Water Buffalo Days;growing up in Vietnam by Huynh Quang Nhuong

As a young boy growing up in the hills of central Vietnam, Nhuong’s companion was Tank, the family water buffalo. When bullies harassed Nhuong, Tank sent them packing. When a wild tiger threatened the entire village, Tank defeated it. He led the herd and adopted a lonely puppy. Tank was Nhuong’s best friend.

Nhuong gives readers a glimpse of himself when he was their age, and tells a thrilling story of how he and Tank together faced the dangers of life in the Vietnamese jungle which was their home.
The book is beautiful and very detailed illustrated by Jean and Mou-Sien Tseng.

Somehow I liked this book more than The Land I Lost. It was pretty much the same story, even the buffalo had the same name and died in the end, and the adventures the boy had with animals where also the same ans Quang's previous book. Entertaining read for young kids, and a specific good pick to read to children.

The girl in the picture:the story of Kim Phuc by Denise Chong

June 8, 1972: Kim Phuc is a nine year old girl, living in the village of Trang Bang(South Vietnam) with her family who owned a noodle restaurant, when her village was attacked by napalm bombs. Kim and her family where hiding in the local Caodai temple, but because it wasn't safe there too, the children where sent away the first to escape when the bombs fell. Kim was caught by the napalm and the fire, but she got rid of her burning clothes and tried to run away to Route 1, the main road, with her brothers and other children, crying out in pain of her burning skin.

Photographer Nick Ut who was reporting the napalm strike, made the world famous picture of Kim running, and he and other reporters brought her to a hospital in Saigon. After that, Kim and her family's life became a struggle under the strict communist regime in Vietnam. Kim tried to study medicine, but her study was constantly interrupted by requests for interviews, she was constantly chaperonned to every interview by the government, and she faced life long health problems because of her burned skin. Kim and her family had many troubles to survive, but Kim stayed strong, said the faith of Caodai farewell and became a Christian, which helped her to not give up hope to survive hard times and escape.Kim is now a UNESCO Honorary Ambassador, and lives in Toronto with her family.
The Girl from the Picture is a must read book for everyone. I think it is just even as mandatory to read for everyone as the story of Anne Frank.

Goodbye, Vietnam by Gloria Whelan

The thirteen year old Mai and her family are living in a small village in Vietnam. Se has a little sister, Anh and a little brother, Thant. Their grandmother is living in the house too. Grandmother is a sorcer who can heal people, but the government doesn't like it and they are threatening to arrest grandmother, because sorcery is forbidden. Mai's mom and dad secretly have planned that they are going to escape the country before the police will come to get grandmother.They have selled almost all their belongings to save money for the boat trip.

At night they walk together to another village, Co Gong, where they will meet familymembers who also are trying to escape the country's communist regime. They get on a small boat which is filled with a crowd of people, leaving at night for the South China Sea, where the boat will set goal to the port of Hong Kong, where there hopefully will wait a better life for them.
But the truth is different: the people on board are put in a wharehouse together with other refugees who have come to Hong Kong. The crowded room is not safe,and everyone is waiting to hear if they can stay in Hong Kong or are send back to Vietnam. The only change Mai's family seems to have is their cousin Tien, who lives in Chicago.. the waiting seems long in the wharehouse, and they have to keep hope that they are not send back..

Goodbye, Vietnam is a book that I have read many times in the Dutch edition when I was a kid, I have read it for the first time in English now. It is a book you just can't miss when you are looking for Vietnam themed books. And it is a book you just musn't miss. It is the perfect book to introduce young children to stories of refugees, in this case the Vietnamese Boat People, who fled Vietnam after the war to escape the communist regime. and if you have been a refugee yourself or fled your country, I think you can relate to it. Just a very good Vietmam book to start with!

Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pub. Date:October 30, 2007
Paperback: 288 pages

Leela is a twelve year old girl, living in a little village called Jamlee, India during the Ghandi era. She doesn't care for school and barely marks the growing unrest between the British colonists and her own countrymen. Why should she? Her future has been planned since her engagement at two and marriage at nine.

