Young Adults Choices 2005

YAC Index - by Author

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Young Adults Choices: S

San Souci, Robert D.	Double-Dared to Be Scared
	Presents a collection of thirteen original horror stories of witches, ghosts, and best friends who return from the dead.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
1	The book was okay but it was hard to follow with all the stories. I would not recommend this book to anyone younger than me.
1	Some stories were confusing and they weren't all that scary.
2	It was scary in a weird sort of way. The endings to the stories were good.
2	It was a good book but was a childinsh scare, not a slit you throat in your sleep scare.
2	Good book - I couldn't put it down; I liked the Daddy Boogie story - it's like Jeepers Creepers.
2	Bone-chilling, hair raising stories.

Sanchez, Alex	So Hard to Say
	Thirteen-year-old Xio, a Mexican American girl, and Frederick, who has just moved to California from Wisconsin, quickly become close friends, but when Xio starts thinking of Frederick as her boyfriend, he must confront his feelings of confusion and face the fear that he might be gay.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	I really liked the way Frederick stood up for Iggy even though he was risking his reputation.
2	I liked how Hio stayed by Alex no matter what happened.
2	I really liked this book because it showed how to express your personal feelings.

Schreiber, Ellen	Comedy Girl
	Shy, seventeen-year-old Trixie Shapiro, who dreams of being a professional comic, gets a big break after her friend signs her up to to a stand-up routine at their school's Talent Night.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	She was funny but never got a jot; did she go to the university or not? I couldn't figure that out.
1	The book was boring in some parts.
2	I especially liked the ending of this book.

Seely, Debra	Last of the Roundup Boys, The
	In 1885 in Kansas, seventeen-year-old Tom, the son of a poor farmer, is hired as a cowboy on a cattle ranch and faces the challenges of both herding work and a forbidden romance with sixteen-year-old Evie, the ranch owner's independently-minded daughter.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	This book is very well written. I like how the author changes points of view and the way the writing fits the characters. For example, when the story is narrated from the ranch hand's point of view, the writing sounds like a ranch hand is talking.
1	I'm not the biggest fan of cowboy stuff. The roundup was extremely boring. There wasn't much action.
2	Evie showed me you could do a lot of you just set your mind to it.
2	A really good book. I would rcommend it to everybody.

Sexton, Colleen	Arnold Schwarzenegger
	Examines the life of Arnold Schwarzenegger, discussing his childhood in Austria, his careers as a bodybuilder, and action star in Hollywood, and his move into politics which led to his being elected governor of California in 2003.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
1	He's arrogant and I think he was on steroids.
1	It was okay; the beginning was okay, then the middle not okay; and then the ending was all right.

Shaffner, George	In the Land of Second Chances
	Wilma Porter, owner of a small bed and breakfast in Ebb, Nebraska, and her friends find themselves drawn to a mysterious stranger who promises them happiness and riches.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
1	The first part of the book was kind of boring, but it was real good and meaningful.
2	The book was really interesting. He used a lot of dialogue, but it was effective in developing character and a very philosopical insight on life.
2	3 points. This was one of the best books I've ever read. It made it laugh and cry and shiver. This book made me think about my religious beliefs. Even though the story takes place in a little town of Nebraska it touches serious and very important issues, such as loneliness or corruption of the faith. The writer discriptions are so precise and detailed that I felt like everything had happened to me...This book is great. I think that it should be read and discussed in class along with the classics.

Shaw, Susan	Boy From the Basement, The
	Charlie, a twelve-year-old boy who has been confined to his basement by his abusive, psychotic father, is accidently locked out after sneaking outside one night, and ends up in the hospital where he gets the attention he needs and a new start in life.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	I really enjoyed this book.
2	The book was exciting to read. It was sad but it had so much different emotions in it.
2	I really liked the book; I didn't like the father's treatment of kids.
2	I can't believe the boy was punished and had to stay in the basement; he had to go ot the hospital and his dad went to jail.
1	It wasn't that good of a book.
2	I really liked the book. I thought it had a good story line.

Sherlock, Patti	Letters From Wolfie
	Certain that he is doing the right thing by donating his dog, Wolfie, to the Army's scout program in Vietnam, thirteen-year-old Mark begins to have second thoughts when the Army refuses to say when and if Wolfie will ever return.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	This book was very good.


Shusterman, Neal	Schwa Was Here, The
	A Brooklyn eighth-grader nicknamed Antsy befriends the Schwa, an "invisible-ish" boy who is tired of blending into his surroundings and going unnoticed by nearly everyone.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	This book gave me an idea of what it's like to be invisible. The conflicts in the story were great and liked the sense of humor.
2	It was a great book that kept twisting around corners revealing new information. It is a good Schusterman book.
1	It was just okay; I liked how they tried to destroy Manny Bull Pucky.

