Palace of Mirrors

by Margaret Peterson Haddix

(YA F Hadd)

297 pages 2008 Historical Fiction

Cecilia is a princess in hiding. Until the evil forces who killed her parents are found, she must pretend she is a village peasant girl. But peasant girls don’t study palace protocol and Latin at night, while performing menial chores during the day. When danger arises, Cecilia and her friend Harper decide to leave the village and travel to the palace where she will confront Desmia, the peasant girl who is masquerading as the princess. But things don’t go as planned and the road to royalty has bumps and twists along the way. (Grades 6 & up)

reviewed by Teen Librarian Kay G.

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Hot Pick from TAB - Fearless

by Taylor Swift

(MC SWIF FEA S 00)

2008 Country

Fearless is Taylor Swift’s brand-new album. She is a popular country artist and her lyrics are very popular with teenagers. Her songs “White Horse,” “Love Story,” and “You Belong to Me” have received much praise and reached the top of the charts. Taylor Swift is one of my favorite country artists and I highly suggest that you check out this CD. I give it the highest rating—5 out of 5 stars!

reviewed by TAB member Rachel K.

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The Rhyming Season

By Edward Averett

(YA F Aver)
214 pages 2005 Sports Fiction

Bre’s teammates are stunned by their coach’s departure, leaving the state-bound team in the hands of a quirky replacement whose offbeat philosophy includes assigning the girls names of poets. Public humiliation follows as the team recites poems rather loudly at the free throw line. Is there a revolt in the making? (Grades 8 & up)

reviewed by Teen Librarian Elaine D.

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Hot Pick From TAB - The History of Love

By Nicole Krauss

(F Krau)
225 pages 2005 Realistic/Literary Fiction

14-year-old Alma is trying to get her life, as well as her mother’s life, restarted after the death of her father. Not so far away, the aging Leo Gursdky is still trying to figure out who he is. Could these two possibly have anything in common? In the search to help her mom, Alma comes across the book A History of Love, a book very close to Leo’s heart. As the story progresses, Leo realizes there is more to his existence than he once thought and that he now has a reason to live. But will it be too late for Leo? Follow Alma and Leo in their journey to discover themselves and find out how their lives become intertwined. (Grades 10 & Up)

reviewed by TAB member Sonali S.

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Sunrise Over Fallujah

By Walter Dean Myers

(YA F Myer)

290 pages 2008 Realistic Fiction

After 9/11, Birdie joins the army to stand up for his country. He leaves Harlem and is stationed in Iraq during the start of the Iraq War. Although he is assigned to a civil affairs unit whose mission is to win over the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people, he ends up in the middle of some memorable conflicts and must struggle to understand the death, destruction, and horrors that are the reality of war. This firsthand account of the controversial Iraq War will leave you with many questions even after Birdie’s story is over. (Grades 8 & up)

reviewed by Teen Librarian Liz B.

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Hot Pick From TAB - Nylon and Steel

By Manuel Barrueco
(GG BARR NS B 41)

2001 Guitar Duets

This CD is a compilation of classical guitar accompanied by many different instruments, including synthetic and electric guitars and bells. Most of the soundtracks are neither boring nor old-fashioned, but a little laid back and a little jazzy. Having guitarists who mainly compose solo melodies (like Al Di Meola and Andy Summers) work together cramped the style a little, but the loose group manages to pull off some good tracks, like “Cavatina” and “Crow at Midnight.” All in all, I’d give this disc 3 out of 5 stars. I’d recommend it if you are a fan of improvisational guitar, but if you are a fan of fast pop-style music, then Nylon and Steel is probably not for you.

reviewed by TAB member Amy K.

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