#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!!

#24--Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain

Last week during small group my friend RuthAnn recommended today's read to me.  It was an audio book that she had checked out from the local library and said she flew through it.  Since I was going to be traveling to my parents' house for the long weekend, she offered it to me for entertainment on the drive.

The author discusses the differences between introverts and extroverts and how individuals who fall into either category can understand and work with someone of the opposite temperament.  In Western culture (and American culture, more specifically), it is considered abnormal to be introverted, to need quiet time to recharge, despite the fact that at least 20% of the population would be considered to be introverts.  Cain uses anecdotal evidence of a number of famous people who are introverts: Steve Wozniak, Albert Einstein, JK Rowling, Dr. Seuss, Charles Schultz, JM Barrie, Gandhi, and many others.  Throughout the course of the book, a number of scientific studies are referenced and discussed as well as her personal research.

While listening to this book, I found myself often wanting to go back and re-read portions so that I could fully wrap my brain around the topic.  The narrator (Kathe Mazur) did a wonderful job with this book--the narrator can make or break an audio book--but there were times when my brain couldn't keep up with what she was saying.  This is a title that I would actually like to have in print so that I could go back and reread portions.

If you had asked me 20 years ago whether I was an introvert or an extrovert, I would have said that I was a little bit of both. Today, while I enjoy spending time with friends and family, I am much more an introvert than I ever was in high school.  This book provided me with insight into why I do some of the things I do and also gave me lots to think about as well.

If you are an introvert, you love an introvert, or even simply work with an introvert (and chances are you do), this book gives great insight into how an introvert thinks.  I would highly recommend this book!!!

Happy Reading!!

#23--Women Doctors and Nurses of the Civil War by Lesli J. Favor, PhD

One of the things I love about my job is that every so often I get to go into the classroom and teach with one of my teachers.  I especially love it when research of some sort is involved, whether on my part or the students'.  Tomorrow I will be co-teaching a lesson on medicine in the American Civil War with one of my 8th grade social studies teachers.  As I was working on finding information for this lesson, I read through today's book as part of my research.  One of the things that we wanted to find was information that will really grab the students' attention--especially the gory and gross, since middle schoolers, boys in particular, seem to love that stuff. 

I have done some reading on the Civil War in the past, but most often it has come in the form of a work of fiction instead of a nonfiction book.  One of the things that fascinates me about this time period is how the women were involved, particularly those who participated in a non-traditional role--doctor, soldier, or even as a nurse (it was considered unseemly for a woman, especially one of good-breeding, to see a man in any state of undress, who was not her husband).

Favor's book covers eight different women who worked tirelessly during the war as either doctors, nurses, or administrators/matrons.  I had previously heard of some of these women, like Dorothea Dix, Clara Barton, and Mary Ann Bickerdyke.  But others, Phoebe Yates Pember, Dr. Esther Hill Hawks, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, Sally L. Tompkins, and Kate Cumming, were all new to me.  For example, I knew that Dorothea Dix had been a champion of the rights of those who were mentally ill; but I did not know that she headed up the all-female nursing corp for the Union army.  Two of her standard requirements for applicants were that they "were at least thirty years old and plain-looking".

The author offers up anecdotes for each of her subjects, but one of my favorites was about Mary Ann Bickerdyke.  "On one occasion, a surgeon, angry with Bickerdyke for accusing him of misconduct, complained to General Grant.  Though Grant responded with humor, he meant every word he said: 'Mother Bickerdyke outranks everybody, even [President] Lincoln.  If you have run amuck of her I advise you to get out quickly before she has you under arrest.'"  A drunken surgeon who Bickerdyke had removed from service asked General William T. Sherman for reinstatement and Sherman replied, "I can do nothing for you.  She [out]ranks me."  :)

Overall I thought this was a great overview of some of the important women of this time period, some of whom were very influential, but in medicine and beyond.  There were also some great photos and drawings in the book to help the reader visualize some of the situations these women were put in during the war. 

Now to put the finishing touches on the lesson for class tomorrow!

Happy Reading!

#22--Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti

Noelle's life is a mess. She is bullied at school; her single mother neglects and verbally abuses her. The only bright spot is her best friend Sherae and her art. Oh, and Julian Porter...the boy of her dreams.

