msjamgochian'sinfinitebooklist

Hush is the story of Gittel and her best friend Devory, who are both growing up in a closed Chassidic community in Brooklyn Park, New York. Seventeen-year-old Gittel tells their story, moving between modern day and the girls' shared childhood. I can't write many details about the book without giving too much away, but suffice it to say this is a powerful book that you won't stop thinking about until you talk to someone else about it. If you don't mind spoilers, or don't plan on reading the book but want to recommend it or order it for your library, click here for the Velveteen Rabbi's full review . Eishes Chayil (a pseudonym which means Women of Valor) has written a book that might save lives in a voice that needs to be heard. Grade 8+

Looking for a complex graphic literary fantasy? The Unwritten has a bit of everything: a broken father-son relationship, a touch of social commentary, plenty of literary references, and buckets of blood and guts. Although The Unwritten's central fictional character, Tommy Taylor, is often compared to Harry Potter, I think Carey must have used Christopher Milne 's life as inspiration. Tom Taylor is the son of Wilson Taylor, the author of a fantastically popular series of 13 books, all featuring Tommy. Wilson skips town early on, and Tom is left to squeeze a meager living out of Tommy Taylor fandom (imagine soul-crushing con appearances). When it's announced that Tom isn't actually the biological son of Wilson Taylor, his fanbase turns evangelical, and he escapes to the notorious Villa Diodati in Switzerland, where Mary Shelley created Frankenstein. That's when the story really begins. Peter Gross' illustrations only enhance the pleasure. Click here for Comic Boo

Trailer by Julia Golding Julia Golding visited FIS this week and we have had a run on her books since! I am impressed with the amount of research that she weaves into her stories; The Silver Sea is a fine example of her attention to historical detail. Toki and Freydis are living in 19th century Norway when their village is raided by pirates. Toki is taken hostage, but his injured sister Freydis remains behind, hidden in a pit. Before departing to exact vengeance on the pirates and reclaim his son, their father, Othere, bestows Freydis with an African slave for protection, and he turns out to be more than just a guardian. Full of plot twists, engaging characters, and a surprise ending. Grade 6+

If you know me, you know I have been addicted to comics, graphic novels, visual stories, whatever you want to call them, since I was a kid. Most of the time I'm aware of what is wonderful out there in graphic land, but occasionally a surprise gem falls into my lap when I visit Terminal Entertainment, our local comic shop. Empire State was just such a find, and honestly, I don't know how I missed Jason Shiga all this time (he won an Eisner Award in 2003 for Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition). Jimmy is a nerd: he works at the library and his mom still gives him an allowance. His best friend Sara can't wait to get out of Oakland - she's moving to NYC and interning at a publishing house. After she leaves, Jimmy realizes he wants her for more than a friend, and sends her a letter asking her to meet him at the top of the Empire State building (a la Sleepless in Seattle and An Affair to Remember). Of course, Sara isn't there at the appointed time (she claims she hasn&#

The perfect remedy for those of you pining for the next issue of The Walking Dead (and no, I don't want to buy the single issues, I want NUMBER 14!). Although I wouldn't call it " a slice of fried gold ," I would describe it a satisfying escape into a future world post-virus, with colonies of lepers, an infected doctor who holds the possible key to a cure, and a cross-country road trip to figure out what happened to the control center in Virginia. Sound familiar? That's because it is. Give this to fans of TWD to hold them over. Grade 9+

Darcie Lock thought she knew everything about her parents: fastidious Dad works at a dead-end job in the consular section of the British High Commission in Nairobi and Mom lives for her once a month trip to NYC for shopping and manicures. BORING! Darcie's predictable universe is blown open when Dad (who turns out to be an MI6 agent) is kidnapped in the middle of the night. MI6 not so gently persuades her to help them find him, and that is where the fast-paced spy action begins. Did I mention Mom works for the CIA? Darcie's life as an expat will have special appeal to international school students. Highly recommended for fans of Robert Muchamore's Cherub series and Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls. Grade 6+

This story has it all: a smart princess, a cute-coming-of-age prince, a good-natured giant, humor, romance, and a plot that keeps the pages flying without becoming unrealistic (in a fantastical kind of way)! Taoshira (Tashi), the Fourth Crown Princess of the Blue Crescent Islands, is less than thrilled when she finds out that a marriage to Prince Ramil ac Burinholt of Gerfal has been arranged for political reasons. Ram isn't excited about becoming a groom either. Tashi travels to the Gerfalian capitol to meet her betrothed, the two of them are kidnapped by neighboring warmonger Fergox during an unsuccessful riding lesson, and the flame is lit. Julia Golding captures the wondrous transition from irritation to adoration that so often happens in first love. Dragonfly would be an excellent catalyst to a discussion on tolerance and justice.Give this to fans of The Princess Bride, Graceling, or The Hunger Games, and they will eat it up. Grade 6+

Sixteen-year-old Jack gets drunk in the wrong place at the wrong time and ends up kidnapped and molested by a psychotic doctor and that is where this horror-fantasy-sci-fi story begins. I have to admit I was underwhelmed by TML; I didn't empathize with the characters and I just didn't believe the romantic subplot. The alternate universe of Marbury wasn't fleshed out enough for me to care about and I found the use of the glasses as transporter to the alternate universe rather weak. I could have gotten past some of those issues, but Smith's constant use of the f-bomb (and I mean on every single page multiple times) felt comical and I found myself making fun of the story long before the end. I'm hoping Smith's In the Path of Falling Objects will be a more inspiring read. Grade 10+

Daniel Clowes has actually written a book with a happy ending. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but I did enjoy this short midlife romance featuring a recently rejected aging beauty and a self-loathing loner who meet at what they imagine to be the end of the road. Mister Wonderful was originally serialized in the New York Times; you can read it for free here . BBC also produced a documentary on modern artists that included a piece on Daniel Clowes, and you can watch it here .

Today is one of my favorite days of the year! Wherever you are in the world, make your way to a comic shop! An excellent way to support your local brick and mortar comic seller. While you are there, I recommend picking up anything by Jeff Lemire , Daniel Clowes , Chris Ware , Hope Larson , or Jeff Brown . Do I even need to mention The Walking Dead?

Sweet down-to-earth Juli Baker has been crazy about blue-eyed Bryce Loski since he moved in to the house across the street in second grade. Bryce avoids her like the plague until eighth grade, when he 'flips' for her - just when she has moved on. On the surface, Flipped looks like just another teen romance, but readers who dig in will be rewarded with a deep look at insecurity, courage, and family. Perfect for book club discussions. Don't miss the film adaptation! Grade 6+