Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (Audio performed by Blair Brown) Date Read: May 1st (out of 5 possible ivy leaves) Rereading Number the Stars, I'm struck by what a simple, straightforward plot this is. The writing is every bit as clean too. Also, I'm bemused once again by the fact that a book that's taken a primary slot in the roster of holocaust literature for children doesn't actually deal with the holocaust itself. Which is just right for its intended audience.
	Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff (8th grade and up) Date Read: May 2nd I was probably in high school the first time I read Make Lemonade, and as far as I can remember it was the first verse novel I'd ever read. I'm not sure I knew what to make of it then, but I do know the characters have stuck with me ever since. Now, taking a second look after reading the conclusion to the trilogy, it's amazing to see how much Virginia Euwer Wolff can convey about the characters and the setting in such sparse prose, without ever assigning them to a particular place or culture. I wonder if that's something she did consciously from the start, or if the ambiguity just happened?
	The Touch of Magic by Lorena A. Hickok (Adult biography) Date Read: May 2nd Bluh. Stuck with this out of old fashioned stubbornness, mostly because it seems like a person as interested in Annie Sullivan as I am ought to have read all the basics. Which means my tenacity has earned me the right to complain with legitimacy. While there aren't many outright mistakes, it's clear to me that this is as much "story" as biography. The sources Hickok credits in her introduction simply don't contain the level of detail included in this book; a great many of the events have been fleshed out with the help of the author's imagination. Not outlandishly, mind you, but enough that in my opinion it's a little slippery to label Hickock's work as non-fiction. As far as this biography snob is concerned, Nella Braddy Henney's Anne Sullivan Macy is far superior, and Kim Nielsen's recent Beyond the Miracle Worker tops them both.
	The Good Master by Kate Seredy (4th grade and up) Date Read: May 6th Decidedly old fashioned, yet irresistible. Readers of Caddie Woodlawn and Laura Ingalls Wilder will find a familiar flavor here, and somehow I couldn't help also thinking of some of the later Shirley Temple movies - spry and direct, though without the gushy sentimentality. Thanks to Jan Curtis at the deAngeli Library in Lapeer for foisting this classic on me; I never would have found it alone.
	When Dad Killed Mom by Julius Lester (High school) Date Read: May 8th A compelling story, yet not one that made a big dent in me emotionally. The split perspectives make for a sly way of encircling the whole story, and Lester differentiates nicely between Jenna and Jeremy's voices. It's tempting to call the plot far fetched, but for Pete's sake, things like this don't happen unless something (and/or somebody) is seriously out of whack.
	Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (Audio performed by Mandy Siegfried) Date Read: May 9th Funny thing about audiobooks - much as I enjoy them as a way to revisit old favorites, now and then I run across a story that sounds better in my head than it does on tape. The reader didn't do anything to irritate me (in fact, I appreciated hearing Melinda speaking in a real-live teenage voice) but apparently I prefer the tones and emphasis of my own internal interpretation.
	Fire by Kristin Cashore (8th grade and up) Date Read: May 10th Perhaps I can finally admit this publicly: I wasn't as crazy about Graceling as the rest of you were. A rip-roaring good read, no question about that, but I wasn't head-over-heels for Katsa's story. But now there is Fire, and this time, I am officially in love. Kristin Cashore, you are my new literary crush. You probably recall that my default attitude when it comes to pre-/sequels is that of a first-class ass? I may have to recant. Fire is precisely the right combination of familiar and fresh, and I did not want it to end. Where Graceling blazed, Fire smolders. Richer, deeper... What? You want to know about the plot? Pfft. I can't be expected to trifle with minor details like plot when I'm gushing. Suffice it to say that if you loved Graceling, I cannot begin to imagine how Fire could disappoint you. Okay fine, one hint: Leck. (Available in October)
	Forest Born by Shannon Hale (Middle school) Date Read: May 14th This book...I took four days to read it. FOUR. The first day I burrowed into the loft of the Wendy House and drifted off to sleep holding it like a doll after a few dozen pages. The second day I skipped altogether, hoarding the pleasure. On the third day I took a few more sips, and on the fourth I finally caved and read through to the end in a gulp. Of course the story is as delightful as ever, everything you could want from a Bayern book in the way of plot and characters, but it's the way Shannon Hale chooses and arranges her words that sends me into unabashed fits of bookswoon. It's so lush and distinctive and downright delicious. When I grow up, I want to be able to use words like that. Until then, I will satisfy myself with reading every last book Shannon Hale's ever written. Twice. (Available in September)
	Also Known as Harper by Ann Hayward Leal (4th grade and up) Date Read: May 15th The bad news: I have cultivated a small attitude about fictional characters who go starry-eyed over language and poetry. Characters... erm...like Harper Lee Morgan. Which means I came to this story with a chip on my shoulder. The good news: Despite my ambivalence toward her beloved poetry notebook, Harper's got such a voice that she squelched my prejudice down to a weak mewl for the length of the book. Besides, there's plenty for Harper to wrangle aside from getting into the school poetry contest: nosy Winne Rae Early, eviction, an alcoholic father, lingering grief over a dead baby sister. Yikes, right? But that plucky voice of hers keeps things from drooping too low, and even a grouch like me can't pretend this isn't a well-written book.
