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It's time for another reader survey! I interviewed one of my teen customers for GuysLitWire. Here's what he had to say:

Name: Calvin

Age: 15

Grade: 10th

Books recently read for fun: Fall of Giants by Ken Follett - It took me a while, but it was a fantastic read and ultimately awesome! - and Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell - heart-wrenching, and you really want the main characters to get together.

Books recently read for class: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Books you want to read: Winter of the World and Edge of Eternity, the second and third books in the Century Trilogy by Ken Follett.

Books you read as a kid: Harry Potter! Book of choice; just great. My sister read the 7th book 13 times.

Why you like to read: I can't stop reading; it's a passion, and it takes my mind off school.

Favorite book genres/topics: Sci-fi/historical fantasy. Fantasy books transport me into new worlds (so) it's hard to stop reading.

Favorite authors: Ken Follett

Favorite playwrights and plays: West Side Story

Favorite movies: Airplane! My favorite movie by far. I love comedy movies.

Favorite musicians/music genres: Jazz

Anything else you want to say: Reading is awesome!

Every year, Colleen from Chasing Ray and Guys Lit Wire sets up a special book fair connected to Ballou Senior High School in Washington, D.C. In Colleen's own words:

Every year, Guys Lit Wire lends its platform to host a book fair for Ballou. Working with librarian Melissa Jackson and her students, we build a wish list of titles they need and then ask the internet to buy a book (or 2) (or more) and send some joy their way. It's quick and it's easy and for book lovers in particular, it's a no-brainer.

We all know that books matter to kids, and we all know why buying books for teens who do not have wide access to them is a smart investment in our world's future. For Ballou, the school fund for book purchases is not large and as a Washington Post article showed earlier this year, the dollars for books in DC often go to wealthier neighborhoods. Also, when they get money schools like Ballou are often not able to purchase the sort of fun or seemingly frivolous titles that teens would really to read.

That is where the Guys Lit Wire Book Fair for Ballou comes in. We buy the books the kids ask for, plain and simple.

The mailing address is already set-up for checkout and there are nearly 400 books to choose from with a price range that starts under $5. We do hope you will find a book that you want to send to Ballou and help us fill their shelves with the titles these kids want so very much to read.

Here's the wishlist: http://tinyurl.com/BookFairforBallou

Please share the link to the wishlist as well as the link to Colleen's post at GLW via your blogs and social media to help spread the word.

Don't let it stop there. If you know of a library, school, shelter, or hospital that's in great need of books and other items, give back. Rally up your co-workers, patrons, students, and friends, gather donated items (new or gently used), and donate them to your chosen organization or charity. Share your good fortune and good spirits with others.

Every year, Colleen from Chasing Ray and Guys Lit Wire sets up a special book fair connected to Ballou Senior High School in Washington, D.C. In Colleen's own words:

Every year, Guys Lit Wire lends its platform to host a book fair for Ballou. Working with librarian Melissa Jackson and her students, we build a wish list of titles they need and then ask the internet to buy a book (or 2) (or more) and send some joy their way. It's quick and it's easy and for book lovers in particular, it's a no-brainer.

We all know that books matter to kids, and we all know why buying books for teens who do not have wide access to them is a smart investment in our world's future. For Ballou, the school fund for book purchases is not large and as a Washington Post article showed earlier this year, the dollars for books in DC often go to wealthier neighborhoods. Also, when they get money schools like Ballou are often not able to purchase the sort of fun or seemingly frivolous titles that teens would really to read.

That is where the Guys Lit Wire Book Fair for Ballou comes in. We buy the books the kids ask for, plain and simple.

The mailing address is already set-up for checkout and there are nearly 400 books to choose from with a price range that starts under $5. We do hope you will find a book that you want to send to Ballou and help us fill their shelves with the titles these kids want so very much to read.

Here's the wishlist: http://tinyurl.com/BookFairforBallou

Please share the link to the wishlist as well as the link to Colleen's post at GLW via your blogs and social media to help spread the word.

Don't let it stop there. If you know of a library, school, shelter, or hospital that's in great need of books and other items, give back. Rally up your co-workers, patrons, students, and friends, gather donated items (new or gently used), and donate them to your chosen organization or charity. Share your good fortune and good spirits with others.

Looking for a book to give you goosebumps this Halloween? Check out Amity by Micol Ostow. Inspired by the house on 112 Ocean Avenue - the Amityville Horror - this work of fiction follows two teenaged protagonists who moved in the same house ten years apart. Gwen and Connor narrate alternating sections in first person, making readers privy to their innermost thoughts as they begin to see and hear things which are out of the ordinary: faces in mirrors, dirt and blood on their own hands and faces, whispers in the night. Objects appear and disappear from different rooms in the house; the air thickens and chills. Yet no one else seems to see and hear these things. No one, except...

Each protagonist has a sibling that is (or was) close to them: Connor has a twin sister, while Gwen has a brother who is barely a year older, a brother who has become more distant and hostile since they moved into the house. Meanwhile, ten years earlier, Connor had a similar temperament, giving into dark thoughts and violent urges, seeming to feed on the evil energy of the house while simultaneously it fed on him.

The parallels between the two stories grow more evident as the story continues, and then things begin to line up, overlap, and explode.

The dual narrative definitely works in this scenario, with Gwen's fear that she is going crazy (again) contrasting effectively with Connor's unapologetic enjoyment as he embraces his darkness. Gwen thinks she's pathetic, but readers will find her sympathetic; Connor is twisted, and he likes it that way. It is interesting to note that both characters are trying to be happy in their own ways and both are pretending to be something they're not.

With short, unnumbered chapters - sometimes no longer than three-quarters of a page - the action moves quickly, and the format and plotting of the story should attract and intrigue horror fans, even those with shorter attention spans.

