Amity Middle School Orange Book Blog

First Descent

2012-02-07T09:58:00.000-05:00

Looking closely at the cover of this book entitled First Descent, the reader sees a kayaker through the scope of a high powered rifle in what appears to be a rainforest or jungle. This cover couldn’t have been a better choice to encapsulate this high paced adventure story.

Seventeen-year-old Rex lives with his mother and grandfather in Milltown, Alberta in Canada. He has trained relentlessly to become a world class kayaker. His goal is to complete the descent of a river in Columbia, South America that his grandpa had attempted in his younger days.

When his grandpa decides to sponsor him on the trip, Rex is thrilled! The area where he will be attempting the descent is very remote. The Tourism Board of Columbia has said it is a safe area for travelers to explore or his gramps and mom would never have allowed Rex to travel there.

Rex will have to depend on others. His Spanish is sparse. He will need trained kayaking companions and a local guide as well as an outfitter from whom to rent equipment.

The reality of the political turmoil in Columbia near the El Furioso River is quite different from reports that the tourism board shared. There are paramilitary forces fighting guerrilla forces. The indigenous peoples are being threatened daily. The soldiers of Columbia are not able to control the area.

Will Rex be able to trust the indigenous girl named Myriam Calambás who is guiding him? Will Rex’s kayaking companions stay the course when the going on the river becomes more challenging? Will the guerrilla forces in the region seek out this white skinned boy? Is the El Furioso a deadly river? Read this adventure story to find out!

Reel Life Starring Us

2012-02-02T12:30:00.000-05:00

Chelsea has always lived in the wealthy part of town that feeds into Rockwood Hills Middle School. Her father has had a prominent job in banking. Chelsea wants for nothing. Whatever the latest fashion for teens is she has. Clearly she is one of the most popular girls in the school. She and her clique of the other most popular kids in the school rule it. However, Chelsea has a secret this year that she feels she must keep from her friends at school or she will lose her social status. Since she has had mono for the first several weeks of school, when she returns, she is paired with Dina who has just moved into the district.

Dina’s family decided to move closer to her grandparents who live in the area. Dina’s previous middle school was small and had an artsy flare. Dina developed a talent for creating videos. Everyone at her previous school knew each other and cliques did not rule the school. She is in for a big shock when she is “chipped” the first day of classes. Students crush potato chips and dump them in unsuspecting kids backpacks.

In social studies class Dina and Chelsea are paired to create a video for the fiftieth celebration of the school. Will Chelsea be able to give this new girl a chance or will she be worried about what her friends think of Dina? Will Dina be able to trust Chelsea after one of Chelsea’s friends posts an unflattering video of Dina on Facebook?

Girls who are fans of chic lit will enjoy this title. Watch the video of the author, Lisa Greenwald. She could name a character in her next book after you!

The Education of Hailey Kendrick

2012-01-31T09:14:00.000-05:00

When people use the word education, often it is assumed it is academic education that is being referred to yet there are many ways that a person becomes educated. In the book The Education of Hailey Kendrick this is really true.

After Hailey’s mother is killed by a car while she is crossing the street, Hailey and her father have an adjustment to make. Hailey thinks things are fine when her father believes she should attend a boarding school called Evesham Academy in Vermont and spend the summers with her grandparents. As the years pass, Hailey sees less and less of her father. As a senior, she is facing choices about college. She hopes her grades will help her attend prestigious Yale University. Since she is an excellent, disciplined student, Hailey’s chances are pretty good.

When her father scuttles her end of the year party scheduled for the summer and calls off their plans to spend time together over the summer, Hailey has a major meltdown. She and her boyfriend Tristan’s best friend Joel commit an act of vandalism by dismembering a statue outside the school. When a maintenance worker identifies Hailey as one of the culprits, she protects Joel because he is on scholarship at the school. Things really unravel for Hailey when her very popular and extremely handsome boyfriend Tristan becomes jealous. Although Kelsie is her best friend, can she really trust her?

What are the chances that Hailey will learn more through these difficult situations about herself and her relationship with her father than she has had school for the last four years? Who will be the unlikely person to help her once the school administers its punishment for her vandalism? What will be her biggest life lessons? Read The Education of Hailey Kendrick by Eileen Cook to find out.

Inside Out & Back Again

2012-01-30T10:33:00.000-05:00

Inside Out & Back Again is written in verse. Sometimes this puts student readers off. I recommend that readers try a few pages before dismissing this type of book. The story flows quickly. Usually the author uses very effective imagery.

Thanhha Lai fittingly dedicates this book “To the millions of refugees in the world; may you each find a home.” This book is semi-auto biographical about her life in Vietnam before the fall of Saigon and her family’s flight to safety in the United States.

The main character Ha, has three older brothers. Her father has been captured at the beginning of the war. Her mother tries desperately to feed and clothe her children despite her own depression and uncertainty about the fate of her husband. When it becomes apparent that the Americans are losing the war against the Communists, her mother makes the decision to flee the only country she has ever known.

The struggle to secure passage on a ship is filled with hardship. The adjustment to America proves even more difficult for Ha. Students make fun of her straight hair, the clothing she wears, and her customs. Culture shock is extreme for poor Ha.

How will she make her way in this strange land called America? Who will befriend her? Will anyone choose to eat with her in the cafeteria? Will any of the adults at the school see her plight and reach out to her? Read Inside Out & Back Again to begin to understand the trauma that many immigrants face.

Trapped

2012-01-30T09:53:00.000-05:00

Do you think spending the night in your high school with about seven friends might be fun? Initially, Jason, Pete, and Scotty think it might be until the blizzard becomes so intense, it is obvious that they won’t be rescued for days—perhaps even a week. Another trapped student, Elijah James, is the only one to vocalize that perhaps they might all die in their high school.

Trapped by Michael Northrop is realistic fiction at its best. When a blizzard hits New England, most students take the buses when the school system decides to release students early at 1 p.m. due to the rapid accumulation of snow. Others are waiting for their parents to pick them up. Little do they know that the roads are impassible; no one will be picking them up any time soon.

Coach Gossell agrees to stay with them until their rides come. When he realizes that they aren’t going to be rescued, he sets out on foot to try to get help. Quickly enough, the seven students are aware that communication has all but stopped. The coach never returns. Their cell phones don’t work. The lines must be down for the school’s landlines. As they begin to feel the full impact of their predicament, they know they must band together to secure food from the cafeteria, to navigate the school once the electricity goes out, to figure out how to melt snow for water once all the pipes freeze, and how to stay sane in the face of the greatest blizzard they have ever experienced. Additionally, they are all concerned about how their families are managing through this ordeal.

The story is told from Scotty Weems perspective. He and his best friends, Jason and Pete feel a bit threatened by Les, another student stranded with them. None of them know what to make of Elijah who seems more suited to being a goth. They think he is just plain weird. Julie and Krista are girls they don’t usually associate with, but now that they are thrown together how will that change their friendship?

Read this story to find out what it is like to be without all the conveniences that we expect in our world. Try to understand what could happen to us all if a blizzard of this magnitude did hover over New England for seven days.

Legend

2012-01-25T09:24:00.000-05:00

Set in a future Los Angeles, Marie Lu’s debut novel entitled Legend is dystopian romance at its best! The Los Angeles of this futuristic society has been eroded by flooding. The Republic which rules it is at war with the Colonies. Elector Primo is the leader. Citizens blindly pledge their allegiance to the Republic and their leader daily.

June is 15 years old and living with her older brother Metias after their parents’ tragic death in an automobile accident. She attends the prestigious Drake Academy where she has few friends. June excels beyond anyone’s expectations both academically and athletically. She is just the type of young, naïve and faithful follower of the Republic that leaders adore.

The Republic holds a Trial for each student when he/she is 10 years old. At June’s Trial, she received the highest score attainable.

When her brother is killed by the Republic’s most wanted criminal, 15-year-old “Day”, The Republic pulls June from the Academy—graduating her early—so that she can use her many gifts to find Metia’s killer.

It is by pure chance that June is rescued by Day as she goes undercover in some of the more poverty stricken areas where plague is rampant. She gets to know him before she fully realizes who he is.

As their lives weave more closely together, June must face some difficult decisions. Can she contain her anger against him for murdering her brother? Should she trust him? Is this society really what it seems? Read this fast paced novel to find out!

Variant

2012-01-19T15:27:00.000-05:00

Benson Fisher has lived in too many foster homes and placements to keep track any more. In his last foster placement his foster father had him working so many hours for the family that he couldn’t do any activities at school. He is sick and tired of this kind of life where no one really wants him. When an opportunity occurs for him to apply for a scholarship at Maxfield Academy, Benson readily seizes it. This could be the ticket out of the foster system he so detests.

Amazingly he is granted the scholarship. Things aren’t always what they seem, however. Maxfield Academy is surrounded by razor-wire fence and is more like a prison than any school Benson has ever attended. When he realizes that there are no adults at the school, that all his actions are watched by video cameras, and gangs of students rule the school, his only thought is to escape. However, there appears to be no way to successfully runaway.

The school is ruled by three gangs of students. The “society” gang doesn’t appeal to Benson; he is convinced the “variants” would be the best group to join.

Why don’t any of the students currently at Maxfield know any of the movie titles that Benson talks about? Why is everyone recruited to the school in the same predicament that Benson is—without any family that will miss them if they never return? Can he trust anyone at Maxfield? Is it true that anyone caught trying to escape receives the punishment of death? Is it possible that Maxfield is an experiment?

Fans of dystopian fiction will love this fast paced novel written by Robison Wells.

Apollo's Lights

2012-01-17T10:09:00.002-05:00

Written by Heather Baer, this title is a unique blend of realistic and paranormal fiction.

