Rye Middle School
Summer reading for Rye Middle School students
You are SO not invited to my bat mitzvah! by Fiona Rosenbloom
Starred Review. Through the voice of a stressed-out seventh grader, first novelist Rosenbloom sheds a humorous light on a Jewish girl's coming of age in this contemporary novel set in Westchester County, N.Y. Thirteen-year-old Stacy Friedman is looking forward to the "joyous occasion" of her upcoming bat mitzvah. However (as she confides to God) there are a few concerns she needs to address: namely, having to sing a portion of the Torah, having to dress up like an "American Girl doll" for her mother and having her rather conspicuous younger brother (who has "recently almost doubled in girth") attend her party. Besides being plagued with these anxieties, there's the matter of Stacy having a crush on Andy Goldfarb whom she catches making out with her best friend, Lydia. Stacy, feeling betrayed, uninvites Lydia (and a few other classmates who stand up for Lydia) to her bat mitzvah, and it begins to look like the "joyous occasion" may end up a humongous disaster. Rosenbloom portrays Stacy as convincingly prickly but also shows her tender side in some poignant moments with her brother and mother, making this near-teen a flesh-and-blood character readers will recognize. Culminating in a unique bat mitzvah speech, which is sure to make even shiksas smile, this snappy novel shows the author's keen understanding of adolescent social pressures and conveys universal truths about growing pains, friendship and young love. Ages 12-up. (Sept.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Find You are SO not invited to my bat mitzvah! in the catalog
Buy You are SO not invited to my bat mitzvah! from Amazon.com
Tell a friend about You are SO not invited to my bat mitzvah! by Fiona Rosenbloom
Leave a comment about You are SO not invited to my bat mitzvah! by Fiona Rosenbloom
Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
Readers will cheer for Alex Rider, the 14-year-old hero of British author Horowitz's spy thriller (the first in a projected series). When his guardian and uncle, Ian, is mysteriously killed, Alex discovers that his uncle was not the bank vice-president he purported to be, but rather a spy for the British government. Now the government wants Alex to take over his uncle's mission: investigating Sayle Enterprises, the makers of a revolutionary computer called Stormbreaker. The company's head plans to donate one to every secondary school in England, but his dealings with unfriendly countries and Ian Rider's murder have brought him under suspicion. Posing as a teenage computer whiz who's won a Stormbreaker promotional contest, Alex enters the factory and immediately finds clues from his uncle. Satirical names abound (e.g., Mr. Grin, Mr. Sayle's brutish butler, is so named for the scars he received from a circus knife-throwing act gone wrong) and the hard-boiled language is equally outrageous ("It was a soft gray night with a half-moon forming a perfect D in the sky. D for what, Alex wondered. Danger? Discovery? Or disaster?"). These exaggerations only add to the fun, as do the creative gadgets that Alex uses, including a metal-munching cream described as "Zit-Clean. For Healthier Skin." The ultimate mystery may be a bit of a letdown, but that won't stop readers from racing through Alex's adventures, from a high-speed bike chase to a death-defying dance with a Portuguese man-of-war. The audience will stay tuned for his next assignment, Point Blanc, due out spring 2002. Ages 10-up. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Find Stormbreaker in the catalog
Buy Stormbreaker from Amazon.com
Tell a friend about Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
Leave a comment about Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
Battle of the labyrinth by Rick Riordan
