Groosham Grange

Anthony Horowitz has done it again! This fast-reading horror story reads almost like a short story. David Eliot is being sent to Groosham Grange. It is another boarding school, in a string of boarding schools that he has attended.

Gregor, the driver waits at the train station to take David to the school. "He was horribly deformed. If he had been involved in a dreadful car crash and then fallen into an industrial mangle, it could only have improved him." Needless to say, David is apprehensive as approaches the building. Upon arrival he meets Mr. Kilgraw. His first clue that something isn't quite right is when the headmaster makes him sign his name in blood in the school register. He says that it is a "tradition". Hmmmmm.....

Things only get more strange. David tries repeatable, without success, to escape Groosham Grange. Read the book and see what happens on his 13th birthday!

The Missing Girl

Creepy........A man is watching the five Herbert sisters. He watches them as they walk to school, he watches them in the park....all the while he is trying to decide which sister he likes best. Read the book by Norma Fox Mazer. See what happens to the family when he finally makes his move and kidnaps Autumn.

Granny

Aren't "grannies" supposed to be kind, bake your favorite cookies and buy you special treats? Well....meet Joe's granny. She is the ANTI-GRANNY!! In fact, she admits she hates Joe!!

Anthony Horowitz has concocted an unusual, eccentric story. Joe lives the life of wealth. Too bad his parents don't pay much attention to him. After his parents go on vacation ....again, granny makes sure she has Joe to herself. Her plan is to kidnap him and take him to the Golden Granny Awards. Once there, the evil grannies want to remove the enzymes from his body. Hopefully they will then be able to inject themselves with a magic formula that has been developed. Think fountain of youth! The device (extractor) they have built to do this sounds like a torture device from the middle ages. The plan almost succeeds.

Once you read this book I know you will appreciate your granny:)

The Last Invisible Boy

Did you read the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books? If you did, you will probably like this book by Evan Kuhlman. The illustrations remind me of those that Jeff Kinney has in his books.

The main character is a 12 year-old boy named Finn Garrett. Finn feels he is becoming invisible....his once dark black hair is slowly turning white. Really! His skin is also a pasty white color. All these changes began in June on "The Terrible Day that Changed Everything". What could possibly happen that would be so traumatic and cause these changes? At first Finn says, "I lost my dad forever." I wasn't sure if his parents had divorced or dad had died. Sadly, his father has died, but he doesn't reveal what happened.

Read the book. See how Finn gradually turns whiter and whiter -- and becomes more and more invisible. Will he ever be normal again?

The Adoration of Jenna Fox

This book by Mary E. Pearson is brand new. (I love new books!)

Jenna's parents adored her.....thus they would do anything to save her. Wouldn't your parents?

This book is a little futuristic. Jenna is 17 and is told she has been in a terrible car accident. The accident explains some of the amnesia, but not everything. Why is she so clumsy? Why is she shorter than she was before the accident? She knows things that she never knew before, but has no recollection of friends and her life in Boston. It doesn't make sense.

Jenna's dad is a scientist. What he has done with Jenna is illegial. Read this "medical thriller" and find out what it is!

Torn to Pieces

Wow.....I could not stop reading this new mystery book by Margot McDonnell. More to come later.

Beastly

Did you know that author Alex Flinn is a woman? I guess using the more masculine "Alex" I thought it was a male author. Alex loves to read fairy tales to her daughters. She made them sit through numerous readings of Beauty and the Beast while she was writing Beastly.

In this modern retelling of the original Beauty, Kyle Kingsbury is the main character. He is "beautiful and handsome" on the outside, yet inside, where it really counts, he is mean, nasty and arrogant. He asks Kendra to an important school dance, only to stand her up. The last laugh is Kyle's though, when Kendra places a spell on him. She turns him into a beast -- hairy, sharp claws, the whole package. Now he is as ugly on the outside as he is on the inside.

Kendra does give him a chance to redeem himself and possibly turn into a normal human again. Read the book and find out how.

