Shackleton's Stowaway by Victoria McKernan

I was mesmerized by this book, mostly because it's based so closely on history. It's a great way to learn about an amazing true survival story. In 1914, 28 men boarded a ship called The Endurance. Their goal was to get to Antarctica so a group of the men could be the first to cross the continent. It was supposed to be a big adventure and it was an honor to be part of the crew led by the famous explorer Ernest Shackleton. What happened was a complete disaster. The ship was frozen into the sea and finally broke apart, leaving the men stranded on the frozen sea. They were hungry and wet and freezing for over a year and a half before Shackleton found a way to save the lives of all 28 men. So much happens in this book that I can't even begin to summarize it. The author does a great job of taking real people (like Perce Blackborrow, the 18-year-old stowaway who ends up having his toes cut off) and bringing the story to life. Readers who like adventure and history will enjoy this book.

Monsoon Summer by Mitali Perkins

Monsoon Summer is a romance novel and a whole lot more. Jazz, a tall, strong, smart business person, is also a 15-year-old girl with a crush on her best guy friend, Steve. She's sure he could never be romantically interested in a girl like herself. Strangely enough, during a summer in which they never see each other, their romantic issues are resolved. The reason they are apart is that Jazz and her family spend the summer at an orphanage in India where they all learn about the gifts they can bring to helping other people. I breezed through this book, enjoying it all the way. It's not a difficult book and it's not all that complex, but it pulled me in and made me interested in India and the culture that Jazz encounters there. If you like this kind of romance and coming of age story, I also recommend Dairy Queen (a little more complex and a bit more mature). Recommended for readers who like romance, world travel, and stories about becoming happy with who you are.

Mates, Dates and Cosmic Kisses by Cathy Hopkins

Izzie has met the boy of her dreams, but why doesn't he call her? She spends her time waiting, wondering, and checking her horoscope. Luckily she has Nesta and Lucy, her two best friends, to get her through her boy troubles. The three girls are Londoners, and this is just one of many books about them. It's breezy and fun to read, and full of girl power (in the end). While not nearly as hilarious as Louise Rennison's Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging series, it's a good read for girls who want to read about what it's like to start dating and worrying about boys. It doesn't seem to matter what order you read these books in—the stories stand alone.

The Kayla Chronicles by Sherri Winston

Kayla is a strong, intelligent African American girl interested in journalism and feminism. She’s also a gymnast and dancer, but she lives in the shadow of her best friend, Rosalie. Rosalie comes up with an idea to expose the sexist nature of the Lady Lions, the prestigious high school dance team at the girls’ new private school. Kayla will try out for the team and presumably won’t be selected because of her small chest. Then Kayla can expose this scandal by writing about it for her school journalism class. The problem for Kayla is that she discovers that she really wants to be a Lady Lion, and then she does make the team. Now Rosalie feels betrayed and Kayla is trying to juggle her feminist side with her new Lady Lion persona. Kayla is the narrator and the book is full of her own trendy slang (such as stankalicious and crunktacular). Kayla also deals with family problems, some physical encounters with a new boyfriend, and big problems with Rosalie. The concept is good and her character is fresh, but the use of slang and feminist quotes was sometimes overwhelming to the point of pulling me out of the story. I think the author’s desire to portray strong, feminist African American girls overshadows the plot of the story at times. Nevertheless, it’s a worthwhile book that will appeal to girls trying to find a place in the world.

Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Jonah and his neighbor Chip are 13 years old when they start getting mysterious letters in the mail. The first letter says, “You are one of the missing.” It turns out that both boys were adopted as infants and they begin to wonder if that is why they are getting the letters. With a little investigation they find the name of an FBI agent who may know something, and in a hostile meeting with him they acquire a list of names of “witnesses” and “survivors.” They have no idea what they are dealing with, but they begin making phone calls. Things quickly get serious and mysterious and they suspect they are involved in something sinister that may involve time travel. I don’t want to go into anymore detail here and ruin any surprises, but I will say that this book is obviously a set up for a series that will take a group of 36 kids on an array of adventures throughout history. Haddix has an interesting idea here, but I’m afraid it may be too far-fetched to work. It certainly leaves the reader hanging at the end and waiting for a sequel, which some readers will like and some will not.

