek out!
Publication Date: 04/26/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Wanted
Sara Shepard
Synopsis:

#1 New York Times bestselling series

The eighth book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series that inspired the hit ABC Family TV show Pretty Little Liars.

Hanna, Aria, Spencer, and Emily have been through a lot together—childhood pranks gone horribly wrong, not one, but two stalkers—blackmailers who know all their dirty secrets, not to mention their best friend’s murder investigation. Now these pretty little liars are finally going to uncover all the answers they’ve been searching for, and they can finally put this awful chapter of their lives behind them. Or so they think.

Full of unexpected twists and shocking revelations, Wanted is the eighth book in New York Times bestselling author Sara Shepard’s compelling Pretty Little Liars series. 

Publication Date: 04/26/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Who Am I
M.L. Rice
Synopsis: Discovering who you are is the hardest part of growing up.

Devin Kelly is an Air Force brat, band nerd, bookworm, and loner. After the untimely death of her father, she and her mother move to Los Angeles to start a new life. Devin is welcomed to her new school by an arrogant bully named Jason who promises to make the rest of her senior year miserable.

Things turn around, however, when a beautiful and intelligent young woman named Melanie Parker, who happens to be Jason’s sister, comes to her rescue. As the relationship between Devin and Melanie grows, Devin finds herself becoming more and more drawn to her new friend’s vivacious spirit. It’s not until an unpleasant confrontation with Jason that Devin must admit to herself that her feelings for Melanie are far more than platonic.
Publication Date: 04/19/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
What Comes After
Steve Watkins
Synopsis: A gripping portrait of a teen’s struggles through grief and abuse - and the miraculous power of animals to heal us.

After her veterinarian dad dies, sixteen-year-old Iris Wight must leave her beloved Maine to live on a North Carolina farm with her hardbitten aunt and a cousin she barely knows. Iris, a vegetarian and animal lover, immediately clashes with Aunt Sue, who mistreats the livestock, spends Iris’s small inheritance, and thinks nothing of striking Iris for the smallest offense. Things come to a head when Iris sets two young goats free to save them from slaughter, and an enraged Aunt Sue orders her brutish son, Book, to beat Iris senseless - a horrific act that lands Book and his mother in jail. Sent to live with an offbeat foster family and their "dooking" ferrets, Iris must find a way to take care of the animals back at the farm, even if it means confronting Aunt Sue. Powerful and deeply moving, this compelling novel affirms the redemptive power of animals and the resilience of the human spirit.
Publication Date: 04/12/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Girl vs Ghost
Marie August, Kate McMurry
Synopsis: Isabel Lindley doesn't believe in magic, but her best friend is obsessed with witchcraft. Strictly as a favor, Isabel agrees to help with a spell and is shocked when the ghost of a teenage boy splat-lands in her bedroom. Her friend is thrilled-even though only Isabel can see or hear the ghost-but Isabel is horrified. She's the most ordinary sixteen-year-old girl on the planet. What is she supposed to do with a ghost who doesn't know his own name, how he died, or why the heck he's tied to Isabel with a psychic chain? Her only hope to take back her life is to help him solve the mystery of his demise so he can go to the Light. Or wherever. She's not particular, as long as the ghost is gone.
Publication Date: 04/10/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Stake Out
Joanna Britt, Laurie J. Edwards, Bonnie J. Doerr
Synopsis: How could Kenzie have predicted that a surreal encounter with an ancient sea turtle at a New York aquarium would propel her into peril in the Florida Keys? A haunting promise compels Kenzie to save sea turtles by capturing the criminals who are robbing the nests. Fearless, wheelchair-bound Ana and savvy, troubled Angelo assist Kenzie in an undercover sting that grows increasingly complicated and treacherous. As problems compound, Kenzie fears losing her first romance, her mother's trust, and her own life. Stakeout includes notes on sea turtle conservation as well as on the Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Florida.
Publication Date: 04/08/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
The Schoolboy
Tony Rosa
Synopsis: Fourteen-year-old Sam Parma plays more baseball than golf, so when his mother urges him to play in a junior golf tournament, he protests but reluctantly agrees. Learning that his uncle was a two time winner of The Schoolboy Championship, Sam feels pressure to perform as well as excitement for potential success. Dropped off at the municipal golf course with a hodgepodge set of clubs, limited skills, and the added responsibility to look after his younger brother, Sam ventures to the sign-up table. There he meets his three playing partners: a well-equipped rich kid, a profanity-spraying cheater, and an oversized neighborhood bully. Getting to the first tee is the easy part for Sam. Making it past unexpected obstacles, squaring off in conflict, and conquering his fears are only some of the challenges he faces on the course. Sam makes lasting memories and learns a number of lessons about honesty, sportsmanship, and courtesy-lessons that will guide him throughout his life.
Publication Date: 04/07/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
The Warriors of Estavia: Book 3 The Shining City
Synopsis: "Expert world builder"* Fiona Patton concludes The Warriors of Estavia saga. *Midwest Book Review

