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!

Revenge of the Witch

Revenge of the Witch is the first book in The Last Apprentice series. Meet Tom Ward...... he is the seventh son of a seventh son. This unique birth position places him in line to become the apprentice to "Old Gregory" the village Spook!

It is the job of the Spook to keep ordinary people free from the harmful affects of boggarts, imps, ghostly spirits...and most especially .... witches. Take a look at the book cover - even the Spook would scare me. During Tom's trial period he accidently frees and kills Mother Malkin, one of the most dangerous witches in the area. Read the book and see what happens as the witch reappears in Tom's life.

I am eager to read Book 2: Curse of the Bane. Both books can be found in the Media Center.

The Road to Paris

No......the road does not lead to Paris, France. Rather, the story is about a girl named Paris Richmond. Paris and her brother Malcolm are in the foster care system. They have moved, or have run away from several different foster homes....all of them bad experiences. As the story begins they leave a family and run to the only stable person in their lives -- their Grandmother. Unfortunatly, she can not keep them. On to another foster home, but this time Malcolm and Paris are separated!! Paris is sent to live with the Lincoln family. She is fearful and expects the worst. Slowly, the family earns her trust and she makes a friend at her new school. But.....what about Malcolm and her mother? Will they ever be a part of her life again? Read the story and find out!

If you like this book by Nikki Grimes you will find other books in the library by her!

Horowitz Countdown

Are you a fan of the Gatekeepers Series by Anthony Horowitz? Here is the countdown link to Nightrise. It is due out April 12, 2007. http://countdowns.atspace.com/Nightrise.html

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

John Boyne has written this very powerful novel of life in Nazi Germany. The story is told through the eyes of 9-year-old Bruno. I don't want to say more.... Read it and come talk to me about it!!!

Yankee Girl

Yankee Girl, by Mary Ann Rodman, is a newer book I picked up when the 7th graders were working on their "obstacles" unit. Alice and her family have just moved from Chicago to Jackson, Mississippi. It is 1964, the summer is hot, and people are not as open-minded as they were in Chicago. Alice's father is an FBI agent who has been assigned to the area to help protect the rights of blacks. As Alice struggles to make friends in a new school, another new student does as well. Valerie Taylor is the first black student to integrate the public schools. The treatment that Valerie receives from the "in" clique of girls is appalling. Violence toward Valerie and her family escalate. This book shows the racism of the 1960's up close.

Lots of new middle school books!

The past month Mrs. Fauske has been very busy processing lots of new books. I've been reading so much I haven't had a chance to blog much. To see a list of the new books remember to use the "Visual Search" button in Destiny. Here are some that are sure to be popular......

• Crispin: At the edge of the world. Finally the sequel by Avi arrives :)
• The Second Life of Linus Hoppe. Did you read the first book, The Destiny of Linus Hoppe? Read this first and then move on to the sequel.
• The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. This is a holocaust story that everyone -- especially 7th graders who just finished the unit -- should read!
• The Return of the Skeleton Man by Joseph Bruchac continues the story!
• Book 4, Gregor and the Marks of Secret is here. Gregor returns to the world beneath New York City.

I could keep going on and on......stop in the media center and check things out :))))

Raven's Gate by Anthony Horowitz

I am a great Anthony Horowitz fan, but until now hadn't read any of the Gatekeepers books. I have been "pestered" by a 6th grade boy to read the series. I started late Saturday night and could not put the book down.

Matt is the 14 year-old main character. His parents died in a tragic car crash...one that Matt foretold. For the past eight years he's been in and out of trouble. Finally he is "sentenced" to live with a very strange old woman on an isolated farm in Lesser Malling, England. She, along with the inhabitants of the town are witches. Matt is involved in a classic fight between the good and evil forces in the world. The Old Ones are ready to unleash evil from a gate beween our world and a strange circle of stones. Think Stonehenge. As Matt is laying on a stone slab, ready to have his heart cut out, his magical powers are realized. Read the book and be warned. There are more gates opening. Read Evil Star, Book 2 of the Gatekeepers!

Satch & Me

Do you like stories where people time travel? Dan Gutman writes books in the Baseball Card Adventure Series where people do just that! Thirteen-year-old "Stosh", Joe Stoshack, has the ability to travel back in time. In this adventure he and his baseball coach, Flip, travel to 1942 using a baseball postcard they purchased on eBay. They take along a modern-day device -- a radar gun. Hopefully the gun can be used to clock the speed of the famous Leroy "Satchel" Paige's throwing arm. Is he the fastest pitcher that ever lived? Some people say so.

This is also a good book to introduce you to the Negro Baseball League and the injustice that Black Americans faced in the 1940's. Good author -- good book!