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd

This is a good mystery told by an interesting narrator. Two siblings living in London are visited by a cousin they hardly know, Salim. They take him to The London Eye, the huge observation wheel that tourists ride in to see the view of the city. Someone gives Salim a free ticket, he hops into the capsule with a group of other people, and 30 minutes later, when the ride is over, he is not among those who emerge from the ride. Days pass and there is no sign of him. How can a person simply disappear into thin air? Salim’s mother is frantic and the police are baffled. Ted and Kat make a list of theories and do some investigating on their own. They seem to be completely stuck until Ted, who has Asperger’s Syndrome and thinks differently than other people, puts some clues together and realizes what happened to Salim. Then the race is on to save his life. The clues are all there, but I sure didn’t solve the mystery on my own. Recommended for anyone who likes a good mystery.

The Compound by S.A. Bodeen

The premise of this book is fascinating. A billionaire obsessed with nuclear weapons builds a huge underground compound to protect his family in the event of an attack. At an unexpected time disaster strikes and the family rushes to The Compound to spend the next 15 years before it’s safe to come out. In the confusion two family members, Grandma and Eddy, are left in the outside world, presumably to die. Mom, Dad, two sisters, and Eddy’s twin brother, Eli, have now been living underground for six years. It’s depressing and stressful, and things aren’t all going as planned, but at least they are alive. The big twist is when you find out that the billionaire father may be not only brilliant, but completely insane. The details of The Compound and how they planned to survive for 15 years are pretty interesting. I also liked the development of Eli, the self-absorbed twin who doesn’t care about his sisters, who steps it up and becomes a stronger, more caring person. Some details were not well developed (like what they planned to do with “The Supplements”) but I think middle schoolers will enjoy this book for it’s strong characters and terrifying, suspenseful situation.

Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree by Lauren Tarshis

Emma-Jean Lazarus is a bit of an oddball. She's a very logical seventh grade girl who just doesn't understand all the other seventh graders around her. They seem messy and illogical and she's pretty content to live in her own world. But when the opportunity arises to help out a classmate, Emma-Jean forges a letter that helps out one classmate and humiliates another. This act brings her little by little into the lives of her classmates and she begins to interact and understand them a little more. She's a pretty charming character, and there are definitely kids like her in middle schools everywhere. Recommended for girls who like stories about school and friendships and offbeat characters.

Safe by Susan Shaw

This is a book about a teenager recovering from a horrific experience. Tracy is attacked and raped, and while the book never describes in detail her experience, the reader knows that she will never be the same. She tries to go on with her life, but finds herself unable to even leave the house without her father. Tracy's mom died when she was young, but she has always felt her presence with her. Now, when she needs her mom the most, she is unable to find comfort in their connection. Tracy has a good father and a loyal best friend, but Tracy needs more than they can give her. At it's heart this is a story of recovery and reaching out. Readers who like books about abuse, recovery, and serious topics will want to read to the end to find out how Tracy emerges from a terrible experience.

If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period by Gennifer Choldenko

It's hard to describe this book. At first it seems like a school story about two kids with separate problems. Kirsten's parents are fighting, she's eating compulsively, and her best friend is hanging out with a nasty new friend. Walker is the new kid in school and it's tough to be one of the only African American kids at a fancy private school. The point of view alternates between the two characters and while they are friends at school they seem to lead unrelated lives. Then a major plot twist happens that changes everything. Kirsten and Walk have to re-think what they know about their families and themselves. It's definitely worth reading to find out what the secret is--this book is not what it seems at the beginning!

