Young Adults Choices 2005

YAC Index - by Author

A - B - C - D E - F G - H I - J K - L - M - N - O P - Q R - S - T U - V W - X Y Z

Young Adults Choices: B

Balliett, Blue	Chasing Vermeer
	When seemingly unrelated and strange events start to happen and a precious Vermeer painting disappears, eleven-year-olds Petra and Calder combine their talents to solve an international art scandal.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	This book was a really good mystery by I didn't like how the kids solved it based on hunches that just came to them.
2	It was a good quick reading book. I liked it a lot.
1	It is a very interesting book. It keeps you wantint to rad to figure out who the thief is.
2	It was very mysterious and you never know what is going to happen.
2	I really enjoyed the book!

Barker, Clive	Abarat
	Barker's first installment will send you excitedly jumping headfirst into the unknown, and you'll be itching to read more. An introduction to a fantastic world, Abarat introduces readers to an abundance of characters who play both major and secondary roles, but all seem to have a reason for being included -- not necessarily revealed here -- which makes the plot that much more suspenseful and thrilling. Candy is also a likable heroine, and her gutsy yet modest demeanor is an interesting fit with Arabat's quirky and surprising creatures.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	I really enjoyed this book.

Barker, Clive	Days of Magic, Nights of War (Abarat- Series 2)
	Candy Quackenbush's adventures in the Abarat continue as she makes a startling realization as to who she is, and the forces of Night begin plans for war.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	It was a nice breath of fresh air to fantasy books. Very abstract pictures.
2	It was even better than the first one. The characters are more mysterious than ever. It's darker and more demented but good wins again.
0	I feel that maybe people wouldn't like reading it. The cover and illustrations give a child-like appearance. The book feels like a Harry Potter wanna be.

Barron, T.A.	The Great Tree of Avalon: Child of the Dark Prophecy
	As the great stars begin to dim, it seems that the Lady of the Lake's dire omens are about to fulfilled. The fate of Avalon now rests in the hands of three young people: Tamwyn, a wandering wilderness guide; Elli, an apprentice priestess; and Scree, a young Eagleman. One of them is the true heir of Merlin, and one of them is the dreaded child mentioned in the Dark Prophecy. A haunting Avalon epic from the author of The Lost Years of Merlin.
Student Rating:	Student Review:

Bass, L.G.	The Sign of the Qin
	This book – the beginning of a trilogy - is teeming with monsters, dragons, deities, tricksters, and demons-drawn largely but not exclusively from Chinese myth-plus an array of larger-than-life heroes and villains of both sexes.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	I loved this book. The plot is great as are the characters. There wasn't one thing I didn't like about the book.
1	The book could have put more emphasis on the characters.
2	The book had a lot of pages but it was an awesome book that can keep you reading for hours.
2	Wow. A very good book. Amazing descriptions and superb suspense.
2	I thought that this book had enough description. I enjoy reading books that have gods in them.

Bath, L.P.	The Secret of Castle Can't
	Bath deals with a familiar fairy-tale theme: the discovery of noble lineage in a maidservant. His treatment, however, is quirky, funny, and rife with social satire; his style, full of puns, similes, alliteration, and just the right tone of tongue-in-cheek pomposity, is delightful. The setting is the Barony of Cant, a land so small that it is lost in the creases of every map. While the Cantlings live as though it were long ago, the time is actually contemporary, and the heroine wears T-shirts, jeans, and sneakers procured from the American Mission. This juxtaposition of medieval and contemporary fuels much of the novel's humor.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
1	The book was okay. The main thing I kind of disliked was that it jumped around. The thing I really enjoyed about this book is that it was based on a young orphan trying to help a prisoner.
2	I thought it was a really funny book. I enjoyed every minute of this book.
2	Excellent book! Reminiscent of a "A Series of Unfortunate Events". It was very well written as well as entertaining with brilliant, underlying humor!
2	Agreat book filled with suspense and interesting characters. A great story plot filled with surprises.
2	I liked the part when Orlof got shot in the neck with an arrow.
1	A good book, butr a bit confusing at the beginning with modern things mixed in. It's a different style and it takes a while to get used to it.

Bausum, Ann	With Courage and Cloth: Winning the Fight for a Woman's Right to Vote
	Chronicles the long history of the fight for women's voting rights, beginning in 1848, with a focus on the years between 1913 and 1920 when the Nineteenth Amendment was passed, and includes profiles of notable women in the struggle.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
1	A little boring but I'm glad after 77 years, I have the right to vote. They helped my future.

