Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Valentine Princess by Meg Cabot

Mia (now a junior) finds an old journal from February of her freshman year and takes a second look at her first Valentine’s day with Michael. This volume is short (86 pages) and doesn’t have quite as much exciting as some of the series.

[copyright date is 2006 but this is considered volume IV 1\4]

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen

Ever wondered what the deal is with guys and girls? Why girls always seem to be boy crazy and why guys always seem to want to run away? And how no matter what happened, they always end up seeing a situation differently from each other? In Flipped, you’ll meet Bryce and Juli.
Bryce: All I ever wanted is for Juli Baker to leave me alone. For her to back off --you know, just give me some space.
It all started the summer before second grade when our moving van pulled into her neighborhood. And since we’re now about done with eighth grade, that, my friend, makes more than half a decade of strategic avoidance and social discomfort.
She didn’t just barge into my life. She barged and shoved and wedged her way into my life. Did we invite her to get into our moving van and start climbing over all the boxes? No! But that’s exactly what she did, taking over and showing off like only Juli Baker can.
(pg 1)
Juli: The first day I met Bryce Loski, I flipped. Honestly, one look at him and I became a lunatic. It’s his eyes. Something in his eyes. They’re blue, and framed in the blackness of his lashes, they’re dazzling. Almost breathtaking.
It’s been over six years now, and I learned long ago to hide my feelings, but oh, those first days. Those first years! I thought I would die for wanting to be with him.
Two days before second grade is when it started, although the anticipation began weeks before –ever since my mother told me that there was a family with a boy my age moving into the new house right across the street.
(pg11)
Once Bryce arrived, Juli couldn’t wait any longer. She ran right across the street to help. Bryce, however, saw Juli as a nuisance and ran straight to his room to hide. As so began their “friendship”. Bryce would hide and Juli would always be around. And then 8th grade arrives and both Bryce and Juli start seeing each other in a different light. What is it that has caused them to flip?

Saturday, December 16, 2006

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

It’s a tale similar to that of Romeo and Juliet. Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love with girl. Circumstances prohibit boy and girl from being together. One cannot live without the other.

Since Twilight, Bella Swan survived a vampire attack and has settled into a happy loving relationship with her boyfriend Edward. But as fate would have it, Edward himself is a vampire. While Bella has prepared herself and is ready for life as a vampire, Edward will not have it. A paper cut and Bella’s clumsiness at her birthday party almost provide her with her birthday wish, courtesy of Edward’s brother. Edward can’t live with his part in Bella’s close encounter and would rather break up with Bella than risk her human life again. Edward and his family leave town and Bella is so heartbroken that she isn’t herself for months. Four months after the breakup, Bella finally snaps out of her funk and begins spending time with Jacob Black. The pair has become inseparable but Bella can’t allow herself to be more than just his friend. While Jacob seems to understand Bella better than anyone, she can’t explain to him why she is so interested in the adrenaline rush she gets from learning to ride motorcycles and cliff diving. Jacob makes her happy but the rush brings Edward’s voice into her head, warning her to be careful. And if she can’t be with Edward, she’ll have to settle for just hearing his voice. But Bella isn’t the only one with a secret. Jacob senses something strange happening with some of the teen boys in his tribe and soon he is also acting strange and avoiding Bella. The boys are werewolves, protectors who keep the vampires at bay. So it seems, Bella has an attraction for monsters and danger. And the danger Edward was trying to keep Bella from is only beginning.

Emily's Review: Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Lord of the Flies is by far one of my favorite books (and when those are things like Jane Eyre, The Master and Margarita, Les Miserables, and The Turn of the Screw, you can tell a lot about my tastes-so if you're not interested in the classics, you can probably stop reading now!)

It's brutal, like Abbie said, it's incredibly dark, gory, and full of death--and, yeah, it's about schoolboys no older than twelve. The dialogue, like Hemingway's, often eschews the "said" tag, so it's confusing! The quality of prose, though, is unparalled. It seems clipped and sparse at points, and rich with description at others. This is definitely a book young writers want to read because of it and the study of human nature within--be warned, though. Just because a book is about children doesn't mean it's for them (Lolita, anyone?).
Rating: 5Q, 3P

Dane's Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

A book that is truly unique in its delivery of a first person style novel. Charlie, a young man, is writing letters filled with some of the most shocking and relateable excerpts from his own life. He is writing simply to a "friend" and just needs to send these letters. While writing about himself and his past, he reveals the people in his life, leaving the reader to piece together bits to see the character in these people he writes about.
This story is very well written and captivating, unique, and exciting, and left me turning pages of this coming-of-age novel. Although some adult themes are found throughout the book, it's definitely worth cracking open and giving some time.
Quality: 4Q
Popularity: 4P

Monday, December 11, 2006

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Colin is a child prodigy and anagramming genius, who wants to be famous. Hassan [not a terrorist] is his lazy best friend who prefers to be a couch potato and has been delaying his entry into college. On graduation day, Colin is dumped by his girlfriend, Katherine the 19th, and Hassan decides it is high time the guys take a road trip. You see, Colin has a thing for girls named Katherine and K-19 was the 19th time he’s been dumped by one. So on this road trip, Colin has decided to use his heartbreaks to design the Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, a mathematical equation that will predict the future of any relationship. Colin and Hassan soon find themselves in the middle of nowhere, Gutshot, Tennessee, where they meet Lindsey Lee Wells. She’s not a Katherine but does have a boyfriend named Colin. Colin and Hassan soon realize that the middle of nowhere might be part of the equation for predicting their future.

Mary's Review: I Don't Want to Be Crazy by Samantha Schutz

I freely admit to being a sucker for poetry books. It's true talent to be able to write a narrative in such a form and not have it be boring beyond reason. So naturally this book fell into my grasp. Not a fiction book but a memoir, Crazy is the confidings of a young woman: normal, heading off to college the same as most people her age. However, Samantha also suffered panic attacks (imagine if you will being terrified about nothing-your breathing's shallow, the world goes fuzzy-and unable to stop it or even know why). The book is the trials and tribulations of such a burden through college, a few semesters overseas and finally the sad truth: even if the little pills make it better, some things never really go away. Crazy is written in verse and a fast read, though a few chapter poems seem to be out of place in the narrative. The book reads like fiction, maybe because to think of it in terms of real occurences. Such is life. It's not always pretty.
Final Verdict: 4P, 3Q

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Pay the Piper: a rock 'n' roll fairy tale by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple

Do you remember the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, the rat catcher, who would promise to rid towns of rats in exchange for a great sum of money? He would play his flute, attracting all the rats and micein town, then lead them to the river and drown them. It wasn’t until all the rats were gone that the townsfolk realized that what they had seen were not rats at all, but rather their own children!
But this is just a mere fairy tale, right? And fairy tales are make believe, right? Sheer fiction parents tell their children as bedtime stories. Right! Just ask Callie, a reporter for her school paper in Northhampton, Massachusetts. Real journalism sticks only to the cold, hard facts.
So here are the facts Callie has.
1. Brass Rat, the famous rock ‘n’ roll band, performed last night to a sell-out crowd.
2. She was backstage to get an exclusive interview.
That’s it. It should be easy to write a killer story. However, there’s something troubling Callie, something she just can’t put her finger on, something hypnotic about the music coming from lead singer Peter Gringas’s flute. Why did those rats in the parking lot seem pulled to it? And what did the conversation she overhead the band having with the concert promoter mean?
In order to finish the story, Callie must bail on trick-or-treating with her younger brother Nick. However, when he and the rest of the neighborhood fail to return, the story finally becomes clear.
What happened to Nick and the rest of the neighborhood children on this Halloween night? And what role does the band Brass Rat play? Will Callie be able to uncover the story in time? To discover the facts read Pay the Piper: a rock ‘n’ roll fairy tale by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple.

