Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins

In a small town in the summer, a group of fourteen-year-old friends find new discoveries in everyday occurrences.  Each with their own tale to tell, the lives of Debbie, Patty, Lenny, Hector, and Phil wind in and out of each others' stories.   In the midst of it all, they come together each week to listen to the radio show "Criss-Cross" in the cab of Lenny's dad's truck.  This is a great piece of realistic fiction about growing up.  I liked it reading it now, and I think I would have loved it reading it when I was in middle school.  I admire Hector's goofy self-confidence; he wore a grass skirt to a luau for goodness sake!  I was also impressed with Lenny's mechanical genius.  Most of all, I enjoyed following Debbie as she learns that she is not as ordinary and boring as she thinks.

This is not a book for every reader.  If you like a lot of action or mystery, you will not find it here.  There is no fantasy or science fiction.  It takes place in the 1970s, but there is not enough to classify it as historical fiction.  However, if you are worried that a book that follows a couple teenagers around for a summer can't hold your interest (you are living it after all), it works hard to keep the pace up.  This book is realistic fiction to its core, and that endorsement will hold its own value for many readers.  As the title suggests, the plot line criss-crosses between each of the characters and back again; they each get their own chance at the limelight.  The writing style switches it up every now again, too, criss-crossing between styles.  Just frequently enough to keep you on your toes, you will encounter a chapter presented like a script; or perhaps in a question and answer format; there is even a chapter of haikus.
Here is my haiku in honor of Criss Cross:

Ordinary days
More exciting than they seem
Fun at every turn.

 Stats: 
(c) 2005       Publisher:  Greenwillow Books     Number of Pages:  337     Awards:  Newberry Medal Winner

Heartbeat by Sharon Creech

I do not really like running, but I do like the idea of running.  I am not a very good runner, but I can certainly understand the way that Annie feels about it.  She loves running.  This is different from liking something.  Liking is for things like weekends and televisions.  Loving is for things like her grandpa, laughter, and running.  She is not running in order to get somewhere, like her best friend Max.  Annie likes to run barefoot through the town and park where she feels free.  Sometimes I want to break out in a run for these very same reasons.  Some people feel this way when they paint or write or sing or swing a baseball bat.  We all need something, though that lets us free our minds and focus on what is important.

Max is Annie's best friend and running partner, her "sideways shadow."  Though he runs barefoot, too, he runs for completely different reasons.  For Max, his running feet are his tickets out of town.  He wants to make it big, and running is how he plans to do it.  He wants Annie to join the track team with him, but she can't see the point in running around in circles ... in a "herd"... with shoes on ... just to win a medal.

Annie's 7th grade school year is full of changing relationships.  Her relationship with Max is strained over their different viewpoints; her relationship with her grandfather shifts as he begins to lose his memory; her family relationships change as a new baby is welcomed into their home.  Her relationship with running, though, remains constant, keeping her heart strong no matter what changes she may face.  Heartbeat is a novel in verse that lets you run right along side Annie through all the hills and valleys of her 7th grade year.

(c) 2004          Publisher:  Harper Collins          Pages:  180

Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis

I was recommending this book to everyone I came across when I first finished reading it!  In Elijah of Buxton, Elijah is an eleven year old boy who is seen as "fra-gile" and extremely gullible.  He also happens to be the first child to be born free in Buxton, Canada - a town for runaway slaves.  It's kind of a big deal!  When he was born, Fredrick Douglass even came to give a big speech ... until Elijah threw up all over him.  Now its time for him to start growing up.  Elijah may have been born free, but he and his best friend, Cooter, are starting to realize some of the realities slavery.  He even ends up going backwards down the underground railway and ends up a hero!  I'm not going to ruin the surprise for you, but you should definitely try this book.  In addition to being an exciting and well-written story, I loved how the characters speak in their own unique dialect.  You may recognize the author, Christopher Paul Curtis, from some other great books like Bud, not Buddy and The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963, and Bucking the Sarge.  If you enjoyed those books, I bet you will enjoy this one, too!

