What My Mother Doesn't Know

Author: Sanya Sones

Publication: New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Pub. Date: 2001

ISBN: 0689841140

Pages: 259

Summary: 15-year-old Sophie describes her relationships with family, friends, and a series of boyfriends as she searches for Mr. Right.

Major Characters: Sophie, her mother, Grace and Rachel (Sophie's friends), Murphy (a classmate)

Comments: Typical hormonal, teenage angst, but with a bit of humour. The book's originality and main drawing point comes from the form in which it is written. The story is told in verse, and the poetry changes according to Sophie's mood. Each poem describes a new event or emotion she is experiencing. The book is very quick, and easy to read, yet it is still entertaining. As such, I recommend it as good choice for reluctant readers.

Genre: Realistic fiction

Age Level: 14+

Rating: 4/5

Chasing Vermeer

Author: Blue Balliett

Illustrator: Brett Hellquist

Publication: New York: Scholastic Press

Pub. Date: 2004

ISBN: 0439372941

Pages: 254

Summary: When seemingly unrelated and strange events start to happen and a precious Vermeer painting disappears, eleven-year-olds Petra and Calder combine their talents to solve an international art scandal.

Major Characters: Petra Andalee, Calder Pillay, Ms. Isabel Hussey (their teacher), Mrs. Louise Sharpe (their neighbour)

Comments: This a highly unusual, yet entertaining book. Although the main characters are a little young for a traditional young adult novel, they act a lot older than they are. The story has a little bit of everything - supernatural phenomena, mysterious letters, and a daring art theft. It is more intelligent plot than most, and opportunities are given for the reader to decipher codes and to look for patterns in pictures. It is a very interactive book, and therefore, difficult to put down.

Genre: Mystery

Age Level: 10+

Rating: 5/5

Daniel Half-human and the Good Nazi

Author: David Chotjewitz (trans. by Doris Orgel)

Publication: New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Pub. Date: 2004

ISBN: 0689857470

Pages: 298

Summary: In 1933, best friends Armin and Daniel admire Hitler and want nothing more than to join the Hitler youth. As anti-Semitism bouys Hitler to power though, life in their beloved Hamburg becomes nightmarish. The situation becomes even worse when Daniel learns that he is half-Jewish, and Armin has to choose between his friend and the Nazis. Interspersed chapters reveal details about Daniel and Armin's reunion in 1945.

Major Characters: Daniel Krushaar, Armin Hillmann

Comments: In this book Chotjewitz does an amazing job of illustrating how the Jews went from being respected members of society to being treated like animals. To do this, he successfully builds the tension between friends and family members. Although the story has some pretty tense moments, this is not one for teens who are looking for high adventure and intrigue. The appeal of the story lies in the psychological battles that each character has to endure. Selected as a Batchelder Honor Book.

Genre: Historical Fiction

Age Level: 14+

Rating: 4/5

The Courtesan's Daughter

Author: Priscilla Galloway

Publication: Toronto: Penguin Canada

Pub. Date: 2002

ISBN: 0-14-3015044

Pages: 259

Summary: Phano is a 14-year-old free citizen of Athens, but her stepmother's former master, Phrynion, says she is a slave who belongs to him. One day he kidnaps her and tries to sell her to an acquaintance. Theo, the young nobleman, listens to her pleas and agrees to take her case to court. During the legal proceedings Theo and Phano fall in love, but Phrynion refuses to give up without a fight. Phano's way of life and everything she thought she knew about herself are brought into question.

Major Characters: Phano, Nera (her stepmother), Theo, Phrynion

Comments: An exciting plot, combined with Phano's blunt, wise-beyond-her-years personal narrative, make this book an enjoyable look at Ancient Greece, although it will be more appealing for younger readers.

Genre: Historical fiction

Age Level: 12+

Ranking: 3/5

Re-open-ed Book

Well, after a brief hiatus, I am back to add some more posts to this blog. I don't think anyone actually reads it, but I find it fun, so if there are one or two of you who have managed to find this site, kudos to you. Here are some more reviews for you to read. I have also decided to introduce a new element to the blog, which is a ranking system. It will help you to better determine which books I liked the best. The rankings fall from 1 (low) to 5 (high) on the chocolate scale. What is the chocolate scale, you ask? See the legend below:

1. Dollar-store chocolate: Enough to satisfy a craving but tastes more like wax than chocolate.
2. Baker's chocolate: Tastes pretty bitter until you bake it with something.
3. Hershey's Chocolate Bar: Good chocolate taste, but pretty plain.
4. Swiss chocolate: Excellent taste. A leader among its peers.
5. Chocolate ice-cream brownie sundae with chocolate chips and chocolate sauce: A treat with all the extras that make it truly amazing.

Hopefully that's clear enough. As before, my entries will continue to be sporadic, but I have built up enough entries now that my postings should be fairly frequent. Enjoy!