Fairy Tail, Vol 3- Musical Murders

Mashima, Hiro.  Fairy Tail 3: Musical Murders.  Trans. William Flanagan.  New York: Del Rey/Ballantine Books, 2008.  Paperback.  ISBN: 978-0-34-550556-9.  US $10.95.

Annotation:

       The Dark Guild Eisenwald has a cursed flute they mean to use over a train broadcasting system.  It is up to Lucy, Ezra, Gray, and Natsu to stop them before the dark wizards kill everyone.  Recommended for ages 12+.

Cover from Amazon.com

Book Talk:

Listen to this book talk:

    

       In this third installment of the manga series Fairy Tail, teen wizards Lucy, Ezra, Gray, and Natsu must stop the evil members of the Dark Guild Eisenwald from playing a cursed flute over a train station broadcasting system.  The dark wizards of Eisenwald should be no match for the powerful heroes but tempers flare as the teens are trapped behind a magic wall of wind with no idea of how to get out.  Can the four bickering heroes work together to stop Eisenwald or will their pride get in the way?

 

 

Book Review:

 

            Fairy Tail is a sequential manga series meaning that you really need to the first two volumes before you start reading this book or it will be difficult to piece together what’s going on.  This is also the volume where the characters Natsu and Ezra really start playing a role in the storyline.  That being said the characters are still a little flat at this point because Mashima seems to rely on gimmicks to make characters amusing or interesting, such as Gray’s habit of suddenly losing his clothes or Natsu always getting motion sick.  Although the characters themselves are really just starting to develop in this volume I do appreciate the way the author/illustrator has decided to show that even though the heroes save the day they usually do so at a price.

            I think this series would be appreciated by teens 12 and up who enjoy fantasy especially in graphic novel form.  There was one instance where an older guild master commented on a younger female guild member’s body but this was the only instance of this level of mature content in this volume.  Otherwise it is somewhat typical of manga for teen boys (shonen manga) in that female characters tend to be voluptuous and wear tight, skimpy outfits.  Despite their revealing clothing both Lucy and Ezra are strong female characters.

"I loved it.  Though I was coaxed into reading it by my boyfriend, but I totally loved it. The art was surprisingly likable for a shounen manga. It's a battle oriented manga, but the fighting scenes were interesting enough that I didn't just skip them."  Susan M., 17. 

Awards and Honors:

     2009- Kodansha Manga Award for shōnen manga

For more about this book or author check these out:

Author Interviews:
    
     Nov. 7, 2011 Geek News Interview with Hiro Mashima

     Aug. 8, 2008 IGN Comics Interview with Hiro Mashima

Fairy Tail was made into a anime series in 2009.  
Watch the episode based on this volume:

The God Box

Sanchez, Alex.  The God Box.  New York, NY: Simon Pulse, 2007.  Paperback.  ISBN: 978-1-4169-0900-2. US $9.99.

Annotation:

      Paul has a girlfriend, plays sports, and is a devout Christian fighting what he believes are sinful thoughts he has about other guys.  Then Manuel, an openly gay student. moves to town and has Paul questioning everything he believes.  Recommended for ages 13/14 and older.



Book cover from alexsanchez.com

Book Talk:

Paul has a box where he puts all of his troubles.  He calls it his God Box.  It’s for all of his really big problems that prayer just doesn’t seem enough for.   He used it when his mother was sick and when his father turned to drinking.  Now he uses it to ask God to make him stop dreaming about guys because being gay is a sin, right?  That’s what his friends say, that’s what his pastor says, and that’s what he thinks the Bible says.  So Paul’s put himself into another kind of God Box because he's trying to be what he thinks is a good Christian, what he thinks God wants him to be.  He has a girlfriend, plays sports, goes to church, and does everything “right”.  But then Manuel, an openly gay student and committed Christian, transfers to his school.   Manuel makes Paul question his religion, what it means to be gay, and his place in God’s love.  In a small Texas town though, being openly gay can be dangerous.  Will Paul be brave enough to be himself and step out of The God Box?

Book Review:

              Sanchez, in his afterword, mentions all of the letters that he receives from teens who are struggling with their sexuality and their religion.  This book is Sanchez’s answer to all of those letters.  I agree with the message Sanchez was sending but felt that The God Box did not reach its full potential.  While the book did a good job of portraying Paul’s fear, confusion, and growth the rest of the characters seemed flat.  This was mainly because it seemed like they were only there to use Bible passages to debate whether being gay was a sin or not.

            Although I felt that this book fell short of what it could have been, I think that it still has a place on school and public library shelves.  It would be especially interesting to teens 13/14+ who are interested in the debate between the more traditional Christian viewpoints and sexuality as well as for teens questioning their sexuality.

