Jump the Cracks-DeKeyser

What would you do if you saw an innocent baby with bruises being yanked around by his mom? Would you walk away and say to yourself, "Not my problem"? OR would you take a giant leap and do what you could to protect the child? This is the situation Victoria encounters while she rides the train from Connecticut to New York to visit her father. While Victoria watches the young boy's mom leave him on the train when they reach the station. Why would she do that? What should Victoria do? Read this exciting and heart touching story to see if there will be a happy ending.

Just Listen-Dessen

If you were to drive by Annabel's glass house and look inside you would think you were looking at the perfect family. The ideal family without a care in the world. Annabel would be the first to tell you that looks can be deceiving. She and her sisters are very beautiful and they all have modeled for the same agency. In her latest commercial, Annabel plays the all-American girl: top student, popular cheerleader, prom queen. Who would know that in real life she feels like the girl who has nothing. Her best friend now wants nothing to do with her. What happened during the summer that changed Annabel's life?

The events in the story could happen to anyone. The author, Sarah Dessen, takes a life altering event and teaches young people the importance of reaching out to the ones you love for support. She lets you know that it is okay to trust yourself and your instincts because you ultimately know how to do the right thing.

Bravo Zulu, Samantha! - Duble

Samantha has to spend a month at her grandparents house this summer and she is dreading it! He grandfather is a retired military pilot and he is one crabby fellow. What is she going to do? The answer to that question comes up very unexpectedly when Samantha finds out that her grandfather is keeping a secret. Once Samantha discovers his secret her summer becomes much more exciting and she gains a whole new respect for her grandfather.

Peak-Smith

Peak Marcello is an adventuresome fourteen-year-old. He had decided to climb skyscrapers in New York City. That’s right, climb up the outside of those tall vertical buildings. The only problem with this quest is that it is quite illegal and unfortunately Peak gets busted. Not a happy phone call home if you know what I mean. As a result of this little “incident”, Peak gets a chance to get reacquainted with his long-lost father who is a world famous mountain climber. He was preparing to climb Mount Everest when he heard about Peak’s arrest. He interrupts his climb to come to Peak’s aid in New York. Now you would think his father would be very angry about this but as it turns out he wasn’t. As it turns out he has some plans for Peak.

Chains-Anderson

Many of you are already fans of Laurie Halse Anderson. She has written Speak and Fever 1793. In the book Chains, she tells a very powerful story of a young slave girl named Isabel. This historical fiction account takes place during the Revolutionary War. Isabel and her younger sister, Ruth are orphans and their latest owner has just died. They are taken by their owner's nephew and sold in a tavern to the highest bidder. That degrading event takes Isabel and Ruth from their home in Rhode Island to New York City where they are to work for a couple who are very loyal to the King. They have money and wealth like Isabel has never seen but her mistress is one of the meanest, most demanding people you could ever imagine.
While many of the characters in the story are fiction, the humiliation, cruelty, and danger that Isabel endures is not. Her life means nothing to the soldiers who use her as a spy and messenger between the Loyalist and Patriots. The story is very emotional and moving. I was happy to see that Isabel's story will be continued in another book. If you have been reading any of Angel Johnson's books I recommend picking up this story.

Skullduggery Pleasant-Landy

Stephanie Edgely was unaware of just how much her life was going to change as she sat in the lawyer's office that day. Her uncle had passed away and she was there to hear the reading of his will, not that she expected to gain anything, but because she had been requested to attend. Stephanie was curious about a stranger in the room who must of been a friend of her uncle's because he certainly wasn't family. As it turns out Stephanie inherits her uncle's house and that is where her troubles begin. On the first night she decides to stay there alone someone breaks in and threatens to harm her. During her struggle to get away she hears the front door explode open and the stranger from the lawyer's office comes in and sends the intruder running. The stranger, as she later finds out, is Skullduggery Pleasant, a well dressed, living-dead, wizard-detective who knows a little something about the intruder's reason for being at the house.

As it turns out there is a war brewing between to opposing forces and the evil "Faceless Ones" are gaining strength which would be very bad for Stephanie, Skullduggery, and the rest of the world. The intruder stated that he was after a key so now Stephanie and Skullduggery had a mystery to solve. They need to find the key and figure out how it was going to be used by the evil forces.

I enjoyed the humor in the story and was caught up in the adventure from the beginning. I like the pace of the story and look forward to the next book in this series. I can't wait to hear your opinions of this book!

