Tuesday, May 28, 2013

TWERP - MARK GOLDBLATT




Twerp

TITLE: TWERP

AUTHOR: MARK GOLDBLATT

RELEASE DATE: May 28, 2013

FORMAT/PAGE COUNT: ebook (net galley)/288 pages

PUBLISHER: Random House Books for Young Readers

PURCHASED: Did not purchase (Net Galley)

SYNOPSIS

  It's not like I meant for Danley to get hurt. . . .

   Julian Twerski isn't a bully. He's just made a big mistake. So when he returns to school after a weeklong suspension, his English teacher offers him a deal: if he keeps a journal and writes about the incident that got him and his friends suspended, he can get out of writing a report on Shakespeare. Julian jumps at the chance. And so begins his account of life in sixth grade--blowing up homemade fireworks, writing a love letter for his best friend (with disastrous results), and worrying whether he's still the fastest kid in school. Lurking in the background, though, is the one story he can't bring himself to tell, the one story his teacher most wants to hear.

   Inspired by Mark Goldblatt's own childhood growing up in 1960s Queens, Twerp shines with powerful writing that will have readers laughing and crying right along with these flawed but unforgettable characters. (FROM GOODREADS)


REVIEW: 



I love this book so much! It’s one of those books you want to take with you onto the rooftops, hold high in the air and proclaim, “Ladies and gentlemen of Earth…read this book!” It’s also one of those books you want to hold close to your breast and say, “There, there…it will be okay!” Because you’re terrified it’s going to miss its audience. This is a splendid story, well told. By all accounts, it should fly off the shelves. I’m just worried that the time period may put some off. It is for young readers and I know young readers will love it. If they give it a chance. What I also know is that adults would LOVE Twerp too!

Julian, the narrator, makes a deal with his teacher. If he writes the stories of him and his friends he can get out of writing the book report for Julius Caesar. What the teacher has in mind—one would suspect—is that Julian face the scrutiny of his own introspection. And face it he does. It’s a lovely tale Julian tells. He shares his whole world with the reader…even the darker secrets he would probably normally keep to himself. He tells the teacher how he penned a love letter to woo a girl on behalf of his best friend, he tells his teacher how that event totally backfires in his face and causes his best friend to disown him, he tells the woe-begotten tale of how he fears he is no longer the fastest kid in his school, and he shares with his teacher the story of the suave new kid from Mexico who could be his Achilles heel in this regard. In short, there are several insightful stories that Julian allows us to glimpse along the way. The one he is reluctant to tell is the motivation behind the telling. All these stories relate to power struggles and manipulations between friends in some way. But the untold story, which eventually comes out within Julian’s narration to his teacher is the story of Danley Dimmel.

Set in 1969, Twerp is an integral story of the struggles kids face to balance on that thin line of bully and bullied, cool and uncool, leader and follower. It’s a great story…you will fall in love with the way Julian gives us the raw truth of the happenings within the child community of his New York neighbourhood. It’s a universal story most readers will easily relate to. I hope kids give it a chance…there is much to be learned within Julian’s stories. And much to be enjoyed!

I will definitely be purchasing this book. It's one I will revisit several times! Suitable for adults as much as it is suited to children. ENJOY!

Size: 5



Monday, May 27, 2013

TEETH & MARCO IMPOSSIBLE - Two MORE Awesome Reads by HANNAH MOSKOWITZ!

 TeethMarco Impossible





TITLE: TEETH

AUTHOR: Hannah Moskowitz
 
RELEASE DATE: January, 2013

FORMAT/PAGE COUNT: Kindle/290 pages

PUBLISHER: Simon Pulse

PURCHASED: Amazon

SYNOPSIS:



A gritty, romantic modern fairy tale from the author of Break and Gone, Gone, Gone.

Be careful what you believe in.

Rudy’s life is flipped upside-down when his family moves to a remote island in a last attempt to save his sick younger brother. With nothing to do but worry, Rudy sinks deeper and deeper into loneliness and lies awake at night listening to the screams of the ocean beneath his family’s rickety house.

Then he meets Diana, who makes him wonder what he even knows about love, and Teeth, who makes him question what he knows about anything. Rudy can’t remember the last time he felt so connected to someone, but being friends with Teeth is more than a little bit complicated. He soon learns that Teeth has terrible secrets. Violent secrets. Secrets that will force Rudy to choose between his own happiness and his brother’s life. (From GOODREADS)



REVIEW:

Teeth. This is another pure Moskowitz title. A little bit of magical realism, a la Zombie Tag. We have Rudy, who is forced to live on a magical island because his brother can only survive by eating the fish that can only be harvested on said island.

Rudy feels an instant bond with the fish boy, Teeth. Moskowitz does a great job creating this truculent, jealous and envious little fish boy. With typical Moskowitz magic, the reader will actually like Teeth. I felt a lot of sympathy for him when his full story came out...as I'm sure other readers will also sympathize for him.

Rudy has a lot to deal with, living on an island away from the life he knew. In untypical Moskowitz fashion, he deals with his brother's illness in a rather dark way. The reader gets the sense that Rudy's brother is a burden...the cross he has to bare.

Some complicated and intriguing relationships here. Moskowitz fans will love this one about as much as her other offerings!

SIZE: 4


TITLE: MARCO IMPOSSIBLE

AUTHOR: Hannah Moskowitz
 
RELEASE DATE: March, 2013

FORMAT/PAGE COUNT: Kindle/256 pages

PUBLISHER: Roaring Brook Press

PURCHASED: Amazon

SYNOPSIS:
Thirteen-year-old best friends Stephen and Marco attempt a go-for-broke heist to break into the high school prom and get Marco onstage to confess his love for (and hopefully steal the heart of) Benji, the adorable exchange student and bass player of the prom band. Of course, things don't always go according to plan, and every heist comes with its fair share of hijinks. (From GOODREADS)


REVIEW:

I'm a bit reluctant to call this my FAVOURITE Hannah Moskowitz title. Not because I don't think it deserves it, but because I'd rather it share that place with Zombie Tag. Don't make me choose!

Marco loves Benji. And Stephen, his best friend, wants to help him get into the high school prom so Marco can profess his love to Benji. The sleuth team has been cracking cases for a very long time, but somewhere along the way on this newest case there are signs that this may be the last one. Moskowitz is brilliant in this story of two best friends and the jealousies and compromises and idiosyncrasies that go into making their relationship such a wonderful base to an awesome story!

Hannah wrote an amazing story here. The reader will follow these friends all over town as they take on this new adventure. From the tux rental store to the prom. Hijinks and gut-wrenching truths and observations will push the reader forward to an amazing and satisfying end. I don't want to say much about this...the reader will have to take my word for it. THE. BEST. MOSKOWITZ. EVER.

Size: 5.5