Hothouse, by Chris Lynch

Rating: Very Good

HarperTeen, 2010, $16.99

ISBN: 978-0-06-167379-5

Age/Grade Level: Younger teen

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Life is not so straightforward in Chris Lynch's Hothouse. Russ and DJ, friends since boyhood, are bonded by the fact that both of their fathers are firefighters. Both fathers die together in what the town extols as heroism. Russ copes with a flood of memories and a tangled, twisted heap of smoldering emotion. Characters are all too real. Lynch knows the nuances of coping with tragedy and portrays the unfolding events with skill. The town that once heralded the boys' fathers as fallen heroes begins to learn trughts that knock the dead men off their pedestals. Recommended for the right reader, who has an interest in real, gritty, teenage boy bildungsroman.

Reviewer: Rebecca Porter, OCPL/Laguna Beach

Prairie Winter, by Bonnie Geisert

Rating: Additional

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009, $16.00

ISBN: 9780618685882

Age/Grade Level: Grades 4-6

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With the wild winter we have been having, this book's subject matter is stilli topical even though it is set in the 1950's. Rachel and her family, who live on a farm, get cut off by severe blizzards. She and her two older sisters are allowed to move into a motel in town so they can continue school. The story, as were the earlier titles Prairie Summer and Lessons, is based on autho Bonnie Geisert's memories of growing up in South Dakota. Unfortunately, it reads more like a memoir than a novel; characters are only sketchily developed and the overall writing style is wooden.

Reviewer: Mary Smith, OCPL/El Toro

The Life and Times of Corn, by Charles Micucci

Rating: Very Good
Houghton Mifflin, 2009, $16.00
ISBN: 9780618507511
Age/Grade Level: ages 5-8

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In this extensively researched book, Micucci's bright eye-popping colors will have even the reluctant learner busy reading about corn. In fourteen informational chapters with such clever titles as "An A-Maize-ing Grain", Micucci presents corn's history in small kernels of information. Chapters are two pages in length; each page beginning with a seven-sentence introduction; with four bright pictures identified with a one-sentence explanation/definition. In short: at no time in this book will a beginning reader become overwhelmed. Even if they might, the corn yellows and vibrant greens will certainly hold their attention. Moreover, The Life and Time of Corn does not make the mistake of rendering itself potentially obsolete by dating itself--"corn of today"--which in ten years will no longer be pertinent, but rather informs the reader from an historical/informational perspective. Well written and charming; a must for your reference section.

Reviewer: Marie L. Twombly, OCPL/Aliso Viejo Library

Ascendant, by Diana Peterfreund

Rating: Additional

HarperTeen, 2010, $17.99

ISBN: 9780061490026

Age/Grade Level: Ages 14 and up

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Astrid is a unicorn hunter, as were most of her female relatives. She joined before she finished high school, but now she is feeling trapped at the Cloisters in Rome. her boyfriend is going to college in New York and her friend Cory seems to be losing her sensitivity for unicorn hunting. Her mother has become a unicorn consultant. The Order of the Lioness at the Cloisters hunts unicorns who have killed people and Astrid is beginning to doubt her commitment. An offer for Astrid comes from Gordian headquarters in France, where staff are trying to find the mixture for the "Remedy" which can cure unicorn poison.

Unicorns, good or bad, can be approached only by virgins. Teens will like Astrid, who struggles between wanting to help the hunters and wanting to lead a normal life. The background details of the Order of the Lioness are a mix of mythology and fairy tale. The conclusion of the story is surprising. This book may do for unicorns what vampires did for the teen reading craze. This is a sequel to Rampant but can be read alone.

Reviewer: Anne Williams, OCPL/Fountain Valley Library

Black Hole Sun, by David Macinnis Gill

Rating: Recommended

Greenwillow Books, 2010, $16.99

ISBN: 978-0061673047

Age/Grade Level: YA

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Earth has been decimated by a plague. Mars is in the process of being terraformed so that at the present time, the air and water of Mars are barely capable of supporting life. Mars resembles earth's wild west where kidnapping, assault and murder are common and no one is to be trusted. Durangeo is a mercenary--ahired gun but with a difference. He has an AI called Mimi flash-cloned to his brain, the latest in armor and weapons, and a conscience. Nonstop action and the bodies pile up as Durango and his crew of misfits are in a battle to the death against the Queen of Mars and her army of Draeu--DNA experiments gone wrong.

