The final installment of Ellen Hopkins’s trilogy is here! If you enjoyed Crank and Glass, you’ll definitely want to read Fallout. Written in free verse, Fallout explores how three teenagers try to cope with the consequences of their mother's addiction to crystal meth and its effects on their lives.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Fallout
New Fantasy Books
When sixteen-year-old Jacinda, who can change into a dragon, is forced to move away from her community of shapeshifters and start a more normal life, she falls in love with a boy who proves to be her most dangerous enemy.
"Meghan Chase has a secret destiny--one she could never have imagined.... Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home. When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change. But she could never have guessed the truth-- that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face... and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart. –from back cover
Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan is deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, becomes a prisoner of the Winter faery queen, and loses her own fey powers. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey, ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. No one believes her and trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly.
Zombies vs. Unicorns
Wow, Justine Larbalestier and Holly Black weren’t kidding around when they recruited the authors for this new book of short stories: Garth Nix, Scott Westerfeld, Libba Bray…just to name a few. Justine Larbalestier says that zombies are our own walking deaths. Funny, grim, and terrifying, they cannot be escaped. Unicorns are sparkly and pastel and fart rainbows (sorry, she said it, not me). Holly Black says that unicorns are healers, arbiters of justice, and, occasionally, majestic man-killers. Zombies drool and shed and probably carry diseases. So, according to Justine and Holly, one question has dominated all others since the dawn of time: Zombies or Unicorns? If you want to read the background on this epic argument, check out Justine’s blog http://justinelarbalestier.com/books/zombies-vs-unicorns/introduction/
I think my favorite thing about this book is how Justine and Holly use each story as another opportunity to further expound on their position regarding the relative superiority of their favorite genre of fantastic beings: zombies or unicorns. They are both incredibly and hilariously outspoken regarding their chosen ones. In the introduction to Alaya Dawn Johnson’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” Justine writes, “Hallelujah! After wading through Garth Nix’s ye oldey unicorn muck you now get to read a proper zombie story.” And writing about Libba Bray’s “Prom Night,” Holly says, “’Prom Night’ creeped me right out. You know what I need? A nice unicorn story to get the taste of zombies out of my mouth!”
Thursday, December 9, 2010
New Books!
Jumpstart the World by Catherine Ryan Hyde, the author of Pay It Forward
Elle is a loner. She doesn’t need people. Which is a good thing, because she’s on her own: she had to move into her own apartment so her mother’s boyfriend won’t have to deal with her. Then she meets Frank, the guy who lives next door. He’s older and has a girlfriend, but Elle can’t stop thinking about him. Frank isn’t like anyone Elle has ever met. He listens to her. He’s gentle. And Elle is falling for him, hard.
But Frank is different in a way that Elle was never prepared for: he’s transgender. And when Elle learns the truth, her world is turned upside down. Now she’ll have to search inside herself to find not only the true meaning of friendship but her own role in jumpstarting the world. Tender, honest, and compassionate, Jumpstart the World is a stunning story to make you laugh, cry, and honor the power of love. –from the publisher
The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood
In the right dose, everything is a poison. Even love . . . Jessamine Luxton has lived all her sixteen years in an isolated cottage near Alnwick Castle, with little company apart from the plants in her garden. Her father, Thomas, a feared and respected apothecary, has taught her much about the incredible powers of plants: that even the most innocent-looking weed can cure — or kill. When Jessamine begins to fall in love with a mysterious boy who claims to communicate with plants, she is drawn into the dangerous world of the poison garden in a way she never could have imagined . . –from the publisher
I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett
It starts with whispers. Then someone picks up a stone. Finally, the fires begin. When people turn on witches, the innocents suffer. . . .Tiffany Aching has spent years studying with senior witches, and now she is on her own. As the witch of the Chalk, she performs the bits of witchcraft that aren t sparkly, aren t fun, don t involve any kind of wand, and that people seldom ever hear about: She does the unglamorous work of caring for the needy. But someone or something is igniting fear, inculcating dark thoughts and angry murmurs against witches. Aided by her tiny blue allies, the Wee Free Men, Tiffany must find the source of this unrest and defeat the evil at its root before it takes her life. Because if Tiffany falls, the whole Chalk falls with her. Chilling drama combines with laughout-loud humor and searing insight as beloved and bestselling author Terry Pratchett tells the high-stakes story of a young witch who stands in the gap between good and evil. –from the publisher
Review of Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Shiver is an original romance/supernatural story about the heartbreak that can occur when someone shifts between two natures. Ever since Grace was attacked by wolves when she was younger, she has been obsessed with watching the wolves in the woods behind her house, especially the wolf with the yellow eyes, her wolf, the one that saved her from the rest of the wolf pack. These wolves are a haunting presence in her life. Sam literally lives a double life. For a few months every summer Sam is a normal boy, but every winter he turns into a wolf and loses his ability to think as a human, except for lingering memories of the girl Grace, whom he watches from afar. One day, Grace finds her wolf injured on her back porch, and before her eyes he turns into a boy! Finally together as girl and boy, they fall in love, but complications ensue. A newly-turned wolf is wreaking havoc in town, prompting the townspeople to want to get rid of the local wolves for good. Another major complication is that Sam can only turn human so many times before he loses the ability to change from wolf to human, and his time is up. As winter gets closer and it gets colder, Sam is fighting to stay human or risk losing his life with Grace forever. To find out what happens, read Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. Review by Lizzy Healy
Thursday, November 4, 2010
New Audio Books
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Performance by Mandy Siegfried
A traumatic event near the end of the summer has a devastating effect of Melinda's freshman year in high school.
Feed by M. T. Anderson; Performance by David Aaron Baker, read by John Beach, Josh Lebowitz, Tara Sands, and Anne Twomey
In a future where most people have computer implants in their heads to control their environment, a boy meets an unusual girl who is in serious trouble.
The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin, Read by Daniel Passer
Seventeen-year-old Matthew recounts his attempts, starting at a young age, to free himself and his sisters from the grip of their emotionally and physically abusive mother.