Dusssie

I can't believe I haven't blogged about this book by Nancy Springer. It's always out and always popular during booktalks.

Puberty does crazy things to your body:) Dusssie wakes up one morning and finds she has snakes for hair!! If you're "up" on your Greek mythology you know that Medusa shares the same characteristic. Dusssie finds out that her mother - who always dresses in long, flowing caftans and turbans - is a Gorgon AND Medusa's younger sister!

Inadvertently Dusssie transforms a boy in her class to stone, a boy she secretly has a crush on! Obviously, she is just getting used to her new-found powers. Read the book and find out what Dusssie tries to do to remedy the situation.

Greek gods living in the 21st century is a popular genre!

Neptune's Children

The prologue of this book by Bonnie Dobkin pulled me in right away.......

Terrorists have created a virus and planted it in locations around the world. A timing device is set. But...when the virus is released the unthinkable happens...it mutates! All adults die!

The story is set at the Isles of Wonder Theme Park. Families had been enjoying a warm summer day at the park when the tragedy struck. The survivors band together under the leadership of Josh and Milo. Did you ever watch the TV show, Survivor? Like the television show, alliances are made and broken. Disagreements break out and violence often threatens.

This is a good survival story. Read it and see which side you would choose to be on!

Knucklehead

Jon Scieszka is an author many are familiar with -- The Stinky Cheeseman and the Time Warp Trio books are popular even in middle school. His newest book, Knucklehead, is Jon's autobiography. I loved this silly book!!

Jon grew up in Flint, Michigan in the 1960's. He was the second of six brothers. Mom was a nurse -- a good thing in a house of rambunctious boys, and his dad was a school principal. I laughed and laughed at the goofy things he did during childhood. Because his mom was a nurse she demanded that the boys use the "proper" name for things. He devotes a chapter to "urinating", not the slang word that most kids use. The chapter on a family vacation was hilarious. Their family cat (a boy also) accompanied them. When it threw up after eating a candy bar that one of the boys dropped, it set off a chain reaction. You can only imagine how the car smelled.

Read the book....the stories are timeless:)

Pictures from the tea!

Tea with author Laura Schaefer. Yes.....we really served tea!

Laura shared a Powerpoint with students that explained the process she went through to have her book published.

You can visit her online at http://teashopgirl.blogspot.com/ Check out the blog for more pictures from our tea!

The Teashop Girls

Laura Schaefer, author of The Teashop Girls, was at Tipler for our "teashop". It was a great opportunity for students to meet a "real" author. Pictures from the event will be posted later......

The book itself revolves around the friendship between three girls -- Annie, Genna, and Zoe. Annie's grandma run the Steeping Leaf, a teashop in Madison, WI. Economic times are tough and the Steeping Leaf is facing stiff competition from local coffeshops. The prospect of closing the tea shop brings the friends together with a purpose. Can they save the shop? What role will the "horrid" Zach Anderson play?

The Midnight Twins

I always knew author Jacquelyn Mitchard as an adult author. This book, The Midnight Twins, is her first young adult book.

Can you imagine being a twin, but not sharing the same birthday....or even the same birth year? That is exactly what happens to the Brynn sisters -- Meredith and Mallory. One is born on December 31 and the other 2 minutes after midnight on January 1. It makes for an interesting story. Their personalities are very opposite, but they share many things -- including a "secret" twin language.

On another New Years Eve - the eve of their 13th birthday there is a terrible fire. One of the sisters is left with a scar on her hand. For the first time, the twins are not identical. The fire does more than just physical damage. The girls no longer share dreams. Mallory starts to dream about future traumatic events and Meredith past events. They will need to put their dreams together to solve a mystery.

Bonechiller

Bonechiller is the newest book (and a very creepy one) by Graham McNamee, the author of Acceleration....another book that I really liked.