When Robyn Plummer walks into Room 13B, Adam falls in love at first sight. That may sound like a typical boy-meets-girl story, but, thankfully, this book is anything but cliché. The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten is refreshingly honest, anchored by a memorable main character.

Adam, age 15, is vulnerable, loyal, and sometimes confused by his feelings and by the actions of those around him. He is quieter than some, a little more in his thoughts, which are expressed in limited third-person narrative. His parents are divorced, and he lives with his mom most of the time. She pretends everything is okay while enduring her own private struggle, something Adam tries to both respect and understand. Meanwhile, his father has remarried, and while Adam gets along all right with his dad and his stepmom, the member of that household that undoubtedly enjoys his visits the most is his little brother, Sweetie, who is full of life and full of love. (Kudos to Toten for creating a young, vibrant character that sounds and acts his age. Absolutely spot-on depiction of a preschooler.) It is interesting to note what (and who) each member of Adam's family clings to, and what they're willing to fight for when the going gets tough.

When Adam isn't in one of his two homes, he is usually in Room 13B. Room 13B isn't a classroom; it's a meeting place for a young adult OCD support group. This book gave me what I wanted but didn't get from the TV show Red Band Society: a realistic look at a diverse group of kids who meet due to a medical diagnosis but are not defined by their condition; people who are not the "worst" examples of their condition nor the "best"; characters who are relatable but not cookie-cutter. Each teen has a distinct personality, appearance, and medical history. Their bonding sessions both inside and outside of Room 13B are wonderful. They honestly try to help one another rather than sabotage or one-up each other. When Chuck, the friendly, caring doctor who oversees the group, asks the kids to adopt nom de guerres, almost all of them select superhero names. Robyn picks Robin, prompting Adam to immediately declare himself Batman.

Adam is determined to win Robyn's heart. He has never been in love before, never had a girlfriend, but he falls head over heels for Robyn. He is not simply on a quest for love, but actually fascinated by this specific girl. As the story continues, their friendship develops and deepens. Adam's unconscious need to protect others extends easily to Robyn as he learns more about her, and he tries to be a better person (and taller) so he can be worthy of her. His OCD rituals are both aided and exacerbated by his new goals and his growing awareness that things aren't entirely right at either of his homes.

This book is good. It's solid and it's interesting and it's realistic and it's good. It sheds light on a condition that many people suffer from in silence and shame, and instead of reducing OCD to a punchline or over-dramatizing it, Toten offers believable characters with various rituals and paths to healing. The story moves at an easygoing pace with decent plotting. And most of all, it has a realistic protagonist who is a truly good egg. Adam is dealing with that wonderful, frustrating time when you don't want to be treated like a child but you sometimes wish you were still a carefree little kid, when you want to be independent but you can't drive yet, when you realize your parents are people with their own histories and bad habits and secrets. Just as the author does with his little brother, Toten is also able to capture the appropriate tone for Adam's age and situation. Adam sits at neither hero-with-a-burden character extreme, not wallowing in unbearable darkness and cursing the weight of the world that sits upon his shoulders, nor grinning from ear to ear and boasting that everything's going to be fine. He's simply trying to live his life. As his heart gets broken and mended, so will the hearts of readers.

The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten is a beautifully simple, steady coming-of-age story that I highly recommend, especially to fans of Jordan Sonnenblick and David Levithan.

A boy with a broken finger who quietly suffers under the weight of his father's cruel words. A girl desperate to fit in. The teenage boy who dates a girl in public and a boy in private. A young man who is counting the days until he's 21. A teacher struggling to get her students' respect.

Read Between the Lines by Jo Knowles tells all these stories and more. The book contains ten short stories total, with each character's tale roughly 40 pages long. The storylines overlap and connect, woven together by setting - all of the stories take place in the same town, on the same day - as strangers, neighbors, relatives, co-workers and classmates interact, ignore, confront, and combust.

Set aside some time for this book, because once you've finished reading it, you may feel compelled to read it again! If you read this book a second time, you will pick up on even more of the connections, causes, and consequences, just like when you read a mystery for the second time, you pick up on more of the clues because you already know the identity (and intentions) of the murderer.

The author said that this book was inspired by a stranger who flipped off her family while driving down the road. That symbol of disrespect is in each of the stories, which may make some parents or teachers hesitate, but don't be worried - overall, the book is fairly PG.

Read Between the Lines is both frank and considerate, honest in its depiction of emotional abuse, intolerance, secrets, and hierarchies within families, classrooms, and communities. Though they have different backgrounds and different interests, each character is trying to find a place for herself or himself in the world, and there's something universal in that search for identity and belonging. The point of the book is to pause, to think, to consider, to look, to look again: we don't always know what's happened to others to make them act or react the way they do; we can't read their minds, we don't know what their day has been like or what their home situation is, but if we take a moment to consider other people's feelings, to respect their space and hear their side of the story, we might be find we are more alike and more connected that we think.

In Alyssa Brugman's thoughtful novel Alex As Well, the teenaged title character often feels like two people - one female, one male - trapped in the same body.

There's nothing like feeling uncomfortable in your own body. For Alex, the struggle is constant. Alex was born intersex, having physical characteristics of both genders. Doctors could not identify Alex as male or female. Alex's parents selected a gender-neutral name for their baby and were made to monitor their child's behavior and report back to doctors, who decided Alex's tendency to be more aggressive than passive indicated the child was more masculine than feminine - and so Alex was raised as a boy.

Now Alex is in high school, and she has found the strength within to tell her parents that she would rather identify as a girl. Her father splits; her mother falls apart. Alex stands her ground and starts making decisions for herself. She leaves her all-boys school and enrolls in a new school as a girl. She finds new friends, including a girl she gets a crush on and a boy who gets a crush on her. Though she enjoys their friendship, she cannot bring herself to tell them - or anyone at her new school - the truth about her condition, and fears the day that someone or something will reveal it.