A tight knit group of seniors are starting to pair off and become couples. When a new boy arrives at Enterprise High School, Makayla is instantly drawn to him. Blair is quite handsome with honey blonde hair and hazel eyes--just like Makayla's.

As Makayla's eighteen birthday approaches, she begins to experience frightening nightmares which are all too real. She knows that something is terribly wrong. Headaches compound her discomfort. Someone is in grave danger, but until Blair helps her sort out what is happening to her, there is no relief from the terrifying, exhausting dreams. The emergence of Makayla's gifts makes her character remarkable.

Highly effective dialogue among the characters adds to be realistic feel of the novel. The use of effective vocabulary helps the reader envision the episodes that Makayla experiences. The ending clearly indicates a sequel will follow!

The Pledge

2012-01-13T13:27:00.001-05:00

In this futuristic, strict society, everyone must make a pledge to defend the queen, hence the book's title, The Pledge. The protagonist of the story, Charlaina has a special gift. Charlie, as she is called by her friends at school, can understand the language of other classes in this society despite the fact that she and her parents and younger sister are of the Vendor class.

From a very young age her parents have taught her to never reveal this gift. Likewise, they have instructed her younger sister to never real her talent to heal others by her touch.

In such a repressive society, drug raged clubs are where young people such as Charlie and her best friend Brooklyn hang out. It is there that Charlie meets the strange man named Xander and finally Max to whom she is very attracted.

When an attack on the queen takes place, Charlie and her sister are hidden in the underground. What will it take to find her parents? Will Charlie's special power, be discovered?

Fans of dystopian fiction will enjoy Kimberly Derting's The Pledge. I know I did!

Half a Life

2012-01-13T12:44:00.000-05:00

Darin Strauss was driving his father's car when the accident happened. A girl from his school whom he barely knew, Celine, drove her bike into his father's car. The resulting collision led to her tragic death.

This memoir reveals the depth of his guilt despite the accident being termed a "no fault" accident. The memories of him attending Celine's funeral, meeting with Celine's parents following the accident and the inevitable lawsuit brought against Darin's family despite the "no fault" conclusion by law enforcement, eye witnesses, and the other passengers in Darin's car continue to play out in Darin's mind over and over again.

This tragic event overshadows half of Darin's life.

I would recommend this title to serious readers who might want to know how shattering an event like this for any person to endure.

The Future of Us

2012-01-12T13:26:00.000-05:00

Emma and Josh have been best friends forever. . .until Josh decided to try to kiss Emma last year. Emma's reponse was, "No, you're Josh!" She wasn't ready for their relationship to change. She wasn't ready to lose her best friend, almost brother, to take a chance on romance with him.

Now it is a year later in 1996 and Josh's mom asks him to go next door and give Emma the CD-ROM with AOL software on it to Emma so she can install it on the new computer her dad sent to her.

Once installed the program suddenly shifts from AOL and Instant Message to a program neither Josh nor Emma has ever seen. Surprisingly, this new program has their names in it and photos of them fifteen years into the future. Facebook hasn't been developed yet, but for Emma and Josh, it is in their present in 1996.

Is it possible to change their respective futures by alternating their present day activities and ideas? Will knowledge of their future help them plan for it while they are in high school? How will their current relationship be affected by knowing aspects of what lies ahead for them? Read this book by Jay Asher and Carolyn Macker to find out!

Jay Asher Interview:

Crossed

2012-01-03T15:00:00.000-05:00

This sequel to Matched by Ally Condie is sure to please fans of Cassia--the main character from the first book. Originally matched to spend the rest of her life with her long time friend Ky, Cassia's match is suddenly switched to be with Xander.

This sequel takes place after Ky has been sent by the Society to the Outer Provinces where the Society will work him to death.

Cassia follows a trail left by Ky after he and another boy escape. The trail leads them through the Carvings where Cassia learns of the Uprising. She has been given red pills. Should she trust using them or are they given by the Society for evil purposes.

Read this sequel toMatched to find out if Cassia will join the Uprising, be reunited with Ky or will Xander reappear in search of Cassia?

The Raft

2012-01-03T13:07:00.001-05:00

S. A. Bodeen continues to delight readers with her new title--The Raft. Fans of The Compound and The Guardian will absolutely love this third title by Bodeen! The Raft is due to be released in August 2012, but I was lucky enough to receive an advanced uncorrected copy.

Robie is a typical teenager in many ways. While on a trip to Hawaii to visit her aunt who lives there, Robie decides to have her nose pierced despite that she knows she will be met with disapproval from her parents once they find out.

Robie is unlike a lot of typical teenagers in that she lives on an atoll called Midway in the Pacific Ocean.

It is on her way back home from Hawaii that the cargo plane she is flying in crash lands in the Pacific Ocean. Only Max, a new co-pilot she has never met before, and Robie survive the crash. Max helps Robie into the survival raft. He has a very bad head wound and slips in and out of consciousness.

How will they survive in the tiny raft in the vast Pacific? What will they eat once their meager supplies run out? How will they stay hydrated? Will anyone know to look for Robie? She wasn't supposed to be flying home this early and she doesn't think she was entered into the cargo ship's manifest before taking off. Will her newly pierced nose become horribly infected? Read this page turner to enjoy another great read by S. A. Bodeen!

City of Orphans

2011-11-14T11:24:00.002-05:00

Avi is a prolific writer of books for young adults. This historical fiction title is set in New York City during 1893. Maks Geless lives with his parents and siblings in a fourth floor walkup tenement building. There is no indoor plumbing. Maks must lug water up all four floors. The privies (outhouses) are also outside. Money is very tight. To help the family make ends meet with their bills, Maks is a newspaper boy for The World newspaper. He makes only pennies by hawking his papers near the elevated train station, but every little bit helps the family. Bruno is the leader of the Pug Uglies gang. They have targeted the newsboys--beating them up, stealing their papers, taking their hard earned money. When Maks is attacked by Bruno, a street girl named Willa fends off the gang with a large stick. Without Willa's help Maks would have been beaten severely. Maks realizes that Willa is an orphan living on the streets. He brings her back to their apartment and the family welcomes her.

When Maks' sister is accused of stealing a very expensive watch from a room that she was cleaning at the exclusive Waldorf Hotel, Maks' immigrant parents aren't much help in understanding how the legal system works in New York. With Willa's help, Maks goes to the Tombs--a holding area for prisoners waiting to be sentenced and learns that Emma is very frightened, living in deplorable conditions and very hungry. Maks and Willa end up befriending a detective who gives them ideas of how to prove his sister's innocence.

Will they be able to stay out of Bruno's way? Will the Pug Uglies stake out their apartment building making it impossible to do any detective work? Read this title to find out how difficult life was living in New York in the 1890's if you are poor and from an immigrant family.

Forgotten

2011-11-14T10:25:00.000-05:00

What an unusal story! London Lane is 16 years old. She forgets everything and everyone from her past, yet she can "remember" the future. To cope with this perplexing disability, she writes notes to herself each evening so that when she wakes up, she can figure out what she needs to do at school, what clothing to wear, who she had a fight with, etc.

When a new boy moves to town, things start to get complicated. Luke Henry is definitely a heartthrob for London. Yet, each day it is like meeting him all over again. London tries to hide her problem from him.

London and Jamie, her best friend, whom London depends upon to keep her life sane at school, have a falling out.

What does the flash forwards or flashbacks that London is having regarding a cemetary have to do with her life? Read this book to find out!

Sarah's Key

2011-11-07T09:55:00.000-05:00

Julia Jarmond is an American living in Paris. Julia's husband Bertrand and her daughter Zoe are about to move into larger accommodations--where Bertand's grandmother has resided since July of 1942. The apartment needs updating and will be remodeled before they move in. It is located on rue de Saintonge.

As Julia does research about an event that took place in Paris in July of 1942, she begins to have reservations about ever living in the apartment on rue de Saintonge.

Julia is asked to write an article about the roundup of Jewish families by the French police under the orders of the Nazis who were occupying Paris. Sarah Starzynski and her family were taken in the Vel d'Hiv roundup to a stadium and then eventually to a concentration camp.

What does Julia discover while researching her article? How does this affect her? Will she and Zoe and her husband move into the apartment on rue de Saintonge? Read this historical novel to find out.

Blood Red Road

2011-11-01T15:10:00.000-04:00

Moira Young's first novel entitled Blood Red Road is a stark novel. Set in the distant future, lawlessness rules the land.

Saba and her twin brother Lugh were born 18 years ago on the longest day of the year--midsummer. When four men wearing long black cloaks appear in SilverLake where she and Lugh, their Pa, and their much younger sister Emmi live, the men on horseback bring a cloud of thick red dust with them. When they leave, Pa is dead, the neighbor Proctor John is killed and Lugh has been kidnapped by the men.

Saba vows to find Lugh and save him. Because they have only lived with their Pa and their Ma until she died giving birth to Emmi, Saba is uneducated and very socially unaware. In order to find Lugh, Saba must learn to trust others. With her very smart pet crow Nero as a guide, she and Emmi set out on the adventure of their lives.

Filled with action and great characters, this title is sure to thrill fans of The Hunger Games.

IraqiGirl

2011-11-01T14:33:00.001-04:00

IraqiGirl is the blog created by a fifteen-year-old girl living in the town of Mosul in Iraqi. Because it is a blog, there are postings by others who respond to her blog throughout the book.

Her blog begins in 2004 and continues through 2009. In her early entries, she vehemently denouces the involvement of the United States in her country. After several people respond to her rants against the US, she decides instead to shift her focus to the effect of the war on her personal and school life.

Her life is drastically affected by the war. She worrries constantly about the bombings. When any family member is late arriving from work or school, her thoughts are always praying that no one has been killed. She has recurrent nightmares. Her exams and school life are put on hold after the school building is destroyed.

If you want to read about life in a country at war and what it means to be a teenager under those conditions, this is the book for you!