Simmons, Marc	Friday the Arapaho Boy
	Presents the true story of a young Arapaho boy who became separated from his family and was discovered and cared for by Thomas Fitzpatrick, a Rocky Mountain trader, who traveled throughout the territory in search of the boy's family.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	I liked how the boy gets lost in the plains.
2	This book is about a boy named Friday from an Arapaho tribe that a white man named when he cam across him on his journey. Friday's tribe left him on accident when he was searching for prairie dogs.
2	I love the part of the market because they act all hard and cool.

Skurzynski, Gloria	Are We Alone?: Scientists Search for Life in Space
	Flying saucers -- Extraterrestrial civilizations -- Nodding at midnight -- A better way to look -- The quest -- It's elemental -- One extreme to another -- Earth to Mars -- Jupiter's icy moons -- Talking to E.T.I. Presents a study of space and the possibility of extraterrestrial civilizations and discusses UFO sightings throughout the twentieth century, crop circles, and other paranormal occurrences.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	Great! I learned something new.
2	It tells about flying saucers and different kinds of aliens.
2	I think this book has many interesting facts taht some people should know. Overall the book was one of the best E.T. books I've read.

Sleator, William	Boy Who Couldn't Die, The
	When his best friend dies in a plane crash, sixteen-year-old Ken has a ritual performed that will make him invulnerable, but soon learns that he had good reason to be suspicious of the woman he paid to lock his soul away.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	Cool book! Lots of suspense!
2	I liked the zombies.
2	It had adventure in the book.
2	It was really good and you always wanted to read on to find out what happens.
2	I liked it because it was a kid's dream.
2	It was a good adventure book.
1	This book had a predictable and weak ending.
2	It was a good book and it had a cool ending.
2	I couldn't put this book down. It is such an interesting story
2	An interesting book about magic, the living dead, and love. Weird in a way, yet captivating.
2	There was adventure in every page. Once you started it, you couldn't put it down.
2	Good adventure; very different from a lot of books.
2	Very interesting. This book reminds me of Gary Paulsen.
2	I liked the book because you never know what's going to happen next.
2	It was an interesting book with a lot of action.
1	It was kind of weird, but good if you like sci-fi.

Sloan, Christopher	Human Story, the: Our Evolution From Prehistoric Ancestors to Today
	Explores the origins of humans, including how such developments as Linnaeus' classification system and recent understanding of the human genome have improved scientists' comprehension of evolution.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
1	It told how humans came to life and how different they were.
0	I don't believe we evolved like this.

Sones, Sonya	One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies
	Fifteen-year-old Ruby Milliken leaves her best friend, her boyfriend, her aunt, and her mother's grave in Boston and reluctantly flies to Los Angeles to live with her father, a famous movie star who divorced her mother before Ruby was born.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	I really liked this book because it was a page turner and there were a lot of parts that were unpredictable.
2	The note form makes it unique. Kids can relate to it.
2	The book was really interesting. I would like it if it was made into a movie or a sequel or something like that. But overall I really really liked the book.
2	It was a fantastic book that really opened my eyes. I now appreciate my mother's and my relationship so much better.
2	I liked Ruby but I felt bad when her boyfriend dumped her for her friend.
2	It helped me see that you need to be strong if you lose someone.
2	I liked it; Ruby had strange feelings about having a a father finally.
2	It was a very good book and I loved it, but the ending was a bit awkward.
2	A great book! I liked the description of the house and other descriptions as well.
2	It was a very good book and I loved it, but the ending was a bit awkward.
2	It was a very entertaining book. It made me not want to put the book down. Overall, the story was excellent.

Stahler, Jr., David	Truesight
	In a distant frontier world, thirteen-year-old Jacob is uncertain of his future in a community that considers blindness a virtue and "Seers" as aberrations.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
1	The book was just okay.
2	I really liked the beginning and the end of the book. The author created a very good interesting book but I think that he did not do such a good job with detailing and describing the feelings and atmosphere. He created a strong but dry plot line. The ending of the book was unexpected and very interesting ending. This book is good a showing twists of human's psychology.
2	I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It kept me interested throughout the story. The prologue hooked me in and the ending was suspenseful. I would certainly recommend it.
2	This was very good. It made me grateful that I am fortunate enough to see.
2	Good. Not really surprising ending. Surprise in the middle part.
2	This book was great! It looks at your reality and puts in into a total difference.
2	I enjoyed the book very much. I feel "blinded" by it.
1	The book started kind of slow and didn't get interesting until the last five chapters. It was a good book but it ended very rapidly. Does he survive? Does he find Denley? There's just too many questions left unanswered.

