The Voracious Reader ~ for young people with an appetite for books

1. Divergent by Veronica Roth
"In Roth's harsh future, people are divided into five factions: Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless, and Erudite. When you reach the age of 16, you are tested to see where you are best suited and then give a choice. That choice will affect everything, including where you live, what you believe, and whom you will befriend. Beatrice grows up in Abnegation but chooses Dauntless for her future. She has no idea how dangerous that choice is for her, especially as she has tested Divergent -- showing traits of more than one faction. Divergents are wild cards. And wild cards are dangerous. This is a fast-paced all-action page-turner that held me captive from beginning to end." -- Angela Mann, Kepler's Books & Magazine, Menlo Park, CA

2. The Emerald Atlas (Books of Beginning) by John Stephens
"This is a Tolkien for 10-year-olds, chock-full of giants and dwarves, heroes and villains, and all of the wizarding magic we've grown to love. When three siblings discover a book with magical properties, all the hardships of their orphaned past are overshadowed by the trials that lie ahead. Each sibling uses his or her unique strengths to overcome great obstacles, including time itself, and finds the courage to save the lives of others. Read it aloud, and the whole family will enjoy this fresh adventure that pays homage to the fantasy greats that came before." -- Angela K Sherrill, 57th Street Books, Chicago, IL

3. Angel Burn by A. L . Weatherly
"I've always harbored suspicions about angels. Angel Burn is a revelation, and we all know what they're really up to now! Weatherly has turned angel lore upside down to reveal the secrets under there twinkly robes and feathers, packing in page after page of rollicking action and creating a strong cast of characters with humor, depth, and humanity. She redefines the 'journey of self-discovery' in a dreamlike, almost schizophrenic introduction to the angel within Willow in a tight story package that promises to only get better in the next installment." -- Elizabeth Anker, Alamosa Books, Albuquerque, NM

4. True . . . Sort of by Katherine Hannigan
"This is a book I want to hand to people and say 'just read it' because it is so difficult to put into words how truly touching and tender this story is. It's about a group of misunderstood loners, including one with a difficult secret, who find each other and are healed through friendship. Involved are a wonderful family, a secret 'hideaways,' a snarly cat, and even the game of basketball. Delly Pattison, an impossible-to-forget, self-avowed troublemaker with an imaginative and descriptive vocabulary, is the kind of character you'd like to leap off the page and into your life." -- Pam Stilp, Boswell Book Company, Milwaukee, WI

5. Shine by Lauren Myracle
"Myracle has stepped outside of her comfort zone here and pulls readers outside of theirs, too. In a hate crime eerily reminiscent of the murder of Matthew Shepard, Cat's friend Patrick has been brutalized and left comatose. The police in her small rural town seem eager to blame 'outsiders,' so Cat decides to investigate on her own at great risk. Disturbing, suspenseful, and totally engaging, this book will spark crucial conversations among both teens and adults." -- Banna Rubinow, The River's End Bookstore, Oswego, NY

6. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
"The search for his grandfather's past leads Jake to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where a home for orphaned and 'peculiar' children once stood. Jake's grandfather's stories -- about invisible children, children who can command fire, children with enormous strength, and the monsters who hunt them -- can't possibly be true, but Jake's search of the island proves otherwise. This well-wrought story has just the right amount of suspense, scare-your-pants-off detail, and smart, compassionate children searching for a path forward in a twisted, topsy-turvy world." -- Connie Brooks, Battenkill Books, Cambridge, NY

7. Junonia by Kevin Henkes
"What is it about the sea that makes so many things clear? In Junonia, Henkes' words and illustrations tell the beautiful story of Alice Rice and her broadening horizons. Alice always looks forward to her trip to the beach in Florida. The same people arrive each year and are almost like a family. This year, however, many of the regulars can't make it, and Alice feels like the vacation is ruined. When her 'Aunt' Kate arrives with her new boyfriend and his six-year-old daughter, who is adjusting to a few changes herself, Alice realizes that maybe her problems are worth putting aside to help out someone else. This is a beautiful, pitch-perfect story." -- Emily Grossenbacher, Lemuria Bookstore, Jackson, MS

8. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
"Bray's newest novel deserves far more than a simple 'Gilligan's Island meets Lord of the Flies' comparison. Yes it's funny, and yes, it's scary. And of course, you won't be able to put it down until you've read the last page. But this social-comedy adventure is also a masterfully written, inspiring story about being true to yourself, no matter what." -- Ellen Klein, Hooray for Books!, Alexandria, VA

9. Betty Bunny Loves Chocolate Cake by Michael Kaplan, Stephane Jorisch (Illus.)
"I'm going to marry chocolate cake!' states Betty Bunny after she tries her first piece, and who can blame her? Once Betty Bunny has discovered the wonderful goodness of chocolate cake, it is all she wants, and she has problems being apart from it. The illustrations of Stephane Jorisch bring Betty Bunny's adventures with her precious chocolate cake to life, and the situations she gets herself into will have you and your child laughing out loud. This is a hilarious tribute to the most wonderful food out there, and to all of the picky eaters who won't try anything new." -- Amber Sentance, Vero Beach Book Center, Vero Beach, FL

10. If Rocks Could Sing: A Discovered Alphabet by Leslie McGuirk
"McGuirk has been collecting rocks from the shore for a very long time. Her collection is the basis for this most unusual alphabet book. Rocks that look like letters of the alphabet matched with corresponding objects will inspire readers young and old to go for a walk and start their own collection. Very clever and fun!" -- Margaret Brennan Neville, The King's English, Salt Lake City, UT

Summer 2011 Recommendations

Top Ten