#23--Wolf by the Ears by Ann Rinaldi

Over the years I have found Ann Rinaldi's books to be good historical reads about events or people that you don't always hear much about.  In the case of this title, the main character is Harriet Hemings, daughter of slave Sally Hemings and probably Thomas Jefferson.  In the book, Harriet and her siblings have all been raised as slaves but with light work loads.  They have also been educated and told that when they reach the age of 21 they would have their freedom.  Harriet is approaching her 21st birthday but is unsure if she wants to take her freedom.  She tells her brother Beverly that she loves the master (Jefferson) and doesn't want to leave him or Monticello.  Beverly finally convinces her by telling Harriet that Jefferson lists them, their two younger brothers and their mother in farm journals as just any other slave would be listed....that there is no written record anywhere in the house of what Sally was to Master Jefferson.  Harriet has help in planing her leaving from Thomas Mann Randolph, Jr., Jefferson's son-in-law and the governor of Virginia at the time.  Randolph makes sure that Harriet has any and all training and education necessary for Harriet to pass--to live as a white woman.

Much of what I've read in Ann Rinaldi's books appears to be very close to factual.  In this case, Harriet was not freed in real life, but Jefferson never reported her as a runaway and never tried to coerce her into coming back to Monticello.  Reading something like this always makes me want to find out more about the people in the story and what happened to them in real life.

Happy Reading!!

#21--Whatever Happened to Janie? by Caroline B. Cooney

So, back in probably middle school or early high school I read the first book in this series The Face on the Milk Carton.....and I probably read it several times.  My students love it too and so I thought it was high time I finally continued on in the series.

In the first book, Janie Johnson picks up her best friend's milk carton at lunch for a swig after eating her sandwich.  This was back when milk cartons had pictures of missing children on them (all you children of the 80's know what I'm talking about).  Janie sees a picture of a 3-year-old girl on the carton, and she immediately thinks it is her.  But there is no reason why it would be her.  She has two doting parents who love her.  She can't be the girl, Jennie Spring, on the milk carton.  Janie obsesses over this picture, to the point that she actually writes a letter to the family--simply to let them know she is ok.  She never means to send this letter; however, it falls out of her binder and someone finds it and mails it to her.  It turns out that Janie really is Jennie and she was taken from a mall in New Jersey when she was three by a woman named Hannah Javensen, the Johnson's estranged daughter who had joined a cult many years before.  Hannah had brought Janie/Jennie to her parents, telling them that the little girl was her daughter.  Her parents had no reason to not believe her.  However, because they were afraid that the cult would track them down and try to take Janie from them, they changed their last name and moved.  The first book ends with both sets of parents meeting, at an impasse....trying to figure out what to do.

The second book picks up with Janie getting ready to leave the parents who raised her in order to get to know her biological family--two parents, three brothers, and one sister.  Nothing goes smoothly.  Jodie, Jennie's slightly older sister, had visions of nightly slumber parties with her newly found sister, her biological parents keep thinking that they can wipe away the past 13 years, and her oldest brother, Stephen is angry at the world, but mostly at Jennie for all the stress and pain her disappearance has cause both him and the family....and the younger twins, well, they are so wrapped up in each other that they don't seem to register the latest addition to the family.  Every once in a while there is a bright spot where Janie forgets that she isn't supposed to be happy with these strangers, but eventually, she demands that she be allowed to go back to her parents, the ones who raised her.

There are three more books in this series, with the last one having been published just this year.  So, I think I need to find out the rest of Janie/Jennie's story before another 20 years goes by!

Happy Reading!!

#20--Soldier X by Don Wulffson

Have I ever told you that I love historical fiction?

Not only to I love the stories that are expected from history, but I love those unexpected gems that pop up every once in awhile (Code Name Verity and Between Shades of Gray, to name a few).

Soldier X has been in my book talk rotation for several years now, but I have never had the chance to read it--since it is usually off the shelf and I have yet to have a student come to me after reading this book and tell me they didn't like it.  So, I decided that I needed to read it this summer....and it just so happens that I had a copy of this book in my "books removed from the library, but I still want to read" pile (it was in ratty condition and unable to be repaired anymore, so I had taken it out of the collection), so I grabbed it for part of my vacation reading.

The book opens with an old man, Professor Erik Brandt, explaining that his student had often asked him about his prosthesis and other injuries...to which he replied that he received the injuries while fighting in World War II in the woods in Russia....but he never tells his students that he was fighting for the Germans.