The novel is told from Alex's first-person point of view, which occasionally has her talking to her masculine self, her inner twin, who often taunts her and points out the physical differences between her - them - and her peers. Posts from Alex's mother's blog, placed between chapters every now and then, shed light on her struggle to raise her child, revealing facts about Alex's condition and upbringing and the mom's attempts to assist and accept her. The blog posts help make the mother seem a little less harsh, a little less hysterical, and a little more human than she would be had the blog not been included.

To date, I've read four Alyssa Brugman novels - Finding Grace, Walking Naked, Being Bindy, and Alex As Well - and I've enjoyed them all. Brugman creates protagonists driven by personal matters who have yet to realize something about themselves. Her realistic storylines draw in readers and her frank storytelling takes them straight to the heart of the matter.

Looking for more intersex representation in the media? The MTV series Faking It features an intersex character named Lauren. Learn more in Emily Quinn's letter and her video with Bailey De Young (Lauren), which shares some facts about the condition, including this: Being born intersex is almost as common as being born a natural redhead.

This review was cross-posted at GuysLitWire.

Related posts at Bildungsroman:
Tough Issues for Teens Booklist
Finding Grace by Alyssa Brugman

If you like the concept of comedic body switches a la Freaky Friday, then it's time for you to read Megan Shull's new novel The Swap.

Note that I said comedic "body switches" as opposed to horror-movie-style body swaps - those are invasive and terrifying, whereas The Swap is a smart and sensitive look at what it would be like for two middle school students of opposite genders to switch places.

When an encounter at school causes them to unwillingly swap bodies, thirteen-year-old Jack and twelve-year-old Ellie have to figure out a way to deal with their very different bodies, families, friends, and afterschool obligations until they can swap back. Before this unexpected event, the kids weren't friends. They go to the same school, so they vaguely knew each other - with Ellie being more aware of Jack than vice-versa - but they are a grade apart and don't have any classes or activities in common. By the time the book is over, though, there's no way they could call themselves strangers anymore.

This story is about more than temporarily being in someone else's body - it's about sharing someone else's life. The decisions the protagonists make and the actions they take while walking in each other's shoes (including Ellie's soccer cleats and Jack's hockey skates) affect them both. Seeing the world through new eyes changes how they see others and how they see themselves.

And back to the body sharing: where some sitcoms, books, or movies might play awkward moments in the locker room and in the bathroom as silly and/or gross jokes, these kids are truly uncomfortable at those times, and ultimately very respectful.

You could say that the two parental figures in the book are both devoted to their children, but they are definitely at opposite ends of the emotional spectrum. Ellie's mother, a divorced single parent and yoga instructor, is upbeat and sunny. Jack's stern father, a widower, is very strict with his four sons. Very strict. Think Captain Von Trapp. He oversees their daily fitness routine and year-round hockey training and makes them call him "sir." Ellie's mom wishes her daughter would be more open with her, while Jack's militaristic dad doesn't do heart-to-heart chats.

Jack has a whole bunch of buddies and gets along very well with his brothers. Meanwhile, only child Ellie feels like she doesn't have a friend in the world. Sassy, her best friend since kindergarten, has found a new best friend and now finds it fun to say mean things to Ellie (and Jack-as-Ellie) at school, on the soccer field, and at a memorable sleepover. Anyone who has had a friend turn on them, especially in middle school, will relate to that heartache. Friendship break-ups can hurt just as much as romantic ones. Not all friends make up; not all friends should. Kids and adults alike should keep this in mind: If someone is being mean to you and repeatedly putting you down, that person is not a true friend.

Both Ellie and Jack are healthy and athletic, which is really cool. It also comes in handy when they have attend each other's practices and tryouts. I also appreciated that the sports storylines didn't culminate in either character winning the big game or being chosen MVP; instead, it was about personal successes, about what the work taught them about themselves and how it pushed them outside of their comfort zones. There was also a neat sporty bit towards the end of the book that I wasn't expecting, and I liked a lot.

I've read a lot of books with dual narratives, and The Swap is a solid example of a story that both needs and benefits from two narrators who offer honest first-person thoughts. Without making them polar opposites, Shull has her characters speak and react differently, with some overlap - it's fun when they start realizing that they've picked up each other's lingo. The narrating duties flip back and forth in alternating chapters, and the story is easy to follow. The Swap considers the different ways we treat girls and boys, the different things we expect of our sons and daughters, and it's a great take on upper middle school life, a time that a lot of TV shows glaze over, jumping from little-kid-dom right into the teen age rather than dealing with the simultaneous horrors and happiness of those in-between wonder years.

For those of who you have yet to read the original novel Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers, do yourself a favor and pick up that book at the same time you pick up The Swap. Also grab Megan Shull's previous releases, including Amazing Grace.

Related posts at Bildungsroman:
Author Spotlight: Megan Shull
Booklist: Multiple Narrators
Booklist: Hey There, Sports Fan!
Booklist: Suggested Sets
Booklist: Middle School Must-Haves

If you are an artist of any kind - a writer, a poet, a singer, a painter, a filmmaker, anything creative - and Austin Kleon is not already on your radar, please tune in:

In his book Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative, Kleon encourages people to be confident when approaching their projects, even when that voice in the back of your head is telling you, "But someone's already done something like this. Someone's already written a story about this, or make a similar sculpture, or created a collage like this..." Because guess what? Even if that is true, even if there is something similar out there, your creation won't be the same as what came before, because it's coming from you, and your viewpoint and abilities will make it unique. So don't be scared to tackle something that you think has "already been done" - because it hasn't, if you haven't done it yet.