The Power of Six

2011-10-23T12:43:00.003-04:00

The Power of Six is the third book in the Lorien Legacies series written by the pen name Pittacus Lore. The series begins with the ever popular title I Am Number Four.The Power of Six follows John Smith's abupt departure from Paradise, Ohio with his best friend Sam.The second book I Am Number Four: The Lost Files: Six's Legacy is the second book in the series.

John Smith, number four of the aliens from the planet Lorien, has lost his protector and teacher Henri. John has also left his first and only love interest Sarah in Paradise, Ohio. John and Bernie Kosar must heal from their severe wounds before they can proceed to find the others. It is up to John, his best friend Sam and the beautiful and fiercely talented Number Six to find the other remaining aliens.

The Mogadorians are obviously much better organized than Henri and John realized. It is now up to the remaining aliens to come into their legacies and defeat the Mogadorians so that they can reclaim their home planet Lorien.

Number Seven is in Spain in a convent with her Cepan, Adeline. In the eleven years that they have sought refuge in the convent, Adeline has become devoutly religious neglecting to instruct Marina (Number Seven) in her powers. She has also hidden the chest which contains Marina's legacies from her. Marina has tried in vain to find where John Smith has gone since the explosion and deaths in Paradise, Ohio. She searches the Internet in hopes of finding a clue as to where she should meet up with the other remaining numbers.

Will John and Sam and Number 6 be able to find Number Seven? Will John understand all the things in his chest of legacies without the help of Henri? How will they find the others?

This title is filled with action! The characters display all kinds of special powers. Bernie Koshar displays incredible forms! Fans of I Am Number Four, will love this title!

Rival

2011-10-03T12:40:00.000-04:00

Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer is suited to girls much more than guys. The story revolves around two very talented singers—Brooke and Kathryn. Kathryn meets Brooke in their freshman year of high school when they both make Honors Choir. Brooke is well established as one of the most popular girls in the school. Her older twin brothers Bill and Brice have carved out an easy path for Brooke to follow.

When Kathryn is invited to a slumber party by Brooke, she can’t believe she could be accepted into the A-list clique of the school. Everything seems fine. Brooke and Kathryn become best friends. Then an incident happens which unravels their newly formed friendship. Brooke unleashes her other friends to shun Kathryn. Their treatment is brutal.

Both girls are striving to win The Blackmore Award which comes with hefty prize money which could be used for college. Only one can win. With over eighty other contestants trying out, perhaps neither will win the coveted prize.
Chapters alternate between Brooke and Kathryn telling their story. Flashbacks to previous events are another way in which the story is told.

If you enjoy teen girls and their troubles and squabbles, you will definitely enjoy reading Rival.

Divergent

2011-10-02T04:46:00.000-04:00

Fans of dystopian fiction will certainly want to read this title by Veronica Roth! In this futuristic society when Beatrice turns sixteen, she has to undergo an evaluation which will determine which faction of society she is best suited to become a part of. Being raised in Abnegation (selfless) faction has been the only life she has ever known.

When her results are not conclusive, she is told to never reveal them to anyone. The word divergent is used to describe what Beatrice is. Not understanding what this means and the severe danger she would be in if she were to reveal her true appraisal, Beatrice keeps the information even from her beloved parents.

Dauntless (the brave) faction is what Beatrice chooses. Her initiation into Dauntless is grueling—filled with life threatening experiences. Did she make the right choice by leaving Abnegation? Did her brother Caleb choose well in his choice of Erudite (the intelligent) faction? Can either Beatrice or Caleb trust the changes that they are being forced to endure?

Read this thrilling, yet chilling novel to find out!

Miss Peregine's Home for Peculiar Children

2011-09-30T10:46:00.000-04:00

What an unusual book Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is! This intriguing mystery is also a novel about paranormal experiences! I loved it! It is written by Ransom Riggs and is his first novel.

The protagonist is Jacob Portman. He is the grandson of Abe Portman. Abe was part of the kinder transport of Jewish children by their parents from Poland to protect them from the Nazis. Abe was evacuated to a mysterious island off the coast of Wales.

Jacob has grown up with stories from his grandfather. These stories are told to Jacob by using accompanying photographs from the period to tell these wild tales. Nearly all of the photos reveal something very peculiar about the children in the photographs such as the cover photo on the novel that shows a young girl levitating several inches off the ground. As Jacob grows older, he believes his grandfather has really lied to him and fabricated most of the stories.

When Jacob’s now elderly grandfather is viciously murdered in Florida, Jacob sees the creature who committed this horrendous crime. His dying grandfather’s last words send Jacob on a quest to solve the mystery of what really happened at the orphanage during World War II.

Mature readers will especially find this title to their liking.

Dust & Decay

2011-09-26T11:54:00.003-04:00

The sequel to Rot & Ruin—Dust & Destroy-- is finally out! Rot & Ruin ended with Tom & Benny and Nix all intrigued with having seen a jet fly over them. This is unheard in the fourteen years since First Night occurred which released the virus which has turned society as we know it into a much different place.

Seasoned bounty hunter and older brother Tom Imura has worked tirelessly to train Benny, Nix, & Chong so that they will be warrior smart. He knows that they aren’t quite prepared to survive in the Rot & Ruin, but events in their town have propelled them to start on their journey east towards Yosemite sooner than expected.

Tom has sent supplies head of them. What Tom doesn’t know is that someone has intercepted the supplies. He also doesn’t know that a new Gameland has been created after he burned the previous one to the ground and freed all the children being held captive.

Lilah, the Lost Girl, is also traveling with them. She has survived in the Rot & Ruin for years on her own. When Chong panics and takes off on his own, Tom leaves the others to find him.

The forces of evil have regrouped with a new leader. Could it possibly be that Charlie Pink-Eye survived? Is he the one leading them? Or has someone else surfaced?

Read Dust & Destroy to find out whether Charlie Pink-Eye did somehow miraculously survive his death. What is the New Eden that Preacher Jack wants to institute? Fans of the first book will not be let down with this sequel.

Stuck on Earth

2011-09-21T16:36:00.000-04:00

David Klass has written a very funny book! Stuck on Earth had me laughing outloud! Imagine if you were an alien from the planet Sandovin. Imagine that you had to figure out whether the human race on earth was worth saving or whether the Gagnerian Death Ray should be used to erase the human species for good. How would you decide to go about it?

David Klass creates the character of Ketchvar III. Ketchvar looks like a common snail. But he is much more than that! He is the alien sent to determine whether the human beings on earth should be spared. Ketchvar decides to crawl into the brain of a normal teenager. He decides to use the nose of Tom Filber to slide into and thus enter his brain where he obviously can experience everything that Tom does. What could be better than to become a part of a normal fourteen year old who is in good health with above average intelligence?

What Ketchvar doesn’t realize is that Tom Filber is not your normal teen. Rather he is awkward and not liked by his peers. Ketchvar witnesses Tom’s life—the dysfunctional family members, the school buddies, the beautiful next-door neighbor. The more Ketchvar begins to see life on earth through Tom’s eyes, the more difficult time he has in knowing whether Homo sapiens are really worth saving.

I imagine any teenager would love this hilariously funny book! Read it and see for yourself.

After Ever After

2011-09-21T16:14:00.000-04:00

After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick is a sequel to Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie which tells the story of Jeffrey’s older brother, whose own eighth grade year will be remembered as the year his little brother got cancer. Now that the little brother, Jeffrey Alper, is in 8^th grade himself, and now that Jeffrey has passed the five year remission mark, he’s free to live the life of a normal kid. Or at least that is what most people would think.

The “after ever after” part of Jeffrey’s life includes a number of attention and learning challenges as a result of the treatments he received. He has always depended upon his older brother. This year is different. Jeffrey’s older brother is not around to help him cope. He is off in Africa learning how to listen to his own drum; literally, he is studying drumming. Jeffrey’s best friend, also a childhood cancer survivor, will face challenges of his own. A beautiful new girl in his school provides added excitement and distraction. Eighth grade is certainly going to be interesting!

This realistic fiction book is just that--realistic. It does provoke emotions in the reader. (Note: You do not have to have read Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie to thoroughly enjoy this book.)

Three Rivers Rising

2011-09-21T15:43:00.000-04:00

Written in verse form, Three Rivers Rising, a novel of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania flood of 1889 has multiple narrators that tell the story of that tragic day which took so many lives.
One narrator is Celestia. She is 16 and along with her mama and papa and older sister Estrella vacation at an elite resort in the Alleghany Mountains. The resort sits on Lake Conemaugh –a reservoir held in place by an earthen dam. Three rivers—South Fork Creek, Little Conemaugh River, and Stony Creek converge at the town of Johnstown in the valley below the resort.

A second narrator, Peter, lives with his father, a coal miner in Johnstown. When he takes a job at the elite resort, he meets Celestia and is immediately attracted to her.

A third narrator, Kate, is a girl determined to become a nurse.

A final narrator is Maura. She is the mother of four children all under the age of four years old. Her husband drives the locomotive which runs through the valley where the three rivers flow.

As their stories unfold over the course of several months, you are pulled into their time and history. You can witness the flood. You will feel what it must have been like on that fateful day when the dam gave way!

Ninth Ward

2011-09-21T13:30:00.001-04:00

What must it have been like to survive Hurricane Katrina in one of the poorest areas in New Orleans—the Ninth Ward? Read this excellently written fictionalize account which tries to help all of us who wondered why more people didn’t heed the warnings to evacuate when there was still time to escape Hurricane Katrina’s wrath.
Lanesha is twelve and living with her Mama Ya-Ya. Mama is in her 80’s but has always loved and cared for Lanesha since her birth. Lanesha’s mother died in childbirth with Mama Ya-Ya as her midwife. Mama has so much wisdom and knowledge which she has managed to impart to Lanesha through her twelve years.