Harry Sue by Sue Stauffacher

Listen up Fish. Gonna give it up about a road dog named Harry Sue. I ain’t being a snitch or a cheese eater. I’m under direct order. So relax and cool your heels while I give you a little back story on Harry Sue. As you might have figured out from the joint jive, Harry Sue knows a little about prison. That’s because her con dad and conette mom have been doing time since she was five and Harry Sue is determined to follow in her family tradition and become a conette herself. There’s something you’ve gotta realize Fish. “Not all prisons have four concrete walls and a steel bunk. I say prison is a lot like home. It all depends on where your heart is (page vi).”

“Language gets out of prison every day, Fish. You may already know some slammer slang from our life on the outs. But just in case you get tangled, here it is: [check out] Harry Sue’s Joint Jive Glossary (page vii).”

No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman

Old Shep, My Pal by Zack Paris is the most boring book I’ve ever read in my entire life. I did not have a favorite character. I hated everybody equally. The most interesting part came on the last page where it said “The End”. This book couldn’t be any lousier if it came with a letter bomb. I would not recommend it to my worst enemy. (page 4)

This is the book report Wallace Wallace gave his English teacher Mr. Fogelman. Before I tell you how Mr. Fogelman reacted, I must tell you a bit about Wallace. Wallace can’t lie. He believes in telling the brutal honest truth no matter what, which explains the book report I just read you. (He hates the fact that the dog always dies at the end of the book). Wallace is also a football player, the player who scored the winning touchdown last season, securing the championship for the Bedford Middle School Giants. He is worshipped by his classmates, which makes the suspension he received after refusing to rewrite the book report a thorn in everyone’s side.
Now let me tell you about Mr. Fogelman. Mr. Fogelman LOVES the book Old Shep, My Pal. Not only does he use this book in his English classes but he’s written it into a play, the exact play that is being performed by the Bedford Middle School drama club. So I bet you can imagine Mr. Fogelman’s reaction to Wallace’s book report. You’re right if you guessed that he was mad. He was so mad and upset that he’s given Wallace detention until he writes an acceptable book review.
In detention Wallace discovers many things. First, detention is in the gym where the drama club is rehearsing for the play Old Shep, My Pal. Second, he cannot play or practice football until he finished the book report, which is NEVER going to happen. Third, someone is trying to ruin the production but continuously pulling pranks, which get blamed on none other than Wallace. Finally, he discovers that while he dislikes the play he has some really great ideas to improve it.
Will Wallace get off of detention and back on the football field? Will Mr. Fogelman and his production of Old Shep, My Pal survive Wallace’s detention?

Abbie's Review: Lord of the Flies by Willam Golding


William Golding wrote Lord of the Flies in 1954 and won many prestigious awards. I, however, am not one to give it any type of award. The book follows a group of young boys stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash. The story is simply a way for the author to get his negative views out about the war. The story is somewhat graphic and shows all the evils that people can, and most of the time, do possess! The book is difficult to get into and the ending is awful!

Rating: 2Q-needs more work, 1P-Yech! Forced to read it.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Dane's Review: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

In this classic novel taking place in some future time, the entire world has changed from what it once was. Every job has been assigned before the people who fill them are even born. People are even manufactured! Every part of the world lives in some "cultivated society". Or does it? One high class society man tries to see if he can find any glimpse of "un-sophisticated" culture still around in the world.
This book is fairly old style, making the literature sometime difficult to follow. Adult theme might also make the book kind of arduous at times. But if you can make it, prepare for one of the best endings ever!!
I would rate this book 3Q (Readable) for quality, definitely worth reading. But a 2P (only special interest) for popularity. It's a tough book to break into.

Monday, November 27, 2006

Emily's Review: Sorcery and Ceceila, or, The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C Wrede and Caroline Stevermer

Are you a fan of fantasy as well as a lover of the classics? Sorcery and Cecelia combines the best of both worlds. It's an epistolary novel, meaing the two main characters--Cecy and Kate--trade letters. This pair lives in an alternate Regency (the early 1800s) England, with magic. Both are endearing but Kate, I believe, is a character readers can identify with more; the book is entertaining and even mysterious, if a bit too fluffy in points. Also recommended are the two sequels: The Grand Tour and The Mislaid Magician.
Rating: 4Q-Better than most; 3P-Some teen appeal.

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin

Imagine a life gripped with fear, fear of a monster that at any time could destroy your world? A life where your only concern is survival and protecting those you love? For Matt (13), Callie (11), and Emmy (5), that monster is their mother and their life is a constant nightmare. They never know when Nikki, their unpredictable vicious mother, will go on a rampage or leave for days. They are always looking over their shoulder and can never breathe easy. Nikki meets Murdoch and life seems to finally be normal, almost peaceful. But really it is just the calm before the storm. Murdoch soon sees the real Nikki and hits the road. But Nikki doesn’t take no for an answer, from anyone. Matt realizes it is his duty to find a way out, for himself and his sisters, before it is too late.
Matthew’s Rules of Survival:
1. Sometimes, the people who mean you harm are the ones who say they love you.
2. Fear is your friend. When you feel it, act.
3. Protect the little ones.
4. If you coped before, you can cope now.
5. Always remember: In the end, the survivor gets to tell the story. (back cover)
Read along as Matthew tells the story of their life, of their survival, to his young sister, Emmy.