The story is set in Harvest Cove, Canada. It is a tiny, tiny isolated town in the province of Ontario. Danny is returning home late one night. He feels eyes following him. Panic ensues as he runs faster. He sees the large shape continuing to follow him. Danny stumbles over the snow piles and falls into a ditch. The creature is on him in an instant and stings him. After that, it disappears. At first Danny wonders if it was just a weird dream. But as other classmates disappear and he grows colder and colder, Danny knows it was more than just a dream.

What stung Danny? What creature stalks other teenagers in the town? Read the book and find out!

Reaching for Sun

I love the cover of this new book by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer. The yellow dandelions make me think of warm summer days...days that currently seem a long way off!

Josie has a disability - cerebral palsy. As the story begins she is struggling. No one wants to be her friend because she is different. Her mom is going back to college and busy with her job. No dad is in the picture. Grandma is there to provide stability.

Through the free verse poem format Josie really shares her feelings. Mom wants Josie to be successful -- be a doctor or a lawyer. Josie feels weighed down by her mom's expectations and describes it "like wearing a heavy wool coat in summer."

Jordan, a "geeky" science-loving kid moves into the neighborhood --- finally a friend! Josie has lots of challenges ahead of her. Read the book for the beautiful language she uses.

When I Crossed No-Bob

What in the world is No-Bob? That was my thought when I looked at the title of this book. No-Bob is a hollow in the Mississippi woods. Addy O'Donnell lived there -- until she was abandoned by her mother. The O'Donnell family...and extended family... don't have very good reputations. They are poor, they are fighters and they are involved with the Ku Klux Klan.

The story takes place after the Civil War. After Addy's mom leaves, she is taken in by the Russell's. Finally, Addy is raised in a comfortable, loving home. She goes to school, makes friends and tries to overcome the bad reputation of her last name. Things happen though..... a new friend, Jess Still, a black boy, is killed in a fire. Addy knows her father, a member of the KKK was responsible. She feels a loyalty to family, but reaches a point where she thinks, "Pappy? You are a killer and a thief. You have stolen from so many. You have taken lives." What decisions does Addy make about her future? Read the book!

The Declaration

It seems like many books being published, or at least ones that I am reading, are about the future. This sci-fi book fits that description - but it is a scary future.

Do you want to live forever? In the year 2140 you have that opportunity. Gemma Malley writes about a future where you have the choice to take longevity drugs. Have you read Turnabout or Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix? Both books reminded me of this one.

Anna is 14 years old and should never have been born. She is known as "Surplus Anna". Both her parents signed "the declaration" when they made the decision to take the drugs and live forever. The declaration states that you will never have children. Children would create more competition for resources -- food and shelter. Peter comes to Grange Hall where Anna lives with others like herself, and tells her she is more than a "valuable asset". She has parents that love her and want to be with her. Peter tries to convince Anna to escape with him. Does she? You will have to read the book to find out!

The Other Side of the Island

Did you ever read The Giver by Lois Lowry? This book by Allegra Goodman really reminded me of it. The Other Side of the Island takes place in the future, but it feels like it could be tomorrow.

The future world is peaceful, in part because Earth Mother and the Corporation control everything....even the weather! Honor and Helix are the main characters. Both live on the climate-controlled Island 365. Both sets of parents disappear. Is it because they are secretly working against the Corporation? Is it because Honor's parents had a forbidden second child?

Honor and Helix band together to find their kidnapped and zombie-like parents. Do they find them on the other side of the island? You will have to read the book to find out!

The Graveyard Book

Bod - short for "Nobody" Owens lives in a graveyard! Yes -- he is alive and is cared for by the ghostly inhabitants of the graveyard.

How did Bod come to have such an unusual upbringing? The first line of the story, "There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife." begins the story. Bod's parents and sister are murdered by the intruder. Somehow 2-year old "Bod" toddles out of his crib, through the front door, down the street and crawls through the gate of the old graveyard. Bod is adopted by the ghosts of Mr. and Mrs. Owens who raise him as their own child. He is given "Freedom of the Graveyard" which allows him to do things normal humans can.