Mama Ya-Ya can also sense things that others can’t. She tells Lanesha after the brunt of the hurricane is over that the worst is yet to come. She has some type of foresight that allows her to know the future. What the worst of the storm is Lanesha has no way of knowing until it is upon them!

Read this excellent, brief, historical fiction novel written by Jewell Parker Rhodes to feel the terror and uncertainty that all those who survived Katrina must have felt.

Crossing Stones

2011-09-21T10:00:00.000-04:00

What a delightful piece of historical fiction Crossing Stones by Helen Frost is! Written in verse form and told from the perspectives of four teenagers in 1917, I was immediately drawn into their lives and decisions.

Emma and Frank Norman are neighbors to Muriel and Ollie Jorgenson. Both farm families live on land separated by a brook. Cleverly placed stones in the brook allow the families a convenient route to each other’s homes by avoiding a much longer route by land. The title of the book Crossing Stones comes from the stepping stones placed across the brook.

Muriel is plucky—outspoken in her beliefs about the President, Woodrow Wilson, and the war (World War I) in Europe. She longs to make her mark in the world. Emma, however, is more content with her life and longs for a more normal life as a married woman with children.

When Frank, Emma’s brother, goes off to war, both families worry terribly about his fate. Ollie, though underage to serve in World War I, sneaks away to enlist and follow in Frank’s footsteps. Muriel’s Aunt Vera is involved in the movement to allow women the right to vote.
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Will Ollie and Frank return home from the war? Will plucky Muriel follow in her bold aunt’s footsteps and join her in the Suffragist Movement? Read this great historical fiction piece to see what life was like in 1917. Watch the second author on this YouTube video to see Helen Frost discussing her book.

Box Out

2011-09-20T13:32:00.000-04:00

Basketball enthusiasts will surely enjoy John Coy’s novel entitled Box Out.

Imagine being a sophomore in high school and being moved up to play on the varsity basketball team due to a team mate’s injury. Six-foot-tall Liam Bergstrom has the height to garner rebounds like the senior player he has replaced. What Liam doesn’t have is the experience to play at this level. He must learn techniques from the varsity coach—Coach Kloss.

Prime for Liam to learn is the technique called box out—“to position your body between an opposing player and the basket in order to get a rebound.”

When Darius Buckner, another sophomore and defensive star player quits the varsity team after Liam’s first varsity game, Liam takes notice. Darius is probably the best aggressive player on the team. Without him, will the team make the playoffs?
Another dilemma catches Liam off guard. Unlike his junior varsity coach, Coach Kloss insists on praying before the start of teach game. In fact, players are called upon to lead the prayers. When Liam realizes that not everyone on the team is comfortable with the Christian nature of the prayers, he begins to question whether the coach is violating separation of church and state.

To add to Liam’s stress of trying to play catch-up on the varsity team and being conflicted about the coach’s methods, Liam’s girlfriend MacKenzie is on a student exchange program in France for the semester.

Will Liam stay on the team? Will they advance to the playoffs? Will his coach keep his job? Will MacKenzie stay committed to Liam? Read this play-by-play basketball novel to find out.

Virals

2011-09-20T13:11:00.000-04:00

Kathy Reich’s new novel entitled Vivals is the first book in her new series for young adults. As Kathy has done with the popular BONES television show, she uses forensic science with the solving of a mystery.

The setting is South Carolina near Charleston. Tory Brennan has just been reunited with her father, a scientist, after the sudden death of her mother in a car accident. Since Tory’s dad never even knew about Tory’s existence until her mom’s death, it is easy to imagine how strained their relationship proves to be when Tory is thrust upon him at the age of 14.

Tory and Kit (her father) live on Morris Island while her dad works on Loggerhead Island where it appears a mysterious, secretive experiment is occurring.

Tory forms a friendship with three boys—Ben, Hi and Shelton. In one of their adventures, Tory is pelted in the head by something thrown by a monkey. The monkey’s “bullet” is mud caked with a dog-tag from the armed service stuck inside the mud.

The four kids set about deciphering the name on the heavily corroded metal name tag. Since Tory is really into science, she spurs the group to enter a locked area on Loggerhead Island to use the science and lab equipment which will help them identify the identity of the service person. Little does the group of four realize that they will inadvertently come upon a secret lab where experiments with a wolf-dog are being conducted! When Tory takes pity on the caged pup and decides the group needs to free the pup that is when the real action begins in this adventure/mystery.

Readers who aren’t daunted by a long book, who enjoy mysteries and stories packed with adventure and intrigue will certainly find enjoyment in this first book of the new series by Kathy Reich.

Addie on the Inside

2011-09-20T12:49:00.001-04:00

I hope every seventh grade girl has the chance to read Addie on the Inside by James Howe. Why? It is a fast read—written in free verse, but it touches on all the emotions and feelings most seventh grade girls feel.

Tall for her age and smart, Addie is, however, outspoken. She does have a tendency to alienate some of the more socially conscious students in her classes. Not fully developed in her body, Addie has insecurities the same as most teenage girls’ experience.

The author of Addie on the Inside, James Howe, clearly understands the angst that defines being a teen. His message is spot on for all girls—don’t let others define who you are. Although this is a companion book to The Misfits & Totally Joe, a reader does not have to have read the others to thoroughly enjoy this read.

Alchemy and Meggy Swann

2011-08-24T14:04:00.001-04:00

I usually love any book which is historical fiction because I enjoy learning about periods in history by reading fictional pieces.

Alchemy and Megg Swann seemed as though it would be a good match for our 8th grade social studies curriculm which does cover the end of the Medieval period and the Renaissance. I was initially unable to get involved with the story. This made me wonder whether students would also find getting into this title was going to be difficult for them.

Meggie suffers from bilateral (both sides) hip dysplasia, an abnormal formation of both hip joints at birth in which the ball at the top of each thighbone is not stable in the socket. Although she lived with her mother who ran a tavern, Meggy's gran really raised her and provided her with "sticks" (a handmade type of crutch) so she could move around. When her beloved gran dies, Meggy's mother sends her to live with a father whom she has never met.

Initially her father turns her away as he thinks she is a beggar at his door. With no friends, a father who doesn't even want to know her name, Meggy must find how to survive in Elizabethan England in London.

The vivid descriptions of the smells, the filth, and the poverty are worth the read.

Slob

2011-08-24T11:36:00.002-04:00

I loved the protagonist of this easy to read novel--Owen Birnbaum. Despite being the fattest kid in his school, Owen is probably the brightest! His desire to capture images from a security camera that was in the deli his parents owned the night it was robbed and they both were murdered fuels his creative genius. By scavenging electronic parts from demolition sites around the city, Owen and his younger sister Caitlin have all kinds of parts and motors with which to tinker to hopefully create Nemesis.

With any luck, Nemesis will allow Owen to capture who the killer of his parents was on that fateful night two years ago.

But life isn't always easy for tweleve-year-old Owen. His adopted mom has him on a diet--only three Oreo cookies in his lunch each day. Someone is stealing his Oreos! Owen suspects that it is Mason Ragg--a quite disturbed boy who always has an aide with him in school.

Being the genius Owen is, he creates The Thief Catcher which will nab the thief in the act of stealing his cookies. When his cookies still are stolen, despite this new device, he has to resort to other tactics. When his sister suddenly insists on being called by a boy's name--Jeremy--Owen's life becomes even more twisted.

Will this boy genius be able to finally catch the Oreo thief? Will Mason Ragg be the culprit? Will Owen's Nemesis work? Will he and his sister finally learn who murdered their wonderful parents? Read Slob to find out.

Wish

2011-08-24T10:53:00.002-04:00

Tommy Winterson has had a rough journey through his first eleven years. He was born with cystic fibrosis--a lung disorder which makes his breathing labored and causes his body to be stunted in growth. People who suffer from cystic fibrosis have a shortened life expectancy.

Tommy, his fifteen-year-old siter Beatrice (Bee for short), and his mother are flyng from their home in Warren, N.H. to California on a trip funded by a wish foundation called Blue Moon. Tommy's wish is to swim in a shark cage off the coast of San Francisco hoping to see a great white shark in the wild. Tommy knows everything about sharks.

When the weather and sea conditions are a washout for Tommy's dream, his sister Bee has another idea--to look up Ty Barry, the guy who has survived a shark attack which bumped him five feet into the air while he watched the seventeen-foot shark swirl beneath him.

Will Bee be able to find Ty? Will Ty be willing to pay attention to Tommy who clearly idolizes him?

This is a great book which should appeal to both boys and girls due to the strong character of Bee, Tommy's sister.

How to Survive Middle School

2011-08-24T10:35:00.003-04:00

David Greenberg definitely has talent for a boy about to enter middle school. Dave and his best friend Elliot have created a "Jon Stweart-type Daily Show" for middle school kids entitled TalkTime.

Hammy--Dave's hamster--always has a staring role in each of the TalkTime shows. Dave's top 6 1/2 thing about many different topics are part of the show's lineup. Dave's older sister Lindsay is also featured in the videos, however, without her permission. She "stars" as the zit-weather report--a very unflattering role for a girl about to enter high school!

Dave's uncle scares him with horror stories about middle school.

As the first day of school approaches, Elliott decides to join forces with Tommy Murphy, an arch enemy and totally mean-spirited kid. This leaves Dave to fend for himself in the cafeteria and hallways on the first day. Diaster lucks as Elliott, with inspiration from Tommy, sets Dave up for a very terrible first day.

This book is a riot to read! Boys will especially enjoy it and rejoyce when Dave's TalkTime goes viral on YouTube much to the dismay of Tommy and Elliott.

Close to Famous

2011-08-24T10:18:00.000-04:00

Foster McFee has an incredible dream. She's enthralled with Food Network's chef Sonny Kroll. She'd like to have her own show on Food Network entitled "Cooking with Foster." Already an accomplished baker, Foster has managed to sell her famous cupcakes and muffins by first offering them for free to potential customers.

