Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles

Nine months. The length of the school year. The amount of time deemed appropriate for a person to learn and grow. The amount of time necessary to grow a person.

Ellie has hooked up with a few guys, the latest being Josh. Corinne, Ellie's best friend, was there to comfort her after Josh walked away. Caleb has been in love with Ellie since they were young and is disappointed in his friend, Josh. Corinne and Caleb strike up a friendship that could become more.

Four teens whose lives are connected and will change drastically this school year. Four teens who wish they could turn back time and return to the moments when life was easy. When the scariest thing you could imagine was jumping off swings.

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From Heaven Lake by Vikram Seth

From Heaven Lake is the fascinating travelogue written by an Indian student (Vikram Seth) studying in China. During the summer of 1981 Seth decides to travel home to Delhi after three years in order to spend the summer holidays with his family. Rather than simply flying out, Seth decides to make the journey of a lifetime through China, into Tibet, through Nepal and finally into India. Along the way the author uses his fluency in Mandarin to make friends and connect with the local peoples of each of the countries. Vikram Seth was originally a poet and his beautiful diction paints a masterpiece of imagery and poetic eloquence throughout the novel. Anyone interested in China, Tibet, Nepal, or India will fine this novel to be utterly fascinating. Not only does one get the sense of geography but it's like experiencing first hand the culture and behaviours of characters who live on the other side of the planet. A compelling and beautiful read From Heaven Lake is a nonfiction piece definitely worth checking out!

P:3 Q:5

The Haunting of Elaizabel Cray, by Chris Wooding

Thaniel is a Wych hunter, and at only seventeen, it's a challenging job. One could even say life threatening. Wychs, strange and warped creatures that live in the Old Quarter of London, threaten the lives of the civil people that live just across the river. When the sun goes down, the Wychs come out to play. And unfortunately, their main source of food are defenseless humans. So of course killing Wychs would be a lucritive job, assuming Thaniel doesn't get killed in the process. On one of his Wych hunting missions in the Old Quarter, Thaniel comes across something he does not expect. Elaizabel Cray, a beautiful, if not crazed and a bit psychotic girl, is found in the ruins of an old house covered in dirt and unkempt. Thaniel, the type of concerned soul that he is, quickly takes her in, but he may be getting more than he bargained for. Elaizabel is possessed by something sinister, a benevolent spirit that attracts everything horrific and evil from the drudgery of London. Thaniel, along with his friend and mentor, Cathaline, has to find the source of Elaizabel's savagery and what has taken hold of her soul.

Chris Wooding is a sensational author, with vivid vocabulary and imaginative storylines. The Haunting of Elaizabel Cray is an amazing read for anyone who longs for a world where not everything is what it seems, and where evil often wins. With a steampunk-like setting in old London, a real place can really feel like an entirely different world.

P4

Q5

Beastly by: Alex Flinn

Not another one of those princess tales that has the classical ending, with the classical twist, and with everything happily ever after. This is not one of those stories. Beastly, written by Alex Flinn is a modern day twist of the classical tale of Beauty and the Beast; however, this novel is written from the beasts point of view, and takes you step by step through the adventure of why the Beast was turned into a beast by the first place.

This beast, which was known as Kyle Kingsbury had everything he had ever wanted before he had transformed... or so he thought. He had the perfect father, the perfect life as a beautiful boy that every girl wanted to date, and every guy wanted to be friends with. The same character Kyle, who is cursed by a witch in modern day New York City, and given two years to find someone (beauty) to reverse the curse which he has.. otherwise he will stay a beast forever. Go with Kyle as he undergoes his trasformation into the beast, and the new things that he learns along the way, totally different from his original beliefs.

This novel written by Alex Flinn is a novel in which I really loved, because of the difference in point of views from the everyday disney princess belle to the beast and why his life is the way it is. I loved how the point of views change from chapter to chapter- and although I thought I knew the traditional ending I really enjoyed reading my all time favorite fairy tale with a different variation.

"I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly"

Ratings:

4P

5Q

One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies by Sonya Sones

This is NOT One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies

Instead it's the story
of what happens after
my world was torn apart.

The book of Ruby
on a plane bound for
Los Angeles,California.

Home of the rich
and the famous, but
more specifically

the father who's been on
the silver screen but
NOT in my life.

The story of how I must leave
my aunt, my bff Lizzi,
my boyfriend, my Boston

To live with the man
who divorced my mom
and left before I was born

This is NOT One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies

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Escape was written by Carolyn Jessop which tells her story of life in a polygamous marriage.

Unlike most polygamous families, she lived a relatively care-free early childhood. In the beginning, she was loved and her family was relatively stable. Her father had a middle class job and the children were allowed to go to a public school. However, like most "perfect" FLDS childhoods, hers was about to end in a dramatic way, starting with her mother's physical abuse.

