Guts, by Raina Telgemeier

The newest graphic novel by perhaps the most well-known graphic artists for kids and teens creating today! No doubt you already know about this book, at least that it has been released! In fact, many of you told ME it was out before I even knew it! So, if you haven't read it yet, you will, if only because you've read Smile, Sisters, Drama and Ghosts already, and loved them all! Guts will not disappoint you, which you probably could have guessed. What I loved most about this book is that at the end Telgemeier explains how this book, and in fact all of her books, are really just stories about her, with her wonderful artwork added! She just keeps writing what she knows - her own life and experiences - and paired with her artwork they become...well, books we all love!

Guts is about guts - facing our fears as well as how our digestive system can sometimes control us, or at least act as a gauge for how we are really doing and feeling. This is a great book for anyone who has ever been afraid - which is everyone! - of anything. If you haven't read this yet, you will....and you should...and you'll love it and wonder when her next book is coming out! 4 paws!

It Ain't So Awful, Falafel, by Firoozeh Dumas

Another OBOB book for the season, and a book I wouldn't have come across otherwise...another reason to love OBOB! Falafel takes place in the late 1970s and tells the story of an Iranian-born family who have relocated - again - to California. The narrator is Zomorod, who changes her name to Cindy (unofficially) to make it easier for Americans to be able to pronounce. She describes life as an Iranian (pronounced ee-ron-ian) teen living in the United States before, during and after the Iranian Revolution takes place, including the capturing of Americans who happened to be in Iran at the time, and who became hostages for over a year. In essence, the book follows these historic events through the eyes of someone deeply tied to the situation, but not from the American side of things. This perspective is eye-opening, and really is the center of this story.

A few times it seemed as though author Dumas was forcing a situation in order to show what was really happening during the months and years that this story takes place. But because Zomorod is such a likable character, and "normal" in all the ways any teen would be, except for the fact that she was born in a country that is now at terrible odds with the United States, this story will stay with you long after you finish reading it. I have never seen another book written for teens with this historical event in mind, which I love. Dumas does a decent job of writing a story that seems very non-historical-fiction-like, but one that really is historical fiction.  I know HF is not a super-common genre for many teens, so if you have ever thought about dipping into this genre but didn't think you'd find a book you would like, I recommend this one! I don't think you'll realize that this is historical fiction, but you'll really come to like Zomorod! 4 paws (and a tail wag)!

The List, by Patricia Forde

Back to a good OBOB book, and The List does not disappoint! This is author Forde's first book for young people (and pugs, I presume), and I mostly loved it! Mosty, I add, because the very end of the story left me a little disappointed - not in the storyline itself, but just that the book seemed to fizzle out at the end, like a dud firework in the middle of a really good firework display!

This story takes place in a futuristic society where words are being eliminated from human language to help people live more peacefully together, and to make society easier to control.  As an avid pug reader, I love anything that builds a story around words, or books, or stories....like The Reader by Traci Chee or Inkheart by Cornelia Funke!  At the same time the futuristic aspects of this book reminded me a lot of The Giver by Lois Lowry...not bad company at all, right?

Anyway, I loved this story, the fizzling ending notwithstanding, and I think you might, too! Forde gives you a lot to think about, and the strong girl protagonist rocks! 4 paws!

A Land of Permanent Goodbyes, by Atia Abawi

Another historical fiction book, my second in a row, and I don't really know what to say about this book. The story follows a teen and his family as they try to escape modern-day Syria, which is a mess - a word that doesn't begin to do the situation justice. This book tells the story of being a refugee in today's world, and there are many. The terror, pain, heartache, hope, and several near-death experiences are nothing any of us would wish on anyone. But it is happening, now, in many places in the world. This book is important and difficult, and not for everyone. The details are at times explicit. I'm not sure what middle school student I would recommend this to. Maybe a high school student? Maybe? A few of the mainstream reviewers claim this book is for middle school and above...I agree the message and story are those young people should hear and think hard about, but I'm not sure the details are appropriate for the students I know.