At the same time, remember to give credit when credit is due. That's mentioned in all of his books: if you're doing something directly based on someone else's work, give that person credit. If you choreographed a dance largely influenced by the life of Martha Graham or inspired by the paintings of Degas, say that. If your research was heavily based on someone or something, cite it. Be grateful for those who paved the way, acknowledge those who helped you, respect others and you'll be respected.

Show Your Work! 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered, Kleon's latest book, offers ideas and ways to share your work with the world. As with Steal Like an Artist, each chapter is motivational, brief, and to-the-point. There are those who feel the need to "network" and those who absolutely hate networking, and any number of folks in-between; Show Your Work focuses talks about using the network to help other people find your work, to share what you've done without feeling like you are self-promoting or self-involved.

Kleon's Newspaper Blackout is a collection of poetry he made by taking a permanent marker to newspaper articles and turning them into something new. My favorite piece in his collection is Underdog, as seen here; I am also fond of Enigma, created by Erica Westcott.

I'm cross-posting this at GuysLitWire. Why share this at a blog targeted to teen readers? It's simple: creativity exists in everyone, in people of all ages. Some creative people are very outgoing and outspoken (hello, that's me!) but others aren't as confident in their abilities, especially when they are younger and/or are trying an artistic pursuit for the first time. Some people need a little nudge to write down the story that's been in the back of their mind for years, just as others need a little nudge to try out for the sports team or the school play.

So what are you waiting for? If you've always wanted to play the tuba, go to the local music store and get a recommendation for a good music teacher in your area. Or, to be more specific to the aforementioned books and methods, if you want to be a poet or a songwriter or a hand-lettering artist or a greeting card designer and don't know where to start, look at the things YOU like, and create something inspired by your favorite poems and songs and illustrations. Start with what moves you, and go from there. In time, you'll find your voice, and make something wholly original that will, in turn, inspire someone else. Creativity is a cycle. Pay it forward!

If you were not able to rock the drop yesterday due to time, weather, or other such uncontrollable things, don't fret - you can totally drop a book today, this weekend, whenever time allows! When you do, leave us a comment here at the readergirlz blog or on Facebook, and tweet @readergirlz with the hashtag #rockthedrop - and include a picture if you took one!

You can also participate on a larger scale, if you'd like, by donating a bunch of books to the place or cause of your choice. Visit a local shelter, a school, a library, a children's hospital, and ask if they take donations. Once you've gotten the okay, gather up new or gently used books from your friends, family, classmates, and co-workers, add the bookplates, tuck in some bookmarks, then drop the books off!

For example, you could send Ballou High books from their wish list via Powells books! That would be a cool way to tie-in both readergirlz and GuysLitWire. Here's how you can help out Ballou High: It's Time for the Annual Spring Book Fair for Ballou High School Library!

You can also donate books to 826NYC, a non-profit organization that assists young writers between the ages of 6 and 18 as well as the awesome folks who teach them. If you'd like to send them books, here's the address:

826NYCAttn: Joan Kim
c/o: readergirlz Rock the Drop
372 Fifth Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11215 

During yesterday's tweets and texts, we heard about World Book Night, which is happening on April 23rd.  Learn more about that, and see if an event is happening in your neck of the woods.


Is this the first time you've heard of Operation Teen Book Drop? Anyone anywhere in the world may participate. It's free, it's fun, and it's global. Want to learn more about it? Click here!

Rock On: A Story of Guitars, Gigs, Girls, and a Brother (Not Necessarily in That Order) by Denise Vega lives up to its title. Here's why.

Ori has a band. A band without a name.

Ori has an older brother named Del. The boys were very close until Del went away to college, only to return home unexpectedly, with a chip on his shoulder.

Ori has a guitar. It's a loaner. He's working at a music store and saving up for a sweet Les Paul.

Ori has friends. Good ones. And together, they make good music.

What Ori doesn't have - yet - is the confidence that he needs to lead the group, and to walk out of his brother's shadow and forge his own path. But maybe, if he lets out the music that's in his head, his heart, and his fingertips, he'll get there.

You've got to love a lead vocalist and songwriter who is searching for the right things to say and the right notes to play. Ori's just that. I think he'd get along well with Nick from Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan.

"Blunt honesty and constant grief. And you're supposed to be my friends." - Ori to the others on Page 125

I really enjoyed the scenes with Ori's friends. The group's dynamics are great. When they get together, whether it's to make music or just to hang out, they are comfortable with one another. They are solid friends, and their dialogue sounds authentic. None of the main characters are profane or inane, and every person in the group is important to that group. No one in the band tries to be the star or upstage anyone else; each member is good at what they do, and they just want to play music. They are getting their feet wet by performing at local venues and preparing for a Battle of the Bands competition for high school groups.

It's a welcome relief to have a girl and a boy in a book be true friends, just friends, strictly platonic, period. Life-long friends Ori and Alli (the band's "chronicler," destined to become their manager and/or publicist) know each other so well that she can read him with a look. It's characters like these that make you either grateful for your best friend or make you wish you had a best friend. These two are going to be in touch for their entire lives. Alli is like a sister to Ori, without ever rivaling his real-life sister, Vela.

Vela, an eighth-grader, is rightfully adorable in her own way. When commenting on things, most notably during family arguments, her honesty and innocence is both endearing and poignant. She is Del's biggest fan, and she is Ori's biggest fan.

Ori, however, is no longer a fan of Del. Ori used to look up to Del, but now Del seems to be looking down on him. Though Del was popular and cool, he always looked out for his kid brother and included him in things. During the short time he was away at college, something changed. Now, Ori sometimes sees a flicker of the brother he used to know, but most of the time, it's like Del's a complete stranger. He used to be supportive of Ori's efforts; he's now critical. He used to smile and joke around with Ori; now he's cold, if not rude. He's also messing up Ori's potential relationship with a girl. The brothers' feud builds throughout the book and boils over realistically.

