The Road to Vengeance

By Judson Roberts

(YA F Robe)
344 pages 2008 Historical Fiction

In the third installment of The Strongbow Saga, Halfdan continues to hone his skills as a Viking warrior. As lords Ragnor and Hastein bring war to the Franks to gain plunder and riches, Halfdan proves himself again and again on the battlefield with the skill of his bow and his clever mind. But will Halfdan be ready to fulfill his oath of vengeance? (Grades 7 & Up)

reviewed by Teen Librarian Kay G.

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The Wednesday Wars

By Gary D. Schmidt

(YA F Schm)
264 pages 2007 Realistic Fiction

Holling’s seventh-grade English teacher makes him read Shakespeare when he remains behind on Wednesdays while his classmates attend either Hebrew or Catechism classes. He views this as pure punishment. His world is cracked wide open when Mrs. B. arranges a meeting with the New York Yankees, uses her Olympic runner experience to coach Holling for the cross-country team, and unravels the mystery of Shakespeare. (Grades 6 & Up)

reviewed by Teen Librarian Elaine D.

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Hot Pick from TAB - Weezer (The Blue Album)

Artist: Weezer

(MR WEEZ WEE W 29)

1994 Rock

Many of us have heard of the band by the name of Weezer. Nowadays they are a rock icon, but this album is what started it all. The debut album, named Weezer or The Blue Album, is really one of the greatest albums they have produced. Hits such as “My Name Is Jonas,” “Buddy Holly,” and “Say It Ain’t So” are enough for this album to be listened to multiple times. In my opinion, those three songs are the highlights of the album, with a mellow guitar and a soothing voice that changes style time to time during the songs along with brilliant lyrics. The album is relatively long with a good amount of songs in the album. The only problem I have with this album is that some of the songs are not at the same standard as the three songs mentioned above, which at times makes you just want to skip over them and get to the songs you enjoy. All in all, this album truly defines Weezer and I recommend that you pick it up when you can. I rate this CD four out of five stars.

reviewed by TAB member Manoj A.

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Lock and Key

By Sarah Dessen

(YA F Dess)

422 pages 2008 Realistic Fiction

Ruby has a hard time with the word family. Her father abandoned her when she was five, her sister hasn’t kept in touch since she left for college, and her mother suddenly disappeared a month ago. Forced to live with her sister and attend a new school, Ruby tries to hold on to her past, at least until she turns eighteen and can live on her own. But she soon learns to let go and forms a new kind of family. (Grades 9 & Up)

reviewed by Teen Librarian Shelly P.

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The Curse of the Campfire Weenies

By David Lubar

(YA F Luba)

207 pages. 2007. Horror

This collection of creepy tales seems to fall short of true horror, but picks up in the humor department. Becoming what you eat, terrifying tunnel rides, and out of this world clowns all wait for you inside. These short stories are only a few pages long and are perfect for reading in between classes! (Grades 6 & Up)

reviewed by Teen Librarian Meghann M.

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Hot Pick From TAB - Breakout

Artist: Miley Cyrus

(MR CYRU-M BRE C 02)
2008 Popular Music

Breakout is Miley Cyrus’s much-anticipated new album. It contains many hot new tracks like “Fly on the Wall,” “Goodbye,” and even a special remake of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” Also, the album contains Miley’s extremely popular single “Seven Things” and a pumped-up remix of “See You Again.” As you may notice, Miley released this CD as a solo artist, free of her Hannah Montana counterpart. She is trying to establish herself as a singer, songwriter, and performer, and she is definitely exceeding all expectations.

reviewed by TAB member Rachel K.

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Peeled

By Joan Bauer

(YA F Baue)
248 pages. 2008. Realistic Fiction

High school reporter Hildy Biddle is always searching for the truth and the next big story, so when a town ghost makes his presence felt, Hildy jumps at the chance to get the real story. But a dead body and mysterious warnings scrawled on the door of a haunted house cause the rumors to fly even faster than the fear that is spreading throughout the small town of Bainesville. Asking the wrong people the right questions could be dangerous, but Hildy is determined to get to the truth in this enjoyable mystery. (Grades 6 & Up)

reviewed by Teen Librarian Kay G.

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Hot Pick from TAB - Unbelievable: A Pretty Little Liars Novel

By Sara Shepard

(YA F Shep)
335 pages. 2008. Realistic Fiction

I liked this book because it was from five different points of view, depending on the chapter, but was so well thought out that it never became confusing. Unbelievable is the fourth in a favorite series of mine, but it could easily be understood even if the reader had not read the three before it. However, it does not explain itself in a way that is tiring for the reader who has been with the five friends for the whole series. The best part of this book is that, though the five girls find out who is behind everything that has confused their lives ever since their sixth friend ran away from them and was officially declared "missing," there is still wiggle room for another exciting, hilarious, and wonderful installment in the series. This is because of certain hints and clues that don't belong to the actual perpetrator/stalker/liar/life-ruiner-in-general. This book is an unbelievably great read! (Grades 9 & Up)

Reviewed by TAB member Colleen K.

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