More New Anime!
The Girl Who Leapt through Time
Something strange has happened to Makoto Konno. Time has suddenly stopped and moved her backwards. With her newly discovered ability to literally leap backwards in time Makoto finds that tests become a piece of cake, embarrassing situations are corrected and she can have her favorite food anytime she wants. Unfortunately her carefree time traveling has adverse effects on the people she cares for. With every successful leap Makoto somehow alters the fate of those around her. This was not supposed to happen and as she races back in time to fix everything, she notices that her abilities are not limitless but with every successful jump she is one step closer to discovering the most wonderful secret in her young adult life. –from product description
Steamboy
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
New Graphic Novel: Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo vol. 2 by Mahiro Maeda
“I have forged my destiny through the power of my own will –the power to manipulate the lives of others, from my own safe shore.”
The Count of Monte Cristo, a fabulously wealthy aristocrat from the far reaches of the galaxy, has returned to Paris on a secret mission of revenge. His first target is Gerard de Villefort, the prosecutor who falsely sentenced him to life imprisonment twenty-five years ago. His pawns are Villefort’s family—a dissatisfied young wife, a withdrawn daughter, and a pampered son. From a single drop of poison spreads a pool of lust and horror that none may escape.
Based on the acclaimed anime, this science fiction version of Alexandre Dumas’ classic The Count of Monte Cristo is a surreal, beautiful tale of love, death, and the seductive power of evil. Includes special extras after the story! –from the product description
New Audio Book: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Read by Allan Corduner
Death narrates this story of Liesel Meminger’s young life as she ekes out an existence in World War II Germany. Liesel’s foster father teaches her to read and write, and she shares this gift with both her neighbors and a Jewish man she helps to hide in the basement. Her sorrowful life is punctuated with the sweetness of a first love and her love for stealing what she cannot resist: books. –from the back cover
New Anime DVDs!
Ah! My Goddess: Love Plus One Volume 2, Episodes 6 – 10 Based on a manga by Kosuke Fujishima, Ah My Goddess has been a fan favorite for years: the 2005 TV series was preceded by an OVA in 1993, the TV series Adventures of the Mini-Goddess in 1998, and a theatrical feature in 2000. It's hard for nerdy student Keiichi Morisato to live a semblance of a normal life with adoring Norse goddess Belldandy. It gets even harder when Keiichi's sister Megumi joins them at the Nekomi Institute of Technology: She's amazed to find her out-of-it brother living with a beautiful girl, and starts offering advice. Further complications arise when glitches in the celestial operating system cause Belldandy's older, wilder sister Urd to join the household. Meanwhile, deposed campus queen Sayoko Mishima and school Casanova Toshiyuki Aoshima are plotting to break up the happy, if unorthodox, home Keiichi and Belldandy have established. It all adds up to the mixture of slapstick and sentiment that Ah! My Goddess fans expect. --Charles Solomon for Amazon.com
Ah! My Goddess: With or Without You Volume 3, Episodes 11 – 14 As the broadcast series of Ah My Goddess continues, life grows more complicated for Keiichi Morisato and Norse goddess Belldandy. Marller, a demon Belldandy and her sister Urd sealed away ages ago, reappears and turns Keiichi into a motor scooter. Once Keiichi is back to normal--or as close as he's likely to get--Belldandy's younger sister Skuld arrives. As she's gadget-happy, she quickly clashes with Keiichi's mechanically minded younger sister, Megumi. The addition of these characters reduces Keiichi and Belldandy to relatively minor roles in their own series. The filmmaking is sometimes sloppy: when a glowing, rabbit-like creature steals the magic CD that gives Belldandy and Urd power over Marller, the goddesses don't even seem to notice the theft. But fans of the series aren't likely to worry about plot points. –Charles Solomon for Amazon.com
Kino’s Journey Complete Collection Destination is a state of mind. Travelers not only find themselves in a variety of locations and geographic phenomena, but they also bear witness to the myriad of interpretations connected to them. A wielder of cutlery, firepower and a piercing tongue, Kino is ready to embark on a journey unlike any other.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Try These Fiction Books about Music
Beige by Castellucci
LBD: It’s a Girl Thing by Dent
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Cohn & Levithan
Pop Princess by Cohn
Diva by Flinn
Born to Rock by Korman
Guitar Girl by Manning
Celebrate Teen Read Week!
Books with Beat @ your library®
Poetry, audiobooks, books about music
“Why is it important to celebrate? For a lot of reasons! Teens have so many options for entertainment, so it's important to remind them to spend time reading for pleasure: it's free, fun, and can be done anywhere! Research shows that teens who read for fun have better test scores and are more likely to succeed in the workforce. Also, it’s a great chance to let your school or your public library communities know how important teen services are! Let teens know the possibilities that exist within your doors, and within the covers of books.” – www.ala.org
Teen Read Week is an initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
New Anime: Love Hina The Complete Series
Listen to Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Just in on Audio CD: Catching Fire, the second book of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, read by Carolyn McCormick
By winning the annual Hunger Games, District 12 tributes Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark have secured a life of safety and plenty for themselves and their families, but because they won by defying the rules, they unwittingly become the faces of an impending rebellion.
Finally! The Conclusion to the Chaos Walking Series by Patrick Ness
Monsters of Men
In the riveting conclusion to the acclaimed dystopian series begun with The Knife of Never Letting Go and The Ask and the Answer, a boy and girl caught in the chaos of war face devastating choices that will decide the fate of a world.
As a world-ending war surges around them, Todd and Viola face monstrous decisions. The indigenous Spackle, thinking and acting as one, have mobilized to avenge their murdered people. Ruthless human leaders prepare to defend their factions at all costs, even as a convoy of new settlers approaches. And as the ceaseless Noise lays all thoughts bare, the projected will of the few threatens to overwhelm the desperate desire of the many. The consequences of each action, each word, are unspeakably vast: To follow a tyrant or a terrorist? To save the life of the one you love most, or thousands of strangers? To believe in redemption, or assume it is lost? Becoming adults amid the turmoil, Todd and Viola question all they have known, racing through horror and outrage toward a shocking finale.