Stevermer, Caroline	Scholar of Magics, A
	Sequel to: A college of magics. Wyoming sharpshooter Samuel Lambert comes to England's Glasscastle University to assist with a top-secret project, unaware of the dangerous magic within the castle walls, and finds himself enchanted by the provost's sister.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
1	The beginning is kind of rough and there are many different settings and characters, so it gets a little confusing. I wouldn't call it a "bad" book, but it didn't seem interesting to me.


Stolz, Joëlle	Shadows of Ghadames, The
	Translation of: Les ombres de Ghadames. At the end of the nineteenth century in Libya, eleven-year-old Malika simultaneously enjoys and feels constricted by the narrow world of women, but an injured stranger enters her home and disrupts the traditional order of things.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
1	This book had its moments, but the plot was not very exciting.
0	Once I started to read this book I thought it was going to be good, then it went to worse really fast.
2	I liked it because it taught me much about Libyan women's roles.

Stone, David Lee	Ratastrophe Catastrophe, The
	An odd assortment of bumbling humans and creatures comes together to find and free the children held by a young man who, under the influence of dark magic, spirited them away from the mismanaged town of Dullitch with his flute music.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	Good book.
1	I like how it talks about magic dark & light and they way they have three people go against and win. But, the characters were confusing.

Strasser, Todd	Can't Get There From Here
	Tired of being hungry, cold, and dirty from living on the streets of New York City with a tribe of other homeless teenagers who are dying, one by one, a girl named Maybe ponders her future and longs for someone to care about her.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	Very good. I usually hate to read, but I finished this book in one day!
2	It was very exciting; my favorite character was Maybe.
2	It was good; I was sad because kids died.
2	I enjoyed the book because it helped me to understand homelessness.
2	It was intense. It was sad because a lot of kids died.
2	A very good book; I couldn't believe they all started to die.
2	Very good and heartwarming. It makes me live the life I have.

Stratton, Allan	Chanda's Secrets
	Chandra Kabelo, a sixteen-year-old in a small South African town, faces down shame and stigma in her efforts to help friends and family members who are dying of AIDS.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	This book made me aware of poverty in Africa and selflessness. It made me proud and feel lucky with what I have in my life.
2	Interesting book.
2	This is a very good book. I like the way it explains and shows how bad it is in Africa and how the HIV/AIDS affect people and their families.
2	It was very sad. She takes care of her siblings and her mom dies; her friend also has AIDS. She has courage.
1	It was very sad that the little girl died and the mother was ill also. Depressing.
2	I mostly liked the drama when a kid was down in a well.

Stross, Charles	Family Trade, The
	Reporter Miriam Beckstein finds herself transported to a parallel Earth filled with assassins who have the power to walk between the worlds after she uncovers evidence of a money-laundering scheme and is subsequently fired by her editor.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	Ah! I want the second one. Go Charles! This book was genius.


Stroud, Jonathan	Golem's Eye, The
	In their continuing adventures, magician's apprentice Nathaniel, now fourteen years old, and the djinni Bartimaeus travel to Prague to locate the source of a golem's power before it destroys London.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
1	Confusing!
2	This book was extremely funny. It gave a new look on magic and magic users. Its faults and strengths.
1	This had a unique twist on modern London and Prague by adding the element magicians and demons. This was a litle long and boring for less interested readers.
2	This book was great. It was very interesting and I really enjoyed reading it. The characters in the book aer great and I enjoyed following them through their journey.
2	the book was interesting most of the time but it got kind of boring for a little bit. The Amulet of Samarkan was a lot better.



Sutherland, Tui T.	This Must Be Love
	"Based on A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare." Two good friends tell of strange occurrences between themselves and the boys they like during a high school production of "Romeo and Juliet," which are reminiscent of the magical world of William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	This was a very good book. It related to me in so many different ways. It came from teenagers views and I like that.
2	I really liked this book a lot except for the fact that the girls were way too obsessed with boys and highly over-dramatic about everything. Other than that it was a great story.

Swanson, Julie A.	Going for the Record
	Seventeen-year-old Leah's quest to make the national soccer team does not seem so important when she learns that her father has cancer and may only have months to live.
Student Rating:	Student Review:
2	I really liked the book because it was realistic. It told a lot about her feelings and her family's feelings.
2	Great book. It really makes you think about life.