The killer is still out there looking for Bod. Read the story if you like a fantasy/suspense story filled with magic and ghouls!

Neil Gaiman is also the author of Coraline, which has just been turned into a movie. It comes out February 6, 2009. To be honest, I liked this book a lot more!!

Guest blogger -- Maggie

This book Prom, by Laurie Halse Anderson, is about a high school senior girl named Ashley Hannigan. Ashley is your normal slacker "I dont want to do anything except for hang out with my boyfriend", my life stinks kind of girl. At first. Her best friend Natalie, "Nat" is on the prom committe and is totally commited! But when the prom committe's advisor is arrested for stealing the money for the prom, the prom is cancelled. Now Nat is totally depressed and she doesn't want to do anything except for brainstorm ways for them to get the prom back on. But somehow Ashley gets sucked into the plan and now she is Nat's "assistant." Then Nat breaks her leg because she tripped down the stairs in new high-healed shoes. So Ashley is now the one and charge and does not know how she is going to pull this off! Read Prom today and I promise you that it will be a great book!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This book is intense ....... and it leaves you waiting for the sequel!

Katniss, the main character lives in District 12. She is one of 2 tributes selected from her district to attend the yearly "hunger games". The games are held in the capital city, Panem. Although the setting is somewhat futuristic, it reminded me of the time of the ancient Romans. Tributes from all the districts fight in the games like the gladiators did in Rome. The fight is to the death!

Because Katniss comes from a poorer district and family, she has always had to supplement the family's food supply with animals she has trapped or shot. Her skill with a bow and arrow do afford her an advantage in the games. Still.....I found it hard to accept that a society would sacrafice its own members --- and young adults no less!

Will Katniss and Peeta, the other tribute from District 12 survive? What will become of their budding romance? Will it help or hinder the brutality of the games? You have to read the book to believe all that happens!

Firestorm

Firestorm by David Klass is the first book in the Caretaker Trilogy. If you want to read a sci-fi thriller, this is it!!

Until the night that Jack broke the school's rushing record everything was normal. Until later that evening at the diner, everything was normal. Until the time, even later when Jack's dad tells him he is not his father, everything was normal. Why now does Jack's father call him the "beacon of hope"? Why is Jack pursued by strange creatures? What is shooting lasers at him? Jack finds out he was born 1000 years into the future. His birth father has sent him back in time with caretakers, to the present day, so that he can find "firestorm". With any luck, firestorm will save the earth.

According to Wikipedia, a screenplay for the movie version is being developed. I can't wait to start the second book, Whirlwind.

The Redheaded Princess

Ann Rinaldi is a great historical fiction writer. I haven't sat down to read much historical lately, but when I started this book I couldn't put it down.

The story starts in 1542. Elizabeth is the 9-year-old second daughter of King Henry VIII. Her mother was Anne Boleyn.....I say "was" because the King had his wife beheaded. Ever since she was 3 years old Elizabeth has feared death. She can't trust anyone except her nanny. Her father has removed her from succession - this means she can never be queen. But....never say never. Elizabeth wants to someday be queen. Read this book and see if it happens!!

First Shot

This "shot" by Walter Sorrells isn't a basketball shot, rather a gun shot. David Crandall becomes convinced his father, the very stern headmaster at his exclusive private school, killed his mother. After 3 years the crime remains unsolved. The police show up to question dad again. Later that evening David follows his father as he buries a mysterious, sheet-wrapped object. Is it the rifle that killed his mother? Despite their rocky relationship David hates to believe his father would be capable of violence. Read this very exciting mystery to see who is charged with the crime.

Found

Margaret Peterson Haddix is probably best known as the author of the Shadow Children series. Wait until you read Found, the start of a new series.

A plane shows up, unannounced, at the airport terminal. All attempts to contact the pilot and the flight attendants go unanswered. Finally the ground crew opens the gate to the plane and goes on board. No one is in the cockpit. It is oddly, very silent..... no sounds of passengers gathering luggage and belongings.

