Crispin: The Cross of Lead by AVI

England, 1377. A boy only known as "Asta's Boy" from his mother's name, leads a simple impoverished existence. Then, one day, after his mother dies, he overhears a clandestine conversation with the town steward and a stranger. After his discovery by the pair, he is declared a "Wolf's Head" and his life is forever altered. For any citizen can kill a Wolf's Head since he is no longer considered a person, but a wild animal to be eliminated for the safety of the town. After finding the town's Priest informs him that his name is Crispin and presents him with his mother's lead cross with an inscription on it he cannot read (since he's never learned to read) he makes his escape by night. Before long he encounters a huge man with a grizzled red beard, and sets off to the region's main city where he learns to read, juggle and wield a dagger for his own protection in the dangerous late middle aged world.

Merit: The third Newbery winner by the author.
Appeal: Written in first person for tight association with the title character.

By the Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead by Julie Ann Peters

Daelyn Rice is sharing the last 23 days of her life with us. She chronicles the time at her new Catholic Parochial school, her history of bullying at the hands of fellow students--and to her way of thinking, adults and camp counselors as well--and her reasons for pursuing her own death at her own hands--again. But she also encounters a couple of new acquaintances (for she refuses to believe that anyone can be trusted enough to ever have a friend) who cause her to re-evaluate her situation and its meaning.

Peters takes us into the horrifying mind of a suicidal teenager girl as she maneuvers herself through her last days in a neck brace and no ability to vocalize due to a prior suicide attempt. This provides her with an isolation that she cherishes and protects. It is a disturbing story, but one which forces the reader to consider the weighty and important issues of bullying, love, and suicide.

Empathy can either be generated or not, depending on the reader. Answers are left entirely to the reader.

Merit: Honest and thought-provoking. Well written from a teen perspective.
Share: Perhaps not at all. Better to be aware of the work and only recommend it upon specific request.
Appeal: Might be just the thing to get people to think about the factors and impact of suicide and get one thinking about ways to deal with bullicide.

Secret Soldier: The Story of Deborah Sampson by Ann McGovern & Harold Goodmin (Ill)

This transitional book provides highlights of the life of Deborah Sampson, an historical figure who posed as a male in order to enable her to enlist in the Continental Army during America's Revolutionary War during 1781 & 1782. Born in 1760 to a family which couldn't afford to keep her, she was sold into indentured servitude at the age of 10. After completing her obligations, she masqueraded as a man, but was eventually found out when she passed out from the fever in the second of her 3 year stint in the army. She then went on to marry a farmer and eventually went on a lecture circuit about her experience and express her anti-war sentiments, the first woman to lecture professionally from 1801 to 1803. She died in 1827 in Sharon, Massachusetts.

She was in Philadelphia during one of the Yellow Fever epidemics as well.

Merit: Good transitional material for a beginning reader due to wide margins and large typeface. Interesting factual story told in an interesting fashion with 2-color illustrations.
Share: Read aloud or beginning reader.
Appeal: Of interest to girls as informative about female life in colonial America.

Rollercoaster by Narinder Dhami & Derek Brazell (Ill)

A picture book which could also serve as a beginning reader due to its use of whitespace and simple vocabulary, It tells the story of a boy, Mickey, who goes to the amusement park with his friends and their dad. They talk of nothing but riding the rollercoaster, which Mickey is afraid of. He doesn't want to tell them of his fear, thinking they would laugh at him. But when a stranger gives them free tickets to ride the rollercoaster as many times as they want after Mickey saves his daughter from a mishap on the Merry-Go-Round, he doesn't feel that he can dodge the issue. So he rides the coaster and determines that he's done two brave things in one day!

Merit: Simple story of facing one's fears.
Share: Read aloud or beginning reader.
Appeal: Bright colorful illustrations and common internal peer pressure.

Little Black, A Pony by Walter Farley & James Schucker (Ill)

This transitional book was published as part of the Beginner Books series by Random House following the huge success of Dr. Zuess's "The Cat in the Hat." Meant for beginning readers, it's the story of a boy on a horse farm who decides to move up to a bigger horse to prove to himself that he can handle him. This causes his favorite little pony, Little Black, to try and keep up, but can't. One wintry day, the pony runs off. The boy jumps on his bigger horse to bring him back, but they fall through the ice on the river where Little Black has crossed, and the big horse can't get back to him without breaking through the ice again.

Little Black hears the boy's shouting and returns to the river. Due to his smaller size, he can come back out onto the ice and, allowing the boy to grab his tail hair, pulls the boy to the shore & safety.

