Lithography 101

Books I Read in 2011

2012-01-01T22:49:00.004-06:00

Another New Year's Day and time to reflect on the books I read over the course of the past year. This is by far the most books I've read in one twelve month period. Maybe I'll read even more in 2012. Here are the 72 titles in reverse order of when I read them, starting with the most recent:

1. One of the Survivors by Susan Shaw
2. The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse by Eric Carle
3. This Dark Endeavor : The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein by Kenneth Oppel
4. The Apothecary by Maile Meloy
5. The Chronicles of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg & 13 other contemporary writers
6. Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich
7. Open Season (Joe Gunther mystery #1) by Archer Mayor
8. Where the Lilies Bloom by Vera & Bill Cleaver
9. The Litigators by John Grisham
10. The Affair : a Jack Reacher novel by Lee Child
11. The Dog Who Came In From the Cold by Alexander McCall Smith
12. Diary of a Wimpy Kid : Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney
13. The Race by Clive Cussler & Justin Scott
14. Mill Rivcer Recluse by Darcie Chan
15. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
16. Ranger's Apprentice : The Lost Stories by John Flanagan
17. Dirt Road Home by Watt Key
18. Shelter by Harlan Coben
19. I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
20. Dead Men Kill by L. Ron Hubbard
21. True Grit by Charles Portis
22. Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs
23. The Second Son by Lee Child
24. Addie on the Inside by James Howe
25. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
26. Hummingbirds: Facts & Folklore from the Americas by Jeanette Larson & Adrienne Yorinks
27. In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson
28. Ashes of Roses by Mary Jane Auch
29. Payback Time by Carl Deuker
30. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, & Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
31. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
32. Little Bee by Chris Cleave
33. Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich
34. The Warlock by Michael Scott
35. The Absolute Value of Mike by Kathryn Erskine
36. Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen
37. Thunderstruck by Erik Larson
38. A Small White Scar by K.A. Nuzum
39. The Year We Disappeared : a Father-Daughter Memoir by Cylin Busby & John Busby
40. Take Me to the River by Will Hobbs
41. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
42. The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party by Alexander McCall Smith
43. War Horse by Michael Morpurgo
44. The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
45. Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt
46. Live Wire by Harlan Coben
47. Ranger's Apprentice 10: The Emperor of Nihon-Ja by John Flanagan
48. Alabama Moon by Key Watt
49. Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
50. Close to Famous by Joan Bauer
51. Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
52. A Tale Dark & Grimm by Adam Gidwitz
53. Hour Game by David Baldacci
54. Slog's Dad by David Almond
55. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
56. This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer
57. The Dead & the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer
58. Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
59. Play Dead by Harlan Coben
60. After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick
61. The Witch's Boy by Michael Gruber
62. The Confession by John Grisham
63. Rules by Cynthia Lord
64. Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins
65. The Recruit by Robert Muchamore
66. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
67. The Witch's Guide to Cooking With Children by Keith McGowan
68. John Cena by Tim O'Shei
69. Worth Dying For by Lee Child
70. Crossfire by Dick & Felix Francis
71. Silks by Dick & Felix Francis
72. Dead Heat by Dick & Felix Francis

This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel

2011-12-26T11:38:00.012-06:00

Canadian author Kenneth Oppel is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers of middle grade and young adult fiction. His Airborn trilogy with its elements of steampunk adventure is recommended for both boys and girls in middle school. (His female leads tend to be spunky and independent.) His language is perfectly suited to his topics, and his characters are always balanced and believable.
Like several recent notable YA series (Hunger Games and Twilight for example), I was hesitant at first to read a book about a young "monster." But as with these two hit series as well as all of Oppel's other work, I was hooked almost from page one.
This Dark Endeavor tells the story of twin Frankenstein brothers Victor and Konrad, who is older by a mere two minutes. They live a life of intellect, education, and privilege near Lake Geneva in a peaceful part of Europe. Home tutored and pampered by servants, the Frankenstein family is also liberal in their politics and skeptical in their religious beliefs. There are two younger siblings who also appear in the story, but the teenage twins spend most of their time with a distant cousin, Elizabeth, of similar age who was rescued from a convent as a child and grew up with them almost like a sister. Henry Cherval, a close friend and bit of a coward but with the heart of a poet, rounds out their mischievous quartet.
The group frequently goes exploring together and one day finds a secret passage in their vast castle-like home that leads to a hidden basement laboratory and "dark library" full of strange books with mysterious writing in them. Their father learns of their little adventure and immediately puts a stop to their clandestine snooping. Soon, though, Konrad becomes gravely ill and even the best doctors in the region cannot cure his sickness. The remaining trio of Victor, Henry, and Elizabeth decide that the dark library may hold answers to reverse Konrad's mystery sickness, so together they scheme to find a cure for him. Guided by Maria, a trusted servant, the three seek out an old alchemist in town to help them decipher the coded recipes for healing elixirs that may return Konrad to good health. The only question...will they survive the dangerous process of finding bizarre ingredients for this strange potion?
This Dark Endeavor is well-written and the pacing is quick enough to keep readers engaged in the action all the way through. I already look forward to the next title in the series! This book is highly recommended for seventh grade to adult. There are a couple of brief mentions of "enflamed passions" over which brother is more in love with Elizabeth, and a couple of mild oaths uttered in their various trials and tribulations, but overall the book is PG. A scene of violence near the end might leave a couple of weak-stomached readers queasy, but it only lasts a few pages. A copy of this book has been ordered for Stone MS library and it will have a YA label on the spine due to content mentioned above.

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

2011-09-25T19:38:00.007-05:00

I'd been wanting to read this book since the TV ads for the movie started airing several months back. I still haven't seen the movie yet, but I'd definitely like to now that I've finished the novel, just so I can see what they did with the story.

Basically, this book is straightforward science fiction. Lorien is a planet similar to--but smaller than--Earth, in a distant galaxy. The citizens of Lorien look like us, act like us, and talk like us...but they can do so much more. Lorien has been taken over by the evil Mogadorians who only want to use up its natural resources for themselves, because they've already destroyed their own planet. Just before Lorien society is wiped out, the ruling leaders send 9 children of their elite Garde caste, along with 9 Cepan guardians to raise them, by rocket ship to Earth in hopes they will survive in order to rebuild their home planet in the future. Before they are launched into space, these select nine are blessed with a charm that they cannot be destroyed except in numerical order. Hence the tagline: "Three are dead....I am number four."

Ten years later, posing as a 15-year-old and his father, 'John' and 'Henri Smith' are constantly on the move, trying to stay one step ahead of rogue Mogadorians who have followed them to Earth and have now killed numbers 1, 2, and 3. The pair's latest place of residence is in the village of Paradise, Ohio. John enrolls in school and in stereotypical teenage fashion, befriends the nerdy conspiracy theorist, Sam, is enraptured with the local beauty, Sarah, and is picked on by the school jock bully, Mark. John has never had such close personal ties in previous towns they lived in, but in Paradise, things are different. He falls in love for the first time in his life with Sarah. He finds a true human friend in Sam, and eventually even works things out with Mark. This is where the plot thickens. Do they move on as in the past, or stay and fight for the survival of themselves and their home planet? Will they eventually be found and have to battle with their Mogadorian enemy?

This book would never be considered great literature (it was penned by James Frey and Jobie Hughes under the pseudonum Pittacus Lore), but it IS action-packed and fast-paced, with the reader forcefully grabbed from the first page until the end. There's enough going on in the plot to interest the majority of teen readers, some teen angst and romance for others, a loveable dog named Bernie Kosar for the PETA crowd, and plenty of standard sci-fi fare for the rest.

While this book would be acceptable at many urban middle schools, I think due to the language it will not find a place on our conservative, rural school library shelves. I will most likely pass it on to our high school library instead. It's a good read if you want to kick back for a few hours. Those who truly enjoy it will be happy to know it is the first book in a planned series. The first sequel is called "The Power of Six."

Payback Time by Carl Deuker

2011-07-07T13:14:00.002-05:00

I really wanted to like this book--and parts of it are likeable--but overall I felt cheated at the end. Which is kind of ironic considering that the two main characters think they are on the trail of a suspected cheater through the majority of the story.
Daniel "Mitch" True is talented writer and a fat kid who expects to be named editor of his high school newspaper. Surprise! The supposedly airhead blonde gets the job instead. She immediately names Mitch as the paper's sports writer. This turns out to be a smart move on her part, and Mitch realizes he'll be partnered with a smart, cute girl photographer for much of the sports season, which is an unexpected bonus.
Head football coach McNulty is on a mission to have a championship season so he can catch the attention of college athletics programs and climb his way out of coaching high school football. He wants all articles and stories about the team to focus on the star quarterback, Horst, who is his ticket out of Lincoln High. But there's a new player named Angel on the team that seems to have much more talent than the wunderkind Horst. So why doesn't the coach use this new guy more? He's bigger, stronger, and has the skills, so why is he warming the bench? He looks oddly older than the other Lincoln players, too. Could there by a story behind Angel? Mitch starts his investigation into Angel's mysterious past. What dark secret will he discover?
If you're into play-by-play action on the football field, then this book is for you. I on the other hand got bogged down in all the minute details and just skimmed over most of the game descriptions. I was distracted by the constant feuding by the volleyball team, which was never really resolved, and I thought the ending was too contrived to be satisfying. Since it was written for a middle/high school audience, I'll just say that I hope it finds its intended readers. I wasn't overly impressed. A copy is available at SMS Library. It has a YA sticker for mild language use and a couple of references to drugs and gang violence. This book is on the 2011 Texas Lone Star Reading List.

"The Last Survivors" trilogy by Susan Beth Pfeffer

2011-06-24T15:00:00.010-05:00

Book 1 - Life As We Knew It : Sixteen-year-old Miranda, her divorced mom, and two brothers, live in a small town in rural Pennsylvania. Like the rest of the world, they are awaiting a rare opportunity to view an asteroid that scientists predict will crash into the surface of the moon, an impact expected to be easily visible on this clear spring evening. Neighbors are planning block parties to go outside and watch it. Unfortunately, the scientists did not predict what would happen afterwards. The moon is knocked slightly off its orbit and moves closer to Earth, instantly triggering coastal flooding, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, power outages, and clouds of smoke and ash that blot out the sun, thus killing plant life. Attempting to cope with it all, Miranda's BFF suddenly finds religion and forgets about her. Miranda's mom realizes what is happening and logically starts planning ahead for the bad days she knows will be there all too soon, stockpiling food and water, wood for the stove, and other anticipated supplies. She scoffs when President Bush urges Americans to remain calm and just pray before tv reception goes out completely. Miranda's mom knows the only way they are going to survive is from their own ingenuity and preparation. They try to warn Miranda's dad and his pregnant new wife to stay put, but they insist on taking a chance on traveling west to see if things are better there. Just in case some one does survive this world-wide tragedy, Miranda keeps everything documented in a journal so others will know what happened the final days of her life.

Book 2 - The Dead and the Gone : The same event as told from the point of view of 17-year-old Alex Morales. Alex is aware there's some big astrological event going on, but he figures it is something only science nerds would be interested in following. Besides, he's more concerned about whether he'll make class president next year at his all boys private Catholic prep school. Alex and his two younger sisters are in their NY city apartment when the chaos starts. His dad, the building superintendent, is in Puerto Rico for a family funeral, and his mom is across town working night shift as a nurse at the hospital. When neither parent returns home, Alex alone must take on the responsibility of caring for his sisters. Communications are soon cut off, subways are flooded, tidal waves have wiped out coastal areas, and now volcanic ash is blocking out the sun, plunging the world into constant shadows and numbing cold. What will Alex do to insure his family's survival? Anything and everything.

Book 3 - This World We Live In : It's been a year since the incident of the asteroid hitting the moon. Despite devastating climate changes and bizarre weather patterns, Miranda and her family have managed to survive. One day, her father and stepmom, their new baby, along with a trio of strangers, arrive in Howell, PA, seeking refuge at their home. One of the strangers is Alex Morales from New York City, and if you think this is going to be one of those romantic "thrown together by circumstances" relationships with violin music and doves cooing, you are mistaken. Miranda and Alex both have issues, and both are too independent and stubborn to compromise. What readers are left with is a sort of microcosm of our western world today: blended families, racial diversity, and a need to understand each other's point of view in order to get along. The tension builds until yet another atmospheric phenomenon forces them all to confront their situation and decide to band together to survive. This 3rd book is supposed to be the final book that neatly wraps up the storyline of the first two, but the ending is still vague enough there could potentially be another title published in this series.

In a nutshell, this trilogy is one of the most wonderfully disturbing and haunting series I have read in a while. While I was reading the first book, the major earthquake hit New Zealand, so it was on the news a lot. While I was reading the second book, the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan. During the third book, we were in the middle of massive winter storms across North America, with blizzards knocking out power and cities at a standstill. To say I was freaked out a bit by all this coincidence is an understatement. I could NOT get these books off my mind! It was as if I was suddenly swept up into the story myself and could not extract myself from the plot. It was THAT real/surreal.

I told many of my reading buds about them. One friend I recommended them to said he wouldn't finish the first book because of the "obvious leftist slant" and "anti-Bush" attitude of one of the central characters. (Hello? It's a work of fiction. It's called character development.) And for the record, the second book is exactly the opposite with a conservative, pro-church protagonist. Another friend--who'd just had a baby--couldn't finish the second book because of the blunt descriptions of dead bodies found on the streets of the city; one gruesome scene in particular happens to involve a small child. A third friend couldn't get into them at all because she found them "depressing overall and just sad." Granted, these books may not be for everybody, but I think they are the perfect prescription for a hot summer day. The action is literally nonstop, and by the middle of the first book, you'll be laying on blankets and trying to stay as warm as the characters themselves long to be. Like watching a train wreck, the stories unfold as a series of small events that you can't take your eyes off of. Just when you think, "What else could possibly go wrong"...something does. Written for a young adult audience, this series is finding fans among adults, too. A copy of each title is available at SMS Library and each is recommended for 8th grade and above due to graphic description. Fans of Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games trilogy might enjoy reading this series as well.

The Witch's Boy by Michael Gruber

2011-02-02T15:38:00.005-06:00

One of the most memorable, magical children's novels I have read in ages! This is the way great books used to be written. Gruber is a master who can take a reader by the hand and enchant with all the things that make up good literature: crisp, lyrical language, realistic character development, unusual and enchanting vocabulary, imaginative settings, and a series of universal themes known to every culture. Readers will meet characters who are familiar, yet refreshingly new, plots that read as if they were hatched in the mind of Scherezade, and settings so vividly described that they transport you to mysterious lands at once recognizable and rare. An allegory for our times, this book is quite simply, amazing! If you enjoy a good old-fashioned 'once-upon-a-time' story, rush to your local library, book store, or eReader device and start devouring this one now! Suitable for 6th grade and older, a copy of this book is available at Stone MS Library.

The Confession by John Grisham

2011-01-30T17:13:00.003-06:00

Lately it seems Mr Grisham's novels have been more off than on, but I'll have to give him credit on this one...it made me think about my own feelings towards capital punishment. Not saying I've changed my opinion necessarily, just that I am more open to possibilities.
Grisham pretty much captures (though at times heavy-handedly) the good ol' boy network that is Texas politics and law. Rather than painting a picture with a fine detail brush, he rolls it on thick. One can easily tell the author's slanted point of view on Texas and Texans by his condescending tone on topics such as "everyone" carrying concealed weapons, the ubiquitous pickup truck, Friday night football above all else, and the lack of a requirement of a dead body to prove guilt in a murder trial. (Yeah, I didn't know about that one either.)
The action centers around the trial of Donté Drumm, an innocent black football player wrongly accused of raping and murdering a beautiful, blonde cheerleader classmate. (Stereotypes, anyone?) Though friends in and out of school, the two had never had any other kind of relationship. Lies by the girl's ex-boyfriend lead police to arrest and beat a confession out of Donté, one that he later recants. But the cycle of lies has already started. The fictitious East Texas town of Slone quickly assumes Donté's guilt, and a carefully orchestrated all-white jury convicts and sentences him to death. Years go by and it is only days until his execution when out of nowhere, a recently released convict, Travis Boyette, shows up in Kansas confessing responsibility for the crime to a local Lutheran minister. Lots of personal moral issues arise. Should the minister betray confidentiality and inform the authorities about this confession? Should he follow his gut, leave his family, and take Boyette to Texas in hopes of exonerating Donté Drumm? Will aiding a criminal in breaking parole and committing a felony in the process lead to damaging public outcries, loss of his job, or even imprisonment? How can he sit back and do nothing while a supposedly innocent man is put to death? These questions and more are going through his mind, and therein lies the story.
Will Reverend Keith deliver Boyette to Donté's law team in Texas? Will the governor or Appeals Courts step in with a stay of execution while the matter is investigated? Will the body of the murdered cheerleader ever be found? How will all these issues affect race relations in the small town of Slone? You'll just have to read The Confession and find out.
A couple of issues with the author.... Even though he plainly states in a note at the end of the book that he detests research for his novels, a couple of minutes on the Internet would have saved him a lot of embarrassment with anyone who knows the least little bit about Texas. Namely, our state rock is pink granite, not red, and that is what the capitol is made out of. Also, when you are driving south on I-35 out of Oklahoma, and you hit Sherman, you don't turn west on Highway 82 in order to get to east Texas. The rest of the descriptions are fairly accurate. Actual place names--Paris, Mount Pleasant, Longview, and Tyler, for example--add to the realism, as does the description of our own Governor Goodhair, although in the book he has a different name than we're used to seeing. Unfortunately, his actions and attitude in the story speak volumes as to who is being described.
I won't say this is the best thing Grisham has ever written, and it isn't my favorite by a longshot, but it certainly seems to be touching a nerve with some people. One friend got so upset by the actions of a character that she refused to read further until she had calmed down over a period of several days. The book is written for an adult audience and would be suitable for high school age or older. There's no sex, but some expected foul language. Mostly it's about doing what is right even when it feels uncomfortable....and that's a lesson we all could use.

The Recruit by Robert Muchamore

2011-01-20T23:28:00.009-06:00

The Recruit is the first title in the multi-volume CHERUB series. CHERUB is an acronym that no one seems to remember the exact wording for, but it is the name of a secret British government organization that uses orphaned or abandoned children as spies and secret agents to infiltrate criminal organiza-tions. James is an adolescent who steals electronics and fashionable shoes for his lazy mom so she can fence goods out of their home to make money for booze, being that she's a morbidly obese alcoholic who can't seem to leave her couch. He is bullied at school and falls in with a bad crowd in order to get some street cred and hopefully improve his reputation. Eventually he finds himself on the wrong side of the law, alone, and in a youth half-way house where he learns that things--and people--aren't always what they seem. The title alone should clue you in as to what happens to James, but you'll have to read it for yourself to find out exactly how the story unfolds...
I picked this book up on the recommendation of a fellow librarian who claimed that the boys in her school couldn't get enough of the series. Having read this first book, I can see why they are popular. The plot moves along at a pretty good clip so there's always something new: thrills--action--adventure--mystery--to focus on and carry a reader's attention. I know as a librarian and a Language Arts teacher that I should be happy if students are reading anything, but I do have a few minor complaints about this book.
First of all, the quality of the publishing is laughable. I never saw so many glaring typos in my life. I don't think it ever went through a proper edit for spelling or meaning. Sadly, most young readers won't notice the bulk of the usage flaws, but it was a real stumbling block for me as an adult.
Secondly, is it really necessary to put curse words in books with kids as the lead characters? It was difficult enough to decipher the British slang used. Why was the random cussing needed? It wasn't really central to the story, and there isn't a lot of it, but I just thought it could have been cleaned up a bit and been a much better book overall. Even one of the teachers in the story tells a youth to clean up his mouth or get punished if he uses cuss words in his presence again. Hel-lo!
Finally, there are plot elements that aren't for the weak-stomache crowd. The young man I gave this copy out to on the day it arrived, brought it back to me the next day almost in shock. The animal abuse, drunkeness, domestic violence, casual shoplifting attitude, drugs, smoking, and so on were way too much for him to handle. I put a bright YA (young adult) label on it for content, but even with that warning, I think I may have to limit readership to 8th grade and older. I'm debating sending the series on up to our high school where it might be more suitable.

Horsing around with Dick & Felix Francis

2011-01-03T22:20:00.004-06:00

I have long been a fan of traditional British murder mysteries. I can remember collecting all the Agatha Christie detective novels I could find at used books stores and garage sales back while I was still in high school. When she died in 1976 (also the year I graduated), I thought that would be the end of those kinds of stories. Years later I was encouraged by a local library volunteer to try the writings of Dick Francis. I was once again transported to the English countryside and the cloak and dagger world of gripping British murder yarns. Needless to say, I quickly read through all his horse racing related mysteries on the shelves of my local public library. Francis' wife Mary was long thought to be the brains behind his books, and when she too died in 2000, many in the know said that her death would be the end of his long string of successful detective novels. I assumed (wrongly) that I had read the last of his entralling tales. Not so. With the assistance of his son and long-time manager, Felix, Dick Francis continued to turn out decent horse-themed murder books every few years until his own death on my birthday (February 14) in 2010. I have been using the days I was off from school this past holiday season to catch up on the titles I have missed. They are all stand-alone titles, but a few share common characters and locations.

