the dead & the gone

by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Life for Alex Morales, a New York City Puerto Rican teenager, changed forever without a second of warning. An asteroid collides with the moon, moving it closer to the earth. As a result, the moon's gravitational pull adversely affects the tides, causing worldwide flooding of low-lying areas. It also causes an increase in volcanic activity, so that the air becomes filled with ash, blocking out the sun's rays. Within months, New York City is constantly freezing, breathing is difficult, and nothing will grow. Alex's father was in Puerto Rico for his mother's funeral when the asteroid hit, and his mother was called in to the hospital to work. Neither one ever comes home, and 17-year-old Alex is left to care for his two younger sisters alone with food more and more difficult to come by. Alex is forced to take extreme actions just to survive. This is an unrelentingly bleak look at one possible future on an earth with severe climate changes. I wanted to quit reading, on every page because it was so depressing, but I just couldn't. This book is filled with small kindnesses and unselfish acts on the part of several characters, in spite of their need to survive, and I just had to know what happens to everyone. The Dead and the Gone is a companion book to Life as We Knew It, the same story told from the viewpoint of a small-town teenaged girl. Both books are thought-provoking reads with characters worth caring about, and very timely themes in light of the current global climate change debate.

--Reviewed by Mrs. Sams

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

by Brian Selznick

Do you remember those picture books from your elementary days that had the great pictures? Books like Make Way for Ducklings by Robert Mccloskey, Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, Smoky Night by Eve Bunting, and The Polar Express by Christ Van Allsburg? All of these were Caldecott Award winners and written for young elementary students. The Caldecott award is a prestigious award given annually to children's book illustrators. This year, for the first time in recent memory, the Caldecott went to the writer of a book written for older students. The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a thick book (533 pages) with dozens of lovely and intricate black and white pencil drawings. It's part picture book, part graphic novel, part motion picture. I loved this book for its artwork as much as anything, but it also has an interesting and creative storyline loosely based on the life of one of the earliest French moviemakers. I would recommend this book to anyone--it's not only a good read, but it's also a visual feast. Most students could read this book in a couple of hours, but you just have to take a little time to enjoy the art.

--Reviewed by Mrs. Sams

NOTES FROM THE MIDNIGHT DRIVER

by Jordan Sonnenblick

"It seemed like a good idea at the time," is Alex's lame excuse for drinking a lot of vodka, then stealing his mom's car with the intention of driving to his dad's house and confronting him with his multiple sins. However, he never made it to his dad's, instead crashing into a neighbor's front lawn, giving himself a concussion in the process. The lady judge was not amused, and sentenced him to 100 hours of community service time, to be served in a nursing home. At the Egbert P. Johnson Memorial Home for the Aged, Alex was assigned to the very cranky Soloman Lewis. It was no picnic at first, but when Alex started playing jazz guitar for Sol, a connection was made that both Alex and Sol benefitted from. With the help of two musical geniuses from Alex's jazz band, he put together a jazz concert for all the residents of the nursing home. A surprise performance by Sol on Alex's guitar guaranteed the success of the concert, and after the initial shock had worn off, bound Alex to Sol even more closely than before. This is a great story about the value of service, and the surprising people who can teach wonderful lessons if only they are allowed to. A funny and touching read. Notes from a Midnight Driver is on this year's Tayshas Reading list. --reviewed by Mrs. Sams

UNWIND

By Neal Shusterman

A terrifying, futuristic cautionary tale, Unwind gripped me from page one and wouldn't let go till the end. Connor, Risa, and Lev are all scheduled for unwinding in this creepy world where it's OK for parents to donate their teenagers to society for body parts, just as long as every bit of them is transplanted into another person. Connor learns his fate, and begins running, finding Risa and Lev along the way. They all three end up in the "Graveyard," a semi-safe place in Arizona run by a retired Navy Admiral who opposes the unwinding policy. But unfortunately, the Admiral can't control all 400 unwinds and the few adults who know about his camp, and chaos breaks loose. In the midst of a mob rebellion, the Admiral has a heart attack, and Connor and Risa risk everything to take him to the hospital. They are betrayed by Roland, a fellow unwind, and all are sent to a "harvest camp." I couldn't ruin the ending here, but I've got to say that there are very recognizable events happening at the harvest camp--grim reminders of the Jewish Holocaust and current suicide bombers. Though the plot of this book may seem unrealistic, there's just enough reality in it to be downright scary, with allusions to a number of controversial issues. This is an engrossing and thought-provoking read.

---reviewed by Dail Sams