A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle is a classic Newbery Award winner which is one of those books “everybody” is supposed to have read, but for some reason I never got around to reading it. My sister had read it, and I kind of knew the concept of a “wrinkle in time,” which is basically what the TV show Quantum Leap was about. Anyway, I read it last week, and I thought it was a wonderful book! It deals with traveling through space and different dimensions, so if you’re into that kind of thing like I am, be sure to read this book. The characters are very intriguing, and at the end the protagonist, Meg, has to save her little brother from a strange being that has an entire planet under his control. It is a very complicated plot that will either draw you in so you can’t put it down, or confuse you so much you don’t get farther than the first chapter. It’s up to you!

Review by David Dunkerton

Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith

Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman looks beyond Charles Darwin’s impact on evolutionary theory and focuses more on who he was as a man. It is well researched and based on several personal journals, so I believe it is very accurate. I still don’t believe Darwin came to the right conclusions in his writings, but I grew to respect him as a person. He had a wonderful relationship with his family and was a great husband and father. The book was really well written and captured my attention, and I really came to care about the family. The book doesn’t try to influence whether or not Darwinism is true—it focuses on the people. I would highly recommend it to anyone!

Review by David Dunkerton

DC Universe Christmas

This is a compilation of 17 Christmas-themed comics published by DC Comics in the 1940s, '60s, '70s, '80s, and '90s. They mostly feature well-known DC Comics superheroes, but there are some non-superhero comics included as well. They are light and fun stories--even the story with Darkseid is funny. In a world of superheroes like Superman, Batman, and the Flash, why would a man who can travel the world at superspeed and deliver toys secretly seem so unlikely?

Review by David Dunkerton

Free comic books available online

http://marvel.com/digitalcomics/free/

The PLAIN Janes by Cecil Castellucci

This graphic novel is about a girl named Jane who was injured in a bomb explosion in the city so her family moved to the suburbs. She missed the city and didn’t know with whom she wanted to fit in at her new school. She found three other girls named Jane and together they formed P.L.A.I.N. (People Loving Art In Neighborhoods). Many in the neighborhood called what they did vandalism, but they wanted people to see the world as a beautiful place and not a place to be afraid of.

This is an enjoyable story and a good graphic novel. It doesn’t have any superheroes, but it deals with real things and most readers could probably identify with it.

Review by David Dunkerton

Teen Book Review Game

TEEN Book Review Game

Write a book review of any book that you have personally read and you can win a special prize:

A NIFTY POSTER FOR YOUR ROOM!
We have a bunch of them and they look like this:

The book reviews do not have to be very long, but they must be in your own words and use complete sentences and correct spelling and grammar. Show me the book review, and if I see that you put some thought into it, you will win your prize, first come first choice, while they last. You might even get your review posted on this blog!

David W. Dunkerton, YA Librarian

Clarion Free Librarian

644 Main Street

Clarion, PA 16214

Superman/Batman: Search for Kryptonite

A graphic novel by Michael Green and Mike Johnson, illustrated by Shane Davis, Superman/Batman: Search for Kryptonite is a fun adventure with these two very different yet compatible superheroes. A second rate villain gets a lucky break and defeats Superman because there happened to be some kryptonite lying around. Batman was able to call the Flash who came to the rescue, but Superman was annoyed by how vulnerable he is to kryptonite. He and Batman teamed up to find and destroy all the kryptonite on Earth, but it turned out there was a lot more than they thought there was!

I would recommend this book to any fan of Batman and Superman. Just a couple teasers: there is a monster who is version of Doomsday combined with kryptonite, and just try to guess who came up with that one! Also, it's possible that Lana Lang could turn out to be a villain, but I'll leave you hanging so you read the book!

Review by David Dunkerton

Antsy Does Time by Neal Shüsterman

This sequel to The Schwa Was Here was even better than the first! Anthony "Antsy" Bonano returns with many of his friends from the previous story. Calvin Schwa is not in the story, and while there is some mention of him, this book does not build on the last one--it is its own story.
A new character is Gunnar Ümlaut, who believes himself to be dying of a terminal illness called Pulmonary Monoxic Systemia. Antsy goes on a campaign to have people donate a month of their lives to Gunnar, and it seemed like a noble, symbolic gesture, until Antsy realizes that Gunnar's diagnosis wasn't from a very reliable source. Antsy has to learn why Gunnar kind of wishes he was dying, as well as why Gunnar's older sister Kjersten really wanted to go out with him.
This story is hilarious and really deep at the same time, and I would recommend it to anyone. It doesn't matter which one you read first, but make sure you read Antsy Does Time and The Schwa Was Here (and if you don't already know what they mean, look up "schwa" and "ümlaut").

Review by David Dunkerton

Ultimate Spider-Man by Bill Jemas and Brian Michael Bendis

Ultimate Spider-Man is a retelling of the classic Spiderman story set in the 21st century. Peter Parker is still bitten by a spider in a lab that gives him his powers, and all of the other characters are pretty much the same, but instead of working as a freelance photographer for the Daily Bugle, Peter troubleshoots their webpage. The Green Goblin is more monstrous, Uncle Ben and Aunt May are much cooler, and the biggest difference is that Peter tells Mary Jane his secret.