Erik is 16 and a member of Hitler Youth when he is sent to the Eastern front in 1944.  Growing up in a bilingual household of German and Russian, the Germans plan to use his skills to help interrogate Russian prisoners.  (Erik's deceased father was German and his mother and maternal grandparents, who helped raise him, are Russian.)  During his first days of battle, most of his friends and platoon are decimated.  He is stuck in a trench, behind enemy lines, with a dead Russian soldier about his age.  In a split-second decision, Erik decides that his only chance at survival is to exchange clothing with the dead Russian and try to pass as a member of Russia's army.  Because of injuries sustained during the battle, Erik is taken to a Russian hospital, where he is thought to be a Russian soldier with amnesia and is given the name X.  At the hospital he falls in love with a young Russian nurse named Tamara.

Not only is X able to pass as a Russian soldier, he is able to make friends on this side of the war as well.

In some ways this book reminded me of Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front due to its easy ability to wipe away the romance of war and to simply demonstrate the vast evil of it.  This book would be a great way to introduce students to a different viewpoint of the war, as well as be a great discussion starter for loyalty and the justness of war.

I will definitely be keeping this one in my book talk rotation and use it to try to spark my reluctant readers!

Happy Reading!!

#12--Heaven Looks A Lot Like the Mall--Wendy Mass

Each year our PTO sponsors a visit from an author.  And each year, I buy as many of the author's books as I can get my hands on--for the express purpose to have them signed....and to hopefully read, someday.  Several years ago Wendy Mass was our visiting author, and I bought all of her books that were out at that time...and there were quite a few of them.  In an effort to get through more of our past authors, I decided to read two past authors' books last week.  Heaven Looks A Lot Like a Mall was the first one I picked up.

I wasn't completely sure what to expect of it, but the description sounded somewhat intriguing.....Tessa, a 16-year-old, has an accident in gym class that puts her in a coma.  While in the coma, Tessa has an experience, a la It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol where she is shown events from her past in an effort to help her change her ways.  All of the events take place at the local mall where her parents both work and where Tessa has spent much of her life growing up.  The story is told in verse....which I'm not usually opposed to, but other than the fact that this was a very quick read because of the verse, I don't really think it added to the plot.

Tessa is not a likable character....I found very little about her to be redeeming.  At the end of the story, it was obvious that Tessa had regrets, but I'm not sure how she will change and whether or not the changes will be believable...or if she will revert to her old ways of lying and conniving.

Overall, it was a quick read, but I'm not in love with this book.  I'm sure I have some students who would like it, but I would have a hard time selling it.  Of the Wendy Mass books I've read thus far, A Mango-Shaped Space is still my favorite.

Happy Reading!!

#3 Shelter by Harlan Coben

I spent a long weekend this January in Phoenix, AZ.  I was there to attend a conference for work about what is new in YA literature.  I've been going to this conference annually since I started working as a librarian and I look forward to it every year.  The presenter is Patti Tjomsland and she is amazing!  I have actually travelled from PA to FL, VA, and now AZ to see her present!

My mom went with me and we made a girls' weekend out of it.  We spent some time hiking and just relaxing.  One of the places we went to was Tempe Marketplace, a beautiful open-air mall that had live music each night of the weekend.  We actually ended up at the Marketplace twice because the day we tried to go to the Phoenix Botanical Gardens there was a marathon and every road we tried to take was blocked for the race, so we gave up and headed to the Marketplace, simply because we knew we could get there!  We both grabbed a book to sit by one of the fantastic fireplaces situated throughout....

 



At several different junctures, Mom needed to get up and move around....while I sat glued to my seat to finish this story!  Mickey has witnessed his father's death and since his mom has been sent to rehab after spiraling down after her husband's death....and now Mickey is living with his Uncle Myron, much to his chagrin and dismay.  Right before school starts, Mickey goes to a meeting at his new school for all new students.  There he meets Ashley, who he quickly falls for.  They spend the next few weeks getting to know each other, until the day Ashley just disappears.  Being tired of losing so many people in his life, Mickey isn't about to let her go that quickly.  He goes to great lengths to find out what has happened to Ashley.  There are all kinds of twists and turns in this story that I didn't see coming.  There is a second book in this series, Seconds Away, and I can't wait to read it!!  Fortunately, my library has a copy of the second title.....but it is checked out, so it may be a while before I get the chance to read it.  But read it, I will!