This book also features a well-adjusted teen couple. Troy (second guitar and backup vocals) and Alli are happy together from the start of the book until the finish without ever being 1) sitcom gooey-sweet; 2) prime-time naughty; or 3) soap opera drama/daytime talk show scandalous. Imagine that! They're dating, they're happy, and everyone around them is cool with them dating.

Meanwhile, drummer and percussionist Nick tries to catch the eye of a girl or two. When the guys get groupies, Alli explains her theory of RSB, short for Rock Star Blindness:

"Most girls go wild for musicians no matter what they look like or how they act. Something about the music completely blinds them to reality. Historical Exhibit A: Mick Jagger." She nodded. "For most girls, it wears off pretty quickly. When the music is over, they see you're nothing special." She looked at Troy. "Except you, of course. You're special." - Page 74

In other words, the audience may go crazy for you during and right after a concert, but they are pretty much over you by the next day, so don't let it go to your head.

The band is in need of a bass guitarist for the first quarter of the book. SPOILERS AHEAD! After holding auditions, they decide on Gwyn, who was hands-down the best musician there. Later, at rehearsal, they are surprised to find out that she's hearing-impaired, but that doesn't change their minds.

"Cool!" Nick was grinning like he'd just won the lottery on something. "You're like Evelyn Glennie, except on bass." - Page 127

Her gender wasn't a factor in their decision, either. She was the best player, so she got the job. She fits nicely into the group, both musically and personally.

Gwyn was accompanied to the auditions by her friend, Jane. Without giving too much away here, let's just say you might already know Jane by the time you officially meet her. I know she's described as blonde, but due to her gentle disposition and how naturally her friendship with Ori developed, I kept picturing her as a teenaged Pam Beesly (three cheers for Jenna Fischer!) from the TV show The Office.

The narrative is written in first-person past-tense from Ori's point of view. On occasion, Ori has a flashback, a memory, which is written in third-person. The band has an online profile at a site called Colorado Rocks, and updates about the band are shared there every so often, with comments added from some anonymous and not-so-anonymous listeners/readers. There are a few emails, chats, and text messages sprinkled throughout the book, and these are thankfully treated just as they should be, as methods of communication just like phone calls, rather than attempts to keep the writing or the characters hip and trendy.

Does the band ever get a name? Do they win Battle of the Bands? You know what I'm going to say - you're going to have to read the book to find out!

This review was cross-posted at GuysLitWire.

Of Note:
I liked reading Ori's song lyrics, which were shared as he wrote them and as he performed them, and I liked seeing how his songs changed as the book progressed. I particularly liked Halyn's poem entitled Who I Am, which appears on page 116. The poem then evolves into a song, a collaborative effort between Halyn and Ori.
Click here to read Who I Am, which I shared during Poetry Friday.

Other Related Posts at Bildungsroman
Book Review: Fact of Life #31 by Denise Vega
Author Interview: Denise Vega

Double Album?
If you liked Rock On, you should read So Punk Rock (and Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother) by Micol Ostow with art by David Ostow. These two books go together so well⁽¹⁾ that I want to sell them as a boxed set. They compliment each other that well.

(1) I'd say they go together like peanut butter and jelly, but I don't like jelly.

You may be thinking that magic is an illusion, a slight of hand, a trick. That's not the kind of magic I have in mind though. I'm talking about a type of magic that you see when a face lights up. It's a magic I used to live for as a teacher and one I continue to relish as a parent. It's a magic of a moment when someone receives a gift that transcends the physical. It's the Ah-ha!, the joy of

The American Library Association (ALA) has set the standard for number of school library books per student to be 11:1. Eleven books per kid. Ballou High School used to have less than ONE book per student. Now, thanks to the efforts of Colleen from Chasing Ray and the bloggers and supporters of Guys Lit Wire, the school has two books per student. Please help us fill their library even more!

Here's an update from Colleen of Chasing Ray, who organizes these book fairs:

Between our spring book fair and a small holiday fair last November we have helped Ballou move from a library that had less than one book for each of its 1,200 students at the beginning of 2011 to a ratio now of two books per student. While this is an impressive achievement and something we are quite proud of, the American Library Association advocates ELEVEN books for each student. It's obvious that Ballou is still operating at a serious literary deficit and because of that we have decided to commit ourselves to the long haul and stay with this school library until they have everything they need.

Once you have made your selections (note: the school prefers NEW or "standard used" condition, NOT "student-used" condition) head to "checkout" and you will be prompted to inform Powell's if the books were indeed bought from the wishlist. This lets the store know to mark them as "purchased" on the list. After that you need to provide your credit card info and also fill in the shipping address.

Melissa Jackson, LIBRARIAN
Ballou Senior High School
3401 Fourth Street SE
Washington DC 20032
(202) 645-3400

It's very important that you get Melissa's name and title in there - she is not the only Jackson (or Melissa) at the school and we want to make sure the books get to the library.

by Bibi Dumon Tak spot illustrations by Philip Hopman translated from the Dutch by Laura Watkinson Eerdmans Books edition 2011 A cgarette-eating, beer-drinking, ammunition-carrying bear? Only warfare could create a story so improbable. During World War II as Russia and Germany fight to claim Poland for their own the citizens caught in the middle are taken as prisoners in their own

Evan's best friend is Ariel.
Evan's only friend is Ariel.
Ariel is gone.

But what happened to Ariel? And who is sending photographs of Ariel (and other people, initially unidentified) to Evan?

David Levithan's novel Every You, Every Me incorporates photographs by Jonathan Farmer. While Evan scrutinizes each and every picture and note he receives, it is worth remembering the tagline on the cover of the book: "A picture is worth a thousand lies." Readers have more than one mystery to figure out here. Evan's first-person narration is mostly directed to Ariel, addressing her from the get-go, using "you" frequently and really pulling you into his story and in his thoughts - but do you think he's a reliable narrator, and do you think he had something to do with Ariel's departure? Your opinion may change from chapter to chapter as more backstory is detailed, and it may change again when the truth is finally revealed in the final chapter.

