“Night falls on the Olympic Village. Lights go out one by one. The Olympic flame bounces alone in the cold, the only movement till dawn. Or is it?”

It’s winter, 2002, in Utah. In a remote laboratory, tucked in the snow-covered foothills away from the Olympic Village, a team of scientists are gearing up to do what few people think of as part of being a scientist. These real-life crime fighters are out to catch cheaters.

THE NIGHT OLYMPIC TEAM is a true story of how a team of UCLA scientists worked through the nights of the 2002 Salt Lake City games to figure out which athletes, if any, were taking banned drugs. The story shows in detail how the scientists came to arrive at their conclusion: someone had indeed cheated. All-night work sessions, secret meetings in the nearby wilderness and racing with the clock were all part of what the team had to do in order to catch the wrongdoers before the games were over.

Author Caroline Hatton not only tells how these science sleuths successfully identified the dishonest athletes, but she also gives readers an up-close look at the history of doping in athletics, the health risks involved with taking blood-boosters and performance-enhancing drugs, and how and why athletes resort to using them.

This book is a must-read for young athletes. Photographs of the Olympic Games and the scientists at work enhance an already fascinating story. The book concludes with “Sports Smarts: Healthy Ways to Enhance Performance” (tips for kids to compete in a healthy manner), a glossary of terms and an author’s note that discusses the ongoing debate about these drugs and the legislation involving them. The School Library Journal says, “Teachers and young readers will appreciate Hatton’s personable manner and her keen perspective on this timely subject.”

In addition to being a best-selling children’s author, Dr. Caroline Hatton was a scientist at the UCLA Olympic Lab and a member of “the night Olympic team.” She has carefully created a story that addresses a mature and controversial topic in a clear, truthful and intriguing manner for kids. You can learn more about her and her books by clicking here.

After the 9-11 World Trade Center attacks, Robin “Birdy” Perry, an eighteen-year-old teenager from Harlem, goes against his father’s wishes and enlists in the army; and soon finds himself heading for Iraq. Along with other young male and female soldiers, he becomes part of the Civil Affairs unit; the group of soldiers whose job it is to secure and stabilize Iraq then befriend the Iraqi people to establish trust with them. The code name for their mission is Operation Iraqi Freedom, a glorious title, but Robin and his unit soon discover that war is not always glorious.

The story chronicles Robin’s first three months in Iraq, a country he finds beautiful, intriguing and deadly. We see Iraq through the eyes of a teenage soldier who is still learning much about himself. Pride, determination, camaraderie, fear and confusion take him on an emotional journey as he comes to grips with realities of war; not everything makes the news, there appears to be no end in sight, danger is around every corner, and even the good guys die.

Robin shares his innermost feelings and concerns via his letters sent home to his loved ones. He comforts his parents that all is well and opens up to his Uncle Richie, a Vietnam veteran. It doesn’t take Robin long to realize why his uncle never wanted to discuss his experiences in Vietnam.

Based on interviews and extensive research, award-winning author Walter Dean Meyers does an excellent job of creating a clear story of the events that could occur in any young soldier’s life. He records both the good and bad that every enlisted man or woman could experience on his/her first mission into battle. This is an important book for teens, particularly those who are considering enlisting in the military. Meyers has no political agenda. He has simply written a significant and timely story that teens will enjoy and appreciate.

Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Meyers/ ISBN-10: 0-439-91624-0/ ISBN-13: 978-0-439-91624-0/2008/Scholastic Press

Graham Salisbury is one of my favorite authors. I recently read Night of the Howling Dogs and loved it. Inspired by an actual event (the 1975 7.2 earthquake in Halape, Hawaii), he has created a fiction story based on the horror that Boy Scout Troop 77 of Hilo, HI actually experienced while camping at Halape, during the quake and subsequent tsunami.

Senior patrol leader and eighth-grader Dylan, eagerly anticipates camping on the beach at Halape with his Boy Scout Troop, in the shadows of Mauna Loa; but when Dylan discovers that his scout leader has invited Louie (a hardened street kid with a rough past) to join the boys, all enthusiasm is gone. Dylan and Louie have a bit of a past, and the threat that Dylan feels from Louie weighs heavily on his mind.

While making the difficult trek through barren lava fields, Dylan spots two dogs in the distance—an odd thing to see in such a desolate location. The troop finally arrives at Halape, a pristine Hawaiian beach. After settling in for their first night at camp, Dylan hears the dogs howling and wonders if it’s some kind of omen.