But then everything changes: her future husband Jamanlal is bitten by a snake and dies. And that has big consequences for Leela: she if forced to go Keeping Corner, a custom in her culture for widows, her long hair is shaven off, and she has to stay inside the house for a year,mourning for a boy she hardly knew.

When her schoolteacher hears of her fate, she offers Leela lessons at home. For the first time, despite her confinement, Leela opens her eyes to the changing world around her. India is suffering from a severe drought, and farmers are unable to pay taxes to the British. She learns about a new leader of the people, a man named Gandhi, who starts a political movement and practices satyagraha--non-violent protest against the colonists as well as the caste system. The quiet strength ofsatyagraha may liberate her country. Could she use the same path to liberate herself?

Keeping Corner is a very impressive teen novel between cultures. I never heard of this traditional mourning ritual. It was sad to read how Leela's live changed so dramatically because of an accident which she didn't have any influence on.
But it also was great to read how she picked up her education and followed her brother to Ahmedabad to go to the ashram and follow Ghandi's movement.

The only point of critique I had about this book was the non-explanation of who was who in the story, especially in the beginning. All the family members are called by Indian family names: Kaki is her aunt, Kaka is her uncle, Ba is mother and Bapuji is father. At the end I found the glossary with the explanation of the terms, but I would have liked it more if the author explained it a bit more in the story itself.
The novel is based on the life of the great aunt of the author.

Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts

This novel opens with Novalee and Willy Jack, her boyfriend, traveling from Tennessee to California. At the time, Novalee is "seventeen, seven months pregnant, thirty-seven pounds overweight, and superstitious about sevens." Letts describes Novalee's relationships with the number seven: "For most people, sevens are lucky, but not for Novalee; at the age of seven her mother ran off with a baseball umpire named Fred.

Novalee convinces Willy Jack to stop at a Wal-Mart in Sequoyah, Oklahoma, so she can use the restroom and purchase a pair of sandals, as hers fell through the floor of their beat up car. When Novalee comes out of the Wal-Mart, she realizes Willy Jack has left her with nothing more than her beach bag and the $7.77 she has in change from the purchase of new sandals. What to do now? She hides in the Wal-Mart at night, but soon of course the baby comes. It is a daughter who gets the name Americus. She gets help from a customer in the store, Forney, a librarian who becomes maybe more than her best friend.

She soon leaves the Wal-Mart and makes a new start at the trailer house of Sister Husband,a kind and spunky woman who runs the town's "Welcome Wagon." Sister Husband has a deep faith and hands out chapters of the Bible to people she meets. Till the end of the book you read what happens in the hectic life of Novalee.And we also find out how the life of Willy Jack is progressing..

This book totally blow me away! What would you do if your horrible boyfriend leaves you stranded in a desolate place as the Wal-Mart? Novalee's life has many ups and (mostly)downs, but it is just amazing and beautiful written by the author Billy Letts. I finished in two days, I just couldn't put it down and had to know what happened next in this book that is also an Oprah's Book Club pick. This book is definately to be added on my favorite books list.

Child of the Owl by Laurence Yep

1965: Casey is a twelve year old Chinese girl, living in San Francisco with her father Barney. Barney is a gambling addict who always gets in trouble but promises Casey time after time he will better his life and get a real job and a real house.
But things went different: Barney gets beat up and lands in the hospital, and Casey is send to her uncle Phil's house. Uncle Phil's family and Casey don't get up very well, and after a discussion they decide Casey will be better off at her grandmother's (Paw-Paw in Chinese)
in San Francisco's Chinatown.