Dead Heat is about a chef who caters a fancy dinner at a prestigious racing venue only to have most of his guests come down with food poisoning. Was it his fault so many got ill? Was it somebody trying to ruin his reputation? How far would they go to damage him and his career? When several guests at the next banquet end up dead, a page-turning, twisting trail of drug smuggling, money laundering and murder leads readers on a thrilling ride.

I finished Silks at about 2:30 in the morning. Not a good idea for the night before the first day of a new semester, but what can I say? I was hooked in the story. A part-time amateur jockey and full-time lawyer uncovers a plot to frame a fellow winning jockey for murder. When he starts digging for the truth, thugs with baseball bats come threatening and calling in the middle of the night with messages for him to back off...or else. Of course, that just makes him want to dig deeper to find out what really happened to set this chain of events in motion.

Even if you've never been on the back of a horse, or have any interest in racing, I think you'll like the environment of any of the Francis family's horse-themed novels. Some are more in-depth in the racetrack settings, but just as many are on the fringes with a particular race, or horse, or track as the background for the real story. If you like a good detective story/murder mystery. Give anything by Dick Francis a try.

Books I Read in 2010

2011-01-02T18:18:00.003-06:00

The last couple of years I've been setting myself a challenge to read at least one book per week. I'm happy to report that once again I have exceeded my goal. I try to vary my reading from middle grade novels to adult fiction, some young adult material, a few classics, a couple of nonfiction, and even some children's picture books, too. Here's the list of titles I was able to finish during 2010:

59. Even Money by Dick & Felix Francis (AD)
58. Caught by Harlan Coben (AD)
57. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson (AD)
56. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (AD)
55. It's a Book by Lane Smith (CP)
54. Ranger's Apprentice 9 : Halt's Peril by John Flanagan (MG)
53. The Cardturner by Louis Sachar (MG)
52. Pop by Gordon Korman (MG)
51. The Help by Kathryn Stockett (AD)
50. Diary of a Wimpy Kid 5: The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney (MG)
49. The Gardener by S.A. Bodeen (MG)
48. Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson (MG)
47. Stitches: a Memoir by David Small (YA)
46. Aunt Isabell Tells a Good One by Kate Duke (CP)
45. The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima (MG)
44. The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (YA)
43. The Brick Layer by Noah Boyd (AD)
42. Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving (AD)
41. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (YA)
40. Poop Happened! A History of the World from the Bottom Up by Sarah Albee (MG)
39. The Nerd (play script) by Larry Shue (AD)
38. Corduroy Mansions by Alexander McCall Smith (AD)
37. Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate (MG)
36. The Marrowbone Marble Company by Glenn Taylor (AD)
35. The Passage by Justin Cronin (AD)
34. Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich (AD)
33. 61 Hours by Lee Child (AD)
32. The Necromancer by Michael Scott (MG)
31. Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine (MG)
30. One Shot by Lee Child (AD)
29. The Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith (AD)
28. Where the Broken Heart Still Beats: the story of Cynthia Ann Parker by Carolyn Meyer (YA)
27. Ranger's Apprentice 8: The Kings of Clonmel by John Flanagan (MG)
26. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton (CL)
25. Crum by Lee Maynard (AD)
24. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler (CL)
23. Ordinary Thunderstorms by William Boyd (AD)
22. The Legend of Bass Reeves by Gary Paulsen (MG)
21. Bull Rider by Suzanne Morgan Williams (YA)
20. Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen (MG)
19. The Double Comfort Safari Club by Alexander McCall Smith (AD)
18. The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick (MG)
17. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly (MG)
16. Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper, Case Closed by Patricia Cornwell (AD)
15. Going Bovine by Libba Bray (YA)
14. The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary: How Greg Heffley Went Hollywood by Jeff Kinney (MG)
13. Die Trying by Lee Child (AD)
12. Song of the Trees by Mildred D. Taylor (MG)
11. Tripwire by Lee Child (AD)
10. Running Blind by Lee Child
09. Ford County : Stories by John Grisham (AD)
08. High Fidelity by Nick Hornby (AD)
07. Ranger's Apprentice 7: Erak's Ransom by John Flanagan (MG)
06. The Wrecker by Clive Cussler & Justin Scott (AD)
05. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (MG)
04. Guardian by Julius Lester (YA)
02. Killing Floor by Lee Child (AD)
02. Persuader by Lee Child (AD)
01. U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton (AD)

Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson

2010-11-06T19:35:00.003-06:00

Through heart-pounding narrative, the events surrounding the American Revolution and specifically the incidents about the continental soldiers' harsh winter conditions at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, come to life in this second novel in Laurie Halse Anderson's historical trilogy. Told from the point of view of former slave, Curzon, we learn about the network of spies used by British and American leaders, the ironic double standard for black soldiers fighting for the new country's freedom but not their own, and of course, the typical cruel treatment of human property by wealthy slave owners. Anderson has once again written about history in a way that makes it come alive for readers. If there had been books like this when I was growing up, I might not have been so bored with History classes in school. I'm looking forward to finishing this historic saga with the 2011 release of the final book, Ashes. Forge contains some violence and colorfully graphic descriptions of war-related trauma, disease, and a little strong language. Recommended for upper elementary to adult. This title is available at SMS Library.

Stitches: a Memoir by David Small

2010-11-06T18:45:00.004-06:00

I feel sure that writing and illustrating this personal narrative must have been cathartic for David Small. He faced some mighty scary demons growing up. And for the record, they were still pretty intense to an adult reader. Stitches is one of those unique books that only comes along once in a great while. Its serious subject matter makes it eligible for some serious attention and a variety of award considerations (it was a National Book Award finalist), and its graphic (i.e. comic book-like) format makes it easily accessible to a wide range of readers. It is graphic in the other definition, too. The fact that it is an autobiographical memoir makes it unusual, but realizing that the subject of the book is himself a writer/illustrator the format makes perfect sense for him to tell his story in this manner. The injuries and damages inflicted on him as a child by his own parents are tough to digest in spots. It makes one appreciate him even more knowing he survived what he went through. As I read this amazing story, I couldn't help make comparisons in style to Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret, and subject matter to Dave Pelzer's A Child Called 'It'. If nothing else, Stitches brings to light that, unfortunately, there is still abuse going on in countless homes, even those of "good" families. This book should appeal to a wide range of readers, but will especially resonate with sensitive, artistic students, or anyone who has been the victim of a bully. Due to content, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone below middle school level. I would definitely caution anyone below high school age that what they are about to read is pretty strong stuff, even if it is presented in a comic-book format.

The Brick Layer by Noah Boyd

2010-10-02T20:22:00.004-05:00

Considering that first-time novelist Noah Boyd is a respected former FBI agent, the authenticity with which he writes makes for a very intriguing read. There are enough twists, turns, and surprises to keep even the most jaded mystery and detective reader engaged, and the storyline contains plenty of heart-pounding suspense for those who like lots of action. Add a couple of possible romantic entanglements, and you've got yourself a new American Hero in the character of Steve Vail. Look out Jack Reacher, you've got some competition! I can't wait to see how Boyd follows up this amazing debut. Suitable for high school and older.

Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate

2010-07-28T23:40:00.004-05:00

A novel written in verse, this book tells the story of Kek, a Sudanese boy who survives his country's Civil War and is relocated to the United States with other refugees. His new home (Minnesota in the middle of winter) is very different from his native land where it is summer all year long. Kek knows some English from the schools set up in his village, but he is still confused over American slang and idioms. A girl from his apartment building soon befriends him and helps him navigate through all the confusion. He is overwhelmed by the easy freedom and limitless choices available in his new country, and by the memories of his family left behind--many of whom are now dead. He does find a connection to his former life, though, when he discovers a tiny farm with one lonely cow to remind him of the herds of cattle that once roamed near his village. Home of the Brave is a touching and gentle reminder of what it means to be a stranger in a strange land, and how much we take for granted in America. This book would be perfect for ESL teachers to use with their students, because it reminds us that we are essentially a nation of immigrants.
A copy of this title is available at SMS Library. It is suitable for third grade to adult. Highly recommended, it is a quick read, which should make it popular with reluctant readers.

The Passage by Jusin Cronin

2010-07-06T14:47:00.009-05:00

Similar in scope to Stephen King's epic The Stand, creepy as Richard Matheson's I Am Legend, and compelling as Cormac McCarthy's The Road, at 766 pages and weighing almost three pounds, The Passage will not only keep you reading for awhile, it'll keep you awake at night and build your arm muscles, too. If you've been considering buying one of those electronic reader devices, now might be a good time to invest in one.

When 15-year-old aspiring novelist Christopher Paolini self-published his first book, Eragon, a few years back, he received positive comments for being so inclusive of traditional elements of dragon mythology, but he was likewise blasted for the same reasons. Words like "unoriginal" and "copy cat plot" were tossed about. The same comparisons are being lobbed at Justin Cronin over The Passage. Yes, he does include familiar plot lines about government experiments gone horribly wrong, freakish genetically altered monsters a la Dean Koontz's Watchers terrorizing the planet, and a band of human survivors trying to connect with others of their kind, but it is the literate and inventive way he strings these threads together that make his latest work so readable.

The Passage unfolds in waves, like the waters of a still pond when a pebble is dropped in. Scientists discover a new strain of creature in a South American rainforest and bring it to the U.S. to perform experiments on it. They want to genetically engineer an unstoppable soldier who can see in the dark, heal himself rapidly, and keep going and going and going much like the Energizer bunny if he were chasing terrorists. The first 12 human subjects are death row inmates, mostly convicted murderers who already have a disregard for basic human life. When injected with the experimental serum, they become glowing, flesh-eating monsters, more like bats or giant insects than 'vampires', but due to their thirst for blood and their mouth full of straw-shaped teeth, the inevitable labels stick: virals, flyers, dracs, vamps, smokes, etc. Of course they escape from their military stronghold and wreak havoc on the countryside, literally wiping out the majority of the population on the continent. Pockets of survivors somehow manage to stay alive and carry on for about 100 years. And that is the gist of what this book is about: surviving.

It is also about "the story." Characters seem to cherish tales and legends about the "Time Before" because events unfolded so quickly, there was no time to write them down to pass along for future generations. Cronin includes scenes involving a public library and another where a character discovers boxes filled with novels. Still another characters uses books and manuals to teach himself how to solve technical problems with the aging equipment. Some of the breaks in Cronin's narrative are to inject bits of a personal diary found years after the fact. These glimpses help to propel the story along and leave the reader with hope that future generations survive. If nothing else, their words do anyway.

The first third of this book had me completely enthralled. I couldn't wait to turn the page and find out what was going to happen next as the groundwork was put into place about the secret government installation, the Federal agents in charge, the enigmatic little girl (Amy), Sister Lacey from the convent, and all the rest. It was compelling and literate. The middle third, and in my opinion, the weakest section, introduces a substantial cast of characters from "First Colony", a walled community in California which has somehow managed to stay alive for several decades. Many sometimes tedious pages are filled with explanations and backstory on who they are and what they do. There are the usual clichéd characters: the geeky tinkerer, the prophetic old black woman, the competitive brothers, the nurturing female nurse, the braggart, the soldier, and so on. One minute they seem to be important characters, integral to the plot, and the next they are killed off, victims of a viral attack...or each other. The final third of the novel gets back on track as we see select members of the Colony leaving on a quest to find other humans who have survived. They share a drive to discover the truth and somehow fulfill a mission, all the while rediscovering their humanity along the way. This last part was as captivating to me as the first, because neither I nor the characters knew what was waiting over the next hill or around the next corner.

I have to confess I fell for the hype that said this book was the "must read" of the summer. I don't normally like post-apocalyptic stories because they're so darn depressing, but this one was getting lots of gushing reviews back in the spring, so of course I had to see for myself. And I am glad I did. Now, if only somebody had mentioned this was going to be the first book in a planned trilogy.... I hope I can hold out until the next book in the series is released. Please write faster, Mister Cronin!
______

Note: The Passage was written for a mature audience and is fairly intense in places. Due to language and violence, I recommend this title for 11th grade and older. For these reasons, it is not available at Stone MS Library.

61 Hours : a Jack Reacher novel by Lee Child

2010-07-03T10:44:00.003-05:00

A perfect mystery for a hot summer day. The action takes place in the dead of winter in the frigid, bone-chilling cold of South Dakota. Reacher has hitched a ride on a tour bus of senior citizens when it swerves on an icy patch and runs off the road. He finds himself holed up in the small town of Bolton where a new prison built nearby has the townsfolk edgy and the police department doubled in size. The bus passengers are offered refuge with local residents until a replacement bus can be arranged. Meanwhile, Reacher learns of the recent murder of a lawyer and with nothing but free time on his hands, he helps law enforcement officials try to solve the crime. Soon he and the town's police officers find themselves involved in a much larger web of intrigue as they work furiously to protect a witness before anyone else ends up being silenced for what they know. This is another Reacher novel I had figured out early on, but as usual with Mr Child's stories, the journey through to the end is still a fine ride. I am NOT happy about the ending though, and I'll just leave it at that. The next book in the series is due out in October 2010.

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

2010-06-17T13:59:00.007-05:00

In the movie version of To Kill a Mockingbird, single father Atticus tells his daughter Scout that sometimes you never really know what a person's life is like until you "walk a mile in their shoes." Thanks to author Kathryn Erskine, readers now have the opportunity to experience the world of a child with Asperger's syndrome through the eyes of a fictional character who is living with it.

Caitlin Smith is a fifth-grader who sees the world in black and white. To her mind, colors are vague and confusing, like trying to figure out the comments, feelings, and intentions of others--the basic condition of persons suffering from Asperger's syndrome. Caitlin is trying to deal with this affliction in the aftermath of a school shooting in her small Virginia community. Her older brother, Devon, a candidate for Eagle Scout, was one of the victims, along with a middle school teacher named Mrs. Schneider. Caitlin's own mom had died several years before, so that just leaves Caitlin and her father to try and piece their lives back together. Caitlin is already seeing the school counselor, Mrs. Brook, to learn how to interpret verbal and nonverbal signals from others, which are so confusing to her logical and literal way of thinking. What Mrs. Brook is trying to teach Caitlin is to feel empathy for others, to understand things from their point of view, and to try and figure out what they may actually be saying, feeling, or wanting. Caitlin grapples with making new friends on the elementary school playground, but she doesn't understand why Josh, a classmate and a bully, is so full of anger. Nor does she realize why a first-grader named Michael is always so sad and alone. Even more challenging at home is trying to communicate with her father who seems to break down crying every time she mentions anything about her dead brother Devon.

Told largely in dialogue and from Caitlin's point of view, readers will quickly come to comprehend how difficult and frustrating things must be for people who have Asperger's syndrome, and for those who interact with them on a regular basis. I found this book informative, enlightening, and very moving, and I must admit there were a few tears shed along the way. I highly recommend it to educators who want to vicariously get to know the world of a child with Asperger's, but also to anyone who wants to understand the dynamics of friendship and communication better. After reading this gem of a novel, you'll get it...really GET IT.

Mockingbird is available at Stone MS Library. I expect it to be popular with students because of its many short chapters, small page size, and large font, which will make reading it very easy. I also anticipate starred reviews and awards for this book in the coming months because of the excellent writing and universal themes.

Where the Broken Heart Still Beats : the story of Cynthia Ann Parker by Carolyn Meyer

2010-06-06T15:37:00.008-05:00

Having driven through the town of Quanah in Parker County, Texas on several occasions, I always wondered how and why those particular names ended up in that part of the state. After reading this book, I now have a better understanding of who these places were named for, if not why.
I was never much of a history buff in school, but the older I get, the more I enjoy reading autobiographical and nonfiction tales from the past. I had heard the name of Cynthia Ann Parker before, but wasn't familiar with her whole story. Luckily, I found this book in a nearby second-hand shop and brought it home to read. It's part of a series of historical fiction that I plan to add to our middle school library in the future, because it uses an engaging narrative to relay small bits of our country's history in an entertaining way, one which I think students and teachers will enjoy.
In the mid-19th century, the Parker family compound in north Texas was attacked by a band of marauding Comanches. The Indians killed and scalped the adults in the settlement but took the young children as hostages, later using them to trade for weapons, or as in Cynthia Ann's case, as slaves to the tribe. Twenty-five years pass before Cynthia Ann is rescued by an elderly family member and brought back to live with her blood relatives in east Texas, but by then it was too late as she had already 'turned native'. Looking and acting more like the Indians who raised her than the blue-eyed, 9-year-old white girl that she had been when captured, she finds herself lost and emotionally alone. Despite her celebrity status as a famous Indian kidnapping victim, and recognition from the state legislature, Cynthia Ann is still treated by the adult women relatives as 'possessed' by evil demons. Their only solution to her situation is to continuously read Bible scriptures in her direction. Only her young cousin Lucy Parker seems to understand and care for Cynthia Ann's unique story, which she writes about in her journal. Never able to fit in no matter where she is sent, Cynthia Ann is passed around from relative to relative until she endures a tragedy that even someone as strong as she can't overcome. A sad story, but one that shows the determination and strength of pioneer women, and the power of love.

Ranger's Apprentice 8: The Kings of Clonmel by John Flanagan

2010-06-01T18:53:00.005-05:00

A rogue band of outlaws has been terrorizing five of the six regions of Hibernia, burning villages, killing farmers, and spreading mistrust for the ruling royalty. Then, by posing as a religious cult, they pretend to scare off these roving marauders (their own members in disguise) to gain the people's trust in their fake god. Their charismatic leader, Tennyson, is a silver-tongued orator and his influence and reputation is spreading quickly. In order for his religious followers to 'protect' a region, the inhabitants must give over their gold, jewels, and other valuables. There's only one region of Hibernia left for him to conquer: Clonmel, and then he will control the entire country. The King's head ranger, Halt, observes this treachery in his homeland and sends for former apprentices Will and Horace to help him figure out a way to turn the tide of public opinion against these white-robed bandits. But before they can solve Hibernia's dilemma, Halt has some unfinished family business to take care of as well...

This installment in the popular Ranger's Apprentice series follows the same familiar formula as past volumes, but author John Flanagan always manages to make each one fresh and interesting. Lots of action and adventure, plus some good-humored fun, makes The Kings of Clonmel another exciting read, and worth every minute spent inside the pages of the story. Every American edition in this book series is available at Stone MS Library. They are suitable for fifth grade and older.

The Double Comfort Safari Club

2010-04-24T19:43:00.005-05:00

Another charming installment in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series...now up to 11 volumes. As with the others, author Alexander McCall Smith takes readers on a gentle journey to modern-day Botswana and into the lives of his simple but colorful characters. This time around Mma Ramotswe leads a husband and wife through a bit of troubling uncertainty in their marriage, finds a lawyer to help a client get back a house he has been cheated out of, and with her faithful assistant, Grace Makutsi, journeys to a remote river region of Botswana she has never visited before to deliver good news to a mysterious safari guide working there. Mma Makutsi's beloved fiance has suffered an accident and is being smothered with affection by an overbearing auntie, and Grace's perennial arch-nemesis, Violet Sopheto, has reared her painted head to cause the poor woman more problems. The writing in this title is some of the best yet. It fairly sparkles with humor, warmth, and insight, and I found myself wishing for more pages to peruse when I came to the end of the book. That is my only complaint with this series....the new volumes just don't get published quickly enough! I love these books!

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

2010-04-10T23:15:00.007-05:00

Eleven-year-old 'Callie Vee' is the only girl in her family of seven children. As such, she is expected to learn domestic arts like cooking, knitting, and playing the piano so she can eventually find herself a husband. All she wants to do is spend time with her grandfather and learn everything he has to teach her about nature and science. But it's 1899 in central Texas, and proper young ladies from good families don't waste their time studying books and bugs and plants. Or do they? Callie's six brothers are free to choose their own paths, so why can't she? It isn't right and it isn't fair. What if she doesn't meet someone she wants to get married to? Read this book and follow Calpurnia's first hesitant steps on her journey towards independence. Filled with warmth, humor, and lots of family love, plus some unusual vocabulary words to spur many a reader into cracking open a dictionary. Similar in style to Richard Peck's recent "Grandma Dowdel" trilogy. This book is on the 2010 Texas Lone Star Reading List for middle grade readers and was also recipient of the Newbery Honor Award this year. A copy is available at SMS library.

The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary by Jeff Kinney

2010-03-20T14:44:00.006-06:00

An excellent behind-the-scenes look at how a doodle can become a comic strip character, then a best-selling children's book series, and eventually evolve into a major motion picture starring real actors. Author/illustrator Jeff Kinney traces how his quintessential middle schooler, Greg Heffley, went Hollywood, using personal anecdotes, trivia, and just enough information about the movie-making industry to make anyone feel like an expert on the subject. Written in Greg's familiar printing style, this book comes with side-by-side comparisons of scenes from both the page and the big screen, explains why sometimes movies need to be different from the books they are based on, and loads of other information about the film industry. All this is told in an easy-to-understand manner any child (or adult) can comprehend. A perfect addition to any library or book shelf that already has the rest of the series, but also a nice stand-alone title that would fit easily into the nonfiction section on how movies are made too. Plus, it's a quick read. Highly recommended!

