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!

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.