Just In: The Sequel to Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Behemoth
The behemoth is the fiercest creature in the British navy. It can swallow enemy battleships with one bite. The Darwinists will need it, now that they are at war with the Clanker powers. Deryn is a girl posing as a boy in the British Air Service, and Alek is the heir to an empire posing as a commoner. Finally together aboard the airship Leviathan, they hope to bring the war to a halt. But when disaster strikes the Leviathan's peacekeeping mission, they find themselves alone and hunted in enemy territory. Alek and Deryn will need great skill, new allies, and brave hearts to face what's ahead.
New Graphic Novel! Salem Brownstone by John Harris Dunning & Nikhil Singh
A mundane life takes a strange and magical turn in this rich gothic fantasy told with vivid black-and-white art — a graphic novel perfect for a Halloween night. As he twists the key and slowly creeps into the grand mansion left to him in his father's will, Salem Brownstone has an eerie feeling that his world is about to change. First there's the appearance of a beguiling contortionist from Dr. Kinoshita's Circus of Unearthly Delights . . . then a crystal ball . . . then an attack by the sinister Shadow Boys. It seems the father that Salem never knew was actually a powerful magician, and the son has inherited his dark legacy — and an unfinished battle for life or death. With intriguing echoes of Tim Burton, Edward Gorey, H. P. Lovecraft, and Aubrey Beardsley, this album-format, beautifully cloth-bound graphic novel forges a mesmerizing style all its own. –from the publisher
"Wonderfully imaginative and stylish. . . . A perfect example of the adventurous new directions that comic books should be taking in the future." — Alan Moore, author of WATCHMEN and V FOR VENDETTA
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Review of Fat Vampire: A Never Coming of Age Story by Adam Rex
Well, there are only two things I didn’t love about this book, and unfortunately, one of them was the ending. What a disappointment! I wanted to say that up front, because if a bad ending makes a book not worth reading for you, you should give this one a miss. The premise of the book is hilarious: Doug Lee, a fat, unattractive, geeky 15-year-old is attacked and turned into a vampire. Since he is now undead, he seems to be stuck being a fat vampire forever. One of my favorite quotes from the book kind of sums it all up –“I think sometimes you think you’re the hero of the story, and sometimes you think you’re the victim…but you’re not either.” There are some funny scenes where Doug desperately tries to find something he can feed off of without actually having to bite a human. He mostly makes do with cows, but his best friend Jay (who Doug has confided everything to) tries to help him out by breaking into the zoo with him to find something a bit more, well, cuddly (but not endangered) to bite. Eventually Doug is approached by the local vampire group, and as the book progresses, he discovers that if he drinks the blood of humans, his appearance improves. In fact, he becomes downright good-looking. However, he sort of loses his nice guy personality, too. The other thing I didn’t like about the book is that the passage that describes Doug’s attack that turned him into a vampire is very dark and graphic compared to the rest of the book. The tone of the book is so light and funny that it was quite jarring to read that part, and, to tell the truth, I pretty much skipped over it. I think the book is still worth reading –I did a fair amount of laughing out loud. Review by Stacy Church
Review of The Cardturner by Louis Sachar
The subtitle of this book is: A Novel About a King, a Queen, and a Joker. As I’m sure you know, Louis Sachar is the author of Holes, its sequel Small Steps, and the old favorite Sideways Stories from Wayside School. The Cardturner is such a different kind of book, and I kept forgetting who the author of what I was reading was –it felt more like a Chris Crutcher book (Whale Talk, Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes). Even if you don’t think you’ll like reading about the game of bridge (Do most kids even know what that is? My son and I once tried to learn to play by following an instruction book –it’s complicated!), you should give it a try. The author alerts you to the passages that include detailed bridge talk by preceding them with a drawing of a whale (you’ll find out the significance of this if you read the book) so that you can skip over them if you want to. I always felt too guilty to skip them, even though after a certain point I don’t think I absorbed too much of it. During the summer before Alton’s senior year of high school, he is forced by his parents to drive his wealthy great-uncle Lester to his bridge club 4 times a week and be his cardturner (Uncle Lester, in addition to being wealthy, is blind). Alton doesn’t really know his uncle or the game of bridge, but his parents have been trying to get him to suck up to his uncle for years, in the hope that he will leave them his fortune. Despite his intentions of despising this duty, and Uncle Lester’s treating him like an idiot, Alton becomes intrigued with the game of bridge. It helps (or doesn’t help) that he meets and is attracted to Toni Castaneda, who his only previous contact with was when he was 6 years old and she ran up to him at his uncle’s 65th birthday party, covered her ears and yelled, “Shut up! Leave me alone!” and then ran away. I found The Cardturned to be a pageturner (sorry, I couldn’t help it) and very funny. Review by Stacy Church
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Banned Book Week: September 25 – October 2
Read a banned book today! Come to the library during Banned Book Week and choose a book from our display of banned books. Banned Book Week is based on the principle of intellectual freedom.
"Intellectual freedom can exist only where two essential conditions are met: first, that all individuals have the right to hold any belief on any subject and to convey their ideas in any form they deem appropriate, and second, that society makes an equal commitment to the right of unrestricted access to information and ideas regardless of the communication medium used, the content of work, and the viewpoints of both the author and the receiver of information."
Intellectual Freedom Manual, 7th edition
mea culpa
A thousand apologies for my inadvertent misstatement regarding the number of books read by our top reader, Hilary, during our summer reading program. A gross understatement. Hilary in fact read and reviewed 9 books, not the paltry 6 I reported previously. Here’s another of Hilary’s reviews.