Song of the Trees by Mildred D. Taylor

2010-03-15T14:12:00.007-06:00

I ordered this book for our middle school library at the request of a student. It seems we had it at one time, but it must have gotten weeded or lost over the years. At only 52 pages, including several illustrated ones, it didn't take me but about half an hour to read, so its size alone should make it a popular choice among adolescents. Seems the thin-ness of a book is its most appealing characteristic. For this reason, there isn't a lot of story here to get excited over. A poor African-American family trying to eke out a living in the rural South during the Great Depression is threatened by a local white lumberman. He wants to bring in his crew and wipe out the centuries-old trees in the forest surrounding their land. He offers them a pittance for the timber and they are desperate to accept it due to dire circumstances they've found themselves in. The family is running out of money for food, medicine, and other unforeseen expenses that may come due to the mother's vague illness. The father is out of the picture, presumably on a trip to find work, but he returns just in time to confront the mean old lumberman, threatening him with dynamite. Seems in order to 'save' the trees from being cut and sold, he'll just blow them all up instead. Yeah...really made sense to me too. Oh, and then the book ends.
A paperback copy of this title is now available at SMS library, but I can't imagine recommending it to anyone unless they need to do a fast book report on the last day of the six-weeks. It is supposedly a companion title to this author's Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry which received the Newbery Medal for outstanding children's literature many years back. Go figure.

More Jack Reacher books by Lee Child

2010-03-15T10:54:00.008-06:00

Off for Spring Break this week and planning to catch up on things around the house: yardwork, cleaning out the garage, preparing income taxes, possibly some painting and wallpapering, and of course reading a few books in between. My wife went to the library late last week and brought home three Lee Child novels in his Jack Reacher series for us to share. She is still working on her first title, and I am impatiently waiting on her to finish, since I have already read the other two. As with my previous post (see January 2010) about Lee Child's work, these books will keep you up all night until you are finished. The writing is just that good! I will have to say that Running Blind [UK title: The Visitor] was weaker than some of his work. I had almost the entire finale figured out by page 78--except for one detail--so either I'm getting better at untangling plots, or he was in a hurry and on deadline, so the writing wasn't as tight as it normally is. Anyway, it was still an enjoyable read. (Hey, I had to get to the end to find out if I was correct in my theories, didn't I?) The other book I just finished, Tripwire, has one of the most evil villains I think I have ever encountered in fiction...except possibly for Hannibal Lector. So if you are looking for edge-of-your-seat adult crime fiction, you won't go wrong reading anything by Lee Child.

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby

2010-02-22T22:51:00.007-06:00

Finally! A book written for the male species about what it means to eventually grow up and become an adult. Jeans and t-shirt wearing slacker Rob Fleming is a 35-year-old music junkie and London record store owner who for the past 20 years has been merely marking time to the beat of songs he deejays at parties, sells in his store, and organizes onto custom cassette tapes for himself and his acquaintances. He and his two fellow employees argue over each other's 'Top Five" lists as if they were a matter of life and death. Women drift in and out (mostly out) of Rob's life along the way and he has reached a personal crossroads where he simply must find out if the problems he's having with relationships lie within himself, or with the women he's known. His longtime girlfriend Laura leaves him for the guy upstairs, which frees Rob to revisit previous paramours to find out what went wrong. By the end of his self-examination he discovers that fidelity has more than one meaning and that maybe he should stop judging people by the kind of music they own and accept them for the way it makes them feel. Many men will see shadows of their own personalities in Rob. They'll realize that what passes for masculinity in one guy is completely different for another--that one man's childishness is another man's uninhibited free spirit.

I can remember my own misspent youth and the hours of poring over album covers by favorite artists, riding the back roads of the county with friends listening to tapes and arguing over which song was better, and being first in line to pick up the latest LP release or tickets to an upcoming concert. Yes, I too deejayed parties in high school and college. Yes, I too worked as a record store manager for over three years. And yes, I even made lists (still do!) of my "Top Five" [action films, rock songs, British comedies...whatever]. I made compilation 8-track and cassette tapes for friends and family over a span of several years. People often comment that they were some of their favorite listening materials while growing up, and some still have them!

The writing in High Fidelity is literate stream-of-consciousness prose, laced with plenty of dry wit and humor, plus a dash or two of sarcasm. Hornby has turned the anxiety of growing up male into written art; a confessional about fitting in, loneliness, failure, death, and other sobering topics most guys don't want to talk about. And that is what sticks with you in the end.

This book is written for an adult audience and is not available at SMS Library, but it is highly recommended for mature, adult readers. I recommend it to other 'men of a certain age' who are at a point of looking both forward and backward at their life. This book just might be the catalyst that prompts a reader out of his stupor. It might also provide an angle for the female wanting a glimpse into the male mind. A movie version starring John Cusack does a decent job of following the book as well.

Guardian by Julius Lester

2010-01-24T15:52:00.005-06:00

One thing about being a librarian, when you can't sleep at night and there's nothing on TV but infomercials, there's usually a stack of reading material lying around just waiting to be picked up. Such was the case at 3:30 this morning. After an hour of tossing and turning--and computer solitaire--I finally grabbed Guardian by Julius Lester off the 'to be read' stack beside my nightstand. It had been recommended recently on the Texas Library Connection listserv as being a powerful book, so I checked it out of the local public library in hopes I could get to it soon. I read it cover to cover in under two hours.

Guardian tells the story (based on an amalgam of actual events) of the lynching of an innocent black man for the rape and murder of a teenage white girl. The crux of the novel is that mob mentality ruled much of the rural South for decades after the end of the Civil War, and that racism and slavery of a sort continued there from one generation to the next under different names.

Ansel is the 14-year-old son of the local general store owner, and best friend of Willie, the teenage son of the black man who is lynched. Ansel and his father come upon the rape and murder of the local preacher's daughter (and Ansel's would-be girlfriend) by a local white boy, the town's teenage bully. The young sociopath who committed the crimes blames her violent death on a convenient scapegoat: Willie's father, the caretaker who happened to be on the scene at the time of the incident. Who is everyone going to believe? A big, slow-witted Negro handyman, or him, the grandson of the town's wealthy founder? Ansel's father finds himself implicated in the situation by having recommended Willie's father to the job in the church where the rape and murder occurred. In order not to lose face within his community and among his customers, he blindly agrees with the youth's accusations against the man he knows to be innocent. Ansel is outraged that his father goes along with the rest of the town in carrying out the subsequent hanging of Willie's dad. He vows to get away from the town and find another direction for himself, but the incident haunts him for the rest of his life.

Guardian is blunt, graphic, and unsettling reading. Even more powerful than the message of the story itself is the bonus material listing examples of real lynchings in recent American history. This book is not recommended for anyone under the age of 16, and for this reason is not on the shelf at Stone MS Library. It contains violence, strong language, and sexual situations. For anyone wanting a more specific review, go to Common Sense Media ( http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/guardian ), a website I just discovered and plan to revisit in the future for background information on books I am looking to purchase for the school.

Jack Reacher series by Lee Child

2010-01-24T14:38:00.013-06:00

Lee Child is my current 'favorite' author and completing his Jack Reacher series is my mission for the coming year. I read two books in the series (Echo Burning and The Hard Way) before the end of '09, and now I have read two more (Persuader and Killing Floor) to start out 2010, so things are looking good on my personal Reading Resolution front. I had listened to one of his audiobooks on a trip to Arizona a couple of years back, but had never sought out his earlier work until my brother-in-law, Chris, reminded me during a family get-together over the holidays what an engaging writer Lee Child is. The books so far have followed a similar format: Jack Reacher, tough guy ex-military policeman with no family and no home, wanders around the American landscape at will and always seems to stumble into bad luck and trouble. He has a penchant for old blues recordings, cheap disposable clothing, and beautiful, independent women. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying the books are all carbon copies of each other. They aren't. Each title has individual and distinct situations unique to its setting. So far I've read books set in New York City, Texas, Connecticut, Georgia, and the desert cities of the American West. In each, there's usually a group of bad guys making life miserable for those unfortunate enough to cross paths with them, and Reacher is recruited into defending them. The books contain violence, plus adult language and situations, so they are better suited for older teens to adults. I haven't been reading them in chronological order, which isn't really a problem as far as I'm concerned, but I was pleased to finally find a copy of Killing Floor, the first novel in the popular series. Now I can start filling in the gaps and getting a better sense of the sequence of events in Reacher's life.
A quick look at the author's biography on the Internet Movie Database gave me a little information, but I was surprised to learn that so far, apparently none of his books have been considered for movies. I can't understand this, because the writer himself used to work in the film industry in his native England, and the storylines are tailor-made for a BBC or HBO mini-series. Our hero is tall, athletic, and handsome, with ice blue eyes, which should make him appealing to female viewers and admirable to male viewers. His wanderings take him across the country to different locales, which would up production costs, but keep things interesting for the fans. And he frequently falls in love with at least one lonely lovely lady in each story, so the romance angle should appeal to general audiences as well. Action adventure films tend to be major releases as far as movies go, so maybe one day some bright director will wise up to the potential and possibilities of a Jack Reacher onscreen. Until then, at least we have the wonderful set of books to keep us entertained. Find them readily available at your local library or book store.

Books I Read in 2009

2010-01-01T17:03:00.003-06:00

Well, I finally broke my own record. I set out to read at least one book a week in hopes of finishing 52 by the end of the year. I can't believe I actually ended 2009 with 56 titles under my belt. Here they are arranged in the order that I read them, starting with the most recent at the top. See any that look interesting? Feel free to comment or ask questions. Here's hoping for more great books in 2010! Happy Reading!

The Hard Way by Lee Child
Homer & Langley by E.L. Doctorow
Echo Burning by Lee Child
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
Blood Lure by Nevada Barr
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
The Devil's Paintbox by Victoria McKernan
The Music Man by Meredith Willson
SLOB by Ellen Potter
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by 20th-Century American Art by Jan Greenberg
Diary of a Wimpy Kid 4: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney
A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck
Notes From the Dog by Gary Paulsen
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Heaven & Hell : My Life in the Eagles (1974-2001) by Don Felder & Wendy Holden
The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Ranger's Apprentice 6: The Siege of Macindaw by John Flanagan
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Winterkill by C.J. Box
Shredderman 1: Secret Identity by Wendelin Van Draanen
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
Dead Irish by John Lescroart
Coal Black Horse by Robert Olmstead
The Sorceress by Michael Scott
Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich
Black Wind by Clive & Dirk Cussler
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith
Starclimber by Kenneth Oppel
Long Lost by Harlan Coben
Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull
The Associate by John Grisham
Partly Cloudy: Poems of Love and Longing by Gary Soto
Big Red by Jim Kjelgaard
The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer
Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen
Whittington by Alan Armstrong
Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star by Brandon Mull
Down Cut Shin Creek: The Pack Horse Librarians of Kentucky by Kathi Appelt and Jeanne Cannella Schmitzer
What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell
The Shack by William P. Young
Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney
When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
The Magician by Michael Scott

Books I Read in 2007

2010-01-01T16:13:00.003-06:00

Trying to clean up my blog a bit by moving long lists off the front page and into regular posts. Here's a list of all the titles I went through in 2007, the first year I started keep an online record of books I'd read. There were 45 in all!

Airborn by Kenneth Oppel
The Alchemyst by Michael Scott
Bad Luck and Trouble by Lee Child
Black Duck by Janet Taylor Lisle
The Black Tattoo by Sam Enthoven
The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn & Hal Iggulden
Dramarama by E. Lockhart
Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
Edge of Evil by J.A. Jance
The Final Solution by Michael Chabon
Firegirl by Tony Abbott
The Good Husband of Zebra Drive by Alexander McCall Smith
Hard Truth by Nevada Barr
Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron
The Innocent Man by John Grisham
Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass
La Línea by Ann Jaramillo
Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones
My Mother the Cheerleader by Robert Sharenow
The Navigator by Clive Cussler
On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan
Panic by Jeff Abbott
Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich
Portrait in Sepia by Isabel Allende
Ranger's Apprentice 1: The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan
Ranger's Apprentice 2: The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan
Ranger's Apprentice 3: The Icebound Land by John Flanagan
Restless by William Boyd
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney by Suzanne Harper
Silas Marner by George Eliot
Schooled by Gordon Korman
Skybreaker by Kenneth Oppel
So B. It by Sarah Weeks
Sold by Patricia McCormick
Stealing Lincoln's Body by Thomas J. Craughwell
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson
Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon

Books I Read in 2008

2010-01-01T15:55:00.003-06:00

To save a little space on my homepage, I've decided to convert the names of books I've read into end-of-year posts instead of separate lists. Here's my 2008 collection of 42 titles:

100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson
Aggies, Immies, Shooters, & Swirls : The Magical World of Marbles by Marilyn Barrett
Airman by Eoin Colfer
The Arrival by Shaun Tan
Back Spin by Harlan Coben
The Blue Star by Tony Earley
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
The Cat Ate My Gymsuit by Paula Danziger
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
The Chase by Clive Cussler
A Christmas Memory & Other Stories by Truman Capote
Crossing Bok Chitto by Tim Tingle
Deal Breaker by Harlan Coben
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid : Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney
The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp by Rick Yancey
Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich
Free Fall by Kyle Mills
The Garden of Last Days by Andre Dubus III
Ghost Fever (Mal de Fantasma) by Joe Hayes
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Hold Tight by Harlan Coben
Jim the Boy by Tony Earley
Leepike Ridge by N.D. Wilson
The Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith
The Mousetrap (play) by Agatha Christie
Night by Elie Wiesel
Night of the Howling Dogs by Graham Salisbury
The Otherworldlies by Jennifer Anne Kogler
Ranger's Apprentice 4: The Battle for Skandia by John Flanagan
Ranger's Apprentice 5: The Sorcerer of the North by John Flanagan
Secrets of the Cirque Medrano : a novel by Elaine Scott
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton
The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry
Winter Study by Nevada Barr
The Woods by Harlan Coben

The Hard Way by Lee Child

2009-12-30T16:50:00.005-06:00

My wife and I 'discovered' the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child back in 2007 when we borrowed an audiobook from our local public library to listen to as we drove out to visit relatives in Prescott, AZ. Bad Luck and Trouble was the title of that one and we got so caught up in the narrative that a couple of times we found ourselves sitting in parking lots or making an extra block to get to a good stopping point in the story. The Hard Way is book #10 in the series about ex-military tough guy Jack Reacher, a loner who travels on a whim and usually finds trouble waiting on him. I wish I had read the books in order, but really, so far I've been able to just pick any one of them up at random and get into the plot almost immediately. Background information is doled out as needed, so a reader is never at a loss for backstory.
The Hard Way takes place in New York City and rural England as Reacher follows the trail of a supposed kidnapper and rogue ex-military mercenary with mental health problems plus control issues. The guy's first wife was found dead in New Jersey following her kidnapping, now his new wife and step-daughter are being held for a ransom in the millions. The action is almost nonstop as clues lead to literal dead ends and red herrings before the truth comes out and the mayhem starts. Highly recommended if you are in the mood for a fast-paced page-turner.

This book is suitable for high school age and older.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

2009-12-05T10:42:00.006-06:00

I'm a little late to the party on this one, but now I understand what all the buzz for this series has been about. Having finished the first book, I am anxious to take on the next volume in the adventures of Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
I never had much of a background in classical mythology growing up, which I suppose explains my initial lack of interest in this story about the half-blood child of an ancient Greek god and a modern-day human. Most kids today don't have that background either, which may actually be the reason for the success of the five novels in this series. There's a little familiarity already built in because some of the characters have names young readers may have heard before: Poseidon, Zeus, Athena, Hades, etc. But there are also enough other characters with unfamilar names to make the stories seem new, fresh and interesting. It also helps that there are undeniable comparisons to the Harry Potter franchise: missing parents (check), abusive relative at home (check), faithful sidekicks in the form of a goofy but loyal best friend and a brainy but beautiful girl (check, check), teachers and adult role models who may or may not be trustworty (check), a home-away-from-home for Percy and other similar special creatures like him (check)....You get the idea. Oddly enough, a movie version of this book comes out in mid-January 2010, and the director is none other than Chris Columbus, the same guy who brought the first two Harry Potter books to life on film! (Have you seen the trailer for it? It looks awesome!)

The Lightning Thief contains enough adventure and excitement to keep young readers interested in following along with Percy and his pals to find out where they are headed, who they'll meet along the way, and what will happen next. Heck, it may even spur some students into checking out library books on ancient mythology to give them some background on these characters. (One can hope anyway.) Copies of this whole series are available at SMS Library and are recommended for ages 10 and older.

SLOB by Ellen Potter

2009-10-31T21:03:00.007-06:00

Twelve-year-old Owen is the fattest kid in his New York City school. But he’s also a near-genius who has been trying to invent some cool contraptions— like a TV that shows past events. Something happened two years ago that he desperately needs to see to gain a sense of closure and clarity. Intelligent or not, there is much Owen can’t quite figure out. Like his gym coach, Mr. Woolly, who, along with the rest of his classmates is on a mission to humiliate him. Or the disfigured school psycho-bully with a switchblade who seems to have it in for him. Or why his sister is a member of a gang of girls who pretend to be boys. Or the way his Oreos keep disappearing from his lunch sack. Or if karma points can be taken away when you do something bad after you do something good. He’s sure that if he can only get the TV to work, things will start to make sense, but it will take a revelation for Owen, not science, to see the answer’s in the present, not the past. That no matter how large he is on the outside, Owen doesn’t have to feel small on the inside. With humor and unflinching detail, Ellen Potter has created a larger-than-life character and a story that measures not with a scale, but with the heart. Yeah, it's a little sappy in spots, a bit predictable, and almost too conveniently wraps up at the end, but sometimes you just need to read a story with a happy ending to keep the world in balance.
SLOB has been short-listed for the 2010-2011 Texas Lone Star Reading List, and is a Junior Library Guild Premium Selection. A copy of this book is available from SMS Library. It is suitable for grade 6 and older, but it does contain a little mild language.

The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst

2009-10-28T19:09:00.008-06:00

Without a doubt, one of the most intriguing and unusual books I have ever read. At times both poetic and unsettling, it follows the death of Lexy, an artistic young married woman, and the state of grief suffered by her linguistics professor husband in the aftermath of her fall from a tree in their backyard. Was she pushed? Or was it a suicide? The only witness is Lorelei, their faithful dog, and she isn't talking...yet.

I'm one of those people who never defaces a book, but there were times I wanted to grab a hi-lighter to emphasize a beautiful turn of phrase by the author, or accent a memorable quote. And later on, I wanted to hack away an entire disturbing passage so nobody would ever read it again. When I finished the novel, I honestly could not think of anyone I would recommend it to, with the possible exception of Kim, one of our busiest PTO moms who will read anything. So...ultimately, an interesting read, but not for everyone. I am anxious to see more from this promising writer though. A reading group guide and author interview are included at the end of the novel.

Note: This is an adult title and is not suitable for adolescent readers. For this reason, it is not available at our middle school library.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid 4: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney

2009-10-18T11:57:00.007-05:00

More insights into the mind of modern middle schoolers. This time wimpy kid Greg Heffley's fictional journal gives readers a look at his 'best summer break ever,' including watching his first horror movie, frequent trips to the public swimming pool (and running the gauntlet through the men's locker room!), tagging along on his friend Rowley's family vacation to the beach, 4th of July fireworks, and the pain of training a new puppy, among other diversions. One of the best selling items at our recent book fair, the Wimpy Kid series has got some of the more reluctant readers at our school enjoying books! Thanks, Greg Kinney, for this fun and funny series! Recommended for ages 10 on up.

A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck

2009-10-14T20:37:00.008-05:00

In this companion book to his earlier Newbery nominated "A Long Way From Chicago" and "A Year Down Yonder", author Richard Peck revisits a very elderly Grandma Dowdel who continues dishing out her own version of prairie justice to deserving delinquents along with subtle doses of neighborliness to those in need. There's not as much laugh-out-loud country humor in this one, but some gentle heartwarming vignettes will surely put a lump in your throat and the spirit of Christmas in your soul. Share this one with upper elementary age kids on up to their great-grandparents. In fact, the oldsters may even get a bigger kick out of the story than the children! Pair this one with Truman Capote's A Christmas Memory which is similar in tone, though set during the Great Depression. All stories mentioned are available for checkout from Stone MS Library.