Kudos, David Levithan, for incorporating Zeno's dichotomy paradox into your story. Thank you.

My favorite Farmer photo in this book appears on page 228 - but don't you dare turn to that page until you've read pages 1 through 227. It won't mean as much if you look ahead.

If you like Every You, Every Me, you should also read As Simple As Snow by Gregory Gallaway, which I've talked about here at Bildungsroman as well as at GuysLitWire. Snow also employs a teenaged male narrator, a missing-in-action vivacious female friend, and mysterious elements.

In May of 2011, GuysLitWire held a book fair for Ballou High School in Washington, D.C. At that time, there were over 1,200 students enrolled in that school, and only 1,150 books in their library - less than one book per student.

Now you can help Ballou for the holidays! Here is the direct link to the wish list at Powells: http://bit.ly/GLWBookFair

Additional instructions from Colleen, who runs GLW and set up these book fairs:

Once you have made your selections head to "checkout" and you will be prompted to inform Powell's if the books were indeed bought from the wishlist. This lets the store know to mark them as "purchased" on the list. After that you need to provide your credit card info and also fill in the shipping address.

Melissa Jackson, LIBRARIAN
Ballou Senior High School
3401 Fourth Street SE
Washington DC 20032
(202) 645-3400

It's very important that you get Melissa's name and title in there - she is not the only Jackson (or Melissa) at the school and we want to make sure the books get to the library.

Welcome to He Said, She Said, a feature for GuysLitWire (and Bildungsroman) in which a guy (Book Chic) and a gal (Little Willow) discuss books that will appeal to both genders. Today, we’re discussing Gayle Forman’s connected novels, If I Stay and Where She Went. Are you ready to face the music?

LW: If I Stay is the story of Mia, a teenager who slips into a coma after a tragic car accident that kills the rest of her family. She can see those who visit her in the hospital, and she also reflects on her past. How did you feel reading her thoughts?

BC: I really felt like I was reading about a real person. The way Forman sets up the story, moving between the present with Mia watching the people visiting her in the hospital and the past with Mia reminiscing about her life, was a really great way of getting across Mia’s personality and life story. It also shows why it’s such a tough decision for her to stay or go; it isn’t cut and dry. Going through Mia’s life was good too because Forman encapsulated so many different, various memories- happy, sad, funny, embarassing, romantic, etc.- that the reader really gets to know Mia through the book.

LW: I liked getting to know Mia through her memories. Even though I knew the premise of the book before reading the first page, the scene with the accident still hit me hard, and made me wish that it could have been prevented. To then follow the path of the person who would become the sole survivor or the final victim of that tragedy - I think I often held my breath while reading this book because I was so worried that Mia wouldn’t make it. After reading If I Stay, did you think there would/should be a sequel?

BC: I didn’t think there would be a sequel at all. I felt like it ended really well but this isn’t your usual sequel which I think made it work so well.

LW: How do you feel about the sequel principle in general?

BC: I think it’s become the norm in YA. It’s like everything I read is the first in a trilogy and there’s hardly any standalone books anymore. I love spending more time with characters as much as the next bookaholic, but sometimes I just want a book to, y’know, END, and not always be a cliffhanger. I do also think that sometimes there is a need for more than one book but other times, not so much and it can feel like the author is just trying to make a story longer even though it should have just been one book. So essentially, I don’t mind sequels, but I do also like to see standalone books published.

LW: Were you happy with the sequel, Where She Went? Did you like knowing what happened to Mia after the end of If I Stay?

BC: I was really happy with it and thought Forman did a really wonderful job. The switch of POV and taking place three years later was a good decision and it just made sense.

LW: I applaud Gayle Forman for giving Adam a voice of his own. Where She Went can really stand on its own. The narrators of these two books have different personalities, different tones, different priorities, and different interpretations of past events and memories.

BC: I was a bit wary before reading Where She Went because I wasn’t sure if it could be pulled off and if it would be as good as If I Stay was, but I shouldn’t doubt Forman. She’s such a good writer. I did like seeing what happened to Mia afterward and just spending time with her and Adam again even though it was a bit awkward at times, lol.

LW: Where She Went showed us characters we knew as teenagers now a little older, truly young adults. I feel as if there aren’t enough books with narrators of that age. Did you like Adam’s narration?

BC: I did! Forman did a great job writing from Adam’s POV, though at ti

Welcome to He Said, She Said, a feature for GuysLitWire in which a guy (Book Chic) and a gal (Little Willow) discuss books that will appeal to both genders. Previously, we've discussed novels such as Soulless by Christopher Golden (zombie apocalypse now!) and Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Today, we're talking about Mary E. Pearson's connected stories The Adoration of Jenna Fox and The Fox Inheritance, the first two novels in a projected trilogy. Follow us into the future as we discuss these fantastic tales:

Little Willow: What drew you to the first book, The Adoration of Jenna Fox? I know I was eager to read it because I was intrigued by the premise and I had enjoyed Pearson's earlier novels. Did you read the book prior to reading any reviews or spoilers, or did you already know a bit of what was going to happen?

Book Chic: It just sounded really interesting and the cover was beautiful, so both of those together make me really want an ARC! I was able to get one and read it the month of release so I don't think I had really read anything too spoilery when I was reading Jenna Fox. I just loved the story and it's still one of my favorite books.

LW: Do you like sci-fi stories such as this, stories grounded in plausible scientific and technological advances? I do.

BC: I like all kinds of sci-fi stories but it is a bit fun to read stories that are more grounded and can be plausible. It's also a bit harrowing too because we could possibly end up like this and it may not seem like a good future to be in.