But Noelle has kept the extent of her miserable home life and the bullying a secret for so long from everyone, including Sherae, that when she starts to make other friends in Simon (the co-editor of the literary magazine) and Julian starts to pay attention to her, it completely freaks her out.

When Ali, a fellow classmate and bullying victim, commits suicide, Noelle decides to be done--done with putting up with everyone's insults and bullying, done with being made to feel less and done being afraid.

Overall, I thought this was a good book, with a great message. However, at the end it felt too preachy and heavy-handed to me. I think my students who liked Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why or Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak would like this book. I may have to add it to my wish list for next year.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a free galley copy of this book by the publisher. It will be available for purchase on May 31, 2012.

Happy Reading!!

#21--Sex God by Rob Bell

If you just looked at the title and not the author, you may be wondering what kind of book it is that I'm actually talking about today....I was somewhat surprised when I received it as a gift, but it was from my sister, and I trust her judgement (and she is a minister, so she wouldn't be giving me one of those books).  It has been sitting on my shelf for a while now, but after a frustrating church service for me last week, she suggested I take it down off my shelf and read it.  The issue at hand was women in the role of pastor of a church....for me, it is a no-brainer--if a woman is called to that position, it is good and right.  And, I would feel this way even if my sister were not in this vocation. 

This is my first real encounter with Rob Bell, other than hearing him mentioned at conferences or in discussions with friends.  The premise of the book is that there is a connection between being a spiritual being and being a sexual being--and not necessarily of the having sex kind of being.  (That was a lot of "being"s to have in one sentence!)

The book was a quick read, in that it is less than 170 pages and lots of white space on said pages.  However, it is a book that I think I will be thinking about for some time.  Bell challenges the reader to examine their life and how well they know themselves--how naked (emotionally, that is) are you willing to get with yourself, and therefore, with others.

I will be ruminating on this book well into the future, as it has some heavy questions, but he also takes a light-hearted approach to much of the subject matter, injecting humor and vignettes as appropriate.  This one will definitely be staying on my shelf for future reference!  This would be a good read, whether you are married or single, searching or firm in your faith.

Happy Reading!!

#20--Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps by Andrea Warren

So, as I was getting book talks ready after school today for a teacher I started flipping through this particular choice, mainly to see if it would work for the assignment the students will be doing, and I got sucked into it. 

Jack Mandelbaum was only 15 when he was deported to a concentration camp during Nazi Germany and he was shipped to a number of camps before finally being liberated on May 7, 1945.  At the first camp the man in the bunk next to him, Aaron, tells him to treat it like a game that he wants to win, that if he plays everything right, he might beat the Nazis.  Jack is determined to survive and meet back up with his parents, brother, and sister, who he is certain are still alive and waiting for him.  Jack eventually arrives in the United States and becomes an American citizen, marries, and has a family.  He does find a few family members, but his parents and siblings all perished at the hands of the Nazis. 

This would make a good introduction to the Holocaust for someone who wasn't very knowledgeable, or for a late elementary student.  It was a quick and easy read.  And it should do just fine for the project, so my students will be hearing about this one on Wednesday.  :)

Happy Reading!

#19--The Shadow Children by Steven Schnur

My 8^th graders study The Diary of Anne Frank as part of their Language Arts class and several teachers typically require the students to read an additional book about the Holocaust as part of this unit.  One day last week this title was turned in by a student and I noticed that it had a fantasy genre sticker on it (I put genre stickers on all my fiction books so that the students—and I—have an easier time picking out a specific genre), and I was curious as to why I had put a fantasy sticker on a book that also has a Holocaust sticker on it.  So, before putting it back on the shelf, I grabbed it and quickly read it.  (It took me less than 40 minutes to get through, so it is a quick read--less than 100 pages.)

The story takes place several years after World War II is over, in a small French town, Mont Brulant.  Etienne is looking forward to spending the summer with his grandfather and this is the first year his parents will not be joining him.  Etienne is surprised to notice on the drive back to his grandfather’s home from the train station that the town is much quieter than he remembers.  They also pass a group of children begging on the side of the road, but his grandfather doesn’t notice them.