Mrs. G

Airman-Colfer

If you are looking for a book that will take you on an adventure back in time this is it! The 1890's was a time of Queens and Kings, sword fighting, honor, dishonor, pirates and a time of discovery. Conor Broekhart is a young man who shares a dream of flying with his very knowledgeable tutor. Together, they are working on designs for an aircraft that will allow man to fly. Due to the untimely death of his tutor and the death of the king, both of which Conor is blamed, Conor spends some time in a very tough prison far from home. The story is well written and the pace keeps it interesting.

I took this book with me on vacation and could not put it down! The author, Eoin Colfer, is also known for his Artemis Fowl series.

Savvy-Law

What if your thirteenth birthday meant you were going to receive a very unusual gift, not one that you could ask for but one that was given by nature. The Beaumont family members are always a little nervous about turning thirteen because that is when they learn about their special gift, their savvy.Mibs is convinced that her savvy is going to be the kind of gift that will help her bring her father out of a coma. She goes on quite an adventure as she learns about her true savvy and meets some very interesting characters along the way. The author uses this humorous story to teach us the importance of accepting people for who they are.

Maximun Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports -Patterson

Max and her flock are on the move again! This time serious issues occur and they split up and go separate ways. How is that going to work for Max when it comes time for her to save the world? Oh and one more thing, we meet somebody's parents. I won't tell you who but I know they wouldn't be voted "Parents of the Year".

Maximun Ride: School's Out - Forever -Patterson

This is the second book in the Maximum Ride series and it remains very true to the story as well as excitement level of the first book. BOOKLIST review states that this series is "An action-packed cross between Gertrude Chandler Warner's Boxcar Children and Marvel Comics' X-Men." I think that is a great comparison but they forget to mention that it is most definitely written for the young adult reader. Who else can appreciate how Max and her flock feels about no adults to "boss them around" and the fact they they don't have to until school....oops, until now.

Enjoy this one, I'm on the the next book

Online chat with Susan Beth Pfeffer, May 4 @ 7:30

I received this invite through my library listsev. She ask that I share it with my students and I am excited to do so. Susan Beth Pferrer won the Truman Reading Award this year for her book, Life As We Knew It.


Mark your calendar for next Monday evening you won't to miss this!

One Book New Jersey invites you & your teens to an online discussion of the 2009 teen selection, Life as We Knew It, on Monday, May 4 @ 7:30 P.M. Come prepared with your thoughts on the story, your NJ experiences, and questions for the author!Simply go to www.bccls.org/OBNJ at 7:30 P.M. where you will find directions forlogging on. This discussion is free, no registration necessary, and open to all!

Ms. Pfeffer has won various awards for many of her young adult novels, and Life as We Knew is also the winner of the 2009 Garden State Teen Book Award in the 6-8 Grade category. the dead & the gone is the companion book to Life as We Knew It. Kate Vasilik2009 Chair, One Book NJwww.onebooknewjersey.org

Katherine Vasilik, Young Adult Librarian
Franklin Lakes (NJ) Public Library

When the Black Girl Sings- Wright

Beautifully written story about a young black girl, Lahni, who was adopted by a white couple as a baby. She is their only child and while she knows she is loved by both of her parents, she also knows that things are not going well in their marriage. Lahni attends an all girls prep school where she is one of a very few minority students. Lahni is nominated by her friend to participate in a singing contest at school. It is quite an honor but Lahni is not sure she wants to participate. She has way to many other things to think about right now like graduating from middle school, her parents situation, and this creepy guy who seems to be stalking her.

I love Lahni's sense of self in this story. The author includes events in the story that show how young adults can empower themselves. I will be looking for more books by this author.

Maximun Ride: The Angel Experiment-Patterson

This story is an interesting mix of Science Fiction and Adventure. A group of genetically enhanced kids who can fly and have other unique talents are on the run from part-human, part-wolf predators called Erasers. Maximum is the leader of this group and feels responsible for their safety. The only problem is that she hears a voice in her head that is leading her directly back into the place where all their troubles began. Following this group as they search for answers about their pasts and learning how it will affect their futures makes for interesting reading. It is not so high-tech that if you usually steer clear of science fiction you wouldn't enjoy the book. It might be a good book to use as a spring-board into new types of genres.

Missouri Book Award Winners!

Hello there you library lovers!



As you know, I’ve been at the Missouri Association of School Librarians conference the last few days. I attended lots of sessions and I'm excited about some of the new programs and ideas shared by other librarians. I was also very excited to meet Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson series! He was a very gracious man. He used to teach middle school social studies which explains how he knows his readers so well. Check out his website

http://rickriordan.blogspot.com/



This conference is where Missouri Reader awards are announced and often the winners from the previous year are there to accept their awards in person.