LW: The second book, The Fox Inheritance, is narrated by Jenna's friend, Locke. Did you like the narrative switch?

BC: First off, I had no idea a sequel was being written until I was at BEA this past May and someone mentioned Mary's signing that hadn't been on the online signing schedule. I of course immediately put it into my schedule for that day.

LW: I'm glad that you got to go!

BC: I was really excited to get an advance copy of this book too. I thought the narrative switch was a good choice and it really suited the story. I don't think it would've been good to keep it with Jenna, so it was necessary if the second book was to happen.

LW: I did not expect another story about Jenna; I thought Adoration ended well, and I was content with that ending, that explanation. I was glad that Locke's story was so different from hers, stylistically and personality-wise, and it was interesting to see Jenna through someone else's eyes. Did you feel as if the narrators' actions or tones were influenced by their genders?

BC: I don't really think so. Maybe I'm just speaking in stereotypes, but neither Locke nor Jenna seemed like the typical boy or girl. Locke seems to rely a lot on female figures rather than standing up for himself or making big decisions. His tone is a bit passive throughout most of the book, though he does find his way and becomes a bit assertive in the end. It's been a while since I've read Jenna Fox, so I don't really have examples, but I don't feel like her gender influenced what she did or how she did it.

LW: Not only do the two books have different narrators, they also have different tones. Adoration is more introspective and revelatory, I think, while Inheritance has more action and physical risk-taking.

BC: I thought each tone worked well. The Adoration of Jenna Fox sets up the story and the reader is introduced to the ideas of bioethics, so it needed to be more introspective and revelatory. Jenna is trying to find out who she is. When the reader gets to The Fox Inheritance, they already know what's going on so more time can be spent on other issu

What will the world be like 200+ years from now? The Fox Inheritance by Mary E. Pearson gives us a taste of the distant future, where you can jump into a cab driven by a life-like bot and get on (or off) the grid. Sure, it's easy to look something up on the iScroll embedded in your palm - but someone just might be tracking you...

The Fox Inheritance, Pearson's follow-up to The Adoration of Jenna Fox, tells us what really happened to Jenna's friends Locke and Kara after their tragic car accident. Their minds were suspended digitally for over 200 years before being downloaded into newly-created bodies that look almost exactly like they used to look. Told from Locke's POV, this book is for techies who dream of a future (im)perfect.

Though The Fox Inheritance could be read as a stand-alone, readers will have a better understanding of the story and its characters if they read The Adoration of Jenna Fox first. However, if you adored Adoration (as I did), make sure that you walk into Inheritance in the right state of mind: in other words, don't expect the second book to pick up right where the first one left off. The narrators have different voices and go on very different journeys. While the first book was highly introspective and showcased a protagonist having revelations about the world and about herself, the second has more action, as the characters travel across the country, running from the bad guys.

The Fox Inheritance will be available August 30th, 2011.

This review was cross-posted at GuysLitWire.

Related Posts at Bildungsroman
Book Review: The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
Author Interview: Mary E. Pearson

Are you ready to go on the adventure of a lifetime? The first volume in a new trilogy, Bone: Quest for the Spark, Book One follows 12-year-old Tom and his faithful raccoon Roderick on an amazing journey to stop the spread of evil. Along the way, they make some unlikely friends, including three members of the Bone family, two Rat Creatures, a Veni Yan warrior, and a woman who is a cross between Mother Earth and a shapeshifter.

Written by Tom Sniegoski and illustrated by Bone creator Jeff Smith, with color by Steve Hamaker, this book is sure to please fans of adventure stories. It has all the elements which make a journey great: friends, foes, unlikely allies, transportation contraptions, food, good intentions, and sheer determination. Really, all that's missing is a mix tape. When surrounded by all types of beings and personalities, our protagonist, Tom, remains unshaken, making him a wise choice to lead this crazy band of travelers. Mal from Firefly would be proud of this young man.

On more than one occasion, author Tom Sniegoski has reduced me to tears - because he makes me laugh so hard that I cry. The man puts me in stitches when we're talking face-to-face. Now it's your turn, gentle readers. Between Roderick's blunt declarations to the bumbling Rat Creatures (who, in my mind, sound an awful lot like Lurky from Rainbow Brite), this may be Sniegoski's funniest book to date. It blends comedy and action effortlessly. It also has great pacing. The different characters' plotlines are balanced, then become interwoven, bringing to mind Neil Gaiman's Stardust.

The Bone graphic novels have a large following, and those dedicated readers will love the new stories. Thanks to Smith, Hamaker, and Sniegoski, the first installment of Quest for the Spark wholly captures the spirit of the Bone series in both picture and text. This trilogy will surely spark the interest of new readers as well.

While you are waiting for the second volume in the trilogy, you ought to pick up the original Bone graphic novels as well as Bone: Tall Tales, also by Sniegoski & Smith. (Sniegoski & Smith... Hmm... Kind of sounds like a famous pair of spies or secret agents, doesn't it? Watch out, Scarecrow & Mrs. King!)

On a personal note: I cried when I read the book's inscription. Sniegoski dedicated this book to his faithful dog, Mulder. We miss you, buddy.

Additional Details

Paperback edition
ISBN-10: 0545141028
ISBN-13: 978-0545141024
$10.99

Hardcover edition
ISBN-10: 054514101X
ISBN-13: 978-0545141017
$22.99

This review was cross-posted at GuysLitWire.

Visit Tom Sniegoski's official website.

Welcome to He Said, She Said, a feature for GuysLitWire in which a guy (Book Chic, a recent college graduate) and a gal (Little Willow, a bookseller) discuss books that will appeal to both genders.