Friday, November 17, 2006

Mary's Review: Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan

Published in Britain as The Saga of Darren Shan (perhaps a more apt if less horror-oriented title, as at least half the series is spent in other locales) this series has achieved a good amount of fame in the US of A as the bestselling Cirque du Freak series. The hype is more or less deserved: the first novel has the horrendously slow pacing required of all first books in the series: it is required to inform of the 12 year old hero Darren and his best friend Steve, who manage to obtain tickets to the titular traveling show (their parents forbid it, of course making the show all the more appealing). There Darren in enraptured by one performance in particular--Mr. Crepsley and his performing spider, Madam Octa. So enraptured that he steals the rare and very dangerous arachnid. Of course he’s stolen it from a vampire, a fact of little importance until Madame Octa bites Steve, leaving Darren with a choice. He can become a half vampire and Mr. Crepsley’s assistant, or he can let Steve die. Of course Darren makes the choice befitting a hero in making, but is rewarded with something less than gratitude. Steve vows revenge, believing Darren to have stolen his rightful position as a vampire-to-be (Steve, being heavily read in such things, had long since know the truth concerning Larten Crepsley). And so the friends part on less than amiable terms, opening the gateway to the other books of the series.
Shan’s writing is far from complex but the subject matter never shies away from the harder subjects: death, good, evil, destiny, so on. Each book falls under 250 pages and takes no more than a few hours to read. Shan never fails to enchant the reader; occasional disgust with little, welcome touches of macabre, and more than a few time yank out one’s heartstrings. Worth the read, as any among Shan’s quasi-cult with tell you.
Final Verdict-3Q-Readable, 5P-Everyone wants to read it

Abbie's Review: All the Fished Come Home to Roost by Rachel Manija Brown

Rachel Brown describes her turbulent life in a Hindi ashram in her autobiography All the Fishes Come Home to Roost. The story begins when she is an 11-year-old forced to move to a Baba-worshipping ashram. The book continues with hilarious, heart-felt, and sometimes a little graphic stories of her adolescence in India. It is especially appealing to teens because it deals with Rachel's struggle with her parents and her faith. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it.
Rating: 4Q-Better than most, 4P-Broad general teen appeal.

**This book is not currently owned by NCPL but can be obtained through interlibrary loan.**

Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn

Nature vs. nurture. How much of who we are comes from our parents and the environment we grew up in and how much are we responsible for? For example, if you grew up in a house where everyone communicates and loves one another, will you have positive relationships? What if you grew up in a house where violence and anger were king and beating someone up was the answer? Will you end up hitting your significant other and kids, thinking that it is acceptable behavior? Whose fault will it be when you hit that person: yours, theirs, or the generation before you?
These are the questions Nick must struggle with as he fights to take control over his life. Nick has been ordered by the court to attend anger management courses, keep a journal that explains his side of the story, and of course, there is the restraining order that says he must stay away from Caitlin, his ex-girlfriend. But he loves Caitlin and it was only a slap. He didn’t hit her, he didn’t do anything wrong. He loves Caitlin. And taking control of the anger, the emotions, is like Breathing Underwater.

*You can find Caitlin's story in the newly released Diva by Alex Flinn.

Monday, November 13, 2006

Mary's Review: Devilish by Maureen Johnson

For every grain of sand on the beach, there are at least six books written about the gifted misunderstood outcast who saves the day. Yes, you're in for it again. Sort of. Thankfully for the sanity of the reader our heroine is rather more compelling than the average cookie-cutter child so popular in teen lit. Jane is less interested in herself and bemoaning or rejoicing her lack of friends/popularity and more in helping her best friend, who sold her soul for the sake of popularity to the demon Lanalee. Less than a frightening name, but they say that actions speak louder than words. Help and enlightenment come in the form of some monks from Jane's Catholic school, and a young man who died some time around the early 1900s (love interest, naturally!).
Despite rather rough commenting lore, the book actually falls into relatively few of the pitfalls known to go with the demon fighting genre. The writing is slightly on the simplistic side--you'll be done in a few days, if that. But the heroes fail to annoy, the villians hold interest, and the book also features interestingly and somewhat underused secondary characters. It's not for everyone, not as a whole the book receives a final verdict of: 4Q, 4P

How To Be Popular by Meg Cabot

POPULAR: adj. Widely liked or appreciated; liked by acquaintances; sought after for company.
Popularity. We all want it. Why? Because being popular means being liked. Everyone wants to be like. Sadly, however, not all of us are. What do popular people have in common that makes them all so popular?
They all have: *A friendly way about them. *An eagerness to pitch in and help get the job done. *An interest in everything that goes on at work or school. *A look that’s fresh and neat.
These aren’t traits popular people were born with. They’ve cultivated the characteristics that make them so popular… …and you can, too, by following the tips in this book! (Intro page)
Steph Landry is tired of being the least popular person in her class, the butt of every joke. Besides that certain Big Red Super Big Glup catastrophe was so long ago, five years to be exact. So she has decided to enlist the help of THE BOOK, a book devoted to helping you become popular. Never mind that the book was written in the 1950s and doesn’t quite fit the times. Steph has used the Book to make choices for a new and improved back to school wardrobe and she has a newfound sense of self-esteem and courage.
Maybe this year will be different. Maybe the student body will like her idea of using a talent auction to raise money for the senior class trip. Maybe Mark Finley, the most popular guy in school, will notice her. Maybe people will forget about her one clumsy mistake and see that she is new and improved. And maybe her friends won’t think she’s losing her mind. Find out what happens when Steph decides to change herself and figure out HOW TO BE POPULAR.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Imagine a world totally based on looks, a society where people are divided into categories based on their appearance, where the ultimate goal is extreme beauty, where anyone normal is ugly. “Everyone gets to be gorgeous. What could be wrong with that?” Uglies are teens age 12 to 15, who are sent away to boarding school and live in dorms, awaiting their 16th birthday, when they are given the surgery to make them one of the Pretties. Pretties have perfect eyes, perfect symmetrical faces, perfect skin, perfect height, perfect weight; they are just perfect and Pretty. Once you are Pretty, life is a big party and you can have whatever you want. Waiting for the surgery is the worst part. Waiting to see your friends again, friends whom you haven’t seen since they were turned Pretty.
Tally is having a hard time waiting the 2 months and 29 days until her sixteenth birthday. She has decided to sneak into New Pretty Town to see her best friend Peris, but is disappointed when he sends her away, making her promise she won’t get into trouble before her surgery. After a highly risky escape, involving a bungee jacket and a fire alarm siren, Tally is on her way back to Uglyville alone. That’s when she literally runs into Shay, another Ugly who happens to share her birthday. Tally and Shay become fast friends and spend the next 2 months and 23 days hoverboarding and exploring the Rusty Ruins. Three days before their surgery, Shay has a change of heart and decides to forgo the surgery and run away to live with friends in a hidden community called the Smoke. She begs Tally to come but Tally refuses, wanting to become a Pretty and finally reunite with Peris.
The day of the surgery finally arrives and Tally is ready to leave her life as a Ugly behind, barely packing anything other than the note Shay left with secret instructions on how to find the Smoke if Tally changes her mind. Tally is taken to the hospital and waits for one long hour before realizing something is wrong. She is whisked away to another location where everyone is strange looking, not ugly but almost a cruel pretty. Here at Special Circumstances, she is informed that her surgery has been postponed and she is interrogated and left with an ultimatum. Help us find Shay or give up your opportunity to become Pretty. So Tally must decide which promise she will keep: her promise to Peris, her old Pretty friend, or her promise to Shay, her new Ugly friend. Which friend, which life will she choose? How much is Tally willing to risk in order to avoid being one of the Uglies forever?