If you like historical fiction, if you follow current events - here in the United States or abroad - and you want a exceptional first-hand feel for what being a refugee is like, read this. Otherwise, wait a few years for this one. 4 paws (not 5, only because it is very harsh in places).

The Button War, by Avi

It's been a long time since I've enjoyed an Avi book, but this one came out late last year, I believe, and a few kids have checked it out and liked it, and the reviews for it have been good, so I thought I'd take a break from reading OBOB books and dive back into a good Avi story. Avi has been writing books for teens and young adults for a very long time. I had the pleasure of hearing him speak once at an event in Portland, and although he was perhaps the least engaging author I have ever listened to, it was clear that he is incredibly smart, and if you've ever read his books, talented as well.

The Button War takes place in Poland at the start of World War 1. A small group of small village boys decide they are going to compete against one another collecting buttons from the uniforms of the occupying officers in their village. The soldiers change throughout the story, from German to Russian to English to French. This contest is the surface of the story. The depth of this story comes from the deep, and I'll say dark, undercurrent of the realities of war on everyday people, kids and adults, and how brutal is really is, how destructive and painful. I know this all sounds very heavy, and this book, even though it's short and quick to read, is one of the darkest and heaviest books I've ever read. One back cover review compares it to Slaughterhouse Five, an adult book by author Kurt Vonnegut, and to Lord of the Flies, a teen book but equally dark and disturbing.

Avi is an exceptional writer, and The Button War is really, really good. But not in the way other good books are good...this one is deep, heavy, and will stay in your heart and brain for a long time after you've finished reading. You've been warned. 4.5 paws!

York, Book 1: The Shadow Cipher, by Paura Ruby

Today's lesson (for me, as much as for you) is that life is too short to read a bad book! The Shadow Cipher isn't a bad book, but as a dog, my life is even shorter than yours, and this book, while being okay, just never got going. It made me want to do two things; One, re-read Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliet, a really good, smart mystery with an art element! And two, read any of a number of books from my growing book list, including some of the other OBOB books! I can count on one paw the number of books I have started and not finished in my life, and now I have not finished two in a row...it feels weird, but I just can't keep going with this one.

Not a bad story, taking place in a futuristic New York City. A brother and sister and friend trying to solve a family mystery that people have been trying to solve for many decades. But they manage to find a new strand of clues and are racing against time to solve the puzzle before their building is taken over by greedy businessmen, who seem to have an alternate motive...although we don't really know what that is.

I can't quite put my tail on it, but this story just never flows...some good books I simply can't put down, but this one, 300 pages in, never makes me care - about the storyline or the characters. Maybe the cold weather is starting to make me cranky...hopefully you will like this book much more than I did! Let me know if you do...I'd love to love it more!

Falling Over Sideways, by Jordan Sonnenblick

After finishing Frog Kisser, a good fantasy fairy tale, I needed something more realistic, so I chose Falling Over Sideways, another OBOB book for the year, by an author of a previous OBOB book, Jordan Sonnenblick. The last book of his I read was Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie, which I enjoyed, if my pug memory serves me correctly. But Falling Over Sideways almost made me want to tip over sideways. It is realistic fiction, which I usually enjoy. But Sonnenblick tries to write 8th grade life through a female main character, and she comes off very predictable, forced, and false most of the time. I know he has several books in teen lit, but I don't know how many times he has tried writing from the viewpoint of a girl. As a girl, I can tell you, he didn't pull it off very well. Perhaps you will or have read this book, and get more joy out of it than I did. If so, please let me know! But I got to the very end, hoping something real would happen, and with only a few pages left, I couldn't finish. I have never not finished a book being that close to the end. This is a first. I hope you read it and have a much better outcome - sometimes true middlers enjoy books I don't...I'm probably too old or something. Anyway, not my favorite OBOB book of the year...in fact, my least favorite so far. Can't wait to start something else. 2 paws.