Angela looks around the plane and hears some wimpering sounds. Her gaze lowers to the 36 seats on the plane. Each one is filled --- with a baby!!!!

How did the mystery plane get there? Where are the babies from? You don't get all the answers in the start to this new series. Get your name on the waiting list. It will also be at the book fair in October!

We have it!!!!

As promised, we now have The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer. YEAH!!!! This is the companion volume to Life As We Knew It.

Remember --- an asteroid hits the moon --- disaster and chaos ensue. Read this book to see how people in New York City survive.

The Golden Rat

I found this book, The Golden Rat, on the new book shelves at Traeger. The reason I noticed it was because it is by Don Wulffson, the same author who wrote Soldier X (another really good WWII book!).

Baoliu's stepmother is murdered. Baoliu was found, covered in blood, next to her body. Despite his pleas that he is innocent, he is the number one suspect. Baoliu is put in jail and condemmed to die. In 12th century China, the setting for this book, death comes by beheading. He has been rejected and disowned by his wealthy family. Read the book and find out why his father pays a "ka-di" to have an innocent man beheaded in Baoliu's place.

Warning: The beheading scene is a little gruesome.

Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature

Mena hopes that her first day of high school - a day she has been looking forward to forever - would at least turn out slightly better than eating live bugs. That is not to be the case.

What did Mena do to turn her parents, her church, and her former friends from her? No one will talk to her, except her new, rather quirky science lab partner, Casey. Read the book to find out the answer. Mena stands by her decision that she did the right thing.

There is further drama when Mena's science class begins a study of evolution. Evolution versus intelligent design has divided the science class and made it more of a battleground. Find this book on the Young Adult shelf.

City of Ember

One of my most favorite books, City of Ember, is coming out as a movie. Check out the trailer at Yahoo Movies. http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809907875/photo/970476517

The Noah Confessions

Lynnie goes to a private school. It is customary for all students to get a car for their 16th birthday. Lynnie can't wait. On the morning of her birthday she gets up early, eagerly anticipating the "gift" that will be hers. She is sorely disappointed. Her father gives her a tarnished silver bracelet that used to belong to her mother. Mom died in a car accident when Lynnie was in 3rd grade. Hence - no car.

After school Lynnie receives one more present -- another legacy from her mother. It is a letter mom wrote when she was in high school, to a boy named Noah. Who was the mysterious Noah? Mom has made the craziest confession to him in the letter --- that she is a criminal and should be thrown in jail! Read the book to discover family secrets that Lynnie never expected both her mother and father were capable of keeping.

Summer Reading

Now that the 4th of July is past, I start reading young adult books. I had started First Daughter; Extreme American Makeover by Mitali Perkins in April, when all the new books came in. Finally, I got to finish it. Have you been following the Presidential candidates? If you have, you might enjoy reading this book.
Sameera Righton, aka " Sammy" or "Sparrow" -- is the main character. Her father is the Republican candidate for President. Her parents adopted her from an orphanage in Pakistan when she was 3 years old. It is summer vacation from her boarding school in Europe and she is joining her family back in the states. Sparrow, as she is know to her family and friends, is completely NOT READY for all the hoopla around her father's campaign.
Sparrow starts to lose who she really is. The campaign staff give her a makeover and new clothes. The media want to remake her to be more "American-looking". She wants to spend the summer on her grandparent's farm in Ohio. Life as the daughter of a Presidental candidate is not easy. Sparrow does stay true to herself and her beliefs. She starts her own blog which eventually takes over the "made-up" blog that the staff writes.
Who will this book appeal to? Probably more girls than boys.....but everyone will find it interesting how Sameera lives with the media right outside her door. Does her father win the election? You'll have to read the book and see!

New books!!!

Lots and Lots of new books have been arriving! Stop in and check one out. Lucky Books continue through the month of April.