With the three children of prophecy-the seers Spar and Graize, and the warrior Brax-now grown, and the young God Hisar ready to stake his claim to a place in the pantheon of Anavatan, a time of chaos and change is fast approaching. For only if sworn enemies Spar and Graize can come together as Hisar's priests will the God stand any chance of surviving the coming battles with both the hungry spirits seeking to devour him, and the war with the mortal invasion fleet, which is even now sailing for Anavatan.
Publication Date: 04/05/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Catch-22
Christopher Buckley, Joseph Heller
Synopsis: This fiftieth-anniversary edition commemorates Joseph Heller’s masterpiece with a new introduction; critical essays and reviews by Norman Mailer, Alfred Kazin, Anthony Burgess, and others; rare papers and photos; and much more.

Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read.

Soon to be a Hulu limited series starring Christopher Abbott, George Clooney, Kyle Chandler, and Hugh Laurie.

Fifty years after its original publication, Catch-22 remains a cornerstone of American literature and one of the funniest—and most celebrated—books of all time. In recent years it has been named to “best novels” lists by Time, Newsweek, the Modern Library, and the London Observer.

Set in Italy during World War II, this is the story of the incomparable, malingering bombardier, Yossarian, a hero who is furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him. But his real problem is not the enemy—it is his own army, which keeps increasing the number of missions the men must fly to complete their service. Yet if Yossarian makes any attempt to excuse himself from the perilous missions he’s assigned, he’ll be in violation of Catch-22, a hilariously sinister bureaucratic rule: a man is considered insane if he willingly continues to fly dangerous combat missions, but if he makes a formal request to be removed from duty, he is proven sane and therefore ineligible to be relieved.

This fiftieth-anniversary edition commemorates Joseph Heller’s masterpiece with a new introduction by Christopher Buckley; a wealth of critical essays and reviews by Norman Mailer, Alfred Kazin, Anthony Burgess, and others; rare papers and photos from Joseph Heller’s personal archive; and much more. Here, at last, is the definitive edition of a classic of world literature.
Publication Date: 04/05/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Flying Feet
Alasdair Bright, Patricia Reilly Giff
Synopsis: When Charlie hears that special buzz in his head, he knows it means one thing: an idea for a new invention. But Charlie's ideas tend to backfire—such as the flying feet that don't really fly. If only Charlie could make his inventions work, people might think he's as special as his older brother, Larry. Then the Zigzag afternoon center organizes a Come as a Character Day, and Charlie gets his chance to shine.
Publication Date: 04/05/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
A Million Miles from Boston
Synopsis: School's out! That means Lucy is off to her favorite place: Pierson Point, Maine, where she spends summers with her family. And as she tries to forget her worries about starting middle school and about Dad's new girlfriend, Lucy can't get there soon enough. Pierson Point is where she feels most like herself, and where memories of her mother, who died when Lucy was six, are strong and sacred.
But this summer, nothing is the same. Ian, a boy from home in Boston, comes to Pierson Point with his family. Ian is loud, popular, and mean. He and Lucy can't stand each other. To top it off, Dad wants his girlfriend to become a bigger part of Lucy's life.
Karen Day's engaging novel shows that people aren't always what they seem, and that friendship can be found in the most unusual places.
Publication Date: 04/05/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Calli Be Gold
Michele Weber Hurwitz
Synopsis: Eleven-year-old Calli Gold is the quiet third child in a family of loud overachievers. In fact, the family motto is Be Gold. Calli's sister is on an ice-skating team, and her brother's a basketball star. Her parents are sure she has a hidden gift for something. They just have to figure out what it is! But Calli has flopped at everything she's tried. She sure doesn't feel like a Gold.

