Perpetual Check by Rich Wallace

Wallace, Rich. Perpetual Check, 112 pgs. Alfred A. Knopf, 2009. RATING : Language– PG13 (about 45 swear words, no f-).
This book covers the action of just one night and the following day, but it is a pivotal day in the relationship of two brothers. Randy, an high school freshman, has recently surpassed his older brother, Zeke, on the chess team as their leading player. When Zeke leaves his hotel key in the room and is out past curfew during a tournament where both brothers have made it to the final 16, he is forced to knock on Randy’s door and crash there. Zeke doesn’t get Randy’s humor and finds his tendency to make up words annoying. He has found it easy to follow his dad’s lead and not treat Randy well since he is also secretly intimidated by his brother. But this night, away from their dad, they start reaching out to each other in friendship. By the end of the tournament, they finally are able to connect to each other as brothers instead of as their father’s sons. I liked this story. It is a very fast read at only 112 pages, but I was pulled right into this sibling rivalry. I enjoyed watching the scenes at the chess tournament and listening to their dialogue as Zeke tried to relate to Randy honestly, discarding his preconceived notions about his brother and seeing his dad for the bully he was. I also was intrigued by the ins and outs of playing chess competitively. Since I am so unable to do so, it was informative to learn a little about it.
MS, HS - ADVISABLE.

If the Witness Lied by Caroline Cooney

Cooney, Caroline B. If the Witness Lied, 213 pgs. Delacorte Press (Random House), 2009. RATING : Language – PG.
Jack’s been the good brother. He’s the one who has stayed home with his little brother, Tris, and Aunt Cheryl. Neither of his sisters has been home for more than a couple of days in a year. However, with the passing of the anniversary of their Dad’s birthday and death, the sisters both feel prompted to come home, arriving on the same day Jack learns about his aunt’s plan to sell Tris’s story to TV. With the help of Jack’s neighbor Diana and armed with memories of their parents’ love and courage, the siblings overcome misunderstandings among themselves and willful deceptions by others to become a family again. This is a touchingly sweet and simple story of courage, family love, and starting over. The children’s memories of their parents’ love and example resonated with me. I also was moved by their struggles to forgive themselves and each other for their choices since their dad’s death, and their tentative overtures toward faith in God despite everything that’s happened to them. I can overlook the coincidence of both sisters coming home on the very day Cheryl secures a TV contract because of how much I think Cooney was right on with the rest of the story.
MS – ADVISABLE. PKFoster, MS teacher-librarian.

Dormia by Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski

Halpern, Jake and Peter Kujawinski. Dormia, 506 pgs. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009.
After learning that he is a descendant of Dormia, a hidden kingdom in the Ural Mountains whose inhabitants possess the ancient power of "wakeful sleeping," Alfonso sets out on a mission to save the kingdom from destruction, discovering secrets that lurk in his own sleep. Traveling with Bilblox, Hill, and a magic-inducing plant, Alfonso has some wonderful adventures fighting off killer plants, competing in a relay race on a pair of decaying ships, sailing across the frozen seas, following a haunted forest path, withstanding winter storms, and entering Dormia. Once there, he must help defeat those who have infultrated this hidden world and are set on killing the founding tree that keeps them alive. Final pages include selected Dormian hieroglyphs and the national anthem of Dormia. I found the adventures creative and well written. However, personally, I just didn't find very exciting the possibility of having great abilities that exhibit themselves only when you're sleeping. Alfonso has to go to sleep before he can perform at the level needed to outwit and defeat his opponents. That just seems wrong, somehow.
MS - ADVISABLE. PKFoster, MS teacher-librarian.

