Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman

Year Published: 2002
Publisher: Little, Brown & Co.
ISBN: 0786815930
Pages: 262
Classification: Fiction
Media Type: Book
Interest Level:9-12
Reading Level: 4
Subjects: Organized crime, Fiction

Reader's Annotation: Seventeen-year-old Vince's life is constantly complicated by the fact that he is the son of a powerful Mafia boss, a relationship that threatens to destroy his romance with the daughter of an FBI agent.

Summary: Vince Luca becomes more aware about his family business as he goes through high school. From his discovery of a body in his trunk, football players scared of him and many other unfortunate events, Vince opposes the illegal activities of his family. Vince meets Kendra Brightly, the FBI investigator’s daughter, and falls in-love with her. A Romeo and Juliet plot with mafia and FBI twist ends with a happy ending with Vince and Kendra surviving their relationship against all odds.

Personal Notes: Hilarious novel for teens. Recommended for reluctant readers specially boys.

Reviews and Awards: ALA Best Books for Young Adults, ALA/YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, Voice of Youth Advocates, Wilson's High School Catalog, Wilson's Junior High Catalog

Author Information: Gordon Korman was born October 23, 1963 in Montreal, Quebec in Canada. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from New York University in 1985, studying film and television production before switching to dramatic writing. He has over 50 middle grade and young adult novels to his credit.
In addition to writing, Korman enjoys music, travel, and sports. He travels approximately 40,000 miles each year visiting schools to talk with students about reading and writing.
He lives with his family on Long Island.

Author website: www.gordonkorman.com

The Pact by Jodi Picoult

Year Published: 1998
Publisher: Avon Books
ISBN:0061150142
Pages: 496
Classification: Fiction
Media Format : Book
Genre: Drama
Interest Level: 9-12
Reading Level: 6
Subjects: Teenagers, Death, Fiction

Reader's Annotation: Emily is dead at seventeen from a gunshot wound to the head, inflicted by her childhood soul mate, Chris as part of an apparent suicide pact, while families struggle with the question of whether they really knew their children.

Summary: Chris and Emily are inseparable since birth. They become so close in their teenage years that they even made a suicide pact and planned to carry it out except Chris did not die. Chris had to live through the investigation and the emotional court scene that puts him in the center stage for Emily’s death.

The truth is revealed in the flashbacks of Chris and Emily’s life from birth to the night of Emily’s death. Emily had suicidal thoughts because of her childhood molestation and her untold pregnancy.

Reviews and Awards: Kirkus Reviews, New York Times Book Review, Publishers Weekly

Author Website: www.jodipicoult.com

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

Year Published: 2001
Publisher: Dell
ISBN: 0-440-22970-7
Pages: 294
Classification: Fiction
Interest Level: 7-12
Reading Level: 4.5
Subjects: Friendship, Jeans, Conduct of Life

Reader's Annotation: Lena, Tibby, Carmen and Bridget share the magical traveling pants on their first summer apart and begin the adventure of self-discovery on love, life and growing-up.

Summary: Lena, Tibby, Carmen and Bridget share the magical second-hand pants. They all fit the jeans which begins a pact to stay connected even if they are many miles apart. They all have their turn to wear the pants and pass it to each other until the summer ends. This begins the adventure of self-discovery on love, life and growing-up of four best friends on their first summer apart. This book will take you to a journey of laughter and tears. It shows there are no boundaries when it comes to friendship. An easy read book.

Personal Notes: A great young adult summer read. Recommended for summer reading program for the topics that most teens can relate.

Awards: ALA Best Book For Young Adults, ALA/YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, National Council For Social Studies Notable Children's Trade, NCTE High Interest-Easy Reading, NCTE Your Reading, Publishers Weekly, Voice of Youth Advocates, Wilson's High School Catalog, Wilson's Junior High Catalog

Author Information: Ann Brashares grew up in Chevy Chase, Maryland. She and her siblings attended Quaker school in the Washington, D.C. area. Ann studied Philosophy at Barnard College in New York City.
Ms. Brashares worked as an editor for many years before making the transition to writer. She is best-known for Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants.
The author lives in New York City with her artist husband, Jacob Collins, and three children.

Author website: www.annbrashares.nt

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

Year Published: 2003
Publisher: Delacorte Press
ISBN: 9780385729345
Pages:373
Classification: Fiction
Interest Level: 9-12
Reading Level: 6
Subjects: Friendship, Jeans, Conduct of life

Reader's Annotation: Lena, Tibby, Carmen and Bridget share the magical traveling pants on its second summer as they learn more about the older women in their lives and themselves.

Summary:
This is the second book of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Lena, Tibby, Carmen and Bridget continues their pact of sharing the magical traveling pants on their 16th summer. The pants take us to the teenager’s interesting summer as they learn more about the older women in their lives. They also learn more about the friendship of their mothers and how they all became best friends since birth. Cute and romantic events happens to most of the girls this summer that will surely entertain the readers. This book is ideal for a mother-daughter book club that can open a great and lively discussion for teens and parents. This book is highly recommended.