Quid pro quo

This latin phrase is actually the title of a new mystery by Vicki Grant. When translated it means, "what for what". Quid pro quo is a legal term that means an even exchange between two people. So............what does that have to do with the book?
Cyril Floyd MacIntyre is 14 years old. (He explains his "odd" name in Chapter 2.) The first line of the book is, "I started going to law school when I was ten years old." This was only because his mom, Andy, didn't have any money to pay a babysitter. Andy does become a lawyer and works for Varma and Associates. Shortly after taking on her first case, Andy disappears! Cyril knows she has been kidnapped. Because of a complicated set of circumstances, he is afraid to go to the police. (Andy has a "colorful" history. Read the book and you will understand.) What clues does Cyril use to try and find his mom? Believe it or not, he finds something in his freezer! Does Cyril find his mom? Read the book and find out.

So B. It

So B. It by Sarah Weeks isn't a new book. It was published in 2004. For whatever reason, it was one of those books that I never got around to reading. When I finally started it last Thursday, I could not stop!

Heidi is 12 and lives with her developmentally disabled mom, So B. It. Unusual name? Yes, but mom only has 23 words in her vocabulary. Consequently, Heidi doesn't know anything about her family history, including who her father is. The next-door neighbor, Bernie, has agoraphobia, she never goes outside. This is the environment that surrounds Heidi.

One day, while cleaning closets, Heidi finds an old camera. She has the film developed and finds pictures of her mother as a teenager. Finally, a clue to her past! Heidi must travel across country - from Nevada to New York - on a bus, alone, to Hilltop Home for the Disabled. Will she find the link to the past that she is desperately looking for? Will she find the meaning of the one word, soof, that her mother repeats? Read the book and find out.

If you like magic, read The Swan Maiden!

Doucette has two older sisters who are both swan maidens. They have magical powers that come from their swan skins, one black and one white. When they put their swan skins on, they change into swans. Doucette never understood why she didn’t get to be a sorceress like her sisters. One day, she was helping the maid change the sheets on her parents’ bed, and a grey tipped swan skin fell out from under the mattress. Her parents had been hiding it from her; her swan skin, her birthright!

Her parents wanted Doucette to marry someone rich and worthy of a good wife. Doucette wanted to marry for love, and having the swan skin could let her do that. She fell in love with a Shepard, and he asked for her hand in marriage. Her parents would only let her marry him if he could complete three impossible tasks. The problem is that he needs to complete the tasks on his own, without the help of her magic. Will Doucette be able to marry her Shepard, or will she be stuck with someone her parents set her up with? Follow this magical fairy tale into a world of transformations and deception to find out.

Another Review by Miss Weaver!

This book is a wonderful story about an eighth grade girl named Patrice, who is growing up in the inner city in Chicago. She does not live with her parents, because she never knew her dad, and her mom is in jail. She lives with her aunt, cousins, and older sister.

The main story is that of Patrice trying to overcome many obstacles when applying to get into a better school. She needs her mother’s signature on a paper, but that means traveling over an hour by bus to get to the jail.

The underlying story is about a boy in her grade, Monty. He is the only person who stands up for her when other people tease her. Their friendship seems to bloom into something more when Patrice starts tutoring his little brother. Even though Patrice has it tough, she does very well in school and wants something more for herself. This is an inspiring story about Patrice and how she tries to overcome the odds and have a better life.

Kira-Kira

Hi Tipler Middle School readers! I am Miss Weaver, the student teacher in the Media Center. I have just finished the book Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata. It starts out by telling us that kira-kira is Katie's first word, which means glittering. This is the story of Katie Takeshima, her family, and her life growing up in Georgia as a Japanese American. It is interesting because they moved from a predominanty Japanese town in Idaho to the South. Her mom and dad work all hours of the day and night at the chicken farms and they struggle just to get by. They eat rice and sardines every day, and Katie is bored of it. She has a big sister named Lynn and a little brother named Sammy. Her sister is always trying to get her to do her homework and get better grades in school. The mood changes when Lynn gets sick, and it is hard for her to operate on a daily basis. They keep saying that she has anemia, but anemia is not that serious of an illness. The thing that the family needs to remember is that there can still be things that are kira-kira in their lives.