Later that night, disaster strikes in the form of a massive earthquake, followed by a tsunami that washes the beach clean of all who inhabited it. Together, Dylan and Louie survive the aftermath of Pele’s anger; saving their fellow scouts, scout leaders and a group of paniolos (Hawaiian cowboys) who were also camping there.

Salisbury’s knowledge of Hawaii and his natural and unobtrusive style of weaving Hawaiian legend into contemporary times are masterful. He creates a compelling yet sensitive adventure story that will have readers turning the pages. This middle-grade novel received a starred review from Booklist, was a 2007 NAPPA Gold Award (National Parenting Publications Award) and was listed on the 2007 New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing.

Night of the Howling Dogs by Graham Salisbury/ISBN-13: 978-0385731225 /2007 /Wendy Lamb Books

With all of the recent buzz about THIRTEEN REASONS WHY and the fact that its debut author, Jay Asher, is from my SCBWI region, I had to give this book a read. I admit that I don’t usually go for YA novels about such serious issues, but from what I’d heard, there were way more than thirteen reasons to pick up this book. And I’m so glad I did.

Get ready, dog-lovers (especially if you’re partial to Border collies). Meet Jack. He’s a proud Border collie who was born on a farm from a long line of sheepherders. Jack’s sole purpose in life, in his mind, is to become a master sheepherder, but he had a few obstacles to overcome first.

Jack immediately paws his way into readers’ hearts with his frankness, charm and childlike curiosity. He sets his story up by letting us know that he’s had a hard life, having too many days with an empty stomach and too many nights in the rain; and on occasion, gone without a friend; but his trouble begins when a lightning strike burns down his farm. The sheep are sold off and the dogs taken to a pet store. Jack is adopted by a family, forced to suffer the humiliation of being dressed as a baby and pushed around in a stroller. When Jack can’t tolerate life with his new family any longer, he runs away in search of sheep.

In his days on the run, he meets up with a goat herder who befriends him. Herding goats isn’t the same as herding sheep, but it would do for the time. The goat herder takes care of Jack, until he passes away, when once again Jack becomes a stray in search of his life’s purpose—herding sheep.

Jack’s quest leads him to temporarily live with two con men, and then become an act in a two-bit circus, where he is mistreated by the circus owner. After being physically abused to near death, Jack manages to escape, where he meets a young orphan who lives in a nearby town. It was here that Jack ultimately finds his place in life.

Valerie Hobbs writes a well-paced, emotional story that gives readers a look at the world from a dog’s point of view. While writing in the voice of an animal isn’t new to children’s literature, Ms. Hobbs adds a distinction in choosing a breed that‘s known for its work value, bringing home the point that dogs have needs that drive their behavior.

This middle-grade children’s novel was a book nominee for the 2006 Dog Writer’s Association of America. Valerie Hobbs is the award-winning author of many children’s novels, including her latest work, DEFIANCE.
Sheep by Valerie Hobbs/ ISBN-0-374-36777-9/2006/Farrar, Straus & Giroux.

I love a good adventure novel, and when I’d heard about PEAK, by Roland Smith, I had to read it. The story is about 14-year old Peak Marcello, the son of two divorced mountain climbers. When Peak is caught scaling (and tagging) a NYC skyscraper, he finds himself facing the NYC courts.

In an effort to avoid having her son serve time in juvenile detention, Peak’s mother agrees to let his absent father of seven years (and world famous mountaineer) take Peak to Thailand, where he owns a climbing company. Ah, but the plot thickens when we discover that his father has an ulterior motive. This is the catalyst that launches Peak into every serious mountain climber’s dream—to summit Mt. Everest.

I was most impressed in the story’s details. Smith obviously researched this book at great depths, and I wouldn’t doubt that he’s climbed a mountain or two himself (he does reside in Oregon, after all). His descriptions of high altitude climbing were thorough and informative, without feeling forced.

Like any good climb, the plot takes some interesting and unexpected twists and turns, particularly the ending (which I won’t give away here—you’ll have to read the book yourself to find out that little gem). The story has all the things that make for a great adventure: an awesome setting, human drama, tension, friendship, sacrifices, unexpected twists, heroes, a villain and a satisfying ending. I will say though, that while I loved this ending for a teen novel, I would find it unbelievable had this been this written for the adult market. Good thing that didn’t happen!

PEAK by Roland Smith
ISBN 978-0-15-202417-8