A Whole Nother Story, by Dr. Cuthbert Soup

Mr. Cheeseman (not his real name) is perfecting his Luminal Velocity Regulator (LVR) which, when complete, will bring his wife Olivia back to life. Until it is complete, though, Mr. Cheeseman and his three children must outrun the "coats" who want to steal the invention for evildoing. Along the way, readers meet many interesting characters like Mr. Cheeseman's son, Crandall, who is never without his one-eyed sock puppet named Steve. Interestingly, Dr. Cuthbert Soup is both the author and the narrator of A Whole Nother Story.

Because this a book full of "suspense, danger, adventure, mystery, simple yet delicious recipes for squash, and, of course, paper" it is recommended to tweens with all sorts of interests. This is one of the most creative and inventive (some pun intended) books I have picked up this semester. Warning: sense of humor required!

Cuthbert, S. (2009). A Whole Nother Story. New York: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books. ISBN 978-1599904351

Harry Sue, by Sue Stauffacher

Harry Sue has a plan at eleven years old to toughen up and become a criminal. She ultimately hopes the calculated moves will land her far away from her grandmother’s home, granny’s disturbing in-home day care and into jail where her mom is serving hard time for cooking and selling crystal meth. Harry Sue knows Mom was only trying to do the right thing and help them get by.

Harry Sue has a tough name, and with humor, sassiness and urban grittiness, she tries to make a tough way for herself. But Harry Sue really does have a kind heart and learns many lessons about love and helping other people in unlikely places.

Stauffacher vividly describes in jive language the various settings, layered characters and meanings of everyday life. This novel does include a lot of mature content but it is mentioned in a manner that keeps it appropriate for tweens, and Harry Sue is definitely a story worth reading again and again.

Stauffacher, S. (2005). Harry Sue. New York: Random House. ISBN 9780375932748

Sideways Stories From Wayside School, by Louis Sachar

In this first installment of the Wayside School series, the reader is introduced to the quirky building and its quirkier students through thirty vignettes, one for each of the school's thirty stories (except for the missing nineteenth floor of course). We meet stinky Sammy, John who can only read upside down, and Mrs. Jewls, who has very unconventional ways of teaching her students. Sachar's Wayside School series continues to be a favorite even after three decades. I am always seeing this book on reading lists of funny stories and I would highly recommend it for those on the younger end of the tween spectrum.

Sachar, L. (1978). Sideways Stories From Wayside School. New York: harper trophy. ISBN 978-0380731480

Wringer, by Jerry Spinelli

The cover gave me the creeps the second I plucked it from the chelf, so of course I had to check it out. In Wringer, Palmer is dreading the day when he turns ten. That is when young boys are expected to work as wringers at the town's annual Pigeon Day shooting contest. And wringers, well, they get to finish off the birds that get wounded instead of shot down and killed immediately. Will Palmer accept the role that is part of a long-standing tradition in his community or will he stand up for what he believes in? Those who liked The Chocolate Wars will enjoy the similar sinister tone and moral dilemma faced in Wringer.

Spinelli, J. (1997). Wringer. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 0-06-440578-8

So You Think You Can Dance (on Fox)

Having been a huge fan of this American Idol spin-off a few seasons back, it was fun to revisit the show with a tween perspective in mind. If the throngs of screaming girls in the audience are any indication, they are the target audience. So You Think You Can Dance shows that ordinary teens can be catapulted to stardom through hard work and dedication, and by avoiding dance floor injuries and the judge’s harsh critiques. The contestants are extreme cases of success, but I think it still proves to tweens that you can mold your own future. Aside from a few suggestive outfits and dance moves, So You Think You Can Dance is an excellent show the whole family can watch, and even place a few friendly wagers on, together.

(The image above shows Allison and Ivan two of my favorite dancers from Season 2.)

The Face on the Milk Carton, by Caroline B. Cooney

Imagine if you suddenly had reason to believe that the people you called Mom and Dad were not actually your parents. (And what teen hasn't thought that at least once?) That's exactly what happens when Jane Johnson comes face to face with her own picture on the back of a milk carton. Because Cooney's novel was published in 1990, today's readers will likely notice the characters' glaring lack of computers, media, and cell phones as Jane searches for answers. However, it remains a very clever and suspenseful storyline and Jane (who eagerly anticipates driver's training, daydreams about her future children, and constantly tries out more glamorous spellings of her name) will resonate with many female readers.

Cooney, C.B. (1990). The Face on the Milk Carton. New York: Bantam Doubleday. ISBN 0-440-22065-3.