Beka Cooper: Terrier by Tamora Pierce
This book was excellent. It was everything that a fantasy book should be. There was magic, but not magic that was in your face, but subtle magic that felt like a natural part of life. Every now and then there would be a scene with action not dealing with typical fantasies. Also, the main character, Beka, is a person that you don’t get tired of reading about. She has well-thought-out morals and goals, but you don’t get tired of how good she is. Beka’s ways and background are introduced throughout the book, and when struggles and triumphs appear, you follow how she feels. The plot was fast-paced and there were turns that I didn’t expect. It was interesting the whole way through. I wished that the book never stopped, but the way it did was satisfying. Review by Hilary
New Anime!
R. O. D. Read or Die Winner of the 2002 Anime Expo by Manga Entertainment, Koji Masunari and Taraku Uon. A sinister plot is afoot and only one schoolteacher, a special agent with an affinity for literature, can stop it. She is Ms. Yomiko Readman -- better known to her colleagues in Section A of Library Special Operations as "Agent Paper."
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
And the Award Goes to….
As promised, the two students who read the most books as part of the Summer Reading program earned the most coveted prize: a 1GB Flash Drive. No, they don’t have to share it; we gave them each one. Jordan read and reviewed 5 books, and Hilary read and reviewed 6! Congrats to both of them. Check previous posts to read some of their reviews, and I’ll be posting more later. Thanks to everyone who participated.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Summer Reading Program Reviews
Nory Ryan’s Song by Patricia Reilly Giff
I read Nory Ryan’s Song. It was much better than I expected. It takes place in Ireland during Gorta Mor, the great hunger of 1845 – 1852. Nory and her family live in Maidin Bay, Ireland, a small town that has never been as populated since as it was during the great hunger. Nory is an eleven-year-old girl who was not very brave before the great hunger. She reminds me of Hope from Hope’s Crossing. Both were not brave at the beginning, but towards the end their bravery made them stand out among others. The other main character is Anna, the older and wiser town healer. She had no one to pass her knowledge on to until Nory owed her a favor, so she worked it off and as they worked they became friends. The plot of this story is like a train. If you take one part out it still works. There are two big problems and one far-off solution. One problem is that there is no food because the potatoes went black. Also they had to pay rent and if they didn’t pay right away the English would take their goods and the only food they had. But after so long without paying, they’d be kicked out of their house. One of the few choices was to move to America. So Nory’s family slowly moved to Brooklyn, New York, to solve the problem of no food or money. But Anna, her dearest friend, decided to stay in Ireland in her warm house with her loving dog. This is a great book because now when I say, “I’m Irish,” I know why I’m in America. I will suggest it to every girl that loves history and a sad, loving story that shows what it means to be a good friend. Review by Shauna
Girl of the Moment by Lizabeth Zindel
“It’s amazing how one summer can change your life forever.” Lily is exasperated when her summer internship at the Museum of Modern Art is canceled, but her summer lights up again when her dad meets an old college friend who finds her an internship with teenage celebrity Sabrina Snow. Lily thinks her future life is going to be glamour, fun and parties, but once she starts her internship, she finds that being Sabrina Snow is not easy, and neither is being her sidekick. With dozens of commands to obey, millions of fan letters to reply to, lots of lists to make, and more than a few parties to plan, Lily discovers the ups and downs of Hollywood life. But there are still quite a few embarrassing but funny mishaps occurring in this star summer. When Lily is sucked into stardom life, she needs to find a clever way to get out of it… Girl of the Moment is a good book for middle-aged children readers who want to get a glimpse of a teenage actress’s life. It is a romantic book filled with funny mistakes, decorated goody bags, and lots of exaggerated magazine articles. The age range of this book should be ages 12-up because of the overfilled romance and some of the words they use. So if you like books with a lot of mishaps, fun, flirting, parties, and famous people, Girl of the Moment is a good book for you. So read Girl of the Moment now!!!!!!! Review by Anusha
The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
A boy whose brain works on a different operating system pieces together the challenging mystery of where his lost cousin is. Wow! This book is fantastic. It tkes you around London while you learn weather terms and about the Coriolis Effect. It really describes characters like the main character Ted. It always tells you what he’s thinking in his different operating-system brain. The London Eye Mystery is puzzling and a great book. Review by Jordan
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Another Summer Reading Program Review
8th grader Hamlet Kennedy does not have your average life. She has a genius 7-year-old sister that is in her 8th grade class and she has Shakespeare-obsessed parents. Dezzie (her genius sister) is ruining her life! Hamlet is failing pre-algebra and it doesn’t help that Dezzie is “tutoring” Hamlet’s secret crush, Carter. In English, their Shakespeare unit is just starting, and when Mrs. Wimple asks Hamlet to read aloud to the class from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, she finds an unwanted talent. Hamlet gets assigned the lead role in the Shakespeare play, and trying to hide it from her parents isn’t working. Especially when Mrs. Wimple invites them in to teach the class about Shakespeare. Find out what happens to Hamlet by reading the book! Review by Caitlin
Reviews from the Summer Reading Program
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
I read Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. I picked this book because the cover intrigued me --simple but powerful. A plain yellow star with a green stick-figure girl. This story is very interesting. It is about what you would do for someone you love and how doing something for someone else will help you in the end. I thought Stargirl would be about a popular girl who was always the center of attention, but it turned out to be a book about the ups and downs of friendship. Stargirl Caraway is strange, but in a good way. She is strange because she looks through newspapers to find out birthdays, weddings, deaths, etc. Sometimes when she is learning something, she breaks down and acts like a little kid. Leo Borlock is shy and outgoing –he stands out in the crowd by his actions, and only opens up to certain people. This book takes place in modern-day Mica, Arizona, located in the middle of a desert. It was an amazing book. You can tell that Jerry Spinelli spent a lot of time on the characters. The way they acted and the way they connect flowed perfectly. I wouldn’t change one thing, because if you change something it wouldn’t sound as good as it did before. I would recommend this book to anyone who is sick and tired of the same thing every day. Even though you’re not in Mica, Jerry Spinelli makes you feel like you are. I can’t wait to read the sequel to this book. Review by Shauna