When the Black Girl Sings by Bil Wright

Lanhi has a lot going on in her life. Her parents are heading toward a divorce, a boy at school is behaving inappropriately with her, and she has been nominated to sing a solo in a school singing competition. It's tough to be the only African American girl at her fancy private school, and it's sometimes tough to be adopted by white parents. When Lanhi's mom takes her to a multiracial church with a gospel choir, Lanhi begins to strive to become the person she wants to be. I loved how Lanhi took charge of her life and began to nurture her singing talent. The story line with the weird guy at school seemed out of place to me, but other than that I thought it was a good story about a girl growing up and figuring out who she is. I think it would be enjoyed by a wide variety of girls, especially those who like to sing.

Airhead by Meg Cabot

While the plot is a bit unbelievable (the brain of a frumpy, video-game playing, feminist teen is implanted into the body of a supermodel), the result is a fun read in typical Meg Cabot style. Emerson Watts wakes up in the hospital in the body of Nikki Howard and is told she must assume the supermodel's identity and, of course, not tell anyone what medical technology was used on her. The biggest problem is that Em's best friend (and secret crush), Christopher, thinks she is dead. Along the way she must deal with assuming Nikki Howard's life in her NY City loft, Nikki's boyfriends kissing her, a difficult modeling job, and adjusting to the fact that her old identity is legally dead. My biggest complaint about this book is that it does not stand alone. It's really a prequel to book two in the series and I wish that Meg Cabot had come to some resolution rather than ending on a big clifhanger. Strangely enough, biomedical issues are a hot topic in teen fiction right now. If you want to think more deeply about the ethical issues this poses, read The Adoration of Jenna Fox. If you want a fun Meg Cabot book about the life of a supermodel, this is for you.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Jenna Fox wakes up from a coma and things just don't seem right. She doesn't remember her own family or friends and she can't remember the incident that put her into the coma in the first place. Her parents encourage her to gain her memories back by watching movies from her childhood (which they filmed in great detail). In spite of her personal memory loss, Jenna knows historical facts and can quote Thoreau word-for-word. On top of all this strangeness, her family appears to be hiding out in California and Jenna's grandmother no longer accepts her in the family. Little by little Jenna pieces things together and finds out a startling truth about who she used to be and who she is now. The secret is revealed part way through this novel, but suspense builds to the end and the ethical questions resonate. This book will lead to many discussions about the value of life, the essence of what makes someone human, and the role of technology in human survival.

Snakehead by Anthony Horowitz

I finally read Snakehead--it's one of the few YA series that I actually read every title that comes out. It's my guilty pleasure to listen to the British audiobook narrator on my iPod. I just love his voice. This was much like all the other Alex Rider books with yet another wildly improbable plot and somehow Alex gets out of every danger put in his way. This time Alex is sent by Australian intelligence to Thailand to pose as an Afghan refugee being illegally transported to Australia by an organization called Snakehead. Horowitz weaves in a new character, Ash, who is Alex's previously unknown godfather. Along the way there's a powerful bomb called Royal Blue, unwilling organ donation (think Unwind by Neal Shusterman), and exploding coins (courtesy of Smithers). It's a classic Alex Rider book recommended for anyone who likes books with action.

Fire from the Rock by Sharon Draper

It's 1957 in Little Rock Arkansas and Central High School admits only white students. Students at the black high schools in town are hearing that this is the year to integrate the schools. They only want to take exemplary students who are smart, motivated, good leaders, and committed to nonviolence. Sylvia's teachers see that she is something special and recommend her for "the list." But Sylvia isn't sure she can give up her friends, boyfriend, and safety to change the world. There are a lot of surprises and complex issues in this book—I was definitely shocked by two of the plot twists toward the end. The most vivid part to me was the depiction of the outright racism and cruelty of many of the white citizens of the town. It bothered me that frequently the dialog between Sylvia and her friends seems stilted and formal, which took me out of the story. It just didn't sound like teenagers talking to each other. I recommend this book to people interested in understanding what life was like during the Civil Rights Movement.