**Sequels: Pretties, and Specials

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Tyler B's review: In the Shadow of No Towers by Art Spiegelman

Art Spiegelman, Pulitzer Prize winner, wrote once of the horrors his father had seen during World War II (MAUS, MAUS II). Now he turns his art to his own experiance, and the horror he witnessed, while living in New York City, on September 11, 2001.The book begins as a simple telling of another day in the life of Art Spiegelman, but then turns for the worse with the attack on the towers, and the rest of his morning dreading for his family. He continues by speaking his concerns for his art and his responsibility to the American Public. Eventually he finds a peacful resignation to his dread of our current society, politics, marketing, and media.As he tells it in his forward, "i still believe the world is ending, but i concede that it seems to be ending more slowly than i once thought."Though the political agenda behind this graphic novel may be banal, or uninteresting for some teens, others, the ones with their fingers on the pulse of our current state of anxiety, will find this book as an insightful and sometimes jarring friend.
Rating: 4Q-Better than most; 3P-Some teen appeal

Friday, October 27, 2006

Mary's Review: The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

Abandon all knowledge of Andrew Lloyd Webber, ye who enter here. This is a completely differen ballpark. While it's true that Sir Andy (as known 'affectionately' by this reviewer) did indeed use a few points from the novel--there is indeed an Erik (though his name must have been too much to remember), a Christine, and a Raoul (our poor hero much unloved by the Fandom), as well as a form of the tragic love story of the Opera Ghost-- therein lies the entire plot of the play. The oft ignored book is far richer in complexity, though admittedly not without faults.
For those who inhabit the underside of a rock, the story goes like this: a young chorus girl named Christine is mysteriously thrust into the role of the diva, thanks to the interference of the mysterious "Angel of Music", from which she receives lessons. As time passes it becomes clear that it is no angel at all, but the deformed musical genius living in the bowels of the Opera House, who also torments the manangers of the House under the guise of the Opera Ghost. Our hero and Christine's childhood sweetheart, Raoul, tries his hardest to rescue Christine from this pitiable monster as the novel goes on, wanting nothing more than to whisk her away and allow the young couple a life of quiet happiness together. Naturally along the way there are plot twists, secondary characters, and a certain falling chandelier.
While heartbreaking and classic, the novel, as mentioned, is not without faults. Leroux has a tendency to switch views rapidly, leaving some parts tedious and seemingly unimportant until a second read through. Unfortunately... the common reader may not make it so far. Learn a little patience people! Good for a quiet snowy evening, the final verdict stands: 4Q-Better than most, 2P-Only for special interest.

Stiff: the curious lives of human cadavers by Mary Roach

Are you looking for something that's out of the ordinary? Possibly something that mixes humor with science? Why not try Stiff: the curious lives of human cadavers this Halloween season?

Author Mary Roach takes a subject most of us are uncomfortable with and gets up close and personal with what happens to our bodies after we die. While it must be said that not every picture she paints is a pretty one, Roach's use of humor in her writing allows the reader to laugh and feel at ease. What I found most appealing was that Roach not only presented current uses of cadavers but also went back and looked at the historical uses as well.

The following outline of the chapters will give you an idea of how much you can learn about the scientific uses of human cadavers (aka dead bodies).
  • A Head is a Terrible Thing to Waste: practice for cosmetic/plastic surgery procedures
  • Crimes of Anatomy: gross anatomy classes
  • Life After Death: human decay… forensics and mortuaries
  • Dead Man Driving: human crash test dummies
  • Beyond the Black Box: injury analysis to determine origin of plane crashes
  • The Cadaver Who Joined the Army: ballistics tests
  • Holy Cadaver: testing the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin… crucifixion
  • How to Know if You’re Dead: Beating-heart cadavers… organ donation/brain death
  • Just a Head: decapitation… head transplants
  • Eat Me: medicinal cannibalism
  • Out of the Fire, Into the Compost Bin: other ways to end up... more eco-friendly corpse disposal methods like tissue digestion/water reduction, composting
  • Remains of the Author

Friday, October 20, 2006

Mary's Review: Interview with the Vamipire by Anne Rice


Quality of work is such a fickle thing. Some authors continue to get better as they go along, some stay the same, and some regrettably, just go down hill. Ms. Rice, the reader must regrettably be informed, is of the final variety. All the more reason to celebrate her earliest and most enjoyable novel. For the uninformed, Interview is the story of one Louis de Point du Lac, told from the vampire himself to a modern day interviewer not much older than yours truly. Louis became a vampire on a stroke of depression most of all. After the death of his brother [yes moviegoers, his brother. Louis was never married] life lost meaning, and Louis would go out drunkely in the city streets searching for death. Enter Lestat de Lioncourt, a choris matiz vampire offering a most appealing detail: life eternal, with meaning to it. Now, as any half dead charmed mortal would, Louis accepted. Now, if you will buckle your seatbelts, we will plunge into the briefest of overviews of the rest of the novel, having covered the first 50 pages.
This is a book primarily of relationships that conflict. The first third is reserved for the long running love/hate (here we will be observing 'hate') relationship of Louis and Lestat. Later the doll-like child vampire Claudia creates their happy 'family' , and for 65 years (this translates as some 10 pages) it is so and then we have, er, disasterous occurings and the focus shifts. For the midsection of the book it is Louis and Claudia taking center stage, the cold lover and the slavishly devoted husband (for though Claudia's mind grows her body does not, leaving her quite dependent on Louis). Third and in the thin of the novel is the vampire Armand, vampire of more that 400 years, forever 17. To Louis he is the promise of knowledge, something Lestat failed to deliver on. These four characters carry the novel, supported by Rice's prose that is dense in atmosphere and ambience. 300 some pages seems to fly by (though the middle of the book begins to drag slightly before the story comes to Paris.) Oh, the days when this woman wrote before becoming overly in love with description. Enchanting. Ah yes, a final warning--haunting, beautiful, and mournfully romantic. But happy fails to describe this book or its ending. Read it anyway. A little gloom is good for you.
Final Verdict: 5Q-Hard to imagine a better book 4P-Broad general teen appeal

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Dane's Review: Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett

In Terry Pratchett's ongoing series of a fantastic place called Disc World, the book Equal Rites depicts the magical world through the eyes of one of Disc World's most powerful witches. She is baffled later when a strange wizard shows up at her doorstep telling her that she will have a wizard in the family. The only problem is that that wizard is born a GIRL! Follow along on this mystifying tale as writer Terry Pratchett uses vivid metaphors and incredibly visual descriptions to let your minds eye see this astounding world. His dialect and choice of words might require a little bit of rereading through the "hard to follow" parts but it is definitely a worthwhile read for any who enjoy fantasy novels.
I rate this book with a 4Q-(Better than most) as it is definitely enjoyable and a 4P-(broad general teen appeal) because most teens I know enjoy fantasy novels similar to this.