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
A girl in New York City starts receiving many strange notes. She starts to think that writing back is the only way to save her friend’s life. But when Disaster strikes, she thinks it’s too late. This book is very mild. The characters never really leave the city and it’s more about the main character making new friends than solving the mystery. The book had really short chapters that were about 3 pages long, which was nice. I thought When You Reach Me was very mild, but an okay book. Review by Jordan
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
I did not like this book. I was originally attracted to the idea of a teenager’s point of view with a “Groundhog Day” type of plot. However, it just made me feel like I was reading a mess of a life happening over and over again with no change. Samantha was an annoying person, and the fact that we had to read about her stupid mistakes repeatedly while she didn’t have a clue what she did wrong was excruciating. The rest of the characters were not a joy to read about either. They were mostly drunks, drug users, or just plain selfish. Yes, there were the exceptiosn of Juliet and Kent, but the main character and her group almost destroyed them both. The book was tiring to read because there was almost no pause in the constant drama that filled their “typical” high school life. The author tried to make the ways Samantha spent her death day dramatically different to keep the audience interested, but I was just tired of it by the second death day. There were a few good moments in the book, but that was about it. This was a decent debut book, but even though the author is aiming for the teenage audience, she doesn’t need to dramatize everything. Teenagers are meant to read between the lines. Review by Hillary
Thursday, July 29, 2010
More Reviews from the Summer Reading Program
When a boy named Roy Eberheart moves to Coconut Cove, FL, he thinks his life is doomed. One day on the bus ride to school, Roy finds himself faced against the bus window being pushed by Dana Matherson, the worst bully in school. To a lot of kids that would appear like bad luck, but for Roy, if it weren’t for Dana he wouldn’t have seen the strange running boy who was shoeless, with no back-pack, and wearing dirty old stained clothes. After a couple of days of thinking, and seeing the odd boy, Roy decides to follow him to wherever he may go. But as usual, things go from good to not-s0-good. After a couple of weeks without seeing the strange boy, Roy was just about to give up on ever finding out out who the mysterious boy was. Then one day, as Roy was sitting on the bus looking at his comic books, he looked out the window, and to his disbelief, on the other side of the road was…the running boy! After that sighting of the odd boy, Roy knew there was still hope to find and talk to him. After some more weeks passed, Beatrice Leep, one of Roy’s new friends, tells Roy what she knows about Mullet Fingers (the mystery boy), and what she tells him is a bit surprising. This is a great book about friendship and standing up for what you know is right. You might even learn a thing or two about burrowing owls. Review by Olivia
Missing Persons: The Rose Queen by M E Rabb
In this book, two girls named Sam and Sophia Shattenberg are forced to run away fromt heir home after their father dies and they are only left with their stepmother, Enid. Enid is going to inherit all the money that their parents had and is going to send Sophie to boarding school. The two sisters cannot bear to be apart from each other for that long, so they decide to run away. But, it’s not that easy. In order to not be found, they need to go from Queens, New York, to Venice, Indiana. There they meet Delfriggio, who is another big part of not being discovered. He helps with tips on not being discovered. Felix back in Queens makes them fake ID’s, birth certificates and driver’s license. In Venice, there is the big Rose Parade and there is a Rose Parade Queen. The Queen of the Rose Parade was going to be Noelle McBride, but she has gone missing! The night before, Sam and Sophie had given Noelle a ride home from karaoke. No one had seen her since, so Sophie or “Fiona” and Sam “Scott” are the prime suspects! Normally it would still be a problem, but it’s an even bigger problem for Sam and “Fiona.” That’s because if the police find out too much information about them, the police could send Sophie and Sam back to Queens and Sophie would still have to go to boarding school, never mind all the trouble they would be in. There are many accusations, drama with boyfriends, love, and more. Eventually, they are free of the possible murder because they actually solve the mystery. Review shortened to avoid SPOILER! Review by Elizabeth
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Summer Reading Program Reviews
Skeleton Key by Anthony Horowitz
Fourteen-year-old Alex Rider is tired of working for the MI6 and needs a break. So they get him a summer job at Wimbledon. The only thing is that he has to keep an eye out for a group called the Red Circle. But Alex gets more than he bargained for when they start following him everywhere. Alex needs to get far away when the Red Circle becomes a danger to the people he is with. So, for his safety, Alex joins the CIA and joins two spies on a “vacation” to Skeleton Key, pretending to be their son. Troy and Carver say they are after something a salesman sold to the Russian president, but he starts to get suspicious. When Troy and Carver go scuba diving for Devil’s Cave and don’t come back up, he goes down to search for them. When Alex is down there, he finds more than just the answer to why they didn’t come back. In doing so, he meets a Russian army general from World War II who wants to change the world for the better. Find out how in this third book of the series: Skeleton Key. If you’re interested in thrilling mysteries with all sorts of twists and turns, then this is the book for you. Review by Nadia
I have been reading Taken by Edward Bloor for the past week. Overall, I thought it was a very well-written book that I enjoyed reading. I think that Edward Bloor did a great job describing this book in very great detail, since this book’s setting is the future –2035. This book is based on a different topic: kidnapping. Kidnapping is a major issue in this town. Kidnapping is up 50% in this small, little city. They actually have high tech security and guards surrounding their city. One day a 13-year-old girl named Charity called for an ambulance. She was not that sick; she simply wanted to see her parents, who were working at the hospital. When the ambulance came and took her away, they didn’t take her to the hospital, but kidnapped her. Charity was trapped in an ambulance with nothing to do until the kidnappers came in to remove her metal chip. A metal chip is a chip that is hidden somewhere inside every kid’s body. No one knows where they are hidden. Kidnappers have a machine that can detect where the chip is. For Charity it was in her braces. Now, after Charity had been stuck in the ambulance, she figured out an escape plan. The plan was for her to go to the bathroom and the kidnappers would go inside, and then she could make a break for it. The kidnappers found out her plan and she quickly tried to escape from their trap. She now got home safely with much to talk about. Review by Kathryn.
