Tag Archive | funny

Friends With Boys, by Faith Erin Hicks (book review) – one ghost too many

Jun4

book cover of Friends With Boys by Faith Erin Hicks published by First Second BooksFirst day of public school jitters,
a ghost overstaying her welcome,
Mom gone away suddenly,
everything was so much easier in homeschool!

Canadian artist Faith Erin Hicks melded Nova Scotia’s long seagoing history and her personal experience of being homeschooled with 3 brothers to create this coming-of-age story with a ghostly twist.

Alas, she never saw a ghost in her house like Maggie does…

**kmm

Book info: Friends With Boys / Faith Erin Hicks. First Second Books, 2012.  [author site]  [publisher site]  [fan-created book trailer] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: The ghost lady may be Maggie’s smallest worry now, as being homeschooled with her three big brothers hasn’t prepared her for the people-part of attending high school.

Mags liked Mom as her teacher, but wanted to play with her brothers instead of do girly stuff with her – maybe that’s why Mom left their small coastal town in the Maritimes.

Her twin brothers fight constantly (as usual), but don’t hang out together (not usual), her oldest brother likes theater, but distrusts Maggie’s new friend Alistair, mohawked senior Alistair decided that not being a jerk to his sister Lucy was more important than being a volleyball jock, so now the team hates him, and Lucy is fascinated by ghosts and their town’s history, which all leads to a teeny-little museum caper… by the way, Dad is the police chief now.

This graphic novel follows Maggie as she tries to find her place in the high school hierarchy and make the ghost go back to the cemetery – is that really so much to ask?  (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Guy in Real Life, by Steve Brezenoff (book review) – guy, girl, gaming

May31

book cover of Guy in Real Life by Steve Brezenoff published by Balzer + BrayOnline MMOs,
tabletop RPGs,
never the twain shall meet?

His best friend says that every online game female character is a GIRL – guy in real life – but is it wrong for Lesh to spend time online as Svvetlana if he truly wants to be with the real Svetlana?

And why shouldn’t Svetlana prefer creating fantasy game scenarios to attending boring pro soccer games with her clueless parents?

After school, Lesh hangs out with the wrong crowd by habit, Svetlana only hangs out with her dungeon friends, yet somehow their worlds overlap in this fun read.

**kmm

Book info: Guy in Real Life / Steve Brezenoff. Balzer + Bray, 2014.  [author site]  [publisher site] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: A late-night sidewalk collision brings together 2 teens from very different circles as their roleplaying and online game lives somehow intersect.

Getting grounded finally gave Lesh time to play the MMO that Greg is hooked on. But he hates being a blundering orc and instead chooses to be an elf, whom he molds into the image of quirky Svetlana at school, the girl he met when her bike ran into him that rainy night.

Svetlana’s detailed roleplaying scenarios intrigue the Central High Gaming Club, but when one guy quits, the club could lose its official status. Maybe Lesh of the black trenchcoat would join? Decidedly better than being with her crazy Minneapolis soccer fan parents.

Game life connects this guy named after the Grateful Dead’s drummer and that dungeonmaster girl in skull-embroidered skirt, but real life is more than energy levels and 20-sided dice in this quirky maybe-romance told from their alternating points of view.   (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Art of Lainey, by Paula Stokes (book review) – using war strategy to woo him back

May24

book cover of The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes published by HarperTeenHow dare Jason break up with her in public?
Everyone knows he and Lainey belong together!
This means war… to get him back.

BFF Bianca suggests using expert advice from their assigned summer reading to make Jason so jealous that he’ll be back with Lainey to start their senior year – if Sun Tzu’s Art of War  won’t work, what will?

Read the first chapters here for free, then ask for this May 2014 original paperback at your local library or independent bookstore to find out whether Lainey’s war for Jason’s heart is worth the battles.

**kmm

Book info: The Art of Lainey / Paula Stokes. HarperTeen, 2014.  [author site]  [publisher site]  Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Publicly dumped by her longtime boyfriend, Lainey uses strategies from The Art of War to get him back – with surprising results.

