Skybreaker by Kenneth Oppel

The sequel to Airborn, the novel follows 16-year old Matt Cruse and a few friends on another adventure as they explore dangerously high altitudes to recover the frozen hull of a wrecked treasure ship. A great read, but grittier and somehow older than Airborn; I read it through the night and I felt a lot of anxiety and suspense about the fate of the characters. Maybe this makes the novel more appealing to readers?




The Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr

National Book Award contenders and Printz Award winners for teens have tended to explore more serious contemporary issues over the past few years. Zarr's novel is no exceptions; the book starts with a dad catching his 13-year old daughter having sex in the back of a car with an older boy. Novel is an interesting exploration of contemporary sexuality and the problems facing modern families. No plot-line or thinking discussed in the novel is revolutionary. Book jackets claims the novel explores why young girls have sex early. Ask me about this; I'm not sure I agree.