	The Miles Between by Mary E. Pearson (8th grade and up) Date Read: May 16th I am not going to tell you one concrete thing about this plot. You don't need to know anything. Just climb aboard and join the ride. If you've read Mary Pearson's last book, you're likely bracing for a surprise already. Wait for it... ...wait for it... ...you won't be disappointed. I, for one, am grinning and immensely satisfied. (Available in September)
	The Indigo Notebook by Laura Resau (8th grade and up) Date Read: May 20th Setting in an under-represented culture? Check. Multi-textured characters? Check. (Specifically: Appealing male companion/love interest, and captivating earth mother? Check.) A dash of the mystical/metaphysical? Check. Unique plot? Check. That's pretty much everything I look for in a Laura Resau book. (Available in October)
	The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson (Audio performed by Jenna Lamia) Date Read: May 22nd Hard to imagine, but some books get even better the second time around. Especially stealthy books like this, where you can zoom in and watch how deftly the author plays her hand once you're in on how things work out in the end.
	Ash by Malinda Lo (8th grade and up) Date Read: May 25th Disclaimer: The longer I think about it, the more sorry I am that I wasn't paying more attention when I read Ash. (Excuses: Grandpa's stroke, Mom's cataract surgery, and visitors from Germany. All at once.) Despite my distractions, I couldn't escape noticing some pretty interesting stuff - not least of all the fact that this is a lesbian retelling of Cinderella. Yet Aisling's developing affection for the huntress, while not exactly run of the mill, isn't treated as an earth-shattering revelation. Refreshing, that. Add to it the usual intrigues that come with retellings, like how the plot adheres or diverts from the original, and how much traditional (in this case Irish) folklore and culture find their way into the story, and this is a tale that promises to raise eyebrows. (Available in September)
	Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr (Middle school and up) Date Read: May 27th From the publisher: Samara Taylor used to believe in miracles. She used to believe in a lot of things. As a pastor's kid, it's hard not to buy in to the idea of the perfect family, a loving God, and amazing grace. But lately, Sam has a lot of reason to doubt. Her mother lands in rehab after a DUI and her father seems more interested in his congregation than his family. When a young girl in her small town is kidnapped, the local tragedy overlaps with Sam's personal one, and the already-worn thread of faith holding her together begins to unravel. Sometimes a book HITS THE SPOT, and boy howdy, this was one of those times. Plain and simple: Sara Zarr knows what it's like on the inside when things suck. Regardless of the circumstances, just about anyone who's ever felt their world disintegrating under their feet will bond with Samara by page three. However, this is not one long vicarious wallow in self-pity -- that's where the kidnapping comes in. Once that community tragedy strikes, the mystery takes over, because Sara Zarr also knows how to toy with suspense and suspicion until her readers squirm. (Even though I was sure I knew who'd done it, I managed to fall for more than one red herring.) And all the while, the emotional stakes keep rising... Bottom line: This book is true right down in its gut, and I'm not alone in saying it's Sara Zarr's best yet. (Available in October)
	The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman (Audio performed by Jenny Sterlin) Date Read: May 29th Thoughts on rereading: After prowling around in the minds of so many characters via first person narratives, it's darn near startling to return to a story in which the narrator is initially so detached from the character. And it works. Perhaps because as Alyce comes into herself, the reader is also allowed to creep closer and closer into her developing thoughts and personality.
	The River by Mary Jane Beaufrand (High school) Date Read: May 31st How I managed to sabotage my own reaction to The River: 1. Picked up this novel about a murdered child *immediately* after Once Was Lost (about a missing child) even though I knew my mind would default to comparison-mode instead of letting me read for pleasure. 2. Snuck a peek at the acknowledgements (usually safe territory) and found an unexpected spoiler that deflated the suspense entirely. Yay me. If ever I meet Mary Jane Beaufrand, I'll probably think of this literary mishap and cringe. Maybe if I gush enough about Primavera she'll forgive me. (Available in February)