When Mom saw “big changes, separation” in the tea leaves, Lainey thought it meant best friend Kendall’s trip to New York, not losing Jason to his gorgeous ambulance partner! Bianca says Sun Tzu’s strategies work today, so Lainey begins her full-time war to get him back.

“Be deceptive.” Co-workers from her parents’ coffee shop help with Lainey’s campaign – preppy Leo trying to get his girlfriend back and pierced punk Micah with his mohawk, tattoos, and mysterious past.

“Be flexible.” A college play, a goth music club – Lainey and her fake dates stay busy and visible in their St. Louis suburb between shifts at Denali.

“If you know the enemy and yourself, your victory will not be in doubt.” Fretting over Jason isn’t helping her soccer scholarship chances, so she and Bianca talk while they run – five fake dates with Micah are eye-opening, especially when bumping into Jason and that Alex girl “accidentally.”

“If equally matched, we can offer battle.” Jason finally asks Lainey to sub on his summer co-ed soccer team? Bring it on!
“When you move, fall like a thunderbolt.” Fourth of July fair with more-fun-than-fake-date Micah or party at Jason’s house? Hmm…

Following an ancient Chinese warlord’s tactics will get Lainey what she really wants before summer ends, right? (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy, by Kate Hattemer (book review) – reality TV + high school = yikes!

May17

book cover of Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy by Kate Hattemer published by Knopf Books for Young ReadersA reality show in the arts high school?
Who really thought this was a good idea?
Who’s profiting from the TV crew’s invasion…hmm?

Inspired by their study of  The Cantos by Ezra Pound, Ethan and friends risk expulsion to get their protest Contracantos into classmates’ hands:

“The Serpent Vice betrays our cause.
He trades appraisal for applause.
True art is beauty; beauty, truth.
But For Art’s Sake is low, uncouth.
It sells our talent, vends our youth.”

Find this April 2014 release now at your local library or independent bookstore so you can decide whether “For Art’s Sake” reality show is awe-inspiring or awful, and meet fearless gerbil Baconnaise, as well.

**kmm

Book info: The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy / Kate Hattemer. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2014.  [author site]  [publisher site]  Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: As a reality show invades their arts high school, four friends strike back with poetic declarations against its disruptions and unethical editing.

Being somewhat talented among Selwyn’s prodigies stresses Ethan plenty, but when the reality show based at their school makes his longed-for Maura look bad for a national audience, the teen gets angry.

When Luke’s investigative article questioning Selwyn Academy’s financial arrangements with “For Art’s Sake” is banned from the Cantos school paper, he’s fighting mad.

As Luke, Ethan, Elizabeth and Jackson quietly post their Contracantos protest poems around school, the administration wants to stamp them out.

It may be up to Ethan and talented gerbil Baconnaise to make sure that the final Contracantos are published as classmates are voted off the show (“there’s just one full scholarship”) and creative editing alters every scene.  (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Last Best Kiss, by Claire LaZebnik (book review) – can love overcome memories?

May2

bool cover of The Last Best Kiss by Claire LaZebnik published by Harper TeenBeing true to yourself or
Staying stylish and popular.
How far should you go to keep up an image?

Anna figures out that kissing short and nerdy Finn privately, yet telling people publicly that they’re “just friends” was the wrong thing to do – too late.

When Finn’s parents’ travels bring him back to California in a taller, cooler version, she realizes what she lost in 9th grade. But is it too late to try again?

Find this new paperback retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion today at your favorite local library or independent bookstore for a great sunny days read.

**kmm

Book info: Last Best Kiss / Claire LaZebnik. Harper Teen, 2014. [author site]  [publisher site]   Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Anna’s secret relationship with a nerdy freshman ended badly. When he moves back as a hunky senior, can she stand being ‘just friends’ with Finn, realizing what she’s lost?

As a popular 9th grader, it was just easier for Anna to keep quiet about her dates with Finn, then he moved before she could apologize.  Senior year sees him back at their California high school, a tech-apps genius whose slimmed-down, hipster good looks attract lots of girls, including Anna’s best friend Lily.