Happy Reading!!!

#44--Why I Fight by J. Adams Oaks

I try to balance out my reading so that I read books that boys will like as well as books girls/both genders would like, which is why I picked up today's post...more than a month ago.  I finally finished it last night, simply because I forced myself to finish it.  I started out hopeful that it would be a good read, but after about a week of trying to plow through it (and it isn't a book big enough to warrant plowing-through), I put it down and read several other books in the meantime. 

After years of neglect by his parents, 12-year-old Wyatt finally has enough and when his shifty uncle comes to town, Wyatt eagerly joins Uncle Spade on the road.  Spade is a traveling salesman of sorts--he'll sell just about anything, and it doesn't matter if it's legal or not.  Eventually, as Wyatt gets bigger, Spade decides that Wyatt should train as a fighter--it will be easy money for Spade and he figures it will keep Wyatt out of trouble at the same time (not that Wyatt was ever a trouble maker).  Spade's only rule is "never fight for free."  After 6 years on the road with Spade, Wyatt finally has enough (he hasn't gone to school all this time because of all the traveling they did) and goes off to find his parents to confront them about how they treated him. 

Overall, it wasn't a bad story.  My biggest problem with it is the structure....anytime there is dialog, it is difficult to know and keep track of exactly who is saying what....

I've discovered that anytime I read a book where it is set up in this way (no names attached to dialog), I struggle with the book.  I wonder how I would have reacted to this story if it had a traditional structure to it....  Oh well....another book is on the horizon....

Happy Reading!!

#43--Ungifted by Gordon Korman

Gordon Korman makes me laugh.  Everything I've read of his has, at some point, made me laugh out loud....sometimes even to the point of a snort :).  I grabbed this title off the new books pile last week and as soon as I finished The Fault in Our Stars, I picked up Ungifted, looking for a good laugh after a sobering, cancer-kid book.  And it didn't disappoint!  I found myself giggling through much of the first 100 pages yesterday and today there were even more giggles as I finished it.

Donovan Curtis is not known for thinking through his actions, which is what put him in detention in the first place.  Having been sent to the principal's office for a spitball incident with his two best friends, the Daniels, the PA microphone was too much of a temptation and he broadcast to the entire school "Our fans are great; our team is nifty!  We're going to get blown out by fifty!"  Not the best idea in the world on the day of the big game.  After sitting through much of detention, the Daniels help Donovan sneak out of the last ten minutes when the teacher leaves the room.  As he is running for freedom, he suddenly has the unstoppable urge to smack the statue of Atlas on the butt with a large branch....which snaps the single corroded bolt holding the earth on Atlas's shoulders, and sends it careening for the gym, where the big game is taking place.

As the globe is on a collision course, there isn't much Donovan can do to stop it.  Unfortunately for Donovan, the district Superintendent, Dr. Schultz, happened to be at the game and he caught Donovan, who he proceeds to haul off to his office for interrogation.  Fortunately for Donovan, Dr. Schultz is called back to the scene of the crime and he sends Donovan home for the night.  Little does Donovan know that Dr. Schultz has accidentally included Donovan's name on the list of students being recommended for the Academy of Scholastic Distinction. 

When Donovan gets the letter saying that he is being sent to ASD, he sees it as a golden opportunity to keep a low profile and out of Dr. Schultz line of sight.  It is apparent early on to his teachers and his fellow students that Donovan is not actually gifted, and no one is really sure why or how he came to be at ASD.  Over the course of the next month, Donovan makes friends and works hard at keeping his cover.  But what will happen when Dr. Schultz finds out where Donovan is hiding out? 

This story is told in alternating chapters between several different characters--something that Korman is rather adept at.  I typically enjoy seeing the same story from different angles from within the story itself. 

This title will definitely be added to the book talk rotation and I think that a few more copies will be making their way to the shelves in the library as well.

Happy Reading!!

#42--The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

 

 

Much like books with dogs as the main characters, books about kids with cancer can really only end one way....and The Fault in Our Stars follows that credo, just not in the way I expected.  My brother-in-law gave me John Green's The Fault in Our Stars several months ago and when I finally picked it up last week, I couldn't put it down (unfortunately life got in the way and forced me to set it down several times). 

