Jan 24, 2019
We are going to share our Best Of 2018 book lists in the coming weeks! Yay!
First up, Yentl!
Yentl is tiny, adorable, and very opinionated. Here is Yentl’s Best of 2018!
Check out the original post HERE. More Best Of lists to come!
seen from United States
seen from United Kingdom
seen from United States
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Italy
seen from Sweden
seen from Brazil
seen from United States
seen from Chile
seen from United States
seen from Italy
seen from Malaysia
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seen from Canada
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from Saudi Arabia
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
We are going to share our Best Of 2018 book lists in the coming weeks! Yay!
First up, Yentl!
Yentl is tiny, adorable, and very opinionated. Here is Yentl’s Best of 2018!
Check out the original post HERE. More Best Of lists to come!
Check out this infographic Yentl at the Smith Public Library made to showcase her love for Maurene Goo’s The Way You Make Me Feel.
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson – YA F JOH (NEW)
The setting is Ellingham Academy, a prestigious private school for gifted teens located in a remote section of Vermont. Our protagonist is one Stevie Bell, who has immersed herself in crime for years. (Learning about crime; not necessarily being a criminal… ) Her ambition is to be a detective, work for the FBI and help people by solving mysteries. Her obsession is the unsolved case that occurred at the Academy in the 1930s involving the founder’s wife and daughter and a murdered student. Stevie never anticipated that her admissions essay would actually be taken seriously – but she is accepted as a student at Ellingham. As bits and pieces about the original crime are revealed, new mysteries and threats surface at the school that threaten Stevie and her new friends. Will Stevie be able to put the pieces of the puzzle together before history repeats itself? Roben’s thoughts – I thought this one started out at just a teeny bit slow. While most of the story is about Stevie there are sections that are presented as narration and evidence from the original crime. But once the writing appears on the wall (literally) you will have a hard time putting the book down. AND – this is the first in a trilogy! Not all questions will be answered at the end of this book and book 2 is scheduled for 2019. I’ll be waiting for it!
The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Saenz
About: A story set on the American border with Mexico, about family and friendship, life and death, and one teen struggling to understand what his adoption does and doesn’t mean about who he is.
Ofilia’s Thoughts: This is definitely an “issues” book meaning so many things happen to these poor teens that it is a bit overwhelming. Saenz excels at creating interesting and genuine characters that go through true life situations. In this way, this novel is much like his previous book, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. But where that title was quiet almost stealthy in style, this book is more all-encompassing. The protagonist, Sal, is struggling to find answers to big questions. He is dealing with thoughts of his adoption, his ailing grandmother and his grieving best friend. He also befriends a teen who is essentially homeless thanks to his mother’s drug addiction. Oh and did I mention Sal’s adopted dad is gay? See what I mean about “issues.” Despite all of this, the pacing is slow, so while there are a lot of problems, there isn’t a lot of action. Still, it is a beautifully written book with lovely moments of connection and meaning. Sal is surrounded by loving adults, particularly his dad who reminds me a lot of Atticus Finch, which is refreshing. This book is all about the journey and trying to make sense of the world especially during hard times. I think people who like quieter more introspective fiction, would enjoy this one.
Read more YA book reviews on our blog at: www.splteenmachine.com
Stephanie’s Best YA of 2017 List!
Read more best of 2017 lists and young adult book reviews on our blog at www.splteenmachine.com
Roben’s Best YA of 2017 List!
Check out more best of lists and YA book reviews on our blog at www.splteenmachine.com !
It is a very special Smith Public Library Blog Tuesday!
Murphy Middle School students have been working hard to read all of the Texas Lone Star List Nominations before the official top 20 list is released by the Texas Library Association!
Visit our blog at SPLTeenMachine, catch up on all the reviews, and stay tuned for the soon to be revealed official Texas Lone Star Reading List!
This is the book we’ll be discussing at the upcoming TEEN BOOK CLUB on September 7th from 6-7pm at the Smith Public Library. Join us and share your thoughts, and check out more young adult book reviews at our blog at: www.splteenmachine.com
The Leaving by Tara Altebrando
About: Six kindergarteners were taken. Eleven years later, five come back–with no idea of where they’ve been. No one remembers the sixth victim, Max. Avery, Max’s sister, needs to find her brother–dead or alive–and isn’t buying this whole memory-loss story.
Ofilia’s Thoughts: This book is so well paced and the storyline is so intriguing, I had a hard time putting it down. On one level, it is a very straight forward mystery—who took these kids? Why can’t they remember where they were? Where is Max? On another level, it is a book that asks really difficult philosophical questions—who are you when you can’t remember the past 11 years of your life? What defines a life? A person? What happens when you return “home” but don’t really fit in there? Altebrando’s imaginative plot takes all of these elements and interweaves a fascinating story that switches viewpoints with every chapter. You really get inside the minds of the characters and get to experience how this tragedy affected an entire community. The ending is a bit tidy, but the original plot and fascinating questions make that easy to overcome. Plus, you get answers—no cliffhangers! A truly fascinating novel.