Chinatown is a very different new world for Casey too, because Barney didn't introduce her that much into their Chinese culture.
Casey feels lost in Chinatown, she can't speak or read the language. She's not prepared for the Chinese school, the noisy crowds, missing her father. But Paw-Paw tells her about the mother Casey never knew, and about her family's owl charm and her true Chinese name. And Casey at last begins to understand that this -- Paw-Paw's Chinatown home, her parents' home -- is her home,too..

I gave this book a second try after I had read it a few years ago and didn't get into the story. Now I have read it a second time, it seems a totally different book to me than the first time I picked it up, and I don't understand why I didn't get into it then, because this book is just wonderful.
The story is all about the culture of Chinatown in San Francisco in the 60's. the place where the author Laurence Yep grew up. He knows Chinatown from inside out and you can read that through the story of Casey, who is an amazing main character. The owl charm she gets from Paw-Paw is the red line trough the story. A must read for everyone who loves Asian-American fiction and childre''s books. I only couldn't choose which cover image to use for this review, they both are beautiful, but somehow I liked the vintage one with Casey in front of a window with Chinese characters better, the copy I have looks like this:

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Auden is spending the summer with her dad and his new wife Heidi. Heidi just has got a baby, Thisbe, and Thisbe won't stop crying, until Auden comes..
It's been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents' divorce - or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.

A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she's been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

I really have to give you this note: I was a bit dissapointed in Along for the Ride.
Somehow I thought during the story that I have read this before. It can be a great novel, but not if you have read more Sarah Dessen books previously.
The story itself was nice, but it was lacking perspective, it was dreamy, but very slow and that annoyed me. I think it wasn't Sarah's best book, I have read books by her that I liked better and that had a better storyline (I just loved Just Listen , Lock and Key and How To Deal)
If you like dreamy girly novels, this can be your book, if this is your first Sarah Dessen book, give it a try, but I recommend other ones by her to spend your time with.

But I did like Sarah's video here about the book !

The Clearing by Heather Davis

Publisher: Graphia, April 12, 2010
Paperback: 228 pages
Young Adult

Amy just has moved to the trailer house of her aunt Mae. Amy tries to make a new start at her aunt's place: to avoid the kids in her new town, to stop dwelling on what her future holds after high school and to block out the pain of the break up with her last boyfriend.
After aunt Mae's house is a misty, mysterious clearing. Amy is drawn to the clearing, because its just the perfect place to hide away and think her life over.
But then she sees a boy in the mist..

The boy is Henry, and he is behaving very different than normal teens and wears vintage clothing from around the forties. They soon start too talk, and a romance is born.
But then Amy finds outjust how different Henry really is. Because on his side of the clearing, it's still 1944. By some miracle, Henry and his family are stuck in the past, staving off the tragedy that will strike them in the future.

The crossover the clearing more and more, and they start liking each other more and more. But is it possible to fall in love with a ghost?

I was really impressed by The Clearing. It was a very original story and the plot was just beautiful. The chapters change in narrative from Amy to Henry, which gives it more depth and gives a good view in the point of view of both characters on both sides of the clearing, one living in the present and one in the past. They both have problems to deal with, and they are helping each other out by talking about it.

I found a galley of this book on NetGalley, because the book isn't out yet. It was the first book by Heather Davis I've read (she is one of the amazingly fun YA authors over at BooksboysBuzz Blog), but I am already sure it won't be the last one by her hand I will be reading.
The YA pick for this spring!

The remarkable life & times of Eliza Rose by Mary Hooper

Fifteen year old Eliza Rose sets off to London in hope to find her father and live a happy life with him. But as soon as she arrives things go horribly wrong; Eliza is sent to prison for stealing a pasty. After spending several weeks there she is enormously relieved to be rescued by old Ma Gwyn. But the life Ma Gwyn has in store for Eliza is not the life she had hoped for.

She is once again rescued, this time by Ma Gwyn’s daughter, Nell. Nell takes Eliza under her wings and introduces her to the life of glamour, money and prestige, a life she thought she would never see. Join Eliza as she enters the world of royalty and power, falls in love, finds out her family secret that changes her life and discovers that things aren’t always what they seem, and sometimes they can be better.