Here are the 2009 winners (drum roll, please):


Mark Twain Award:
3rd Place - Rules (1,675 votes)

2nd Place - Million Dollar Putt (3,286 votes)

1st Place - Sea of Monsters (11,823 votes)
Rick Riordan won the award two years in a row! Pretty neat!






Truman Awards:

3rd Place-Rash (547 votes)

2nd Place-Runaway (598 votes)

1st Place Life As We Knew It (840 votes)





So what do you think of the results? Do you agree with them? Be sure to comment and share your thoughts.

The Graveyard Book-Gaiman

The Graveyard Book is somewhat of a modern day Jungle Book story. Instead of being raised by animals, our young boy is being raised in a graveyard by ghost parents. Nobody Owens learns lessons like fading, haunting, and how to open ghoul gates--skills that prove useful when the man who killed his biological family comes back to finish what he started.

The Hunger Games- Collins

This is a futuristic story where the rulers of Panem pit two young people from each of the twelve districts against one another annually in a televised survival competition. It is a fight to the death where only one person survives. The competitors really don't have a lot of say about whether or not they want to participate. The government requires that their name goes into the drawing every year once they turn 12 years old. They are not safe again until they turn 18.

The author as taken our society's fascination with Real TV and turned it into a story the is very engaging and thought provoking. The development of the main character, Katniss, is so wonderfully written that you can't help but cheer her on during her quest. I really hope this book shows up on a Missouri award list next year. It is a winner in my book!

P.S. It is slated to be a trilogy. I can't wait for the next one to come out.
Mrs. G

39 Clues: The Sword Thief - Lerangis

Dan and Amy collaborate for a brief time with Alistair Oh and the Kabras during the search for the third clue in the series. This time the clues and adventure lead them to parts of Asia. Peter Lerangis does a great job of weaving threads from the past two books into the third so the story flows smoothly and the suspense continues to build. I can't want for the next book to be released. I love the concept of many writers collaborating on one storyline. I hope you will share your thoughts about this as well.

Mrs. G.

The Year of Secret Assignments-Moriarty

Mr. Botherit's pen pal project has been assigned and the students at Ashbury are less than excited about having to communicate with a bunch of drug dealers and other criminals from Brookfield High. You see, Ashbury is a private school where most of the parents are rich professional like lawyers and such. Brookfield, on the other hand,.....well, you know. Anyway, this book follows the letters and adventures of three girls and three boys. The girls have been best friends since elementary school and have quite a bit of history together. We find out they are quite the pranksters and are willing to take some risks. They aren't too worried about the consequences because their parents are lawyers. The two of the young men from Brookfield become quite smitten by their pen pals. The third one is a jerk. It is well worth reading the book to find out how the group handles the "jerk".

Because of some of the content I would rate this one more for Mature Audiences.

Hey there to all of you new to the blog!

I just wanted to write and let you know that you may write comments about any of the books you have read right here or by clinking on the comment link (nest to the pencil under the blog). I see a few of you have been checking it out but are still a little shy about commenting. Jump right in! I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

Mrs. G.

The Battle of the Labyrinth- Riordan

I read this one over Spring Break as well. I can't wait for the next Percy Jackson book! I am totally hooked on this series. The action moves underground to a contanstly changing Labyrinth (maze) that is full of monsters and traps. Percy Jackson, half-blood son of Poseidon, enters the Labyrinth with Annabeth (daughter of Athena), Tyson (a Cyclops), and satyr Grover. There, they uncover a plot to invade Camp Half-Blood. The melding of Greek myths with modern-day settings remains fresh and funny in this fourth installment, as the friends draw nearer to the foreshadowed showdown against Kronos and renegade half-blood Luke.

Titan's Curse-Riordan

This is the third book of Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. The stirring of monsters has begun. Monsters not seen for thousands of years threaten to unleash death and destruction on an unprecedented scale and destroy Olympus, and it's up to Percy Jackson and his friends Grover, Annabeth and Thalia to stop them, though Percy is embarrassed to have to depend on his mother to drive him to his battles. Percy, Annabeth and Thalia are demigods, Grover is a satyr and their quest is to find the missing Artemis and the monster she was hunting. Riordan's sense of humor and and use of pop culture makes this series a hit!

The One Where the Kid Nearly Jumps to His Death and Lands in California-Hershey

I read this book over spring break and really enjoyed it! Alastair really did nearly jump to his death and as a result his life has been changed forever. Do you think his dad hung around to see the results? No, he runs off to start a new life in California. Well now years have gone by and guess where Alastair is supposed to spend his summer. You guessed it, in California with his father who he despises. Alastair sets out to make his father as miserable as possible for all the anger and hurt he has caused over the years. It takes most of the summer and a terrible event to mend the riff between them.