Notes From the Dog by Gary Paulsen

2009-10-11T20:30:00.004-05:00

Gary Paulsen has long been a favorite writer for adolescents (mainly boys), but with this new book he may just find himself adding legions of female readers to his fan club, too.
Fourteen-year-old Finn is a self-described loner and misfit. Finn's mom left many years ago, and his father, a perpetual college student, is mostly absent from his life as well. Young Finn decides that if the people who matter most to him are going to avoid him, then this summer, he is not going to interact with anyone else unless absolutely necessary. It'll just be a world of men: him, his dad, his dog Dylan, and his friend Matthew who moves in with them for the summer. He plans to spend the break from school doing his favorite thing, reading books, and ignoring the world around him.
That is until he meets Johanna, the vivacious girl who moves in next door. Johanna is a 24-year-old breast cancer patient who is currently undergoing chemotherapy and is house-sitting because this home is closer to the doctor's office where she takes her medical treatments. First Dylan, then Matthew, and eventually Finn find themselves drawn into this friendly and interesting young lady's orbit. She enlists Finn to help plan and carry out a transformation of his plain back yard into a garden retreat, coaxes him and Matthew into helping raise money for breast cancer research, and teaches all who come into contact with her the true meaning of family. Johanna is a glass-half-full person whose enthusiasm for living and finding joy in life is infectious. Through little affirmations she writes and sends to him via his dog Dylan, Finn finds himself gaining self-confidence, meeting scores of new people, and brave enough to finally ask the girl of his dreams out on a first date.
This book is a quick read, but packs a powerful emotional punch. Readers may find themselves smiling one minute and wiping away tears the next, but nobody will come away from this gem of a book without learning the importance of getting to know your neighbors and that by doing good for others, in reality you are bettering yourself.
A copy of this book is available from Stone MS Library and is suitable for grades 6 and up.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

2009-10-11T20:00:00.009-05:00

Book two of the Hunger Games trilogy finds champions Katniss and her 'frenemy' Peeta once again unwilling participants in a televised reality 'game show' to the death, only now they have to outwit, outplay, and outlast 22 other contestants who, like themselves, have survived them in the past. This time the game is basically the same, but the rules have been changed since it is a special 75th anniversary event. There's enough filler information from the first book so readers who are new to the series or have forgotten what happened (yeah, like that could happen!) will know who's who and what's going on.
Collins is a master of twisting plots and unexpected departures for her well-crafted characters. Now if I can just stand the suspense of waiting on book 3 to be published to find out what lies in store for the heroes of District 12 and the citizens of Panem.
Copies of this and other titles by Suzanne Collins are available at Stone MS Library and are recommended for grades 6 and up.
The area of adolescent and YA literature is hotter than ever right now, with many adults enjoying the great writing that is coming out of this genre. I encourage my adult friends to give this series a try. Much like the Twilight books did, I think you will find yourself hooked on the storyline and eager for the next book in the series.

I'd Tell You I Love You, but Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

2009-10-06T23:07:00.007-05:00

Witty and light-hearted, with a dash of teenage identity-searching make this book a delightful combination for middle school girls. Cammie Morgan is a sophomore at exclusive Gallagher Academy, an all-female private prep school to the outside world, but a secret training facility for future spies on the inside. She and her best buds Liz and Bex have enough trouble keeping up with assignments, now Cammie has gone and fallen in love with Josh, a local townie with problems of his own. Can their love survive with all the opposition being thrown at them from her school friends and his classmates? Will she have the courage to reveal her true identity to Josh? Can she come to terms with her father's death and her mother's potential boyfriend who just happens to be the hot new Covert Ops instructor? There's sure to be more excitement ahead since this is book one of a planned Gallagher Girls series.

This title is currently available in print and MP3 CD format at Stone MS. Look for other books in the series coming soon.

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

2009-09-07T14:41:00.020-05:00

Along with countless other fans of The Time Traveler's Wife, I have been anxiously awaiting the next literary effort by best-selling writer Audrey Niffenegger. And being a book blogger and a librarian, I was lucky enough to score an Advanced Reader's Edition of her second novel: Her Fearful Symmetry. Anticipation was high, the blurb on the back of the cover sounded quite exciting, and, I'll be honest here, any book that opens with a quote from the Beatles is pegging way up there on my interest-o-meter. I couldn't wait to start reading, imagining I was going to learn all the sad, Gothic details of an Eleanor Rigby-esque love story . . .

Hmmm. Where to begin... Let's start with the title, an allusion to William Blake's classic poem, The Tyger. I've included it here for your convenience:

The Tyger by William Blake

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, and what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? And what dread feet?

What the hammer? What the chain,
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? What dread grasp,
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears
And water'd heaven with their tears:
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

Make of it what you will. Without spoiling the plot for anyone, I suppose one could assume the reference to this literary work has parallels near the end of the story. I'd like to point out though that, like the poem, this novel follows the same structural pattern: both the opening and closing chapter title headings are the same: "The End." And like bookends they frame the contents of this book. Now this may or may not mean anything, but The End was also the title of another Beatles song (from Abbey Road) with this single lyric: "And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make." Again, hmmm. Coincidence? I think not! (This last sentence reads a lot better if you imagine me doing it as a Craig Ferguson impersonation.)

Moving right along...

Twenty-year-old American twins Julia and Valentina have never met their British Aunt Elspeth, who is also a twin to their mother, Edie. However, they quickly become interested in her life when she dies suddenly of cancer and leaves her London apartment to the two of them with strict instructions not to let their mother or father step foot into the property. She also forbids them to ask any questions about her past. Being typical spoiled, self-centered American youths with no apparent ambitions, the two leave for England to move into their new home to complete the terms of the will. The apartment is one of three in a building next door to historic Highgate Cemetery, which almost takes on the role of a character itself. Their upstairs neighbors are Martin, a brilliant crossword puzzle maker who suffers from acute Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and his wife Marijke, who feels stifled by his disabling condition. Downstairs lives Aunt Elspeth's former lover, a writer and cemetery scholar named Robert Fanshaw. Over the course of several months, these residents meet and eventually get to know one another, sometimes to the consternation of others.

It is my belief that Niffenegger wrote this novel to examine the variety, meaning, and importance of relationships, and how each in its own way attempts a necessary balance needed for its survival. When there is an imbalance, the relationship suffers, possibly to the point of dissolution. There's the sibling relationship between the mirror twins, Julia and Valentina, which can swing from cloyingly close to annoyingly antagonistic; the marriage relationship between OCD Martin and free-spirited Marijke; the love affair between independent Elspeth and hopelessly romantic Robert, the working relationship between scholarly Robert and his fellow cemetery guides, and then there's the ephemeral relationship between dead Elspeth's spirit and the living beings who now occupy her home. (Do the dead not continue to influence our lives even years after they have passed away?) And let's not forget the parent-child relationship between Jack and Edie back in Chicago, and their irresponsible daughters living in London.

Having so many relationships may have been the downfall of this novel. I truly wanted to like it, but I just couldn't find myself rooting for very many of the characters. Martin and Marijke were easily the most likable. Heck, the whole book could have been expanded to examine only their lives and I think it would have been better. The denouement of their relationship, when it finally comes, is appropriate, but less than satisfying. It just seems too hurried. I felt as if the writer decided she'd tired of their story and just wanted to get it over with so she could go wrap up the next couple's situation.

I never felt any real empathy for Julia especially, nor for Valentina to a lesser extent. I kept picturing them as pale, geeky versions of Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie, running around in matching juvenile ensembles declaring, "That's hot! That's not!" Julia (also the name of another Beatles song!) was the bossy older sibling who always has to have her way. Poor Valentina never had a chance under her oppressive dominance. Julia was really only likable when she was upstairs visiting Martin and trying to help him overcome his debilitating illness. I do think Elspeth's ghostly qualities were examined in a fresh and interesting manner, although I saw the 'surprise ending' coming a long way off. I actually felt sorry for her up until that decision was made. And I kept mentally yelling at Valentina and Robert to get on with their lives, but neither seemed to be listening.

Is it possible to give one thumb up and one thumb down for the same book? That's a bit how I feel now that I have finished this novel. I was hoping it would be as compelling and wonderful as The Time Traveler's Wife, but it wasn't. It's sort of how I felt after watching the movie The Sixth Sense several years back, and the world-wide expectations, then disappointment, that followed when the director's sophomore film Signs was released. Could Audrey Niffenegger be the literary equivalent of M. Night Shyamalan? I was disappointed in the quickly tied-up endings, but then again, the author's resolutions also left me thinking about how I might have ended things. They'd definitely be different; that's for sure. Perhaps I'm wrong about this book. Maybe one mark of good literature is that it leaves you thinking about it long after you've stopped reading it. I've certainly been doing that.

I know in my college writing courses I was always told to never leave the reader asking unanswered questions. But then, some of our culture's greatest stories, whether in print, on screen, or from oral traditions, have left their endings open to a variety of interpretations, and to this day they remain timelessly unresolved. Which leaves me frustratingly undecided as to whether I liked this book or not. What if the writer wanted to simply leave her readers asking, "What if..." once they'd finished it? Only time will tell if she made the right decision by this book.

Note: Scheduled U.S. publication date for this book is September 29, 2009. I recommend it for mature readers, preferably high school age or older.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collines

2009-08-08T19:12:00.008-05:00

One of the best middle grade books I have read this year! I put off starting this one because the plot just didn't sound like something I'd be interested in, but once I got into the first few pages, I honestly couldn't put it down.

The story is pure science fiction, and I mean that in the best possible way. The classics of this genre always focus on the human element, emotional conflicts, etc. Ms. Collins follows these rules to the letter, always allowing her characters to judge society and each other for truth, meaning, and motive.
The story is set in a future where North America has been divided into 12 distinct districts. Once a year, a boy and girl from each district are selected in a lottery to travel to The Capital in the Rocky Mountains and participate in The Hunger Games. These 'games' are a brutal fight to the death, a televised reality show with the 'winner' being rewarded for the rest of his/her life with a house for the family to live in, and all the food and possessions they ever need. This carefree life is a dream for Katniss, the girl representing District 12. Her mother is still grieving over the death of her husband, Katniss' father, and has virtually left her and her little sister Prim on their own ever since. Katniss knows how to hunt, fish, and survive in the woods of their home territory, but what kind of landscape is in store for her once she gets to The Capital and the games? What will the other contestants be like? Can she survive and return a victor to her friend Gale and her home in the mountains and woods?

This book has been getting consistent rave reviews, and now I know why. Highly recommended for middle school to adult.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

2009-08-04T18:18:00.004-05:00

A remarkable memoir of resilient children who raised themselves and eventually escaped the neglect of their free-spirited, artistic mother and jobless, alcoholic father. This true story of a severly dysfunctional American family should be read by every school employee, every public librarian, or anyone who wants to look back on their own childhood and appreciate that they did not grow up in this family. Both heart-wrenching and inspirational, The Glass Castle is filled with humor, love, and a peculiar kind of loyalty that is one family's long and painful journey. While highly recommended, this award-winning book is for mature readers due to language and frequent references to alcoholism, child abuse, and neglect.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

2009-07-28T14:34:00.006-05:00

What a great read! This is the kind of book that very often gets turned into an Oscar-worthy movie script. One where the credits roll and you're left wondering who lived, who died, and what happened next. I guess that's the author's way of saying, 'figure it out for yourself and draw your own conclusions.'

Gar and Trudy Sawtelle have been trying to start a family for years, when finally their son Edgar arrives. He is an intelligent child who is born mute. Edgar spends his youth on the family farm in Wisconsin where they breed and train special dogs for particular clients. Edgar becomes part of the family business and trains his dogs by signing commands to them. Everything in their remote, self-contained world begins to change when some unexpected and mysterious deaths, and the reappearance of Gar's troubled younger brother, Claude, causes Edgar to wonder about the family's past history, and what will happen to them in the future. Can he figure out what's going on before it's too late?

This story is written with sensitivity and an eye for detail, unfolding like a Shakespearean tragedy. The author perfectly captures the interaction between Edgar and his beloved dogs, between Edgar and his parents, his discomfort around his uncle Claude, his journey of self-discovery, and his return home to the people he no longer knows. Highly recommended!

I don't know too many middle-schoolers with the patience to tackle a book of this size, so I would really only recommend it to adults with plenty of reading time on their hands. Content-wise, there are a few lines of profanity scattered throughout, some violence, moral indecision (stealing food to stay alive, for example), a little drinking, and a couple scenes of implied sexual activity. Actually a fairly tame book by today's standards.

Coal Black Horse by Robert Olmstead

2009-07-17T19:16:00.005-05:00

Although I picked this novel up at our middle school book fair, it is written for adults, and Scholastic took care to place an "Adult Bestseller" sticker on the front cover so there wouldn't be any confusion. The adult content warning is for some strong language, violence in the form of Civil War battle scenes and their aftermath, plus a few brief passages about intimacy and a sexual assault.
In the same style as Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain, and Cormac McCarthy's The Road, this book follows 14-year-old Robey Childs as he heads out from his West Virginia mountain home to find his father during the height of the American Civil War. What Robey thinks is going to be an adventure when he gets the opportunity to leave his family farm for the first time turns out to be a brutal and honest journey of self-discovery as the young man quickly realizes the ways of human nature and the truths about war. If you're looking for a story full of hope and optimism, this isn't it. Along his travels, Robey meets con artists, scoundrels, thieves, murderers, rapists, and other evildoers, along with pious zealots, injured victims, and others like himself who are simply searching for deliverance from the horrors of the times.
While I found this book riveting in its prose, and almost unable to put it down, I had to take a couple of breaks just to ease the tension building within the chapters. This is a well-crafted work and one I highly recommend, but only to readers who, like the coal black horse of the title, have the strength, stamina, and endurance to see the journey through to its completion.

Partly Cloudy by Gary Soto

2009-07-10T14:12:00.005-05:00

"Oranges" is one of my all-time favorite poems. In just a few lines it perfectly captures that elusive feeling of what it means to be young, poor, and in love. It can be found in an older collection of poems by noted writer Gary Soto. Now he has a new collection of poetry out that is sure to be just as popular. Partly Cloudy: Poems of Love and Longing is a slim volume that can be read quickly, but will probably be savored at length for its insight into young love. The first half of the book is written from a teenage girl's point of view, and the second half is from a young man's. I would recommend this title to teens, because it will show them that these new feelings they are experiencing are (or have been) shared by people the world over. I would recommend it to my older friends, to remind them of that special feeling--that "spark"--of what falling in love felt like the first time. Suitable for 8th graders and older due to some mature subject matter.

Big Red by Jim Kjelgaard

2009-07-10T13:58:00.004-05:00

Fans of boy-and-his-dog hunting stories like "Where the Red Fern Grows" and "Old Yeller" will really like this novel. While you can pretty much guess what is going to happen by the end of the book, based on events in the opening chapters, it is the journey getting there that will keep readers interested and eager to find out exactly how the events will unfold. My only complaint--and it's a minor one--is the sometimes hokey-sounding dialect the characters use when they speak. I realize the book was written in another time, and the dialogue is supposed to convey the rural setting, but sometimes it's just a bit overdone. Other than that, this will be one I highly recommend to boys looking for hunting and adventure stories. I was a little late to the game in finding this classic, but I am glad I finally did. Now I'll have to sample some more of this author's similar works.

Starclimber by Kenneth Oppel

2009-07-10T13:51:00.003-05:00

Set in an alternate turn-of-the-20th-century world, Starclimber is book three of a series started by Airborn, and continued in Skybreaker. Oppel is great at putting his characters into harrowing situations and letting them use their smarts to get themselves out of trouble. This book is a little different from the first two in that the two main characters are a little older and a little more worldly in their outlook. There are some truly eye-rolling moments that stretch the limits of credibility, even for such lightweight sci-fi material as this. (Without spoiling the story, let me just say it involves a monkey on board a space ship and leave it at that.) The ending, while satisfying on one level, left me shaking my head and thinking, "That'd NEVER happen in real life!" Is it an interesting read? Yes, if you've already been following the series. Is it an outstanding read? Not really....but it did keep me entertained for a few hours on a long holiday weekend.

The Sorceress by Michael Scott

2009-07-10T13:05:00.010-05:00

Book three in the series The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel continues in the same vein as Mr. Scott's two earlier titles, The Alchemyst and The Magician. This comment is not meant as a slight, though, as readers of the two previous books will understand. Mr. Scott is a gifted writer who knows how to keep a plot taut and pages turning. So much of the current series fiction for adolescents tends to get watered down and repetitive, but not so with this one. Like John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series, The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel just keeps getting better with each new telling. Readers can expect lots of action, mystery, strange characters, surprising plot twists, and more.

The adventures in book 2 continue to alternate between Europe and San Francisco. The Sorceress finds our legendary twins escaping from Paris, France to London, England with plenty of villains and monsters fast on their heels. Guided by Nicholas Flamel and friends, Sophie and Josh are supposedly the select twins of legend who will unite their powers to foil the plans of the Dark Elders of the Shadowrealms who want to destroy the earth. They are on the run from Dr. John Dee and his frenemy, Nicolo Machiavelli, plus their assorted henchmen, monsters, and demons. Meanwhile, Perenelle, Nicholas' wife, is imprisoned on the island of Alcatraz near San Francisco where a menagerie of creatures from the depths of the underworld continue to make her life a living nightmare.

Will Perenelle be able to flee from her captors? Can the twins develop newfound powers and insights before it's too late? Has their rag-tag team lost the opportunity to escape with their lives? Will Nicholas have a chance to reunite with his beloved wife before they both die? And what evil power is keeping an eye on things in America anyway? Read The Sorceress by Michael Scott to find out!

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd

2009-04-13T20:18:00.004-05:00

The narrator of this British children's novel is Ted, a young lad with a mum, a dad, an older sister named Kat, a love of all things meteorological, and Asperger's Syndrome--a genetic condition closely associated with Autism. Ted is getting professional help for his illness and learning to cope in a "normal" world as best he can. He understands that reading body language is much more difficult than reading words off a page, or even predicting the weather. He knows that people don't always mean what they say, and that idioms--expressions of speech--shouldn't be taken literally. He can decipher the London underground (subway) route maps easily, but what he can't figure out--at least, right away--is how his cousin, Salim, got into a sealed pod of the London Eye ferris wheel and suddenly disappeared right in front of him and his sister. Was he kidnapped? Did he really enter the ride? Is he hiding out to avoid moving to New York? And what about the stranger who gave him the ticket in the first place? How does he fit into this puzzle? And how is Salim's mom going to react when she finds out her only son is missing? This book is an engaging mystery, but it also examines family relationships, and provides a glimpse into what life can be like for a person with Asperger's Syndrome. Readers will observe that Ted has a nervous habit of flapping his arm and/or humming when he is under stress. We find out that Ted is very literal in his communications with others, and that he has almost no sense of humor. We also realize that Ted is extremely intelligent and very observant, but lacks basic common sense in most situations. Ted is often dismissed outright as being in the way, a nuisance, and not worth listening to, but it is his methodical and analytical mind that eventually saves the day--and his cousin Salim. I think the point of this story is that communication is the key to understanding, no matter what the situation, and that's a pretty valuable lesson for anyone to learn.
A copy of this title is available from Stone library and is recommended for grades 6 and up. It is a finalist for the Texas Lone Star Reading list for 2009. The Irish author died of breast cancer in 2007 only weeks after this book was published. Her family maintains a website in her memory at www.siobhandowd.co.uk

Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer

2009-03-22T10:39:00.006-06:00

This is the first book in what I assume will be at least a 5-volume saga: The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod. Author Heather Brewer captures the essence of being a typical middle-schooler in much the same way Greg Kinney does in his Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, only this time the main character is your average run-of-the-mill teenage vampire instead of an adolescent wimp. And I don't see this series as competition for the market seemingly created by Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga, but rather as a complementary companion series. Where Meyer's books are more focused on inter-species romance, Brewer seems more interested in human-vampire friendships. Without trying to sound sexist, think of it as 'chick flicks' vs. 'buddy movies'. The Vladimir Tod books are a bit more blunt, humorous, and action-oriented, and will likely find a quick audience with boys, while the Twilight books have more emotional tension, introspection, and finesse, and seem generally more suited to girls.

Vlad is being raised by Nelly whom he thinks of as a doting aunt. She conviently works as a nurse in their small-town hospital and has access to the local blood bank, taking home bags of plasma just before they've reached their expiration date and have to be destroyed. (After all, he is a growing boy, and in order to feed Vlad's ravenous appetite and help him hide his condition, she has to find a way for him to 'feed' somehow!) Nelly was the best friend of his late mother, a human who was married to his vampire dad and died with him in a mysterious house fire some three years ago. Being half-human makes Vlad the first of his kind and even more of an oddity to both the human and the vampire world. It's tough enough 'fitting in' at your average middle school, but imagine going through all that adolescent angst as a genuine outcast. That's the gist of this book.

Vlad is trying his best to pass as a normal teen when he is anything but. He is aided by his best friend Henry who knows Vlad's secret. (Vlad had 'tasted' Henry when he was a curious 8-year-old.) The boys are involved in the usual middle school activities of club meetings, homework, playing sports, avoiding bullies, and getting up the nerve to ask beautiful girls to the dance. Those mundane everyday events suddenly seem important to Vlad when he realizes he may lose them forever. A chance discovery of his dad's diary, the finding of cryptic symbols carved in their neighborhood, the sudden disappearance of his beloved English instructor, an oddly mysterious substitute teacher who seems a little too interested in Vlad's family history, and a dark stranger in town all lead Vlad to believe he, Henry, and Nelly may be in grave danger. (Emphasis on the 'grave' part.) What do all these occurences have in common, and what do they have to do with Vlad? He has to find out the answers before it's too late. Read book one in The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod to find out more. A copy is available at SMS library and is recommended for sixth grade and older.
Younger readers will just enjoy the story--equal parts Goosebumps and Harry Potter, with just a dash of Stephen King. Older readers might be intrigued by the allusions included (Stokerton is a neighboring town; D'Ablo is the bad guy). All in all a good read.