Reviewer: Patricia Campbell, OCPL/La Palma Library

Henry's Night, by D.B. Johnson and Linda Michelin

Rating: Special Reader

Houghton Mifflin, $16.00, 2009

ISBN: 9780547056630

Age/Grade Level: Ages 6 and up

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Incongruous as it may seem for a stylized, airbrushed dog to be a stand-in to intoduce children to the 19th century ideas of Henry David Thoreau, that is what D.B. Johnson has accomplished in a series of picture books of which this is the fifth. Unable to sleep, Henry (Thoreau) takes a moonlit walk in search of the elusive whipporwill. The dimly luminous artwork effectively captures fireflies and other night creatures. Yet overall there is a surreal quality to the story that young people might find confusing rather than illuminating.

Reviewer: Mary Smith, OCPL/El Toro Branch Library

My Mommy Hung the Moon: A Love Story, by Jamie Lee Curtis

Illustrated by Laura Cornell

Rating: Recommended

Joanna Cotler Books, 2010, $16.99

ISBN: 9780060290160

Age/Grade Level: 4-8 years

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Opening Curtis and Cornell's book challenges the reader to actually begin reading, so mesmerizing is its visual largess. With deep, rich jewel tones, My Mommy Hung the Moon is as bold as the bond of love between Mother and Child. With carefree aplomb, each page solidifies the safety, security, and confidence children so need to feel for their parents. Trochaic rhyme is the lynchpin holding the child on the page while, at once, the dazzling illustrations send one into hyperspace--much like watching fireworks while holding your parent's hand. Through learning to burp, writing all the books, webbing the world, and making everything from scratch, the mesmerized reader is conviced in the end that there is absolutely nothing Mommy can't do!

Reviewer: Marie Louise Twombly, OCPL/Aliso Viejo

Whistle Bright Magic, by Barb Bentler Ullman

Rating: Additional

Katherine Tegen Books, 2010, $16.99

ISBN: 9780061882869

Age/Grade Level: 8-12 years

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Zelly sees her first fairy at her Grandmother's funeral. Zelly and her mother have come to take over Plunkit Books in the town where her mother grew up and got married. Zelly hasn't seen her father since she was little and wants to know more about him. Zelly and her new friends discover Whistle, who explains the veil between the two worlds becomes thin when he caught Zelly's mood and concentrated on her. The explanation is convincingly contrived to explain how the girl and fairy Whistle can communicate. Zelly's mother doesn't even remember she once had the talent to be able to see the other world.

Reviewer: Anne Williams, OCPL/Fountain Valley

The Accidental Adventures of India McAllister, by Charlotte Agell

Rating: Recommended

Henry Holt, 2010, $16.99

ISBN: 9780805089028

Grade/Age Level: 3rd-6th grade

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Creating a microcosm of real-life dilemmas, Agell's authentic 9-year-old voice examines familiar emotions such as jealousy, friendship, and social mores from the fresh and charming perspective of India McAllister. Fourth grader India, of Chinese descent, is the adopted daughter of Rosemary and Andrew. Rosemary, an artist, and Andrew, a doctor, divorced when India was seven. Andrew now lives with Richard, and the only problem India has with that is sharing her father with someone new. Agell deftly develops familial acceptance and love through Tofu and Beatrice Strawberry while guiding the reading down the perilous path of friendship via Colby and Amanda "the rodent," while solidifying how truly loved India is by all. Agell's perky illustrations offer just enough humor and wit to make it enjoyable reading for young and old alike.

Reviewer: Marie Louise Twombly, OCPL/Aliso Viejo

Fletcher and the Snowflake Christmas, by Julia Rawlinson

Illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke

Rating: Very Good

Greenwillow, 2010, $16.99

ISBN: 9780061990335

Age/Grade level: 3-7 years

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Fletcher the fox is worried Santa won't be able to find the new rabbit burrow. The animals and birds all help him make arrows to point the way so Santa can find the new location. While the animals party, the snow covers the arrows, and the animals all vow to stay awake to tell Santa the location of the new burrow. They are all so tired they fall asleep. The next morning they all arrive at the burrow with gifts because they are afraid Santa wouldn't bring any. The happy ending and the convincing characters make this a satisfying storytime choice. This author and illustrator team worked together on two previous Fletcher stories, which are both definitely picks for your Children's collection.

Reviewer: Anne Williams, OCPL/Fountain Valley