Bennett, Cherie & Gottesfeld, Jeff	A Heart Divided
	When her parents decide to move from New Jersey to Tennessee, 16-year-old Kate is bitterly unhappy about giving up her friends and her spot in a prestigious play writing workshop. Racial tensions abound in Redford and Kate learns quickly that she is a very northern girl in the middle of a very southern town. She decides to write a play about the town's act of flying the Confederate flag and the opposition that it causes.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	Now! Amazing! It wasn't that catching right away but once I kept going and thought about the meaning it hit me and I was greatly impressed.
2	I loved this book! It was one of the best books I have read in a long time. I can relate to the main character Kate. This is mainly a more girly book but I think some guys will enjoy it also.
2	Awesome book. I loved it!
2	You can tell Jack liked Kate; I loved the part when Kate goes to the mausoleum.
2	I loved the part where Kate writes her play. This is a great teen book.
2	It was good because it was about high school and it was about the South.
2	This book was really original. A lot ob books stick to the same knds of plots and themes, but this one was different.
2	The ending was very shocking and surprised me.
2	A heartwarming story.
1	Some parts of the book were very interesting but the play was kind of dull.
2	I thought the book was good because it was about high school and how it is. I also liked it because I didn't expect for her sister to get shot.
2	It picked up slow at first but then it got really interesting toward the end. This book gives you a different perspective than what most people have experienced. I would definitely recommend it to others.
2	Kind of a confederate modern time with racism; then a little girl gets shot. Good plot.
2	This book was amazingly well-written! I found it very easy to relate to. Also flows well and has good word choice. Loved the ending!
2	This is good because it shows you that doing what is right is better than doing what others tell you to do.
2	I was able to read this book in one day. It was so amazing and realistic. Racism, love, and destiny all take part in thsi story.
2	I thought you could really relate to the character and feel what she was feeling.


Barry, Dave	Peter and the Star Catcher
	Peter, an orphan boy, and his friend Molly fight off thieves and pirates in order to keep the secret safe away from the diabolical Black Stache and his evil associate Mister Grin.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	I liked the mystery!
2	This book was a book on how Peter Pan became Peter Pan. There are details in this book that you never would have thought would fit into the original movie, but as you read you will notice it all makes sense.

Bode, N.E.	The Anybodies
	Though a hospital error left Fern to be raised by the "tragically dull" Drudgers, her biological parents were Anybodies--professional shape shifters. When 12-year-old Fern reunites with her widowed father, she learns that his transforming abilities have mysteriously disappeared. Their quest to restore his powers occasions a visit to Fern's grandmother, whose vast library gives Fern a chance to discover a talent of her own: by shaking books, she can make elements of the stories tumble into the real world.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
0	It was weird and a little boring. I liked the end.
1	This was funny. I didn't expect the twist.
2	This was a very unique book with a surprise ending. Great characters.
2	It was a fairy tale and magical.
2	I didn't like the author writing nonsense sometimes in the story. Otherwise, it was a good story.

Boyce, Grant Cottrell	Millions
	The Cunningham brothers literally have money drop in their laps when a bag of cash falls from the sky; however, the crooks who initially stole the loot are hot on the trail to retrieve it.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
1	It was a pretty clever book. The more you read it, the more you got into it.
2	I can't imagine someone not liking this book; it's wonderful.
1	I thought the book was really slow. I didn't really get into it until the last seven chapters.
1	This was funny. I didn't expect the twist.
2	I really like this; it kept me going. I liked how one kid was really religious. I can't believe they found the money because of a robbery.
2	I really enjoyed it; it has a great story line.

Bradley, Michael J.	Yes, Your Parents are Crazy: A Teen Survival Guide
	Discusses the difficulties of being a teenager in today's society and provides insights on how to survive adolescence and stay connected with one's parents.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	I loved it.
2	Very informative and answers a lot of questions you may have growing in this twisted war.

Bratt, Joshua	The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green
	Jacob Green, an adolescent boy with an over-active imagination, learns about life, love, religion, sex, and growing up from his brother and his nanny.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	I hated the father so much, but I think that he did a good job making you relate to characters and making you love some and hate some.
2	Funny and very realistic. I loved it
2	It was interesting to read about this kid's problems from his point of view.
2	I really enjoyed reading this book because it showed a different way of life. It was hard for me to relate to the character because I'm not a boy, but I enjoyed it.

Brian, Kate	The V Club
	High school friends Kai, Eva, Debbie, and Mandy form the V Club, a service organization that promotes chastity, in an effort to prove themselves worthy of winning the Treemont scholarship which requires candidates to "exemplify purity of soul, spirit, and body," but their wills are tested when an alluring boy joins the group
Student Rating:	Student Review:
1	It was just okay.
2	It was good.
2	If you're a lover of gossip, high-school relations and conflict, this book is perfect.
2	It really kept me reading and I liked how it talked about all the characters and making you love some and hate some of them.