This graphic novel is a great read for people unfamiliar with the Spiderman story, but it will not disappoint the long-time Spiderman readers, either.

Review by David Dunkerton

Runaways by Brian K. Vaughan

Six teenagers find out that their parents have always been a part of a secret society called "The Pride" that controls all the crime activities in Los Angeles, with a greater plan to take over the world. What would you do if you discovered your parents were super-villains?

After finding out that their parents are evil, it is not long before the teens discover their own special powers. They want to use them for good, but one of them may be a traitor, and who is good and who is bad may be more complicated than they thought.

Runaways is a graphic novel is published by Marvel Comics, and there are references to several of the Marvel super-heroes and villains, but except for a brief story arc featuring "Cloak and Dagger", this story is unique from other Marvel graphic novels. The excellent artwork and clever storyline make this an enjoyable read.

Review by David Dunkerton

Smiler's Bones by Peter Lerangis

This is a novel based on the true story of an Eskimo from Greenland named Minik. It begins in Quebec in 1909 with Minik trying to kill himself, and then takes us back to the beginning of the story in 1893. Robert Peary was a famous explorer in the Arctic who was recognized by the Eskimos who lived there. In the name of science he took some Eskimos back to New York City with him, but four of them soon died, including Minik’s father, because they could not adjust to the new climate and environment.
Minik was young when he was taken to New York so his body was able to adjust, but he did not find out until much later that the American Museum of Natural History never buried his father or the others, but preserved and kept their bones. The few people on Minik’s side were able to expose the deception, but the damage was done. After living in New York for 12 years, Minik had a hard time going back to the culture in Greenland, and he never really fit in the United States, either.
This is a sad but meaningful story, and it is important for us to understand the darker parts of our history.

Review by David Dunkerton

Zorro: Skull and Crossbones by Frank Lauria

Alejandro de la Vega is the adopted son of Don Diego de la Vega, the original Zorro. In addition to inheriting the late landowner’s ranch, Alejandro has also taken his adopted father’s mantle. In Zorro: Skull and Crossbones, the pirate Captain Elijah Bone, also known as El Fuego for his bright red hair, has plotted with several greedy Californian landowners to murder General Santa Anna and make the Californian coast a haven for pirates and thieves.
As Zorro, Alejandro fights for the freedom of the people of California. With the help of Diego’s daughter Elena, his sidekick Mateo, and an American secret agent going by the name of Fernando Goya, Zorro is able to rescue Santa Anna to keep order in California, and to defeat the pirate El Fuego. This story is set in a California of the past that is very different from the state it is today, and it is full of action and excitement!

Review by David Dunkerton

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

This book is not written like a diary as the title might suggest, but it is written in the first person from the perspective of a young man from the Spokane Indian tribe who lived with his family on a reservation. It is a beneficial novel for teens because it helps the reader to understand a culture that very few people know about. Arnold Spirit was not satisfied with life on the reservation because the people in his tribe seemed to have given up on life. Almost everyone he knew was an alcoholic, and no one he knew ever ended up going to college. Arnold decided to go to a public school outside the reservation where he was the only Indian. His people back at the reservation mostly thought he was a traitor, including his best friend, Rowdy.
Arnold was able to get along well with the white kids at the school he went to, and he even ended up playing varsity basketball and having a girlfriend. Even though he wanted to do better than the people he grew up with, he noticed that while the white people seemed to be very successful, the parents did not seem to pay much attention to their kids. For Arnold, even though his father was an alcoholic and would often use the last of his money on alcohol so that sometimes the family did not have food and Arnold had to hitchhike over 20 miles to school because they did not have enough gas, he knew his family cared about him and made sacrifices for him.
This is a sad story in many parts, because life is often hard for Indians on a reservation, but it is still hopeful. Even though it is about a different culture, I still felt like I could identify with what Arnold experienced in several ways, and that is important for people to understand.

Review by David Dunkerton

2099: Doomsday by John Peel

Taking place one hundred years in the future of when it was written, the setting of this story is a possible world under a totalitarian system. Devon considers himself to be better than anyone else on Earth, and he finds it fun to destroy people and show his power. His clone, Tristan, was adopted and raised by the Connors, and did not know anything about where he came from. Devon, Tristan, and Genia are all genius computer hackers in a world where absolutely everything is networked. Devon has programmed a computer virus called “Doomsday,” which is designed to destroy every network function in the world and cause utter chaos. Tristan and Genia each try to stop the virus in their own way, but at the end of the book their efforts have so far been unsuccessful.

Review by David Dunkerton

Tiki: My Life in the Game and Beyond by Tiki Barber and Gil Reavil

The former running back for the New York Giants gives his story, from when he and his twin brother Ronde were raised by their single mother to his time in the NFL, and after that to when he joined the Today Show on NBC. I am not a big fan of sports but I still really enjoyed this book, and football fans will love it even more!
This is a fascinating autobiography, and we see things about the life of a famous football player that one never hears about on television. He tells the story of the relationship with his wife, and how he never got along very well with his coach, Tom Coughlin. It is too bad that he retired from the Giants the year before they won the Super Bowl, but this is still a great book.