Down Cut Shin Creek: The Pack Horse Librarians of Kentucky by Kathi Appelt & Jeanne Schmitzer

2009-03-04T20:33:00.007-06:00

A wonderful book about a little known group of very special people. During the Great Depression, President Roosevelt came up with his New Deal, a plan that included putting Americans back to work. In one state, dozens of women--and a few men--found jobs as pack horse librarians, carrying books, magazines, church pamphlets, and other printed items to families located in remote parts of the hollows and mountains of Kentucky. The WPA funds only paid the librarians' salaries; all their materials were donated. But these hardy pioneers persevered in delivering them, sometimes on foot, other times by horse or mule, to the residents of these treacherous hills. Their actions layed the groundwork for a love of reading among many hundreds of families, and led to later establishment of state-supported libraries, bookmobiles, and reading programs. Although published a few years back, its story is even more important now considering the state of our nation's economy and the need for libraries to serve the millions who suddenly find themselves unemployed. Amply illustrated with actual photos of some of the librarians and the customers they served, this thin volume gives validation to the necessity of a literate society. Sadly, a fact many of our current breed of politicians seem to have forgotten.

What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

2009-02-22T13:09:00.015-06:00

It's 1947 and 15-year-old Evelyn Spooner is glad to have her father home from the war; glad the world is more optimistic about the future, and glad her family can get out of New York for a vacation down in Florida before school starts back. All Evie wants to do is 'experience life' so she can report back to her best friend and 'know' what all the other popular girls already seem to. As the saying goes, "Be careful what you wish for." Evie finds herself suddenly having to grow up too fast when she realizes what the real world is all about: racism in the South, bigotry everywhere, cheating and possibly worse in her own family, scandal, and lies around every corner.....some of them her own. Oh, and did I mention there's a hurricane, too?

This is author Blundell's first book under her own name, but she has been a writer for many years. She has used various pseudonyms, most notably that of Jude Watson for the numerous children's Star Wars series of books.

It's little wonder this particular title won the National Book Award for Young Adult literature. I can see Hollywood jumping all over What I Saw and How I Lied with the possibilities it offers in a compelling noirish narrative, a story of a young girl wanting to become a woman, ties to Jewish persecution in WWII, a fragile family dynamic, an idyllic setting, and some truths about human nature. This one's got them all. In my mind, it already won the Oscar for cinematography. That's how vivid and descriptive the writing is. Recommended for mature 8th graders on up, there's a little language and a hint or two of inflamed passions, but nothing obscene or graphic. There's some smoking and drinking of cocktails frequently by the adult characters, but remember this was the late 1940's, so those vices were commonplace for the times. If it were a movie, I'd give it a PG or mild PG-13 rating.

A copy of this book is available from Stone Library, and although the publisher recommends it for ages 13-18, I believe it will find a quick audience with older readers who remember the days after World War II better than anyone. After all, they lived them.

Coraline + The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

2009-01-18T22:02:00.008-06:00

I have only recently discovered the talents of Brit-turned-Yank author Neil Gaiman. I have seen his name for years in book news and literary reviews (they were always gushing and positive by the way), but it wasn't until I saw the DVD of Stardust, one of his early novels, that I simply had to read some of his books. His latest effort, The Graveyard Book, had me hooked from the first page. It starts with the brutal murder of a family, except that one of the children, a toddler, survives and escapes to a nearby cemetery where he is taken in and raised by 'residents' there. Nobody Owens, or 'Bod' as he is called, grows up knowing more about the spirit world, and the afterlife, than any human ever. His coming-of-age involves journeys to strange locations, and meetings with unusual creatures, but everything works itself out by the end. It was sufficiently creepy and compelling enough to keep me up all one night until I finished it. I book-talked it to a group of 8th graders recently and they were clamoring to be the first to check it out. I calmed a lot of complaints by explaining that they could go to the author's website (http://www.mousecircus.com/) and hear him read the entire book online, complete with eerie sound effects and everything.

*UPDATE 01/26/2009: Congratulations to Neil Gaiman for The Graveyard Book winning the 2009 Newbery Medal for outstanding children's literature. The award was announced this morning at the ALA Midwinter Conference.

I decided to read Coraline after finding out that it will be released as a 3D animated movie in February. I know we're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but this one always made me think of Tim Burton's typically bizarre characters...and I wasn't far off the mark, either! Coraline Jones lives with her too-busy parents in an apartment flat inside a three-story building. Looking for excitement, she goes exploring one day and discovers a parallel world in their building inhabited by ghoulish characters eerily similar to her parents and their neighbors. Coraline is determined not to become another victim of this alternate universe, and she mentally prepares herself for a battle of wits to win her freedom from her evil 'other-mother.' Readers who grew up on the Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine should transition quite easily to either of these far superior reads. While the content at first sounds too intense for young children, the ways in which Mr. Gaiman delivers the details make them easy to handle. His subtle style is what makes him such a respected master of the spooky writing enjoyed by so many kids today.

Both these books are available at SMS Library and are recommended for upper elementary, middle grade, and high school age readers.

The Alchemyst + The Magician by Michael Scott

2009-01-17T20:08:00.007-06:00

Considering that one of the main characters was mentioned in the Harry Potter books, it's no surprise that fans who are missing the magic and mayhem surrounding the boy wizard have recently latched onto these novels by mythology expert, Michael Scott. Subtitled "The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel," The Alchemyst is book one, and The Magician is book two in a planned series about American twins Sophie and Josh Newman. It seems the brother and sister are the mysterious all-powerful twins of legendary prophecy who will one day come to power and rule over the universe. (Whether for good or evil remains to be seen.) Nicholas Flamel and his wife Perenelle are human immortals intent on guiding the youngsters to their fate by leading them to various Shadowrealms and introducing them to others who can "Awaken" their true powers. There's some sibling rivalry when Sophie receives her Awakening first, causing Josh to whine about being left out, and prompting him to question whether the Flamels are truly looking out for their best interests. Along the way they meet the Witch of Endor, Niccolo Machiavelli, John Dee, and others who may or may not be on their side. Most of the action moves for Ojai, California to Paris, France in the second book and the plot turns into one long but exciting chase sequence. Perenelle is captured and placed in a dungeon below Alcatraz Island where she remains throughout book two. The twins meanwhile are aided and protected by Scathatch, a perennial young, hip vampire martial arts master, Joan of Arc (yes, that one) who can summon metal armor and a sword at will, and Joan's husband, the Count de Saint-Germain who is moonlighting as a famous rock star. Confused? Don't be. It all makes sense when you start at page one and keep reading forward. The Sorceress is the title of a third book in the series coming in Spring 2009, so expect to see it reviewed here soon.

A copy of both The Alchemyst and The Magician is available at SMS Library. They are suitable for upper elementary to adult.

CHAINS by Laurie Halse Anderson

2008-12-30T18:27:00.009-06:00

As a student in grammar school, high school, and college, I never had an interest in history. There was always something dull and unexciting about events that happened decades, centuries, or even thousands of years before. Maybe it was the way the material was presented by dull teachers, disinterested coaches, or stuffy professors, but I never found the tales of past events worthy of my time. As I get older though, there's something about historical events that seems to pique my interest. More and more I find myself swept away by books that retell an incident from the past in such a way that it reads like a modern day murder mystery. Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson is one such book. Ms. Anderson also happens to be one of my favorite writers. Her first YA novel, Speak, and her last one, Twisted, are representative of everything a YA novel should be. The same can be said of her current work, Chains, in regard to historical fiction. Anderson relates true events from American history, embellishes them with writings from the period, then adds a fictional protagonist who is representative of the times and (voila!) she's got herself a book that is already receiving accolades in the literary world.
The setting is the American colonies just prior to the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. Isabel is a 13-year-old slave in Rhode Island who, along with her 5-year-old sister Ruth, is promised freedom upon the death of their master. As fate would have it, the girls find themselves displaced to New York City and become the property of the Locktons, a cruel couple with sympathies for the British crown. Isabel soon meets a boy slave named Curzon who has thrown his allegiance to the Americans. He enlists Isabel's help in spying for the Rebels and she soon figures out that her loyalty can be bought in exchange for her freedom. Isabel tells the events of the American Revolution from 1776 to 1777 from a slave's point of view. George Washington, General Howe, and other real people become characters in her story, which is a highly-researched conglomeration of tales related by real-life slaves and publications of those times.
Chains is wonderfully written and will probably find many fans among American history buffs, U.S. History teachers, and anyone interested in a fast-paced, action-filled narrative. I honestly could not put it down. The chapters are brief, but compelling, making it easy to digest in small segments. My only 'disappointment' (for lack of a better word) with the book is its 'abrupt' ending. At the time I was reading, I assumed it was a stand-alone novel. I knew there were only a few pages left at the end, and I just figured the story would wind down to a pleasant denouement in the coming few pages. It didn't. The final printed pages were notes about the research and acknowledgments to those who had assisted in its development. I had no idea it was the first book in a planned trilogy. Now I can't wait for Forge, the second book in the series, to see what happens next!
A copy of Chains is available from Stone Middle School Library. It is suitable for elementary age to adults.

All the marbles...

2008-10-11T16:56:00.010-05:00

I know I'm setting myself up for all kinds of jokes from friends and associates, but I am officially announcing my status as a collector of marbles. I have kept an old tin can full of the little glass spheres under my bed since I was a kid. Only recently has my interest in them been renewed, however. While on vacation in Prescott, Arizona, in 2007, my cousins Jimmy and Sheila took Frankie and me to a unique downtown gift shop called The Raven. It specializes in custom made papers, pens, cards, and other unusual gift items. What really caught my eye, though, were marbles for sale inside their glass display case. I was fascinated with the infinite variety of sizes, colors, and designs. I'd never seen anything like them, and I had to have some. Now, whenever we have a chance, we look for the colorful little gems at flea markets, antique stores, and specialty gift shops. Frankie bought me some additional ones during a trip to Galveston this summer. (I wish she'd gotten more--they were probably swept out to sea with Hurricane Ike just a few weeks afterward!) All this information serves as an introduction to explain why I read this most recent book: Aggies, Immies, Shooters, and Swirls : The Magical World of Marbles by Marilyn Barrett. I purchased this book a couple of years ago at the request of Marla George who was teaching the Gifted & Talented program in the room next door to our school library. She thought it would be a fun idea to teach her students about marbles and try to spark some interest in the games. Sadly, it didn't. Today's children seemed to be too wired for quick action and instant gratification of computer games rather than the slow and steady pace of a marble tournament. Their loss.
How did I come to read this book? A discussion among co-workers one day led them to the conclusion that we had all lost our marbles for staying in the education profession. Mrs. Elliott, who oversees one of the Computer Labs, brought forth an old bumpy, chipped marble that had been found after a neighbor's house was torn down. With a laugh, she proudly (& loudly if you know her!) proclaimed that she still had one marble left. I quickly responded that I still had a full jar of them on display in my living room, and that I would be happy to bring them to school and show them if they didn't believe me. Oops. The cat's-eye was out of the bag, so to speak. I think they were impressed when I returned the following day with a sample of my meager collection. So, now you know. And now I know more about collecting marbles after reading this thin but insightful book. It covers the general history of the toy, their names, nicknames, and prominent manufacturers, as well as current stars gaining attention and respect in the field of glass art. Feel free to stop by the middle school library and check it out! It's suitable for all ages.

BREAKING DAWN by Stephenie Meyer

2008-08-14T15:07:00.004-05:00

Stephenie Meyer deserves an "atta girl" for the satisfying way she closes out her Twilight saga with the final book, Breaking Dawn. I really liked the first book, Twilight, and the follow-ups, New Moon and Eclipse were enjoyable, but Breaking Dawn hits the ground running and doesn't let up until the very end. There's not as much of the Vampire--Human--Werewolf love triangle as in the middle books, which is a good thing. Everything's pretty much sorted out on that front, so readers don't have to endure a lot of will-she, won't-she turmoil...(and in my humble opinion, excess padding) in the process of getting through all 742 pages of this tome. I'm not saying there are no surprises--far from it--it's just that all of Bella's woe-is-me heartthrob waffling seems to be left behind in favor of a more mature, decisive leading lady. Just like J.K. Rowling did with the final installment of her Harry Potter series, Ms. Meyer seems to have listened to her fans and given them exactly what they expected from their beloved characters.
Several copies of this book are available from Stone MS Library. Note that it carries a YA label for content (some language, a few graphic descriptions, and brief sexual references). This book series, and especially this title, are recommended for mature readers, preferably 8th grade and up.

THING #6 - Mashups, etc...

2008-07-20T19:26:00.007-05:00

Wow! Lots of clever ideas here that I can see teachers putting to use in their classrooms, especially our computer applications classes. Funds are going to be even more tough to get with the economy in the state it's in, so knowing about these free online applications will be a bonus. I have used a similar magazine cover creater in the past. This application is a little more involved, but the end result is more personalized than the one I worked with before. I didn't really care for the trading card app, but that's just me. Hey, I made one anyway, but it's pretty dull in my opinion. The "Warholizer" was cool. I have often wanted to do something along these lines in the past, but just didn't quite have the hang of the whole color-adjust features in PhotoShop. The Mosaic feature would be great for end-of-year programs for lower grade students. I could see it as being a gift for parents to show their child's progress in Pre-K through the school year. And the "David Hockney-izer" could easily be adapted by our journalism students for special features, so I will be sure to share them with our teachers. http://bighugelabs.com/flickr is definitely going to be a favorite site. Now I know you can mashup something besides a potato!

THING #5 - Explore Flickr

2008-06-22T16:41:00.002-05:00

I have posted some images from this year's Texas Library Association Conference if anyone wants to view them. I noticed others have done the same thing. You can search the tag "TLA 2008" to see them all, or here's the link just to my photo page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/47741258@N00/ . I will probably be using this a lot more now that I am more familiar with it. Very easy to use, and if you take time to put descriptive captions, it's almost like being there.

THING #4 - Official Registration

2008-06-22T16:35:00.004-05:00

Okay, so far so good. I accomplished the first four tasks in one afternoon. I have contacted the person in charge to see if I am eligible to participate in their little online exercise and will wait patiently to hear back from them..... SOON I hope.....

THING #3 - Create a blog & an avatar

2008-06-22T16:29:00.005-05:00

This was the easiest task so far. My blog has been in place for about 18 months now. The only new thing I had to add was an avatar. Do you know how hard it is to find a hairstyle that looks like "middle-age male pattern baldness"?!? Does Yahoo! really think that everyone who uses the Internet is young, skinny, and hip? Just to be honest, I put up an actual photo as well so you can see the real me beside the fake one. Come to think of it....we do kinda look alike, don't we?

THING #2 - Thoughts on life-long learning

2008-06-22T15:35:00.004-05:00

I was already familiar with Stephen Covey's book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, but I had not actually read it. My former principal used ideas from it during her staff meetings, and encouraged our faculty to read and follow its lessons, but I only got as far as the cover before donating my copy to the stacks in the library's professional collection at school. I'm more of a fiction buff than a self-help reader. After reviewing the lesson blog to start this online activity ( http://library2play.blogspot.com/ ), and reading the comments of others, it's reassuring to me to know that I am not alone in my learning habits.

I suppose the most difficult task for me is goal setting. I know in the back of my mind what needs to be done, but I never seem to have--or make--the time to sit down and plan it out. Of course, it could be that I get interrupted every few minutes when I start something, but that's just an excuse. My easiest habit is using technology to my advantage. Learning new programs, using new software, and figuring out new equipment is exciting to me. Sure, there's always a learning curve, but anything in the long run that's going to make my job easier is worth the trouble.

Probably my favorite education quote--and don't ask me where I got it--is posted on my middle school library bulletin board. It's there as much to inspire others as it is to remind and encourage me to keep on changing with the times: "The illiterate of the 21st Century will not be those who cannot read or write, but rather those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn." I think that pretty much sums up what this "23 Lessons" activity is going to be about.

THING #1 - Read comments & instructions

2008-06-22T15:07:00.004-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I got an email at school through the listserv of the Texas Library Connection (TLC) about how one school district in the state (Spring Branch ISD) was offering an online technology tutorial for its faculty. The writer of the email was Barry Bishop, a past-President of the Texas Library Association. He generously offered these online tutorials as Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credit for educators outside the Spring Branch district. Naturally I procrastinated until the last second about making the decision to join in the learning. Bear with me this summer as I try to stay abreast of the constantly changing world of technology and how it can be applied to education. Since I already have a blog, I am a step up on the process. Let's hope the coming weeks are as easy.....

Ghost Fever / Mal de Fantasma by Joe Hayes

2008-06-15T14:16:00.009-05:00

This Texas Bluebonnet Award-winning book has been on my 'to do' list for a while, and for one reason or another, I never managed to make time to read it until now. I knew the format was bi-lingual (English/Spanish), and that it was written by a respected Southwestern storyteller (Joe Hayes), but that's about it. The author's storytelling background comes through clearly in this simple tale of teenage tragedy. I won't spoil it for you by giving away the plot, but let's just say it should be especially appealing to Hispanic teenage girls, say around the age of 15 or so. This story could easily have been included in a collection of spooky tales, ghost stories, and the like. It is a short, very quick read, which kids will like, particularly if they don't take time to figure out the Spanish translations on each double-page spread. On the other hand, students taking Spanish classes may enjoy seeing the translations and trying to figure out the differences. Most kids like a good ghost story, so this one should appeal to anyone from third grade on up. A copy of it is available in Stone Middle School Library.

Secrets of the Cirque Medrano by Elaine Scott

2008-05-28T20:44:00.009-05:00

When her mother dies, 14-year-old Brigitte is sent away from her home in Poland to live in France with her aunt and uncle where she helps them in their café. This new life presents her with strange and interesting changes to deal with, from the bohemian café patrons, to her moody co-worker, Henri, and the curious circus people who seem to live difficult but exciting lives on the fringes of respectable society. When Brigitte befriends Paco, a young performer from the Cirque Medrano who poses for the temperamental Spanish artist Pablo Picasso, she is drawn into a web of international intrigue.
Set in Paris at the turn of the 20th century, the novel captures the essence of the times and the many changes that were about to take place in the world: the beginnings of the Russian Revolution, Picasso's switch in painting styles from his Blue Period to his Rose Period, the rise of the middle class, and the maturing of Brigitte from child to young adult among them. Scott is an award-winning non-fiction author, so while Picasso plays a role in the story, she is careful not to put words into his mouth. The time and place of the novel, as well as many of the events, are well-researched, making the storyline and the characters realistic and believable. It is fiction based on fact.
Scott has combined history and art into an excellent novel for older elementary and early teen readers that may even encourage them to not only look at a few of Picasso's paintings, but to more closely examine this time period in world history as well.

GET ALTE(RED) @ YOUR LIBRARY!

2008-05-03T17:46:00.007-05:00

As an alternative Spring fundraiser (in lieu of another book fair) our library is selling a dark red t-shirt that says: GET ALTE(RED) @ YOUR LIBRARY. The shirts are 100% pre-shrunk cotton 'beefy' tees (see my faithful assistant Donna modeling one at left) and will be produced by a screen printing company here in Paris. I came up with this slogan when I started seeing all of the celebrities wearing red 'INSPI(RED)' t-shirts in magazines and on TV. The design is gender-neutral, so men and women alike should feel comfortable wearing it. The word 'altered' means changed, so it is our hope that people will read a book out of their regular comfort zone and develop a different perspective of the world. If enough people start seeing this message, maybe there will be an increased interest in using local library facilities, reading in general, and looking at others with fresh eyes.
We are selling them for $10 each in adult sizes S to XL. They are $12 each for sizes 2XL, 3XL, or 4XL. I have already sold several dozen to students, parents, teachers, and other librarians in the region. Please let me know if anyone else is interested. We'll accept checks, cash, and money orders, but no credit cards or PO's. My contact information is below. Once I get enough for an order, it only takes a few days to print the shirts. If I have to mail them to you, the cost of shipping will need to be added, but it will probably only amount to a couple of bucks per shirt. Thanks for your consideration. Call or email if you have any questions.