Today, we'll be discussing Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. This collaborative novel is a perfect fit for He Said, She Said. Levithan and Cohn wrote alternating chapters, each from his or her main character's point of view, following the model they set up in previous bestselling novels Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist and Naomi & Ely's No-Kiss List. (Little Willow adds: I found Dash & Lily to be just as amazing as Nick & Norah. This novel is absolutely delightful - a true holiday treat!)

When Dash discovers a red Moleskine notebook on the shelf of The Strand bookstore, he opens it and finds questions and challenges inside. Lily, the girl who left the notebook, wants to liven up her holiday break. The two teenagers start a lively game of dares, each writing in the notebook and leaving it in designated locations for the other person to discover. Along the way, they challenge themselves just as much as they challenge each other. Will they ever dare to meet in person? You have to read the book to find out!

Now we challenge you to read our roundtable. It's simply, really. Just keep going...

Little Willow: What did you think of Dash at first?

Book Chic: I actually really liked him and identified with him more than with Lily. He was sarcastic like me, though more quick-witted and eloquent. I didn’t agree with the description from others of his being “snarly” because to me, that made him sound like Billy Idol from the ‘80s with a sneer on his face all the time, thus making him look unattractive. This cannot be, so I refused to believe it. It made him look too mean.

Little Willow: I liked Dash from the get-go because he was intellectual, and he was intrigued and amused by the clues he found in the little red Moleskine notebook, just as the readers were. I really liked the fact that the story opened with the book scavenger hunt, wasting no time and introducing the main plot immediately. Then we met Lily in the next chapter, and I dug her right away as well. She was an individual, sassy, and just plain fun! What was your first impression of Lily?

Book Chic: I liked her too, but not as much as Dash. She wasn’t as adventurous and seemed rigid and a rule-abiding girl. Although I do identify with those traits (except the girl part, obviously), I just wasn’t as into her as much. She did have a good sense of humor though.

Little Willow: Have you ever been on a scavenger hunt that required epistolary correspondence and/or hiding or finding things in a bookstore?

Book Chic: Nope, I’m not good at finding things, so I stay away from scavenger hunts, epistolary or not, to avoid embarrassment.

Little Willow: Maybe you could be the person who hid the items instead of the person who found them. You could be the hunt coordinator! I dare you to start with with a notebook. I’ve never had a Moleskine, but when I was in 10th grade, I had a notebook that I shared with a friend and passed back and forth. Did you ever do that?

Book Chic: I had a sheltered childhood so I didn’t even do anything as little as passing notes with a friend, much less a whole notebook. I’m very lame and rule-abiding. Also, I figured I could wait and just talk to them out loud.

Little Willow: Rule-abiding people rule! No pun intended. Did you favor one narrator over the other? I liked how different they were in both personality and voice. Kudos to David Levithan and Rachel Cohn for giving them those distinct voices.

Book Chic: Like I said before, I did really enjoy Dash’s per

What do you do when you're a second grader who is scared of pretty much everything? You pack up your PDK (short for Personal Disaster Kit) and carry it with you everywhere. You try to stay away from things that are creepy, creaky, or sticky. You ask your older brother for advice (he's NINE, which makes him incredibly wise!) and occasionally hang out with your four-year-old little sister, even though she's little and she's a girl, because she's the sweetest, happiest person you know. But what do you do when you're a second-grade boy and you get invited to a birthday party for a GIRL -- and your brother tells you that you're the ONLY BOY who was invited???

I am a stickler for reading series in order. However, when Alvin Ho: Allergic to Birthday Parties, Science Projects, and Other Man-made Catastrophes written by Lenore Look and illustrated by LeUyen Pham came across my desk, I had to check it out immediately. I laughed while I read the cover flap. I grinned while I read the first two pages. I kept reading, grinning, and laughing until the last page.

Alvin Ho tells it like it is - or, more accurately, he THINKS it like it is. Although he doesn't talk a lot, he sure does think a lot, all of which is relayed in funny first-person narrative. Author Lenore Look absolutely nails that age, when you believe what your older siblings tell you without question, when you wonder why the sky is blue one second then want to play pirates the next, when you still believe that people in costumes are the people they're portraying.

The book begins with a class field trip, and Alvin is scared out of his mind by the tour hosts pretending to be Ralph Waldo Emerson and Louisa May Alcott. His fear of Louisa becomes a subtle and sweet running gag throughout the book. I don't want to spoil anything for you, so I guess you'll just have to read the book to find out what happens. Check out the first chapter, and you'll be hooked. Trust me.

Look's writing and Phan's spot illustrations are paired perfectly here. You may know Lenore Look from her Ruby Lu series for young readers. There are so many fun moments in this book that I found myself reading lines aloud to my co-workers. (Those who are mothers to young boys got a big kick out of everything I quoted.) Look's funny book touches on phobias, social anxiety, and physical differences without ever poking fun at anyone.

LeUyen Pham has contributed art to a wide array of picture books, board books, chapter books, and more, including the irresistible Any Which Wall by Laurel Snyder and the Prince of Persia graphic novel. The illustrations in this volume add to the story, complimenting the text while remaining small and rare* enough that they won't make mature young readers feel as though they're reading a "baby book." For those of us who love classic children's novels that feature appropriate black-and-white spot illustrations, you'll certainly appreciate both the style and the placement of the illustrations here, just as I think you'll appreciate the humorous writing.

Here's the proper order for the series:
1. Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things
2. Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters
3. Alvin Ho: Allergic to Birthday Parties, Science Projects, and Other Man-made Catastrophes

I've put in a request for the first two books. If they are even half as funny and as real as the third book, I'm in for a real treat!

* Judy Moody would approve. In fact...

Further Reading: If you like this series, check out the Judy Moody series by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Peter Reynolds, and The Bobby Ellis-Chan series, written by Lisa Yee and illustrated by Dan Santat.

This piece was cross-posted at