As the summer goes on and Etienne goes exploring, he comes across a group of children living and hiding in the woods, who run and hide when they hear a train coming.  Etienne knows that the closest train is miles away and the children couldn’t be seen from it.  He doesn’t understand what they are hiding from. 

When he mentions the children to his grandfather, Grand-pere brushes it off, but Madame Jaboter (who comes to clean and cook for Grand-pere) overhears Etienne and begs him to promise he won’t go back to the woods.  Eventually, Etienne learns who the children are and why they are hiding…they are the souls of the children the people of Mont Brulant tried to save from the Nazis, but were forced to hand them over. 

This was a different story than I was expecting, but thought it was pretty well done.  (It has a fantasy sticker because we use fantasy whenever there are ghosts or anything supernatural in the story.)

Now it is going back on the shelf for another student to read.

Happy Reading!

#18--Sweet Baklava by Debby Mayne

As I was sitting in the doctor's office this afternoon, I pulled out my kindle to pass the time.  I picked out one of the freebies I downloaded recently to read.  I finished it after I got home, with my ankle in a boot and elevated.  :(

This was a typical Christian romance.  It was a quick, easy read, but nothing really new in this genre.  The best part is the recipes at the end of the book for many of the Greek delicacies that are mentioned throughout the book--can't wait to try them...make that, have my dad make them and me eat them!!

Paula's childhood was anything but stable.  But once she and her mother moved to Tarpon Springs at the beginning of middle school, she found stability in the family of her new best friend, Steph Papadopoulos.  During high school, Paula dated Steph's cousin, Nick, but when she went off to college, Nick left for the Air Force and they lost touch.  It is now ten years later and Nick is home on an extended leave.  He never forgot about Paula and is determined to prove to her that they should be together for keeps.

Not the next great classic, but a good story...the characters and relationships were believable--reminded me a bit of the movie My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding!  Some of the resolutions were somewhat contrived or arrived at a little too quickly to be believable, but overall, not too bad.

Since my foot will be in an air cast for much of the next week and a half, I'm hoping to get more reading done than originally planned for my spring break....we shall see if that comes to fruition.

Happy Reading!

#17--The Road by Cormac McCarthy

So, I've mentioned before that I have a problem with buying books....Saturday I went to my local library's used book sale, $5 for a bag of books, and walked out with 25 books for $10.  Not too bad in the financial sense, but it just makes my list of books I need to read even longer than before and my bookshelves groan with the thought of more weight....Oh, to be a speed-reader!!!  Fortunately, several of these books will be making the trip to my parents' house over Easter, so they will not all be taking up precious shelf space in my house.

When I posted this picture on Facebook, several friends commented on one title in particular, today's read.  I decided to start  with The Road since it was coming highly recommended.  I started Sunday afternoon and got a little over 1/3 of the way into it before I had to put it down and walk away for a little bit.  I finished it today after school and several hours later, I'm still not sure exactly what I think of it. 

The story takes place in the future after a post-apocalyptic event--that is never really defined--but most of humanity is gone, food and water are scarce--if not impossible to get, the world is covered in ash, and a man and his son (who I'm guessing is around 8-10 years old) are struggling to survive, with the ultimate goal to get to the coast.  The story is very harsh and stark.  One of my complaints is that there are no quotation marks anywhere in the book--and it is often difficult to keep track of who is talking.  I've only read two other books (that I can think of) that utilize the no quotes style, and I didn't really care for either of those books, so maybe it is a style issue I'm having here.  There were also no chapter markers, other than ellipses (...) in between paragraphs, so that also threw me off a little as well.

Some of the descriptions of were graphic, yet stark in their word pictures.  This is definitely an adult book due to these images.  This book was made into a movie starring Viggo Mortensen in 2008, but I haven't seen it in order to comment.  I would be curious to see how it compared and how some of the events were portrayed.  It may have to go into my Netflix cue...

I do think I need to digest this one for a little longer before finally determining whether or not I like it.

Happy Reading!

#16--The Scrapbook Riddle by S.D. Brown

Jessica thinks her summer has been ruined!  Jess and her mom have traveled to the home of her Grandma (Gram) and Great-grandma (Grandma Charlotte) on the opposite side of the state--and there is no TV available, let alone cable, and she isn't allowed to call her best friend because of the long-distance charges!  How will she ever survive the summer without anyone to hang out with?