Honestly I expected this to be a better book. The story was at certain points really dreadfull and the main characters didn't seem to progress in anything. It is a nice try to be a fantastic historical young adult novel, but the story just lacks action and good character. The story itself reminded me a bit of the story of Les Miserables (where the main character also steals and gets into a horrible prison )It could have been more entertaining when it was written in the first person narrative, I certainly would have found it a better read if it was from Eliza's point of view.
With this third person point of view I somehow didn't care at all what was happening to Eliza.
I certainly will try another novel by Mary Hooper, but this book just wasn't it for me.

Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins(release July 2010)

Publisher: Charlesbridge
Release: July 2010

Two teen boys are living on different sides of conflict in modern day Burma; Chiko is a Burmese boy living with his mom, He dreams to be a teacher one day, but because of the situation in Burma he has to be careful by saying that out loud. His father, also a studied man and a doctor, who is in prison for resisting the government. Chiko is secretly in love with his neighbour girl Lei. And then he reacts on an add where teachers are wanted. Not realising this is a trap by the government, and he suddenly is taking away from home, and has lost everything beside the picture in his pocket, one of his father, one of Lei.

In the military camp where he is taken too he meets Tai, another guy who is suddenly caught. They become friends, and the two timid guys try everything to make the best of it and to get out of their situation..

Tu Reh is a Karenni boy, one of the ethnic minorities of Burma, living in a camp close to the Thai border.He has grown up with the knowing that they have to fight the Burmese people, because they got them in the camps. Thu Re wants to fight for freedom after watching Burmese soldiers destroy his Karenni family's home and bamboo fields.

And then because of circumstances, Chiko and Tu Reh find each other. Tu Reh and his family on firsthand don't know what to do with this enemy soldier they found in the jungle, he is from the Burmese side, so he is an enemy. But Chiko has lost his leg, and can't do anything much. Slowly there becomes more understanding between the two boys and the family around Tu Reh, at a background of a tense situation.

This book has a topic where I haven't seen any book for young readers about, Burma.
Again a huge compliment to author Mitali Perkins on her originality in this book which will be released July 2010.
The story was, as I expected, very original and during the story I learned again something about the political situation in modern-day Burma, which I only heard about in the news from the house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi.
I also liked the style of writing, which I think will very appeal to guy readers too.
The first part of the book is in the narrative of Chiko, the second part in the one of Tu Reh. A highly recommended read for every young reader!

Light Years by Tammar Stein

Publisher: Laurel Leaf
Pub date: June 10, 2008
Paperback:,272 pages
Age Range: Young Adult

Maya Laor just arrived ath the campus of the University of Virginia to start her Astronomy study. Maya comes from Israel, and has left her home in Tel Aviv because of grief and guilt. Her boyfriend Dov recently died because of a suicide bomber in Maya's favorite cafe where he and Maya would meet a few minutes later..if Maya's bus was on time. And she knows who was the bomber, and blames herself that maybe she could have done something to prevent it from happening..

The attack and Dov's dead change Maya's life drastically. She was serving in the Israeli army, but now she doesn't know how to move on and if she should go to Virginia.
She decides to go, and meets new people at the college dorm. Like Payton, her new nice roommate, Justin and Chris. Justin is dating another girl but soon it becomes clear thet Maya and Justin become more than friends..

If you are looking for a beautifully written, impressive and amazing good novel, don't look further and pick Light Years by Tammar Stein. I was really impressed by it because it the story is very realistic and Tammar Stein writes in a wonderful first person point of view.
The narrative changes in chapter from Maya's present time at university in Virginia, and in her past time in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Maya's strive to move on with her life in Virginia but still struck with grief and guilt are very beautiful and detailed described by the author. It also really gives a good view of what life in an Israeli city like Tel Aviv is like and how for example, frightened Maya is because of the attacks that happen there sometimes. The author really know what she writes about as she lived in Israel herself. It also reminded me of the book How to ruin boyfriend's'reputation by Simone Elkeles, which is also a book about a girl in in Israeli military camp, and which was also a book I really enjoyed and recommend. Outstanding book, just read it!

