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Girl in Translation
By Jean Kwok

When eleven year old Kimberly Chang and her mother emigrate from Hong Kong to America, they speak little English and own nothing but debt. They arrive in New York hopeful for a better life, but find instead a squalid Brooklyn apartment lacking heat and real furniture and a life of backbreaking labor in a Chinatown sweatshop. Unable to accept this as her future, Kim decides to use her “talent for school” to earn a place for herself and her mother in their adopted country. Disguising the most difficult truths of her life—her staggering poverty, the weight of her family’s expectations, and the true depths of her culture confusion—she embarks on a double life: an exceptional student by day, and a sweatshop worker by evening and weekend. In time, Kim learns to translate not just her language but herself back and forth between the two worlds she straddles. (Book Description)

This book moved me. I was totally enthralled with Kim’s struggles for survival and completely awed by her strength, perseverance and single minded determination for something better. The writing was so raw and vivid that I couldn’t help but wonder just how much of the story was based upon the author’s own life experiences immigrating to America from China.

I went through broad rage of emotions while taking my journey with Kim. Many times I was completely indignant and fuming because of the unfairness and the conditions she had to endure. I also felt very sorry for her, having no choice but to navigate the intricacies of being a teenager trying so desperately to fit in with her peers in a new country to boot. She was also forced to take on the role of an adult, filling out tax forms at the age of 13, working inhumane hours at a sweatshop to make ends meet and translating everything for her mother who mainly spoke Chinese. I felt very frustrated for Kim in her dealings with her mother and her retched excuse for an aunt trying to balance between the cultural expectations of her birthplace, and the ideologies of her new home. But whatever I was feeling, one thing remained constant: I couldn’t help but root for our protagonist every step of the way. Kimberly Chang will haunt me for some time to come.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone. And I challenge those of you who believe that this “couldn’t possibly happen in North America” to pick up “Girl in Translation” and read it with an open mind. It may be a book labeled “fiction” but I can guarantee you it’s anything but.

Out of my Mind
By Sharon M. Draper

Fifth-grader Melody has cerebral palsy, a condition that affects her body but not her mind. Although she is unable to walk, talk, or feed or care for herself, she can read, think, and feel. A brilliant person is trapped inside her body, determined to make her mark in the world in spite of her physical limitations. Draper knows of what she writes; her daughter, Wendy, has cerebral palsy, too. And although Melody is not Wendy, the authenticity of the story is obvious. Told in Melody’s voice, this highly readable, compelling novel quickly establishes her determination and intelligence and the almost insurmountable challenges she faces.(Modified review taken from Booklist)

Take me with you
By Carolyn Marsden

Pina and Susanna have lived at their Naples orphanage since they were babies. Best friends, they tolerate the nuns, find pleasure where they can, and hope fervently that one day they’ll be adopted into loving families. Pina, pretty and blond, should have been adopted long ago. She is sure the nuns tell prospective parents she is bad. Susanna has her own challenge. She is the daughter of an Italian woman and a black American sailor; no one looks like her. Then two very different parents come into the girls’ lives. One appears, the other is found, and both satisfy the girls’ dreams in unexpected ways. (Modified review taken from Booklist)

Ashes
By Kathryn Lasky

In 1932 Berlin, blond 13-year-old Gabriella looks like the Aryan purists’ ideal, but her strongly anti-Fascist family members are derisively called “white Jews,” and her astrophysicist father is friends with Einstein, whose theory of relativity is termed “Jewish physics” by the Nazis. From Gabriella’s viewpoint, Lasky tells a gripping story about Hitler’s early rise to power, including the Germans’ bitterness about their suffering after World War I...Like Anne Frank, Gabriella loves American movie stars. She is also a big reader, and at the start of each chapter, there is a quote from authors such as Hemingway, Heine, London, Remarque, and Twain, whose books are among those publicly destroyed in the wild, historic book burning that is the climax of this story. From the opening quote, by Heine—“Where they burn books, they will end by burning human beings”—the personal and the political history will haunt readers. (Modified review taken from Booklist)

Book Title: Day by Day Armageddon by J.L. Bourne.

