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: A

Adler, David A.	George Washington: An Illustrated Biography
	Tells the life story of the first American president, George Washington, focusing largely on the Revolutionary War, and includes a chronology, a table of Revolutionary battles, biographies of Washington's generals and Cabinet, illustrations, and maps.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
.5	This would be really good if you were doing a research project because it talked about all aspects of his life from presidency to marriage. This is definitely something I wouldn't normally read. In some parts it felt like I was reading an encyclopedia. Some parts I had trouble understanding - like letters and newspaper clippings that weren't explained. The book tells you who George Washington was like as a person which kept it from being so boring.
1	This book has a lot of bloody battles and sad stories so I didn't really like it.

Adoff, Jamie	Names Will Never Hurt Me
	Several high school students relate their feelings about school, themselves, and events as they unfold on the fateful one-year anniversary of the killing of a fellow student.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	I liked how the characters are so real.
1	It was okay. Not my favorite.
2	I adored this book. I felt I was in the story right next to the characters. Amazing/surprising plot. Moving, actual, lively. Highly recommended!
2	Although the author's style is abstr4act, the novel presents a believable story and extremely human characters. Excellent read and I recommend it to anyone!

Allen, Thomas B.	George Washington, Spymaster: How the American Outspied the British and Won the Revolutionary War
	A biography of Revolutionary War general and first President of the United States, George Washington, focusing on his use of spies to gather intelligence that helped the colonies win the war.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
1	I thought it was interesting knowing all the ways they had to disguise the letters they sent.
2	It is a really good book if you enjoy reading about history.
2	I thought this was a very interesting book, full of facts. A great read - I would recommend to anyone who enjoys history.

Allende, Isabel	Kingdom of the Golden Dragon
	Allende combines empathetic young characters; exciting adventures; and an intelligent, sympathetic look at cultures, customs, and creatures of a remote and fairly unknown area in an Indiana Jones-like adventure.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	Very good book. Gets better and better.
2	Really good book; exciting and suspenseful with a satisfying ending.
2	It is a lot of action and an easy book to read.
2	I really enjoyed the ending
2	This book is fast reading. It is very exciting and filled with many interesting twists. The book is similar to an Indianna Jones movie, but the main character is a teen. P.S. This is a sequel. Read City of the Beasts first.

Almond, David	The Fire-Eaters
	In 1962 England, despite observing his father's illness and the suffering of the fire-eating Mr. McNulty, as well as enduring abuse at school and the stress of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Bobby Burns and his family and friends still find reasons to rejoice in their lives and to have hope for the future.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
1	It wasn't very exciting.
2	The book was really great to read. There was no dull moments to me and the book just seemed to flow on.
1	It take a while to get into the book and then it gets good. It's an easy read and I hink if you read the book you will enjoy it.
2	It was a very odd book; I did enjoy it, though. I thought it was cool when McNulty did all of his tricks.
0	The book had very short chapters and didn't have a lot of progression through the story. He pretty much did the same thing every day.

Anaya, Rudolfo	Santero's Miracle
	Text in English and Spanish. With Christmas only days away, it snows so heavily that Jacobo the wood carver and his visiting grandson are afraid the roads will not be cleared in time for the rest of the family to come from the city, and that a sick neighbor will not get the help he needs. Presented in English and Spanish.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	This is a good bilingual story.
2	The book was really great to read. There was no dull moments to me and the book just seemed to flow on.
1	I enjoyed reading in both languages. It was a good story.
1	I liked the heritage part of the story.

Anderson, M.T.	The Game of Sunken Places
	When two boys stay with an eccentric relative at his mansion in rural Vermont, they discover an old-fashioned board game that draws them into a mysterious adventure.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	Easy, Fast Read
2	It was very adventurous and had lots of surprises
2	The book was great! It built up a lot of anxiety and it got very good in the last 100 pages.

Anonymous as told to Tucker Shaw	Confessions of a Backup Dancer
	Kelly Kimbal lands a job as a back-up dancer for pop diva, Darcy Barnes, but is soon fired by Darcy's overbearing mother until Darcy develops the courage to tell her mother off and bring Kelly back into the show.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	Really good book. Fun read. Interesting, different story.
2	This is a really good book for teens. I could really relate to her situations. I also enjoyed the internet hournal layout in the story. It was fun and interesting. Like no book I've ever read.

Appelt, Kathi	My Father's Summers: A Daughter's Memoir
	A series of prose poems describes the author's life while she was growing up in Houston, Texas, from her eleventh birthday in 1965 through her eighteenth in 1972, and beyond.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
1	Not so much, it didn't stay focused and the style of writing didn't go with the story too well. The book didn't hold me in too greatly.
2	I liked the book's theme. I understood the characters and that made the book better. I loved the story.

Avi - Vail, Rachel	Never Mind
	Twelve-year-old New York City twins Meg and Edward have nothing in common, so they are just as shocked as everyone else when Meg's hopes for popularity and Edward's mischievous schemes coincidentally collide in a hilarious showdown.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
1	I thought the book was good. It made me laugh at times. The book could have been a bit more descriptive.
2	Its a really good book once you start to read it, you never want to put it down.