When they arrive, Gram is in the hospital and Grandma Charlotte is acting very confused and there is a strange man, Mr. Thomas, and his nephew, Josh, living on the third floor of the house.  The man is creepy and acting somewhat suspicious to Jessica's way of thinking, and his rude nephew isn't much better. 

Grandma Charlotte has a scrapbook that she looks at because it reminds her of her father, who died soon after the Crash of 1929.  He sent her a letter for her birthday that year with a riddle that she refers to as the riddle of the Liberty Lady and died before he could explain the clues in the poem.  Jess takes it upon herself to solve the riddle, in hopes that it will lead to the great treasure that has been rumored to be in the family for decades, but no one has ever found.  In the meantime, Jess befriends Josh and discovers that he isn't really Mr. Thomas's nephew--Mr. Thomas is blackmailing Josh into helping him swindle Jess's grandmothers.

Will Jess and Josh be able to find the treasure and prove that Mr. Thomas is up to no good?

This was another freebie on my kindle--and a very quick read.  It was good and I didn't guess everything by the end, but it was a somewhat stock mystery. 

Happy Reading!

#15--Connie Cobbler: Toy Detective by James DeSalvo

What do you get when you cross Strawberry Shortcake, Babes in Toyland, and a noir detective story?  Today's story, for sure.

The main character, Connie Cobbler, is a former TV star--she and four friends had a show called Connie Cobbler and the Pastry Pals.  When there was an accident on set and one of her friends and co-stars died, Connie left the world and fame behind forever....and became a private detective.  She takes on cases in her hometown, Toy Town.  Brenda Bombshell has come to Connie and asked her to find her lost dog, Foo-foo, who was wearing a very expensive diamond collar when he was dog-napped.  This case leads Connie on to an even bigger case--one where it looks like someone wants Connie out of the picture, for good!

I downloaded this story for free on my kindle.  It was a cute, fun story, but I don't think I would have paid for it.  It is available in paperback and it would be a cute addition to an elementary library.

Happy Reading!

#14--A Gift of Two Silver Pistols by Nan Coleman

Happy St. Patty's Day!!  I don't know what the weather was like in your neck of the woods, but here it has been more like a late May day than the middle of March....but I'm definitely not complaining!!

This afternoon, in an effort to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather, I grabbed a chair and my kindle and headed out for some sunshine!  I recently downloaded a bunch of books for free onto my kindle, so I started with the one at the top of the list...today's book.  As I've demonstrated through a number of the books that I have thus far chosen to read, I'm a sucker for history, whether it is fiction or nonfiction. 

My first year as a librarian, I grabbed a book off the shelf that intrigued me...The Year of the Hangman by Gary Blackwood--about what life would have been like in the American colonies immediately after the Revolutionary War if we had lost.  It was a very interesting idea to me, and I have often wondered how things would have been different if certain events had been different: how different would the world be if Abraham Lincoln had not been assassinated?  if the Titanic hadn't sunk or the Hindenburg exploded? it the Archduke Ferdinand had not been assassinated?  And the questions go on. 

In today's book, Ainsley is 13 in 2011 and loves visiting her grandparents at their home in Charlottesville, VA, near the site where Thomas Jefferson grew up and near his home of Monticello.  Her grandfather has told her stories of her famous relative, Jack Jouett, who rode in the middle of the night on June 3, 1781, to warn Thomas Jefferson that British commander, Banastre Tarleton, was on his way to arrest as many important traitors to the crown as he could, including Jefferson specifically.  (An important side note--Ainsley's Uncle Myles is a professional ghost hunter.) 

On the night of June 3, the anniversary of Jack's ride, Ainsley decides that she wants to try to see a ghost for herself, and she wants to see Jack Jouett.  So, with some of her uncle's ghost-hunting equipment, she camps out down by the river where she and Uncle Myles have guessed that Jack crossed the river on his famous ride.  Not only does she get her wish and sees Jack, but he also sees her...and that sets a different set of events into motion.  With Ainsley in tow, Jack does not get to Monticello in time to warn Jefferson, who is then captured, along with Patrick Henry and Benjamin Harrison.  The men will be hanged for treason, as soon as Tarleton can get the gallows built. 