Considering her ever-absent mom, self-absorbed dad in a weird new relationship, two sisters in college (one happy, one crushed after her girlfriend’s family reviles her), it’s no wonder that Anna really wants someone to care about her and wants that someone to be Finn.

The art teacher pressures her to include something outside her signature style in her college application portfolio, Wade from another school is on the scene now, and a road trip to the new music festival promoted by Lily and Hilary’s dad goes completely crazy.

(One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Y is YA authors saying Break These Rules (book review) – speak up, stand out, be yourself!

Apr29

book cover of Break These Rules: 35 YA Authors on Speaking Up, Standing Out, and Being Yourself edited by Luke Reynolds published by Chicago Review Press“It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
“Always know where you’re going.”
“Dress appropriately.”

No!

Here are 35 “life rules” to question, with the help of great YA authors from Lisa Schroeder (The Day Before – my review here) to Francisco X. Stork (The Last Summer of the Death Warriors – my review here) sharing their personal stories in essays calling us to Break These Rules.

If your favorite local library or independent bookstore doesn’t have Break These Rules  on the shelf, ask them to get it – advice from these 35 noted YA authors is priceless!

**kmm

Book info: Break These Rules: 35 YA Authors on Speaking Up, Standing Out, and Being Yourself / edited by Luke Reynolds. Chicago Review Press, 2013. [editor’s blog]  [publisher site]  Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher, via Shelf Awareness.

My book talk: Trying to follow the many “life rules” stated by parents and society can get in the way of living, so 35 young adult authors share ways to Break These Rules  to let yourself speak up, stand out, and be yourself.

Sara Zarr says that “Never talk about religion” can keep us out of “the full range of cultural conversation about faith, which has shaped world history for millenia” (pg. 57), while Lisa Schroeder notes that family advice to “Follow the money, not your heart” for your profession reflects their worries about you taking chances.

Society may say “Pretend the dark stuff isn’t true” (Carol Lynch Williams), “Be normal” (Jen Neilsen), and “Always know where you’re going” (Brian Yansky), but bowing to the demands “Go to college after high school” (Chris Barton), “Don’t daydream” (Wendy Mass) or “Always sit in your assigned seat” (Lyn Miller-Lachman) can stifle your authentic self.

Thinking about which life rules to keep or to break is why this book was created. As editor Luke Reynolds puts it: “Here are 35 rules that you can start breaking right now in order to discover how different from everyone else you can be. And, you might just discover how good it feels to be exactly like you.”  (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

N for Noggin, by John Corey Whaley (book review) – frozen 5 years, what’s new?

Apr16

book cover of Noggin by John Corey Whaley published by Atheneum Books for Young ReadersTime stood still for him;
Five years passed while he slept…

Head transplants, lost love, and faltering friendships – well, not everything about the near future is different from today.

Travis really has to use his Noggin  to cope with all the changes in his friends, family, and world which happened while his head was in cryogenic storage.

Would you have yourself frozen in hopes that future medicine could save you?
**kmm

Book info: Noggin / John Corey Whaley. Atheneum Books, 2014. [author site] [publisher site] [book trailer] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: His head frozen for five years, Travis awakens with another guy’s body, the same high school schedule, and big questions about his girlfriend, his best friend, and life-the-second-time-around.

The head-freezing thing was experimental, trying to save the sixteen year old when cancer ravaged his body. His family, friends and girlfriend are attempting to move on with their lives when – much sooner than anticipated – medical technology reattaches his head to a donor body .

Fan mail (and some hate mail) floods in – is he a medical miracle, a messiah, a devil?
Travis wakes up expecting Cate to be his girlfriend, but she’s at college now, engaged to someone else.

Trying to win back Cate’s affections, go back to normal kidding-around with Kyle, and get used to his taller donor body, Travis wonders how he’ll make the most of his second chance at life in this funny and emotional sci-fi book. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

B is being a Little Fish, by Ramsey Beyer (book review) – art school graphic novel

Apr2

book cover of Little Fish by Ramsey Beyer published by Zest BooksSmall-town art dreams,
Big-city college realities,
Can she really make it in art school?

