Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

Year Published: 2007
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN:0-7434-9673-6
Pages: 455
Classification: Fiction
Genre: Drama
Interest Level: 9+
Reading Level: 6
Personal Rating: 5 Stars
Subjects: Bullies, New Hampshire, School shootings, Lawyers, High School Students, Women Judge
Reader's Annotation: Years and years of humiliation and pain. Is it right to retaliate for all the pain that the popular crowd has done to Peter Houghton?

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Peter Houghton decides to retaliate from verbal and physical abuse in his school by opening fire, killing students and teachers. Peter survives and lives through the investigation and emotional court scenes. The truth is revealed about the Peter’s reason for the act of violence in his school through the characters' narratives and flashbacks.

Evaluation: This book is highly recommended for high students to teach them about the extreme effects of bullying. Some scenes maybe too violent and graphic to younger readers. The author used obscenity and vulgarity to describe events and paint a more authentic characters in her story.

"Every bit as gripping and moving as Picoult's previous novels, Nineteen Minutes will no doubt garner considerable attention for its controversial subject and twist ending." - Booklist

Reviews and Awards: Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Wilson's Fiction Catalog, Wilson's High School Catalog

Author Information: www.jodipicoult.com

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Author: Meyer, Stephenie
Year Published: 2005
Publisher: Little Brown
ISBN: 9780316160179
Pages: 498
Classification: Fiction
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Adventure, Action
Interest Level: 9-12
Reading Level: 5
Rating: 5
Subjects: Vampires, High schools, School stories, Washington (State), Fiction

Reader's Annotation: Will you befriend vampires knowing that your blood is a sweet-smelling aroma? Will you risk your life to love someone who might not be human?

Summary: Twilight has a Romeo and Juliet love-story plot. Isabella Swan moves to Forks, Washington and meets a handsome and smart guy, Edward Cullen. Bella finds out about Edward's real identity but still pursue their relationship. They struggle to keep their relationship as they face the challenges of being accepted by both sides - vampires and human and even the werewolves.


Reviews and Awards: Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal,Booklist, The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books


Author Information: Stephenie Meyer was born in Connecticut in 1973. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor's degree in English. Ms. Meyer cannot write without music. She writes young adult novels. She lives with her husband and three sons in Phoenix Arizona.

Website: stepheniemeyer.com

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Year Published: 2007
Publisher: Scholastic Book Service
ISBN: 0545010225
Pages: 759
Classification: Fiction
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
Interest Level: 5-9
Reading Level: 6
Personal Rating: 5 Stars
Subjects: School stories, Magic, Wizards,
Reader's Annotation: Where are the Horcruxes? Will Voldemort be defeated? What life awaits Harry Potter as he leaves Hogwarts?

Summary: This is the final book for the Harry Potter series. Harry finds out the truth about Dumbledore’s death and searches for the three objects from the legend of the Deathly Hallows. Voldemort gains more strength as more faithful followers join him to defeat the good wizards including Harry. Meanwhile Harry finds out more about his family and other characters mentioned on the other Harry Potter books. The final battle happens in Hogwarts where all the truth is revealed. Harry’s friends and professors join him to fight the evil Voldermort and his allies.

Evaluation: An interesting conclusion of the popular Harry Potter series. The battle of good and evil finally comes to an end. Reference to spells, wizardry and magic. Some may interpret that the characters and events in the story are promoting Wica and other cult practices.

Reviews and Awards:School Library Journal, Starred Review for Publishers Weekly, Starred Review ALA Booklist, Voice of Youth Advocates, Wilson's Children's Catalog, Wilson's Junior High Catalog

Author Information: J. K. Rowling was born on July 31, 1965 in Chipping Sodbury, England. She was educated at Exeter University and has worked as a teacher. The author's full name is Joanne Kathleen Rowling. She is married to Dr. Neil Murray and has two children, a girl named Jessica and a boy named David. Rowling is best known for writing the Harry Potter series. She received an American Book Award in 1999. The first five books in the Harry Potter series have all been ALA Notable Children's Books.

Author website: www.jkrowling.com

Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Year Published: 2002
Publisher: Little, Brown & Co.
ISBN: 0316168815
Pages: 328
Price: $18.66 (Library Bound)
Classification: Fiction
Media Format : Book
Genre: Mystery, Romance, Adventure
Interest Level: 9-12
Reading Level: 6
Personal Rating: 5 Stars
Subjects: Murder victims families, Teenage girls, Crimes against, Rape

Reader's Annotation: Will you just watch and wait from heaven if you see your killer get away and your family fall apart because of your death?

Summary: Susie Salmon takes a shortcut home from school. She takes the cornfield route and meets George Harvey. He tricked her to go to the underground den, traps her, rapes her, kills her, dismembers her body and drops them in a sinkhole. Only Susie’s hat and elbow is found. Investigators did not find suspects for the death of Susie so they drop the case. Susie’s family falls apart. Her father goes through depression, her mother having an affair with one of the detectives and her sister feeling abandoned and confused with her sister’s disappearance. As years go by loved ones and friends find clues, sometimes with the help of Susie, from her personal heaven. It took years for them to figure out who killed Susie and by then Harvey is free to harm other girls. His final attempt to rape another lady in a bus depot lead to a freak accident. Harvey got knocked out by a fallen icicle and tumbled down on a ravine to his death.

Evaluation: A chilling book about a teenager's unsolved murder. The author gave some grotesque description of Susie's body being dismembered. A little rape scene was also described in the book.

Reviews and Awards: Library Journal, New York Times Book Review, Publishers Weekly, Wilson's High School Catalog