The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp

by Rick Yancey

Summary: Alfred Kropp, an overweight lug of a teenager with very little going for him, has just lost his mother and is forced to live with his uncle, who is really, really, not very smart. Uncle Farrell is a security guard at a corporation, and when he is offered $1 million to steal something from an office in the building, he can't refuse, and enlists Alfred's help, threatening to send him to foster care if he doesn't. Turns out that what they're stealing is Excalibur, the famous sword from the King Arthur legends, which gets them into a world of danger. Immediately Alfred draws the attention of an evil descendant of one of the Knights of the Round Table. He wants that sword, and he's willing to do anything, and I mean, ANYTHING, to get it.

My thoughts: This book reads like a movie, with lots of action, comedy, and dramatic (and sometimes violent) moments. It's an edge-of-your-seat, heart-pounding adventure! I love Alfred Kropp! The second book in the series is called The Seal of Solomon, and the third is The Thirteenth Skull.

The Schwa Was Here

by Neal Shusterman

Summary: Calvin Schwa is, well, sort of invisible. Hardly anyone ever really notices him. Teachers ignore him. He doesn't have any friends. But Antsy Bonano has noticed Calvin, aka "The Schwa," and wants to find out if he is really, truly invisible. While he's conducting hilarious experiments to determine this, Antsy gets himself into a little trouble with the local eccentric millionaire, and to keep from getting into trouble with the law, has to walk the man's dogs and hang out with his very cool and very pretty blind granddaughter. Can Antsy ever discover what's really wrong with The Schwa?

My thoughts: I love that this novel can't be classified. Is there something supernatural going on or not? This book will have you laughing out loud at Antsy's antics, but will leave a lump in your throat as you watch The Schwa get ignored again and again. The sequel, Antsy Does Time, is also on the 2009-2010 Lone Star List.

Zen and the Art of Faking It

by Jordan Sonnenblick

Summary: San Lee is an adopted eighth grader with a father who is in jail for fraud. He's had to move around a lot because of this, and invents a new persona for himself at every new school. At this one, he uses his Chinese heritage and the fact that he once did a paper on Buddhism to convince his fellow students that he's a Zen master. This makes him instantly popular, and he hopes it will make him stand out to Woody, the very unique girl who sings folk songs and plays guitar in the cafeteria. The plan works, but now San has a problem--everyone thinks he's someone he's not. How can he ever truly be himself without exposing his lie?

My thoughts: This is nowhere near as good as Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie, but Sonnenblick's trademark humor and original plot lines make it another winner!

Give a Boy a Gun

by Todd Strasser

Summary: Gary and Brendan are high school sophomores who have been bullied and picked on for years. They steal guns and stage an attack on students and teachers at a high school dance. This book is written from many different points of view: the boys themselves, teachers, students, neighbors, and parents. Footnotes throughout provide relevant and interesting tidbits and facts on gun control issues, making the story even more disturbing.

My thoughts: This book is terrifying because we all know that the story is modeled after real events like the one at Columbine. Give a Boy a Gun is sensitively written, though, and serves to make us really think about issues like gun control, bullying, and our individual roles in helping put an end to school violence.

Uglies

by Scott Westerfeld

Summary: In Tally's world, ordinary is ugly. When a person turns 16, they are taken away to have surgery that makes them "perfect." Most people can't wait to have the surgery, but Tally's friend Shay decides she doesn't want to do it, and plans to live on the fringes of society with a group called "the Smoke." A top-secret government agency blackmails Tally, telling her they'll never turn her pretty if she doesn't lead them to the Smoke. She agrees, but when she infiltrates the group, she begins to see their point of view, and has to decide what's more important: her conscience, or being pretty.

My thoughts: I liked this book, but not enough to read the sequels. It's an interesting concept, and does really make you think.

Defect

by Will Weaver

Summary: Not only does David look and smell strange, he has a secret... he can fly. After intense bullying, he tricks some of his tormenters by jumping off a cliff. They think he has jumped to his death, but he has actually flown to safety. He changes to a private school for students with disabilities, and finds a fast friend (maybe more?) in a girl named Cheetah, who attends the school because she has seizures. When an accident causes David's secret to be revealed, he is forced to make a very difficult decision.

My thoughts: An original, edgy, and very weird story.

Gossamer

by Lois Lowry

Summary: Have you ever wondered what causes your dreams? In Gossamer, Lowry lets us glimpse the world of dream-givers, tiny creatures who, with the lightest touches, collect memories from household objects and gently place them in head when you sleep. Their job is to bring comfort, and Littlest One, the newest dream-giver, is trying to learn her craft and help a young boy being abused by his father. But the Sinisteens, a group of dream-givers who have gone over to the dark side, bring the boy nightmares. Will Littlest One have the strength to fight back?

My thoughts: This is a very short book, more of a novella. It is almost poetic in its beauty, and the thought of these little creatures protecting us with our own happy memories is a lovely thought.