More Book Reviews from the Summer Reading Program
Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan
Naomi Outlaw is having a great life. Living with her Gram and younger brother Owen, Naomi still is missing part of her: her parents. When she was four and Owen was one, her parents took them to this shelter during a storm. Mysteriously, Naomi’s father disappeared and her mother no longer wanted her and her brother, so they went to live with Gram, their mother’s grandma. Now 11 and 7, Naomi and Owen have learned to love Gram and Baby Baluga (the trailer they live in). Suddenly, out of the blue, Naomi’s mother shows up at their trailer door. At first she is nice and sweet to Naomi and Owen, but soon things change, and Naomi sees the true side of her mother. Mean and harsh, her mother tries to take Naomi back to Las Vegas to her boyfriend and his daughter without any signs of wanting Owen. When Naomi stands up against her, her mother starts to threaten Naomi. As soon as Gram finds out the plan, she begins to arrange taking both children to safety. Gram and their loving neighbors travel all the way to Mexico where Naomi’s father lives. If they find him then Naomi has a chance at staying with Gram. Full of adventure, Naomi sets off on a search to find her father in the big country of Mexico! A great adventure story that proves family means more than anything else in the world. Review by Olivia
“But when she turned around, she found herself staring into the barrel of a gun –the lipstick gun. The face behind the gun was featureless –a dark shadow.” This is just one phrase in this intriguing mystery. When you pick up this book, you will be sucked into a psychic investigator world of spies, dark shadows, ghosts, and surprises. Gilda Joyce is a spunky almost-15-year-old with a hankering for spying. That’s why she really wanted to get a summer internship at the Washington, D.C. International Spy Museum. It will give her the perfect chance to sport her vintage spywear, cavort with real C.I.A. agents, and expand her knowledge of gadgetry and surveillance. But Gilda never expected some new cold war objects in the museum to stir up some trouble. Suddenly, Gilda’s dreams keep on getting haunted with Abraham Lincoln’s Ghost, and a mysterious woman with a bloodstained star keeps on showing up in the museum, fascinating Gilda to investigate. But when a doe shows her a loose brick in a cemetery wall, uncovering an encoded message, she finds that she jumped into a deeper mystery than she thought. If you like suspense, mystery, or tension, I bet in the first five minutes of reading you will be buried in this book! Gilda isn’t the perfect spy, but she is very unique –how many girls do you know that have psychic powers, type on a typewriter instead of a laptop, and wear vintage clothing all at once? I don’t think many girls do. As you can probably tell, Gilda Joyce books are for girls ages 9+ because of the complicated plot and humor. They can make you shiver with fear, and laugh out loud both at once! These books are suspenseful but funny at the same time. If you like this book, check out the other Gilda Joyce books: Gilda Joyce: Psychic Investigator, Gilda Joyce: Ladies of the Lake, and Gilda Joyce: The Ghost Sonata. Read them all!!!! Review by Anusha
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
To Kill a Mockingbird Turns 50!
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee!
“This heart-wrenching, coming-of-age tale set in a South poisoned by virulent prejudice, has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than thirty million copies worldwide, served as the basis of an enormously popular motion picture, and was voted one of the best novels of the twentieth century by librarians across the country.” –Harper Collins
To find out more about the celebration, check out this Harper Collins website: http://tokillamockingbird50year.com/
Book Reviews from the Summer Reading Program
Dial “L” 4 Losers by Lisi Harrison
Dial “L” 4 Losers by Lisi Harrison is a great book. It is a part of the Clique series. Claire, the unpopular new girl, Massie, a very popular girl and Alicia, also a very popular girl, all get invited to audition to be in a movie. When they go to audition far away from home, Massie obviously thinks she is so awesome that she will end up getting the role, but after auditions end, Claire ends up getting the part. When Claire finds out she will be the star in the movie she is psyched! Massie and Alicia are so jealous that they can’t stand it. They start packing their stuff to leave. As they are leaving, they get a call to be behind-the-stage reporters for a hit show. They take the jobs and start embarrassing Claire. Read the book to find out what they do and how it will get solved. Review by Caitlin
13 by Jason Robert Brown and Dan Elish
This book all starts with a boy named Evan who is turning 13, and is Jewish, so he will be having his Bar Mitzvah. To make matters worse, not only does Evan have to memorize Hebrew and write a speech, but he has to deal with moving to Indiana as a result of his parents’ divorce. Evan isn’t happy about the move because his dad is dating another girl, and he has to leave his friends, Bill and Steve, along with his lifetime crush Nina Handelman behind. Once Evan moves to Appleton, his mother and her friend Pam (who they are living with) search the internet for a Rabbi to help Evan prepare for his Bar Mitzvah. Evan find this torturous! Evan also meets people like Archie and Patrice, who are considered freaks by Brett, Kendra, Lucky, Fudge and Eddie. Patrice and Archie despise all of these people except for Kendra. Archie loves Kendra. Evan starts to blend with the “cool” gang and gets into some trouble. When he sends his Bar Mitzvah invitations, someone’s invitation was not going to go in the mailbox, and that someone found out. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It was fun to predict what would happen next, because there were so many downfalls. I really liked this book. Review by Rose
Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
I read this book Hush Hush, a fantasy teen romance novel about a boy whose nickname is Patch, and an ordinary girl named Nora. Nora is attracted to Patch, but she’s scared of him, too. He knows so much about her, but she knows so little abouthim. Patch is always making cute jokes, and she’s always trying to avoid him. Elliot is also trying to win her heart, but after she figures out he was part of a suicide investigations, she backs away from him, too. This book is truly amazing, and it will leave you with an “awhh” at the end. There are all these surprising uncoverings throughout the book, you will not want to stop reading. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good thrill, love story, or even a fantasy! Becca Fitzpatrick’s first novel Hush Hush will leave you breathless. Review by Heba
Evermore by Alyson Noel
Evermore is the first book of the intriguing Immortals series. Evermore is about a girl named Ever whose family died in a car accident. She did, too, but somehow came back to live left with psychic powers that she can’t control. She used to have a wonderful life when she lived with her family. She was popular, but now she lives with her Aunt Sabine and only has two friends, who are not popular. They’re called names like “Goth Freak” and “Gay Guy.” Damen comes along and changes everything in her life, but Ever knows Damen is hiding something about his past and maybe even hers. Alyson Noel takes you through an enchanting adventure throughout the Immortals series. i would recommend this book and this series to anyone who likes a mystical adventure through a teem romance. Review by Heba
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Review of Viola in Reel Life by Adriana Trigiani
New Graphic Novels
Bayou, Volume One by Jeremy Love
The first title from the original webcomics imprint of DC Comics!