Emily's Review: Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughan

Brian K. Vaughan's graphic novel (Pride of Baghdad, illustrated by Niko Henrichon) is the story of a pride of lions that escapes from the Baghdad Zoo during the American bombing of the city. Zill, Safa, Noor and Ali roam the deserted city, meeting more than a few other animals and even a few humans--such as in the painfully sad conclusion. Despite the seemingly childlike premise--talking animals--the book is surprising graphic. There is cursing, violence, and even a sexual situation; none of it, however, is to excess.
The writing, however, seems too fast-paced; though we know each lion has an individual personality, we don't get enough time with them, and the book goes from beginning to end with surprising speed.
I give this book: 5Q-hard to imagine a better book, 3P-Some teen appeal

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Mythbusters by Keith and Kent Zimmerman



Based on the popular TV show, MythBusters: the explosive turth behind 30 of the most perplexing urban legends of all time tries to determine once and for all whether or not some of our favorite urban legends are true. Join the cast as they develop a plan, try to experiment, and make a final decision. Examples of the legends discussed are being buried alive, exploding jawbreakers, and killer quicksand. Photographs from the show are included along with the warning: DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME.

Need more Urban Legends??


According to the authors of Too Good to Be True, "Urban Legends are true stories that are too good to be true. These popular fables describe presumably real (although odd) events that happened to the friend of a friend. And they are ususally told by credible persons narrating them in a believable style because they do believe them. The settings and actions are realistic and familiar...and the human characters are quite ordinary people. However, the bizarre, comic, or horrifying incidents that occur to these people go one step too far to be believeable (p.19)."
You may recognize the stories of the rat-dog, Kentucky Fried Rat, and the deadly spider bite. You'll probably come across a few new stories, be grossed out, and discover a new version of your favorite.

Monsterology by Arthur Slade


Monsterology: Fabulous Lives of the Creepy, the Revolting, and the Undead is a fun way to learn more about your favorite monster. You'll learn Dracula's favorite movies. Sasquatch, otherwise known as Bigfoot, shares his high-school memories and you will also learn what to do when you meet the Grim Reaper. The 15 monsters highlighted in this book will surprise and entertain you.

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Cryptid Hunters by Roland Smith

Definition: cryp•to•zo•ol•o•gy (CRIP-tuh-zoh-AW-luh-jee) noun
The study of animals, such as the Sasquatch, the Yeti, the Loch Ness monster, the Cupacabra, and others, whose existence has not yet been proven scientifically. There are thought to be more than two hundred cryptids in existence today. (intro pages)

“Marty and Grace O’Hara were twins, but you wouldn’t know it if you saw them together. Marty has brown hair, eyes the color of rain clouds, and he is a foot taller than his sister. Grace has black hair, startling blue eyes the color of robin’s eggs, and she is a foot shorter than her brother.” Marty is the athletic, artistic troublemaker while Grace is an excellent swimmer, a bookworm, and very intelligent. “The [13 year old] O’Hara twins were at the Omega Opportunity Preparatory School is Switzerland when they received the worst news of their lives (1).” They’ve just received word that their photojournalist parents were in a helicopter crash in the Amazon that killed the pilot and they are nowhere to be found. Now Marty and Grace are being whisked away from school to live with their eccentric uncle Wolfe, who they never knew existed, on his own private island, called Cryptos, in the Pacific Northwest near Seattle. When they arrive on the island, a colored tag is placed around each one of their necks and they are given a pocket computer called a Gizmo. The Gizmo has eight icons: Locate (which shows the location of all people/animals/things that are wearing an identification tag), Teleconference, Video, E-mail, Keyboard, GPS, Chat, and Cybervault (which holds anything scanned or saved into the Gizmo. The information is stored in a satellite so it will be saved in case the Gizmo is lost). The twins have barely settled into life on the island when Wolfe gets word that he’s needed in the Congo. You see, Wolfe is a cryptozoologist, one who studies cryptids, animals who are rumored to exist but have not yet been scientifically proven. Wolfe has evidence that an animal called the Mokélé-mbembé exists and he must find it before his arch-nemesis Noah Blackwood does. While the twins look forward to the Congo, Wolfe has plans to return them to Omega Prep until his expedition is complete. The flight plan includes dropping supplies into the Congo, before leaving the twins in Switzerland. The supply drop doesn’t go as planned and Marty and Grace find themselves falling from the jet along with the supplies. This is only the start of their adventure which includes finding the Skyhouse, Wolfe’s tree house base, escaping Blackwood’s band of evil henchmen, and finding the one thing everyone is looking for. Join Marty and Grace as they become Cryptid Hunters.

Friday, September 29, 2006

Mary's Review: Sugar Rush by Julie Burchill

Let's begin with a few basic facts.
1.) Kim, our heroine and would be protagonist, has recently changed schools from an all girls private high school to the infamous Ravendene public high.
2.) Kim's first step in this land of the unknown is to fall in love with Raver party girl, Sugar.
The novel spends the majority of its time chronicling Kim's use, abuse and uncertainties in her relationship with Sugar (one must use the term relationship loosely, as Sugar seems nothing if not phobic at the idea of settling into something requiring commitment). One is not entirely sure whether to pity Kim or grow frustrated with her and the emotion tends to change back and forth as the novel goes on. However, the ending is a form of full circle and the book leaves the reader less than utterly depressed (always something to hope for).
Final Verdict: 4Q-Better than most; 3P-Some teen appeal

Saturday, September 23, 2006

Abbie's Review: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho


Paulo Coelho's novel, The Alchemist, is a wonderful book that would appeal to readers of all ages, especially those at a crossroads in their life. The novel is about an 18-year-old boy named Santiago. Santiago meets with an old man who tells Santiago what his personal legend is, or the path he should take in life. Santiago's personal legend is to find a treasure in the pyramids of Egypt, but as the story progresses you find out that the treasure is not exactly what he discovers in the end. This book was originally written in Portugese, and later translated to English, but it's theme is definitely universal. This book will make you think about your path in life and realize that you may have known it all along. It is a definite recommendation!
Rating: 4Q-Better than most; 5P-Everyone wants to read it

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan

Have you ever really hated someone? Hated someone enough to give him a really big scare, to teach him a lesson he'll never forget? Or maybe even kill him?
Mr. Griffin was the toughest teacher at Del Norte High School in Albuquerque. Everyone hated taking his English classes. He hardly ever gave out A's, and his classes weren't very fun. He made the lives of the students who took his classes miserable. Surely something should be done. Sue McConnell is a student in one of Mr. Griffin's classes. She's one of his better students, and she's still earning B's. Jeff, Mark and Betsy are also students in Mr. Griffin's classes, only they aren't nearly as studious. Mark is repeating Mr. Griffin's class, and he needs the credit in order to graduate, so he can't blow it. It's Mark's idea to kill Mr. Griffin. At first, Jeff and Betsy think he's nuts, but eventually they get used to the idea. They decide to disguise themselves, kidnap him, and give him a good scare. Mark is the ringleader, and he's got a mean streak. Jeff first noticed it when he set fire to a cat in junior high. They begin to devise their plan and get people involved who wouldn't be likely suspects. Like the senior class President, Dave Ruggles. And Sue McConnell, the brain. Soon Dave is part of the group, then Sue. She'll be the one to lure Mr. Griffin to them. It's perfect, because she's smart, dependable, and not a likely suspect. So the plans are made. Sue lures Mr. Griffin into the hands of the rest of the group. They blindfold him and take him to the mountains. They ask Mr. Griffin to beg to be let go. When he refuses outright, they decide to leave him there and come back later. Jeff is doubtful about leaving Mr. Griffin, but Mark is determined:
"But how long can we keep him here?" "Long enough to crack him. Man, he'll break," Mark said determinedly. "I promise you that. He'll break, and he'll beg, and he'll crawl, just the way we planned, and when he gets back in that classroom he'll be a shell, man, just a shell. He'll look out at that class, and he'll know somewhere out there, scattered around behind those Shakespeare books, there are a bunch of kids who watched him crawl. He'll know they're picturing him here on the ground, begging. Don't you think that's going to do something to him?" (p. 94)
But nobody realized Mr. Griffin's bottle of heart medicine had slipped out of his pocket during the walk.
(BookTalk by Lisa M. Kreutter from NoveList database)