There are problems in Foster's life, however. Her mom's boyfriend Huck is a self-serving, Elvis impersonator who has turned abusive. Fleeing Memphis and Huck in the middle of the night with all their possessions stuffed into trash bags, Foster and her mom make it to a small town in West Virginia called Culpepper.

Culpepper has its own cast of characters as each small town does. Perhaps the most intriguing one is a former actress named Miss Charleena Hendley.

Will Foster be able to make friends in Culpepper? Will she find a suitable venue to sell her delicious baked good? Will Hank, the abusiver boyfriend of her mother's, find them? Will Foster be able to realize her dream of having her own Food Network show? Read Joan Bauer's new novel entitled Close to Famous to find out.

The Dead Boys

2011-08-09T15:25:00.000-04:00

Richland is located in the desert. When twelve-year-old Teddy Mathews moves to Richland with his mother, his main concerns besides finding and making new friends are his fear of scorpians, black widow spiders, and rattlesnakes. Little does Teddy realize that he will need to muster the courage to face these last three fears as well as something much more sinister.

There is something unnatural happening in Richland. A twelve-year-old boy has mysteriously disappeared once each decade for the past 60 years! Teddy fears that he may be the next victim since it has been 10 years since the last boy disappeared.

What could be causing these strange occurrences? Teddy is about to find out!

This book will appeal mainly to books and especially to reluctant readers.

The Accidental Genius of Weasel High

2011-06-26T08:48:00.001-04:00

Rick DeTorie's new book entitled The Accidental Genius of Weasel High is sure to please nearly every kind of reader. Part comic book, part blog, this book is one with whom many kids will be able to identify.

Larkin Pace is a freshman with a dream of becoming a producer of movies. Mr. Hawley, Larkin's 9th grade English teacher, assigns a half-year long blog--a notebook blog. Since Larkin is artistic, he intersperses his entries with some comic relief.

Larkin is able to express all his emotions from the bullying by Dalton, to his missteps wth his love interest and best friend Brooke, to his views of his parents, to his intolerable older sister Kelley, and to all the normal events that happen in his life. (Larkin is small for his age which poses additional problems for him.)

The Accidental Genius of Weasel High reminded me of The Diary of a Wimpy Kid who had become a full-fledged teenager. This book is a quick read which will have readers shaking their head in agreement at times and laughing at Larkin's logic when he makes missteps. Enjoy this light read!

Rot & Ruin

2011-06-25T19:54:00.001-04:00

I can't remember who recommended the book Rot & Ruin. I wasn't impressed by the title and so I asked, "Well, what is it about?" He responded, "ZOMBIES!" I do like a lot of different types of literature, but the idea that I would like a book with zombies didn't exactly sound exciting.

However, I ended up loving the book and can't wait until the sequel Dust & Decay is released in August of 2011!

In this post apocalypse future, zombies inhabit uncivilized areas known as the Rot and Ruin. Benny Imura was a baby when First Night occurred starting the existence of the undead. He lives with his older half brother Tom whom he views as a coward in a town in California. Benny is approaching his fifteenth birthday. He must find work or he will lose half his food rations. After trying many different types of jobs and enjoying none of them, he decides to travel with his brother Tom to the Rot and Ruin where Tom is a bounty hunter.This dangerous experience fills Benny with a new admiration for his brother and vicious hatred for an evil bounty hunter who is Tom's nemisis.

Rut & Ruin has a complex plot filled with loads of action. Benny has a love interest--Nix. When she is kidnapped by the evil bounty hunters, the plot thickens. Maybe this isn't a book so much about zombies, but rather about good and evil with zombies thrown into the mix.

Secret Saturdays

2011-06-25T18:40:00.001-04:00

Justin begins to worry about his best friend Sean when he catches Sean lying to him. Justin feels this is a breach of trust between best friends. He notices changes in Sean's behavior at school and at his apartment in Red Hook. Justin shares his worry about Sean with their friend Kyle as well as Vanessa.

Why does Sean suddenly leave mysteriously with his mother early on certain Saturday mornings? Where does he go with her? Why does he feel the need to lie about where he and his mother go on these "secret Saturdays"?

This wasn't one of my favorite books. I found the friends' concern for Sean to be genuine, but the lack of action in the book weighed the story down. I included this title in my blog because I do feel that there are some readers who would like to know what living in a housing project is like. They might also enjoy the friendship that these four share.

Is It Night or Day?

2011-06-25T18:28:00.000-04:00

Can you imagine being sent away from the only small town you have ever known by yourself. . .away from your mother and father, your grandmother, your country, your native language at the age of twelve?

In this historical fiction piece written by the daughter of a woman who was sent away by her mother and father from Germany in 1938 to America, the reader learns the story of Edith Westerfeld. Edith's older sister Betty had been sent to America to live with a foster family two years before Edith was sent to live with her father's brother, Jacob and his wife Mildred and their only daughter Dorothy.

The author does an excellent job of helping us understand the many conflicting emotions that young Edith felt as she and some other children were ferried across the Atlantic Ocean to an entirely new culture and society--one is which they would always feel as though they are outsiders.

I have read a great deal of Holocaust literature, but this is the first title that dealt with the children who were saved from extermination by the Nazis by being sent by their parents to America. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Edith's experience. If you enjoy learning about history by reading historical fiction, I believe you will also enjoy reading this book.

The Emerald Atlas

2011-06-05T16:34:00.001-04:00

The Emerald Atlas (Book of Beginnings) is an action packed fantasy! Enjoy the adventure as three children who were taken from their parents to protect them from something sinister that would have happened otherwise, travel to a strange placed called Cambridge Falls. What makes this place so strange is no one seems to know anything about Cambridge Falls and yet that is where Kate, Michael, and Emma are destined to reside.

It has been ten years since Kate was taken as a four-year-old with her brother who was three and her sister who was 1. They have spent ten years shuttling between orphanages.

Now they are faced with the challenge of their lives! A witch of a Countess, screechers who are at her beck and call to kill anyone who doesn't do as she says are the major problem. Orphaned children whose parents have been kept at bay as they tried desperately to reclaim their children are pleading with Kate and the children to help free them.. Dwarves who have an idiot for their leader when his brother would be a true heroic figure are totally helpless. Gabriel, who has the strength to lead and the body to match could be the most dependable friend the children have if they can trust him. Will the children be able to find The Book of Beginnings that the Countess wants to possess? If they find it, will the Countess really let the children in her captivity return to their families? Can fourteen year old Kate really keep the promise she made to her parents when she was four years old--that she would watch over and protect them when Kate herself is in danger? Read this trilling fantasy to find out!

The Trouble with Half a Moon

2011-06-05T16:03:00.000-04:00

Dellie has a lot to shoulder as a 7th grader. Her only brother Louis has recently died, leaving a gaping hole in the heart of her beloved family. Dellie feels responsible for his accidental death. Her parents' grieving, though normal, has left Dellie virtually a prisoner in her own home. In particular, Dellie's mother doesn't like Dellie to be outside. She harbors fears that she will lose Dellie just as she has lost Louis.

Dellie especially leans on her friend Kayla who resides in a unit on the floor above Dellie and her family. They share a special bond. When Kayla accuses Dellie of telling some of her personal secrets to classmates, their friendship sours. Dellie ends up spending time with a six year old boy named Corey whose mother is abusive. She becomes very protective of him and feeds him when he otherwise wouldn't have any food provided by his mother.

Michael, a boy in Dellie's 7th grade math class, has begun to show an interest in her. But how will she be able to see him if her mother is so protective?

Simply written and in short chapters, this is a quick read which satisfies.

How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy

2011-05-30T15:16:00.000-04:00

Lamar Washington is thirteen years old and the King of the Strikers at Strikers Bowling Alley. His brother is 17 and known as Xavier the Savior of the local basketball team. Their mom died of cancer several years ago and their dad, though involved in their lives, works the night shift.

Lamar and his best friend Sergio are starting to be interested in girls. The trouble for Lamar is that he has always been a prankster so no girl takes him seriously!

The rivalry between Lamar and Xavier is paramount throughout the novel. Lamar's asthma is extreme and life theatening at times. To compete with Xaiver is near impossible for Lamar.

Billy Jenks, a hustler at the bowling alley, "befriends" Lamar so that he can use him to his avantage.

Will Lamar land the girl of his dreams or will she persist in thinking of him as a prankster? Will Billy manage to get Lamar in trouble? Will Xavier continue to bully Lamar? Read this novel by Crystal Allen to find out!
This video has a short piece about the book in the first minute or so of the video.

Death Cloud

2011-05-29T18:15:00.001-04:00

Andrew Lane"s new series of the young Sherlock Holmes is sure to capture your interest as it did mine! The mystery is set in England and France. Death Cloud is the first book in his series entitled Sherlock Holmes, the Legend Begins. His next title is Rebel Fire and takes place in America.

Young Sherlock Holmes' father is away in India. Since Sherlock is on summer holiday from school and too young to be on his own, he is staying for the summer with his Uncle Sherrinford and Aunt Anna in their small village of Farnham, England in their home named Holmes Manor. Sherlock's brother Mycroft has a very high position in the British government in London. Mycroft has arranged for an American tutor, Amyus Crowe to work with Sherlock over the summer. Instead of teaching Sherlock Latin and Greek, however, Amyus has instead decided to work on Sherlock's thinking skills.

Sherlock meets another young boy from a lower social class. His name is Matthew Arnatt. Matt witnesses a strange event where a man is killed and mysteriously a cloud of smoke emanates from the body. When Sherlock also witnesses a similar death, both boys become allies in solving the mystery. This sets the boys on a quest to find out who the victim was, how he was killed, and why he was murdered. Amyus and his beautiful daughter help to solve the mystery. Unfortunately for Sherlock, he is severely tested in this endeavor.