Tripping Over the Lunch Lady and Other School Stories

Tripping Over the Lunch Lady is a hilarious compilation of short stories from popular young adult authors. Sarah Weeks (whose novel So B. It I am currently reading and will be reviewing here shortly) presents a clever solution to writer's block in Experts, Incorporated. Using the graphic novel style, author James Proimos and illustrator David Fremont retell Proimos' monotonous days as a grade school student living with his heavily accented Italian grandmother in The Grade School Zone. Readers will especially love the interviews and author photos that accompany each story, proving that the authors dealt with lunch ladies and dreaded assignments themselves once upon a time. This is a great collection for reluctant readers or for family read-alouds.

Mercado, N.E. (ed.). (2004). Tripping over the lunch lady and other school stories. New York: Penguin Group. ISBN 0-8037-2873-5

Rotten School: The Teacher from Heck

Having been a huge fan of R.L. Stine's Fear Street books many years ago, I already considered the author a master of creative suspense. Although his Rotten School series elicits far more laughter than horror, Stine continues to entertain readers with his original and cleverly crafted stories. In The Teacher from Heck, the eighth installment in the series, student Bernie Bridges squares off against the meanest teacher EVER, Mr. Skruloose, after the sweet, old Mrs. Heinie just could not stand anymore of the rotten students. As Bernie schemes to outwit Mr. Skruloose and bring back Mrs. Heinie, hilarity ensues. Because of the short chapters, slapstick humor and overall content, I recommend this outrageous novel for students in grades 4-6.

Stein, R.L. (2006). Rotten school: The teacher from heck. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN:978-0-06-078821-6

Powder Monkey: Adventures of a Young Sailor

When he is only thirteen, Sam leaves his home in England to see the world working aboard a merchant ship. He is instead forced aboard a dangerous naval ship and put to work hauling gun powder to the cannons for battle. Sam lives in constant fear of beatings, injury, or even death. Should he have just stayed at home and worked in his father’s shop? Can he earn the respect of the hardened sailors? Will he ever see his mother again? Dowswell paints an excellent (and sometimes gory) picture of life aboard a ship in the nineteenth century, and tween boys especially will appreciate this adventure on the high seas.

Dowswell, P. (2005). Powder Monkey: Adventures of a Young Sailor. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN-13: 978-1-58234-675-5

Boys' Life, August 2010

Any publication sanctioned by the Boy Scouts of America is sure to be squeaky clean, but it should not be assumed that Boys’ Life is therefore boring. The August 2010 edition features a story about Hurricane Hunters, an Air Force squadron that bravely flies into the eyes of brutal storms to forecast when the storm will hit and where, potentially saving thousands of lives. Of course, Boys’ Life also features scout-friendly tips, like tying a better fly fishing knot and properly planning a backpacking trip. Some of the games and anecdotes may be too juvenile for older readers, but otherwise this is a magazine that would be of interest to boys of all ages.

Everything on a waffle, by Polly Harvath

What, you don’t believe you can get lasagna on a waffle? Well, talk to Primose, who believes anything is possible. Primrose stills believes her parents are stranded on an island somewhere after being lost at sea in a nasty storm and never seen again. Although suddenly faced with a tough life which includes moving in with her uncle and being teased by her peers, where only The Girl on a Red Swing diner and its the sassy chef, Miss Bowzer, seem to cheer her up, Primrose keeps beating to her own optimistic drum. Because the main character is only eleven and has a flighty innocence that older tweens may not relate to, this book is best for tweens ages 8 to 11.

Horvath, P. (2002). Everything on a waffle. Scholastic: New York, NY. ISBN 978-0439451307

Money Hungry, by Sharon Flake

Unlike most of the tween titles I have read thus far which feature female lead characters, Money Hungry’s protagonist is hardened and streetwise. With memories of homelessness and the current reality of the projects haunting her, Raspberry Hill thinks constantly of money, whether she is selling candy to her classmates or counting change to fall asleep. Raspberry hopes for a better life for her and her mother but her money hungry ways may land her into more trouble than good. Although this story is hard and raw, it is written in a way that keeps it appropriate for most tweens. Impressively, this may be a book with a female lead that would be of interest to boys as well.

Flake, S. (2007). Money Hungry. Hyperion Books: New York, NY. ISBN 978-1423103868

Hoot, by Carl Hiaasen

A favorite since its 2002 debut, Hoot remains a laugh-out-loud story about Roy Eberhardt’s attempts to avoid bullies and find some excitement in his new hometown. When Roy repeatedly witnesses a strange boy running barefoot and at full speed through the neighborhood near his middle school, Coconut Grove, Florida suddenly seems a lot more interesting… and strange. Featuring port-a-potty vandals, several burrowing owls, a couple of bullies, one oily black hair, and Roy’s dry humor, this part-comedy, part-mystery is a novel unlike any other.