Just Like That by Marsha Qualey

Have you ever noticed that the moments in our life seem to occur in a chain reaction, and JUST LIKE THAT our world is never the same. Hanna is a senior in Minneapolis. Her boyfriend is away at college and when she goes to the airport with his family to pick him up, she realizes JUST LIKE THAT that she doesn’t have feelings for him. Her friends and family expect her to be heartbroken by the breakup. But here’s the thing: She’s NOT. On that cold winter night, she makes the choice to take a long late night walk around the lakes and her whole world changes, JUST LIKE THAT.
Hanna’s sitting on a bench watching two ice skaters, who later warn her that the ice is too thin. Then a crazy couple on an ATV comes zipping by. Frustrated, Hanna leaves without warning them about the ice. The last thing she sees is them headed across the lake. On the news the next morning, Hanna learns that the ATV fell through the ice and the teens are dead. Hanna feels responsible although she can’t bring herself to tell anyone she was the last person to see them alive. Hanna is an artist and goes back to that spot near the lake to draw. There she finds a boy in a yellow cap with green stripes, kneeling in the snow. He appears to be mourning the dead teens. Hanna feels immediately drawn to him and can’t stop herself from sketching him over and over again and soon after adds the sketches to her website. She decides she must find this boy. But when she does, the secrets they share change their lives, JUST LIKE THAT.

Teach Me by R.A. Nelson

That’s what Nine thought. Nine, short for Carolina, is 18 and she’s starting her last semester as a senior in high school. She loves science but has decided to shake up her semester by taking a poetry class. Little does she know how much change this decision will bring to her boring life! Mr. Mann is the new teacher assigned to teach the poetry class. He’s different from most teachers. He’s young, handsome, fun, and really wants to make his students understand and get personally involved in the class. Nine, however, doesn’t realize how personal this class, this semester, will become. She develops a typical high school crush on Mr. Mann and like most of us, although we’d never admit it, she becomes obsessed, driving by his house and calling his answering machine. However, unlike most innocent crushes, Mr. Mann begins to reciprocate Nine’s feelings and flirtations by showing up at her fast food job and eating dinner there every night that she works. This crush escalates to a new level when one night, Mr. Mann is waiting by Nine’s car after closing. They talk and Nine ends up following him to a dark parking lot. Nine’s nervous because if she leaves the safety of her car and goes to his car, things will never be the same. There is no telling what could happen. Will Nine and Mr. Mann cross the line? If they do, how will it affect their professional relationship and what lessons will they TEACH each other?

A Bad Boy Can Be Good For A Girl by Tanya Lee Stone

Have you ever been in love? How about lust? Maybe just those giddy feelings and butterflies in your stomach? I’m sure we all have. But more often than not, young love doesn’t last, no matter how hard you try. How do you view the relationship once it has ended? Would you be influenced by who broke it off? What if you found out the guy you thought was wonderful turned out to be a player? Would you share your story with others and warn the girl destined to be next? Josie did and created an uprising.
Josie is a freshman worried about fitting into high school and then she meets the perfect guy-good looking, popular, jock. He’s a senior and she’s excited he’s even noticed her. Yeah, so what if his friends call her “freshmeat” and he’s constantly trying to hook up. He pays attention to her (most times) and says she’s special. But he suddenly ends it after she says she wants to wait. Josie is heartbroken but eventually takes solace in the library thinking about the book Forever by Judy Blume. Then it dawns on her. Why not write a warning to the female student body of Point Beach High in the back of the book. Josie makes sure to spread the word.
One person who fails to care is Nicolette. She’s a junior and doesn’t even date guys at Point Beach. Then she notices “the guy” and he notices her. They meet several times in the art supply closet before going all the way. One day he acts cold and reminds her they were never exclusive. Nicolette finally decides to find out what secrets Forever holds.
Aviva is a senior and a self-proclaimed “criss-crosser.” She’s comfortable with herself and hangs with lots of crowds. The guy takes her to a party (the weekend before ending it with Nicolette) and they begin to spend every weekend together. Sure he doesn’t always call when he says he will but he’s so sweet when they are together. One afternoon she gives herself to him and in the heat of the moment says those three fateful words: “I LOVE YOU” and suddenly the phone doesn’t ring. Aviva eventually reads Forever which is crammed with notes from tons of girls and realizes she’s not alone.
Teenage love can be exciting and heartbreaking. But coming through on the other side and realizing you are one of the survivors (and not alone) is enlightening. And sometimes A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl.

**This book is written in verse and each girl tells their own story. It is a fun, quick read.**

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer


I’d never given much thought to how I would die---thought I’d had reason enough in the last few months---but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this. I stared without breathing across the long room, into the dark eyes of the hunter, and he looked pleasantly back at me. Surely it was a good way to die, in the place of someone else, someone I loved. Noble, even. That ought to count for something. I knew that if I’d never gone to Forks, I wouldn’t be facing death now. But, terrified as I was, I couldn’t bring myself to regret the decision. When life offers you a dream so far beyond any of your expectations, it’s not reasonable to grieve when it comes to an end. The hunter smiled in a friendly way as he sauntered forward to kill me. (p.1)

It all started when Bella Swan moved to the small town of Forks, WA. It was completely different from Phoenix-the rain, smaller school, friendly classmates, and of course Edward Cullen. Bella had never met anyone quite like Edward. He’s absolutely gorgeous with porcelain skin, dazzling eyes and she’s immediately drawn to him. But for some reason, Edward wants nothing to do with her. He even appears to be repulsed by Bella. Then unexplainable events start to occur. When an out of control vehicle is headed straight for Bella in the parking lot, Edward suddenly appears and saves her from being crushed. Then when Bella is on a girls’ afternoon shopping trip in a neighboring town, she becomes disoriented and stumbles into an unsafe situation, Edward again arrives out of nowhere to save her. How is it that appears when Bella is in trouble? Why does Edward pull away when Bella can feel the electricity, the undeniable connection between them? And what will happen when Bella learns that not only is she in love but in love with a vampire?