Starred Review. Percy Jackson's fourth summer at Camp Half-Blood is much like his previous three high-octane clashes with dark forces, laced with hip humor and drama. Opening with a line for the ages The last thing I wanted to do on my summer break was blow up another school this penultimate series installment finds Percy, Annabeth and the satyr Grover furiously working to prevent former camp counselor Luke from resurrecting the Titan lord Kronos, whose goal is to overthrow the gods. When the heroes learn that Luke can breach Camp Half-Blood's security through an exit from Daedalus's Labyrinth, they enter the maze in search of the inventor and a way to stop the invasion. Along the way they encounter a lifetime supply of nightmare-inducing, richly imagined monsters. Grover's own quest to find the lost god Pan, meanwhile, provides a subtle environmental message. Percy, nearly 15, has girl trouble, having become something of a chick magnet. One of Riordan's strengths is the wry interplay between the real and the surreal. When the heroes find Hephaestus, for instance, he's repairing a Toyota, wearing overalls with his name embroidered over the chest pocket. The wit, rousing swordplay and breakneck pace will once again keep kids hooked. Ages 10-up. (May) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Find Battle of the labyrinth in the catalog
Buy Battle of the labyrinth from Amazon.com
Tell a friend about Battle of the labyrinth by Rick Riordan
Leave a comment about Battle of the labyrinth by Rick Riordan
Sea of monsters by Rick Riordan
Starred Review. In a feat worthy of his heroic subjects, Riordan crafts a sequel stronger than his compelling debut in this second adventure in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. After a group of Laistrygonians (giant cannibals) infiltrate the dodgeball game at Percy's alternative Manhattan school, and his friend Annabeth (a daughter of Athena, introduced in the first book) comes to the rescue, the two take the homeless scholarship student Tyson with them to Camp Half-Blood, where trouble is brewing. Percy soon realizes that Tyson is a Cyclops (meaning they're half-brothers and possibly enemies both sons of Poseidon) and learns that someone poisoned the sacred Thalia's tree, which protects the "magic borders" of the demigod camp. Riordan catches readers up seamlessly on this world in which gods still reign; he builds on existing subplots and rivalries, and introduces harrowing new challenges as Percy and Annabeth set off across the Sea of Monsters on a quest to find the Golden Fleece, which will heal Thalia's tree. Percy's relationship with Tyson and their battle against the Cyclops guarding the Fleece (Polyphemus) brings up probing questions about shame, family and loyalty. With humor, intelligence and expert pacing, the author uses this tale of believable teens and their high-stakes struggle to bring the mythical lore up to date (e.g., Hermes, appropriately, invented the Internet). A cliffhanger imparts new meaning to the prophesy (mentioned in the first book) and leaves no question that Percy's high-stakes battle for Western Civilization will continue to surprise even himself. Ages 10-up. (Apr.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Find Sea of monsters in the catalog
Buy Sea of monsters from Amazon.com
Tell a friend about Sea of monsters by Rick Riordan
Leave a comment about Sea of monsters by Rick Riordan
Lightning thief by Rick Riordan
A clever concept drives Riordan's highly charged children's book debut (the first in a series): the Greek Gods still rule, though now from a Mt. Olympus on the 600th floor of the Empire State Building, and their offspring, demigods, live among human beings. Narrator Percy Jackson thinks he's just another troubled 12-year-old, until he vaporizes his math teacher, learns his best friend, Grover, is a satyr and narrowly escapes a minotaur to arrive at Camp Half-Blood. After a humorous stint at camp, Percy learns he's the son of Poseidon and embarks on a quest to the Underworld with Grover and Annabeth (a daughter of Athena) to resolve a battle between Zeus and Poseidon over Zeus's stolen "master" lightning bolt. Without sacrificing plot or pacing, Riordan integrates a great deal of mythology into the tale and believably places mythical characters into modern times, often with hilarious results (such as Hades ranting about the problem of "sprawl," or population explosion). However, on emotional notes the novel proves less strong (for example, Percy's grief for his mother rings hollow; readers will likely spot the "friend" who betrays the hero, as foretold by the Oracle of Delphi, before Percy does) and their ultimate confrontation proves a bit anticlimactic. Still, this swift and humorous adventure will leave many readers eager for the next installment. Ages 10-up. (July) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Find Lightning thief in the catalog
Buy Lightning thief from Amazon.com
Tell a friend about Lightning thief by Rick Riordan
Leave a comment about Lightning thief by Rick Riordan