 

Hazel has been terminal since she was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 13, but thanks to a miracle drug, Phalanxifor, she has had an additional three years she wasn't expecting to get.  Her mom, fearing that Hazel is depressed and without friends, forces her to go to Support Group--Hazel would much rather be watching America's Next Top Model (heck, she'd rather be doing a lot of things) than attending Support Group.  But at this particular meeting she meets Augustus Waters. 

 

Augustus and Hazel fall in love over the course of the story, as they are of the few who really gets what the other is going through.  One of Hazel's passions is the the book An Imperial Affliction by Peter Van Houten, an American recluse living in Amsterdam.  Augustus manages arrange for his "wish," provided by The Genie Foundation, to be used to take Hazel to Amsterdam to meet Mr. Van Houten.  This meeting does not go the way either of them had envisioned....all Hazel wants is to know what happened to the characters in the story after it abruptly ended.  I'll leave it at that....don't want to give away the end to all those who haven't picked this up yet--which I highly recommend that you do!

 

I found myself both laughing and tearing up at different points in this story.  And this one is definitely going on my wish list for the library!!

 

Happy Reading!!

#41--Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys by Kate Brian

When I ordered this book for the library last spring, it intrigued me, so I was rather excited to see it come back in last Tuesday when I was looking for a quick easy read.  It was a good escapist read for the middle of the week.  :)

Megan Meade is an army brat; she has lived all over the world, and she's tired of it.  She has finally found her place on the varsity soccer team at her latest school in Texas and even has a best friend.  When her parents come home and announce they are moving....to South Korea, Megan puts her foot down.  There is no way she is moving.  Her parents give her the option of going to live in Boston with her father's friend from med school, John McGowan, who, along with his wife, Regina, have seven boys....yes, seven.  Megan remembers them from the last time she saw them, about 9 years ago, and cringes.  But decides that living with seven boys has to be better than moving to South Korea, so she takes the plunge.

Fortunately (or unfortunately, however you want to look at it), the McGowan boys Megan remembers are all grown up--and they look like they could have stepped out of an Abercrombie ad.  Megan has to deal with the antics of the younger boys and her attraction for one of the older boys--who happens to be dating her competition on the soccer team!

Over the course of the first few weeks in Boston, Megan makes the soccer team, is able to pull Miller (the McGowan son who has Asperger's) out of his shell, makes friends (and enemies), gets grounded for the first time ever, and even saves the butt of one of her new "brothers".

Some of the timing in the book make the events a little unbelievable (like being able to befriend Miller in a matter of days), but overall, it was a cute, quick read.  There were even a few times when I found myself quietly giggling to myself.

Happy Reading!!

#37--Deadly by Julie Chibbaro

A few years ago a friend introduced me to podcasts.....and I was hooked.  There are a number of ones I try to listen to regularly and most of them have to do with history---surprised, right?  One of my favorites is Stuff You Missed in History Class from How Stuff Works.  A while back there was one about Typhoid Mary (you can listen to the podcast by clicking on Mary's name), and I found it to be very interesting.  I had heard the name thrown around growing up, but I didn't know too much about her.  I enjoyed learning about her story and more about the nickname. 

Today's book, Deadly, takes a another look at Typhoid Mary's story, from the point of view of a young assistant working on the case for the Department of Health and Sanitation in New York City.  Prudence Galewski has left school to take a job as an assistant in a laboratory that is investigating a typhoid fever outbreak.  Prudence finally feels like she is doing something to help people since she was unable to save either her father from going to war or her brother from dying.  Along the way, Prudence learns many things, both about life and about herself.

As the story is told from Prudence's point of view, we only see Mary through her eyes, but we also get a glimpse of how the public viewed Mary and the case through newspaper articles and Prudence's comments about what others say and do regarding the case.  I felt that the story was presented very well and in a way that the audience might be able to grasp the idea of a healthy person being a carrier of a possibly deadly disease....I know that is something that I sometimes wonder how it could have happened/does happen.  Typhoid Mary is considered to be a medical mystery as there doesn't seem to be any evidence that she ever showed symptoms of typhoid.

This was a good read and I think I may have to add it to my list of books I book talk for my students!

Happy Reading!!

