My Bonny Light Horseman

Meyer, L.A. My Bonny Light Horseman. ISBN-10: 0152060030, ISBN-13: 9780152060039. Harcourt Children's Books. 2007.

Summary
In My Bonny Horseman, we meet up with Jacky Faber again. In this sixth installment of the Bloody Jack series, Jacky is back at sea, captain of her own shipping company… but not for long because she is captured by the British and taken back to England for her crimes. However, she doesn't make that far and is then recaptured by the French, for the crimes she committed against them too. In true Jacky Faber style, she shimmies her way out of certain death to become an English spy to keep an eye on Napoleon! Even as her eye wanders to a certain French gentleman, her heart still belongs to Jaimy.

Critical Evaluation
This is a great girl-power series of books. Jacky has come a long way from little Mary, the orphan on the streets of London. This book finds Jacky in some precarious positions in her first mission as a spy is under the ruse of a courtesan—if not an all out and out prostitute. Her wits keep her pure even as she gets information out of powerful men. And her military smarts help her on the front lines as a deep spy working for the emperor of France. There is enough history to be historic, but it's not boring for young adults because of the amount of suspense and adventure.

Reader's Annotation
Jacky Faber is back on another adventure that takes her from her own boat, to a prisoner of Britain, then a prisoner to France, a dancer/courtesan and then a spy to watch over Napoleon.

About the Author
Louis A. Meyer, also known simply as L. A. Meyer, is the author of the eight outstanding books in the Bloody Jack series. Since his birth in 1942, he has traveled the world with is Army family, graduated from the University of Florida-Gainesville, joined the navy, received his Master's of Fine Arts in Painting from Boston University, he taught school, published two children's books, married and raised two boys, and now splits his time writing about the infamous Jacky and running his Clair de Loon gallery in Bar Harbor, Maine.

The inspiration for the Bloody Jack series came from listening to British and Celtic folk music in his gallery. The radio station was featuring songs about the tales of young girls dressing up as boys to follow their boyfriends out to sea. One of the most famous of these is Jackaroe. Sadly, the girls in history didn't have the spunk of Jacky Faber, as most were thrown to sea. But it was Meyer's vision that Jacky not go following her heart, rather going to fight her certain death by starvation. After eight books, Jacky is still cheating death.

Genre
Adventure
Girls/Women

Curriculum Ties
History: Napoleonic Wars

Booktalking Ideas
To steal secrets from the enemy, would you act as a spy…
How would you react if you met a major political head on the battle field…

Awards
n/a

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 14+

Why I included this title...
The Bloody Jack series is packed with adventure and suspense, why wouldn't people of all ages want to read it?!

Uglies

Westerfeld, Scott. Uglies. ISBN-10: 0689865384, ISBN-13: 9780689865381. Simon Pulse. 2005.

Summary
There are "Uglies" and then there are "Pretties." Luckily, everybody gets to be a Pretty when they turn 16. Tally and Shay are about to turn 16, about to have their Pretty operation. But Shay has been telling Tally about people purposely who have run away to escape the Pretty operation. Shay tells her that she is going to runaway and wants Talley to come away too. Tally can't believe that anyone would not want to be a Pretty, says goodbye to Shay and looks forward to her birthday. But Shay's disappearance didn't go by unnoticed by the Specials, because it is the Specials who force Tally to find Shay outside the city and bring her back before they will make Tally a Pretty. The decision Tally makes doesn't just affect her, or her and Shay but all of the others who chose to not become a Pretty.

Critical Evaluation
Tally, an Ugly, has been waiting to be turned into a Pretty just like any Ugly. However in the last weeks prior to her birthday, she learns about people who have ran away to escape the operation to make them a Pretty. This concept is so foreign to Tally, she doesn't really give it any consideration. When her friend disappears the authorities manipulate Tally to make a decision: help them find the band of rebels or never become a Pretty. Tally must come to terms with betraying her friend, as well as the rest of the rebels who have resisted the Pretty operation. The decision becomes especially difficult for Tally when she is told that besides being altered on the outside, the operation alters people's brains. The betrayal becomes unthinkable when her feelings get in the way. Readers will be drawn into the partying Pretty lifestyle, but will quickly see that being a Pretty isn't as pretty as it looks.