The Rose of Sebastopol by Katharine McMahon

Pub. Date: February 2010
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Paperback, 416pp
ISBN: 9780425232224
Marielle Lingwood is a young woman living in Victorian London in 1854 Her cousin Rosa Barr (which she is really good friends with) has left for the battle grounds of the Crimean War in Russia, in the footsteps of Florence Nightingale. Rosa Barr - young, headstrong and beautiful - travels to Balaklava, determined to save as many of the wounded as she can.

Marielle's fiancee, the surgeon Henry Thewell also travels to the war zone of Crimea to volunteer. But as many people during that time( diseases as cholera and tubercolosis where very common) he fall is and is sent for recovery to Italy.
Marielle hears of his illnes and travels to her fiancee in Italy, where she hears that Rosa is missing, no one has heard of her again. She starts the search for Rosa, which starts in London and ends in the war scattered Crimea.
She gets help of Rosa's stepbrother. She discovers a lot about Rosa during her journey, but if she will be in time to find her back..?

What I liked about The Rose of Sebastopol was the style of writing. In short and greatly described chapters the readers gets to know more about Marielle, Rosa and Henry. The chapters switch in time,and go from London to Crimea. A bit fuzzy is the issue of the Crimean war. I personally never heard of this war and which countries where involved, so that was a bit harder to understand.
The story itself was good. It wasn't the most exciting one to be honest, especially at the end I had my thoughts about it, I will not fold this out here, because then I would leak a huge spoiler.
Overall a very interesting historical novel, very good written and romantic, and a lovely cover too as a cherry on top!

How to ruin your boyfriend's reputation by Simone Elkeles

Amy Nelson-Barack is back...back in Israel for another summer! Now not spending her summer in the moshav of her Israeli father's family, no, she is spending her summer in a real military boot camp, the boot camp of the IDF, the Israeli Defense Force.

Her Israeli boyfriend Avi is stationed at the same base as the boot camp, and she doesn't told him she will be spending the summer so close to him. Amy's friends from America, Jessica, Miranda and Nathan are going to the boot camp too. And they soon discover the boot camp has a well..more simplified style than they are used to. Have to go to the toilet? You can use a hole in the ground to do your duties...nice! And they get drilled too, they are treated like real soldiers, and they soon even have to carry a real M16 rifle..they even have to sleep with it!

And then Avi discovers that Amy is at the boot camp, and he seems not really pleasantly surprised by Amy's stay. Avi is a real Israeli soldier now, and together with other soldiers he is training the boot camp attendants, also a pretty girl named Liron who seems to can do everything better than Amy..does she have something to do with the strange and aloof behavior of Avi to Amy?

The tasks and assignments at the boot camp become more though, and Amy is really distracted by the fact that she and Avi aren't allowed to be together, the army leaders are keeping a close eye on them and nothing seem to work out in the favor of Amy..but then she gets the news that a family member is in the hospital, and Amy and Avi go to the hospital together , and finally have time to be alone and to straighten some things out..

The How to ruin..series by Simone Elkeles surprise me every time how amazing fun and great they are. The first book was just a perfect read, the second one the same..but doubled in al the fun and great story stuff. This third novel just keeps going the same way. I loved it from the first till the last page. It really gives a close look in the live of an Israeli military boot camp, all through the eyes of the fantastisc and witty narrator Amy. And readers certainly will learn some facts (I certainly did!)about Israel (and how it is to live there) they didn't know before.
Everytime I finish a Simone Elkeles novel, I want to read more. Luckily her fans don't have to wait long, the sequel to her book Perfect Chemistry, Rules of Attraction, will come out in April 2010!