South of the Mason-Dixon Line lies a strange land of gods and monsters; a world parallel to our own, born from centuries of slavery, civil war, and hate. Lee Wagstaff is the daughter of a black sharecropper in the depression-era town of Charon, Mississippi. When Lily Westmoreland, her white playmate, is snatched by agents of an evil creature known as Bog, Lee's father is accused of kidnapping. Lee's only hope is to follow Lily's trail into this fantastic and frightening alternate world. Along the way she enlists the help of a benevolent, blues singing, swamp monster called Bayou. Together, Lee and Bayou trek across a hauntingly familiar Southern Neverland, confronting creatures both benign and malevolent, in an effort to rescue Lily and save Lee's father from being lynched. BAYOU VOL. 1 collects the first four chapters of the critically acclaimed webcomic series by Glyph Award nominee Jeremy Love.
Foiled by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mike Cavallaro
A quirky, fast-paced urban fantasy by esteemed author Jane Yolen. Aliera Carstairs just doesn’t fit in. She’s always front and center at the fencing studio, but at school she’s invisible. And she’s fine with that . . . until Avery Castle walks into her first period biology class. Avery may seem perfect now, but will he end up becoming her Prince Charming or just a toad?
Omega: The Unknown by Jonathan Lethem with Karl Rusnak, illustrated by Farel Dalrymple, colored by Paul Hornschemeier
The story of a mute, reluctant super hero from another planet, and the earthly teenager with whom he shares a strange destiny - and the legion of robots and nanoviruses that have been sent from afar to hunt the two of them down! Created in 1975 by Steve Gerber and Mary Skrenes, the original Omega the Unknown lasted only ten issues, but was a legend to those who recall it - an ahead-of-its-time tale of an anti-hero, inflected with brilliant ambiguity. One of Omega's teenage fans was award-winning novelist Jonathan Lethem, who has used the original as a springboard for a superbly strange, funny, and moving graphic novel in ten chapters. Collects Omega: The Unknown #1-10.
Going Green with Geography: Give Kids the Power of Global Knowledge
Check out the April, 2010 newsletter from My Wonderful World.org, a National Geographic Campaign http://newsletters.nationalgeographic.com/PS!HNk2yTS2hMgFBgIAAAAGCgFICgg3MDQ5Mjg2NgoKMjAwNzA3Mjk2NgkAQal/Cgk1MjExODIxNTUF
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Here are some of the books chosen as the top 10 best books for young adult by the American Library Association for 2010
The Demon’s Lexicon by Brennan
The Orange Houses by Griffin
The Great Wide Sea by Herlong
The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Jinks
Alligator Bayou by Napoli
Marcelo in the Real World by Stork
Lips Touch: Three Times by Taylor
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Young Adult Knitting Program
Looking for something to do this summer? Would you like to learn to knit, or have a professional help you improve your knitting? Come join us at the Westwood Library on Tuesday Aug. 3, 10 and 17 from 1:00 – 2:00 pm for a young adult knitting program. Everyone in grades 6 – 12 is welcome. Registration is required, and enrollment is limited to 10, so register early! All material will be provided. Sign up at the Reference Desk or call 781-320-1045.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
New Science Fiction Titles
Fang, A Maximum Ride Novel by James Patterson
If you are a fan of the Maximum Ride series, you have probably been waiting for this book to come out.
“Fang will be the first to die.” Maximum Ride is used to living desperately on the run from evil forces sabotaging her quest to save the world –but nothing has ever come as close to destroying her as this horrifying prophetic message. Fang is Max’s best friend, her soul mate, her partner in the leadership of her flock of winged children. A life without Fang is a life unimaginable. “But there will be another…” When a newly created winged boy, the magnificent Dylan, is introduced into the flock, their world is upended yet again. Raised in a lab like the others, Dylan exists for only one reason: he was designed to be Max’s perfect other half. “To replace Fang.” Thus unfolds a battle of perfection versus passion that terrifies, twists, and turns…and meanwhile, the apocalypse is coming. --from the book jacket
Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Poetry Writing Workshops with Tom Daley
Tom Daley returns to the Westwood Library! On April 29, Tom will host 2 poetry writing workshops as part of the library’s Positively Poetry series. Students in grades 6, 7, and 8 will meet from 2:45 – 4:00, and students in grades 3, 4, and 5 will meet from 4:15 – 5:30. Registration is required. To register, email us at westwoodpoetry@yahoo.com, or call 781-320-1042. The poems produced at the workshops will be included in the library’s 2010 Poetry Anthology.
Tom Daley teaches poetry writing at the Boston Center for Adult Education, and poetry and memoir writing at Lexington Community Education. In addition, he is a member of the faculty of the Online School of Poetry, serves on the tutorial faculty of the Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, and has been a guest instructor at Brown University, Stonehill College and SUNY Cobleskill. He has also been served as visiting poets at several schools.
Tom Daley’s own work has been published in numerous journals, including Harvard Review, Prairie Schooner, Barrow Street, Vox, Diagram, and Hacks: The Grub Street Anthology.
Positively Poetry at the Westwood Public Library
Positively Poetry at the Westwood Public Library is a celebration of poetry that includes the publication of an anthology of original poetry by students in grades 3 - 12, a public reading from the anthology, and sometimes a writing workshop or two!