Jerry Jarrell, Librarian
Frank Stone Middle School
3201 Lewis Lane
Paris, TX 75460
Phone: 903-737-2041
jjarrell@northlamar.net

The Arrival by Shaun Tan

2008-04-12T18:22:00.007-05:00

From classic literature of Ancient Greece to Shakespeare's The Tempest to more recent sci-fi fare such as Star Wars, some of the most powerful stories of our time are framed by epic journeys. Australian illustrator Shaun Tan's latest work, The Arrival, is a wordless picture book that follows the progress of an immigrant escaping from his native land to plant his roots in a new country. Appearing much like old sepia-toned photographs, Tan's drawings are gloomy and glossy, and reading The Arrival is not unlike going through an old picture album without any captions. Readers follow the protagonist as he packs his suitcase and walks to the foggy docks accompanied by his wife and young daughter. The vague reasons for his departure are suggested by sinister and threatening shadows that swirl like dragons' tails among the buildings and empty streets. After a long boat journey, the man arrives with countless other immigrants at his destination: a city both familiar and strange, sort of like Dr. Seuss in the land of Oz. Surreal monuments commemorate unknown events, small boys sell newspapers written in an indecipherable script that looks something like a blend of Arabic and Cyrillic. The public transport system involves weird hot-air balloon taxis and even the wildlife--strange reptilian creatures--seem alien, yet somehow recognizable. To communicate with others, the traveler is obliged to use the language of pictures by drawing sketches of what he needs in a small notebook. He encounters other immigrants who through various means tell their own stories of how they came to be there. The book exudes an aura of quiet loneliness; the refined detail of the images and the absence of any words to explain them compels the reader to identify with this outsider in a foreign land who is himself forced to interpret everything by sight. Tan is a remarkable artist, and when the protagonist of The Arrival resorts to sketching in order to communicate , you get the impression that this is what Tan himself has been doing all along – using art in its most primitive historic role as a way of telling stories.

A copy of The Arrival is available at SMS Library, and even though this book is being marketed as a graphic novel for youth, it is really a book for adults that children will enjoy and then grow into. The story may seem a bit desolate at times, but it has a sweet ending which I won't spoil. Read it and find out for yourself.

Action and Adventure Stories

2008-03-30T12:59:00.005-06:00

Do you go through reading phases? I do, and lately I have been on an "action & adventure" kick. In the last couple of weeks I have read several books that kept me entertained during these rainy Spring days, so here's a quick blurb about each of them.

1) The Chase by Clive Cussler. I know I blasted Cussler's predictable writing style in my review of his last NUMA novel, but this book is a bit of a departure for him. Yes, the plot jumps from recent times, to about a hundred years ago, then ends in the present day, but the main storyline is consistently taut and fast-paced, as any decent book with this title should be. The Chase is about a fictitious serial bank robber and killer who consistently evades capture. Set during the turn of the last century, there are getaways and pursuits involving private detection agents, horses and wagons, locomotives, and the new-fangled automobile. Cussler has set the major portion of this book in San Francisco around the time of the fabled earthquake, so there are some historical elements that make the novel more compelling and believable. Although written for an adult audience, this one could easily find its way onto high school library shelves and teen reading lists. It is available locally for check-out from Paris Public Library.

2) Airman by Eoin Colfer. Okay, confession time: I have never read a book by this author. I know his Artemis Fowl series has been hugely popular, but I just always thought of them as a poor substitute for readers waiting for the next Harry Potter to hit the shelves. Airman intrigued me first of all because it's supposedly a stand-alone novel, (We'll see how long it takes to become the first in a series!) and secondly because I liked the cover art. (Yeah, I know: "Don't judge a book by its cover.") The story is set on a tiny mythical island nation off the coast of Ireland in an indeterminate time in the past, say 100 or so years ago. Conor Broekhart, born while his mother was aloft in a hot-air balloon, is raised in kindly King Nicholas' court until he finds himself framed for the murder of the king and his own scientist teacher. Removed to a terrible island prison, coarse, brutal inmates and guards make young Conor's life miserable and further his desire for revenge against those who plotted against the king and are still seeking to take over the throne from the surviving princess. But the hard prison work only makes Conor grow stronger, and the time alone gives him the opportunity to plan his escape and eventual confrontation with the real evildoers. This book is suitable for intermediate grades on up and is available in SMS Library.

3) Ranger's Apprentice #4: The Battle for Skandia by John Flanagan. There's a waiting list of teachers and students at Stone who will be thrilled to know the fourth book in this series is finally in print in the US. (Australians have had the entire series for awhile now, but the publishers are staggering their release in America over several years.) Let me just say it has been well worth the wait. Will and Evanlyn are on the run from being captured as slaves by the Skandians in book 3. Ranger Halt and soldier Horace are on a journey to find them when they discover the dead bodies of Skandian guards at one of the border crossing stations. Who is killing their enemies and did they also capture Will and the Princess? Following the tracks in the melting snow is becoming difficult, but eventually the four meet up and a new and more powerful enemy is revealed. The party from Araluen has a decision to make: team up with their former captives from Skandia, or take a chance on sneaking past these new ruthless killers that block their path home? Get ready for some lessons in war strategy, scenes of violent battles, and some old scores settled through new alliances. Flanagan is a master storyteller, and his magical prose had me at times cheering and weeping for characters I have come to know so well. I strongly endorse this entire collection of books and eagerly await the next installment. All four volumes currently available in America are accessible at SMS Library. They are suitable for intermediate grades and older.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

2008-03-11T17:10:00.003-06:00

Finally, somebody has written the perfect middle school book! Author Jeff Kinney must be a 12-year-old, because he certainly has an eye for the daily ins-&-outs of what it means to be a modern day middle-schooler. Just about every subject is covered, from dealing with classmates of assorted shapes, sizes, and mental abilities, to the constant pursuit of popularity, to keeping a back-up best friend, to participation in local urban legends like "touching the cheese." Protagonist and self-proclaimed wimpy kid Greg Heffley fills his journal ("It's not a diary!!)" with insights into the middle school mind. He has to deal with not only his own family, but the parents of his friends, too. He has to look after his spoiled little brother, get along with his surly older brother, and avoid carloads of roving revenge-seeking teenagers on an almost daily basis. This novel in cartoons will surely remind older readers of their own junior high days and maybe, just maybe, it'll help a few kids who are going through those days right now to realize that they are not alone in their experiences. The writing is spot-on and funny. I even had a milk-thru-the-nose moment at one point while I was reading it. I'm telling you, this book takes adolescent humor to a new level. Now I can't wait to read the sequel!
Copies of the first two books in the "Wimpy Kid" series are available from SMS library. They are recommended for intermediate grades (4th -5th) and up, although some of the situations may not make sense for anyone that has yet to go through the true middle school experience.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

2008-03-02T17:48:00.013-06:00

It isn't every 533-page book you can sit down and read in an afternoon, but with this one it's certainly possible. But why rush when you can take your time and savor every inch of this delightful publication? Part novel, part picture book, part graphic novel, and even part movie, it's no wonder The Invention of Hugo Cabret has been garnering so much attention from the publishing world...and now Hollywood. It was recently named as the 2008 Caldecott Award Winner for best illustrated children's book, and only days ago it was revealed that Warner Bros. had bought the film rights for the book. Martin Scorsese is already on tap to direct. Turns out the author is a distant relative of famed movie director David O. Selznick, and Scorsese wants to see that name put back on film.
Soft black and white pencil drawings connect brief passages of text to help readers visualize the story of young orphan Hugo as he tends the clocks in a busy Paris train station after the sudden disappearance of his uncle, the timekeeper. Twelve-year-old Hugo lives in a small, cramped crawlspace behind the walls of the station and becomes a petty thief in order to survive, taking milk and bread from unwitting vendors. Unfortunately, he eventually gets caught stealing toys from the old man in the little shop he can see from his dingy hiding place. Hugo doesn't actually need the toys, but their wind-up mechanisms fascinate his interest in all things mechanical. Hugo's notebook of his own father's intricate machine drawings is taken by the old man in exchange for him agreeing to work in the toy shop to pay off his debt of stolen items. Through his time at the toy shop, Hugo meets Isabelle, the toymaker's goddaughter, and the two strike up a tentative friendship. She introduces him to Etienne, a film student and, like her, an avid reader. The new comrades eventually discover connections between the old toymaker's creations, a hidden box of mysterious drawings, and the early days of cinema. To say more would give away too much of this wonderful plot. And who am I to spoil all the fun when you can literally flip page after page of this magical story to quickly reach its satisfying conclusion.
A copy of this book is available at SMS library is recommended for all ages.

Jim the Boy by Tony Earley

2008-02-10T18:45:00.003-06:00

Readers of classic "boy" literature such as Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows and who feared that no one would ever write anything similar to them can now relax. Tony Earley has penned a charming and delightful first novel that fits comfortably on the shelf right beside those wonderful stories.
There are no beloved dogs in this tale of a childhood in rural North Carolina during the days of the Great Depression, but there are many life lessons put into young Jim Glass' path. For starters, his father died a mere 10 days before Jim was born; and his paternal grandfather is notorious for his mean streak and the years served in prison for building a liquor still up in the mountains. (It seems the Internal Revenue Service doesn't take kindly to people thumbing their noses at the government by selling illegal moonshine.)
Jim's widowed mother refuses to marry any suitors, so the only male companions in Jim's life are his three bachelor uncles who live next door, a friendly traveling salesman named Whitey Whitesides, and his best friend and ball-playing classmate, Penn Carson.
The author allows readers to vicariously grow and learn with young Jim as he gradually begins to branch out from his sheltered home to other untamed parts of the world. We see the wisdom of experience his uncles and Abraham the farm hand bestow on him as he ventures into town and has his first run-in with some thugs. We share his wonder as he encounters the ocean for the first time, and marvel along with him as he takes his first view from the neighboring mountain and realizes how small his home town really is.
Jim the Boy is a gentle, charming book that should have no trouble finding legions of fans. I eagerly look forward to more from Mr. Earley and hope that he soon revisits Jim and his family and allows us to see him grow from boy to man. [Update: a sequel, "The Blue Star," comes out in early 2008. The author will be speaking at the TLA Conference in Dallas soon after it is published.]
A copy of this title is available at SMS Library. It is recommended for grades 3 on up, but will surely be enjoyed by those who are young-at-heart even more than by those who are simply young. Check it out...you'll be glad you did.

Night by Elie Wiesel

2008-02-02T19:41:00.002-06:00

It's been a very long time since I have been awakened from sleep by nightmares, but this book cost me several hours of sound rest this week, prompting me to awaken repeatedly from bad dreams about the atrocities of Nazi Death Camps during the Jewish Holocaust of World War II. Night is a poignant and powerful memoir that I think everyone from grade eight on up should read at some point in their life. I had been putting it off for years due to the subject matter, but with a recent renewed interest in it from Oprah's Book Club, I decided it was time to check it off my "must read" list. There's not a lot I can add that hasn't already been said or written about it. Other than possibly Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl, Night is the best example of a first person account of what happened during this dark time in human history. The author goes into excruciating detail telling the story of how his family--along with countless others--were literally led down the road to death and destruction, a very real hell-on-earth. I can only say that the events related in this book are sobering and unforgettable--as well they should be. Human beings should never again allow themselves to reach the depths of depravity the Hitler regime sunk to during their brief reign of terror. This is a riveting and disturbing story, but a fast read. There are copies available at SMS library.

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

2008-01-19T12:02:00.002-06:00

When 12-year-old Stephanie's eccentric Uncle Gordon dies, a mysterious person bundled up in an overcoat, scarf, sunglasses, frizzy wig and hat appears at both the funeral and the reading of the will. The man, we soon find out, is none other than Skulduggery Pleasant, a walking, talking skeleton dectective of the after-life. He tells Stephanie that he thinks her uncle was murdered, and that she may be the next victim. Stephanie starts to believe him when she is attacked while alone in the house her uncle left her on the first night after she inherits it. Seems that her Uncle Gordon had connections to an underworld society, one that has certain villainous members wanting to take over the world, and she now stands in their way. A particularly evil character named Serpine is trying to obtain a scepter that will give him ultimate control. Stephanie is swept into a world of magic, secrets, power, and intrigue as she and Skulduggery try to keep one step ahead of Serpine and assorted other nefarious folk. Deadly hand-to-hand combat, nasty villains, magical derring-do, and traitorous allies will keep readers turning the pages, but it is the dynamic pairing of Stephanie and Skulduggery that provides the real magic in this most enjoyable read. The young lass eagerly jumps into this new, dangerous, action-packed life, but she isn't sure that she has the guts or the power to pull it off. Skulduggery Pleasant lives up to his name, performing amazing feats with so much self-effacing droll humor that readers will wish they had a similar skeletal friend. While older readers may scoff at some of the incredible feats, youngsters will simply enjoy the story for the fun it provides. Fans of Eoin Colfer's "Artemis Fowl" series, or anyone who likes a dash of violence and danger served up with magical humor will enjoy this book. The publisher recommends it for grades 5-8. (I would rate it PG for a couple of mild swear words.) A copy is available from SMS library.

Free Fall by Kyle Mills

2008-01-08T20:44:00.000-06:00

Imagine taking a ride on a rollercoaster. Your heart is pumping, the adrenaline is rushing, you can't wait to see what is around the next turn, and then... the thing slows to a stop, the maintenance guy walks up and announces that there's a problem with the mechanics and you have to get off at once before the cars finish their exciting run. The ride is over. That's sort of what it was like reading Free Fall by Kyle Mills.

Now I like a good political thriller as much as the next guy, so I had high hopes that this book was going to be an exciting read. And it was...until I had gotten about 85% of the way through it, then it just kinda fizzled out. The blurb on the cover by Tom Clancy pretty much sums it all up: "Kyle Mills is a writer to watch." (Translation: "He has the potential to be a great writer, but this book doesn't represent great writing." Lots of it is very decent writing, and some parts are even very good writing. There is plenty of cat-and-mouse chasing around the globe, across different terrain, and in remote and urban settings. The characters are ex-FBI agents, political candidates, foreign diplomats, and members of the world mountain climbing community. The setting is an imagined present day during the final stages of the Presidential elections. The plot revolves around a newly discovered FBI file that had been misplaced some time during the last fifty years. In it are explicit photos of current Presidential candidates in compromising positions taken when they were much younger and sure to discredit them with the voting public. The file falls into the wrong hands several times before coming back to haunt various Washington politicos. While the file is missing is when the writing is at its best. By the time the photos make their way back home, the plot convolutions are just a bit too contrived, the characters behave in ways that stretch credibility, and the ending is a letdown. I suppose the point that the author makes about everyone having some skeletons in their closet that need to stay hidden is a valid one, and that sometimes even alleged "bad people" can turn out to be good under different circumstances. However, lessons for real life don't always translate into good dramatic fiction. If you want to take me on a rollercoaster ride, Mr. Mills, at least have the decency to let me finish the journey with as much anticipation as I had when I started. I give it 2 out of 4 stars. This is a novel for adult readers.

Jews...in Alaska?

2007-12-05T17:52:00.000-06:00

Okay, it's official now: Michael Chabon is my current favorite author. The Yiddish Policemen's Union takes place in an alternate history, one in which the Jewish refugees from Europe at the end of World War II have been relocated to the Alaskan territory of Sitka. It's nearing the end of their 60-year temporary claim on the land and once again they find themselves a people soon to be without a home...or are they? Although the events take place in an alternate present, the characters are right out of 1940's film noir. Hard-boiled, wise-cracking detective Meyer Landsman lives in a delapidated fleabag hotel, drinks himself into a stupor at the local dives, and eats mostly junk food if he remembers to eat at all. When one of his druggie neighbors is found murdered execution style, something about the killing just doesn't seem right. He and his half-Indian, half-Jew partner are assigned to quickly solve not only this case, but every other unsolved case in their files as well before district land reverts to native ownership! Oh, and did I mention that his ex-wife is also his new supervisor sent to oversee the territorial transition? Lots of deadpan humor and colorful characters throughout make this one of the most fun reads I have enjoyed in a while. For additional enjoyment, see if you can borrow the audio version from the library to listen to while you read the printed edition. It makes the personalities of the characters and quirks of the Yiddish language really come alive. Peter Riegert narrated on the copy I listened to and did a masterful job with all the voices. It's well worth the extra hassle of shuffling CDs to hear them.
For another good read by Chabon, check out The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. It is set in New York during the 1930s, during the golden age of comic books. This rather large Pulitzer-Prize winning novel is about two cousins who create a character named "The Escapist" who helps people get out of trouble. Look for the movie to come out in 2009.
Note: although Chabon does have a couple of children's novels to his credit, both of these were written for adults.

Learning Life Lessons

2007-11-25T21:26:00.000-06:00

In Schooled, the latest book by popular youth author Gordon Korman, the tables get turned on just about everyone at a public middle school when a new student, Capricorn Anderson, arrives fresh from his secluded life on an alternative farm commune. Raised and home-schooled by his no-nonsense grandmother, 13-year-old Cap drives her to the hospital following a crippling accident on the farm. Enter a social worker who identifies with the long-haired youth and takes him into her own home during grandmother's few weeks of medical rehabilitation. She enrolls him in the local middle school and tries to help him transition into the "real world" of TV, cell phones, video games and the 21st century in general. Intelligent and capable, innocent and naive, Cap quickly becomes the victim of some outlandish pranks by the resident bullies, but his unexpected reactions soon elevate him to a level of A-list popularity normally reserved for cheerleaders and jocks. The author deftly shifts narration from chapter to chapter among the principle characters, with each giving his or her take on events. Before too long those who scorned Cap for his different-ness now celebrate him for it. By the end of the novel, when Cap says good-bye to his 1,100 fellow students individually and by name, readers will have experienced some memorable moments of humor, tenderness, and genuine reflection, seeing something of themselves within this school story. From the eye-catching cover to the final page, this wonderful novel about being different from everyone else will surely appeal to middle-schoolers or anyone who has ever been one. Like Jerry Spinelli's Stargirl, this book would make a great starting point for a discussion of the stifling effects of conformity within school culture...or you could just read it for the fun of it.
This book is currently available at the SMS library.

Interesting concept...lousy execution

2007-10-06T22:26:00.000-05:00

The Black Tattoo by Sam Enthoven... Hmm. I honestly don't know where to start with this book. I have pondered for over a month whether I should even dignify it with a blog entry for fear some unsuspecting browser might see the cover on my page and assume I was endorsing it. I am not! I hated this book! One reader's review of this title at Amazon.com said the only positive comments he could make about it were that the words on the page were printed from left to right, and from top to bottom. Ouch! That's harsh! After reading it myself, I heartily agree. I seriously considered throwing it in the trash where it belongs, or suing the publishers for the time I wasted reading it that I will never get back. In the end I decided to keep it only because it is a finalist for the Texas Library Association's 2007-08 Lone Star Reading List of (alleged) "best books" for middle-schoolers. I'll be scrutinizing that list much more carefully in the future! I'd sure like to find out who the idiot was that nominated this stinker so I could give them a piece of my mind. Thank goodness I didn't spend any money for it--it was part of our spring book fair incentives.

The blurb on the back of the dust jacket about a young man's tattoo that takes on a life of its own and starts moving around, controlling his thoughts and actions was an intriguing premise. And the book's opening sequences led me to believe the plot would continue to build and develop along the same lines. Well, that's not exactly what happens. It's as if the writer had this great story idea, but then he couldn't figure out what to do with it. He couldn't make up his mind if it was going to be a horror story, a humorous fantasy tale, a coming-of-age morality play, a bit of chick lit, or what. The cover graphics are great (there, I said something positive!), but the fact that the dust jacket converts into a poster should have been my first clue that something was wrong with this picture. (When they give away a freebie with purchase, it's usually because their product doesn't stand a chance on its own.) This book was truly a disappointment. It was dark, depressing, poorly written, and not appropriate for the age group in which it is being marketed. (I personally don't think ANYONE should bother with this over-long mess, but the youngest person I would even think about letting read it to would be in 9th grade or above.

Here's the plot in a nutshell: a rogue demon who thinks all humans are idiots decides to possess a young boy and take his body back to hell (yes, that hell) to offer him as a blood sacrifice to the supreme being in charge down there. (BTW...He is never identified as Satan, the devil, etc.) If all goes according to plans, his actions will annihilate every living thing in the universe. Sort of like the Big Bang theory in reverse...with all creation as we know it going back to square zero. A guy named god (in lower case) is mentioned a couple of times, but only as a minor character who is basically a clerk for the ultimate ruler of the underworld. Apparently he was demoted after he got bored one day and tried an "experiment" to see what would happen if he created the Earth and everything on it. The results went against his plans due to the gift of free will. Seems those pesky humans are always doing what they want and messing everything up. There's an assortment of weird demons in residence down below, most used for comic relief and action sequences. There's a big showdown at the end, and as usual, good triumphs over evil. (Oops, spoiler alert!) I shudder to think that Enthoven left the ending open on purpose for a planned sequel. Eeuwwww!

During several passages, I couldn't help but notice the writer's weak attempts to mimic the style and descriptive wit of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. Trust me when I say this book is not anywhere near the same league as that fantasy masterpiece. And remember that old computer science mantra "garbage in--garbage out?" Well, I can't wait until enough time has passed that I get this chunk of garbage out of my head. If I were assigning stars, I'd have to give it negative 4 for wasting paper, ink, and time, not to mention insulting any reader's intelligence. I can assure you there is something in here to offend everyone.

Now I am not a proponent of censorship, but I do feel there is such a thing as age-appropriate content when dealing with children, especially in a school setting. Parents have the right to determine what their child--and ONLY their child--may have access to from a library. For this reason, I am not prohibiting anyone from checking out this book, however, I DO point out that it comes with a Young Adult warning label for content, and I also inform them of my opinion about it after I read it. So far, all who have picked it up off the shelf have either changed their minds about borrowing it, or brought it back the next day after reading only a few pages. There's some satisfaction to the fact that I am helping them discern between quality writing and worthless junk. At least I hope so...

