Happy summer vacation everyone – what a crazy heat wave this week!
Stay cool by staying indoors (we have air conditioning at the library) or poolside with a new book.
Here’s what I’ve read recently:
Firecracker by David Iserson.
“Forced to attend public school after being expelled from her elite private school, Astrid earns the enmity of her new peers as a result of her biting wit and competitive worldview until fellow misfits teach her a harsh but redemptive lesson in humility.”
Oh, I loved “meeting” Astrid Krieger. What a memorable character! She lives on her parents’ estate in an abandoned rocket ship. Her only ally in life is her richer-than-rich politician grandfather. Her family history is littered with evil people and crooks who have managed to acquire massive amounts of wealth through questionable actions like building nuclear warheads. But she is a proud, quirky, intelligent force to be reckoned with. So how did she get kicked out of her elite private school? Someone in her circle of…acquaintances (she doesn’t really have friends) has betrayed her. Now she’s stuck dealing with *gasp* public school. How she handles the challenge will leave you laughing and rooting for her to just keep on being Astrid.
The author, David Iserson, had written for SNL and the show New Girl, so you definitely see a similar comedic tone in his writing here.
Winger by Andrew Smith.
Whoa, how’s THAT for an interesting book cover?
“Two years younger than his classmates at a prestigious boarding school, 14-year-old Ryan Dean West grapples with living in Opportunity Hall, the dorm for troublemakers; falling for his female best friend who thinks of him as just a kid; and playing wing on the Varsity rugby team with some of his frightening new dormmates, including the biggest bully on the team.”
Ryan Dean needs a hug. If the hug come attached to one of his many female crushes, all the better. He is a smart, artistic and athletic teen who has gotten into some shenanigans in the past, and the consequence of his actions is that he’s stuck in a new dorm in O Hall with some bigger, tougher, meaner guys. Yes, he’s a cute guy, as in “little boy” cute, which doesn’t cut it with the ladies. Oh sure, who doesn’t want a hug from a hottie? Not if the hug is the kind you’d give to your little brother. You will want to read on to see if he’ll ever fit in with the new dormmates or if he ever gets to go out with his best friend, Annie, for a real date. The book is sprinkled throughout with great cartoon illustrations and is a lot of fun.
Stay cool out there,
Sharon Long
Teen Services Librarian