Awards and Honors:

        2008- One of New York Public Library's "Book for the Teen Age"

Want to hear more?  Check these out:

Author Website: http://www.alexsanchez.com/

Author Interviews:

June 2012 YA Pride blog discussion with Sanchez about writing LGBTQ YA books

Sanchez speaking at a Social Justice Conference in British Columbia schools regarding anti-homophopia and social justice

 

The Mockingbirds

Whitney, Daisy.  The Mockingbirds.  New York, NY: Little, Brown and Co., 2010.  Hardback.  ISBN: 978-0-316-09053-7. US $16.99.

Annotation:

       When Alex Patrick, a student at Themis Academy, becomes a victim of date rape she has nowhere else to turn to except for the semi-secret student society called The Mockingbirds.  Recommended for ages 15+ due to graphic descriptions of rape.

Cover art from Goodreads.com

Book Talk:

             Themis Academy is a bastion of knowledge, learning, and the ultimate refuge for gifted students.  It’s a utopia and there is no need for punishment.  At least that’s what the faculty think but the students know better.  They’re the Mockingbirds, a secret society founded by Themis Academy students to help those who feel like they don’t have a voice.

  

   “Hush, little students, we’ll say the word,

     Mama’s gonna buy you a mockingbird,

     And if that mockingbird won’t sing,

     Mama’s gonna write down everything.

     And so that book won’t look the same,

     Mama’s gonna add a brand-new name.”

When junior Alex Patrick wakes up in another student’s bed with no recollection of how she got there or what happened she feels confused, angry, and ashamed.  With nowhere else to turn she goes to the Mockingbirds.  Can the Mockingbirds help Alex feel safe again?

Book Review:

            When I first started reading this book it brought to mind Cormier’s The Chocolate Wars but whereas Cormier explored an evil student secret society Whitney presents a different type altogether.  Whitney’s secret society is made up of students dedicated to righting wrongs with a system of checks and balances so that no one is accused unfairly.  Realistically I hope that any student could go to their administrators if they were in Alex’s situation.          

A victim of rape herself, the author treats the subject matter with tact and does a good job of describing the emotions and reactions of those going through such a traumatic event.  However, Whitney’s graphic descriptions of Alex’s memories of being raped make this a better book for teens 15+.  That being said I think this book would be appropriate for any high school or public library and would be appealing to teenage girls who like realistic fiction or those who feel as if they as if they are the only ones going through a bad situation.

Awards and Honors:

            2011- One of YALSA's 2011’s Best Fiction Books for Teens

Want to know more about this book or author?  Check these out:

Author site: http://daisywhitney.com/

             Friend the book on facebook.

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Author Interviews:
Dec. 2010 Teenreads.com

Book Trailer for The Mockingbirds
        by Little, Brown, & Co. Publishing





Learn about how To Kill a Mockingbird, by Lee, influenced Whitney

Fun Home

Bechdel, Alison.  Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic.  Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co, 2006.  Hardback.  ISBN: 978-0-618-47794-4.  $19.95.
 

Annotation: 

        This graphic novel explores the at times dysfunctional relationship of Bechdel and her father from her childhood until his possible suicide years later.  Due to graphic sexual content this book is recommended for ages 17+.


Book cover courtesy of Amazon.com

Book Review:

            Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel, is a graphic novel memoir which explores the author’s dysfunctional relationship with her father, an English teacher and funeral home director in rural Pennsylvania who also happened to be in the closet.   Throughout the book Bechdel, who also is gay, questions the idea of nature vs. nurture and whether her coming out to her family played a part in her father’s possible suicide.  The illustrations are heavy in feeling being entirely drawn in shades of black, white, grays, and blues which enhances the overall somber, bittersweet tone of the author’s relationship with her father. 

The novel is rife with literary works which played a big part in the lives of both father and daughter.  Although Bechdel does a decent job of explaining the correlation and importance of the literary works and authors she mentions in Fun Home, the parallels she draws between the works and her life would not be fully understood by anyone unfamiliar with the works.  Between some of the more mature illustrations and the plethora of college level literary references this book would be more appropriate for teens 17+ and adults interested in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgendered literature.   In that respect this graphic novel memoir would be more suited to a public library than a school library.

