Gearing up for Summer!

Memorial Day weekend provided a three day weekend which gave me some time to relax, enjoy the family, and read. So I did.

Day One: Marie Lamba's first book What I meant. . . is the story of fifteen year old Sangeet Jumnal. Sangeet is a good daughter, a good student, a good friend, and a good sister. Her aunt (who she refers to as "evil") seems to be causing her parents to think she is bulimic, her school work to suffer, her friend thinks she is annoying, and her sister thinks she is a thief. Life is not going well at all. And, the boy she thinks she loves is a bit aloof. Find out what happens with Sangeet and her trials. It is funny, sad, and heart warming.

Day Two: Another first novel - How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy by Crystal Allen is another novel that is funny, sad, and heart warming. Lamar has asthma and loves to bowl. His nickname for himself is "King of Strikers" because he is really, really good. His older brother, Xavier, is a basketball star; everyone is sure he will be pro when he's finished with high school. Typical older brother, X, as he is referred to, puts down Lamar every opportunity he gets. So there is sibling rivalry, friend/girlfriend issues, peer pressure, and self-respect all tied into this one book.

Day Three: "You are indestructible." Three words, innocently written on a cast. Jacob was whispered those three words by his foster parent right before they hit the tree head on. They should have both been killed, and now Jacob is indestructible. However, when the words allow the person to really be indestructible, what happens? Does the Grim Reaper just say, "Oh, that's OK. Later, dude." Or does the Grim Reaper wait and wreak havoc just a bit later? Good mystery, with decisions of good and evil, and life and death on practically every page of Thirteen Days to Midnight.

Day Four: (I took a personal day.) True (. . . sort of) is Katherine Hannigan's first novel since Ida B. This is a captivating look at the ways friendships and truths are discovered. Delly Pattison has been told she is trouble since she was six and left the chickens out of the cage at the county fair. Delly also makes up words (which surprisingly make a lot of sense) like surpresent -a present that is a surprise. She is sure she is going to receive a surpresent the day the Boyds come to town. And, Ferris Boyd is like no one Delly has ever met. This is is another novel that is funny, sad, and heart warming.

Action-Adventure

The Doomsday Box: A Shadow Project Adventure by Herbie Brennan is a Junior Library Guild selection. Somehow the books from JLG either become award winners or are just really good reads. The jury is out on whether this will be an award winner, but my verdict is in - it is a good read!

Four teenage spies - Opal, Danny, Michael, and Fuchsia - are members of the Shadow Project. These teens have supernatural abilities which are desperately needed to stop an undercover agent, Cobra. Agent Cobra has time-traveled to the Middle Ages and returned with a small box containing vials. When the box is opened, a deadly plague is unleashed in the world today that could lead to millions of people dying. The Shadow Project members are needed to go back in time, meet up with Agent Cobra, and stop him from unleashing this horror on the world. And, so they are headed to Moscow. . . in 1962.

If you like Alex Rider, you will enjoy this. If you like spies, you will enjoy this. You can even learn a bit of history in this book too.

Another Good One

It seems lately so many of the books I've been reading are fantasy or futuristic rather depressing science fiction, like Incarceron or The Maze Runner/The Scorch Trials. Although those novel really do pull you in and stimulate "What if. . .?" thinking. Then, a new Wendelin Van Draanen book arrived. Being in the middle of three rather ho-hum books, I started it during lunch the other day. This book is not a depressing futuristic science fiction; it is just the opposite.

The Running Dream is the story of Jessica Carlisle. She defines herself by her running. She loves it. She breathes it. She lives it. Hours after breaking the record for the 400 meter race, a runaway truck plows into their bus and causes a horrific tragedy. One track member is dead, and Jessica has lost her leg. How will Jessica deal with this? How will her friends handle her disability? Will she be able to walk again? Is it possible to even think of running again?

To discover the answers to those questions, read The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen.

Van Draanen is a runner herself and with her husband has founded Exercise the Right to Read. The campaign is designed to get kids reading and running and help school libraries. You can also check out her website.

Katniss is Cast

It is official. Jennifer Lawrence has been cast as Katniss Everdeen. Suzanne Collins said, "Jennifer's just an incredible actress. So powerful, vulnerable, beautiful, unforgiving and brave. I never thought we'd find somebody this perfect for the role. And I can't wait for everyone to see her play it."(Source: MTV.)

Now, if they can only get Jack Nicholson to play Haymitch

Incarceron Update

The sequel to Incarceron, Sapphique, is now in the library. I finished it last night. It is fast paced, packed with twists and turns in the plot, political intrigue, magic, strange characters - you know, all the characteristics of great fantasy. Finn, Claudia, and Jared are dealing with the dangers in the outside world; Attia and Keiro are dealing with the dangers of Incarceron.

If you love fantasy, read the series. And, if you love this actor - Taylor Lautner - you may be interested to know that he will star in the movie Incarceron. Read the book first - it is always better than the movie.

This and That

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins is the favorite book of teens according to AASL (American Association of School Librarians). This is no surprise to me since we have twelve copies of the book and all of them are checked out AND there is a hold list. As you may or not know, the movie for Hunger Games is in the works. Mr. Warfel was a bit annoyed with me when I told him my choice of actors for Haymitch. He said all he could see in his mind's eye was Jack Nicholson, but I think he is perfect for the role! Who would you choose?

Over the last two weeks, I immersed myself in the Harry Potter videos - one through six. It was so interesting seeing the growth of Harry and pals through each video, as both the fictional characters and real life actors. The first installment of Deathly Hallows is released next month in case you are interested. Mrs. Owens reminded me that a few years ago I said "Eh...Harry Potter" (I was angry with Harry for being so angry. Yes, I get too involved in characters. Forgive me. I am a librarian.) Well, I just reread The Deathly Hallows because I couldn't remember if Snape was a good guy or not. I wasn't disappointed and I take back what I said about Harry Potter.

I will not, however, change my mind about Twilight, the books or the movies.