Brooks, Kevin	Kissing the Rain
	Fifteen-year-old Moo Nelson, shy, overweight, and bullied by his classmates, finds his life spinning out of control after he witnesses a car chase and a fight that results in a murder.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
0	The language was hard to follow and it was confusing.
2	The book gives you the inside view of the character's mind while he deals with 15-year old controversies and something huge along with it.
0	The book moved too slowly. I also disliked the end because I felt it ended too soon.
1	It was an okay book. I thought the main character would drag on with what he was talking about.
1	This book was pretty good. It bored me at times because there were no girls in it. It did a good job of creating suspsnse during the end trial.

Bruhac, Joseph	The Dark Pond
	After he feels a mysterious pull drawing him toward a dark, shadowy pond in the woods, Armie looks to old Native American tales for guidance about the dangerous monster lurking in the water.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	This was a really good book for anyone. It was nother kind of scary - just like Skeleton Man was. Again, I thought it was a very good book.
2	The book was cool because it just keeps you guessing until the very last page.
1	It was kinda boring at the beginning, then got better.
2	This book was very interesting. It made me want to keep reading. The book was exciting with unexpected things that kept happening.
2	This book had suspense which I really like. It also had descriptive words.
2	I liked the pat when Armie helped Sabattis up the cliff and he called the birds to peck on the monster slug.

Bruhac, Joseph	Hidden Roots
	Although he is uncertain why his father is so angry and what secret his mother is keeping from him, eleven-year-old Sonny knows that he is different from his classmates in their small New York town.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
1	It is really confusing.
2	I liked how it showed that things happening back then are like they are today, too.
2	This is a good book if you like mysteries and problems with families.
0	It talked about a colorful river and how it became polluted. I didn't understand it very well.
1	It was pretty good all through. It was not that hard to guess that they were Native Americans and that Uncle Louis was related to him.
0	It talked about how a colorful river and how it became polluted. I didn't understand it very well.
0	It didn't seem interesting to me.
1	The book was not that exciting. It did talk about how his family and him did not get along but it did not get me wanting to read the book.

Brugman, Alyssa	Finding Grace
	Rachel is just starting college when a local attorney who met her during graduation hires her to care for Grace, his former coworker and friend, who has suffered brain damage. The teen approaches the job with her typical perfectionism, but without much compassion. However, as Rachel begins to unfold and piece together Grace's past, she discovers a woman who once lived and loved. As Rachel opens herself up to a new world of experiences, she is forced to admit that she doesn't know everything. Brugman has written a novel that is both funny and heart-wrenching.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
1	I think the book was good. The one thing I didn't like about it was the end.
0	I didn't like the book because it was a slow read and talked about weird and gross things.
1	The book was not very exciting. It was just okay.
2	The beginning of the book was really boring and confusing, but the ending was so great. I liked how Grace was singing. The part about how Grace got hit by a truck was really sad but exciting to read about.
2	I thought this book was very good. I kept wanting to read on. I really enjoyed it a lot.
2	I thought it was good. It kept my attention and I couldn't put it down. i could actually imagine and see some of the scenes
2	It was one of my favorites!
1	It was okay. It was really slow because it told of her life and it wasn't that exciting.
1	I liked the part when Grace started to sing.
2	This book is about a girl named Rachel who had graduated from high school. She finds a job as being an aid for an elderly lady. She soon realized that there is way more to the world than she thought.

Burgess, Melvin	Doing it
	Three teenage friends, Dino, Jonathon, and Ben, confront the confusions, fears, and joys of adolescent male sexuality
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	Very funny.
2	This was an amazing book about four friends in England and their sexual experiences in high school.
2	Don't read it if sex and language offend you. It's a good way to look at teens from an outside perspective. I loved it!
2	If you do not like reading about sex I would not recommend it.
2	Must be mature to read it.

Burnham, Niki	Royally Jacked
	Valerie, caught in the middle of her parents' divorce, opts to stay with her father who has just accepted a job as protocol chief for some European royals, but she is beginning to think she has made the wrong choice until she meets the prince.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	This book was very interesting and fun to read because it was about a girl my age and it was like I was one of her friends in the book.
2	It was funny and very realistic.
2	This book was a slow start but got me hooked and I never wanted to put it down once I got started. I can't wait to read the sequel.
2	Awesome Book!
2	This book was really cute, not for guys but really good. If you like a fast, funny, cheery read this is it!
2	It's a perfect disney-like story with the happy ending of Valerie being with the prince, well written.
0	It jsut wasn't my kind of romance.
2	I thought that most of this book teenagers could relate to. It was a really good book.
2	I liked how this book stayed within your typical teen parameters withoug being cliche. It dealt with some real issues (homosexuality and divorce) while still being fictional (royalty, etc.)
2	I loved it!