#35--In a Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth

Yet another book that I purchased several years ago to preview for my library has finally made it to my "READ" shelf!  (yes, that does say years)

In a Heartbeat is told in alternating voices: that of Eagan, an energetic and enthusiastic young figure skater who has died in a tragic on-ice accident and is stuck in the in-between and that of Amelia, a contemplative young artist awaiting a heart transplant.  Once Amelia receives her new heart, she begins to have new thoughts and experiences and desires that she never had before....she wants a purple lollipop (Amelia hates purple, but it was Eagan's favorite color).  Eagan's chapters are spent looking back on her life and thinking about things that were said and what was left unsaid.  Amelia's chapters are spent thinking about who her donor could have been and how she (Amelia) is different now with her new heart.  Will Amelia get to thank her donor's parents?  Will Eagan's parents be willing to meet Amelia?  Will Amelia's body accept the donor heart?

There is closure for both characters, but there are also strings left open to interpretation, which I really liked in this story. 

There are very few books written on organ donation for teens (at least, not many I could find in my quick search on Amazon), so this definitely fills a niche in YA lit, and it is worth the read.

Happy Reading!!

#27--Fat Cat by Robin Brande

This is one of those titles that I've been eyeing since it first came in at the beginning of the year.  And now I've finally had the opportunity to sit down and devour it!

Cat wants nothing more than to beat Matt McKinney at the annual science fair in the spring.  They have both signed up for a rigorous Special Topics in Research Science class and it the class itself is legendary.  Cat and Matt used to be friends, until the science fair in seventh grade, when Matt stabbed Cat in the heart and she has never forgiven him. 

Cat's 7-month long research project is to research the effects a hominin diet can have on a modern homo sapien.  Cat determines to eschew all modern conveniences like TV, cell phones, and cars (with a few logical exceptions--after dark, for safety purposes), and to begin eating a diet as close as possible to what hominins would have eaten.  Cat goes from a diet that consisted mainly of Diet Coke and junk food to a cleaner, mostly vegetarian diet and adds daily walking to and from school and work to her routine.  The only people who know about the details of her experiment are her parents, her best friend, Amanda, and her teacher, Mr. Fizer.

Over the course of her experiment, the weight starts to drop off, but Cat still thinks about herself as "Fat Cat".  When boys she has never really spoken to start to pay attention to the new Cat, she adds another dimension to her experiment--how do guys react to the new Cat?

Through it all, Amanda (and her boyfriend Jordan) are supportive of Cat--but Jordan doesn't know the truth behind the animosity between Cat and Matt.  And the animosity keeps growing....

Will Cat beat Matt?  Will they ever be friends again?

Loved this book!!  Cat had some great points with her research.  I have often wished that I enjoyed cooking enough to attempt to eat a more "clean" diet like the one Cat follows....maybe one of these days it'll happen.  In the meantime, I'll be running off my meals.  :)

Happy Reading!!

#26--Girl, Stolen by April Henry

At the end of every school year I check out a bunch of books that have sounded really good during the year that I haven't had a chance to read.  So, before I left the building on Friday, I checked out my summer reads and today I got started on them.

Cheyenne Wilder is sleeping in the back of her stepmom's car while waiting for her prescription to be filled to help get rid of her pneumonia.  Within just a few minutes of leaving the car, the door opens and slams shut and the car is started and then moving.  Pretty quickly, without looking, Cheyenne knows that it isn't her stepmother, Danielle, driving the car--and that the car is being stolen, with her in it.  Cheyenne isn't sure how she is going to survive because, not only is she sick, but she is also blind and without her trusty guide dog, Phantom.

Griffin didn't mean to kidnap Cheyenne.  He simply saw the fancy Escalade, with keys dangling from the ignition, as an easy target.  He didn't realize that there was someone in the back seat, until it was too late.  He knows that he will pay for his impulsiveness when his dad, Roy, finds out what he has done.  Roy runs a chop shop and has committed petty crimes, and taught Griffin to do the same, along with his two employees, TJ and Jimbo.  While watching the evening news, Roy discovers that Cheyenne's father is the president of Nike, and he hatches a plan to ask for a hefty ransom for Cheyenne's return. 

Told with alternating narration between Cheyenne and Griffin, this is a quick, easy read, that had me on pins and needles, wondering what was going to happen to Cheyenne and Griffin, with a great twist at the end!  I will be definitely be adding this one to my list of possible book talks for next year!

Happy Reading!!