Riot

2011-05-24T12:25:00.001-04:00

Do you feel the military draft is fair? This book written by Walter Dean Myers looks at the consequences of the military draft during the Civil War. There was a clause which allowed young men to avoid being drafted if they could pay $300 to someone else who was desperate for money and didn't mind serving. It may not seem like a great deal of money to people of our time period, but for some very poor people, this was a great sum of money.
But what happens if you are drafted to serve, you don't want to serve, and you don't have $300 to pay someone else? Well, that is the situation in New York City in 1863. The Irish immigrants are being drafted to serve and don't have the money to buy their way ont. Feeling this is grossly unfair, they begin to take out their frustration on the colored people in New York. It leads to rioting in the streets.
Written in screenplay format, the author tells us the story of fifteen-year-0ld Claire--half Irish and half Afro-American. If you want a good, short historical fiction read, Riot is the perfect choice!'

Heist Society

2011-05-23T10:43:00.001-04:00

Kat has tried to turn her life around. Coming from a family of famous thieves, it is not easy to walk away from that life and start a new one. After Kat (short for Katarina) cons her way in to a famous boarding school, Colgan, she thinks she has achieved a normal life until Porshe-gate happens. Kat is implicated in the stealing of the headmaster's mint-condition 1958 Porshe Speedster and placing it on the top of the fountain in the quad at the school. Her pleading of innocence falls on deaf ears when a video tape of her is shown committing the dastardly deed. She is kicked out of Colgan!
To her dismay she finds that her wealthly best friend Hale was in on Porshe-gate as was her cousin Gabrille. Not to worry they tell Kat. We are doing this because we need you back in the family! Kat's father has been falsely accused of stealing five very expensive paintings from the known mobster named Arturo Taccone. Taccone will kill Kat's father if the paintings aren't returned to in him in 12 days! The plot thickens as more of Kat's relatives and friends are brought into the heist to find out who stole the paintings and how they are going to be able to manage to steal them back!

Delirium

2011-05-16T10:48:00.000-04:00

Lauren Oliver is probably best known for her first novel entitled Before I Fall. Her second title Delirium can best be described as a dystopian romance.
"It has been sixty-four years since the president and the Consortium identified love as a disease, and forty-three since the scientists perfected a cure." . . ."Things weren't always as good as they are now. In school we learned that in the old days, people didn't realize how deadly a disease love was. For a long time they even viewed it as a good thing, something to be celebrated and pursued." Everything in this futuristic society set in Portland, Maine is dictated by the Book of Shh. . .The Safety, Health, and Happiness Handbook.
Lena, short for Magdalena, is coming of the age where she will be cured. Everyone will know she has been cured by looking at the distinctive scar left on the neck from the procedure. As Lena and her best friend Hana, approach their evaluations and the dates for their procedures, they begin to realize perhaps the government is lying to them. Maybe the border and fencing around Portland is designed to keep them confined rather than to keep out the Invalids (those who haven't been cured). Perhaps the procedure prevents them for feeling any real feelings at all. Perhaps Lena's whole life has been a lie.

The Things a Brother Knows

2011-05-16T08:12:00.000-04:00

Imagine that you have an older brother who you have always idolized. He shocks everyone when he decides to join the marines upon graduation from high school rather than attending any of the four ivy league colleges which have accepted him. He maintains contact through letters and phone calls at first, but his communication falls off as his tour of duty progresses. Even when he has leaves, he decides not to come home. Then imagine his tour ends and he does come home, but he is not the same. He doesn't leave his room for three days. He sleeps around the clock. When he does emerge, he eats and then quickly seeks the sanctuary of his room. You know something terrible is wrong. You know that he needs help but your folks say things like, "Just give him time. He's been through a lot. It will take awhile for him to readjust."
You snoop in his room to find out what he is up to and you find maps printed out. He is planning a trip--that much is obvious. But where he is going is anyone's guess. This is the situation that Levi finds himself in when his brother Boaz returns from Iraq a changed person. Levi relies heavily on his best friends, Zim and Pearl.
This novel really affected me. I couldn't put it down. I kept wondering if Levi would be able to penetrate the protective barrier that Boaz had erected. Was there any hope that Levi would get back the brother he once idolized? Read The Things a Brother Knows by Dana Reinhardt. You won't be disappointed.

Bystander

2011-05-09T15:12:00.000-04:00

I have always been curious of what leads a person to be a bystander in a bullying situation. I wondered if it was fear that motivated them, i.e. the fear that they might be the next victim of the bully. Is it feelings of inadequacy? So I was very interested to read James Preller's new novel entitled Bystander.The protagonist in this story is Eric. He has just moved into a new town on Long Island. He meets Griffin early on and realizes that he can't be trusted. Griffin is two-faced. He has the teachers thinking he is one type of kid when really he is the worst type of bully. Griffin's gang is formidable. No one challenges the way he treats others. His magnetic personality has many people fooled. Eric doesn't want to step into the middle of situations that he finds distasteful as he fears becoming Griffin's next victim. But isn't Eric's choice of nonconfrontation just the type of situation that fuels the worse in a bully? Read Bystander to find out what Eric decides to do.

if i stay

2011-05-04T12:39:00.001-04:00

Gayle Forman's if i stay novel really drew me in and kept my attention. If I had to classify the type of novel this is, I would say "supernatural." The story is set in Oregon on the day of a two-inch snowfall. Since the county where Mia and her family live has only one snow plow, school is cancelled for the day.

So Mia and her much younger brother Teddy and her parents decide to plan a special day eventually ending up at her Grandparents house of dinner. Since the snow melts quickly, they venture out on the road. "As usual, there is a battle for stereo dominance." They decide to listen to the news first followed by classical music. Since Mia is a cellist, she is delighted to hear the first few bars of Beethoven's Cello Sonata no. 3 playing when suddenly their car is rammed by a four-ton pickup truck going sixty miles an hour.

Mia can still hear the radio--strange, however, since the car is entirely cut in half. She can see that her parents have been killed immediately. She strives to find the other half of the car to see if Teddy needs help. When she looks down, she sees herself in the car. But how can this be when she is standing over the wreckage? Is she alive? Is this what it feels like to be dead?

When emergency vehicles arrive and start to work on her, she realizes that she must still be alive.

Read this intriguing story to find out what happens to Mia.

Fallen

2011-05-02T12:03:00.000-04:00

Fallen by Lauren Kate is difficult to classify. So I am giving it the classification of "supernatural."

Lucinda has been sent to a reform school after a boy she was friendly with dies mysteriously in a fire. All the other students at the reform school have had equally horrendous pasts.

When Luce meets Daniel, she is strongly drawn to him. Yet each time she tries to connect, Daniel pulls further away as if he hates her. There is something so distinctly familiar about Daniel that is almost like she has always known him.

Indeed their lives (or past lives) have crossed many, many times!

How is it that Luce survived the fire that killed her friend when he did not? Could it be that someone is watching over her?

Fans will also enjoy the second book in this series entitled

Torment. Watch this book trailer to learn more about this supernatural delight:

Listen to the author discuss her book:

The Running Dream

2011-05-02T10:53:00.000-04:00

WOW! I loved this book!

Jessica has just run her best time in the 400 meter track and field event. She's a junior considering how this will likely positively affect her chances for a scholarship for college. But on the bus ride home from the event, an uninsured driver plows into the school bus killing one of the students, Lucy, and severely injuring Jessica--crushing her foot and the lower part of her leg.

Written in concise short chapters, this book is so accessible.

There are many levels to this story: How Jessica comes to
terms with the loss of her lower leg, how her mental and emotional state are affected by this life changing event, how her body has a hard time coming off of the strong pain medications, how her team mates rally to help her by raising monies for a special "running" prosthethic, how her parents respond to all the changes and their mounting bills, how her best friend is her pillar of support, and how a girl with cerebral palsy has a profound effect on Jessica
and her full recovery.

Watch this YouTube video showcasing the author, Wendelin Van
Draanen, and how she was moved to write this novel after having participated in the New York Marathon and seeing all the those with physical disabilities
overcome incredible odds.

Revolver

2011-04-15T13:24:00.000-04:00

This book has the makings of a classic tale! Look closely at the book jacket and you will see the very evil character called Wolff with the trigger of a revolver superimposed over his face.
Doesn't he look sinister? Believe me; he is!
The year is 1910. Fourteen year old Sig Anderson has had the unfortunate fate of finding his beloved father dead. His father was hurrying from town to their isolated, primative cabin to return to Sig's stepmother, daughter and Sig when he took the ice covered lake route rather than the longer route around the shore. The ice gave way and he was plunged into the frigid artic water.

Although he was able to partially pull himself out of the hole he had fallen into, the frigid water temperature caused him to become immobile. He froze to death at the spot where he fell.

Wolff arrives the day after his father's death. He demands gold that he says Sig's father owes him. Sig is alone in the remote cabin with the corpse of his father. His mother and sister have taken the dogsled to town to seek help with the father's burial. When Sig tells Wolff he knows nothing about any gold, that is when Wolff's true evil nature is apparent.

Sig's father always said, "Even the dead tell stories." Sig is left to try to figure out what his father meant by that statement. He is also left with the revolver that his father gave him. Only one person will escape alive from the remote cabin.

World's End

2011-04-13T15:28:00.000-04:00

Lovers of the fantasy Dormia rejoice! Book Two of the Dormia series entitled World's End by Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski is filled with the same wonderful imaginative characters and adventures!

