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2003

Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi (Hyperion, $15.99, fifth-grade level). ISBN: 078680828-4	The Medalist A 13-year-old, scorned and rejected by the grimy village he lives in, runs for his life across medieval England while attempting to untangle the mystery of his origin. Not until his equally despised mother dies does the nearly nameless son of Asta get a inkling that something is amiss. The steward of the manor accuses him of theft and labels him a wolf's head, meaning he's inhuman and anyone can kill him without punishment. The boy is befriended on the road by a huge juggler, aptly named Bear, who brings him to the large town where the story climaxes and the mystery is revealed. First the good news. Even the most reluctant of readers will race through these pages, which Avi has packed with action, short paragraphs and even shorter sentences. The writing is telegraphic - lots of verbs and very few adjectives. Social studies teachers will eagerly add this book to their units on medieval Europe. Two powerful cultural features of the time - the unalterable faith in the power of God; the animalistic existence of the servile class -- are addressed by Avi, but in painfully short sections. Now the bad news. If you've read any book written in the last, say, 4,000 years, you will be familiar with the plot and the "mystery" that drives it. The story lacks originality to an award-winning degree. Because Avi made a tradeoff when he choose action and simplicity over complexity and description, the most heavy damage occurs in characterization. The cross isn't the only thing made of lead in this book. This is not a bad book and Avi is not a bad writer. He has rightly been awarded Newbery honors twice in the past. I would be willing to wager my substantial free-lance writing salary that the only person more surprised than me that "Crispin: the Cross of Lead" won the Newbery medal is Avi himself.
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer (Atheneum, $17.95, seventh-grade level). ISBN: 0-689-85222-3.	Honor Book The clone of a powerful drug lord struggles for existence in a harsh, futuristic world. Farmer has really done it this time. She earned Newbery honors for two previous books, both of which pale in comparison to this latest offering. Few books have dealt so lucidly with the moral implications of cloning, political expediency and the drug wars. Yes, moral implications. Yes, a teen book. Matt is born the property of the lord of Opium, a country carved from the border region between Mexico and the United States in an attempt to end the ceaseless traffic in drugs and illegal aliens. The boy is treated like garbage by everyone except on the rare occasions when El Patron comes to the hacienda. The old man reeks of menace but cherishes time with his biological alter ego. Matt slowly learns the terrible cost for his odd state of privilege. El Patron and other powerful figures have been ordering the illicit creation of clones so that doctors can harvest organs to keep the drug lords young and fit. Technology is used to turn other humans into "eejits" who work mindlessly until they die. For good measure, Farmer weaves into her story political allegory, commentary on environmental destruction, and a bizarre solution for the drug wars. If nothing else, this novel should generate intense discussion at the middle and high school levels. "Scorpion" isn't a perfect book but is by far Farmer's best. The narrative is much more sharply drawn than in her earlier novels. The action sequences and pacing are superb. This is a thoughtful page turner. It's hard to ask for more.
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen (Knopf, $15.95, fifth-grade level).ISBN: 0-375-82181-3.	Honor Book A teen-aged boy used to the Spartan beauty of Montana avoids a lethal bully, tries to save an an endangered species of owl, and makes two strange friendships while adjusting to the flatland weirdness of southern Florida. Ray is a veteran new kid. His father works for the Department of Justice and is transferred to new locales on an annual basis. Ray is honest and fair-minded. He is made of stern stuff. Hiaasen populates his world with characters that would make any writer in the Southern Gothic genre proud. The novel is filled with a dozen interesting characters, all of them human to the mole on their upper lip. Hiaasen is foremost a journalist so he uses his well-crafted characters to tell a compelling, fast-paced story. The reader will of course understand Hiaasen's rather pointed take on the issue of large corporations that try to destroy the environment. They will encounter harsh words for teachers and parents who neglect or abuse their charges. They will also find one of more accurate and politically incorrect views of bullies I've ever read. Every teacher and administrator knows there are kids like Dana Matherson in the world. Kids who are either pathologically evil or who were negatively altered by their environment. These kids are incorrigible but no one will ever admit it. Ray does everything that your mom, dad, counselor and psychiatrist say you should to turn a bully away or turn him into a friend. Dana remains a thug and ends up in jail. I cheer for this and the many other joys of "Hoot."
Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff (Wendy Lamb Books, $15.95, sixth-grade level). ISBN: 0-385-32655-6.	Honor Book A 12-year-old orphan girl makes what she thinks is a series of unforgivable mistakes while learning to let others love her. Hollis, sometimes known as Holly, has been hardened by her harsh life. She longs to be part of a family but is too defensive to let her fondest wish have voice. She is a wonderfully gifted artist. If you look closely enough at her sketches you will see what she desires and fears. Fortunately for her, an elderly woman with a keen eye for the truth notices. Hollis is conflicted. She had a placement with a family that desperately wanted her to be their daughter. Like most kids in trouble, she internalizes blame and sees herself as the cause for family discord and a terrible accident. She runs. Under the most unlikely of circumstance, Hollis finds redemption and the home she craves. This is a powerfully emotional book. Giff clearly understands the mechanism that drives the destructive behavior of kids in foster homes or orphanages. I would highly recommend anyone that deals professionally with damaged children should read this book. On a separate note, I have to congratulate the author. She has completed the difficult task of providing a happy ending that doesn't feel maudlin or contrived. Kids can smell a phony a mile away. Young readers will smile gratefully and perhaps shed a tear when Hollis finds her home.
A Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin (Scholastic, $15.95, fifth-grade level). ISBN: 0-439-38880-5.	Honor Book An 11-year-old undergoes a transformation when her sheltered, small-town world is disrupted by the arrival of an uncle she never knew existed. Hattie Owens is a conservative, but why shouldn't she be? She loves her parents, the oddball collection of boarders that share her large roof, and the perfectly predictable routine her life has followed. She knows she is a bit of an outsider from the social world of her peers, in part because of her odd perspective on life and in part because her wealthy grandparents rule the town like medieval lords. Enter Uncle Adam, a 21-year-old who has been kept hidden away at a special school out of state. Adam would be defined in modern parlance as an idiot savant who perhaps suffers from autism. In a small-town world of 1960, he is at best special, at worst a freak. Adam serves as the catalyst that forces Hattie to reevaluate her parents and grandparents. He shatters pretense with a breathless ease. The inability of the adults to deal openly with Adam awakens Hattie to the superficiality of her world. A tragic event cements that awareness. Martin has given us a small novel that makes a big point. We all need people in our life like Adam who can lift up the corners of the universe and make us look anew at what we take for granted.
Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan (Harper Collins, $17.89, sixth-grade level). ISBN: 0066236029.	Honor Book A troublemaking boy is given a last chance to cooperate with society when he is placed in an odd school run by an artistic family. Jake Semple comes from a failed home. Both parents are in jail. The boy has moved from school to school causing minor havoc. His real genius is projecting a terrifying persona and creating a legendary name. Jake, however, knows that his act is running thin on reality and is looking for an out. The Applewhites give it to him. This odd family has created a school for its own children in rural North Carolina. Each kid pursues their own education with virtually no guidance from adults. That's because each of the kids is a "creative genius" in one or more genres. The big people are more of the same. Jake is coopted in subtle fashion. No one pays the least attention to his appearance, his foul mouth or lack of cooperation. He is adopted by the family dog, the family's 4-year-old son and eventually the family's production of "The Sound of Music." Jake finds his muse and his home. Tolan has certainly created an entertaining family in the Applewhites. Their antics, which have the ring of farce, will amuse young readers. The only character I had trouble with is Jake. I and many others have taught bad boys who committed heinous crimes. Jake wouldn't even be a blip on my radar, so why he terrified teachers and administrators is a mystery. His conversion to cooperation is equally unlikely. That said, I enjoyed the novel. It affirms the importance and power of art and it tells us that troubled kids need to be given a chance to find their voice.

Copyright David Ross 2003