Moline Teens Read

Iron Thunder: The Battle Between the Monitor & the Merrimac
by Avi

Tom Carroll is just an average thirteen year old in Brooklyn as the Civil War rages on. He’s lost his father to the war and his mother and older sister struggle to make ends meet. He is both proud and frightened when his mother tells him he needs to get a job to help support the family. But when he is assigned to help Captain John Ericsson build the Monitor, also known as a floating battery, also known as “Ericsson’s Folly” and “the iron coffin,” his life changes in ways he never could have imagined. Suddenly he is in the middle of history in the making, caught between duty to his country and the threats of Rebel spies, and still not sure how he feels about it all.

Shooting the Moon
by Frances O’Roark Dowell

Jamie loves being an army brat. She’s insanely jealous when her older brother T.J. turns 18 and enlists to serve in the Vietnam War. But when she starts volunteering in the rec center, Jamie starts to learn that the world is not as black and white as the film her brother sends home for her to develop. Not everyone is as excited about the war as she and T.J., including her own father, the Colonel. As the photos T.J. sends become more graphic and detailed, even Jamie starts to question her fanatic devotion to the army and war.

Miss Spitfire
by Sarah Miller

Nearly everyone has heard of Helen Keller, but what of her teacher, Annie Sullivan? Annie was no stranger to adversity herself when she met Helen. Left in an almshouse by her father as a young child, Annie soon lost both her sight and her brother. She was rescued, given back her sight, and sent to a school for the blind. There she learned to communicate with deaf, blind, and deaf/blind people. She isn’t sure that will be enough to reach her new pupil though. Not only does her task seem impossible, Annie is desperately lonely, and Helen rebuffs every attempt Annie makes to become close. Frustrated but determined, Annie forges head, positive that the key to comminication lies somewhere inside Helen’s mind. Most people know of her success, and this fictional biography gives life to the trials and tribulations that led to that success. This is a touching and informative read that would appeal to any fans of Helen Keller or anyone interested in the deaf or blind community.

The White Giraffe
by Lauren St. John

Martine has no idea that when she loses her home and her parents in a tragic housefire how much her life will change. She is sent to South Africa to live with a grandmother she didn’t even know existed, and who apparently doesn’t want her around. The kids at her new school aren’t very fond of her either. And that’s the least of her worries. There is a mystery at the wildlife reserve where she now lives, one that involves a mythical giraffe, her grandfather’s murder, and dangerous enemies. But she’s not alone. She has a crazy old woman who tells her she has a gift, a silent and mysterious boy at her school, and a friend who is too incredible to believe. Will this be enough for Martine to discover her gift and use it in time to prevent disaster? This is a beautiful story of a girl finding her place in the world that might be marred by an unexplained dip into the fantastical realm, but is still good reading.

Drita, My Homegirl
by Jenny Lombard

Drita is an immigrant from Kosovo. She, her mother, little brother, and grandmother have finally joined her father in New York. Her life is supposed to be wonderful now. But her mother cries a lot. She has trouble learning the language and making friends. Maxie is a New Yorker through and through. She lives with her dad and grandmother, and the memory of the mother she lost three years ago. She’s got plenty of “homies” and knows how to stay out of trouble most of the time. What could these two girls possibly have in common? They might not know it, but they both need a really good friend. Will it be possible to overcome the language and social barriers they face?

A Dog’s Life
by Ann M. Martin

Squirrel was born in a warm shed. Most of her siblings didn’t survive. When she was only a few months old her mother left her and her brother, Bone, on their own. This may seem harsh, unless you know that Squirrel is a dog. When Squirrel follows Bone away from their safe shed she embarks on a journey that is at times heartbreaking, nearly always hungry, sometimes dangerous, but always full of life. The dogs do not talk to each other in human voices, but communicate in a language that is no less understandable. Squirrel is a most loveable dog, and her story is not unlike that of many young people today, trying to find their place in the world.

Extras
by Scott Westerfeld

Yes, Westerfeld does know what a trilogy is. Consider this a sequel to the trilogy.

It’s been three years since Tally helped release the mind-rain on the world. But now that people are thinking for and of themselves, how will society work? One city’s solution is to introduce the “reputation economy.” The more popular and important you are, the easier your life is. Aya dreams of being as popular as her older brother, but when she seeks out a story to “kick” that will make her famous, she finds more than she bargained for. Frizz became popular by forming a clique that can’t lie. The Sly Girls could be as famous as they want with their wicked tricks, but they would rather be free. And someone, or something, has built a device that could mean the end of the world. A special appearance by Tally will leave you with more questions than answers, and hungry for even more!

Specials
by Scott Westerfeld

No longer a bubble-head, but not free either, Tally struggles to fit into her new role as a Special. Amazingly strong and full of new powers, she still wants nothing more than to be happy. Her first love from the Smoke, David, seems to be nothing but an ugly troublemaker to her now. And her new love, Zane, has not recovered from his brain trauma, leaving him shaky and weak. Both are very un-Special. Will the old Tally, the one that remembers how to love even those who aren’t perfect, be able to overcome her new Specialness? Will even that be enough to save the world from destruction?

Pretties
by Scott Westerfeld

Tally is back, but is she really Tally anymore? Pretty, popular, and a bubble-head with only hazy memories of her time in the Smoke, Tally is just trying to fit in when she runs into an old friend. Zane, a new friend, helps her to remember her past and figure out what’s happening now. They discover the cure that Maddie made for the brain lesions, but when they decide to share the pills something goes wrong. Will they be able to fight the bubble-headedness, pull their friends out as well, find the New Smoke, and survive while they’re at it? You won’t want to put the book down until you find out.

The Dangerous Days of Daniel X
by James Patterson

Put on your seatbelt before you start this one! From page one you’ll be drawn into a world full of aliens and adventure that doesn’t let up until the very end. Daniel was only three years old when aliens killed his parents. But he was no ordinary three year old. An alien himself, Daniel is an alien-hunter, sent to earth to find and destroy evil aliens and protect humanity. It’s a lonely life, but someone’s got to do it.