Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan

This book is a fictional account of true events, and I gave it a rating of three out of five. Jameela lives in Afghanistan with her father and ailing mother. Her mother dies, and her father decides to move them to Kabul for a better life. However, her father is addicted to drugs and alcohol, and he makes some questionable decisions. Jameela is left stranded in the city, and she's taken in by an orphanage. She's embarrassed by her cleft lip, but she has faith in her Muslim religion. Her life in the war-torn country brings challenges, but will the orphanage be able to fill the emptiness left by her father?

Jameela is a strong, female character, and her religious faith provides her with the strength to survive. Readers can learn a great deal about the Afghani culture through this book, and the plot is more compelling when you remember that many of the events in the plot actually happened. The vocabulary contains a great deal of cultural words, and it was a little distracting at times. The book contains a glossary at the back.

Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going

This book may be on the new BOB list, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Troy is seventeen and weighs three-hundred pounds, and he's considering taking his own life by stepping in front of a subway train. Then, Curt enters his life. Curt is a legendary high school dropout who also happens to be a local legend in the punk rock scene. Curt informs Troy that he's going to be the drummer in his new punk band, even though Troy hasn't played since seventh grade and was terrible back then. Curt comes and goes throughout the book like a dirty, skinny, drugged-up whirlwind. Troy starts to find hope in his own life, but he worries about Curt. Troy's life may be saved, but will it cost Curt his own?

First off, the book has a great deal of profanity. It fits the culture of the characters, but it may offend some readers. Curt is a very interesting, complex character who manages to inspire Troy even as his own life seems a mess. Curt has a simple outlook about life and a gift for playing the guitar. However, he's irresponsible and frequently disappoints Troy. I enjoyed how Troy persevered and gained confidence, but the plot carried him through many highs and lows.

My Life, the Theater, and Other Tragedies by Allen Zadoff

This book was on the new-release shelf at the public library, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Adam is in high school, and he decides that the best way to survive is to stay in the shadows. He does everything he can to remain unnoticed. After his father died and his brother went away to college, Adam gets into being a theater techie, but he likes sitting up in the rafters working the lights. A new female actress catches his eye, but an unwritten theater rule keeps techies from interacting with the performers. Adam can't stop thinking about her, the student director seems to have it out for him, and he's having trouble dealing with his father's death. His mom isn't much help, his brother won't return his phone calls, and his best friend doesn't seem to understand. What's a guy supposed to do?

The book is probably PG with some suggestive parts included. The author did a great job of capturing the emotional issues of adolescent boys who aren't jocks or super popular. I enjoyed Adam's mixture of humor, confusion, caring, and dedication to the show. The character interaction kept my interest, and it was nice to see an underdog come out ahead. The climax was kind of cool and unexpected.

Summer at Forsaken Lake by Micheal Beil

This book was recommended to me as a mystery, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Nicholas and his sisters must leave New York City to spend the summer with Uncle Nick in northern Ohio. Boring! However, Nicholas meets Charlie, a girl about his age with a killer curveball, and they discover that their family's pasts have some connections. Nicholas's dad was accused of causing an accident that could have killed Charlie's mom. Nicholas and Charlie do some investigating and realize that someone else was behind the boat crash. They set out to uncover the mystery and form a strong bond in the process. Will their parents rekindle their childhood bonds too?

This book has a nice easy-going plot. It's not super suspenseful, although the rescue of a damaged sailboat, in the middle of a severe storm, had its moments. I enjoyed the interaction of Nicholas and Charlie, and the twins were very entertaining. Although the plot had a mystery, it unfolded pretty much the way I expected.

Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading by Tommy Greenwald

I found this book on the frequent-reader list in our school library, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Throughout the book, Charlie Joe gives tips on ways to avoid reading, the perils of reading, and reasons people should not make reading a habit. In between tips, Charlie Joe does his best to not read books, at all. It's gotten to the point that people expect it from him. His friend, Timmy, used to help Charlie Joe by reading class assignments for him, but then they get caught by their parents. Charlie Joe survives that assignment, but he has a major presentation coming up with a lot of required reading for research. He comes up with another strange plan to avoid the reading, but will he get busted, again?

If you don't know the meaning of irony, this book is a classic example. I mean, you're reading a book about not reading a book! The author created an amusing plot, and it was very entertaining.

Nerd Camp by Elissa Weissman

This book was recommended by our school librarian, and I gave it a rating of five out of five. Gabe is accepted to attend a six-week summer camp for gifted enrichment, a nerd camp, but he wants to keep it secret from his soon-to-be stepbrother, Zach. He's afraid Zach won't like him if he finds out. Gabe keeps a record of things he does at camp to figure out if he's a nerd who only has nerdy adventures. However, Gabe has a great time at the camp and writes letters to his friends and Zach about the things he is doing. A girl named Amanda tells him that they're destined to be together, because they often end up doing the same activities, no matter how hard Gabe tries to avoid her. The one thing all of the campers are looking forward to is Color Wars. The week-long competition is full of challenges to decide the winning cabin for the year. Gabe must kayak to Dead Man's Island, in the middle of the night, to help his team win, but he finds a surprise along the way.

Gabe is a great character as he battles with his internal conflicts. He tries to impress Zach by showing him that he's not a nerd, but he wonders if it's worth it since Zach writes worse than a little kid and hates reading. I like how his character changed as he got to know Amanda better. She even shows him that he's looking at his life backwards; he does adventurous things that happen to be a little nerdy.

Guys Read #1: Funny Business Edited by Jon Scieszka

This book is a collection of humorous stories, written by well-known authors, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Authors such as Jack Gantos, Eoin Coffer, David Lubar, and Christopher Paul Curtis contributed stories to this book. The stories start off sounding almost like memoirs, realistic narratives about the author's lives. Most of them stay realistic fiction, but there are some moments of fantasy/science fiction. The topics range from a wacky friend with the idea of wrapping the author in adhesive bandages like a mummy, to brothers pranking each other, to aliens being defeated with the power of broccoli, to a crotchety grandfather with a long stick for whacking the kids.

I enjoyed the chapter about a boy writing letters back and forth with an author to complete a school assignment. As a teacher, I could identify with both characters, especially the boy who just wanted to get the assignment over with. The chapter about the turkey was a bit strange. The father bought a turkey to help make his son more manly, but the boy was convinced that the turkey wanted to kill him. The boy ending up out-"foxing" the turkey.