Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi (TOR 2008)

Lynn: I have strong feelings about the science fiction written for teens. I won’t go into that now but someday soon I will rant at length. I am feeling quite mellow right now because I just read an outstanding book that is guaranteed to win over even the most dubious. It does everything good science fiction should do. It is smart and extremely entertaining, pursuing thought-provoking themes that in this case are quintessentially adolescent AND universal. While providing lots of action and suspense, a great strength of this book is the richly developed characterizations. Terrific dialog and awesome aliens round out a book that is perfect to hand to anyone 12 and up, boys and girls, science fiction fans and newbies. Meet seventeen-year-old Zoë, smart, sassy, obsessed with her new boyfriend and rarely separated from her sarcastic best friend, Gretchen. She is also rarely separated from her two alien bodyguards who record her every experience for their home planet. Zoë’s foster parents are leaders of a new colony on the planet Roanoke. The colonists are struggling to establish farms and homes when they discover they are pawns in a gigantic galactic chess game. Zoë’s Tale is the fourth book in Scalzi’s outstanding Old Man’s War series and it is a parallel novel to The Lost Colony. Don’t panic! Zoë’s Tale stands alone quite nicely with ample background information seamlessly provided. I guarantee that most readers will immediately search out the first three books so be prepared to provide those too. In an author’s note, Scalzi says, “I despaired how I would ever actually get a writing tone approximating that of an actual teenage girl…” Well, he did and Zoë is a memorable character. This is one of those gateway books we librarians are always looking for that will open doors to new genres for readers. Buy this book for your teen collections NOW!
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Cindy: I'm on deadline for some reviews and can't read this right now, but Lynn has me hooked. Most of the sf I've read has been the stuff she has sent my way and this sounds like a winner.

Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon & Nathan Hale, illus. by Dean Hale (Bloomsbury, 2008)

Cindy: This is my kind of graphic novel...super heroes in the guise of folktale heroines! "Punzie" and sidekick Jack are a great team with snarky reparte, a humorous flair, and friendship that hints of a budding romance. The western influence reminded me of another favorite graphic novel, Daisy Kutter: The Last Train. Glad to hear the authors are teaming up for a sequel. This Rapunzel escapes Gothel, uses her long braids as lassos to dispense with the bad guys, and returns to try to improve life of the citizens affected by Gothel's heavy taxes and detrimental spells. I need some other graphic novel reading suggestions. If you have a favorite, leave us a comment!
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Lynn: No quarrel here, partner! I loved everything about this book: the fairy tale set in the Old West, the perfect palette, the humor, the spunky characters, and the sassy dialog. I can’t resist lines like Jack admitting, “I have a serious problem with some giants.” What I like most about this terrific book is the way the text and illustrations work together to create the story. The Hales (all of them) smartly allow the illustrations to carry the action, often using vivid colors to heighten the tension. This is a perfect blend and I can’t wait to see more from this talented team. Oh - and the goose was a great character!
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Cindy: I just read Jen Hubert's Reading Rants post about this book--I want to be Jen when I grow up! The woman can write and she has fabulous hair!

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George (Bloomsbury 2008)

Lynn: One of the great pleasures of snowy days is nestling in with a wonderful book. Here is one that is picture perfect for wintry days. The baby born to a bitter and disappointed mother doesn't even have a name. Called Lass by her family, the little girl grows up quiet and self-sufficient with a secret talent that enables her to communicate with animals. During one especially hungry winter, a huge polar bear arrives at the house and offers wealth to the family in exchange for Lass spending a year and a day with him in his castle. Lass does her best to curb her curiosity and endure the year. But what girl can resist trying to solve the mystery of the beautiful young man who slips into her bed each night? George blends an enchanting retelling of a Norwegian tale with exciting new elements, creating a completely satisfying read. I especially loved the trolls! So grab a quilt, make a cup of cocoa and enjoy!
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Cindy: 398.2 is this storyteller's favorite section of the library. I also love fictional folktale retellings. Robin McKinley's Beauty was the first to really capture my heart by fully fleshing out a familiar tale into something very new. George's retelling of "East o' the Sun, West o' the Moon" is sure to please fans of Edith Pattou's East that looks at the same tale. Lass's ability to talk to animals makes her relationship with her pet wolf very entertaining, and it's a magical element that is also important to the plot. Three cheers for a book in which the beloved "dog" doesn't die! This story enchanted me the whole way, but I have to admit that I prefer the Beauty and the Beast storyline to East of the Sun. I mean, doesn't it creep you out a little that the girl is forced to sleep next to a man she doesn't know for a year? Sure, he is a gentleman, but I prefer Beauty's more distanced contact with her beast, thank you very much. That said, I can see how both girls fall in love with the gentle beasts they are imprisoned with. And Lynn's right, the trolls are fabulous--so too the salamander chefs, the faun, and other fey creatures. If I weren't in danger of being imprisoned myself by towering stacks of unread books, I'd be tempted to curl up with this one again.

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

Cindy: From its striking cover to its compelling heroine, readers will root for ex-slave Isabel to one day find her promised freedom. Set in New York City during the summer of 1776, Manhattan as a battleground is vividly realized as Isabel becomes a spy. Her sex and ethnicity help her efforts as she is invisible to the powerful white men around her. Author M.T. Anderson, who explores similar themes of freedom and liberty in his Revolutionary War novels about Octavian Nothing, jokes that some folks think he and Laurie are siblings and that their parents must have influenced these books. There's no genetic relation between them, but the two authors have made admirable contributions to the study of our national family's foundation and philosophy.
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Lynn: Cindy and I agree on this wonderful book. For me it is Isabel's strong voice that is the highlight. This is the kind of book that makes history sing out with a voice that brings the time and place to life for young readers. Anderson does a terrific job of weaving the necessary historical information into the story also, never letting that slow the pace. I especially appreciate the accurate portrayal of the very ambivalent feelings most people had about the revolution. Everyday survival was center stage and siding with the eventual winner meant more to most ordinary people than championing a cause, a fact that seldom appears in books for teens. I was captured completely by Isabel and was loathe to end the story. I need a sequel, please! While we have recommended this book for grades 7-10, I think it is perfect to give to younger strong readers.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Lynn: Tamora Pierce blurbs this book saying, "Here's a WOW of a book," and that sums up my feelings pretty well. Kristin Cashore has created an intensely interesting world and peopled it with characters that sparkle with complexity and life. The terms fast paced and compulsively readable can't be used often enough here. There are moments in the plot that literally made me gasp out loud but the core of the book is the naturallly evolving development of the characters who take control of the reader's heart. Teens are going to be standing in line for this one and storming the librarian's desk demanding more the minute they finish the last page.
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Cindy: This is a fabulous first novel and I was with Cashore for most of the trip. The plot bogged down a little for me at the end starting with Katsa trekking through the snowy mountains with no coat, no sleep, and no food, but hey, I like my Gortex... I'll be interested to hear what others think of the final chapters. (Throw us a comment!) I'll definitely be booktalking this and am eager for the next installment myself!

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Cindy: I read this book months ago in manuscript and it haunts me still. Find it, read it, talk about it.

Lynn: This wins the page turner of the year award. Teens will love this and I want the sequel NOW.