The siblings decide that it would be fun to go on a picnic one day, and they go through the woods to find a good spot. Sammy went off on his own while Lynn and Katie were talking. The sisters heard a loud scream which is not typical for Sammy, because he is a very calm child. As the girls ran to see if he was alright, they could tell right away that it was bad. Sammy got his leg caught in a bear trap. After some thought and pulling, they released the trap, but Sammy was in bad shape. Lynn and Katie decided that it would be best to try to carry him in a blanket. The problem is that Lynn was too weak and sick to carry him, and Katie was too small to carry him herself. Lynn told her to run to find help and she would stay with Sammy. It was starting to get cold, and Katie is worried, because she is not good with directions. What will happen to Lynn, Sammy, and Katie? Read Kira-Kira to find out!

Taken

Taken, by Edward Bloor, is one of our new books. The story is set in the near (?) future.....2036, after the World Credit Crash. I compared this to the Stock Market Crash of 1929. People either are rich or poor, there does not appear to be anything in-between.

Charity is the main character and she has been kidnapped! In the future kidnapping is quite common. Wealthy families live in gated, protected communities to try and keep their children safe. Armed guards are hired help. Going to school means sitting in front of a "vidscreen" so your class can be brought in by satellite.

The first two lines in the book are, "Once you've been taken, you usually have twenty-four hours left to live. By my reckoning, that meant I had about twelve hours remaining." That was all I needed to start reading!

Charity wakes up and realizes that she has been kidnapped....previously it was something that always happened to "someone else". Her father must now empty his supply of money from their home safe to pay the ransom for Charity. Something goes terribly wrong....read the book and find out!

Guest Blogger!

Guest blog by Telia. Copper Sun by Sharon Draper.
When the news of travelers reached Amari’s village, there was much celebration. They didn’t know what the pale visitors wanted, however. Amari is captured and taken away from her village, and sold into slavery. All seems lost for Amari, but as the other slaves remind her, “Long as you remember, it ain’t never gone.”
This book was a very good read, and gives you a better look at what the slaves had to go through. If you enjoy historical fiction, you’ll love this book.

New Books!

It is one of my favorite times of the year......NEW BOOK TIME!

Mrs. Fauske has been very busy getting the books ready for checkout. Stop in and take a look.

Edward's Eyes

Patricia MacLachlan has written many books. You might know her best as the author of Sarah, Plain and Tall. Edward's Eyes is her newest!

The story is told from Jake's point of view. He is three years older than Edward. In fact when, Maeve and Jack (Mom and Dad -- for some reason the kids call their parents by their first names -- kind of goofy?) brought baby Edward home from the hospital, they handed him directly to Jake. The family is very close-knit. They share a love of music, baseball, and books. Jake shares his memories of Edward as he grows up. I had to laugh at the scene of Edward sitting on the "potty" and older brother Jake next to him reading him a book! Jake teaches him how to throw a pitch - a perfect knuckleball - that no one can hit. They have a close brotherly bond.

Edward is special to everyone, especially Jake, and always seems to know things before they happen. When he is eight, Maeve (Mom) brings baby Sabine home from the hospital to join the large family. Edward foretold that Sabine would be a girl AND he wants fireworks to celebrate her birthday. Sabine now becomes Edward's responsibility.

There is a tragedy in the book. I don't want to give it away. I will only say that it is a wonderful book to reread. The prologue makes much more sense after you read the ending.

I did it!

Last night I finished the third book in Stephanie Meyer's vampire romance series - Eclipse - I didn't want it to end. So many plot lines were left dangling, and students tell me the next book won't be out until Fall 2008. What to do and read until then? What will happen to Bella, Edward, and the werewolf, Jacob? I suppose I can visit the author's website http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/ and track progress.....it will have to do.