Death by Denin by Linda Gerber

Gerber, Linda. Death by Denim (Death By series, bk. 3), 211 pgs. Sleuth Speak (Penguin Group), 2009. RATING : Language & Violence – PG (couple of swear words; mild brutality).
Aphra never has a day when she forgets about The Mole and his minions who would like nothing better than to find her and Seth and take their revenge. She keeps a low profile, has no friends and no contact with Seth, and chants repeatedly the mantras her mom has taught her to help her stay safe. Still, when she realizes a man is trailing her one day, Aphra is sent into an icy panic. She and her mom avoid home, dodge the Marlboro Man, and make a call to the Agency. Thus are they suddenly on the run again, and forced to once more trust the Agency. Though I haven't read the first two books and missed the set-up for Aphra and Seth’s relationship and the initial confrontations between them and The Mole, this book gave me enough background information to follow the plot without trouble. The intrigue was fun spy fare.
MS – ESSENTIAL. HS – OPTIONAL (ninth & tenth graders). PKFoster, MS teacher-librarian.

Why I Fight by J. Adams Oaks

Oaks, J. Adams. Why I Fight, 228 pgs. Richard Jackson Book (Atheneum Books for Young Readers), 2009. RATINGS : Language – PG13 (mostly contains innocuous substitutes for swear words, until the very end); Sexual Content & Violence – PG.
Set in an unnamed area, this book contains Wyatt’s narrative of his life as told to you, the reader, someone he has met on the bus at the very end of the story. The language is full of colloquialisms and grammatical errors, which makes the story very immediate and personal. Wyatt has not had love or acceptance from his parents, and when his uncle Spade offers to take him away, he doesn’t hesitate. For a long time, he reveres Spade. However, Spade isn’t much of a role model either, moving from girlfriend to girlfriend and using everyone he knows to get what he wants. When Wyatt grows into a very large 14-year-old and punches out a pig at a pig-catching contest, Spade sees a chance to make money and has Wyatt fighting bare-knuckled on a betting circuit. Despite his hard knocks and failure to learn how to get along with others, I am determined to remain hopeful that Wyatt will find his way in the world, that he will be able to follow his naturally tender heart and actually become a gentle, content adult. This story makes me care about him and want him to succeed. Unfortunately, the odds are working against him.
MS, HS – ADVISABLE. PKFoster, MS teacher-librarian.

Dull Boy by Sarah Cross

Cross, Sarah. Dull Boy, 308 pgs. Dutton Books (Penguin Group), 2009. RATING Language – PG13 (over 100 swears, no f- words).
We meet Avery Pirzwick as he is trying to counteract all the inadvertent trouble he’s been getting into because of his powers – busting his neighbor’s car door, breaking his wrestling opponent’s arm, lying to his friends to keep his powers hidden. He ends up losing these friends, getting caught in the middle of an apparent attempted robbery, and being sent to an alternative school for troubled youth. Though he feels completely isolated and misunderstood because of his powers, others have taken an interest in him exactly because of them. When another boy with superpowers decides to run away with Cherchette, a suspicious adult luring the kids away from their families, Avery and his new friends finally realize they must work together to save their friend. The story moves at a good clip and may be enjoyed by readers who like X-Men. However, the plot and Avery’s internal conflicts are pretty predictable, and the connection between the villain and the main characters is left largely undeveloped. The language will keep this one out of my school collection.
MS – OPTIONAL. PKFoster, MS teacher-librarian.

Tricking the Tallyman by Jacqueline Davies

Davies, Jacqueline; illustrated by S. D. Schindler. Tricking the Tallyman : The Great Census Shenanigans of 1790, unpaged. Alfred A. Knopf, 2009. PICTURE BOOK.
When Phineas Bump rides into the small Vermont village of Tunbridge, he encounters residents who have mistaken ideas about the purpose of the first census of the United States and try to skew his count in their favor. After two counts that were first too small and then too big, the townsfolk persuade Mr. Bump to count them one last time when they learn that the census was to determine taxes and soldiers owed to the government as well as their representation in that government. The author includes one page of nonfiction information about the first census and types of questions asked.
EL – ADVISABLE. PKFoster, MS teacher-librarian.