April Books

Becoming Chloe by Catherine Ryan Hyde
New York : Alfred A. Knopf : Distributed by Random House, c2006.
Jordy and Chloe meet in a cellar of an abandoned building in New York City. Jordy has nothing. No one to depend on and nobody to look after but himself. That is until he meets Chloe. Chloe is lost and drowning in her innocence. Jordy wants so much to help her especially when she goes to measures to save his life which seem extraordinary for her in Jordy's eyes. Chloe doesn't see the world as beautiful. In fact, she thinks the world is ugly and decides she doesn't feel much like staying in it. But Jordy saves her and takes her on a cross country trip to find beauty. A mix of despair and hope makes this a beautiful read.

Raven's Gate by Anthony Horowitz
Prince Frederick, Md. : Recorded Books, p2005.
I am hooked to the Gatekeepers series and want to read everything by Horowitz. An imaginative and thrilling story about a seemingly normal kid Matt who finds himself in extraordinary circumstances. An orphan, he is living with an Aunt who could care less about him. He finds himself in a warehouse with a friend committing a crime he was more or less forced to committ. He is then sent to Lesser Malling to live with a rather strange woman in a very strange village. The villagers appear to be hiding something and Matt senses danger all around him. Moreover, anyone who can help Matt seems to end up dead. A thrill ride, although violent at times, it will keep you hooked until the end. The second book in the series, Evil Star, will be out June 2006.

Catherine, Called Birdy
Prince Frederick, MD : Recorded Books, p1996.
In the middle ages, women have no say in their future. Catherine is free spirited and will stop at nothing to fend off the suitors her father chooses for her. Her brother asks her to write a journal (reading and writing is rare for a woman in this time) about her life as a lady. She hates doing all the lady things required of her but she must. Throughout the book she struggles with her own longings to be someone else and her duty to her father and family. A hard book to listen too but interesting.

Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, c1998.
Luke is the third child to his parents and in his world that is a death sentence. He doesn't exist in the real world because of a law passed by the government to control the population: every family can have only two children. Luke lives in fear of the Population Police and has learned to hide quickly at every knock on the door. Once he was allowed to go outside and get some fresh air but the government took that away too. The government bought the land around Luke's house to build homes for Barrons. Now Luke is confined to the attic and spends his days watching the Barrons come and go freely. Until one day he sees another set of eyes looking through a window of one of the big houses. Could it be another hidden child? This is the first book in the Shadow Children series. A captivating and quick read that will leave you wanting to pick up the next book in the series.

I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
New York : Knopf, 2005.
Ed Kennedy is a very unlikely hero. He revels in his self proclaimed mediocrity as a 19-year old cabbie. He plays cards with his friends and talks to an odorous dog named, The Doorman. But one day his life changes. He tackles a bank robber and gets his name in the papers and on the news. Everyone thinks he's a hero but he still has his doubts. Then he receives a mysterious card in the mail. It is the Ace of Diamonds from a pack of cards with three addresses on it. What do the addresses mean to him and who sent the card? Markus Zusak weaves a compelling story and has you guessing with every card Ed receives. He introduces us to characters, including Ed, The Doorman, and the people Ed meets in his attempt to understand the meaning of the cards, who are cut from reality. Romance, mystery, humor and family dysfunction all make their way into the drama of Ed's life and the ending will have you jumping up and screaming, "Wow!" I know I did.
Also a Printz Honor Book.