Until a new person enters her life. Second grader Noah Zullo might seem strange to some people, but Calli can't help liking him, and they become partners in their school's Peer Helper Program. When they create a booth for the Friendship Fair, they fill it with secrets and surprises. And as Calli and Noah work and learn together, they even surprise themselves.

Michele Weber Hurwitz's debut is an endearing and gently humorous story about the true meaning of achievement and the important things an "ordinary" kid has to offer.

Nominated for:
Maud Hart Lovelace Award (Minnesota)
Bluestem Readers’ Choice Award (Illinois)
Publication Date: 04/05/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Rotters
Daniel Kraus
Synopsis:

Grave-robbing. What kind of monster would do such a thing? It's true that Leonardo da Vinci did it, Shakespeare wrote about it, and the resurrection men of nineteenth-century Scotland practically made it an art. But none of this matters to Joey Crouch, a sixteen-year-old straight-A student living in Chicago with his single mom. For the most part, Joey's life is about playing the trumpet and avoiding the daily humiliations of high school.
    
Everything changes when Joey's mother dies in a tragic accident and he is sent to rural Iowa to live with the father he has never known, a strange, solitary man with unimaginable secrets. At first, Joey's father wants nothing to do with him, but once father and son come to terms with each other, Joey's life takes a turn both macabre and exhilarating.
    
Daniel Kraus's masterful plotting and unforgettable characters make Rotters a moving, terrifying, and unconventional epic about fathers and sons, complex family ties, taboos, and the ever-present specter of mortality.

Publication Date: 04/05/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Viola in the Spotlight
Adriana Trigiani
Synopsis:

I am in the midst of a conundrum.

Viola is finally where she belongs—back home in Brooklyn, where there are no khakis or sherbet-colored sweaters and people actually think her yellow flats are cool. With two whole months of nothing to do but hang with her two best friends, Andrew and Caitlin, this is going to be the best break ever!

But her BFFAA, Andrew, has started acting weird around her, and a new boyfriend has her friend Caitlin ditching her every chance she gets. When Viola's roommates from Prefect Academy show up for a visit, she starts to wonder—is Brooklyn where she wants to stay? When a tragic event shakes everyone's world, Viola realizes it's not where she belongs that matters—it's who she's with that really counts.

In this heartwarming follow-up to bestselling author Adriana Trigiani's teen debut, Viola in Reel Life, Viola just may be ready to get out from behind her trusty video camera and take the starring role in her own life.

Publication Date: 04/05/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Alice-Miranda at School
Jacqueline Harvey
Synopsis: Move over Matilda and Madeline, there's a charming miniature heroine ready to make her mark! Her name is Alice-Miranda--and she's full of spunk!

Alice-Miranda Highton-Smith-Kennigton-Jones can't wait to start boarding school. When she arrives at Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale Academy for Proper Young Ladies, the adventure begins . . . only not quite as Alice-Miranda expects. The minute she sets foot on the school's manicured grounds, she senses that something is wrong: Miss Grimm, the headmistress, is nowhere to be seen, the gardens have no flowers, and a mysterious stranger seems to be hiding out on the premises.

But that's not all. Some girls are mean and spoiled, like Alethea Goldsworthy. Can Alice-Miranda defeat Alethea in one of three difficult tests she must pass to remain at school? Will she discover Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale's big secret—and make things right? Well, if anyone can, it's spunky Alice-Miranda!
Publication Date: 04/05/11
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction

Pages



RECENT BOOK REVIEWS