Ainsley and Jack (the only one who can see Ainsley), with the help of a local tavern owner, Barbara (who can also see Ainsley), they come up with a plan to help the prisoners and attempt to put time and history back in their proper places.

After doing some research about Jack Jouett, I discovered that he has been called "The Paul Revere of the South," and some have even claimed that his ride was more crucial than Revere's because of the stakes involved if Jeffereson, Henry and Harrison, major leaders of the revolution, are captured.  (Thanks wikipedia!)  As a result of his heroics, the Virginia state legislature awarded Jack Jouett two silver pistols and a sword-hence the title of the book.  This fact wasn't mentioned until the very end of the epilogue, which makes me question the title...there has to be a better title for this story out there, one that will make sense much earlier in the story.

Overall, it was a quick easy read that I enjoyed.  It is currently available in kindle format as well as in paperback...this title may be finding its way to the shelves of my school in the near future....

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!

#9--Talking Bones: The Science of Forensic Anthropology--Peggy Thomas

Currently, one of my favorite TV shows is Bones, which is about a forensic anthropologist who works with the FBI to solve murders.  While forensic science completely fascinates me, I know I would never have the stomach to do it in real life, so I get my kicks vicariously! 

I happened to pick up today's book as it came into the circulation desk yesterday morning.  It sounded interesting, and I needed something to read at lunch.  It was a relatively quick read, and very interesting.  It gives a basic outline of what forensic anthropology is and how it came to be.  Some of the cases discussed were intriguing and made me want to learn a little more about them.  This title was published in 1995, so I'm sure that much of the technology has changed in the 17 years since it came out, but the basics and history are still the same.  It is geared to a middle/high school audience, but doesn't talk down to the reader.  Overall, not too shabby!

Now I'm in the mood for some Bones.

Happy Reading!

#8--Dead End in Norvelt--Jack Gantos

I happened to pick up a newspaper today from last week and was flipping through it when I noticed an article announcing the 2012 Newbery and Caldecott winners.  The Newbery Award had been given to Jack Gantos for his book, Dead End in Norvelt.  I knew we had a few copies of this book because I had purchased them after attending a conference on new young adult literature in the fall.  I quickly went to the stacks and grabbed one of the copies off the shelf to bring home with me.

This story is part fiction and part nonfiction....and I would love to know exactly where the line is drawn!  The main character, Jack Gantos, has started off his summer vacation grounded for life!  His prospects aren't looking good for an early release when his father makes him mow down his mother's corn field...which makes his mom clamp down even further in his punishment.  He is only allowed out of his room to do chores, use the bathroom, possibly eat meals with his family, and to help his neighbor Miss Volker write obituaries for the town paper.  The town of Norvelt was named for First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, because of her interest in the town--it was created out of the Great Depression as a way for the unemployed miners to get "a hand-up instead of a hand-out."  There were 250 original families in Norvelt and Miss Volker has vowed to write the obituaries for all the old-timers and be the last one standing--she is also the medical examiner, a post she was given by Mrs. Roosevelt and one she takes very seriously.

Jack has a "tiny problem"--his nose squirts blood anytime he gets startled, spooked or over-excited.  Add to this, Miss Volker has arthritis so bad that she has to warm up her hands in hot parafin wax so they work--the first time Jack sees this creates a rather amusing scene, as he believes she is melting her body parts off to be eaten.  And his best friend is a girl--who is the daughter of the local undertaker, and enjoys torturing Jack with stories of dead bodies and other gross things.  Oh, and these's also someone buying up the old houses in Norvelt and moving them to West Virginia, and even the possibility of a murder investigation too.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book, and I will be sharing it with students in the very near future.

I looked up Norvelt, PA, and discovered that the town actually exists in Westmoreland County, southeast of Pittsburgh, PA.  It also looks like much of the historical facts offered up by Miss Volker to Jack as they write obituaries and Jack learns to drive her car (very under-age), are pretty acurate....which makes me wonder even more how much of the rest of this story is fact and how much of it is fiction!!

Happy Reading!