Since polygamy was encouraged, and status was gained my men who practiced this, her father began to take in more wives, which added stress on the entire family and particularly the other wives, who looked for ways to spend their emotions. This way was usually through their children. This was practiced because it was thought children needed constant reprimand.

A little after Carolyn was 18 years old, she was married as a fourth wife to a man who knew no boundaries. Thus she spent over a decade listening to his manipulation, abuse, and dictatorship, after escaping with her 8 children to modern society.

The Espressologist by Kristina Springer

What does your favorite coffee drink say about you? Could your perfect match be found around the corner at your favorite cafe? Maybe an overpriced jolt of caffeine really is worth the calories and the empty pockets if you discover the missing piece of your heart.

Jane Turner is a high school senior who would rather spend her time making a little extra cash at Wired Joe's than actually attending class. She's been given the job of assistant manager, which makes it all the more difficult to explain to Derek (The Manager) why she keeps scribbling in a notebook behind the counter, when she should be working. For quite some time Jane has been jotting down the drinks people order and the type of person they are. She's got it down to a science and can pretty much predict the drink you will order just by looking at you. She's even used her notes and skill to set up a few customers. Sounds a little quirky, but it's working. When Derek hears about Jane's Espressology, he's excited. He thinks "The Espressologist" will be a great holiday promotion. Stop by Wired Joe's every Friday night and find your true love, just in time for the holidays. It's going better than expected, other than the fact that Jane has yet to find herself someone.

Welcome to Wired Joe's. The Espressologist is in!

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Nothing Like You by Lauren Strasnick

Why did I do it? Who knows, really. Was I just trying to feel something? Pain, regret, hope, joy, love? An interest in someone, anyone other than Mom? What did Paul Bennett see in me? There must be something. Some reason he comes back once or twice a week, other than the sex of course. He says he won't leave his girlfriend, Saskia, but that he doesn't sleep with her. Is he telling the truth? And why does Saskia actually have to be such a great person, someone I could call a friend?
I made a choice, when I slept with Paul, and continuing to have this secret relationship could either give me something to look forward to or bring my world crashing down. Will this be a year to remember or a year to forget? Is this normal or am I nothing like you?

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Oggie Cooder: Party Animal by Sarah Weeks

Oggie Cooder is back and he's ready to party. For the first time he's been invited to Donnica Perfecto's birthday (pool party!) and he can't stop prrrrr-ip!ing with excitement. Donnica, on the other hand, is furious that her mother forced her to invite Oggie and she's got a few tricks up her sleeve to keep him away.

Armed with a list of Donnica's 101 B.P.R.s (Birthday Party Rules!) that he must have memorized in order to be allowed entry to the party, Oggie is worried he won't find the perfect present for Ms. Perfecto. Will he really be able to control the prrrrr-ips, stop charving, not talk about inventors or Uncle Vern, and dress appropriately (no crocheted shoelaces or used clothes allowed!)?

Lucky for Oggie, neccessity is the mother of all inventions. With the help of few memorization techniques ("Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain") and a few friends (old and new), Oggie may be able to make both he and Donnica's birthday wishes come true.

Essence of Oggie

Unique boy on a mission

Learns to write Haiku

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Check out our review of Oggie Cooder (book #1)!

Unsweetined by Jodie Sweetin

This quick read is the autobiography of actress Jodie Sweetin, known to the world as Stephanie Tanner from Full House. However in recent years, she's been in the media spotlight for her admissions of alcohol and drug abuse. Beyond her stories from Full House, struggles fitting in during the school years, Sweetin reveals secrets behind her struggles with addiction. In fact she admits that while touring colleges to speak about sober living, she was still secretly abusing drugs. "How Rude!"

There are many important lessons readers can take away from this story. First is that you alone are responsible for the choices you make in life. No one is perfect, but when you fail you must pick yourself up and try again. Happiness comes from within. It has no price tag and can't be found in a bottle of boozes, a handful of pills, or from an assortment of illegal substances. Friends are the people who encourage you to be a better person, not those who use you or encourage you to make poor choices. Most importantly, don't give up on yourself.
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Tentacles by Roland Smith

We first met Marty, Grace, Wolfe, and the gang in Cryptid Hunters. After a brief return from the Congo, it’s time to board the Coelacanth and head toward New Zealand in search of a giant squid called Architeuthis. Of course, Wolfe’s arch-nemesis, Noah Blackwood, is trying to highjack the trip and retrieve those things he believes belong to him: the Mokélé-mbembé eggs (or hatchlings) and Grace, who happens to be Wolfe’s daughter and Noah Blackwood’s granddaughter. Complete with wild animals, spies, new and improved high-tech gadgets, this book will quickly wrap you in its tentacles.

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Click here to read our review of Cryptid Hunters.