Hiaasen, C. (2002). Hoot. Alfred A. Knopf: New York, NY.

A long way from Chicago, by Richard Peck

It seems everyone has a family legend. For Mary Alice and Joey, who hail from Chicago, their family legend is born in yearly trips to visit larger-than-life Grandma Dowdel on her rural farm. The narrator, Joey, reveals hilarious stories about Grandma, including her connection to Abraham Lincoln’s top hat and her expert use of a twelve-gauge shotgun. Readers who plowed through Al Capone does my shirts will love Peck's A long way from Chicago.

Peck, R. (1998). A long way from Chicago. Dial Books for Young Readers: New York, NY. ISBN 0-8037-2290-7

I wanna re-do my room, by Clea Hantman

Recalling the day when I secretly started removing my pastel blue teddy bear wallpaper, I was instantly hooked on Hantman’s do-it-yourself guide. Hantman offers funky and fun ideas, like creating you own abstract masterpieces to hang on the wall and step-by-step instructions for t-shirt pillows. One of the best (and most hilarious) suggestions is adding a thought bubble above your favorite reading space. Write in one permanent thought or make it interchangeable. Best of all, she speaks to readers like she’s one of them: “If your room seems large and daunting, enlist a friend or three to help. Treat them to caramel white chocolate mochas before you start.”

This is one in a series of crafty books by Hantman, along with titles like I wanna make my own clothing and I wanna make gifts. Before you cringe about your teen picking up a paintbrush and adding zebra stripes to her furniture, imagine the money you will save in not purchasing brand new furniture and accessories. Applaud your tween for their creativity and for escaping the conspicuous consumption and disposable goods mentality. And certainly read this book yourself: I wanna re-do my room is even great for adults like me who desperately need a refresher course on basic sewing and painting techniques.

Hantman, C. (2006). I wanna re-do my room. Aladdin: New York, NY. ISBN 978-0689874635

Flipped, by Wendelin Van Draanen

Bryce has found next-door neighbor Juli to be an obnoxious pest since the day they met, while Juli has been preparing for the day her and Bryce become boyfriend and girlfriend. But everything changes when they reach junior high. This is an excellent pick for both genders, as chapters alternate between Bryce and Juli’s points of view. A movie based on the novel will be released to theaters in October, which is sure to generate a lot of excitement surrounding Van Draanen’s enjoyable twist on the boy meets girl storyline.

Van Draanen, W. (2001). Flipped. Alfred A. Knopf: New York, NY. ISBN 0375811745.

The Suite Life of Zack & Cody

The Suite Life of Zack & Cody on Disney Channel, which centers around twin boys living in a ritzy Boston hotel, includes a lot of what you would expect from a tween sitcom. There is an abundance of stupid, slapstick humor and all the typical stock characters: the rich, snobby girl, the more down to earth girl, the goofy but loveable guy, and the boy all of the girls fawn over. (It reminded me of the early '90s shows Clarissa Explains It All and Salute Your Shorts.) Tween girls will especially love the stars of the show, twins Dylan and Cole Sprouse, who appeared many years ago in the comedic film Big Daddy. Zack & Cody deals with tween issues like dating, absentee parents and developing one’s identity by exploring different personas, but in a very safe way.

The Magic Thief, by Sarah Prineas

Harry Potter fans will rejoice over this first installment of Prineas' fantastical series. The Magic Thief follows a young man's transformation from pickpocket into wizard in the magic-filled city of Twilight. There is an even a companion website (www.magicthief.com) for those multi-media loving tween readers.

Prineas, S. (2008). The Magic Thief. HarperCollins: New York, NY. ISBN: 978-0-06-137587-3.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (The Motion Picture Soundtrack)

If you somehow avoided this fact, Eclipse is the third installment of Stephenie Meyers’ vampire series. Like the previous two soundtracks, it features mainly darker, modern rock that fits the stormy Forks, Washington weather. Surprisingly, even listeners who are not diehard Twilight fans can enjoy these selections from Vampire Weekend, Muse, The Bravery and others.

Big Nate: In a Class by Himself

Although it has been compared to the Wimpy Kid series, Nate and his mischievous ways really are in a class by themselves. Nate’s brilliant cartooning, hilarious lists (like nicknames for his teacher, Mrs. Godfrey), and attempts to avoid detention will keep readers entertained on every page. Those tweens whose reading level is “in between” will appreciate the book’s hybrid style of traditional novel and graphic novel.

Peirce, L. (2010). Big Nate: In a Class by Himself. Harper Collins: New York, NY. ISBN 97800619944345