#25--Redemption by Veronique Launier

There are often themes in young adult literature that come and go....currently we are in a werewolf/vampire stage (one that I personally hope goes "softly into that good night").  I recently came across two books that had gargoyles as their central characters...today's read and a title I can't bring to mind as I type this, but am hoping it comes to me.  Gargoyles are fascinating to me ever since I first saw Disney's Beauty and the Beast (and possibly even before that).  The intricate carvings builders used to include in their work, including gargoyles, are amazing, and the fact that they are still around, hundreds of years later, is even more amazing.  (We Americans are often suprised when a building or other artifact is still around at 200 years, when people in many other parts of the world think of anything 200 years old as just a teenager!)  Thanks to my quick research (go wikipedia!) I discovered that gargoyles were originally used as a way to divert water (think modern-day downspouting), and have been connected to Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece, including the Temple of Zeus. 

One of the first things that grabbed my attention with this book was its cover:

Today's story opens with Guillaume, a gargoyle (but you don't know he is one yet), observing people going about their business in the streets below him.  While taking in his surroundings, he notices a girl, by herself, and looking aprehensive....with good reason....three men approach her in a meanacing fashion, but there is nothing Guillaume can do to help her from his perch on top the former church.  It is obvious to him that these men mean to do her harm.  Suddenly he hears distant drumming and chanting in a language he learned long ago, the Mohawk language.  The chanting, coming from the girl, sparks something in Guillaume and his three other family members, and stones from the top of the building begin to fall to earth, as do some dead pigeons.  The men take off, and so does the girl.  Guillaume, awakened from decades in stone must find this girl to discover how she was able to awaken him and his family.

Aude (pronounced Ode) is freaked out about what happened at the old church.  She is convinced that she is losing her mind.  Then this good-looking guy keeps popping up places and asking her questions that don't make sense.  All she wants is to focus her time and energy into the band she and her friends Lucy and Trick have, Lucid Pill.  Aude is the guitarist and singer, and writes a number of their songs as well.  Lucy and Trick are really her only friends, and now that Lucy and Trick have started dating, Aude worries that Lucid Pill isn't long for this world.

Guillaume quickly finds ways to run into Aude and they become wary friends.  They discover they both have a love for music....at the beginning of his life (in the middle of the thirteenth century) he studied organ at the Notre Dame in Paris and was considered to be a prodigy even then--imagine what 800 years of practice would do to improve on that!  They eventually discover that Aude has the ability to transfer essence (or life), which is what the gargoyles need in order to continue to appear human.

After further sleuthing by Guillaume, Aude, Guillaume's family, and a Mohawk shaman, it is believed that Aude may be the key to an ancient prophecy about the end of the world.  There are clues all around that the prophecy has already been set in motion, but will Aude, Guillaume and the others be able to stop it before all of Montreal, and even the world, is destroyed?

The author includes details in her story from the French legend of La Gargouille, including the form that Guillaume takes when he is at his most powerful, which made it all the more fascinating for me.  The narration alternates between Aude and Guillaume, which gives the story a little extra something, and keeps you on the edge of your seat because you don't always know the whole story until the author is ready to share it with you.

There's much more to this story, but I don't want to give too much away. 

I really enjoyed this story.  There were a few times when I believe the timeline may have been off slightly, but that also could be due to the fact that you don't find out how Guillaume and his family became gargoyles until more than halfway through the book.

This title is already in my wish list to be purchased for school for next year!  Can't wait to tell my students about this one!!  The ending leaves it open for a sequel, which I'm really hoping happens, and soon!

Disclaimer: I was provided with an advanced copy of this book for my kindle by the publisher.  All opinions are 100% mine.

This book will be available for purchase on September 8, 2012, but can currently be pre-ordered.

Happy Reading!!

#13--Almost by Anne Eliot

So, I stayed up way too late, on a school night, to finish this book. I simply could not put it down, no matter how hard I tried (I didn't try too awfully hard, it was too good).

I came across this book as a free book for my kindle--it is not currently available in print, but hopefully it will be someday, because I would love to add it to my collection at school.

The story is told from two different points of view--Jess and Gray. As a freshman in high school, Jess Jordan was almost raped at a senior party--a party and an event she doesn't remember--and this has changed her world significantly. Now, three years later, she survives on Red Bull and naps during the day because if she sleeps at night, she has nightmares about the night of the party. Her coping mechanisms have made her shun all friends and extra-curricular activities. However, if her parents are going to let her go to college, she has to demonstrate that she is "making progress" toward normalcy. In order to attain normalcy, Jess applies for an internship at geekstuff.com. Not only will this look good on her resume, but it will also get her out of her room and around other people--one of the requirements of "normal".