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher

What a concept! Losers in letter jackets! I could show those small town jocks, those crown princes of athletics, just how much those jackets really meant!
Hi. I'm T.J. Jones, and while I love to play sports, I hate being told what to do, and that's what high school coaches do. I'd decided four years ago to go all the way through high school without one semester on any team, and I almost made it. What happened? Mr. Simet happened. He was my English teacher, one of the few folks on the faculty that I had any real respect for. In September of my senior year, he asked me for a favor. He didn't want to coach wrestling, and he'd have to unless he and I could come up with a swim team.
It sounded crazy — a swim team in a town that had only one pool, at the 24-hour health club, which wasn't even close to meeting the rules for a regulation pool, so we'd never have a home swim meet — we'd be on the road 100% of the time. I was going to turn him down — I mean, he's a great teacher and a great human being, but this was a BIG favor, when I saw something that gave me the perfect motivation.
Two of the bigger, meaner football players were hassling Chris for wearing his dead brother's letter jacket. Chris was brain-damaged, and everyone knew it, including these two lamebrains. Wearing Brian's jacket was the only way Chris could feel close to his brother. I chased them off, and then later that day, when I went by the health club and saw Chris swim with his beautiful, natural stroke, my plan burst into my head, fully formed and ready to put into play.
I'd create a swim team of the very guys the jocks hated, the ones they saw as losers, and then watch how those jocks felt when guys they'd spit on wore the same letter jackets they did! YES!
So who made the team? Chris, of course, Dan, the original multi-syllabic genius geek, Tay Roy, a bodybuilder who decided he'd rather swim, Jackie, who's so average that he's nearly invisible, Simon, who's 5'7" and almost 300 pounds, and Andy, who's terminally angry, has a major bad attitude, and walks with a limp that he's never explained. In other words, the team consisted of one real swimmer of color (I'm a mix, white/black/Japanese), two representatives from the top and bottom of the IQ curve, a muscle man, a giant, a chameleon, and a psycho. Would we succeed in yanking the chains of every jock and ex-jock in town, or go under for the last time?
Come to practice, take a ride on our team bus, and find out for yourself. We just might manage to surprise you-more than once!
(BookTalk by Joni Richards Bodart -from NoveList database)

Inexcusable by Chris Lynch

Does it ever seem to you like you might see yourself and the world differently than it sees you? Have you ever uttered the phrase “the way it looks is not the way it is”? That’s what’s happening to Keir. Keir is a jock, part of the football team and an honorary soccer teammate. He wasn’t noticed much by his classmates until that fateful football game his senior year. Keir is the kicker; he’s not a part of the defense or the offense. But for some reason, that game he was playing cornerback. And what happened wasn’t his fault. That’s the way it was decided. He was just playing the game exactly the way he’d been taught. The play he made was textbook. It wasn’t his fault that the guy he tackled never got up and is crippled. That event resulted in his moniker “Killer” or more appropriate “Killier”. Since then Keir has become invincible. He and the other senior football players have gotten away with behavior that by most would seem INEXCUSABLE. But where do you draw the line? When do you become responsible for your actions? When do drugs and alcohol blur your perceptions of who you are and who others see you to be? What is the truth and what is a lie?

**Be aware that the subject of this book is date rape and there is some strong language.**

Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman

My name is Shawn McDaniel and I’m 14. I’d like to share my story with you, but first, you have to know that I have some good news and some bad news. I’ll share the good news first, because that’s how it always works. I have a secret, wonderful, weird ability. I can remember everything I’ve ever heard, “perfectly, with total recall”. Anything anyone says, TV commercials, elevator Muzak, everything. I’ve been able to do this since I was four. “I hope I’m not coming off as conceited here. I’m sure I am. I mean, I do think that my hearing memory is kind of amazing, but it’s not like it’s made me rich or famous. I just happen to have this one talent that I know makes me gifted and special-yuck! I hate that word “special” when it’s applied to people.” So that’s the good news. On to the bad, and there happens to be a lot of that. “My being born changed everything for all of us, in every way. My dad didn’t divorce my mom, or my sister, Cindy, or my brother, Paul—he divorced me. He couldn’t handle my condition, so he had to leave. My condition? Well, that brings us to the guts of my bad news.” Bad news is to the world I’m a total retard. That’s what everyone thinks, but that’s not the truth. The truth is I have cerebral palsy. “When I was born I got brain damaged. A tiny blood vessel burst inside my head, and as luck would have it, this blood vessel was in exactly 100 percent the wrong spot. I don’t know enough about the brain to be able to say where in my brain this injury happened but wherever it was, it wiped out my muscle control. I can’t control any of my muscles. If you asked me to blink if I understand, I can’t make myself do it, even though I do understand. So you see, people think I’m a vegetable. They think I can’t hear, I can’t understand, and that I don’t know what’s going on. It’s so frustrating. It’s like I’m STUCK IN NEUTRAL. But that’s not the worst news of all. Maybe I shouldn’t even tell you. I think my dad is going to kill me…

Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman


Vince is a pretty typical high school senior. He’s trying to get and keep a girlfriend, make it through the year with decent grades, and deal with his father’s constant nagging about college and not being motivated. Vince knows he doesn’t want to be a part of the family business but how many teens do. The thing about Vince and his family that separates them from you and me is that Dad’s vending machine business isn’t all it appears to be. It turns out Dad is really ‘Honest Abe Luca’, the head of the Mob. And while Vince doesn’t want to be a part of it, Dad’s Mob ties always seem to affect Vince’s day to day life.

Take the time Vince took Angela O’Bannon to the beach on a date and found a body (not dead, yet) in his trunk. Or the time he joined the football team and never got tackled because the other team found out who he was. What about the time he got thrown in jail because the Porsche he got for his 16th birthday turned out to be hot. No matter what, Vince can’t seem to escape the mob. And then he meets Kendra Bightly, the school newspaper reporter, who turns out to be the daughter of an FBI Agent, the same agent after Vince’s dad. Will things work out with Kendra? Will Vince ever be able to lead a normal life and be more than just the SON OF THE MOB.

**Son of the Mob was a 2005-2006 Soaring Eagle nominee. To find out more about what happens next for Vince, check out Son of the Mob: Hollywood Hustle. Hollywood Hustle is a 2006-2007 Soaring Eagle nominee.**

Down the Rabbit Hole: An Echo Falls Mystery by Peter Abrahams

“It’s all about shoes.” That Ingrid knows for sure. “Sherlock Holmes believed you could find out just about all you needed to know about people from the little things.” Ingrid loves Sherlock Holmes and is herself a bit of a super sleuth detective. At thirteen, her life should be easy. School, soccer, family, and practice for the big production of Alice in Wonderland. It seems, however, that Ingrid can’t keep herself from being in the wrong place at the right time or would it be the right place at the wrong time. Rather than waiting for a ride and being late for soccer practice, Ingrid decides to walk and before she realizes it, she’s in a strange neighborhood and the rain is pouring. Cracked-up-Katie offers to call her a cab and invites her in. Ingrid takes this opportunity to change into her soccrer gear, when the cabbie honks. Ingrid runs out and never sees Katie again. That’s because Katie is found that night… murdered, strangled to death in her own house. Rather than admit she was the last to see Katie alive, Ingrid decides to stay quiet. But wait, why can’t she find her cleats? After ransacking her house, Ingrid remembers where she was the last time she had them. Katie’s. And in order to get them back, she’s going to have to break into Katie’s house, cross the police tape, all alone and in the dark of night. But it won’t be as easy as Ingrid hopes. Because you see, whoever killed Katie doesn’t want the police to stumble upon clues that were left behind. And the killer has decided to break in the same night, same time as Ingrid. All she sees from her hiding spot are a pair of Adidas shoes with green paint splotches. See… It’s all about the shoes…

**If you enjoyed Down the Rabbit Hole, check out Ingrid's next adventure in Behind the Curtain.

Avalon High by Meg Cabot


Ellie Harrison has just transferred to Avalon High in Annapolis, Maryland because her parents, both professors of medieval studies, are taking sabbatical. Avalon High seems like a typical high school, with your typical students: Lance, the jock; Jennifer, the cheerleader; and Will, senior class president, quarterback of the football team, and just really nice guy. But everyone is not quite who they appear to be.

