The New Anime Movies Are Here!

I know you've been waiting with bated breath for the new anime titles to arrive. Well...they're here!
Inuyasha: The Movie 4 Fire on the Mystic Island
Inuyasha: The Movie 1 Affections Touching Across Time
Gundam Wing: The Movie Endless Waltz
Princess Mononoke
Spirited Away
Spiral: What Are the Blade Chidlren?

Come in and check them out!

If you like Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, try these books!

The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray
My Swordhand is Singing
Gothic! Ten Original Dark Tales
Raven's Gate
Horseman
Corbenic
Coraline
Darkhenge
Road of the Dead
Darkside
Midnight Predator
May Bird and the Ever After

Review of The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Volume 1: The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson

I started reading this book when a friend who is a high school English teacher said everyone at her school is talking about it; so, even though I haven't liked any of Anderson's other books that I've tried, I decided to give it a shot. All I can say is I'm really glad I did. I didn't know anything about the book before I started it, so I wasn't even sure what genre it was. One of the things that captivated me from the start is that I wasn't sure what was going on - it seemed like it was going to be fantasy, though I was pretty sure my friend had said it was historical. I'm not sure how to convey how unusual the writing is: the language is very intricate, and though it's told in what I hope is an accurate portrayal of the language of the time (Revolutionary War New England), the language isn't at all stilted and doesn't get in the way of the story. The plot unfolds so gently that it came as sort of a shock when I realized that Octavian and his mother are slaves. The book won the National Book Award in Young People's Literature, and it's easy to see why. It's very beautifully written. I have only finished half of the book, but I couldn't wait to post this review, and I'll certainly read the second volume: The Kingdom on the Waves. Review by Stacy

Letters About Literature: National Reading-Writing Contest

Students in grades 4 through 12 are invited to enter a national reading-writing contest called Letters about Literature. The contest is sponsored by The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, in partnership with Target Stores and in cooperation with affiliate state centers for the book. To enter, readers write a personal letter to an author in any genre --fiction or nonfiction, contemporary or classic. The author can be living or dead. The letter should explain how that author's work changed the student's way of thinking about the world or themselves. There are three competition levels: Level I for children in grades 4 through 6; Level II for grades 7 and 8, and Level III for grades 9 - 12. The winners will be announced in the spring of next year, and will receive cash awards at the national and state levels. Visit the website: Letters About Literature for official guidelines, rules, and entry coupon. The next contest begins this month. Good luck!