One final important note: If you are a parent, you need to be aware what your children are interested in. This includes music they listen to, movies and TV shows they watch, video games they play, websites they visit, friends they hang out with, and even books they read. The powers-that-be in society are pushing the envelope on what passes for entertainment these days. Sadly, today's crop of Young Adult writers seem to be jumping on that bandwagon, intent on making their material unsuitable for anyone in middle school or lower grades. I am up for a great story and a great read, but The Black Tattoo was most certainly not one of them.

This one's not about cows in tiaras...

2007-08-26T12:08:00.000-05:00

Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock. First-time novelist Murdock has crafted an appealing heroine in D.J. Schwenk, and girls in grades 8 and up should find her an endearing role model. Told in a steady, almost stream-of-consciousness style with everything from honesty to heartache, this book should quickly find a receptive audience of readers. It unflinchingly addresses issues such as stereotypes, parental expectations, and even gender roles with respect and humor, but does so in a sly, subtle manner.

D.J. is the only female offspring in a family of reknown athletes living in a small Wisconsin farming town obsessed with sports---especially football. Her two older football star brothers are away at college, her younger baseball star brother is constantly gone to little league games, practices, tournaments...or the dentist. Her mother is holding down two jobs just to make ends meet for the family, and her dad is temporarily disabled due to major hip surgery. Which means that all the work on their farm falls to teenage D.J. Enter family friend and neighboring rival coach Jimmy Ott who offers to help out the struggling dairy farmers by sending one of his players to work for them during the summer. Second string quarterback Brian Nelson is an okay player, but he needs some one-on-one guidance and training for the fall season, so who better to teach him than a member of the famed Schwenk football clan? Brian will work for free in exchange for football lessons. D.J. and Brian have a tense start, as school rivals tend to do, but soon get to know each other better and form an easy alliance of trainer and trainee. They milk the cows, paint & muck out the barn, jog through the woods, run sprints and passing plays on a practice field the two created in one of the heifer pastures, do conditioning exercises, and more importantly, learn to talk and listen to each other's problems Oprah-style. By the end of summer, their friendship seems to be headed to another level.....until football practice starts.

After weeks of athletic training and conditioning with Brian, D.J. has lost most of the excess weight that has always made her "big" for a girl. She is tanned, toned, and ready to shake up her little world by trying out for the Red Bend football team. How will Brian react when he finds out his trainer is now his opponent? How will D.J.'s girlfriends treat her in pads and a helmet? Will her dad stop speaking to her like he did her two older brothers? Will her mom lose her job as interim school principal if D.J. tries out for the team? Will the coach and the school board even let her play? And what about her failing grades? D.J. first has to finish some make-up work for an F in English composition from last semester before she can even try out. What's a girl to do? Read Dairy Queen and find out what one strong-willed young woman did.

This book is on the 2007-2008 Texas Lone Star Reading List of recommended titles for middle school and high school. It is available at the SMS library and carries a Young Adult (YA) sticker due to brief mature themes and some language. This is a great coming-of-age story for students who are struggling in the shadow of an older sibling, or who can't seem to find the courage to declare their independence. Hooray for realistic characters like D.J. Schwenk!

Werewolves & Vampires & Racists, oh my!

2007-08-19T13:10:00.000-05:00

I managed to finish two new YA novels recently: My Mother the Cheerleader by Robert Sharenow and Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer.

Readers captivated by Meyer's riveting saga of vampire romance will definitely enjoy the latest book in her Twilight series. The first book introduced us to teenager Bella Swan and the mysterious Cullen family, a clan of beautiful "vegetarian" vampires who have chosen to abstain from human blood and to co-exist with them in Forks, a small hamlet among the rain-soaked woods of Washington state. Bella falls in love with Edward Cullen who seems to somehow be part of her destiny. The second book, New Moon, pulled Bella and Edward apart, tested their love, and introduced us to shape-shifting Native American Jacob Black and the age-old prejudices between vampires and werewolves. It also left readers hanging with a decision Bella was to make concerning her immortality: Will it happen, and if so, when?

Eclipse is more of the same, but it is also different. We return to the town of Forks and find that graduation is looming (after which, the Cullens have agreed to make Bella a vampire). Even though it's her senior year, the whole high school issue is basically glossed over, with very little of the plot revolving around her school days in this book. There's a serial killer on the loose in nearby Seattle, so trips into the city are out of the question. And Bella cannot visit Jacob, her steadfast best friend, because he is a werewolf. Due to her ties to the vampires, it would break treaties and bonds made between them centuries before. The sometimes over-long book (629 pages) spends a fair amount of time covering the Quileute Indian backstory of Jake's werewolf heritage. Lots of stories, not a lot of action. There's plenty of macho posturing by both Edward and Jake to win Bella's attention, and their behavior on her behalf makes Bella seem more of a spoiled brat by comparison. It isn't often that a writer makes her main character so unlikeable as Meyer does Bella, but it happens several times in Eclipse, or at least it did with me anyway. On the other hand, Meyer's use of humor sprinkled throughout the book was a welcome surprise, and I found myself grinning at some of the darker jokes.

As the days go by, and graduation gets closer, Bella must choose her fate. She wants to become immortal and be with Edward, but she must give up her family to do so. She is also worried about the change: will she be able to focus like the Cullen family and refrain from human blood? Or will her new vampire lust cause her to kill innocent people? How will her new life (after-death) affect relationships with her family and friends? Bella finally starts asking mature questions that need serious examination, then in a quick turnabout, behaves like a pouty little tease as she tries to seduce Edward before their agreed upon first time. The irony here is that the vampire is the one with morals. He insists they wait until they are married.

The serial killings in Seattle continue and turn out to be supernatural in origin: they were all victims of an army of newborn vampires created specifically to attack the Cullen's peaceful forest enclave. The city killings have been a training exercise for an upcoming battle of revenge against Edward and his family. This brings up even more issues for Bella and her decision to become immortal. Not that anything could ever persuade her to give Edward up (stubbornness in my opinion is a character flaw, not an attribute), but it makes the choice more difficult by showing her the realities of becoming a vampire.

Without revealing too much plot, Jacob has also decided he wants more from Bella, which makes her decision even more difficult. Must Bella choose between the love of her life and her devoted best friend? In a recent interview, the author said that if the first book was about finding love, and the second book was about losing love, then the third book is about choosing love. How do we decide who we are going to spend the rest of our life with? Is it better to get to know someone as a friend first, then let things eventually turn into love? Is there truly a "soulmate" out there for everyone? What if your soulmate turns out not to have a soul? Whichever one she chooses, how will the other react to her decision? These are just a few of the questions tormenting Bella as she prepares for high school graduation and what the next phase of life holds for her. Guess we'll have to wait until the 4th book, Breaking Dawn, comes out sometime in 2008 to see exactly what that is.

The second book I read this week was also about racism, but not the imaginary kind between werewolves and vampires. It was about a real incident that happened during one of the pivotal events of America's Civil Rights Movement. In My Mother the Cheerleader, author Robert Sharenow tells a fictional story of one family's experience with forced integration in a New Orleans elementary school in November 1960. A little black girl named Ruby Bridges is being escorted to class by armed guards through a crowd of white supremacists, bigots, and racists, all chanting hateful messages and calling her names. Witness to the event is 13-year-old Louise Collins, who lives with her mother in their boardinghouse in the town's Ninth Ward. Louise, like most of the other white children, has been pulled from the school because of all the prejudice and unrest. Not willing to sit idly in her room with all this excitement going on, Louise sneaks off on a spy mission to see for herself what is happening at the school. There she finds her own mother among the so-called "Cheerleaders," a group of white housewives chanting and hurling insults at the innocent little black girl. The issue gains national attention, and before long, a stranger appears on their doorstep wanting to rent a room. He is charming and intellectual, but these qualities are overshadowed by his mysterious past. The man's visit eventually becomes suspicious, and soon everything Louise thinks she knows about her mother, herself, and her world changes forever.

This book has been receiving a lot of positive press from the literary world, but I am sure there are plenty of people who will take issue with it soon enough. First off, I have a problem with the title and the cover art. Neither gives potential readers any indication of what the book is going to be about. There's also the issue that the mother is a drunk and a part-time prostitute, and the fact that a fair share of swear words, not to mention the "N-word", is used freely. Of course, I suppose it would be difficult to write about racial hatred during the early days of the Civil Rights Movement and not use that word, but still... Does this story need to be told? Yes. Could it have been told better? That's for each individual to decide.

I recommend both of these books for mature readers, preferably 8th grade and above.

Books with a Southwestern setting...

2007-08-08T11:14:00.000-05:00

While my wife and I were in Prescott recently, we stopped downtown at a bookstore called The Worm. The saleswoman asked about my reading interests, and I told her I like Tony Hillerman's Native American mysteries set in the desert southwest, and that we had tried to visit several of the locations featured in his novels. She suggested I try J.A. Jance's books which mostly have Arizona settings for their various crime-laden plotlines.

Once back home, we went to the Paris Public Library and checked out a new audio version of the first book in her Alison Reynolds series: Edge of Evil. Frankie and I both enjoyed listening to this one--I think she even more than I--so when we returned the book-on-CD, she checked out a couple more of Jance's titles in the Sheriff Joanna Brady series. We enjoyed Edge of Evil because it was set in Sedona and Flagstaff, two towns on our trip this summer, and there were even mentions of Mingus Mountain, Verde Valley, Cottonwood, Yavapai and Coconino Counties, Tlaquepaque, and Schnebly Hill Road...all places we saw or traveled to with our cousins, Jimmy and Sheila. It was cool to be able to picture exactly where the writer was describing in her narrative.

If her other books are written in the same style as this one, I think female readers will enjoy Jance's crime novels more than men will. The author seems to be writing directly to women, encouraging and empowering them to be strong and to take control over their own lives. Nothing wrong with that, if that's what you are looking for, but I think I prefer my protatgonists to be generic enough so that everyone can relate to them.

Dangerous books for men and boys...

2007-08-02T22:41:00.000-05:00

One of my guilty pleasures over the years has been reading Clive Cussler's adventure stories featuring swashbuckling heroes, intrepid explorers, stereotypical secret agents, and swaggering government employees working for the National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA). What started in the early 1970s as good escapist fun has over the years evolved into formulaic schlock. Cussler begins each book with a unique incident, usually involving a hidden treasure from the Ancient Past. Then there's a jump to a seemingly unrelated event from more recent history, and finally the plot unfolds in the near-present with bad guys with superiority complexes doing really stupid things and getting caught by a He-Man ex-Special Ops savior with a macho name like KURT, DIRK, JOE, etc. His latest novel, The Navigator: a Novel from the NUMA Files features more of the same thing he has been churning out lately: A boatload of sailors from Ancient Phoenicia hide a sacred article somewhere in a cave near a coast. Jump to the White House in 1809 and Thomas Jefferson is fretting over moving his personal papers out of the Presidential mansion as a new commander-in-chief is sworn into office. Cut to modern day and these two apparently unconnected situations begin to relate to each other as our brave pals from NUMA enter the scene. Oh, and I almost forgot...there's always a smart, beautiful, exotic woman professor involved, and being the helpless female that she is, she finds herself needing to be rescued in the end. (Yawn!) Either Cussler is growing old and lazy (probably, since he has been using a co-author on the last few novels), or I am maturing and just getting tired of wasting my time on his horribly written junk. I think I lose a few IQ points every time I finish one of these books, so to avoid any more hazards to my mental health, this one may just have be the last of his that I try to read...

And speaking of hazards to health, RUN, don't walk, to your nearest bookstore right now and buy a copy of The Dangerous Book for Boys. Better yet, get one for every young man age 8 and above that you know! British brothers Conn and Hal Iggulden have collected into a handy reference volume things every boy (and man) should know. The topics are arranged in no particular order, so readers can pick and choose the sections they want to spend time with. Everything from Morse Code to Waterproofing Matches, How to Build a Treehouse to Common Latin Phrases, Rules of Poker to Famous Battles in History, Seven Wonders of the Ancient & Modern World, How to Juggle, on down to Five Poems Every Boy Should Know is included, as well as much, much more. I heard the other day that men in their 20's, 30's & 40's are buying this book as often for themselves as for their adolescent sons. A lot of the information is similar to what could be found in a typical Boy Scout manual, but with color illustrations and a nostalgic feel. I think the appeal of this gem of a book is that it gives permission for boys to just be boys again. This publication is the perfect remedy for all those sociologists who claim we have raised a generation of overly-sensitive wusses and unjustly-empowered princesses. Attention Librarians: this is one book that will probably fly off your non-fiction shelves once word gets out that it is available!

Harry Potter... and some deadly Mormons...

2007-07-30T10:42:00.000-05:00

Between excursions outside to rake up piles of grass clippings from my overgrown-but-finally-mowed yard, I was somehow able to finish two rather large books this week.

The supposedly final book in the world's best-selling series of all time, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling, ties up just enough loose ends to make everyone happy. If ever there was a book that was worth the wait, this one is it. I watched and read every interview with the author that I could find this week, and although she says this is the last HP book she is planning, she was just vague enough to hint that somewhere way down the line there might be more where these came from. If you have read the book, you know the ending was left open for possibly more stories in the distant future, but it was also conclusive enough to satisfy loyal fans who have been following the young wizard since the beginning. To me, the most emotional part of the book was near the middle, with the reappearance of a house elf we haven't seen for some time. A talk with several other readers showed me that they felt the same way. The ending had me worried for awhile, because I wasn't sure how things were going to be resolved, but Rowling (master story-teller that she is) came through with a gripping, convoluted, tension-filled finale. I was especially pleased to see so many religious parallels and imagery in this book. Goodness knows the author has been attacked over the years by ignorant zealots who claim that these books promote witchcraft and devil worship, but anyone who has read the series knows how far from the truth those accusations are. On behalf of her millions of fans worldwide, I thank Rowling for the exciting, white-knuckle ride, and for bringing the joy of reading as entertainment back to so many people.

The second book I finished this week was one I have been meaning to read for a couple of years now: adventurer/journalist Jon Krakauer's exposé of Mormon Fundamentalists in Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith. Also known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (or LDS for short), the Mormons have a relatively brief, but sometimes violent, history. Founded in North America in the 1800's by charismatic leader Joseph Smith, Mormonism endured a lot of persecution in its early days, most of which is painstakingly documented in this book. The history of the LDS church is presented in order to explain how the new religion continued to evolve, relocate, and split over the years into rival factions, each with a slightly different take on the original beliefs of its early leaders, including Brigham Young. The main point of the book is that there are thousands of Fundamentalist Mormons around today, still practicing their own perverted sense of worship (and even murder) in the name of God. The author examines what leads these fringe groups to set up isolated enclaves in remote parts of the world (far NW Arizona, SW Utah, and SW Canada) to practice "plural marriage", incest, rape, forced slavery, racism, etc...all under the seemingly blind eyes of local, state, and even national officials. The writing was at times both tedious and gripping in its details, but overall the book gave me a better understanding of the LDS organization as a whole. I highly recommend this one if you have questions about organized religion in general or about Mormonism specifically. By reviewing this work, I don't mean to cast a negative shadow on all members of the LDS faith. I have Mormon friends and colleagues who are quite normal, law-abiding people. The criminal cases cited in the book all involve former mainstream LDS members who were excommunicated from their local churches and wards because of their radical fundamentalist beliefs.

Jeremy Fink & the Meaning of Life

2007-07-19T10:50:00.000-05:00

Having taken a break from adolescent literature for awhile, I figured it was time to get back to reading my stack of books from the middle school library. Wendy Mass' Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life was at the top of the "to-read" heap.

Just a few weeks before he is to become an official teenager, Jeremy Fink receives a mysterious carved wooden box secured by four unusual locks. An accompanying message from his deceased father tells him the chest contains the meaning of life and is to be opened on his 13th birthday. Jeremy and his best friend Lizzy begin a mission that takes them all over New York City in search of the elusive keys that will unlock the box. Along the way they meet conveniently helpful characters who assist them on their mystical journey of self-discovery. Students in grades 5-7 who enjoy adventure or mystery stories will probably like this book, but after a while, I found it overly drawn out and predictable. I fear most kids will give up on it before bothering to find out how it ends. (Some of the situations are so contrived as to be almost unbelievable.) Anyone who has seen the Brendan Fraser movie "With Honors" can easily figure out how this one will end, and while the sentiment is nice, it just feels a little too familiar to me. Not a bad book if you are looking for something to while away the long hours of summer, but certainly not on my list of recommended reading. There are much better books available.

Home Again, Home Again...

2007-07-13T22:10:00.000-05:00

When we left for Arizona on the 4th of July, the grass in my backyard was knee high. Now that we are back it is up to my waist! We have had rain almost every single day in the last month, and there's no end in sight according to the weatherman. My yard is standing in water, and it will take at least a week or more of sun to dry things up enough to get a tractor with a brush hog out back. The ground is saturated all over NE Texas, and creeks, rivers, and lakes are all above capacity. I never thought I'd say it, but I hope it doesn't rain anymore this summer. We need a break. Maybe if we all pray really hard, God'll send some of this moisture over to the Western states that need it to put out forest fires. It's a thought anyway.

Speaking of Western states, we thoroughly enjoyed our week-long stay with Jimmy and Sheila in Prescott. They toured us around their adopted hometown, and some of the beautiful scenery nearby. Sedona is touristy, but still breath-taking. And even though Flagstaff is a big, fast-paced city, it is different from the rest of this dry state because it is nestled up in the mountains and covered in large pines. The people of Prescott won us over though. Everyone is so friendly and down-to-earth. No wonder so many folks retire to the area. So many different cultures make for a great mix of people and ideas. Frankie and I could definitely feel at home there.

On the two-day drive back, we completed another book on CD: Bad Luck and Trouble by Lee Child. Neither of us had heard of him, but the book was getting good reviews in the literary press, so we thought we'd give it a try. Despite the unimaginative title, the new novel had us hooked almost immediately. A former military special ops leader, Jack Reacher, is contacted by one of his old team members to warn him that other friends and squad members from the old unit are disappearing one by one. It's a race against time once they figure out what's really going on. You won't be disappointed if you give this one a try. My only complaint with the audio version is that the guy doing the reading tends to be too quiet on the women's voices, and far too loud on the men's. We had to keep adjusting the volume in order to hear over road noise, and then turn it down so we wouldn't be deafened later on. This book would easily be suitable for a high school library. There is some graphic violence in the plot, but only a couple of curse words, and no sexual descriptions. I think Frankie and I will both be looking for more books by this writer, only in printed versions from now on.

Greetings from Prescott, Arizona...

2007-07-06T12:44:00.000-05:00

Frankie and I took a well-needed break from the seemingly endless days of rain in NE Texas to journey out West. We are staying with my cousin Jimmy and his wife Sheila in north central Arizona. The weather has been great (we'd almost forgotten what the sun looked like) but it has been awfully hot. It's been nice just to have a change of scenery and to sit down and carry on a conversation with other adults about things besides school. Looking forward to several days of catching up with them and taking in the beauty of this part of the world. Arizona isn't all desert and cactus--although there is plenty of that, too--the Prescott area is rich in Old West history, cowboys and cattle, etc. Last night we walked around the downtown square and went into The Palace Saloon on Whisky Row where the movie Junior Bonner was filmed. There are national forests all around, and the Grand Canyon and the mountains around Flagstaff to the north are only a short drive away. Prescott truly is a beautiful place, and I can't believe we have waited this long to come out for a vist.

On the long drive out, we listened to John Grisham's latest book on CD: The Innocent Man. The publication marks Grisham's first foray into non-fiction, but it reads as well as some of his best-selling novels. This is a recounting of a very real tale of murder and injustice in the small town of Ada, Oklahoma, written in the same "true crime novel" style of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, the archetype of the genre. The Innocent Man chronicles the story of local good ol' boy Ron Williamson, how he was arrested and charged with a crime he didn't commit, how his case was unbelieveably mishandled, and how an innocent man was sent to death row. Of course it helps to remember that the sad tale unfolds in the days prior to DNA evidence being used in courts of law. The events that took place are at times shocking, disturbing, and enthralling--in short, this is a must-read for Grisham fans. Pick it up and hold on tight, because you will not be able to put this one down.

The Joy of Free Books...

2007-06-29T14:09:00.000-05:00

A few weeks back I was browsing for information about YA books and authors on the Internet when I came across a sign-up form from a major publishing house offering to mail me free copies of Advance Reading Editions (AREs) of their new children's and young adult books. Of course I signed up, but didn't think too much about it after that. Imagine my surprise this week when I came home to find a huge padded mailer filled with a half dozen as-yet unpublished kids titles sitting on my doorstep. It was like going to annual library conference without leaving home!

The first book in the stack to grab my attention was The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney by Suzanne Harper. Sparrow is the 7th daughter of a 7th daughter in an eccentric family of psychics. That means the occupants of her house believe she is especially tuned to the afterlife and is destined for great things. Everyone in her town is on the spiritualism bandwagon it seems, except for Sparrow. All she wants is to be normal, ordinary, and left alone. She gets her chance to start fresh where nobody knows her at a brand new high school. Everything goes as planned, until she crosses paths with a charming but irritating teenage ghost who simply will not leave her in peace. What's a girl to do?

