The Arrival

by Shaun Tan

Summary: This is an immigration story that is told entirely in pictures. That's right--this book has no words. The pictures at first invoke a feeling of a historical time period, but the reader soon notices the strange creatures running around that look nothing like anything from our world. The main character is befriended by a dog-sized alien creature, who helps him navigate this strange new world. This man has left his family to find work here, and the reader experiences his joys and his failures all depicted through beautiful artwork.

My thoughts: The Arrival took me much longer to "read" than I thought it would. I assumed I would flip through each page quickly. After all, it's just pictures. The pictures are so rich and complex, however, that you want to linger on every page. A beautiful and original story, that you almost sort of write yourself!

Right Behind You

by Gail Giles

Summary: How do you live with yourself if you intentionally kill a child by burning him to death? What if you were only a child yourself when it happened? When Kip gets out of the juvenile facility at the age of 14 after serving his time for this crime, he and his family must move and assume new identities so the community won't harrass them. No one would want their child to go to school with Kip, to be his friend. In his new town and new school, Kip struggles with his own massive guilt, and whether or not he can ever be himself or be honest with anyone if he doesn't reveal his terrible secret.

My thoughts: Right Behind You is extremely disturbing. Kip's crime, and his reason for committing it, is tough to swallow. His internal struggle is painful to read, but it's a great story about learning to forgive yourself.

Graceling

by Kristen Cashore

Summary: In Katsa's world, children born with two different colored eyes are both feared and revered. The condition is called a "Grace," and its affected are "Gracelings." Katsa has the Grace of killing. No person has ever been able to best her in a fight, so the king uses her as his personal guard and weapon. When Katsa meets Po, a Graceling from a neighboring kingdom, she has almost met her match, since he is Graced as a fighter. His grandfather has been kidnapped, and as he and Katsa set out to try to rescue him, they learn exciting secrets about their own (and each other's) Graces along the way.

My thoughts: This is a difficult book to summarize because there are many exciting plotlines going on! Cashore is a new author, but is so skilled that she keeps the reader interested in them all without causing confusion. The tension between Katsa and Po is enough to keep every girl reading, but is so NOT sappy that boys will keep reading, too. This is one of my favorite books of the year! Katsa is a strong female character. Sometimes authors pair strong girls in books with stupid boys (a trend that really bugs me), but Po has his own mind and is a strong male character in his own right. This is his story, too. Watching Katsa and Po grow up together is very cool!

The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney

by Suzanne Harper

Summary: Sparrow is the 7th daughter of a 7th daughter. Those in spiritualist circles believe this pre-destines her to have some serious psychic powers. She lives in a modern-day spiritualist community, in a small gathering where mediums and psychics are the norm. She chooses to go to school in the neighboring town, where her family and their kind are considered charlatans and weirdos. Her six older sisters all have powers of some kind or another, and they wait anxiously to see if Sparrow's will develop. Unbeknownst to them, Sparrow has had three ghosts following her around and "advising" her her entire life. Sparrow just chooses not to share this with anyone, so she can appear "normal" to the outside world. She spends her life trying to ignore them, but soon she meets a ghost with an undeniable appeal, who happens to have a mysterious connection with the cute new guy at school.

My thoughts: Sparrow Delaney is one of those characters who sticks with you. Her decisons are understandable and believable. Her sisters' antics are hilarious. It's rare to find a book that is both creepy and funny at the same time. Sparrow will have you laughing on one page, and biting your nails the next!

Airman

by Eoin Colfer

Summary: The story opens with the words, "Conor Broekhart was born to fly," and he truly was, having been born in a hot air balloon. Conor's father works in the palace, and his best friend is the princess. His life changes drastically, though, when he is blamed for a murder he witnesses and is labeled a traitor. He is thrown in a terrible prison where the conditions are brutal, and is forced to mine diamonds at the bottom of the sea. No one ever escapes this prison, and his only choice is to go by air. Over the years, he designs and builds a flying machine, and an elaborate plot to gain his freedom.

My thoughts: This is one of those books that proves that every book is not right for every reader. I think I'm the only person in the world who didn't love Airman. It's definitely a grand adventure, but for me, it was just a little long-winded.

East

by Edith Pattou

Summary: This is an adaptation of the folk tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon. Rose's family falls on hard times and her sister gets sick. Her mother can't handle the stress of possibly losing her child, and her father is doing everything he can to save the family, but nothing works until the white bear appears at the door. The bear makes the family an offer: great wealth and her sister's improved health in exchange for Rose. Surprisingly, Rose's mother wants to accept the deal, but her father is violently opposed to it. Rose does end up going with the bear, and becomes his prisoner in an ice palace. The evil Troll Queen runs the show at this palace, where other humans are enslaved and kept stupid by drinking a magical potion prepared by the Queen. Complicating matters, the Queen can feel the chemistry between Rose and the bear, but desperately wants the bear for herself. (He's really a prince, you see!) Rose figures this out, and embarks on a quest to not only free herself, but to free the white bear from an evil enchantment, and the others trapped in the palace.

My thoughts: It's probably clear by now that I'm a sucker for the re-told fairy tales, and I love this one. I remember reading fairy tales as a child, and always wanting to know more of the story. This tale is similar to Beauty and the Beast, but definitely has more adventure and excitement. The evil trolls with their scaly white skin are totally creepy. Fans of the Lord of the Rings trilogy (guys and girls!) will love this book.

The Presence

by Eve Bunting

Summary: When Catherine goes to stay with her Grandma, everyone who loves her hopes that the visit will help her get over her role in the death of her best friend Kirsty. At her Grandma's church, she hears someone calling her name, when it's clear no one is there. She gets strange phones calls from someone named Noah, who claims to be able to help her communicate with her dead friend. But Noah himself has been dead for over 100 years, and he has a nasty little habit of "collecting" pretty girls who look eerily like Catherine in his search for a soul mate.

My thoughts: I snuck this little book in in-between reading some others and had to finish it! Eve Bunting is such a great talent--she usually writes picture books, and can somehow still write a book creepy enough to make a grown-up shiver! Bunting doesn't reveal Catherine's roll in Kirsty's death until almost the end of the book, and when you find out what it was, it will break your heart.