Mansfield High School

Mansfield High School Library Media Center
250 East Street, Mansfield, MA 02048
Phone: (508) 261-7540 Fax: (508) 339-0259

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BOOK REVIEWS

MEMOIRS OF A TEENAGE AMNESIAC by Gabrielle Zevin (Fiction)
If Naomi had picked tails, she would have won the coin toss. She wouldn’t have had to go back for the yearbook camera, and she wouldn’t have hit her head on the steps. She wouldn’t have woken up in an ambulance with amnesia. She certainly would have remembered her boyfriend, Ace. She might even have remembered why she fell in love with him in the first place. She would understand why her best friend, Will, keeps calling her “Chief.” She’d know about her mom’s new family. She’d know about her dad’s fiancée. She never would have met James, the boy with the questionable past and the even fuzzier future, who tells her he once wanted to kiss her. She wouldn’t have wanted to kiss him back. But Naomi picked heads.

October's Books into Movies feature offers quite a treat for lovers of fantasy and big-budget epics à la The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings. The Seeker: The Dark is Rising --- based on the award-winning series by Susan Cooper --- hit theaters on October 5th, providing a breathtaking battle of epic proportions between the forces of good and evil. The dazzling sets and jaw-dropping special effects, not to mention an addicting story full of magic and adventure, make this a must-see for moviegoers of all ages.

Cool New Books include IT HAD TO BE YOU, the hotly anticipated prequel to Cecily von Ziegesar’s bestselling Gossip Girl series that takes place during Blair, Serena and Nate’s sophomore year of high school; EXTRAS, a continuation of Scott Westerfeld’s award-winning Uglies trilogy that is set in a world where social status is constantly monitored and rated; SLAM, a witty and poignant story from debut YA novelist Nick Hornby about a teenage boy unexpectedly thrust into fatherhood; ZEN AND THE ART OF FAKING IT by Jordan Sonnenblick, in which an eighth grader who changes towns and schools with annoying frequency devises a plan to be totally different from his peers; and CLICK, a collaborative effort from 10 beloved authors --- including Gregory Maguire and Eoin Colfer --- who tell the startling tale of the mysterious and enigmatic George "Gee" Keane.

SAVING ZOE by Alyson Noel (Fiction)
Echo is a typical teen trying to survive high school without being totally traumatized by boy trouble, friend drama and school issues. As if she didn't have enough on her plate, Echo is doing her best to cope with the murder of her sister Zoë. Although it's been over a year, Echo is still reeling from the tragedy that changed everything. Reviewed by Amy Alessio and excerpted.

LOVE, STARGIRL by Jerry Spinelli (Fiction)
Jerry Spinelli’s new book picks up a year after Stargirl ends and reveals the new life of the beloved character who moved away so suddenly. The novel is written in diary form, as Stargirl mixes memories of her bittersweet time in Arizona with involvements with new people in her life. Reviewed by Carlie Webber and excerpted.

WYVERNHAIL: The Kiesha’ra, Volume Five by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes (Fantasy)
In the fifth and final installment of Amelia Atwater-Rhodes’s The Kiesha’ra series, find out what happens after Princess Oliza abdicates the throne of Wyvern’s Court. The story is told from the point of view of Hai, the relative rescued from the Ecl prison who has scary visions of the future. Her visions urged Oliza to abdicate in the first place. But the visions are continuing… Reviewed by Amy Alessio and excerpted.

RIGHT BEHIND YOU by Gail Giles (Fiction)
In Gail Giles's follow-up to the wickedly scary WHAT HAPPENED TO CASS McBRIDE?, a boy finds out that sometimes your own past can be the scariest thing of all. In RIGHT BEHIND YOU, Kip's past chases him, and his family, to the brink. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

COVER-UP: Mystery at the Super Bowl, by John Feinstein (Mystery)
Steve Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson are fully aware that the entire offensive line of the California Dreams have failed their drug tests and that the Dreams' owner is trying to cover up the results. These two teens are sitting on the biggest sports scandal of the decade. What they don't know --- yet --- is how to prove it. Reviewed by Kristi Olson.

LOOKING FOR JJ by Anne Cassidy (Fiction)
All Alice wants is a normal life, with good friends, meaningful work, a place at university and an opportunity for love. Her chance at normality, though, is endangered by a secret --- a horrible crime that occurred years before and that constantly threatens to expose Alice for who she really is. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

Carolyn Mackler

Carolyn Mackler is the award-winning author of LOVE AND OTHER FOUR-LETTER WORDS, THE EARTH, MY BUTT, AND OTHER BIG ROUND THINGS and VEGAN VIRGIN VALENTINE. Her latest novel, GUYAHOLIC, centers on Vivienne Valentine, a secondary character from her previous work, and V's own misadventures through life, love and a cross-country road trip. In this interview with Teenreads.com’s Norah Piehl, Mackler explains why she chose to explore V’s story and sheds light on how the character’s past affects present relationships. She also shares some of her favorite YA novels, offers advice for aspiring writers and describes a road trip she took when she was 22.