I am the Messenger, by Markus Zusak (audio)

(out of 5 possible ivy leaves)

The fact of the matter is, NOBODY writes like Marcus Zusak. From time to time he reminds me a teensy bit of Ray Bradbury’s style in Dandelion Wine, and then again a little bit of Julius Lester. I honestly don’t know whether I like this story or The Book Thief better. I loved the way Zusak kept pointing out the little flecks of beauty in ordinary life.

Dream Factory, by Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler
(Age 14 and up)

Good fun, especially for a Disney-freak like me.

Check out the full review on my blog.

Dramarama, by E. Lockhart
(High school)

I might as well just admit it – I thought Dramarama was going to be a lightweight. I fell for that whole book-by-its-cover thing. In fact, it's fast, it's fun, and it's definitely more than fluff. I've only ever been in two junior high stage productions, but Dramarama sure rang true to my brief theater life. Mostly, I loved seeing Demi get to be himself. And all the way through, I kept thinking, "Ritka's gonna LOVE this!"

Triangle: The Fire that Changed America, by David Von Drehle (audio)
(Adult non-fiction)

Flat-out excellent non-fiction. Detailed, plenty of backstory, yet not overloaded with tangents. I’m adding this one to my personal collection.

Triangle, by Katharine Weber
(Adult fiction)

This is so clever. Weber has subtly fictionalized many elements of the historical record – the last living survior of the Triangle fire, the key testimony in the trial – and arranged them all into a mystery to explain the locked door on the 9th floor of the Triangle factory. My only complaint? I want to hear George's composition! That, and I wish there was an author's note to explain what had been altered. I'd just read David Von Drehle's non-fiction history of the fire, so the borders between fact and fiction were pretty clear to me, but I think most of it would slip by the average Joe.

Hear My Sorrow, by Deborah Hopkinson
(Ages 9-12)

This might be the best children's fiction of my Triangle factory fire marathon. Hopkinson manages to include just about every important facet of the tragedy - the immigrant experience, sweatshops, tenement living, the 1909 "uprising of the 20,000"and the fire itself - all while giving a nice depth to her main character.

The Castle Corona, by Sharon Creech
(Ages 9 and up)

I'm not sure what I think of Castle Corona. There's certainly nothing wrong with it, but it just didn't hit me. I wonder if this is how some people feel about The Tale of Despereaux? Even though Creech was modeling this story after the traditional fairy tale style, it seemed to me that more 'show' and less 'tell' would have made the story more engaging. On the other hand, I have to admit that I took far too long to read Castle Corona, so my reading experience probably suffered from a lack of continuity.

Traitor's Gate, by Avi
(Ages 10 and up)

Not long into this, I gave up on trying to unravel the mystery and just cruised along for the ride. It's a fine puzzle, but I've never been a very good unraveler. At any rate, historical settings with a hint of the mysterious are what I like best from Avi. I didn't care much for the extensive use of italics for emphasis, but that's a quirk of mine. As far as I'm concerned, the only author who can get away with heaps of italics is Terry Pratchett.

Hush, by Donna Jo Napoli
(Ages 12 and up)

It's no secret that I love Donna Jo's books. All of them. So it goes without saying that I loved this one, too - but not just on principle. I love Irish stories, and the notion of selective mutism fascinates me.

Lottery, by Patricia Wood
(Adult fiction)

THE best (grown-up) book I've read in ages.

Do not let this one slip by you this summer.

Read more of my ravings here.

Beige, by Cecil Castellucci
(Ages 14 and up)

I don't know a darn thing about punk music, so Beige and I got along just fine. This is all-around good reading - for punk junkies and music nitwits alike. (I'm not even going to tell you how long it took me to figure out that the chapter titles are also names of songs. Yes, I'm that ignorant.)

Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher
(Ages 14 and up)

Chris Crutcher’s cover blurb says it all: "Very clever premise, strong voice, perfect suspense. This one will keep you reading. Jay Asher is a fine storyteller."

It is indeed that good, and compelling as all get-out.

Me and the Pumpkin Queen, by Marlane Kennedy
(Ages 9 to 12)

This is one little sweetheart of a chapter book. To steal a word from the excellent Kirkus review, Mildred is a perfectly "winsome" character with a peppy, determined voice you can’t help falling for.

Comparisons to Joan Bauer's Squashed are bound to crop up, and I want to be the first to say this story is every bit as good.

Middle of Somewhere, by J.B. Cheaney
(Ages 10 - 12)

Maybe I liked this just because I've done more than my fair share of RV traveling, but I sure got a kick out of it, no matter the reason. Veronica's little brother's hijinks are more than enough to keep a kid reading. It's also nice to see a story in which coping with ADD doesn’t dominate the entire plot.

Love, Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli
(Ages 12 and up)

A worthy companion to Stargirl, this is essentially a story about how Stargirl heals herself after all the nasty hullabaloo at Mica High. It's quieter, more introspective, yet still peopled with wonderfully quirky characters. I think Love, Stargirl is likely to appeal most to readers who loved the character of Stargirl as much as the book itself.

Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks of Nature, by Robin Brande
(Ages 14 and up)

One of my top three children's/YA books of the summer.

Read my full review in the March 8th online edition of Publisher's Weekly Children's Bookshelf. (Look in "Galley Talk," just to the right of the photo of the fabulous Helen Mirren.)

Deadline, by Chris Crutcher
(Ages 14 and up)

This one hit me right in a tender spot. My family’s been through this sort of thing, and I can tell you, Crutcher's got it right. My little blurb from Chris’s website: "DEADLINE has everything I love in a Chris Crutcher book -- laugh-out-loud wit, a hero with gumption and attitude, and a couple good swift hits in the gut."

Elijah of Buxton, by Christopher Paul Curtis
(Ages 12 and up)

Elijah himself may have been a little too naïve to be true, and the plot may have been a little slow to get rolling, but the real value of this book is in the rare glimpse it gives into the aftermath of slavery, and its effects on former slaves. This is a community of broken, wounded people, trying hard to make life better. As in Watsons, Curtis gives plenty to guffaw over in the early part of the story, then pulls the rug out from under his readers with the consequences of racism. The dialect may put off some readers, but this will make one fine read-aloud/audio book with the right performer.

Nobody's Princess, by Esther Friesner
(Ages 12 and up)

Never mind what you may or may not know about Helen of Troy to start with, this is just a darn good feisty princess sort of story.

A Year Without "Made in China" by Sara Bongiorni
(Adult fiction)

Interesting, informative, and fun, though I wouldn't have minded more zip to the narrative.

(Yes, my shoes are made in China. So are yours, I bet.)

Uprising, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
(Ages 12 and up)

Haddix focuses on three composite characters to tell the story of the Triangle factory fire: a Jewish union member, an Italian shop worker, and a poor little rich girl in support of workers' rights. While this approach gives an excellent overall view of the Triangle fire and the strike that preceded it, I found that the rotating perspectives made it harder for me to connect with the individual characters.