Alphonso Perplexion is on a school trip to France when he begins to lag behind in the catacombs beneath the streets of Paris. Now a teenager, Alphonso has gone through a growth spurt in the three years since he left Dormia. He is rather tall and gaunt. He experiences his first sleepwalking episode in three years when he meets Sophie who is also a Wanderer. The real action begins a few days later when the class trip to Marseilles, France causes another sleeping adventure that puts Alphonso on a freighter bound for of all places--Egypt.

My favorite part of this book is when Alphonso meets up with Resuza, Hill, and Bilblox. Their adventures on the fault roads was amazing to me. Will the man that Alphonso keeps seeing in his sleeping episodes be his long lost father? Could his father really be alive? Read the sequal to Dormia, World's End, to find out!

Scrawl

2011-04-05T12:41:00.001-04:00

Maybe you have wondered what makes a bully behave the way he/she does. Maybe you would like to know that a bully does get punished for pushing people around. This book satisfies on both of these counts.
Tod is a self-confessed bully. When he and the other boys he hangs with get caught breaking into the school, Tod receives a month of after-school detention monitored by his guidance counselor, Mrs. Woodrow. His droogs (his buddies in crime) receive a more physical punishment--cleaning the school grounds after school.
Each day Tod shows up for his detention. His punishment is to write in a notebook--thus where the title of Scrawl comes from. Mrs. Woodrow makes comments on the entries. As the novel progresses it is easy to understand why Tod does some of the things he does. Lacking money for basic things like food and clothes, he extorts it from what he terms are the "losers" in the school. Tod's droogs start to resent his punishment and begin to have a falling out which results in Tod making friends that change the way in which he behaves.
All around a very good read! I became quite sympathetic to the character of Tod and his situation.

Ship Breaker

2011-04-05T09:32:00.000-04:00

Hulks of freighters, cargo ships, and tankers from our present day line the Gulf Coast near New Orleans in this futuristic adventure story. Nailer Lopez is fifteen and due to his small size, he is working "light crew". His job is to crawl through these rusted hulks to find valuable copper wiring and other metals which can be scavenged. It is a very rough and tumble life the scavenge crews live--always in danger from leaking chemicals, oil, and other treacherous things which could happen while they are trying desperately to meet their daily quotas for their crew bosses.

Nailer's father, Richard Lopez, is the devil we all love to hate. Drug addicted, he beats Nailer with little or no provocation.

When a "city killer" (hurricane) threatens the coastal area where Nailer and the other crews live, a luxurious clipper ship wrecks(think of our most modern yachts with sleek design features which make them ultra fast), Nailer and Prima decide to scavenge it with the hopes of making enough money to escape their brutal lives. Can they keep their find of fancy silver plates and some gold from the other crew members? Can they keep their secret from Nailer's father? What do they decide to do with the "swank" (wealthy) girl who has survived the wreck of the clipper ship? Can they trust what the "swank" named Nita tells them regarding a reward from her wealthy father?

I thoroughly was involved in this book! I can see why it won the Prinz award and was a National Book Finalist. I am amazed that this is Paolo Bacigalupi's first novel! It is very well written. There are violent parts (no more brutal or violent than The Hunger Games). Fans of dystopian fiction will love this title!

I Am Number Four

2011-04-05T08:45:00.001-04:00

This science fiction title which is authored by James Frey (A Million Broken Pieces) and Jobie Hughes delivers! The premise of the story rests in aliens living and residing among us! Nine children from the planet Lorien have escaped an especially vicious attack on their planet from the Mogadorians. Along with their guardians, the nine have been living on Earth for ten years until they grow into their legacies. The power they obtain from their legacies will hopefully help them return to their planet and reclaim it. Three of the nine have already been killed by their enemies. John Smith is number four. He will be next!
John Smith, aged 15, and his protector, Henri Smith serve as the main characters. They have had to move repeatedly to avoid detection and especially to escape from Mogadorians who have traveled to Earth to kill all nine of the remaining Lorien teens.
I especially loved the dog that befriends John in Paradise, Ohio when they move there from Florida. Bernie Kosar is a weird name for a dog, but this is not your normal pet! Also fascinating to me were the legacies that John develops--telekinesis (ability to move things), lumen (ability to use his hands to create light), and telepathy (ability to communicate with animals and others).
A movie has already been created which adds to this book's appeal. Sequels are in the works by the two authors. (Pittacus Lore is listed as the author on the front of the book; he is one of the Lorien elders.)

Trash by Andy Mulligan

2011-03-31T15:33:00.001-04:00

How could reading a book about severely impoverished kids whose families pick through trash in order to find articles which can be recycled for money or goods be interesting? I wouldn't have thought this book would hold much appeal to me, but I found myself immediately drawn into the lives of Raphael, Gardo and Rat.
The story is told in bits and pieces of Raphael's discovery of a man's wallet, photos and a key. Gardo, his best friend, brings Rat into the picture to help hide their find from police.
This is a classic story which shows the disparity between the "haves" and the" have nots" in society. There is a mystery the boys must solve before the police do. Raphael is taken in for questioning by the police and barely escapes with his life. None of the boys or the others who live at the dump trust the police.
This is a fast read, almost like an adventure book. If you want to learn how some people who live in a third world country exist, this is a title you will surely enjoy.

I Am Scout

2011-03-31T15:12:00.000-04:00

Since one of my all time favorite books is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, I was very excited to read this biography of Harper Lee designed for young adults.

The reclusive Miss Lee has rarely appeared in public or given interviews. Her landmark novel is the only book she has ever written. So I really wanted to read about her.

I was very interested in her early years as I believe the character of Scout was really autobiographical in nature. When you hear her friends from her childhood describe the fights that she got into to protect others, you can really see what a true tomboy she was. Her relationship with Truman Capote (another author) is clearly the type of friendship she writes about in To Kill a Mockingbird about her friend Dill.

Fans of To Kill a Mockingbird will really enjoy this biography!

Matched by Ally Condie

2011-03-31T09:23:00.000-04:00

I am a big fan of dystopian fiction. Matched did not let me down!
I didn't feel it rose to the same level as The Hunger Games, but I was intrigued by the plot and thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Cassia lives in a "perfect" society. She is looking forward to the Match Banquet where she will find out who her perfect match for a husband is.

Everything in this society is planned including when you will die, what your education and career training will consist of, etc. Cassia has complete trust in the process and has no reason to doubt what the society determines for her until she is paired with Xander yet just as his face is revealed an aberration in the computer system reveals another face--that of Ky. She knows that Xander is her soul mate. So why does the society change its mind and pair her with Ky?

Cassia is forced to examine whether this "perfect" society really does know what is best for its members.

The Rivalry: Mystery at the Army-Navy Game

2011-03-31T08:54:00.001-04:00

I love watching football so I was looking forward to reading this mystery written by John Feinstein, author of The Final Four.
I learned a lot about the traditions and training for each of the service academy teams which held quite a bit of interest for me personally.
I liked how the author created two budding student writers, Stevie Thomas and Susan Anderson to scoop the behind-the-scenes action.
What a didn't care for was the way in which the plot was structured such that the "mystery" wasn't revealed until about page 225.
True football fans probably won't be bothered by this lack of plot development, but I surely was.

Slick

2011-03-22T11:38:00.000-04:00

Slick is the moniker that Liza gives to the name of her mother's new boyfriend because he works for an oil company.

Liza and her two younger brothers, Sila and Leland, are used to living with their mother now that their parents are divorced and their real father has moved to England.

Liza doesn't take kindly to Slick as she believes her mother is changing in ways she believes go against her principles to suit Slick. Liza is down right rude to Slick at times despite his attempts to please Liza and her brothers.

Liza starts a grassroots organization GRRR! (Girls for Renewable Resources, Really!) which targets the oil company that Slick works for.

This is a very short read. It is one of the titles in the Orca Currents series and is written by Sara Cassidy. I wasn't overly fond of this title but I am sure that some students might find it enjoyable.

Bruiser

2011-03-21T11:42:00.001-04:00

I found the closeup on the cover of this book of one of the main characters, Brewster, to be very intriguing. Can you tell how mysterious he is just by looking at his profile? Can you see how shy and withdrawn he appears? Does he look like his life might be very interesting yet also troubled?
Tennyson and his twin sister Bronte are at odds with each other when Bronte befriends the shy and withdrawn classmate Brewster Rawlins known as "Bruiser". Tennyson is very protective of his sister and becomes very concerned when he spies on Bruiser changing in the locker room after P.E. and notices that his back is covered in scars and welts.
Bronte continues her relationship with Brew, drawing him closer to herself, Tennyson and even her family. What effect will this closeness have on her parents' troubled marriage?
Is he being abused as the scars and welts would indicate or his uncle telling the truth when he swears he has never touched Brewster. What role does Brewster's younger brother Cody play in this very interesting novel. What special powers to heal does Bruiser have?

Out of My Mind

2011-03-14T08:59:00.001-04:00

Imagine being trapped inside your body which doesn't let you speak, walk, or control your movements in any meaningful way. Now continue to imagine that there is nothing wrong with your brain even though the physical part of your body doesn't function the way most people's bodies work. Now imagine that your brain actually has a photographic memory and that you are really, really smart, but to the rest of the world, you are perceived as a "retard".
In Sharon Draper's latest novel entitled Out of My Mind, that is the exact position that eleven-year-old Melody finds herself.
I really liked this book as I could begin to imagine the extreme frustration that Melody experiences. All of the normal adolescent issues of trying to fit in, trying to befriend someone you can trust, trying to communicate are so heightened. Even with the advancement of technology which allows severely disabled students to have a "computer voice", life is just so difficult. The cover image is a great one for this novel. Melody can't call her mom when her goldfish launches itself outside its bowl. The metaphor of a fish out of water fits Melody's whole existence.