Review and Awards: Kirkus Reviews (4/15/03), School Library Journal (5/03), Booklist (4/15/03), The Hornbook (5/03)

Author Information: Ann Brashares grew up in Chevy Chase, Maryland. She and her siblings attended Quaker school in the Washington, D.C. area. Ann studied Philosophy at Barnard College in New York City. Ms. Brashares worked as an editor for many years before making the transition to writer. She is best-known for Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants. The author lives in New York City with her artist husband, Jacob Collins, and three children.

Author website: www.annbrashares.nt

Girls in Pants by Anne Brashares

Year Published: 2005
Publisher: Delacorte Press
ISBN: 9780385729352
Pages: 338
Classification: Fiction
Media Type: Book
Interest Level: 9-12
Reading Level: 6
Subjects: Best friends, Friendship, Jeans (Clothing), Conduct of Life

Reader's Annotation: Lena, Tibby, Carmen and Bridget graduate from high school and learn more about themselves and each other, with the traveling pants as a witness, on the summer before college.

Summary: The magic of the traveling pants continues on this third book of the Sisterhood of the Traveling pants. Lena, Tibby, Carmen and Bridget graduate from high school and this summer bring more exciting events on each of the teen’s life. While some of them are away from home, some stay and still have an adventure that they can share to each other. Some of the minor characters in the previous books will reappear in this book. These characters will bring more interest and take the readers on twist and turns revealing the characters growth in their emotions and actions. They learn more about themselves and each other, with the traveling pants as a witness, on the summer before college. This is the most romantic book among the Sisterhood of the Traveling pants series.


Reviews and Awards: Kirkus Reviews (12/15/04), School Library journal (1/05), Booklist (12/15/04), The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (3/05), The Hornbook

Author Information: Ann Brashares grew up in Chevy Chase, Maryland. She and her siblings attended Quaker school in the Washington, D.C. area. Ann studied Philosophy at Barnard College in New York City. Ms. Brashares worked as an editor for many years before making the transition to writer. She is best-known for Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants. The author lives in New York City with her artist husband, Jacob Collins, and three children.

Website : www.annbrashares.nt

Keeping You A Secret by Julie Anne Peters

Year Published: 2003
Publisher: Little Brown
ISBN:9780316009850
Pages: 250
Classification: Fiction
Genre:Drama
Interest Level:
Reading Level:
Subjects: Interpersonal relations, Lesbians, High schools, Stepfamilies, College choice

Reader's Annotation: Holland starts a difficult last semester of high school, and she finds herself puzzled about her future but intrigued by a transfer student who wants to start a lesbian and gay club at school.

Summary: Holland Jaeger is the girl every high school student would envy. She has a gorgeous boyfriend, student body president, straight A’s student, and a great swimmer. She is also a good-looking teen but feels very discontented with her life. Then she meets Cece, a lesbian transfer student, and she feels a strong gay attraction to her. Cece helps her to learn more about her sexuality. Holland struggles with her coming out to her friends and family.


Reviews and Awards: Wilson's Senior High School, ALA Book Links, Booklist, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Horn Books,Voice of Youth Advocates (V.O.Y.A.)

Author Website: www.julieannepeters.com

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis

Year Published: 1952
Publisher: HarperColins
ISBN: 0064471071
Pages: 271
Classification: Fiction
Media Type: Book
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Action
Interest Level: 4-9
Reading Level:5
Subjects: Narnia (Imaginary place)

Reader's Annotation: Two English children, accompanied by their peevish cousin Eustace, sail to the magic land of Narnia, where Eustace is temporarily transformed into a green dragon because of his selfish behavior and skepticism.

Summary: Lucy and Edmund, the two younger Pevensie, returns to Narnia with their cousin Eustace. They arrive in Narnia and meet King Caspian and help him in their quest to find the seven lost Lords of Narnia. They visit different islands to look for each of the Lords. First, they visit Lone Islands where they get captured for slave trading but later finds one the lords. They fight and reclaim the island for Narnia. Then they visit another island where Eustace turns into dragon after leaving the group and gets greedy with the treasures he found in the dead dragon’s cave. Aslan turns Eustace back to a boy and Caspian finds the bracelet that once belonged to Lord Octesian, one of the seven lost lords. They speculate that the dragon killed Octesian-or that the dragon was Octesian. They make stops at Burnt Island, at Death Island, at the Duffer’s Island and at the Dark Island. Finally, they find out that in order for them to awaken the three lords, they have to sail to the edge of the world and sacrifice one member of the crew by leaving him there. King Caspian is left behind and Edmund, Eustace, Lucy and Reepicheep continue. In the end they see Aslan and receives final instructions.

Reviews and Awards: New York Times Book Review, Wilson's Junior High Catalog

Author Information: C. S. (Clive Staples) Lewis was born in Belfast, Ireland November 29, 1898. He died in Oxford, England on November 22, 1963. Nicknamed Jack as a boy, Lewis had only one joint in his thumbs. As a result, he was not good at sports or crafts. The author graduated from University College, Oxford with honors and became a professor at Oxford and other English universities. One of his best friends at Oxford was his fellow professor, J.R.R. Tolkien.
Lewis is particularly known for his children's fantasy series, the Chronicles of
Narnia.

Author website: www.narnia.com