Villa Vintage door Isabel Wolff

De droom van Phoebe Swift is uitgekomen, ze heeft haar eigen vintage couture boetiek geopend, genaamd Villa Vintage! Helaas heeft haar beste vriendin Emma dit niet meer mogen meemaken, gezien ze kort geleden door tragische omstandigheden is overleden, iets waar Phoebe zich erg schuldig over voelt omdat in haar ogen geen goede vriendin voor Emma is geweest.

In het boek maken we ook kennis met Phoebe's moeder; die de bijna dagelijkse bezigheid heeft om erachter te komen hoe ze er nòg jonger uit kan zien, en Annie; de nieuwe part-time verkoopster van Villa Vintage.
Phoebe is een echte expert op het gebied van vintage couture, mede door haar ervaring van de tijd dat ze bij het beroemde veilinghuis Sotheby's werkte. Ze krijgt dan ook veel aanbiedingen van (meestal welgestelde oudere) dames die hun couturejurken aan haar willen verkopen.

Zo ook mevrouw Therese Bell, een oudere Franse dame, die op een dag contact met Phoebe opneemt om een afspraak met haar te maken om haar couture garderobe te bekijken. Als Phoebe op de afspraak de collectie bekijkt, ziet ze tussen de couture iets hangen wat er niet thuishoort. Een kleine blauwe kinderjas. Dit wekt Phoebe's nieuwsgierigheid, omdat Therese eerder vertelde zelf geen kinderen te hebben. Phoebe vraagt door, en al snel neemt Therese; die helaas kort geleden te horen heeft gekregen ernstig ziek te zijn en niet lang meer te leven heeft, haari n vertrouwen en ze verteld Phoebe het verhaal achter deze blauwe kinderjas.

Het verhaal van de blauwe kinderjas neemt de lezer naar Avignon, de plaats waar Therese Bell als jong meisje woonde tijdens de begindagen van de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Ze had de blauwe kinderjas bewaard voor haar beste vriendin Monique, die zich toen moest verstoppen omdat ze Joods was, maar per ongeluk en door onwetendheid brengt Therese Monique in gevaar..
Door het verhaal dat Therese aan Phoebe vertelt, kan Phoebe een manier vinden om er mee om te gaan dat haar beste vriendin er ook niet meer is..
Ook is er ruim plaats voor romantiek in Villa Vintage, als Phoebe op een dag Miles ontmoet op een veiling voor vintage couture jurken, maar wat is er toch aan de hand met zijn dochter Roxy?

Al eerder heb ik de Engelstalige editie van Villa Vintage gelezen, en de Nederlandse editie (dit is gewoon een van de weinige boeken die je meerdere keren wilt lezen!!) doet in alle opzichten niets onder voor de Engelse. Het verhaal is uiteraard hetzelfde, en de vertaling is gewoon perfect. Het is echt een boek wat je gewoon gelezen moet hebben. Het heeft echt meerdere lagen, het is gedeeltelijk tragisch door het verhaal van mevrouw Bell, en vrolijk en romantisch door Phoebe's karakter en haar fantastische winkel. Villa Vintage is gewoon een fantastische roman die ik iedereen kan aanraden!

A Rather Charming Invitation by C.A.Belmond

Pub. Date: February 2010
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Format: Paperback, 464pp
Series: PENNY NICHOLS Series
ISBN: 0451229088

In A Rather Charming Invitiation, the third novel in the Penny Nichols series by author C.A. Belmond, heiress Penny Nichols and her fiancee Jeremy Laidley are making preparations and the plannings for their wedding. Suddenly a relative of Penny's French side of family appears on their London townhouse doorstep, and they need to return her to her parents in Mougins, France. There, her Aunt Leonora and Uncle Phillipe offer the loan of an ancient bridal tapestry and their chateau for their wedding vows.

There is still a bit confusion of where the wedding will take place; In France (Penny's family insists) or England?(Jeremy's family won't have it anywhere but there)
Penny, who always loves to research historical and antique items, starts researching the history of the bridal tapestry, who has been told was owned by one of the French kings.

