There’s a new Spider-Man in town – middle schooler Miles Morales!
Come to the Claremont Teen Book Club to discuss Ultimate Comics Spider-Man vol. 1 by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli.
The club will meet on August 28th at 2:30 in the Claremont Branch Teen Room.
We’ve got copies of the book to loan out at the Claremont Branch Information Desk. Discover this exciting new hero, and a new chapter for Spider-Man!
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake is like the first rain of the season: when grey streaks your windows and you wrap a thick sweater around yourself to protect from the melancholy that is sure to set in. The book follows Rose Edelstein through her life and although it is populated by the many rich and strange foods that she tastes, it is melancholy indeed. Throughout the book, Rose explores her peculiar and magical talent for tasting the emotions of the person who made the food when she eats it.
In reading it, I think many people will see elements of their own family reflected in it: a restless, unfaithful mother, an introverted, socially awkward brother, a disengaged father who is unable to connect with his daughter and a grandmother a few states over who sends packages but never comes to visit.
Using magical realism elements, the fantastical seamlessly melds with the reality and The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake will leave you with your own particular sadness – along with many, many things to think about.
Review by Emily
I’ve always liked Neil Gaiman. I read Stardust, Good Omens and American Gods before I read The Graveyard Book. I rather liked this book because, even though it was written for children, it was still pretty sophisticated. The way I usually read books is a little differently from the way my friends have described for themselves. I like to take the words and create an image in my head. The more descriptive the book the better I like it. The concept of science changing in the world around the ghosts and them finding out that the world is round was… I can’t think of a word to describe it. Somewhere between awesome and hilarious. The fact that they couldn’t stray far from their graveyard was so old-fashioned. But they found a way around it and were able to visit the rest of the world, have fun, meet others. But I think they should have told Nobody before they went on their adventure. He might have been able to help with them almost fading away at the end. The “villain” was interesting, how he was partially just in their heads. I liked this book and would recommend it to anyone, no matter what they usually read. There’s something in it for everyone. I was touched by this book and that’s a feat, especially after I read The Bridge to Terabithia. I forgot how it’s spelled. But definitely read this if you haven’t yet. Or reread it if you have. It’s worth it.
Review by Caitlin
The third book in a series, Bitterblue follows up on how Bitterblue is dealing with becoming queen after her father murdered her mother. Then her father Leck is finally killed. But eight years after his death, the people of Monsea are still under Leck’s spell. With her Cousin Po’s and Lady Katsa’s help, Bitterblue starts to unravel the damage done, the lies spun, and the reason why so many people in her kingdom are being murdered without her knowing it. Sequel to Graceling, companion to Fire.
Review by Jihane
Thirteen Reasons Why is the intriguing story of why a 13 year-old girl committed suicide. She recorded her reasons in the form of cassette tapes, which are being passed around to those who are responsible for her death. This is a suspenseful romance novel about how small things can greatly effect a person’s life. After reading this book, I realized how my actions can have a negative effect on a person’s life and I decided to change that. I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to others who favor romance and life-changing stories.
Review by Hannah
A Thousand Splendid Suns is the tale of two women. From an outsider’s point of view, these women could be looked upon as two separate oceans. However, if you looked deeper, you could find the great similarities they share. This novel takes you back to the cold war in Iran and Iraq. The author portrays his characters with immense love and loyalty. This book is one of a kind. It will literally move you to tears! I recommend this novel to all teens and adults. It has something to offer to everyone and anyone! My favorite parts were the childhood sequences; they really are heart wrenching.
Review by Sawara
How should I describe my experience reading The Kayla Chronicles? I couldn’t put the book down. Partway through, it was so exciting it came close to traumatizing. The resolution made me feel calm and happy. Throughout the book, I felt like I was living the narrator’s life. The Kayla Chronicles is the story of Kayla, a fourteen year old feminist and self-proclaimed intellectual. She and her best friend Rosalie have a club, Sisters Providing Encouragement and Kindness (SPEAK), and plan to use it to help other girls by promoting feminism and girl power in their community. Rosalie convinces Kayla to audition for a celebrated high school dance team, just to prove with her failure that acceptance to the team is only a matter of large-bustedness. Kayla and Rosalie, do not see their own small breasts as a problem, and plan to write an expose of the dance team’s discrimination based on breast size. But when Kayla makes the team, she finds herself torn between different groups and different values – even when when herself doesn’t know who she wants to be.
As I said before, this story was engrossing and really had an impact on me. Part of this is because I often think about the same sort of things that Kayla has to consider. I too am a teen age girl. I too have had times when I needed to evaluate my identity. That said, the book itself is fantastic. Sherri Winston is especially skillful when it comes to dialogue. The characters are spirited and multi-dimensional. The story is laid out very nicely and is well-paced. All in all, The Kayla Chronicles is fun, thoughtful and very relatable. I highly recommend it.
Review by Sasha
Outlaw, The Legend of Robin Hood was a very good book. It is about Robin Hood’s life and how he helps the poor and tries to free the king all while trying not to get caught by the prince. This is a fun book to read. It has lots of action and suspense and is full of cool battles. I really like how they draw the pictures and how Robin is so good with a bow. I do think however that they could say “thunk” a little less. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes books with lots of battle scenes and adventure.
Review by Thomas
Hilarious, heartwarming, suspenseful, I’ll Be There, has it all. Seventeen year old Sam and his younger brother Riddle lead a strange life. Their father, a schizophrenic thief who doesn’t believe in schools, kidnapped them from their mother when they were young, and has been roaming the country with them ever since. When Sam meets Emily his whole world changes and he starts to view things differently. Here is a normal girl with a normal life who knows so much about everything he never knew. Emily is curious about Sam because he is different from the boys at school. Unfortunately Sam’s dad finds out about their growing romance, and knows that the town is getting suspicious of his actions, so he takes his sons and leaves. They end up stranded on a mountain where no one will find them. Emily believes that she will never see same again, and is even more devastated when she hears evidence of their death on the mountain. While she grows depressed, Riddle and Sam are trying to survive in the wilderness. This book has an exciting plot, and characters that blow your mind, some funny, some serious. This book leaves a lasting impression on the reader’s mind.
Review by Mira
Coldest Winter Ever is a book that is a good read because it shows how being caught up in the wrong crowd and people can ruin or end your life in a second. Tomorrow is not promised to anyone and making sure you live a good life so you can say that you have no regrets is great. A bullet does not have a name on it. Being around the wrong people and crowd can cause one of your loved ones to lose their life because of you and your foolishness. I enjoyed this book because it shows how being raised in a certain environment can cause you to repeat the same cycle and go down the same road of destruction as did the others around you. Many people should read this book because it will tell the life of of a girl whose beauty and freedom were taken from her because of the people she hung around. Many will not want to go down this road and this book will help and encourage them not to.
Review by Corinthian
teenlibrarian | 
08 16th, 2012| 