What she doesn't count on is that there is someone else applying for the same internship--a really hot guy from her school, Gray Porter. While waiting for their interviews, Gray comes across a list Jess's sister made about how to be normal: 1) Make at least two friends your own age, 2) Go places besides your room, 3) Get a boyfriend, and 4) Make sure Mom and Dad notice numbers one through three.

In an effort to land the internship and appear normal to her parents, Jess makes a deal with Gray--she will do the internship for free so he get get the paid position to apply toward college, and pay him, to be her boyfriend for the summer--fulfilling the first three items on the checklist at once. She doesn't count on falling for Gray.

But Gray has secrets of his own--a secret that drives him to protect Jess....

Can't say any more or it would give it away.....

The ending was somewhat rushed, and a little formulaic, but overall, I really liked this book. As I was reading it, it reminded me a little of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Quad by Carrie Watson, and Hate List by Jennifer Brown--each in their own way. Really wishing it was in print so I could include it in my next order of books for school!

If you have an ereader, there are several websites available where you can get daily or weekly offers for free or reduced books. Here are a few of them....

http://www.inspiredreads.com/

http://bookbub.com/deals/
http://youngedition.pixelofink.com/
http://www.pixelofink.com/

I'm sure there are many others out there as well.

Happy Reading!

#12--A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass

Today's book was chosen by my students for me to read.  Wendy Mass was my school's visiting author last year and my students really enjoy her books--one of which came out as a movie last fall--Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life.

Mia appears normal, but she's been hiding something for as long as she can remember--sounds, numbers and words all have colors.  As a child, she thought everyone saw colors, but in 3rd grade she found out that she was a "freak" in the eyes of her classmates. 

As she enters 8th grade, Mia is terrified of taking Spanish and pre-algebra...because the Spanish words don't have the same color as the corresponding word in English, so it is difficult for her to connect the words, and pre-algebra is difficult because "Normally an x is a shiny maroon color, like a ripe cherry.  But here an x has to stand for an unknown number.  But I can't make myself assign the x any other color than maroon, and there are no maroon-colored numbers.  Without the color, I don't know how to proceed."

After she fails two math quizes, Mia has to come clean with her parents about what is going on.  Fortunately, they are eventually able to find a diagnosis--synesthesia, a mingling of the senses--and Mia finds ways to work around her gift.

Makes me wonder what having this ability would be like--and what color my name would be....

I really enjoyed this title and I will read more by Wendy Mass in the future.

Happy Reading!!

#11--Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

It is a good thing I'm ahead of schedule, since it has been two weeks since my last post.  I knew this time of the year was going to be hectic this year, but didn't realize just how crazy. 

One of the PE teachers at my school is a self-proclaimed "non-reader."  Over the years I have handed him a few books to try out, some have been hits and others have been misses.  This year, I think we have found his niche....sci-fi/fantasy with a little post-apocalyptic/dystopian thrown in for a little extra something.  He flew through the entire Hunger Games series in about two weeks and came in the library looking for something else.  It just so happened that Incarceron had just been checked in and I offered it to him, telling him that it was about a prison that was alive.  He jumped on it and within a few days, was back asking for the sequel Sapphique--which he finished in a few days as well.  When he found out I hadn't read Incarceron yet, he informed me that I had to read and after I did, he wanted to talk about it.  I started it last weekend and he and I had a brief conversation during the week, but he didn't want to give anything away.  Well, I finished it last night and I can't wait to talk to him about it this week!!

Many years ago, the king decreed that there would be no more progress--life would actually regress back to roughly the middle ages in dress, technology, science, medicine, etc.  All prisoners would also be shipped to a new prison called Incarceron with wise leaders, called Sapients, in order to create a perfect society.  What wasn't planned for was the eventual overthrowing of the system by the prison itself.  It began to generate life from those who died inside it as well as think and react of its own volition.

Finn, a prisoner in Incarceron, believes that he came from Outside--he doesn't remember anything before waking up in a cell three years prior.  Claudia, the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, is pledged to be married to Caspar, the crown prince--a boorish oaf who she can't stand.  Her father has been grooming her for this position her entire life.  Claudia and Finn are both desperate to find an escape--Finn from Incarceron and Claudia from her arranged marriage. 