Awards:
       2006- National Book Critics Circle Award finalist
       2007- GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book
                 Stonewall Book Award for non-fiction
                 Publishing Triangle-Judy Grahn Nonfiction Award
                 Lambda Award in the "Lesbian Memoir and Biography" category
                 Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work

Interested in finding out more about this book or author? Check these out:

 Author site: http://dykestowatchoutfor.com/

Author Interviews:

           June 2006 Bechdel podcast at the Free Library of Philadelphia

November 30, 2008 interview in "The Guardian"

Clip of Bechdel explaining her drawing process for Fun Home

Buried Onions

Soto, Gary.  Buried Onions. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc, 1997.  Paperback.  ISBN-13: 978-0-15-201333-2.  US $6.95.    


Annotation:

          Nineteen year old Eddie hasn't had an easy life growing up in the barrios of Fresno but he had a plan until his cousin was killed.  Now he's unsure of what he's going to do and how he'll survive.  Recommended for ages 15+ due to some sexual situations and drug use.

 

Book cover image from Amazon.com

Book Review:

        Eddie is trying to survive in Fresno, California but life just does not seem to come easy for the 19 year old Mexican American.  His cousin has been murdered, his boss’s car was stolen while in his care, and he doesn’t know what to do with his life next.  But then life in Fresno doesn’t seem to come easy for anyone.

           While not particularly up-lifting, Soto’s Buried Onions is a gripping, gritty tale of life in the barrios of Fresno.  It is well-written, fast paced, and full of action that would be a hit with anyone looking for realistic street fiction especially high school aged teenage boys.  I found the slang terms and Spanish phrases used throughout the book confusing at first but between the glossary provided in the back of the book and context clues was able to figure the meaning out.  For someone not familiar with Spanish or without the patience to flip to the back of the book, the phrases used could be off putting. 

Awards and Honorable Mentions:

1998- YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults

Want to know more about this book or author?  Check these out:

Author site: http://www.garysoto.com/

Try a free preview of Buried Onions through GoogleBooks

The Book Thief

Zusak, Marcus. The Book Thief. New York: Alfred A. Knopf Books, 2005.  Hardback. ISBN 978-0-375-83100-3. US $17.99.

Annotation:

          Liesel is a young girl growing up in Germany on the cusp of World War II.  Unbeknownst to her she sparks Death’s curiosity who keeps tabs on her life over the years.  Recommended for those 16+ because of dense language.



Bookcover provided by Google Image.

Book Review:

               It is the eve of World War II and Death is being kept busy collecting souls when he notices a young German girl on a train. Something about her sparks his curiosity and so over the years Death, as a silent and mostly removed observer, keeps tabs on her life. He watches as she becomes a foster daughter to a poor but kind accordion-playing painter and his stern, foul-mouthed but loving wife, learns to read and share words, steals food and books, befriends and helps hide a Jewish man, and deals with life and loss in Nazi-run Germany.

           Overall, The Book Thief is a beautifully written story of love, friendship, the bravery of everyday people, and the power of both the written and spoken word set during a period of history which seemed to really need all of those things. I think both high school and public libraries could benefit from having this book in their collection both for its beautiful use of language as well as the unique historical perspective it offers on life as a German under Hitler. Although the book is beautifully written the length and density of the work would probably be more suited to older teens and adults who are interested in historical fiction, the Holocaust, or World War II. I can also see the book being used as a supplementary/ recommended reading in a European History class when the unit on the Holocaust and World War II is being taught.

Awards and Honorable Mentions:
  2006 - Kirkus Reviews Editor Choice Award
               School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
               Daniel Elliott Peace Award
               Publishers Weekly Best Children Book of the Year
               Booklist Children Editors' Choice
  2007 - Michael L. Printz Honor Book

Interested in learning more about this book or author?  Check these out:

Author Site:  http://www.randomhouse.com/features/markuszusak/index.html

Interviews with the author:
         March 23, 2006 audio interview on the Diane Rehm Show

        April 13, 2006 interview on teenreads.com

        May 1, 2009 YouTube interview posted by Random House Books

          

Welcome

Welcome to Among the Stacks a blog dedicated to books for teens.  Many genres and types of books will be reviewed in this blog but fantasy novels will be featured heavily as the genre is near and dear to my heart. 

For me the fantasy genre allows me to explore "what ifs"- what if magic existed or dragons were real- and worlds where the only limits are those imposed by imagination.  Sixteen year old Peter A. enjoys fantasy books because they "allow you to imagine that you can be more than just you.  Or you just with special powers like Sophie and Josh in the Nicolas Flamel books."

Many other teens enjoy fantasy for similar reasons but (sadly for me in a professional standpoint) mostly get recommendations from friends and other sources such as facebook, Goodreads.com, Twitter, or Youtube.  That being the case I've made an effort to include media from these sources.

Please feel free to make suggestions or comment- they are always welcome.