Opening her memorabilia box filled with journals, ‘zines, sketches and lists from freshman year of art school inspired Ramsey to tell her own story in this graphic novel of self-discovery.

What scares you about starting something new?
**kmm

Book info: Little Fish: a Memoir From a Different Kind of Year / Ramsey Beyer. Zest Books, 2013.  [author site]  [publisher site]  Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: After graduation, Ramsey is oh-so ready to leave her small Michigan town for art school in Baltimore… isn’t she?

This graphic novel uses pages from the young artist’s actual journals, lists, ‘zines, and cartoons to show how she conquered her freshman fears to make friends, explore her new city, and expand her personal and artistic horizons in this memoir chronicling ups, downs, detours, discoveries, and distractions. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Grammar Girl Presents the Ultimate Writing Guide for Students, by Mignon Fogarty (book review)

Mar26

book cover of Grammar Girl Presents the Ultimate Writing Guide for Students by Mignon Fogarty published by St Martins GriffinBetween or among?
There, their, they’re?
I wonder if an indirect question needs a question mark.

Ah, springtime and term papers… what a crazy combination! You can keep the red editing marks from marring your work by consulting a friendly voice in the writing wilderness: Grammar Girl.

Among Mignon Fogarty’s many helpful books on writing, grammar, and word usage is Grammar Girl Presents the Ultimate Writing Guide for Students. Check it out at your local library, then buy your own personal copy from your favorite indie bookstore.

Now, about when to use as versus like…
**kmm

Book info: Grammar Girl Presents the Ultimate Writing Guide for Students / Mignon Fogarty; illustrations by Erwin Haya. St. Martins Griffin, 2011.  [author site]  [publisher site]   Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Whether you’re writing a school report or fanfic with a twist, knowing how to use grammar properly will ensure that you are truly understood. Mignon Fogarty brings her trademark clarity to student writing with this fun and funny guide.

Revisit parts of speech and sentence types, “punch up your punctuation” (how do those quotation marks mix with the rest?), and dive into the whole editing/rewriting process with Grammar Girl’s easy-reading mix of explanations, writing samples, pop quizzes, and Quick and Dirty Tips (like when to use they’re, their, or there).

Aardvark and his pet snail Squiggly act out key concepts for visual reinforcements, and the written examples can be hilarious: “Squiggly presumed that Grammar Girl would flinch when she saw the word misspelled as alot.”

To improve your writing and laugh along the way, get a copy of Grammar Girl Presents the Ultimate Writing Guide for Students now – your readers and teachers will thank you! (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Ask Again Later, by Liz Czukas (book review) – 1 prom, 2 dates, too crazy!

Mar21

book cover of Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas published by Harper TeenHelp out the shy tech guy with a secret?
Console the newly-dumped jock senior?
Stick to the “No Drama Prom-a” plan with her pals?

When even the Magic 8 Ball can’t tell Heart which Prom date to choose, she just flips a coin!

Discover which date she goes with and why the junior avoids all romantic relationships in this fun read.

Would you allow a coin toss to decide something with potentially huge consequences?
**kmm

Book info: Ask Again Later / Liz Czukas. Harper Teen, 2014.  [author site]  [publisher site]  Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Flipping a coin to choose her prom date gives Heart two very different evenings, certainly not the “No Drama Prom-a” that she’d expected!

Her theater pals know she doesn’t do relationships since her teen-mom walked out when Heart was a baby, so they all planned to dance at Prom as a group of friends – no pressure.

But shy Ryan from backstage asks her to be his date, since his parents don’t know he’s gay (in fact, Heart is the first person he’s told) – how sweet!

Then her big brother’s best friend gets dumped, so Phil wants Heart to go with Troy the jock – it’s his senior Prom, after all.

She can’t decide who to go with, the Magic 8 Ball is on the fence, so she finally flips a coin and…

Will her drama friends, especially pianist “Schroeder” who calls her “Spleen” instead of Heart, be okay if she chooses one of the guys? They did ask her first, sort of…

Alternating chapters detail Prom Night as Ryan’s date (amazing tux) and as Troy’s date (those seniors sure do drink hard) – will Heart and her vintage dress survive it all or will Prom win? (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)