TAB Book Review by Maya

Title: American Born Chinese
Author: Gene Lueng Yang

Quick Plot Summary: This graphic novel is a collection of three separate but interwoven stories, each related to Chinese culture in various ways.

The first is the legend of the Monkey King, ruler of Flower-Fruit Mountain and master of kung-fu. Denied entrance to a dinner party, he's no longer satisfied with being a monkey and desperately wants to become a god. So he studies more of the major disciplines of kung-fu, embarks on a life-changing pilgrimage, and meets Tze-Yo-Tzu, or He Who Is, the god who created him from a rock.

The next tale is about an American-born Chinese boy named Jin. He moves from San Francisco and goes to a new school where he has a difficult time because he's the only Chinese-American student. Wei-Chen, a Taiwanese boy, comes to his school, and though Jin wanted to beat him up at first, they become friends. Later, Jin begins to have a crush on an all-American girl and wants to transform himself into an all-American boy.

The third story, "Everybody Ruvs Chin-Kee," is about a popular boy named Danny whose Chinese cousin comes to visit. Chin-Kee's annoying behavior causes Danny terrrible embarrassment and ruins everything.

Favorite Character: Chin-Kee. He made me laugh so hard with his super-stereotypical Chinese ways.

Favorite Part: The end. All three stories come together in a very surprising way.

Favorite Quote: Early in the book, and old Chinese woman asks Jin what he wants to be when he grows up, and he answers, "A transformer." She replies, "It's easy to be anything you wish, so long as you're willing to forfeit your soul." I think that being true to yourself is what this book is all about.

Out of five stars, I would give this book all five. I couldn't stop reading and finished it before I knew what was happening!

The "Bloody Jack" Audio Books by L.A. Meyer

Lately I've really been enjoying listening to the CDs of the "Bloody Jack" series by L.A. Meyer.

"Jacky" is an adventurous and enterprising young woman (during most of the stories, she is from 13 to 16 years old) who, in the first book, disguises herself to become a "ship's boy" on a British warship during the Napoleonic Wars. She has many hair-raising adventures and narrow escapes, and she is catapulted from one dangerous situation to another...and another...and another...staying alive through sheer luck, pluck and cleverness.

The audio book actor (I hesitate to call her merely a "reader"), Katherine Kellgren, is right on target in her emotional expression, and she seems to be able to do any accent with ease: "Posh" British, Cockney, New England, Southern American, French, Spanish, West Indian, etc. I have lost count of all the voices she does!

The stories themselves take Jacky and the listener/reader onto the high seas and all over the globe, placing her in many unusual and even outrageous situations. These books are at once fascinating trips into the world of the early Nineteenth century, and "ripping" good yarns!

By Christine Demarais, Youth Services

Book Review: My Heartbeat

It's hard to make a narrator funny, insightful and realistic all at the same time. Garret Freymann-Weyr does that with most of his characters in My Heartbeat. Both the story and the characters are believable: Ellen, 14, loves her older brother math-whiz Link, and has always loved his best friend and cinema critic James. After wondering aloud if they are more than just friends, Ellen pulls out questions of identity in all three of them.

The author creates characters that are just normal enough to relate to (watching movies and running together) but not normal enough to be boring (going to hospital dining halls to write and sketch about the strangers). Ellen also talks about her summer reading of Age of Innocence, Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights for some fun tie-ins to those plots.

For an absorbing and meaningful read, I highly recommend My Heartbeat!

For more (older) books this one shares a list with, check out http://www.asu.edu/clas/english/englished/yalit/engedya02honorlist.htm

~Cara

Peer Reviews

Here's what some high schoolers have found in the library recently....

Throwing Like A Girl shows what it takes to be part of a team: courage, confidence and accepting your losses while learning from your mistakes.
It has a strong sense of moving to a new school and starting afresh.
Also, Weezie shows how relationships make a difference in our lives!... It's powerful!
~Olivia



I recommend Case Closed for awesome sleuthing and detective action.







I recommend The Odyssey for fascinating mythological action

~Ben






If you like Sarah Dessen, read books by Deb Caletti. Very real emotions are displayed by the characters in her books. She creates girls you can relate to and guys you'll want to meet. Great realistic fiction for teenage girls.




If you enjoyed reading His Dark Materials, get the book on tape. It's a full cast recording. The voics capture the characters well and it's a great way to listen to the book.
~Natalie