Riot

ISBN 13: 978-1-60684-000-9. Hardback, $16.99.

Annotation:
The Race Riots in New York City in 1863 are a seldom noted battle of the Civil War. After the Battle of Gettysburg, President Lincoln sensed the weakness in the Confederate Army and Instituted a draft to call up thousands of soldiers to finish the war. In New York City, thousands of poor Irish immigrants protested being called up for the draft to fight in a rich man's war. Riot tells the story of four days of horror in New York.

Book Talk:
Priscilla and Clare lived in New York City during the Civil War. Priscilla's father owned his own busines, and she volunteered at the Colored Orphanage. Claire worked for her father. He was saving to buy the Peacok Inn from the owner. Claire's family worked in the Inn, and buying the inn was their lifelong dream.

President Lincoln has instituted a draft to finish the war, and the Irish are protesting that it is a rich man's war. Anyone who is drafted and doesn't want to serve can pay $300 to get out of the Army. $300 was a lot of money in those days, and the Irish immigrants could not find a way to pay that kind of money.

Four intense days change the face of New York forever. As people all over the city riot to protest the war, blacks throughout the city hide from the angry mob. And caught in the middle is Claire- the daughter of a black man and an Irish woman. Claire struggles to find her identity as the city seethes around her.

Author Web Site: Walter Dean Myers

Malice

Wooding, Chris. Malice 2009. Scholastic Press, New York, NY.

ISBN 13: 978-0-545-16043-8. $14.99,, Hardcover.

*note- this book is a graphic novel/print novel hybrid.

Annotation:
Seth and Kady are friends who become concerned when their friend Luke disappears. As Seth and Kady delve deeper and deeper into the mystery behind Luke's disappearance, they find that others have disappeared before. They all have one thing in common. They had read the comic book Malice. Seth and Kady find that there are terrible rumors about the comic world Malice, that children can get drawn into Malice and do not survive. As Seth and Kady discover more about Malice, they find themselves drawn closer and closer to the terrible secret that lies within the pages of Malice.


Book Talk:
There are whispers of a secret comic book - Malice. The whispers tell of a dark world, run by an evil enemy named Tall Jake. The whispers tell that if you burn certain items and repeat the chant, you will be whisked away by Tall Jake into the world of Malice.

The comic book itself is difficult, if not impossible to find. Sold only by one comic store in London, the owner decides whether or not you are worthy to buy a copy of the comic book. The whispers tell that the print in the comic book will fade within hours of being exposed to air. If you are forutnate enough to get a copy of Malice, you will find that the characters in the comic book are drawings of kids who have disappeared without a trace.

But, the rumors surrounding Malice are just that- rumors. There is no proof that the secret world of Malice truly exists. Until the day that Luke stumbles across a copy of Malice and shares it with his best friend, Heather. Determined to show Heather that Malice isn't real, he defiantly sets the fire and says the chant. Luke disappears the next day, and is only seen again in the copy of Malice that his friend Seth manages to find.

Seth and Kady work tirelessly to find clues to Malice, to the fate of Luke, and the truth of Tall Jake. Then,Seth decides to follow in Luke's footsteps and repeat the chant calling for Tall Jake to take him to the world of Malice.

This leaves only Kady, working on the outside, attempting to convince people of the truth of a world only whispered about. But, as Kady digs deeper into the mystery behind Malice, she begins to find out some frightening truths of her own.

Will any of the children survive the world of Malice?

Author's Web Site: Chris Wooding