Why Clark liked this book: I like this book because it is really well written. The characters are really well played out, as few as there are (not counting the zombies), and it's just behind the line of unbelievable. This novel grabs and holds your attention, and keeps you on the edge of your seat till the final word. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a true zombie fan.

The New Dead, edited by Christopher Golden.

I was enjoying this collection of brand new zombie stories, but had to return it as another reader had a hold on it. My favorite stories so far are:

Copper by Stephen R. Bissette.

The Zombie Who Fell from the Sky by M.B. Homler.

I liked both stories for the style of the writing. Copper is told almost entirely in short, blunt, sentences, almost like a poem, while The Zombie Who Fell from the Sky is heavy-handed but very fun satire.

Have you had a chance to read this collection yet? If so, what was your favorite story? Warren@RPL.

Book title: The Zombie Survival Guide/Max Brooks, posted by Liz

Why Liz liked this book: I like this book because it shows you how one can survive during a zombie attack.

All October, we will be featuring zombie titles recommended by our patrons; our first selection is posted by Justin.

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War/Max Brooks

Why Justin liked this book: I liked how it touched on so many different kinds of people to give the reader a general feel of what the zombie apocalypse might be like.

Stay tuned throughout October for more favorite zombie titles chosen by RPL readers!

There's a new board game based on the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. If you haven't read the book yet, you are realy missing out!

This list appears courtesy of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog.

Booklist magazine published its top ten Science Fiction and Fantasy titles for youth. Here they are:

The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness Summary: Fleeing before a relentless army, Todd has carried a desperately wounded Viola right into the hands of their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss. Immediately separated from Viola and imprisoned, Todd is forced to learn the ways of the Mayor's new order. But what secrets are hiding just outside of town? And where is Viola? Is she even still alive? And who are the mysterious Answer? And then, one day, the bombs begin to explode...
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins Summary: Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.
A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner Summary: Sophos, heir to Sounis, doesn’t look like much of a prince. At least, according to those in power. At least, to those who do not know him or the size of his heart and the depth of his courage, loyalty, and love. But Helen, Queen of Eddis, knows him, and so does Gen, the queen’s Thief, who is now King of Attolia. Gen and the queen believe that Sophos is dead. But they also believe in hope, especially since a body was never found. So when Sophos is discovered in Attolia, climbing a lamppost, peashooter in hand, the obvious question becomes: where has Sophos been all this time?
Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce Summary: Liam is too big for his boots, his football strip, and his school blazer. But being super-sized height-wise has its advantages: he's the only eleven-year-old to ever ride the G-force defying Cosmic rollercoaster or be offered the chance to drive a Porsche. Long-legged Liam makes a giant leap for boy-kind by competing with a group of adults for the chance to go into space. Is Liam the best boy for the job? Sometimes being big isn't all about being a grown-up.
Enchanted Glass by Diana Wynne Jones Summary When the magician Jocelyn Brandon Hope died he bequeathed Melstone House to his grandson Andrew. He also left his ‘field of care’: an area of strangeness surrounding the land around the house, whose boundary Andrew must walk in order to preserve its power. Andrew had always loved the house, but he finds owning it a lot more complicated, aside from all the magic. There is Mrs Stock, the tyrannical housekeeper who won’t let him move the furniture and punishes him with her terrible cooking. Just as bad is the obsessive gardener who will only grow giant inedible vegetables. To add to his troubles, twelve year old orphan Aidan Cain suddenly arrives on the doorstep begging protection from magical stalkers, and Andrew’s sinister rich neighbour, Mr Brown, begins to encroach on the ‘field of care’. The one compensation is the gardener’s beautiful niece, Stashe. Things become stranger and stranger until all is made clear with the help of the enchanted glass itself.
Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve Summary: Fever Crumb is a girl who has been adopted and raised by Dr. Crumb, a member of the order of Engineers, where she serves as apprentice. In a time and place where women are not seen as reasonable creatures, Fever is an anomaly, the only female to serve in the order. Soon though, she must say goodbye to Dr. Crumb-nearly the only person she's ever known-to assist archaeologist Kit Solent on a top-secret project. As her work begins, Fever is plagued by memories that are not her own and Kit seems to have a particular interest in finding out what they are. Fever has also been singled out by city-dwellers who declare her part Scriven. The Scriveners, not human, ruled the city some years ago but were hunted down and killed in a victorious uprising by the people. If there are any remaining Scriven, they are to be eliminated. All Fever knows is what she's been told: that she is an orphan. Is Fever a Scriven? Whose memories does she hold? Is the mystery of Fever, adopted daughter of Dr. Crumb, the key to the secret that lies at the heart of London?
Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta Summary: Nine-year old Finnikin lives a life of fun and adventure with his best friend Prince Balthazar and the prince’s cousin, Lucien. The three boys vow to be courageous warriors and swear a blood oath to always protect the royal family of Lumatere. One terrible night the royal family is murdered and the King’s cousin claims the throne. Many people flee the country fearing for their safety. After a period known as the “five days of the unspeakable” a powerful priestess curses the land. Those within the borders of the country are trapped and those who have fled are unable to return, forced to wander as exiles in foreign lands. Ten years later, Finnikin is lead by a dream to find Evanjalin, a young novice of the goddess Lagrimi who shares the dreams of those trapped inside Lumatere. Together Finnikin and Evanjalin must follow their destiny and relieve the suffering of their people.
Fire by Kristin Cashore Summary: Beautiful creatures called monsters live in the Dells. Monsters have the shape of normal animals: mountain lions, dragonflies, horses, fish. But the hair or scales or feathers of monsters are gorgeously colored-- fuchsia, turquoise, sparkly bronze, iridescent green-- and their minds have the power to control the minds of humans. Seventeen-year-old Fire is the last remaining human-shaped monster in the Dells. Gorgeously monstrous in body and mind but with a human appreciation of right and wrong, she is hated and mistrusted by just about everyone, and this book is her story.
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher Summary: : Incarceron -- a futuristic prison, sealed from view, where the descendants of the original prisoners live in a dark world torn by rivalry and savagery. It is a terrifying mix of high technology -- a living building which pervades the novel as an ever-watchful, ever-vengeful character, and a typical medieval torture chamber -- chains, great halls, dungeons. A young prisoner, Finn, has haunting visions of an earlier life, and cannot believe he was born here and has always been here. In the outer world, Claudia, daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, is trapped in her own form of prison -- a futuristic world constructed beautifully to look like a past era, an imminent marriage she dreads. She knows nothing of Incarceron, except that it exists. But there comes a moment when Finn, inside Incarceron, and Claudia, outside, simultaneously find a device -- a crystal key, through which they can talk to each other. And so the plan for Finn's escape is born!
The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz Summary: What would happen to a fairy if she lost her wings and could no longer fly? Flory, a young night fairy no taller than an acorn and still becoming accustomed to her wings — wings as beautiful as those of a luna moth — is about to find out. What she discovers is that the world is very big and very dangerous. But Flory is fierce and willing to do whatever it takes to survive. If that means telling others what to do — like Skuggle, a squirrel ruled by his stomach — so be it. Not every creature, however, is as willing to bend to Flory’s demands. Newbery Medal winner Laura Amy Schlitz and world-renowned illustrator and miniaturist Angela Barrett venture into the realm of the illustrated classic — a classic entirely and exquisitely of their making, and a magnificent adventure.

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Summary: There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori. Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move. Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

May's Review: At the time that this book was "on order" at the library and when I placed my hold, I was watching the first half of season 5 of Supernatural on TV and was totally enamored with angels. Months later, I finally received the book and somehow between when I first heard about this book and when I finally got it in my hands, I wasn't so keen about it anymore. To be honest, I couldn't even get past the first 100 pages of this book. I found the heroine too weak, the hero too bland and this entire story totally lacking originality.

I think my problem with the book stems from trying to read some "bad" paranormal teen novels starting with, dare I say, Stephenie Meyer's New Moon and then culminating with L. J. Smith's The Awakening (Vampire Diaries). Sorry folks but I think that you have don't like Meyer's or Smith's books, which I don't, then there is a pretty strong chance that you won't enjoy Fallen which is the first book in the series. While Twilight and Vampire Diaries fans will gobble up Lauren Kate's novels like it's candy, those of us wanting more from our paranormal-fantasy teen books, will have to wait a little longer for a much better series.