Humorous author Robin Palmer doesn’t disappoint in this third book in the “Yours Truly, Lucy B. Parker” series.  “Vote for Me” has Lucy running for class president, pushing to make a name for herself.  (Lucy’s step-sister is a teen superstar, to whom popularity comes easily.)  Lucy’s attempt to be out-going battles her insecurities in a charming sort of way.

The only down-side to the book for young readers is that Lucy’s father’s girlfriend is pregnant.  While this takes away from the wholesomeness of the story, it just adds to the drama (the baby shower falls on the same day as the election.)  Everything is always a struggle for Lucy, which makes her even more enduring.

It’s lame.  It claims to be a book about courage, but the big brave thing that Ben manages to do is to ride his bike to his friend’s house by himself, exactly 6 houses from his own, while Mom is standing there watching.  It just doesn’t qualify as an actual story, because there’s no actual plot. But the binding is sturdy and the illustrations are cute.

The limited target audience makes this an Additional Purchase for school libraries, though it may count more as a Recommended for public libraries.  Intended for very young children, both illustrations and text are simple and spare, but the character and plot are certainly something preschool children will relate to:  every time Mommy suggests helping Mimi in some way, Mimi shouts no and insists on doing it herself (I’m guessing she’s two).

It’s crude and crass and tacky.  It started out as a bedtime story a dad told his that made them laugh, and I can see that — there are certainly some who will get a kick out of this kind of humor, but I certainly wouldn’t spend money on it.  They told us in library school that if we don’t have any books in our library that offend us then we are guilty of unconscious censorship, so I’ll keep this in my library to keep me from censorship, but I’m glad it was free and I wouldn’t recommend it to others.  It tells the story of an overweight woman who has a bad case of gas but hasn’t farted in years, and when she finally passes gas in the produce section of the local market all the produce changes colors, resulting in a new trend.

Set in Elizabethan England, this is the tale of girl who is shuffled between disinterested parents, and left to look after herself much of the time.  To make things extra challenging, Meggy has a disability during an historical time period in which such struggles were viewed as just punishment from God sent down upon someone who had it coming.  But Meggy’s got spunk and she faces things head on, making friends along the way, and coming to the rescue when she discovers her drip of a dad is about to be unwittingly used by some thugs to play the key role in a dastardly deed.  There’s a lot about Meggy that kids today can relate to, but there’s a lot about the setting that students will find so very different from their own world, that many may have trouble understanding.  Best suited for more sophisticated readers who have some background knowledge of this time period or used as a read-aloud or literature-circle shared reading experience with an adult who can explain/interpret as questions arise.

Seventeen-year-old Willow and her mom move back to Georgia from Las Vegas.  Willow, like her mother, is a hypnotist.  Right before Willow departed from Georgia to Las Vegas, she hypnotized Max, her best friend into believing that they would be best friends forever.  While she is in Las Vegas, Willow realizes that her feelings for Max have grown into more than just friends. When she goes back to Georgia, expecting to start a relationship with Max, she finds out that he has a girlfriend.  Will Willow and Max ever find each other?

The author creates a real-life drama amongst the teens.  Readers will be able to relate to the “feeling something more for your best friend” relationship.  Although the plot was entertaining and engaging, the story’s ending lacked imagination; very unrealistic even with the hypnotist story-line.  Fans of Jabaley’s Lipstick Apology will not be disappointed with her witty writing style and creative plot.

Christina D.

Five 4ths of July is an historical fiction geared towards young adults. The main character, 15 yr. old Jake Mallery, is based on an ancestor of the author’s husband.  The novel covers five 4ths of July, 1777, 1778, 1779, 1780, 1781 and each is a pivotal day in the life of a teenaged boy living on the Connecticut coast during the Revolutionary War.

The story is filled with rebellion, young romance, adventure, danger and fear, as Jake progresses from a boy to a rebel to a soldier to a prisoner to a patriot. Most gripping is the prisoner section, as it depicts the often overlooked and very grim history of the British prison ships. The author notes that while approximately 4,500 Americans died on the battle fields during the Revolutionary War, another 11,500 died horrific deaths in the holds of British prison ships in the New York harbor.

Government and Social Class in Colonial America covers the time period of 1620 through 1776 and examines social rank in British America, the development of Colonial government, the impact of Nathaniel Bacon’s rebellion, the changing social status of blacks, the impact of the Enlightenment, and the growing disputes with the Mother Country that led to the American Revolution.

Of particular interest is the discussion of the changing social status of white indentured servants, as well as black servants, who before stricter laws were enacted, were able to earn their freedom alongside the white servants. Also discussed were the unsuccessful attempts by colonists to enslave Native Americans.

The restrictions upon, and discrimination against, women is examined. Details of rules on clothing and housing styles, based on social class, are outlined.

This book is filled with interesting and relatively easy to read historical information, and does not gloss over or minimize the suffering of the lower classes, the Native Americans, or the black slaves.

There are numerous pictures, a time line, index, and an extensive bibliography by chapter.

Up and Down is a funny little story about friendship.  The story deals with two friends and how their choices effect each other.  There are lessons showing the consequences that follow choices.  The story is cute, light, and filled with great pictures.  I like this short story.

This book is a great resource for young readers to learn about avalanches.  The pictures are big and clear.  The information is simple and easy to understand.  This book is a quick read, and will hold the attention of young readers as well as older ones with the interesting details.  The glossary is an excellent resource at the end to increase vocabulary and comprehension.