February Teen Book Reviews


kateboydaredThe Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

This novel is based on the true story of a Hitler Youth named Helmuth Hubener who was imprisoned and put to death by the Nazis. Helmuth recounts the course of events leading up to his imprisonment from his jail cell on death row in Berlin , Germany . It is 1933 and Helmuth is in fifth grade when Adolf Hitler becomes the new chancellor of the Reich. Helmuth has anticipated this announcement, and is happy that Hitler promises to bring peace to Germany . He admires the Nazi soldiers in his community. But when the harassment of Jews begins and the violence of war and hatred hit closer to home, Helmuth begins to distrust the forces that he has been raised to respect. Helmuth is charged with distributing information about the war that questions Hitler, and it is all he can do to continue to stand up for his beliefs, even at the risk of his life.

Recommended to young readers with an interest in history, World War II, and personal stories. Susan Campbell Bartoletti also wrote the nonfiction account Hitler Youth : Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow.

katejumpingJumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles

Ellie thought that Josh would be different. She thought that Josh really liked her. Josh just wanted to get the guys off his back about being a virgin. Caleb, who has been in love with Ellie for, well, forever, can’t believe that Josh would ever be “one of those guys.” And Corinne is disgusted by all of them and doesn’t understand why Ellie keeps putting herself in situations where she knows she’s going to get hurt. But this time IS different; this time Ellie got pregnant.

Told in alternate viewpoints, the perspectives of Ellie, Corinne, Josh, and Caleb intertwine to tell all sides of the story. Caleb’s mother is an especially strong and welcoming character and is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to protecting those important to her, as well as providing comfort and humor at the right moments. The romance that blossoms between Corrine and Caleb will be unsurprising, but welcomed by most readers. Ellie’s story will appeal to readers with an interest in novels about teen pregnancy and other teen issues. Rather than being a depressing story, this novel tries simply to be honest. Because of the nature of the content, this title is recommended to older teen readers.

kateantsyAntsy Does Time by Neal Shusterman

Returning from The Schwa Was Here, this is another account of the hilarious adventures of Anthony “Antsy” Bonano. Antsy has yet another grand idea to occupy his time, but this time it’s for a really good cause. He discovers that Gunnar Umlaut only has six months to live because of some rare illness, so Antsy decides to give his classmate one month of his life. As a result, many other students are inspired to do the same, and soon many in the community are on board! Antsy is thrilled that so many are willing to give up a month of their life to extend Gunnar’s, and it’s a pretty decent bonus that Gunnar’s gorgeous older sister seems to have taken a special interest in Antsy, too.

Of course, no good deed goes unpunished, but in Antsy’s case every twist and turn is thrilling for the reader. The humor is over-the-top, and the characters are fascinating. This book is recommended to all readers, especially those who enjoyed the companion The Schwa Was Here.

Katherine Vasilik, Teen Librarian
Franklin Lakes (NJ) Public Library
tel: 201-891-2224 x105
fax: 201-891-5102
email: vasilik@bccls.org or kate_thelibrarian@yahoo.com
blog: http://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com