Review by David Dunkerton

How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else by Michael Gates Gill

Michael had grown up in a wealthy family and was always able to go the best schools. His parents had good connections so he was always able to get a good job. He did not know or care that anyone else knew anything different. However, after he got older and was not cool anymore, he was fired from his marketing position, and he did not know what to do.
One day as he was sitting in a Starbucks coffee shop in New York City feeling depressed about his situation, a manager saw him and asked him if he wanted a job. He figured she was probably kidding, but he took her up on her offer, because he needed a job and this one had benefits.
He worked with people that he had never made any contact with before, learned new skills, and learned to appreciate life and friendship a lot more. Many of the people he worked with were much younger than he was, so teenagers would enjoy reading about other teenagers who had authority over an adult. This autobiography is an encouraging story that I would recommend to anyone!

Review by David Dunkerton

George's Secret Key to the Universe by Lucy & Stephen Hawking

George's Secret Key to the Universe is written at a younger reading level, but I think teens would still enjoy it because it has an interesting story and there are several fascinating and beautiful pictures and facts inserted. Stephen Hawking is a well-known genius and the authority on the theory of black holes, and just the fact that he had input in a children’s novel gives it some instant appeal!
George’s parents are very concerned about the environment, so they do not use much electricity in their home, they do not drive cars, and they only eat organic vegetables. George really wants a computer, but his parents refuse to get one for him because they believe technology is destroying the world.
George found out that his neighbor owned Cosmos, the most amazing computer in the world. This computer could transport you into outer space, and George learned a lot about the universe, including comets and our solar system. When someone else found out about Cosmos, though, things got dangerous!

Review by David Dunkerton

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

This story by Douglas Adams has existed in several media, including, radio, television, comic book, and film. The book version was first published in 1980, but the edition I read was printed in 1995. The random humor is quite funny in places, and it is an enjoyable read if one does not think about it too seriously. It begins with the Earth being disintegrated, and only Arthur Dent escapes with his friend Ford Prefect. Ford is a hitchhiker/editor of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy from a planet near Betelgeuse. The only other Earthling who was not blasted into tiny bits is Trillian (formerly Tricia McMillan) who had left Earth previously with Zaphrod Beeblebrox.
This book is a satire of just about everything one could think of, and I do not think the author intended to have a point. I think certain teens would enjoy it, and others would be turned off because it does not make any sense. I wonder, though, how many people would read it and admit that the Emperor is not wearing any clothes.

Review by David Dunkerton

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

When Orson Scott Card wrote this novel in 1985, he was ahead of his time. At a time when PCs were brand new and outrageously expensive (I know because my dad programmed them), and having the internet in one’s home was a foreign concept, in this story the characters are always carrying around their “desks”, which seem quite a bit like laptop computers, and communicating on the “nets” using pseudonyms.
Ender's Game is about an alternate future where aliens known as “buggers” have attacked Earth twice, and the unified world governments are recruiting genius children to train them to destroy the buggers. Andrew Wiggin, who is known by the nickname “Ender”, is the best of these, and this story covers his life from when he was taken to a space station at six years old to when he inadvertently destroyed the buggers when he was eleven years old, and where his life went from there.
I do not know if this book would appeal to all teenagers, but it is the perfect book for fans of Science Fiction!

Review by David Dunkerton

"Aliens from Neptune" by Morgan McClaine & Kirsten Wolff

"Aliens from Neptune Who Came to Earth & Kidnapped Dogs (but not pit bulls)"

by Morgan McClaine & Kirsten Wolff

(edited by David Dunkerton)

Scene 1:

A 10-year-old named Bob was out walking his dog, Andrew, on a bright summer day on Maple Street in Arizona in 1999. He was grounded and was supposed to come right back home, but that wasn't going to happen because aliens from Neptune in a flying saucer transported Bob and his dog up into their spaceship!

Scene 2:

The Neptunians had only been trying to capture the dog so they could eat him, but they accidentally transported Bob as well. Bob and Andrew found themselves in a room full of dogs on the spaceship, and they didn't know what to do. Papperozzie, the chief Neptunian, was in another room, and when he and the others saw Bob they started zapping him with potty rays (which would have turned him into a potty if he had been hit) from their antennae. Bob ran into another corridor of the flying saucer, leaving Andrew in the room with the other dogs.

Scene 3:

Back on Earth, Bob's mom and dad were mad that Bob hadn't come home, and his dad was about to call the police when he noticed a note on the kitchen table from Papperozzie. It read:

We will bring your child back under one condition.

You have to give us over 500 dogs for the return of the kid.

Bob's mom and dad didn't know what to do!

Scene 4:

Bob had been recaptured by the Neptunians, and Papperozzie told him he must pass 3 tests for them to release him and his dog:

1. Eat the horrible chocolate
2. Walk through the room full of bubbles
3. Listen to the dreaded music of Michael Jackson

All these things are deadly to Neptunians, but they didn't know they are harmless to humans (some may disagree about the Michael Jackson part). Bob passed all the tests and they released him and his dog off the ship back to Earth, and all was well.

But what about the other dogs...