This is a simple--almost infantile--story about not getting upset about one's size, or lack thereof. A worthy story, but the book shows its age in the illustrations and the story itself. Such that one can't help but appreciate the staying power of books like "The Cat in the Hat" and "The Cat in the Hat Comes Back," which were contemporaries of this book.

Merit: Simple story with good artwork depicting country life.
Share: Read aloud or beginning readers.
Appeal: Young first-reader boys.

Pirate Potty by Samantha Berger & Amy Cartwright (Ill)

A toilet training book with an entertaining & different twist to encouraging children to transition to using the restroom. A Pirate story is told in conjunction with a sticker reward system when a successful completion is achieved. Simple and entertaining color illustrations accompany the text.

Merit: Information on the steps needed to get the job done and a reward system for positive reinforcement.
Share: Read aloud.
Appeal: All activities take place on a Pirate ship with a parrot to reiterate the instructions.

Bailey School Kids: Knights don't Teach Piano by Debbie Dadley & Marcia Thornton Jones (Ill)

Part of the Bailey School Kids series from Scholastic, this transitional reader follows the kids as they take piano lessons from a knight presented to one of the boys as a guest to his Knight-themed birthday party. After seeing suspicious things at the knight's house during a lesson, the gang decide they need to devise a plan to protect Bailey City from a suspected invasion by the knight and his fellow round table friends on horseback. Pencil drawing

Merit: Short (66 pp), simple vocabulary for transitional readers to chapter books.
Share: Read aloud or have reader to.
Appeal: Close friends working through adventures, utilizing advantages of the strengths of each member.

Amazing Journeys: Following in History's Footsteps by Ian Young

As part of the "High Five" series honoring past achievements, this book charts the historical adventures of five groups of people and discusses modern information gleaned from replicating their voyages: Marco Polo's trip to China from Italy in the 12th century; Hillary's ascent to Everest in 1953; Sir Francis Drake's trip around the globe in the Golden Hinde in the 17th century; Louis & Clark's transcontinental explorations from 1803-1806; and Amelia Earhart's attempt at circumnavigating the globe in 1937. Each rendition follows up each historical event with what we know today from courageous people following in the historical footsteps. From dispelling Polo's assertion that he went to Peking because he never mentioned the Great Wall, to honoring Amelia Earhart's ill-fated voyage, to attempting to answer whether Hillary was preceded by Mallory & Levine ten years earlier; all of these tales put up-to-date spins on all of them, bringing them into the present.

Merit: History & modern research bring the past alive.
Share: Read aloud.
Appeal: Adventurous tales, colorful photography and updated information attempting to answer some of history's most vexing questions.

Choose Your Own Adventure: Mystery of the Maya by R. A. Montgomery

One of the many publications of the Create Your Own Adventure series. In this issue, you are to pursue a good friend to the Yucatan peninsula after you've been informed that he's gone missing. Depending on your choices as you read in the book (do you take a potion that zaps your back to the sixth century, or do you go on to the ancient Chichen Itza where your friend was last seen?), you are guided to various and sundry adventures where you can learn more about Mayan civilization or the modern corruption of the Mexican Police Force.

Merit: Highly entertaining and somewhat educational with respect to the target adventure scenarios.
Share: Reading groups who can discuss their various adventure experiences in the book.
Appeal: Mostly boys in the 9-14 year age group due to adventure and, depending on the decisions made, the story can be quite quick.

Secrets of Nicholas Flamel Series (4 books so far) by Michael Scott

This series (which will eventually encompass 6 books) follows the exploits of two twins, Josh & Sophie Newman, who, as it develops, are endowed with unique auras--the metaphysical field that surrounds all sentient beings. They also discover that a couple they have known for over a year are none other than Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel, the immortal alchemist and his wife, who are both living in their seven-hundredth century. Unfortunately, they aren't the only immortals populating the Earth. Dr. John Dee, who served on the staff of Queen Elizabeth the first in the seventeenth century, is also still alive and has ambitions of ruling the planet with the aid of hidden and incarcerated beasts from the worlds nightmare and mythical past.

The story, though already in its fourth book, has progressed only a week in story time as Nicholas & Perenelle age rapidly due to having been unable to prepare the potion off of the Philosopher's Stone (renamed the Sorcerer's Stone by Harry Potter's American publishers) after the Book of Abraham, which is partially stolen by Dee in the first book. Unlike some other fantasy series, though, Josh & Sophie must contend with their own abilities almost as much as those of their foes, which introduces an interesting new twist to the series: which side should they be on? Can we really judge the trees by the fruit that they bare? An interesting twist which will no doubt keep readers wondering right up to the last chapter of the last book.

Books: 1) The Alchemyst; 2) The Magician; 3) The Sorceress; 4) The Necromancer; 5) The Warlock [due out 2011] and 6) The Enchantress [due out 2012].