Have you ever hear of King Arthur of Camelot? How about Queen Guinevere, Sir Lancelot, Merlin, Mordred, or Elaine-Lady of Shalott? Ellie is named for Elaine, the heroine of the Tennyson poem Lady of Shalott. Lady Elaine killed herself because of her unrequited love for Sir Lancelot, who was in love with Queen Guinevere, the wife of King Arthur. Quite the historical love triangle. What if I told you that this part of history keeps repeating itself? That there are people who believe that these characters from history are reincarnated every generation so that King Arthur can overcome the dark forces that killed him and finally bring the world into enlightenment. It sounds pretty far-fetched to me and to Ellie. However strange things begin to happen at Avalon High that cause Ellie to reevaluate her beliefs. How is it that even though they just met, Will and Ellie feel like they have known each other in a past life? Why would Will’s girlfriend Jennifer be seeing Lance, his best friend, behind his back? Could it be that they are all part of a cast of characters from another time?

The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer

Fourteen year old Cosmo is a no sponsor living in Satellite City. Life for a no sponsor is no picnic. Cosmo is a resident of on orphanage that uses the children as guinea pigs for food and drug testing. The life expectancy of a no sponsor is 15 years and Cosmo knows his time is just about up. But a malfunction in the satellite feed that runs just about everything in the city allows Cosmo a chance to escape. Unfortunately, the escape leaves him seriously injured. As he lies dying, a small blue creature lands on his chest and begins to feed. Desperately fighting the creature, Cosmo knows he is a goner. But then he meets one of the supernaturalists -- a ragtag group of young people who have dedicated themselves to destroying the Parasites that suck energy from injured people. When Cosmo joins the group, he learns about the mysteriouscreatures that only a few can even see. Are the creatures what they seem to be? And why is the Myishi Corp so interested in them?
(Booktalk borrowed from www.nancykeane.com)

Sam Stern's Cooking Up a Storm: The Teen Survival Cookbook

Looking for a great snack or a new recipe to spice up your turn to cooking dinner? Sam's got great recipes for after school snacks, meals, and desserts that will have you Cooking Up a Storm. Sick of soup from a can? Try the recipe for Top Tomato Soup (p. 33). Whip up your own fresh Two Fruit Smoothies (p. 15) or homemade Guacamole and Salsa (p. 66). Try your hand at Brilliant Burgers and Fat Fries (p. 80-81). If fun food is what you want, this cookbook is a great place to turn.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Looking For Alaska by John Green

“First drink, first prank, first friend, first girl, last words.” Miles Halter is fascinated by the last words of famous people. His favorite last words have become his words to live by: “I go to seek a Great Perhaps.” Miles is tired of his boring old life in Florida with no friends, so he has decided to spend his last two years of high school at Culver Creek Preparatory School in Alabama looking for his Great Perhaps. His roommate and first friend Chip Martin, AKA The Colonel, makes sure that Miles’ year is full of fun and new experiences including a new name “Pudge”. Even better than a friendship with The Colonel is Alaska Young, the wild, moody, exhilarating, beautiful girl who loves poetry, pranks, wine, and cigarettes. The girl who will change his world into Before and After. And it isn’t long before Pudge realizes that rather than seeking the Great Perhaps, he will spend his time LOOKING FOR ALASKA.

**This book was the winner of the 2006 Michael Printz Award for the best in Young Adult Literature. **
This book has been in my pile for quite sometime and I'm glad I finally picked it up. It left me wanting more. I can definitely see why it was chosen for the Printz Award.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Book Reviews by You

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Thursday, August 31, 2006

Grand and Humble by Brent Hartinger

Premonitions. Dreams. Visions. Oujia Boards. Psychics. Secrets. Revelations. Two teenage boys. One the son of a senator. The other the son of a single father. One popular. The other a geek. One paralyzed by panic attacks he can’t control. The other inundated with nightmares. Both picturing their own deaths. Two separate lives on separate courses. The one thing Harlan and Manny have in common is the intersection of Grand and Humble, the intersection of their lives, the intersection that will make you question your understanding of fate and destiny.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Nothing But The Truth by Avi

Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and Nothing But the Truth? If you’ve watched enough courtroom dramas, you’ve heard that oath being taken. Telling the truth should be simple, right? Well, I’m here to tell you that the truth can be a little more complicated than you’d think. The thing I find more difficult than the truth would be rules. Rules, rules, rules. They are everywhere and it seems like people are always making up rules to make life harder. But the place they bother me the most is in school. The rules say you have to go everyday for 8 hours from age 5 to 18. You have to listen to some know-it-all teacher drone on and on about stuff that is boring and out of date. Then there are rules that if you aren’t passing every subject you can’t go out for sports. Whatever! My stupid English teacher hates me and that’s why I’m failing her class and why I can’t run track. Now that stupid teacher is trying to tell me there is a rule against humming the national anthem. Excuse me? I can’t believe that something as harmless as humming could cause such a raucous, make news across the country, and affect so many people’s lives. But it has…So there you have it. Nothing But the Truth.

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

What do you think of when you hear a church bell ring? Maybe it reminds you of a wedding, a celebration? Maybe you think of it as marking a time of day, such as morning, noon, and night? Possibly as signaling time for worship and prayer? What if the joyful sound of the church bells weren’t so joyous? What if they began to signal death and what if they never stopped ringing? How would you feel? Would it worry or scare you or drive you crazy? For Mattie Cook and the city of Philadelphia in the late hot summer of 1793, the tolling of the church bells signified that a mysterious illness, yellow fever, had claimed another victim. At first the bells tolled once or twice per day but within weeks the bells rang constantly. Fear and panic set in as the death count climbed and cemeteries began filling up. “Bring out your dead, bring out your dead!” was the call from the streets. The rich people fled the city in an attempt to escape the outbreak and those who couldn’t leave were at the mercy of doctors who were willing to try useless and dangerous methods to rid the patient of the disease. Worried that Mattie will fall ill with the fever, her mother sends her away to the country to wait with friends. But due to quarantines in nearby towns, she never makes it and she too falls ill with the fever. Will Mattie be strong enough to make it back to Philadelphia and survive this deadly disease? Fever 1793 is based on the actual tragedy that befell the nation’s capital city.

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