Frogkisser, by Garth Nix

Wow, the start of the new school year has really slowed my reading down! Thanks for being patient...hopefully with the finish of Frogkisser I can get back on track.  Nix has been writing fantasy books for teens for many years, and I have to admit I have never read a single one. Not for any particular reason, they just never floated across my radar. This year one of his books made it into OBOB, and I was happy at the opportunity to read his writing.

Frogkisser is a mash up of fairy tale and fantasy story. It is the story of two princesses and their evil step-stepfather. Anya, the younger princess, finds herself on a journey across the land, first to turn a frog back into a prince for her sister, but eventually this turns into a quest to return the entire kingdom to its original, and long-past, glory. It is a really fun frolicking adventure through monsters, dwarves, wizards, flying carpets, and a lot of frogs (and weasels, and talking dogs, and ogres)...you get the picture!

Most of the time I found myself really drawn into the story, not being able to read the action fast enough. Other times, like the climax of the story, I found Nix rushed too quickly through what should have been the core of the adventure story. I like strong female characters, and Nix tried to mix up traditional fairytale gender roles with good female wizards and evil male sorcerers, which I appreciate (although he occasionally muddies up his attempts to do this with confusing titles for different characters). All in all, I was glad to be reading Frogkisser, but by the end I was looking forward to whatever I am going to read next. I would try another of his books again, just to see if his other work wasn't slightly better. That said, I can only give this one 3 1/2 paws.

House Arrest, by K. A. Holt

Aaaah, OBOB Season is fast approaching - finally! House Arrest is on this season's middle level list, and a book I have not read before. One of the regular's at the BMS Library checked this out late in the spring and really liked it (thanks, Maggie!) - recommending it to me and several other students over the course of several weeks! So when I was able to get my paws on a copy, I was excited to finally read this one!

Holt tells this story through a one-year series of journal entries, being written by the main character, Matthew, who is under house arrest for the year because he stole someone's wallet and used one of their credit cards. Stealing is wrong, and Matthew received one year of house arrest, weekly visits with his probation officer and a counselor, and was ordered to keep a journal of his "progress" throughout the year towards making better decisions and being remorseful for his actions. The reason he stole the wallet and used the credit card was to help pay for medicine for his baby brother who breathes and eats through a tracheal tube. Matthew's single mother is trying to keep up with bills and medicine but not doing as well as she would like. So, when he sees the opportunity to use someone else's money to help pay the high cost of medicine, he takes it. And the dilemma begins.

Is it wrong to steal money to help keep someone alive?

A good story, a lot of room for thoughtful discussion along the way. The style Holt chooses to tell this story seemed a little forced at times, but not too bad...maybe losing a "paw" for it, but still making this a book worth reading. Very realistic fiction, along the lines of The Honest Truth, perhaps, but with more believable outcomes and consequences. 4 paws.

The Reader: Book One of Sea of Ink and Gold, by Traci Chee

I've said it before, but...I'm not a big fantasy genre fan. I like to read about real events, or at least how real people react and respond to real life situations, even if they are somewhat far-fetched - that's just me! However, as I encourage you to do, I try to stretch my genre preferences now and again and delve into something unusual for me. The Reader by Traci Chee has a very cool cover, and when it came out it got a lot of good reviews, and so it's always been at the edge of my reading perifery. It just happened to be available at the local library last week, so I thought I's give it a try.

Apparently, this is the first YA book for Chee, and the first book in a trilogy (I just added the second book to the BMS library collection...we already have this book, number one, and I will soon add book three). The good reviews are warranted! It was a real page-turner, reminding me a lot of Fablehaven or Inkheart. Chee creates a new world, and writes three different story lines that, as the book progresses, eventually begin to work off of each other, until they come completely together, making the page-turning even faster! A strong female protagonist, great action, a story revolving around the power of words, especially the written word...and, of course, danger, death, destruction, lies, cheating, some violence...what more could you ask for?!  I can't say for sure that I will read the second book, because I really am ready for something back in my reading preferences, at least for the next few books. But I do recommend The Reader - I'll bet you won't be able to put it down, either!
4 paws!