Reviews, Reviews, Reviews!

Dear all two readers of this blog, It's been a while, but I'm back with full texts of all the professional reviews of Reading Rants: a guide to books that rock! The reviews are in, now I want to hear what YOU think. Have you purchased or borrowed a copy of Reading Rants? Was it helpful to you? How did you use it? What books were you thrilled to see included? Which titles do you wish I included instead? Most importantly, should I (gulp) write another volume? Let me know!

From School Library Journal (August 1, 2007)

"Hubert suggests 100 recently published YA titles and arranges them by themes such as "Boy Meets Book," "Righteous Riot Grrl Reads," "The Closet Club: Fiction for GLBTQ Teens and Their Friends," "The Terrible Tweens," "Graphic Fantastic," and "Dystopian Dreams: Teen Sci-Fi." Each chapter has at least one or two award-winning authors, some of whom may be more familiar than others, but all of whom should be in YA collections. Each novel includes the following information: the story (yes, Hubert gives some endings away); the message (prominent themes); the most likely audience (guidelines only); why it rocks; likely titles to "hook it up with," and citations for reviews. Any library wishing to expand its YA collection or booktalking catalog will want this valuable book. It will also be helpful for setting up displays."-Lori E. Donovan, Thomas Dale High School, Chester, VA

From Booklist (September 15, 2007 )

"Hubert has worked hard to morph her online teen site, Reading Rants! Out of the Ordinary Teen Booklists! http://www.readingrants.org, into a guide for YA librarians. Some 100 books are organized into 10 categories that YA librarians will understand and find useful for patrons (for example, “The Terrible Tweens: 10–13 Going On 30”). Each book entry contains an extensive annotation that includes plot, theme, audience, reviews, and a short discussion of why the book was selected. Although Hubert acknowledges that many male teens prefer nonfiction, her list of reads for male teens doesn’t include a single nonfiction title, which is puzzling. Librarians will enjoy the author’s strong personal viewpoint, which is one of the strengths of her online site. But they should be aware that the book has some gaps and should be used in tandem with other guides to YA literature."

From VOYA (October 2007)

"In the book version of the Web site, Hubert builds on her previous work with an in-depth look at one hundred outstanding books for young adults...Each title receives through treatment, with a detailed plot summary, specific suggestions regarding age level, recommended read-alikes, a list of reviews published in professional journals, and a breakdown of a book's themes as well as its appeal based on plot, pacing, and characterization...Hubert provides a first-rate resource for booktalking and readers' advisory, and the thematic groupings deliver ready-made booklists. The plot summaries are designed to grab ones' attention, and readers will likely want to add any titles that may be missing from their libraries' collections."