Reader's Annotation
If everyone was pretty there would be no jealousy or hatred or war because there'd be nothing left to fight over. However, Tally learns that being a Pretty has some very real and very ugly repercussions.

About the Author
Texas native, Scott Westerfeld, is the author of short stories, five adult novels, and four different series for young adults: The Midnighters, The Peeps, the Leviathan and The Uglies series. The Midnighters is about a town where for one hour a day—at midnight, of course—very dark things occur. The science fiction author says that The Peeps series is actually not a series, but three stand-alone titles (So Yesterday, Peeps and The Last Days) that are all set in present day New York and deal with vampires, parasites and consumerism. The Leviathan series (Leviathan, Behemoth and Goliath) is his newest series and falls in the steampunk genre with an alternate version of the events from World War I. The Uglies series began as a trilogy but now has ended with four books (The Uglies, The Pretties, The Specials and The Extras) and an insider's guide (Bogus to Bubbly).

The author, who chooses to live in perpetual summer, splits his time in New York City and Australia with his wife, author Justine Larbalestier. Westerfeld was educated at the Arts Magnet High School in Dallas, TX, Vassar College for a degree in Philosophy and has done some graduate work in Performance Studies at New York University. Prior to writing his own novels, he spent time as a factory worker, substitute teacher, textbook editor, software designer and ghost writer for other novelists.

Genre
Science Fiction
Friendship

Challenges
n/a

Curriculum Ties
n/a

Booktalking Ideas
If given the option to look like gorgeous and perfect like everyone else, or live in secret with your flaws—which would you chose…

Awards
n/a

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 15+

Why I included this title...
I'm not a big fan of science fiction, but this series intrigued me and made me think of a quote from one of my favorite movies, The Incredibles: if everyone is a super… then no one is. Same thing here...

Mississippi Jack

Meyer, L.A. Mississippi Jack: Being an Account of the Further Waterborne Adventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman, Fine Lady, and the Lily of the West. ISBN-10: 0152060030 , ISBN-13: 9780152060039 . Harcourt Children's Books. 2007.

Summary
Jacky Faber is in the wilderness of America, hoping to avoid capture by the British… again. She has acquired a boat, has made it a casino/showboat where she is heading south on the Mississippi River to New Orleans. Unfortunately, nothing for Jacky is as easy as it should be because along the way she finds herself dealing with bandits, British soldiers and a multitude of scoundrels. But Jacky wouldn't have it any other way, would she?!

Critical Evaluation
In the fifth installment of the Bloody Jack series, Jacky has just escaped a slave ship, runaway from her proper school in Boston, and is now working her sneaky wiles through the American wilderness and down the Mississippi River. She's fooled a man out of his boat, and with her friends (and enemies) she's the talk of the Mississippi River with her casino/showboat. Young adults will enjoy Jacky's adventures and suspense of the scrapes she finds herself narrowly surviving.

Reader's Annotation
Again, Jacky Faber is on the run, but she's in America now and finding exciting times on the Mississippi River.

About the Author
Louis A. Meyer, also known simply as L. A. Meyer, is the author of the eight outstanding books in the Bloody Jack Adventures series. Since his birth in 1942, Meyer has traveled the world with is Army family, graduated from the University of Florida-Gainesville, joined the navy, received his Master's of Fine Arts in Painting from Boston University, he taught school, published two children's books, married and raised two boys, and now he splits his time writing about the infamous Jacky and running his Clair de Loon gallery in Bar Harbor, Maine.

The inspiration for the series came from listening to British and Celtic folk music in his gallery. The radio station was featuring songs about the tales of young girls dressing up as boys to follow their boyfriends out to sea. One of the most famous of these is Jackaroe. Sadly, the girls in history didn't have the spunk of Jacky Faber, as most were thrown to sea. But it was Meyer's vision that Jacky not go following her heart, rather going to fight her certain death by starvation. After eight books, Jacky is still cheating death.

Genre
Adventure
Girls/Women

Curriculum Ties
History: America during the 1800s

Booktalking Ideas
How would you feel if a young girl swindled you out of your boat…
Do you think you could survive the wilds of America in the 1800s…

Awards
n/a

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 15+

Why I included this title...
I was happy to have a chance to read more in this fun series.