Merit: Introduction to several historical characters and their environs. Easy style for any reader from 12 on.
Share: Read aloud excerpts. Book club.
Appeal: Plenty of exciting adventures with many exciting historical figures.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Stargirl is a self-confident outsider who couldn't care less what people think of her or her eccentric family. All is well until a boy, Leo, falls for her and cajoles her into trying out being more normal. At first the transformation appears to be a huge success as her entire school follows her along with her endeavors to build enthusiasm for the school football team. But all is not well in the land of Stargirl & Leo must decide haw he wants it with Stargirl: real or comfortable.

Merit: Easy to read with wonderfully strange characters and the challenge to what all of us define as "normal."
Share: Read aloud. Book list.
Appeal: A wonderful book that appeals to the oddball in all of us. You go, Stargirl!

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Stevenson's classic tale of pirates and the open sea first published in 1883. We follow the escapades of Jim Hawkins, a young boy who works at the inn with his mother, trying to make ends meet after the death of his father. One day, on old seaman wanders into the Admiral Benbow and soon draws a collection of other colorful characters in pursuit of him, along with Long John Silver, a one-legged sea salt who appears to be a nothing more offensive than a cook. Jim is recruited by the local magistrate to come along on a voyage to seek the treasure marked on a map of a distant Pacific Island. Jim reluctantly leaves his mother to see the world and experience adventure. He gets more than he bargains for when the crew mutinies and Jim finds himself barricaded in a small hut with the ship's captain and doctor.

Merit: Classic tale. The benchmark for action & adventure for the next 100 years.
Share: Mostly appealing to boys. Read aloud over time. Book list.
Appeal: Pirates on the high seas. Nuff said. Not as challenging as some of Stevenson's other books.

forever… by Judy Blume

Ms. Blume's foray into adolescent sexual exploration. Kath is a girl who finds herself attracted to Michael in more ways than one. The two of them dance around the idea of intercourse, him experienced, her not. The tale is written as first person from Kath's viewpoint. The author is fair in her portrayal of the confusion about the physical aspects and certainty of her emotional voyage. Kath is nice, but nurses a nasty side that come through without being over-the-top. We like her, but wouldn't mind being able to tell her, "Chill!" from time-to-time.

Merit: Accurate descriptions of sexual encounter without being tawdry. Good depiction of adolescent angst.
Share: Book club. Summer reading list for 14+.
Appeal: Empathetic yet believable characters, who are, by turn, delightful and spiteful.

Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes

The classic Newbery winner from 1944. It details the trials and tribulations of a young boy living during the turbulent years immediately preceding the American Revolutionary War. He's an orphan who is eventually indentured to the silversmith Paul Revere. He injures his hand in a smelting accident and must find ways to be useful to his comrades with his handicap. Loaded with patriotic indignity with the perceived injustice of the British occupation, this story provides insight into the times as well as the trials of a young man growing up with National pains as well as his own.

Merit: Newbery winner. Tolerable length and writing style for early readers.
Share: Read aloud over time.
Appeal: Empathetic characters. Exciting activities and times based on factual events like the Boston Tea Party.

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

This is the first of three books in the "Inkworld" series, but the only one I had time to read. It details the interesting story of a girl, Meggie, and her father in a world where she has inherited her father's ability to actually read characters out of the books that they read aloud. He has read various innocuous characters--like white rabbits and garden gnomes-- from several books, but from one book, Inkheart--a book about a fantasy world similar to the middle ages of ours--he was read a cadre of unsavory folks who cherish desires for world domination through Machiavellian means. The twosome, along with one of the characters, Dustfinger, and the aunt of Maggie's long-missing mother must locate the book's author in order to rewrite the story before it's too late!

This book is the first of a trilogy, which includes "Inkspell" and "Inkdeath," which I have not read, but intended to.

Merit: Wonderful style and dialog. Empathetic characters and situations. The author is quite the character.
Share: Book club  to read as series.
Appeal: Fantasy world close enough to our own to be exciting. Characters we care about.

The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis

The fictionalized reminiscences of an African-American boy in the early sixties from Flint, Michigan. A mixture of hilarious antics of a boy with a handicap around home and his efforts to stay above water amidst his bullying older brother and classmates. The title stems from a summer vacation to Birmingham, Alabama that the family takes in order to leave his bully of a brother there to "straighten him out." The easy writing style is riddled with light-hearted humor and is suitable for any child in the 10-15 year age.

Merit: Well written. Plights recognizable by any child.
Share: Reading list or read-along over sessions.
Appeal: Humor and hyperbole will appeal to young readers.