I won't say any more, for fear of giving away the good stuff!!  This is definitely a must-read if you like fantasy/dystopian fiction!!

Happy Reading!!

#10--Vulture's Wake by Kirsty Murray

I often booktalk books for my students in an effort to entice them to read something maybe a little different than they would normally.  Because of the large number of booktalks I end up doing over the course of the year, I do not have time to read them all before I tell my students about them.  Today's book is one that I have been telling my students about since we got it last year.  It alwasy sounded interesting, but just never had the chance to pick it up myself.  After several of my students raved about it, I decided that it was my turn to read it. 

Callum is a boy in a world where females are extinct....or are they.  He meets Bo after he has run away from his kidnappers, when she finds him during her daily hunt for food.  Bo and Callum are on a mission to get across the dangerous continent and to the "safe" city of Vulture's Gate, and away from the Outstationers who are out for Callum's blood.  When they finally arrive at Vulture's Gate, nothing is like Callum remembers it and they must both fight for survival. 

This is a post-apocalyptic novel set roughly 40 years in the future.  Not only is it a great story, that is screaming for a sequel, but it is also a commentary of sorts on the world and humans' treatment of it.  I finished it late last night and I'm still mulling it over in my mind...how can we improve things now so we don't end up like Callum and Bo.....

This title was previously published as Vulture's Gate, in case the story sounds a little familiar to some of you.

Happy Reading!

#6--Zen and the Art of Faking It by Jordan Sonnenblick

So, this time around, I read a book that my students picked for me.  I created a survey for them to fill out and it ended up being a tie--Zen vs. Eragon.  I went with Zen because the author, Jordan Sonnenblick, is coming to our school this spring and I hadn't read Zen yet.  I'm sure at some point I'll get to Eragon, but for now, it will have to wait.

San Lee has attended more schools and had more identities than he can keep track of anymore.  The latest move has him and his mom moving to Pennsylvania from Texas--in the middle of winter.  On his first day of 8th grade in PA, San tries to decide what his identity will be this time around: goth, skater, prep, jock, emo, a Bible-thumper?  Almost by accident, San becomes known as Buddha Boy or Zen master.  The deception starts to take on a life of its own and San finds himself in over his head--and eating a nasty vegetable wrap instead of juicy hamburger.  San is also Chinese--most assume his family emigrated from China and that is where he gets all of his knowlege about Zen Buddhism--but he is, in fact, adopted, and never tells anyone this.  So when his mom shows up and she is most definitely NOT Asian, the walls come a'tumbling down.

I liked this book, but it was not my favorite of Sonnenblick's.....some of his other books include Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie; After Ever After; and Notes from the Midnight Driver (where I got my inspiration for the title of this blog).

Happy Reading!

#4--The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

There is something about Jack the Ripper that fascinates many....and I am one of the many.  At least, I am ever since I took a trip to London with some friends a few years ago and we took a "Jack the Ripper" tour on our last night in Jolly Olde England. 

When today's book arrived in the library a few months ago and I was cataloging it for my students, it sparked my interest because of the Ripper connection....and so I knew eventually that I would read it.

Rory Deveaux is from Louisiana and spending the year at a boarding school in London.  The day she arrives seems like just your average day, but something is off.  There has been a murder in the Whitechapel section of London--where the famed Ripper murders occurred during late 1888--and the media are in a tizzy.  When a second murder occurs on September 8--the same day Annie Chapman was murdered in 1888,a woman named Fiona Chapman, and murdered in the same manner that Annie Chapman had been--the tizzy becomes a full-fledged frenzy.  Everyone is concerned that the "double event" of September 30 is coming up.  In the meantime, Rory is seeing people out and about that no one else sees, including who she believes is the murderer, the Ripper.

Why can Rory see these people but no one else can?  Will her parents ship her back to Louisiana before the end of the year because of the danger?  What is going to happen if the police can't capture this new Ripper?

And the big question I want to know the answer to....will there be a sequel?!?!

For further reading on Jack the Ripper, you may want to check out The Ripper and the Royals by Melvyn Fairlough.  I read this one after coming back from England, at the recommendation of our Ripper tour guide.  It is a heavy but fascinating read.

Happy reading!