This was an enjoyable read for me, and a book that I think students in grades 7 and up will like, too. The dialogue between characters has enough modern references to make the storyline up-to-date. The writer throws in plenty of humor without making things seem too contrived. The plot is intriging, even if a bit predictable. That's okay, because sometimes you need to tackle a story you can figure out early on. It gives you a sense of success as a reader. The reward in reading for pleasure is the journey the author takes you along on the way to the end of the book.

For those who are interested in such things, there are a handful of 4-letter words sprinkled mainly in the last half of the book, but they aren't anything a typical teen hasn't heard in the school hallways or from a PG-13 movie. Overall a good book that I feel will be popular with both boys and girls from middle school on up. It will be available in stores on July 3, 2007 and in libraries soon afterwards. Ask for it. And remember, if you borrow it from the library, it's free!

Two Quick Reads...

2007-06-25T18:15:00.000-05:00

This weekend I was in Hastings and noticed several new titles in the children's book section. Thank goodness we got paid on Friday and I was able to buy them without having to wait for available funds. The third book in Rick Riordan's Lightning Thief series just came out, so I know my assistant Donna will be thrilled I was able to get hold of a copy of that.

Another one I bought was The Alchemyst: Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael D. Scott. It's been getting some positive attention in the literary publications I subscribe to, and rightfully so. I have a feeling this series will take the place of Harry Potter's fantasy fiction dominance once the final book in that 7-volume series becomes complete this summer. Which is interesting because one of the main characters in The Alchemyst is Nicholas Flamel, the famous real-life scientist, magician, astrologer, etc. mentioned in Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone. (Flamel was the sorcerer/philosopher in the title!) The characters are very well drawn and believable, and the settings (present-day California and a parallel "Shadowrealm") are well-described and definitely imaginative. I couldn't help comparing some of the creatures and descriptions in this book to J.K. Rowling's creations in the Potter series. The author, Scott, is a noted European scholar and mythology expert, so there are plenty of allusions and references to fantastic tales and creatures of legend to keep readers researching for more information. There are supposed to be 6 volumes when the series is complete, and all of them have already been optioned for movies. The first film is scheduled for release in 2009, according to the author's website: www.dillonscott.com. If you want to get in on the beginning of a great new children's fantasy series, you can't go wrong with this one. The Alchemyst is suitable for upper elementary to adult.

Another fast read I just finished today is the latest Stephanie Plum crime caper from Janet Evanovich. Lean Mean Thirteen is more of the same that Evanovich's devoted fans can't seem to get enough of. It's craziness and chaos from (most of) the usual cast of eccentric but loveable characters. I'll never think of taxidermists or cable companies the same way again. This is pure escapist summer fun for mature (i.e. adult) readers only. It's a hoot!

With all the rain we've been getting in Texas these past few weeks, I certainly haven't been able to keep up with lawn mowing because our yard is constantly standing in water. It doesn't seem to stop raining long enough for it to dry out, so what's a person to do? Well...DUH! Read, of course! So get busy!

A Father's Love

2007-06-10T23:04:00.000-05:00

When Cormac McCarthy's The Road was first published in 2006, the first review of it I read wasn't overly positive...which only goes to show that you shouldn't believe everything you read. I have to admit the premise of the book didn't sound all that appealing to me at the time: A father and his young son travel across-country in a postapocalyptic America trying to survive day by day in a burned out wasteland. But since it just won the Pulitzer Prize and became an Oprah's Book Club selection, I thought I'd give it a second look. I am so glad I did! I took it with me this weekend just in case I found myself in need of something to read while visiting the inlaws. Let me tell you I was hooked from the first couple of pages and didn't go to bed until I had read the entire novel all the way through. Quite the contrary from it's initial description, this book is filled with optimism and hope. The relationship between the unnamed man and his child is one of trust, faith, and unconditional love. This is an emotionally uplifting story just perfect for Father's Day reading. In the only televised interview the author has ever granted in his 73 years, he told Oprah Winfrey he was inspired to write this book following the birth of his own son just a few years back. The award-winning novel is dedicated to him. A caution that there are a few graphic descriptions, but these are necessary to the plot. It's probably suitable for 8th grade and up. Much of the story is told in dialogue, which makes for a quicker read. Like another Pulitzer Prize winner, Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain, the author takes liberal license with writing conventions, which takes a little getting used to, such as when he omits apostrophes in contractions, does not use quotation marks to show when a character is speaking, and avoids using italics to show a character's thoughts versus his speech. It's a minor complaint and the book is well worth the added effort. This is essentially a "man's story", but the universal message of hope needs to be spread and enjoyed by everyone.

Ready for more Blockbusters...

2007-06-08T12:24:00.000-05:00

...And I don't mean movies! I just finished reading Khaled Hosseini's new novel of Afghanistan, A Thousand Splendid Suns. If ever there was any doubt he could follow up his phenomenal best-seller, The Kite Runner, with something as equally well-written, those fears are now soundly put to rest. This second book will probably be even more successful. Where Kite Runner was told more from the male point of view, this second novel tells a similar tale, though in more detail, focusing on the lives of two women: Mariam and Laila. Readers will learn how differently women are valued under various regimes as power and control in Afghanistan changes repeatedly over the course of just a few years. Despite all the political upheaval, cultural differences, drought, starvation, violence, and other problems in the region, this book is a love letter to the author's native Afghanistan. I literally could not put it down the last night until I found out how it ended. I strongly recommend this book to anyone looking for a story filled with hope despite mountains of adversity.

Like everyone who is waiting for the summer movies to hit theaters, I can't wait for the new books to hit store and library shelves in the next few weeks. Janet Evanovich has a Stephanie Plum novel (Lean Mean Thirteen) due. Of course, the final Harry Potter is coming in July, the month of August should see Eclipse, the last book in the Twilight trilogy, and in late June, book 3 in John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series debuts. Happy reading!

Ahhh, Summer Vacation!

2007-05-31T13:13:00.000-05:00

Only a week has gone by since we got out for summer break and I've already finished two books on my to-read list. The classic Silas Marner by George Eliot (a woman writing under a man's name), was a bit of a challenge with its almost archaic language and writing style, but in the end turned out to be an enjoyable read. Similarly, La Línea by Ann Jaramillo was more modern, but presented its own share of language issues as well. The writer liberally sprinkles words and phrases en español throughout the text, which can be a little confusing if the reader isn't familiar with Spanish. Some sayings are translated in the accompanying text, but many are just dropped in for you to figure out on your own. I guess the point being that, if one finds reading a book with Spanish phrases difficult for an English speaking person, imagine how hard it must be for someone coming to this country speaking only native Spanish to adapt here. The title, La Línea, refers to the borderline separating Mexico and the U.S. Thousands of people, most of them children, try to cross it every year in pursuit of a better life. The author is a middle school ESL teacher in California who got the inspiration for this, her first book, from her students, many of whom are young people who left behind friends and family seeking opportunity and shelter with distant relatives in America. The fact-based novel will certainly give you some things to think about and just might change your opinion on the current administration's immigration policies. I like Jaramillo's use of the border metaphor to symbolize the various real and imaginary lines we all must cross in life. My only complaint with the writing is that the journey of the main characters is covered in such detail all the way through the book, only to suddenly leap forward ten years at the end. I wanted to know what happened to Miguel and Elena immediatly after they looked over the top of that last hill. That might be a good discussion question for a student reading group. Perhaps the author is planning a sequel to fill in the 10-year gap. Guess we'll all have to wait and see... This book is sure to be popular in Texas, and was a wise choice for the 2007-2008 Lone Star Reading List.

School's Out!

2007-05-26T16:00:00.000-05:00

Frankie and I went to Scholastic's annual Warehouse sale last weekend and I was able to purchase almost every title on the 2007-2008 Texas Lone Star Reading List. After processing and putting them into the computer at school, I brought a big bag of books home to read over the next few weeks since I will have lots more time now that school is out. I've already started Shug, and Black Duck, in between bouts with Silas Marner (what can I say...I was in the mood for a classic), but there are other titles that look appealing as well. Looking forward to just chillin' with a book for a few days. Donna, my assistant, took a stack home too, so we can compare notes when we come back in August. When we left Scholastic, we stopped at a Half-Price Books in Mesquite and I was able to find several DK Eyewitness titles we didn't own for the middle school library. I am about 70% complete on my quest to have every title in that series for the kids. They really like the photos, captions, and use of white space in this wonderfully informative series.

Donna and I just finished probably the best inventory we have ever gone thru. We started a couple of days early, took our time, and made sure everything we looked at was correctly shelved, labeled, barcoded, etc. There were only a couple of books out of place, and only a fraction of the usual number of titles missing from the count. I keep thinking a security system would help in this respect, but where do you put it when there are five entrance doors into your library?

I'm a little sad, but nonetheless relieved I won't be in charge of the school yearbook next year. That should give me more time to concentrate on doing a better job as librarian. Already kicking around some ideas I compiled from the Texas Library Connection listserv a while back. I am still singing the praises of that weeding workshop we attended at TLA. We have made lots of room on the shelves for new materials, and on the last day of school, we gave away all the discarded books to students who wanted something to take home for summer reading.

No books to add to the "finished reading" list yet, but I'm working on it.

Suffering from "Reading A.D.D."

2007-04-29T16:27:00.000-05:00

On the way to the TLA conference in San Antonio, Melanie and I started listening to Jeff Abbott's book-on-tape thriller PANIC in order to while away the 7-hour drive down. Of course we didn't have time to finish it before the trip was over, so she took the recorded version with her and I ran out and bought the paperback so I could find out how it ended. Jeff is an Austin-based writer and friend of one of my other favorite authors, Harlan Coben. Their styles are similar, but Coben is more well known right now. That may change before long as I read the other day that the movie rights to PANIC had been sold and it might soon become a feature film. There is certainly enough non-stop action to keep the plot from ever getting dull. It reminded me of that Sandra Bullock movie The Net from a few years back...the one about computer terrorists, with a dash of The Bourne Identity thrown in for good measure. I hope if they do make a movie out of PANIC, it does well and brings him lots of attention as a writer. He deserves it. I wouldn't even mind if Hollywood adapted Coben's sports agent-turned detective Myron Bolitar book character into a film franchise. Now I could spend hours trying to cast that series! If you haven't read them, you're missing a treat. Sort of like Janet Evanovich for guys. Good mindless fun with lots of action. His stand-alone thrillers go a bit deeper and darker though.

As usual, I came back from TLA with a huge box full of Advance Reading Copies (ARCs) given out by the book publishers. One I started--Dramarama by E. Lockhart--has potential, but it got set aside in favor of a hardback I bought from a vendor there: Looking for Alaska, John Green's Printz-winner about a small prep school in the South dealing with the death of a student named Alaska. I was hoping it would be another good title to add to my middle school library shelves, but I feel the material is inappropriate for that age group. Don't get me wrong--this is a powerfully written book that deserves to be read, but it's probably more suited for older high school students to adults. Plenty of humor, but also strong language, drinking, smoking, some sex, and a couple of scenes that would probably lead to challenges with younger readers' parents. The characters are well-drawn and unique. If you liked John Knowles' A Separate Peace or J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, you'll love Looking for Alaska.

There are moments when I think--a little like Wile E. Coyote--that I must suffer from "bookus interruptus" or something, because I can't seem to get into a story. At one point in the last two weeks I had five novels going simultaneously. I'd pick one up, read awhile, then go to another, not being content to tackle one at a time. I just started the 8th book in Alexander McCall Smith's delightfully charming The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series. This one is called The Good Husband of Zebra Drive. These books are great for middle school on up. I feel calm and peaceful after finishing each installment, but as one reviewer noted, they should be taken in small doses, like once per year. And he is right. The characters are so well drawn that you feel as if they are real people you'd like to meet, and sit down and talk with over a fresh cup of red bush tea. But they also border on being annoying in their habits and mannerisms, like a houseful of beloved but distant relatives. You WANT to check in on them annually, but after a few days in their company, you are ready to go back home to your real life. Yes, they are sweet, lovely, and interesting people, but best enjoyed via infrequent visits. And after you leave, you have nothing but fond memories of your time with them. These books are a treasure.

This time of year is always busy with end-of-semester programs, parties, awards, testing, etc. I have been weeding ruthlessly since my assistant and I are preparing for inventory. I am trying not to get emotionally attached to my library books...they are just paper, ink and cardboard after all...but it bothers me to pull some of these selections off the shelf to accommodate new ones. I have to make room for the books to come back in at the end of the school year, and as it was, the shelves were already full to bursting with a lot of old junk and too many slow-moving titles. It's just a vicious cycle...

Gearing up for TLA!

2007-04-08T19:25:00.000-05:00

Haven't had a lot of time for reading lately. The wife has had me cleaning house in preparation for new dining room furniture delivery (a table large enough to land small aircraft on!) and company coming for Easter Sunday. Poor thing nearly worked herself into a state from all the dusting, cleaning, etc. I am glad she's watching Clean House on TV, because it's giving her lots of ideas on how to declutter our lives, too. Don't think I didn't do my fair share either--sweeping, mopping, washing light fixtures, and so on. The yard/pasture was finally dry enough to mow, and you-know-who had to make a mad dash into town for a replacement vacuum cleaner after ours--pardon the pun--bit the dust. (Personally, I think it committed suicide or possibly had a stroke.) It's all over now and I have to say it was a successful gathering. Number One son brought over his Granny and Aunt Dee from Cooper. My wife's folks were in from Omaha, too. Number Two son made it in late last night from a racing run at Lawton, Oklahoma. He and his buddies went up for a military match-up and stayed at Ft. Sill. One of them ended up winning the first place trophy and hopes to get some free rubber for his ride out of the deal with a local tire seller. Overall a good weekend.

As for reading, the only thing I have been able to get through lately is an older Newbery award winner: The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare. I had already read The Witch of Blackbird Pond by her several years ago and enjoyed it. Book number 11 for the year, The Bronze Bow, was recommended to me by a 6th-grader (thanks Colby) who discovered it during a class assignment from his Language Arts teacher to read an award-winning book. He picked it on his own and said once he started reading he couldn't put it down. I have to say I agree with him. Once I got started, it was difficult to move on to other things that needed doing. In fact, I stayed up far too late in order to finish it before sun-up last Monday morning. Now he wants me to read Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game because it is his and his dad's favorite book. (Maybe some other time, okay?)

The Bronze Bow is set at the time of Roman occupation in what we now call the Middle East. The plot revolves around a youth who swears vengeance for the death of his father, a local blacksmith. He hides in the hills surrounding the small village where his grandmother and timid sister still live. While in hiding, he falls in with Rosh, the assumed savior of the Jewish people, who is slowly building an army of followers plotting to overthrow the Roman tyranny. On an unplanned trip back into the village, he encounters a carpenter by the name of Jesus who seems to be attracting lots of attention and followers himself. Is Rosh the true savior of the people, or is it this new guy who seems to be gaining in favor wherever he goes? Rosh espouses vengeance, hatred and war with the enemy. Jesus says that love is the greatest weapon. Who is right?

I like the way this book works in character lessons without sermonizing, and religion without being preachy. And I really enjoyed the way the author took the familiar story of Jesus and made him seem like a regular guy who was thrust into the spotlight of history. Several biblical incidents involving miracles (feeding the multitudes with 5 loaves and 2 fishes, healing the afflicted, etc.) are retold in such a matter-of-fact way that it takes a minute before you realize what situation is being described. I wish I knew more Jewish history and lore. I don't know if Rosh has anything to do with Rosh Hoshana (sp?) or if this tale is entirely fictional. I do know it was an enjoyable read.

I am currently trying to get into Jodi Picoult's new novel, Nineteen Minutes. This is the first book I have read by her, and if this one is any indication, her writing style takes some getting used to. In truth, I don't know if I should blame her or her editor, but the plot keeps jumping back and forth between the present and the formative years of the two main characters' past. The premise of the story is that a teenager who has been picked on by bullies most of his life finally reaches his breaking point. All along, his best friend--a girl--has been taking up for him and trying to make things better for him. He takes revenge on the high school by shooting a teacher and almost a dozen students. I've got my own opinion on how this one is going to end (a la a gimmicky Sixth Sense twist) but I'll let you know when and if I get there whether I was right or not. This one is getting lots of buzz, so we'll see if it really takes off or is just a lot of media hype. Definitely written for adults, but may be suitable for the HS crowd in liberal communities. I have to say it's tough to read a book about a shooting at a public school at night and then get up and go to work in one the next morning. Kinda gives me the heebie-jeebies, which may explain why I am having so much trouble getting into it in the first place. Maybe I should have waited until summer vacation for this one....hmm.... Only time will tell if this turns out to be the official book #12 for the year...

That's all for now. Gotta get packed for San Antonio and TLA 2007. Thanks to those who have been following my ramblings and have added me to your lists. If I can figure out how to do the same, I'll be sure to connect with your sites too.

2007 Reading List so far...

2007-03-18T19:11:00.000-06:00

See!? I told you this wasn't going to be easy! It's been what, two months since my first posting? Sheesh! Time does fly...Okay, so here goes with the list of books I have read so far in 2007:

1 & 2. Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan. Book 1-The Ruins of Gorlan and Book 2-The Burning Bridge. Talk about page-turners! This series is great. Each one ends with a cliffhanger too. These are perfect for upper elementary and middle school readers who enjoy their fantasy adventure stories with more character than weirdness. Can't wait for Book 3-The Icebound Land, to come out on June 26th. Apparently there are already six titles in the series available in Australia, and they are going to be gradually released in the U.S. over the next few years.

3 & 4. Airborn and Skybreaker by Kenneth Oppel. Another mildly sci-fi fantasy series, but not too far fetched. (I keep saying that I am not a fan of the genre, but then I realize I do like some of the books written in this style.) The thickness of these volumes may put off all but the most avid readers, but the action and excitement should hook them quick enough. With both a boy and girl as the main characters, this one has enough to appeal to everyone.

5. So B. It by Sarah Weeks. A fairly quick read about a young girl with a mentally retarded mom and an agoraphobic but friendly neighbor who helps her find independence and her true family history.

6. Restless, the latest adult novel by British author William Boyd. Okay, so here's the thing about Boyd: you never know what he is going to come up with. I found this story a little familiar and predictable, like a BBC America mystery on the Sunday afternoon telly. I find I either really like his work, or I don't. This one falls under the latter category. For some of his better work, try Any Human Heart or The Blue Afternoon instead of Restless.

7. Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich. Adult fun fiction; a between-the-numbers Stephanie Plum romp with most of the regular cast of characters at least making a brief appearance. It'll do till number 13 hits the stores this summer.

8. Hard Truth by Nevada Barr. Another adult book to keep me sane between adolescent publications. Sadly, one of her less likeable reads. Barr is obviously grappling with her real feelings on religion with this one and it shows. The plot convolutes to the point I didn't really care what happened so long as it was all over soon. My advice to her is to leave the sermons out of her novels and get back to telling murder mysteries centered around America's National Parks. It's what she does best.

9. Sold by Patricia McCormick. At first I thought this was a period piece telling about past events in Eastern Asian history, but then I realized about half-way through that it was set in modern times. A Nepalese farm girl is sold to a city woman who tells her she will become a maid in a large house and can send money home to help her struggling family. In reality, she is taken to a brothel and used as a sex slave with others from similar situations. Written in spare prose, this was a fast but entralling read. Probably more suitable for 8th grade and up. The writer cleverly avoids being explicit, but it isn't difficult to read between the lines to figure out what is happening.

10. Portrait in Sepia by Isabel Allende. A novel written as a memoir tells the story of how Aurora del Valle came to be, despite the circumstances in her life. I read this adult story in preparation for the Texas Library Association conference coming up in San Antonio in April. The author is to be one of the main speakers, and this was chosen for the One Book, One Conference title for everyone to read. The underlying theme of overcoming life's obstacles is a universal one.

That's all for now. More later.

One toe in the water

2007-01-22T22:27:00.000-06:00

Well, here goes . . . probably nothing.

Nope. Not one ripple . . . (sigh)

As an educator, I have been telling others the importance of journaling for years now, so I guess it's time I followed my own advice and started keeping track of the everyday mundane events in my own life. (Brace yourself. Things could get boring very quickly!)

Truth be told, the impetus for this little cyberdiary was an email I got from a colleague telling me -- and several thousand others on a listserv -- that she was launching her own blog to keep track of books she read during the year. I thought to myself, "Hmph. Now why didn't I think of that?" Actually, I did think of doing something along these lines a couple of years ago, but I just never took the time to sit down and make of list of the titles that had passed through my hands. Oh, I had kept lists when I was a kid (books read, movies seen, states visited, concerts attended, etc.) but not as an adult. Perhaps it's time to start compiling an inventory of these things once again. I mean, what if I came down with early onset Alzheimer's or something? At least I could open up the ol' blog and see what I'd been thinking (or reading) the day before. As long as I could remember by login and password anyway...

Alright, DK. I accept your challenge. Game on! (Er...uh...blog on!)

Whatever.

~Lithography 101