Stats: 
(c) 2007       Publisher:  Scholastic     Number of Pages:  341    
Awards:  Newberry Honor Book, Coretta Scott King Award, Scott O'Dell Award, ALA Notable Book, CLA Book of the Year

Black History Month

February is Black History Month!  Carter G. Woodson was one of the first to organize this remembrance back in 1926 as a week long event.  February was chosen because it is the birth month of two important figures in African-American History:  Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.  This month, the Young Adult Bookshelf would like to join our nation in placing a special spotlight on this important element of American History.  Each week we will take a closer look at a great young adult book that honors African American heritage.  I hope that you will join in by choosing a book along this same theme this month.  If you come across a great find; let us know!

Super Cool Extra Resources:

Click HERE to learn more about Black History Month!

Below, I've included a short clip from the local news here in Atlanta so you can see how other students are celebrating this month:

Neat Author Video!

Earlier, I reviewed the book Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan.  Today I found a neat video of the author herself reading a brief passage from the book.  Check-out the link below, and it may help you decide whether or not this book is for you!

Esperanza Rising Video

Hate That Cat by Shannon Creech

Jack is a dog kind of person.  He wants nothing to do with the creepy black cat that is sometimes waiting at his bus stop.  Once he gets to school his teacher, Mrs. Stretchberry, is going to spend the whole year on poetry.  I know that some of you may be smiling now, but many of you may be saying "Ugh!  That poor, poor boy."  Writing may not be Jack's favorite activity, but this year he has to write letters to his Language Arts teacher about what they are learning.  This book is made up entirely of Jack's letters.  Don't worry - you don't have to read the teacher's letters at all!  In the book, Jack explains that he doesn't like writing long lines, just short ones, so that's what he does.  Some times lines have just
one
                                        word
                                                   at
                                                         a
                                                                 time.
As Jack's random thoughts enter his letters you learn a lot about him.  He loves dogs.  His mother is deaf.  He hates cats.  Even thought his letters are written to a teacher, they are funny and sound like you are listening to one of your friends.  You will like this book if you like poetry, but you will also really like this book if you are afraid of poetry.  This would be an easy book to read over a weekend, or maybe in just one night!  I hope that you give it a shot.

Stats:
(c)  2008           Publisher:  HarperCollins            Number of Pages:  160

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

I must admit that I did not have high hopes for this book, but I can now understand why many people enjoy it.  It has action and adventure, but it is not all action and adventure.  Multiple mysteries build suspense and carry the reader along.  In the book, Eragon discovers an odd stone in the mountains near his home.  This discovery soon proves to be a dragon egg, and Eragon becomes the first in a new generation of a group called the "Dragon Riders."  In the past, the Dragon Riders had kept the kingdom safe and created peace throughout.  They have been gone for a long time, though, and the kingdom is in desperate need of a hero.  Eragon learns how to be just such a hero from Brom, his town's storyteller, who is wiser than anyone knows.  Together, Brom, Eragon, and Eragon's dragon, Saphira, set off on a journey that will change the kingdom forever.  At first, I was a little disappointed in the character of Eragon because he only seemed to want revenge for the men who hurt his family.  However, through his long and dangerous journey, Eragon soon learns that he needs to use his gifts to free and help all of his fellow countrymen from the king out to control them all.  I liked how at times Eragon and Saphira's relationship almost had the same feel as one of those "a boy and his dog books."  I also really enjoyed the character of Brom who was like a father to Eragon and the kind of mentor I think we would all like to have.  This is not the type of book I would normally choose for myself, but I am glad that I did.  I think you would like this book if you like adventure or fantasy.  Girls should not be turned off by this book just because it has action.  This story is very much about the journey more than the destination.  You would also like this book if you like to challenge yourself; it uses strong vocabulary and even some made-up words.  It is impressive that the author was only seventeen when he wrote it!  Take a look through the pages and see what you think.  You might be surprised!

Stats:
(c) 2002            Published by:  Knopf             Number of pages:  497