And that is the start of mysterious and strange events; suddenly the bridal tapestry is missing, and this leads to a few events that get the wedding of Penny & Jeremy in danger. And even more danger is in view when they discover that Penny is followed by a strange men. They hire a private investigator to help them find the tapestry back, who stole it and why. But
they have to hurry, because the clock is ticking the time off for their wedding day..and all in a background of the most fabulous places in Europe: London, the South of France, Monaco and Paris.

I absolutely loved this A Rather Charming Invitation. I have read and reviewed the two previous books (reviews can be found here and here), so I was rather excited when I received this brand new third book in the series for review.
The title says it all: The story and style of writing of the book are very charming and inviting, and très elegant. (to say it in the style of the French characters)

As a read, it is just like Penny and Jeremy take you with them on all their adventures, crisscross through the most fabulous places in Europe, and as if you are also a guest in the French Chateau of Penny's aunt and uncle. The author really describes everything very detailistic, you really smell the lavender flower perfume that the family is in business of, and you really are given a grand tour in a classical French chateau, with view on the Mediterranean.

The story is both exciting (because of the mystery and sleuthing) and relaxing (because of the South of France atmosphere). I can't name anything I disliked about this book.
A Rather Charming Invitation is just a perfect contemporary mix of a romantic holiday and a vintage classic movie. And the end makes you really curious for what's coming next..

The Tequila Worm by Viola Canales

Pub. Date: March 2007
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Format: Paperback, 208pp
Source: Bought
Age Range: Young Adult
ISBN-13: 9780375840890
ISBN: 0375840893
Synopsis:Sofia comes from a family of storytellers. Here are her tales of growing up in the barrio in McAllen, Texas, full of the magic and mystery of family traditions: making Easter cascarones, celebrating el Dia de los Muertos, preparing for quinceañera, rejoicing in the Christmas nacimiento, and curing homesickness by eating the tequila worm. When Sofia is singled out to receive a scholarship to boarding school, she longs to explore life beyond the barrio, even though it means leaving her family to navigate a strange world of rich, privileged kids. It’s a different mundo, but one where Sofia’s traditions take on new meaning and illuminate her path.
I had read great reviews of The Tequila Worm, and as I love books with an Hispanic theme, I decided to give it a try. It didn't meet the expectations I had of it. The story was okay and cute. but too thin to really make it an outstanding book. It just missed something. This book is aged as young adult, but I think it is more suitable for tweens as the style of writing seems to be more pointed in the direction of this age group.

Guyaholic by Carolyn Mackler

Pub. Date: April 2009
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Format: Paperback, 192pp
Source: Library
Age Range: Young Adult
ISBN-13: 9780763628017
ISBN: 0763628018
It al started when V was hit on the head with a hockey puck..
V(Vivienne) lives with her grandparent in Brockport, after her mom had left her there. Her mom, Aimee, is kind of a hippy dippy traveler who jumps living from place to place and lives day by day. And even seems to have another boy toy every day..
V is missing a stable home base, and a stable boyfriend. After her high school graduation (without her mom, who promised to be there but again 'couldn't make it') she has set her eyes on Sam, she landed on his lap because she was hit by a hockey puck on a hockey game. But at the graduation party V makes some mistakes and it seems she is losing Sam forever. Now she has lost and her mom and her wannabe boyfriend. She definately doesn't want to end like her mom and spending as much boyfriends as she does. Then her mom invites her to spend the summer with her in Texas, and V steps in her car for a long car trip crisscross through American, in the hope she finally can see her mom again and forget Sam. But when she is almost in Texas, things change again..
Guyaholic is a hilarious girly YA novel. It is the first novel by Carolyn Mackler I've read and I really like it. You really felt sorry for V because how bad her mom threats her without her mom realising that she is very egocentric. This book takes you on a crazy road trip through America with V. A must read for every teen girl!
I have read the Dutch edition of this book, in Dutch it is called: Vriendjes, Vrijheid en Andere Valkuilen, which means: Boyfriends, freedom, and other traps, and this is the Dutch cover..