The Lost Survivors Trilogy by Susan Pfeffer

2011-03-10T13:08:00.003-05:00

I remember reading Life As We Knew It (Book One) three years ago on a bitter cold January weekend. I was surprised how rapidly I was drawn into the life of a typical teen named Miranda and her self-absorbed life in a small Pennsylvania town. Miranda's priorities undergo a radical change, however, when an asteriod hits the moon, throwing it out of its orbit and too close to the Earth. There is wild spread devastion such as violent earthquakes, massive tsunamis, millions of deaths due to crop failures and non delivery of goods.

Lucky for Miranda and her family, her mom is extremely resourceful. They are able to heat their home and make do while others are frantic for their survival.

What really stuck with me from this novel was the incredibly dire weather conditions caused by this event--the extreme bitter cold.

The Dead and The Gone (Book Two)was written by Pfeffer to try to answer the question of what it would have been like to have experienced the same devastation from Life As We Knew It, but to have the main character living in a completely different setting--Manhattan.
Seventeen-year-old Alex Morales, his 14-year-old sister Briana, and his 12-year-old sister Julie are home alone in their apartment when the crisis hits. Their mother is working at a hospital in Queens and their father is out of the country on a trip.
The responsibility for survival falls squarely on Alex's shoulders. How will they secure food? How can he protect his sisters from the bands of people who roam the streets looking for food or money. Who will remove the bodies of the dead lining the streets? Will they ever see either of their parents again?

I was surprised to see This World We Live In (Book Three). Told from the perspective of Miranda, the teen protagonists from Books One and Two are brought together when Miranda Evan's father and stepmother arrive with their new baby and a trio of strangers, including Alex Morales!
Survival is still paramount on everyone's mind despite it being a year now that the asteriod hit the moon causing the devastation that they have all come to see as "this world we live in now."
The ending of Book Three has left wondering if Pfeffer will produce another book in this series.

Mao's Last Dancer

2011-03-09T14:18:00.001-05:00

Can you imagine life as a young person under Chairman Mao in China? By reading Li Cunxin's autobiography entitled Mao's Last Dancer, the reader can begin to understand what life under Chairman Mao was like.
Li Cunxin was born and grew up in a loving but extremely poor family in a rural village in China's Shandong Province. He was one of seven children. His parents toiled endlessly to feed their sons.
Li"s life changed forever at the age of eleven when his rural classroom received a visit from Madame Mao's representatives from Beijing. They were there to select talented students to study ballet in Beijing.
Despite fighting homesickness and adjusting to the Academy's rigorous demands, Li realizes that he can never return home. Seven years of punishing training taught Li discipline, determination and perseverance.
Learn about history, especially about living under the Communist philosophies of Chairman Mao and his "Little Read Book."

Watch the trailer for the movie that was made from this book:

The Big Field

2011-03-09T12:53:00.000-05:00

Baseball fans will enjoy this title!

Fourteen-year-old Keith "Hutch" Hutchinson is a shortstop at heart. Too bad that there is another player, Darryl Williams, who gets the coveted spot as shortstop. Hutch is assigned to second base.

Hutch finds it hard to adjust to this position and his "second-best" player status.

Hutch's relationship with his father is also strained.

How will the team fare in the South Florida regionals and at the state championship on the big field in Roger Dean Stadium?

Since it is baseball season, why not enjoy this sports fiction title by Mike Lupica?

The Grimm Legacy

2011-03-03T13:59:00.001-05:00

How cool would it be to work in a type of museum called a repository where articles of historic value could be circulated? In The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman, the main character, Elizabeth Rew, gets the chance to become a page for the New York Circulating Material Respository after her social studies teacher, Mr. Mauskopf, recommends her for the position of student page.
There is much for Elizabeth to learn. Many of the items are of great historic value; some have magical powers and require the patron circulating the item to give up something--such as his/her sense of direction--if they want to take the item out.
What Elizabeth and two of the male pages find most fascinating is the floor in the basement where items from the original Grimm's Fairy Tales are housed.
Imagine being able to circulate the sinister mirror from Snow White or magical boots that let the wearer fly through time and space!
Items from the respository have started to disappear and there is fear that they could end up in the wrong hands who would use the magic in evil ways.
This highly engaging fantasy will have you dreaming about magical items in your sleep! I imagine that there might be a sequel or perhaps an entire series developed from this book.

Wolves, Boys & Other Things That Might Kill Me

2011-03-03T12:42:00.000-05:00

I loved this book! It has romance! It's set in one of our National Parks--Yellowstone. Its conflict centers around understanding how nature and humans often come into conflict, especially when a species is reintroduced to an area where there has been a problem. It's well written and sure to be popular with both boys and girls.

K.J. Carson is 16. Her father owns a hunting store and arranges hunting trips. K.J. works in the store and also accompanies her dad on some of the hunting trips he arranges.

Virgil Whitman is new in town. His mother is there to study the wolves that have been reintroduced to the area.

K.J. accompanies Virgil and his mom to check on the status of the wolves. K.J. becomes fascinated with the wolves and decides to write a newspaper column called "Wolf Notes" to try to inform townspeople and ranchers so that they will be less fearful of the wolves. This column only stirs up people and alienates both sides.

Why is virgil shot at in the Christmas parade? Who sets fire to K.J.'s dad's store? What do both of these incidents have to do with the wolves and the ranchers?

Crazy Beautiful

2011-03-03T11:23:00.001-05:00

Lauren Baratz-Logsted's book entitled Crazy Beautiful is a modern day Beauty and the Beast tale. Told in alternating chapters by Lucius and Aurora the story unfolds.
Lucius has lost both hands in a self-made explosion. He has heavy scarring on his chest and two steel hooks in place of hands. He's changing schools for a new start.
Aurora has also changed schools. Her father has recently been widowed.
The two could not be more different from each other.
Yet, they meet on the bus on the first day of school.
Lucius seems arrogant and standoffish while Aurora is beautiful and always smiling. Beauty and the Beast with an updated feel!

Tropical Seasons

2011-03-03T10:01:00.000-05:00

I was very excited to see this new title: Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in Cuba by Margarite Engle. I was lucky enough to meet this author when she gave a book talk on another book she wrote called The Surrender Tree in 2009 at New Haven Public Library.

It is unlike other historical fiction novels because it is written in free verse, but also because of its subject matter. Until I read this title, I was totally unfamiliar with the role that Cuba played in the acceptance of Jewish immigrants before and during World War II.

The story centers around a young Jewish boy named Daniel. Daniel's parents realize the growing threat and although Daniel is just barely bar-miztvahed, in 1939 they purchase a ticket (using all their money) for Daniel's passage on a ship with other refugees destined for New York.The ship is turned away due to immigration quotas already having been met in the United States. Canada also turns the ship away. Finally, Daniel lands in Cuba. There he befriends a local girl of the same age, Paloma and an older Jewish man. Since Daniel is alone in a new place unlike any where he has ever lived, he needs all the help he can get from these two friends. Will his family ever find him?

Hex Hall

2011-02-22T12:46:00.004-05:00

Hecate, known as Hex Hall to its students, is a reform school for shapeshifters, faeries, witches, and warlocks. Sophie has known that she is a witch for three years. When a love spell for a fellow classmate is botched, her estranged warlock father makes certain Sophie's mother (a human) removes Sophie from her high school and sends her to Hex Hall. When a series of mysterious murders occur, Jenna, a wampire and Sophie's only friend at Hex Hall, is implicated and banished from the school. It is up to Sophie to try to clear her roommate's name and find who the real killer is.

I am not a big fan of reading about witches and warlocks, but the plot of this story did keep me engaged in reading to solve the mysterious and deadly happenings at Hex Hall.

All the Broken Pieces

2011-02-22T12:42:00.002-05:00

If you are a fan of novels written in free verse and you enjoy baseball, you are going to love this novel! Matt was born during the Vietnam War to a Vietnamese mother and an American solider. Wisely, his birth mother realizes that his chances for a good life are in his being airlifted out of Vietnam at the end of the war rather than trying to survive his mixed race status in his very unstable home country. It has been two years since his adoption by his very supportive American parents. Despite their support, Matt suffers from ridicule by his American classmates--one in particular. Luckily for Matt, he is involved in baseball where there is a very supportive coach. This coming of age story about a boy who is struggling with his identity will particularly appeal to boys.

A Long Walk to Water

2011-02-22T12:14:00.004-05:00

I love reading about historical events through historical fiction. Linda Sue Park's latest novel A Long Walk to Water is a great read.

Each chapter begins with the story of Nya, a young girl in southern Sudan in 2008, who spends hours each day traveling from her village to the nearest water source- a muddy pond two hours walk away. Then the historical aspect is revealed through what happened to Sudan in the past.

As war spreads throughout the country of Sudan in the early 1980's, people to flee their native areas now in devastation, resulting in millions of people on the move.

During this chaotic time, children who were separated from their families spent the majority of their adolescence walking across the country in search of safety in refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya. In A Long Walk to Water, Park dramatizes the real life story of one such boy, Salva Dut.

Salva was eleven years old and attending school when the soldiers came. He is separated from his family, and the focus of his early travels remains on his growing fear of whether his family members have survived and rising emotions of how he will ever find them again.

The story follows Salva over two decades, with some segments of time written about at great length and others briefly summarized. As Salva runs through the bush, readers feel the pounding of his heart. Salva's and Nya's paths cross in a most interesting way.

A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck

2011-02-10T14:11:00.000-05:00

Fans of A Long Way from Chicago and A Year Down Under by Richard Peck will enjoy his latest book entitled A Season of Gifts.

At times hilarious the story revolves around the Barnhart family of five who move next door to feisty Grandma Dowdel. The year is 1958. The town bully and his gang pick on 11 year old Bob Barnhart. Grandma rescues Bob from her privy where the gang his managed to string Bob precariously above the privy's hole.

Grandma Dowdel's common sense, her interest in the Barnhart family, and her sense of justice are among some of the "gifts" she gives to them.