Book Review: Party

On the day after school ends for a group of Southern California high school students, everybody is preparing to attend the same end-of-the-year blowout. The events of the day, beginning in the afternoon, are revealed through the eyes of a dozen or so narrators, each with a different reason for attending the evening's party: Some see the event as a chance to hook up, others to let go and one or two see it is a final chance to fit in before the school year ends. Most of the book feels, largely, like an homage to any number of films aimed at teenagers (Dazed and Confused comes to mind), but Leveen manages to bring the tension up a few notches as it becomes clear that these characters' paths are going to cross in a startling way.

In Party, Tom Leveen skillfully writes from multiple perspectives, giving each character a distinct voice. While not terribly original, the novel is a safe bet to have widespread appeal: I would recommend it to both guys and girls looking for stylish, realistic teen fiction. - Nick (Downtown)

For more teen reviews, visit Chandler Library's newest blog, Teens Read... & Write About It!

Book Review: Pure

On her sixteenth birthday, Pressia is on the run, targeted by soldiers whose violence is as threatening as the mystery of their unknown mission. Meanwhile, Partridge tries to escape his perfectly sanitized, perfectly controlled home to get into Pressia's dangerous world, hoping to find his mother although he's been told all his life she is dead. Pure is a wildly imaginative novel set in a near future where some people have been saved from a deadly nuclear blast - and the rest have endured bizarre injuries and oppression from a military force that may not be what it seems. Author Julianna Baggott writes a surprisingly engaging tale full of strange and fascinating elements, told in numerous voices that flesh out her world.

Pure joins a long literary history of post-apocalyptic fiction, from the classic The Handmaid's Tale to Cormac McCarthy's recent bestseller The Road and the new novel When She Woke, which was reviewed on this blog in December. -Michelle (Sunset)

Spring Reading Programs for Kids

Now through April 14, kids up to age 12 can read and earn prizes!

Crawl Into Reading for children age 0-3

Stop in at any library branch and pick up a game board that lists simple literacy building activities you can do with your child, such as "describe to your baby what you're doing as you shop, cook, or drive" and "sing a song that has motions you and your baby can do together.” Families will perform these activities at home and then return the game board to the library. A free board book will be awarded to each family that completes the entire series of activities.

Cover to Cover reading program for children age 4-12

Sponsored by In and Out Burger! Kids can pick up a reading log at any library branch, read 5 books, and earn a certificate for a free burger. Finish up to 3 logs to earn 3 burgers.

Book Review: The Girl Who Became a Beatle

Meet Regina, the protagonist of The Girl Who Became a Beatle and teenage frontwoman of a Beatles cover band, the Caverns. The band is the center of Regina’s life and when they break up, Regina does what any teenager would do: she wishes she were someone else. Regina soon finds herself fronting the most famous band in the world: a world in which the Beatles never existed; a world in which she owns the entire Beatles songbook. While Regina initially embraces her new role in the universe, she quickly comes to realize the drawbacks of fame and being considered a genius, especially when that genius actually belongs to someone else.

Author Greg Taylor keeps the pace fast and the prose simple, making The Girl Who Became a Beatle a good read for late middle-schoolers and high-schoolers alike, not to mention any Beatle fanatic who would enjoy every clever nod to the Fab Four’s career. - Nick (Downtown)

For more teen reviews, visit Chandler Library's newest blog, Teens Read... & Write About It!