And then there were sequels.

I am currently reading Still Sucks To Be Me, by Kimberly Pauley. This is a sequel to Sucks To Be Me, which I read a few months ago. Why I didn't review it for you then, I'll never know. How about I review it now? Sound good?

First of all: How can you not want to read a book called Sucks To Be Me? The title alone is worth the price of admission. Second: This is a vampire story unlike any you have read before. Mina Hamilton is in eleventh grade, crushing on the cutest boy in her school, when the local Vampire Council discovers that Mina's vampire parents have neglected to inform the Council that they have a child. Technically, vampires aren't allowed to tell any humans of their existence, so having a human child (who knows her parents are vampires!) is a violation of vampire law. The Council is not happy. Mina is required to attend vampire orientation classes and then is forced to choose whether to turn and stay with her parents as they relocate, or to remain human and go into foster care with all memory of her parents erased.

Mina is sassy, sarcastic, witty, and loveable even in her angst. The chapter headings are little handwritten myth-debunking cards such as: "Myth: A stake through the heart will kill a vampire. Truth: Well, duh. It would kill anyone." Another is "Myth: Vampires have huge stockpiles of gold and treasure. Truth: If that were true, I'd be able to get my dad to actually buy me a car." And, one of my very favorites, "Myth: Vampires sleep in coffins. Truth: That's totally gross. It would take a total freak to want to sleep in a coffin." These are accompanied by little stick-figure drawings and cartoon vampire faces.

Ms. Pauley has created an absolutely wonderful character in Mina, and her twists on the vampire tradition are great.

Courage and confusion

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie--The first thing you have to know when you read this book is that the author, Sherman Alexie, really is a Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Indian from the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington State. If you don't know that, the novel might seem absolutely incredible instead of absolutely true. As a matter of fact, many of the afflictions Sherman Alexie suffered as a child are used as the basis for Junior, the novel's main character. Born hydrocephalic (having "water on the brain") he undergoes surgery, which it is not certain he will survive. If he does survive, he is expected to be little more than a vegetable, given the potential brain damage.

Instead, Sherman not only survived, he thrived, as does Junior. I don't know if Sherman suffered the torments of his fellow Indians the way Junior does, but the same incident (in fact and fiction) catapults them off the reservation. In the novel, Junior goes to the first day of geometry class at the reservation school and is issued a textbook. When he opens the book, he sees his mother's maiden name as one of the students who has used that book. The realization that he and his fellow students are in a situation so poor that they are using thirty-year-old textbooks first crushes, then galvanizes Junior.

He transfers to the school in Reardan, the town outside the reservation. Until then, the only Indian at the school has been the mascot. Junior is received with about as much enthusiasm as he expects...none plus animosity. Events lead him to acceptance and even triumph as a student and basketball player.

Let me state for the record that there is more than a little rude and crude language, and that some subjects introduced are probably not appropriate for middle school. High schoolers, though, especially boys, will really appreciate The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.

The Lightning Thief

I finally read The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan. Wow! What a wild ride! Mr. Riordan manages to honestly portray the historic mythos of the Greeks without the white-wash we saw in the movie Disney's Hercules. He doesn't shy away from the less savory aspects (unfaithful spouses, drunken gods, petty jealousy), but he doesn't dwell on them for too long. The focus is on Percy Jackson and his quest to solve the mystery surrounding a lightning bolt missing from Zeus's armory. The fact that he is developing lasting friendships for the first time in his life adds unexpected depth to the story. This is not your typical buddy caper, my friends!

Percy Jackson has been an outsider his whole life. Kicked out of school every year since kindergarten, he has had few opportunities to form friendships with the kids who first consider him the "new guy" then move on to considering him the "weird guy." His latest school is shaping up to be the same, with a twist. He has made a friend in Grover, a nervous boy who seems to understand Percy. Grover's support wavers, however when Percy claims that their pre-Algebra teacher turned into a monster and attacked him. Grover, the other students, and all the other teachers deny the very existence of the woman.

A boy diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia, his life has been full of disappointment and disillusionment. Grover's apparent step back hurts Percy deeply, and when Grover accompanies him on the bus ride home after school is over, Percy takes an opportunity to ditch him, even though Grover specifically told him to wait for him. Another monster comes after Percy when he goes to the shore with him mother for a vacation. Grover manages to find them, and revelations are made which change Percy's worldview forever.

I'm not going to say any more than that. Except this. I can't wait to read The Sea of Monsters!!!

PAY ATTENTION!!

The South Carolina Book Award Nominee list has been posted here. For those of you in middle school, especially, this is important! Your summer reading will be centered on this list. You will need to choose from the JBA or the YABA columns.

I am making it my goal to read every book in every category before the beginning of the summer so that I can better advise you about what you may like. I'm crossing my fingers I can get it done, 'cause that's a LOT of books! You can follow my adventures here.

All that on top of promising to read the Percy Jackson series...