Book: My Autobiography

Reviewed by: Sara Ottomano - Wells Public Library, Wells, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 9, 2016

Review

This middle grade non-fiction book is an interesting read for your pre-teens who love books and want to learn about how they came to be. Written from the perspective of a book, the narrative is humorous, engaging, and ambitious. From the spoken word to e-books, this book covers a lot of ground and addresses different ways that books were created. The bold, black-and-white images throughout add depth to the narrative, often supplementing the text with visuals of processes not fully described, such as the steps to make papyrus. One of the only drawbacks of the book however would be its layout. The text is constantly interrupted with images and quotations, and while this could be a technique to draw young readers into a non-fiction book that might otherwise be dry, it can sometimes be a bit choppy. Recommended for pre-teen readers that are interested in the history of the book and bold graphic-novel-like images.

Overall Book Score: very good

About the Book

Author:

Agard, John

Illustrator: Packer, Neil

Illustration Quality: excellent

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Book Type: chapter book nonfiction

Genre: biography / autobiography

Audience: grades 4-6

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: very good

ISBN: 9780763672362

Price: 15.99

Better than Perfect

Better than Perfect

Reviewed by: Sara Ottomano - Wells Public Library, Wells, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 10, 2016

Review

This coming-of-age story about a teen struggling with perfection was a promising but ultimately unfulfilled novel. Geared towards teens in grades 10-12, this novel addresses the stresses of college applications, the pressure to know what you want to do with your life, and mental health issues. The main character, Juliet Newman, is a senior in high-school that is struggling to cope with her mother’s overdose and parents’ separation; the two major events that fracture her perfect life. Unfortunately, her life to begin with is unrealistic and causes the reader to not sympathize with Juliet’s plight. The protagonist is incredibly privileged, rich, and intelligent. She is a 3rd generation Harvard legacy, has maids, describes being comfortable as being in a cashmere sweater, lives in large house, got a car for her 17th birthday, got a perfect 2400 on her SATs, and has stable, four-year relationship with a boyfriend that is also all the above, just to name a few. While this could have been a technique to contrast with her eventual break from perfection and acceptance of non-perfection, the break was actually too perfect in its own way. She found an intelligent, foreign, attractive musician with whom she cheats on her boyfriend (twice, and never sees repercussions) and it is discovered that she is magically perfect at singing. (She literally gets praised for her rendition of Happy Birthday at a sound check which is extremely improbable given that the song is 9 notes and only maybe one person has made it musical.) So even in breaking from her planned path in life, she finds an equally perfect alternative. While this may appeal to teens actively questioning their path in life, it will not resonate with many due to its unrealistic characters and situations.

Overall Book Score: poor

About the Book

Author:

Kantor, Melissa

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Harper Teen

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: romance,realistic fiction

Audience: grades 10-12

Binding Type: reinforced trade binding

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062279231

Price: 14.42

Fans of the Impossible Life

Fans of the Impossible Life

Reviewed by: Sara Ottomano - Wells Public Library, Wells, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 10, 2016

Review

This realistic YA fiction will appeal to 10-12th graders who enjoyed The Perks of Being a Wallflower. In this novel, three different characters navigate complex social and mental health issues. While it is noble to attempt to address all of the issues, since there were so many, it often felt as if none of them were properly dealt with. The writing style was also difficult to navigate; each chapter has a different point of view which causes a choppy reading. Nonetheless, the characters were developed, diverse, and complex.

Overall Book Score: fair