Thank you to the students who insisted that I read Twilight. Once I got started I couldn't stop. The reading lamp by my bed has been on at all hours:)

Another note: I know that I always say, "You shouldn't judge a book by its cover.", but I really love the covers of the three books!

Twilight

I gave in ..... and was not disappointed. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer is a great read! Do you like vampire love stories? If so, then this one is for you. I can't wait to continue the saga in New Moon and Eclipse. Will Bella be changed? Don't tell me....I want to read about it.

Weird Wisconsin Week

"Joe Alien"

To coincide with Halloween the Media Center published a daily "weird fact" about Wisconsin. Where did I get all those ideas? Well, from a book of course:) Weird Wisconsin by Linda S. Godfrey and Richard D. Hendricks is available in the library. It is full of all kinds of weird, supernatural, and unexplainable stories from around our state. And our resident alien? Did he/she/it grow 600%? You decide.

Alex Rider Fans..............

Snakehead is coming! Anthony Horowitz's newest adventure starring Alex Rider will be in bookstores on November 13, 2007! I can't wait!!!! Visit the author's website for more information.

Breathe: A Ghost Story

This is the first book I've read by Cliff McNish. The title met all my expectations for a ghost story. It was very creepy!!

Jack and his mom move into an old house in the country. Sharing the home with them are Ann who died sixty-five years ago when she was 14; Oliver, Charlie, and seven-year-old Gwyneth. All are ghost children....spirits of the dead! Jack discovers their presence and finds a way to communicate with the four. BUT, along the way he also discovers the presence of the Ghost Mother. She is an evil entity and will go to any length to find a human body to live through. Jack's mother is taken over by this spirit. Will Jack be able to find a way to release his mother? Or..... will she be forever trapped in the Nightmare Passage?

Pirates!

Have you stopped in the Media Center to see the display of pirate books? They have been extremely popular. Bloody Jack is the first in a series by L. A. Meyer. Mary is a 13 year old orphan on the streets of London. The plague has claimed the lives of her parents and her sister. She -- yes, she -- finds her way onto a British warship that is searching for pirates. She has to disguise the fact that she is a girl and takes the name Jacky. How long can she get away with the deception? How does she get the nickname, Bloody Jack? You'll have to read the book to find out. The fifth book in the series is out and Mrs. Helm has it on order. Watch for Mississippi Jack : being an account of the further waterborne adventures of Jacky Faber, midshipman, fine lady, and the Lily of the West!

The picture is of my son who is very "into" pirates. Aaarrrrrgh!

Gossamer by Lois Lowry

What is a Gossamer touch? It is a touch that is light and airy -- as fragile as a spider web. Littlest One, a dream giver in training, has the gossamer touch. She is learning to bestow dreams. In contrast, the Sinisteeds are dream givers "gone bad". They inflict nightmares. Read the book to see how Littlest One helps John, a young boy with an abusive past, move forward from the hoards of Sinisteeds. This is another great book by Lois Lowry!

Dark Hours

Over the Labor Day weekend I sat down (finally) ......and in about 2 1/2 hours had read the newest book by Gudrun Pauseway, DARK HOURS. WOW! What a powerful book. The author was born in Germany and lived through the Holocaust. She writes from her own personal experience of living in Germany during wartime.

The story is told as a letter from a grandmother to her granddaughter, Stephanie, as a 16th birthday present. Gisel, the grandmother writes the story of her own 16th birthday which was sixty years ago. Most of her birthday was spent trapped in the mangeled remains of a bomb shelter--there was complete darkness, limited food in a backpack that her brother was able to salvage, the responsibility of caring for her brothers and sisters--along with a stranger, and a dying stranger in the next room. How did she manage? Read the book!

Summer hiatus

Wow..........It has been a busy summer. I did lots of reading with my son. He's really into Clifford the Big Red Dog, Curious George, and anything about trucks. Not necessarily the type of reading that middle schoolers are into.
Stay tuned. I'll get updated asap:) Have a great school year!