The Night of The Burning by Linda Press Wulf

Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury (May 2008)
Age range: Young Adult
Source: Library
ISBN-10: 0747591342
ISBN-13: 978-0747591344
Devorah and her younger sister Nechama are living in a little village in Poland, 1921in a Jewish shtetl. The village burns down one night during the horrible Pogroms, and the parents of the girls die of typhoid. The girls are send to an orphanage in Warsaw, where a Jewish philantropist, Isaac Orbech is collecting Jewish children who have lost their parents because of the pogroms and poverty, to give them the chance for a better life in South Africa. The girls are picked for this, and soon they are on a ship to a whole new life. Arrived in Cape Town, the girls have to get accustomed to everything. Soon Nechama is adopted by whealthy parents who spoil her and change her name, and Devorah is again alone. But then she gets adopted too, and she has to get used to her new parents. Based on a true story, it's a powerful and amazing first-person view of the trauma experienced by a child, and her journey from despair to hope. I was really amazed by this novel, wich I found at my local library. At the end I was stunned to read that the novel was based on real facts. The character and story are page turning, it is real, and I think an important lesson can be learned from this book. A book I really recommend to everyone from every age. Younger readers will absolutely learn from its historical value.

Annie Between The States by L.M. Elliott

Pub. Date: January 2006
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Format: Paperback, 544pp
Source: Bought
Age Range: Young Adult
ISBN-13: 9780060012137
ISBN: 0060012137
Annie Sinclair is a young girl growing up in Virginia in between of the American Civil War. Soldiers from both sides surround the house of her family. Her mother tries to keep everything at the house( called Hickory Heights) running as normal as possible. Her older brother Laurence and Jamie are joining the army in defending the South. Life is getting harder in Hickory Heights, and because of the soldiers that are entering the house often to shelter and for food, they are getting in danger. Especially when a Union Army lieutenant meets Annie and they get a romantic connection. Then Annie's mother gets seriously ill and a sudden accusation calls her loyalty into question..
Annie Between the States is a brilliant historical young adult novel. It's very entertaining to read and both educational, especcially when you don't know much about that specific time period or the American Civil War. The book is very detailistic, sometimes the reader gets a bit lost in all this (the story is quite long). If you are a fan of the historical young adult novels by Ann Rinaldi about American history themes, you will certainly love Annie Between the States.

Lovestruck Summer by Melissa Walker

Pub. Date: May 2009
Publisher: HarperTeenPaperback, 272pp
Source: Bought
Age Range: 12 and up
ISBN-13: 9780061715860
Indie music fan Quinn has moved from North Carolina to Austin, Texas for the summer, she is going to be an intern at a music label Amalgam, going after hunky Sebastian, who is in a local band and represented by Amalgam. She is staying at her cousin Penny's condo. Penny lives with her dog Princess Tiara (a very particular little dog with his own room) and has Russ and Christy for neighbours. Penny, Russ and Christy are real sorority and frat people, and Quinn has to get used to their way of living and love for country music. Russ and her co-intern Jade are showing Quinn the music scene of Austin, and she is spending more and more time with country guy Russ. But she is still behind Sebastian..but during the amazingly fun story of Lovestruck Summer we get to know if Sebastian is really the guy worth going after..
As I loved the Violet series by Melissa Walker, I had high expectations of Lovestruck Summer. And they where totally met, because the book is just shouting one word: FUN! Romance is also a huge part of the story, and music plays a big part too. How much more do you need to have a great book? The characters are all amazing and awesome in their own way, including Princess Tiara. If you are longing for some real summer fun this cold winter days, PICK Lovestruck Summer, you will not be dissapointed by this outstanding book!