Witch Catcher

Have you ever seen a witch ball? I have one hanging in the window of my home. The idea is an old one -- something from the middle ages, when a belief in witches was common. Many homes of the time hung a beautiful glass ball in the window. It was thought that a witch would be intrigued by the beautiful colors and would be drawn into the gall---captured for eternity.
In Mary Downing Hahn's newest book, Witch Catcher, 12-year-old Jen comes into possession of a witch ball.
Jen and her father have just moved into an enormous old home. In the backyard is a crumbling stone tower. Against her father's wishes Jen investigates. She finds a beautiful witch ball that she hangs in her bedroom window. The ball accidently breaks and Jen releases a fairy who has been held captive for generations. Moura, a local antiques dealer and love interest to Jen's father, is far more interested in capturing the fairy, and the fairies friends, than she is in marrying Jen's dad. Moura is actually a witch! --- Read this new book and see what evil she is capable of!

The Ghost's Grave

Josh is definitely not having a boring summer with Old Aunt Ethel! In the backyard treehouse Josh meets the ghost of a coal miner who was killed in a mine explosion. Willie (the ghost) has been waiting for decades for a friendly soul to help him. In 1903 Willie lost his leg in a mining accident. Two years later, in 1905, he was killed. Willie hasn't been able to "move on" because he hasn't got over his anger about dying. Enter Josh..... Willie wants Josh to dig up his leg and rebury it with the rest of him!! Obviously Josh doesn't want to be arrested for grave robbery, but he does want to help Willie. Read the book - see what Josh finds when he digs up the leg - and how it ties into a local robbery. This is a good mystery by Peg Kehret.

The Amazing Life of Birds........

The rest of the title: The Twenty-One Day Puberty Journal of Duane Homer Leech, As Discovered By Gary Paulsen is a quick and fun read!! Duane is 12 years old (plus one week). Puberty has hit. Along with it come zits and lots of embarrassing situations. How about dropping your tray of food in the middle of the cafeteria. Why do these things always seem to occur in front of the girl he wants to impress? Read the book to find out what ELBOWS are! Another great Gary Paulsen story. Find it on the "New Book" shelf!

Haven't been blogging

I know, I know......I haven't been blogging much. The school year is busy. I'm still reading - just not getting to the computer to write about it:)
Take a look at the new books in both the Tipler and Sunset collections. If you click on the "Visual Search" button in Destiny, you will see New Books for Fall 06 listed. Give it a try!!

Chat and Chew

The first session of Chat and Chew met today during lunch hour. We had some great conversations about books, made some good connections between our books (and even some movies!)and in-between talking we even ate lunch!! Sign up in the Media Center if you are interested in joining us!!

Dr. Franklin's Island

I enjoyed reading Dr. Franklin's Island by Ann Halam. Lots of Tipler and Traeger students have read the book at my suggestion. I always compare it to the TV series, LOST. At the beginning of the book there is a plane crash. The main characters, three science students, find that they are the only survivors. They have washed up on an isolated tropical island. There isn't any sign of civilization. One of the characters disappears. As the other two go in search of him , they are kidnapped and taken to a scientific facility. At the facility they are held against their will. Their bodies will be used for scientific experiments. Read the book and see what happens to them.
Students have always pointed out the similiarities between this book and a movie, The Island. (PG13) I fnallly rented it this weekend. I wasn't disappointed. It was a great sci-fi adventure. I can see why they suggested it to me. The "lucky" people in this futuristic community win the lottery and are able to leave their underground home to live on The Island.
Read the book and then rent the movie. Let me know what you think

Chat & Chew

Chat & Chew - Have you signed up?
Do you like to read? Do you like to eat? How about having lunch in the Media Center with Miss Weiss and Mrs. Helm? Sign up now in the library to reserve your lunch hour with us. Bring your lunch and the book you are currently reading. We'll have the entire lunch hour to share our reading ideas!

South by Southeast

Anthony Horowitz is one of my favorite authors. The Alex Rider books are among my favorites. This book, South by Southeast, is a Diamond Brothers Mystery. Tim Diamond, the world's worst private detective and his brother, Nick, are the main characters. As is typical in the other Diamond Brother Mysteries, the brothers are broke. They get themselves involved in another crazy mystery. A stranger, Jake McGuffin, offers Tim $50 for his old raincoat. McGuffin says he must disguise himself - a gunman is after him. A short while later they find the stranger, almost dead in a phone booth. The stanger is able to whisper a few words which sound like "south by southeast". The brothers take the information to Chief Inspector Snape. Snape investigates, but all the evidence is gone---no dead man, no phone booth. He promptly throws the Diamond Brothers in jail. Tim does have a clue though. In the dead man's coat there is a key for room 605 at the London Internation hotel. As soon as they are released from jail they head to the hotel to look for clues. It turns out the world famous assassin, Charon, killed McGuffin. His next target is Kusenov, a famous Russian diplomat. If he is killed it is feared that it will create an internation incident and nuclear war will break out. Of course, the Diamond Brothers are in the thick of it. Read this funny, yes funny, fast-paced mystery and see if the brothers can solve the mystery!