Send us your poems for The Westwood Library's 2010 Poetry Anthology. All students in grades 3 - 12 are invited to send one original poem for inclusion in our 2010 anthology. Poems should be no longer than 30 lines, and must have family friendly language and content. Deadline for submissions is April 16. Email us at westwoodpoetry@yahoo.com and include your full name, grade, name of your school, phone number and email address. Check out our poetry blog at westwoodpoetry.blogspot.com, where some of the poems will be published.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Review of Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr
This is a book about a young woman questioning her faith --and she has good reason to question it. Her father is the pastor in a small town with one post office, one hardware store, only one restaurant that’s open on Sundays, but seven churches. Even though everyone knows pretty much everything about everyone else, something no one seems to know is that Sam’s mother is a drunk. Then Sam’s mom is in rehab, court-ordered after a drunken-driving accident, and Sam is left alone with her father, who seems to have infinite time for his parishioners’ problems, but no time for his own daughter or to visit his wife in rehab. The author describes Sam’s disillusionment perfectly when giving Sam’s reaction to a poster in the youth group room that shows a bunch of happy, multicultural-looking teens and the slogan: Community Happens! “I stared at that poster and pictured myself in it, smiling, knee-to-knee with the other youth group kids, who would be my best friends…Because, as we’re reminded all the time at church, community happens through sharing…I believed in the theory, and expected that once I hit high school my life would be filled with all this understanding and friendship and spiritual bonding, and my faith would come alive, just like the poster promised. It hasn’t really happened that way.” Then, as if things couldn’t get any worse, a 13-year-old member of the youth group, Jody, disappears. Sam’s lack of faith intensifies, and it’s clear that part of the problem is her lack of faith in her own father. As he’s getting ready to leave to visit the family of the missing girl, this is how Sam sees him: “He was strangely calm-looking, his tan face smooth, his hair in place, jaw set. It dawned on me that in a way he’s been prepping for a tragedy like this all his life; he’s like an actor getting his ultimate role. For someone whose career is believing in God and convincing other people to, this is exactly the kind of thing that would give him a chance to really prove that everything he’s been saying is true.” I absolutely love this book. It’s a perfect combination of characters, setting and plot. Review by Stacy Church
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Review of Chasing the Bear, a Young Spenser Novel by Robert B. Parker
If you haven’t read any of Robert Parker’s Spenser novels, you might be confused by the chapters of this book that are set in the present day, where Spenser is talking to his girlfriend Susan, and being prodded by her to recall episodes from his childhood. But you certainly don’t have to have read the Spenser books to appreciate the great stories that he tells. Spenser grew up in a completely male household. When his mother died, his father’s two brothers moved in to share the parenting duties, so Spenser grows up being taught to think for himself, to cook, and how to throw a mean right hook. When Spenser’s best friend, Jeannie, drives by in a car driven by her mean, drunken father, and mouths “Help” at him out the window, he knows he has to go after her. He’s scared, but he knows that if he goes to get help he’ll lose them, so he follows them to the jetty, and then out onto the river in a rowboat, with only his dog Pearl for help. It’s an exciting story, and my favorite one. Throughout the book, Spenser tells Susan that he spent his life looking for his one and only love, and she is it. The book is truly an adventure book for boys, but it doesn’t hurt to hear such a heartfelt message from so tough a guy. Review by Stacy Church
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Review of Wings by Aprilynne Pike
I have to say that despite what might be the most outlandish concept for a plot in the history of literature (ok, that’s overstating it a bit), this book is actually pretty good. Laurel is just starting to attend the local high school after being homeschooled all her life. She’s not happy, but things haven’t gone too badly on her first day –she’s made some friends, she’s not too far behind the other kids in her classes, and she even gets a cute guy named David to eat his lunch outside with her. But then she feels a strange lump in between her shoulder blades. For some reason, she doesn’t tell her parents, even though every day it gets bigger and bigger. Finally, one day it opens up into a huge….flower. That’s right, flower. She still doesn’t tell her parents. She binds the petals down and wears loose clothes. Wait, it gets even weirder. She goes back to visit her old house with her parents, and when she goes into the woods for a walk, she’s approached by a strange-looking green boy, who tells her that she’s a faerie, and that faeries are not animals/humans, they are plants. So if you’re willing to suspend disbelief long enough to accept that Laurel never noticed she doesn’t have a heart beat, or blood in her veins, and never thought it was that unusual that she doesn’t eat food except for canned peaches, you will enjoy this book. It has an exciting ending that involves trolls, Laurel and David being weighted down and thrown in the river, saving Laurel’s dad (who was poisoned by the trolls), and Laurel telling her parents the truth about her faerieness. Oh, and by the way, one of the pieces of information that the green boy passed on to Laurel is that, for faeries, pollination is for procreation, sex is just for fun. Review by Stacy Church
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Review of Eli the Good by Silas House
“That was the summer of the bicentennial, when all these things happened: my sister, Josie, began to hate our country and slapped my mother’s face; my wild aunt, Nell, moved in with us, bringing along all five thousand or so of her records and a green record player that ran on batteries; my father started going back to Vietnam in his dreams, and I saw him cry; my mother did the Twist in front of the whole town and nearly lost us all. I was ten years old, and I did something unforgivable.”
Whew. The story lives up to all of that, too. In fact, there’s even more sadness. Eli’s best friend, Edie, is abandoned by her mother, and has to live with her alcoholic father. Eli finds out (by eavesdropping, which he indulges in whenever possible) that the reason his Aunt Nell moved in with them is because she has cancer. His mother and Nell are very close, but Eli's father and Nell --not so much. While Eli’s father was off fighting in Vietnam, Nell was protesting the war, and because of one very famous photograph, everyone in the country knows her, which Eli's father takes as a personal affront. Eli watches everything, and, despite the closeness of Eli’s family, he doesn’t really feel taken care of by anyone. He’s never forgiven his mother for something he overheard her say to his father once, “I love you too much. More than anything. More than anybody.” Eli’s great sadness is that he feels his mother doesn’t love him or his sister as much as she loves their father. The writing in the book is so beautiful, and it really captures the essence of the time (1976). Review by Stacy Church
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