Monday Mini-Reviews: YA Of Course

As a middle school librarian I am surrounded by fantastic YA titles. My TBR only grows longer because I can never catch up.  I've started making a better effort of getting through some titles, although this is probably something that no one else will even notice because the few additional titles I may get read are nothing compared to the stacks of ones I want to read.

Anyway, I've done a good amount of YA reading lately and have a few titles to share.

Benchwarmers by John Feinstein- I love, love, love pretty much all of Feinstein's middle grade/YA sports fiction. This story focuses on a soccer team and the girl, Andi, who wants to join the all-boys team.  She faces opposition from the coach who doesn't believe that girls and boys should play sports together, but finds a friend, Jeff, willing to advocate for her.  It doesn't hurt that Jeff's father is a sports reporter for a Philly station and manages to garner some publicity about this issue.  This is a feel-good story that could generate some good discussion among kids.

In the  Shadow of the Sun by Anne Sibley O'Brien is packed with suspense. From the first chapter when Mia follows her father late at night from his hotel room in North Korea to his arrest, we wonder what Mia's dad is up to.  Mia and her older brother, Simon, set off on their own in North Korea trying to reach the border with China where they believe they can find help.  There are lots of scares along the way and readers will get a small taste of what life inside North Korea is like.  I also liked the additional information about North Korea included in this book.

Cold Day in the Sun by Sara Biren is a sports story and a romance.  Holland is a serious hockey player -and wants to be known for her hockey skills not the fact that she is a girl playing on a boys team.  The new captain of their team, Wes, is obnoxious and Holland can't stand him....except there are sparks any time his hand touches her.  And pretty soon Holland doesn't find Wes so obnoxious any more - except he's the team captain and she has strict rules about dating any one on the team. I love a good teen romance from time to time, and Wes is a pretty nice guy. I couldn't help but root for young love to win out.

I've only got two days of school this week.  I am hosting Thanksgiving, which means I have lots of cleaning to do - and lots of cooking also.  Once that is done, I'd like to think I'd find some time to curl up with a few good books.  Recommendations, anyone?