The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner

Gardner, Sally. 2007. The red necklace. New York: The Penguin Group. Photo Source: Barnes and Noble. 2007. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ (accessed March 18, 2009).

This award winning novel is set in Paris at the beginning of the French Revolution. A time when the aristocracy was about to be under attack by the common man. The main characters in this novel are Yann Margoza, a young gypsy boy; Tetu, the dwarf who raised him after his mother's death; the Marquis de Villeduval, the over the top aristocrat; Count Kalliovski, the villian of the story; and Sido, the young girl who Yann helps save from the guillotin.

Throughout the story, the reader discovers how these characters are connected with each other. The back story of how the aristocracy lived in comparison to the common man at the time of the French Revolution is interesting, although one wonders how much of an exaggeration some of it is. For example, did the aristocracy really build tunnels underneath gardens so that that gardeners could change out plants from below ground daily to match the buckles of the aristocrats shoes? I don't know how much is true and how much is exaggerated but the novel gives a clear understanding that the reason behind the French Revolution was the discrepancy of living standards between the rich and the poor.

I think 7th and 8th grade students will enjoy this book. Boys might also enjoy this book because it is written from the male perspective, although a young girl appears on the cover. While a modern day teenager cannot relate to the events of a gypsy boy at the time of the French Revolution, the general topics of family ties, friendships, and the need to feel safe and secure will resonate with young readers. I do wonder if a sequel to this novel will be written. The ending of the books leaves the story wide open for a sequel.

The dead & the gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Pfeffer, Susan Beth. 2008. The dead & the gone. New York: Harcourt, Inc. Cover Photo Source: Barnes & Noble Online, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ (accessed February 26, 2009).

This book is a 2009-2010 Lone Star Award Winner. It is a companion volume to the author's book Life as we knew it. The protagonist in The dead & the gone is 17-year old Alex who is a Puerto Rican-American living in New York City. He and his two younger sisters all attend private catholic school. Their parents are hard working immigrants who are hoping for a better life for their children. When the moon is knocked out of its orbit by an asteroid and begins to orbit closer to the earth, life as we know it changes. Life as Alex and his sisters know it drastically changes. Things they took for granted change and they must fight to stay alive.

This is a riveting book that is hard to put down. It is not for the faint of heart as it portrays a life that is unthinkable yet it is not unimaginable. That is what makes it disturbing. The reader can envision the possibility of an asteroid hitting the moon and the events that occur when the moon is out of orbit is something that would be scientifically reasonable. It leaves the reader with an eerie feeling of doom and the hope that this fictional story never occurs.

This would be a good book for boys, particularly, as they can identify with the main character. Girls who like science fiction will also enjoy this book.