Tag Archives: London

YA – Great or Nothing

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McCullough, Joy, Caroline Tung Richmond, Tess Sharpe, Jessica Spotsword. Great or Nothing. Delacorte Press, 2022. 978-0-593-37259-3. $18.88. 393 p. Grades 7-10.

Louisa May Alcott’s four March sisters have entered the 20th century, circa 1943. Beth has died, and the family struggles to cope with the overwhelming sadness of this loss. Marmee distracts her grief with committees and charitable works; Father, next-door neighbor, Theodore Laurence, and teacher John Brooks go off to fight the war; and the three young women are split apart. Four talented authors take on the personas of the classic characters, and each chapter recounts that character’s experiences against the backdrop of World War II. Beth’s voice in verse reflects her omniscient view of each of her sisters. Meg decides to stay close to home, dedicated to teaching at her former high school, but is so lonely, she concedes to pal around with an insipid but wealthy former classmate which results in revelatory consequences. After rebuffing Laurie’s unexpected marriage proposal, Jo goes off to Hartford, Connecticut, to work in a munitions factory and live in a boarding house with other female workers and pursue her writing. When she meets Charlie–Charlotte–a war journalist, Jo starts to come to terms with her sexual identity. Under the pretense of studying art in Montreal, Amy instead takes on a false identity and ships off with the Red Cross to minister to the morale of soldiers with coffee and doughnuts in London, England. There, she encounters prejudice and discrimination foreign to her upbringing, as well as the promise of true love. This contemporary spin on the classic Little Women is an easy read with touches of romance, LBGTQ+, and slang from the forties. Grab yourself a cuppa, curl up in your favorite chair, and hunker down to meet these Little Women.

THOUGHTS: Though four authors take on each of the March sisters, the writing flows smoothly and the writing is fairly even. Beth’s perspective voiced by Joy McCullough was my least favorite.  Reading the prose, characters were more well developed and satisfying. Though the story begins with the March sisters going their separate ways, it ends with the promise of them reuniting. Suggest this novel to lovers of the classic, but those who have never read Little Women will still understand the closeknit March family and the dynamic among the sisters.

Historical Fiction          Bernadette Cooke, School District of Philadelphia

YA – Batter Royale

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Adams, Leisl. Batter Royale. Amulet Books, 2022. 978-1-419-75075-5. 240 p. $24.99. Grades 7-10.

High school senior Rose is a waitress at the Quayga Diner, though she longs to be in the kitchen like her longtime friend Fred, whose mom owns the restaurant. Rose just has been accepted at her dream school, Toronto’s Fieldberry Culinary School, but her recently separated parents aren’t sure if they can swing the tuition. When an influential food critic visits the diner, Rose presents her with a strawberry shortcake (her own creation) and scores an invitation to participate in a televised baking competition called Batter Royale. The prize is a life-changing $500,000 and a book deal. However, the taping is in London and Rose needs a teammate. She convinces a reluctant Fred to join her in hopes that the publicity will help the struggling Quayga, and the pair jet off across the pond. Will their friendship blossom into something more, or will the pitfalls of a reality TV show (including booby traps, sabotage, and a flirty rival who fights dirty) drive a wedge between them? Author/illustrator Leisl Adams’ brightly-hued artwork is fresh and upbeat. Rose is biracial (her mom is white and her dad is black), and Fred is white. Illustrated recipes accompany all of the featured dishes in this delectable confection.

THOUGHTS: Exciting competition scenes, a heartwarming friends-to-romance trope, and adorable characters make this graphic novel a guaranteed crowd-pleaser!

Graphic Novel          Amy V. Pickett, Ridley SD

MG – You Choose: Can You Escape?

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You Choose: Can You Escape? Capstone Press, 2020. $24.49 ea. $97.96. set of 4. 112 p. Grades 3-7. 

Braun, Eric. Could You Escape Alcatraz? An Interactive Survival Adventure. 978-1-543-57392-3.
Doeden, Matt. Could You Escape the Paris Catacombs? An Interactive Survival Adventure. 978-1-543-57394-7.
Hoena, Blake. Could You Escape a Deserted Island? An Interactive Survival Adventure. 978-1-543-57395-4.
—. Could You Escape the Tower of London? An Interactive Survival Adventure. 978-1-543-57393-0.

Reminiscent of the “Choose Your Own Adventure” series from the early 80s, this series takes you on a survivalist journey to various locations. Each book in the series offers 3 paths with 41 different choices and 18 possible endings. This reviewer had the opportunity to choose a path through the Paris Catacombs, 100 feet below the cities of Paris. The path started with a choice to explore the catacombs as a young worker in the 1700s, a modern-day tourist, or as a rescuer of a group of teens lost in the labyrinth. Written for younger adventurers, this is an enjoyable book for grades 3-7 as you get to choose your own destiny during your journey. Filled with photographs of the actual catacombs and artists renderings of Paris, this adventure series is sure to delight students.

THOUGHTS: This is a great modernized version of the “Choose Your Own Adventure” books that many of us grew up with that will delight this generation of readers. A great read for reluctant readers since the text is not overwhelming and the chance to read the book several times to create new endings will entice them to read more.

Action/Adventure                Jillian Gasper, Northwestern Lehigh SD

ACID…It’s not the London You Remember

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acid

Pass, Emma. ACID: Agency for Crime Investigation and Defense. New York: Delacorte, 2013. 978-0-385-74387-7. 381p. $17.99. Gr. 9 and up.

Jenna Strong is a 17 year-old living in Upper London when her world collapses around her.  Arrested by ACID (Agency for Crime Investigation and Defense), the totalitarian government controlling London in the year 2113, Jenna is accused of murdering her parents and is sent to the all-male, high security prison, Mileway.  As Jenna tries to figure out what happened (she has no memory of the murders except what ACID has told her), Dr. Fisher, the only caring person in Mileway, plots Jenna’s escape.  Once at “The Facility” somewhere in London, Jenna is nursed back to health by a rebel group plotting to overthrow ACID and return London to a more democratic state.  As Jenna regains her strength and more memories, she tries to return to life, in poverty stricken Outer London, a world she never saw growing up.  When her alias is made by ACID, she takes off with part of the reason she was found out, Max Fisher, Dr. Fisher’s son, but he doesn’t know she’s Jenna Strong, a wanted murderer.  As the two continue running from ACID, they encounter more ACID traitors, but these traitors are different from those at The Facility.  As Jenna’s identify is again compromised, she must learn who to trust, when to run, and how to hide, but will it be enough to keep her alive and away from ACID?

Dystopian      Erin Parkinson, Lincoln JSHS, Ellwood City

ACID: Agency for Crime Investigation and Defense is not the typical YA dystopian.  Instead, it provides more “meat” to the story and intertwines characters and plot that force the reader to truly think about the possibility of ACID as a government.  The novel could be placed in present day instead of 2113, especially when considering terrorist groups and the governmental control they have in countries.  This book could easily be used in English, or a government or current events class, as a fictional representation of government structure in comparison to how some governments and terrorist organizations control people.

As a final note, ACID is written and ends as though more should come.  I do not know if it is set for a series or will become a series.  According to Emma Pass’s website, her next book is due out in 2015 and is about building stronger soldiers.