On the Bright Side, I'm now the Girlfriend of a Sex God: further confessions of Georgia Nicolson Rennison

On the bright side, I'm now the girlfriend of a sex god : further confessions of Georgia Nicolson - Rennison
Quirky, funny, sarcastic these three words sum up the sequel to: Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging. Georgia is in love with a "Sex God." He is by far the cutest guy on the planet in her eyes. So why is it that now the family has to go and travel half way around the world? Rennison is a British author who very graciously includes a glossary at the back of the book for those of us unfamiliar with her British terms. For instance, who knew that snogging means kissing?

Night of the Howling Dogs-Salisbury

Night of the Howling Dogs-Salisbury
During an Eagle Scout campout at Halape, Hawaii, eleven young man have their survival skills tested. Howling Dogs are a bad omen and the prophecy comes true when the campers first endure an earthquake and then a tsumani. This book is based on a true story.

Counting on Grace-Winthrop

Counting on Grace-Winthrop
Counting on Grace is a touching story about life for children before the child labor laws were strictly enforced. Grace is a feisty, independent young girl who captures a young photographer's eye as he is working to document how young children are forced into dangerous work situations.

Hitch-Ingold

Hitch by Jeanette Ingold
Becoming a man takes lots of work...Moss is fired from his dream job working on airplanes due to the depression so he hitches rides to try to find his father to help support the family. When he finds his father he gets really bad advice and no help so he takes a job with the CCC a jobs project in Montana. His adventures will lead him to make decisions that change other people's lives as well as his own.
Posted by cruce at 11:25 AM 0 comments

39 Clues: One False Note-Korman

39 Clues: One False Note by Gordon Korman is the second book in the series. This story picks up with Dan, Amy and their au pair Nellie in Europe. The note reference in the title lets you know that music is the focus for their next clue, specifically the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It is another well written adventure that keeps you looking over your shoulder for the next bad guy (or relative) as you try to help Dan and Amy fit the clues together. I like that mini history lessons that are woven into the stories as well. Did you notice the new author on this book? Book 3 is due out soon and it is also written by a different author. Interesting concept.

Singing Hands-Ray

Singing Hands by Delia Ray will appeal to anyone familiar with deafness. My older brother is deaf, which means that he can not hear a thing. I know many families such as the one described in the book.

Gussie Davis is the middle of three hearing daughters born to deaf parents. Her father is the minister at Saint Jude's Church for the Deaf. Gussie gets bored in church and starts humming, she finds this quite funny because no one else is aware of this except her sisters. She gets braver as time progresses and starts singing loudly during church services. She gets away with it until one day the church has a visitor, her father's boss, who happens to be a hearing man.

Gussie is one of those characters that you can't help but enjoy. She is ornery and can be very trying as far as her sisters are concerned but she also has a good heart.

Into the Wild- Durst

Into the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst is a wonderfully creative story that blends characters from today with characters from fairy-tales. The Wild is a fairy-tale world that has recently escaped from captivity. Characters such as Cinderella and Rapunzel, who had escaped from the wild and have been living quietly among us are now being sucked back in to their former roles. Who will rescue them and tame the Wild? The answer will surprise you.

Unwind - Shusterman

Connor is a troublemaker. We all know kids like him who have a hard time holding it together. Connor has just learned that his parents have made a decision about him that will impact the rest of his life. What is he going to do about it?

Lev is a great kid yet his parents have made a similar decision, but for a totally different reason. Lev was ready to accept his fate. He was actually looking forward to it until he had a chance encounter with Connor.

Risa doesn’t even have parents. She has grown up at the Ohio State Home but now her destiny has also been decided. It doesn’t look good for this talented musician.

UnWind by Neal Shusterman is a book that will stay with me for a long time. It is a great follow- up to The Giver by Lois Lowry because the themes are very controversial and really lend themselves to great discussion, especially with young adults. The characters are powerful and rebellious which allows them to impact in their society.

39 Clues: Maze of Bones- Riordan

39 Clues: Maze of Bones- Riordan
Interesting concept of plotting greedy family members against one another in a scavenger hunt for the ultimate inheritance pay-off after a loved(?) one's death. Amy and Dan were especially close to their grandmother and therefore are considered favorites in the race. They are confronted by back-stabbing relatives, a mystery man, and an arsonist in the first book alone. The 39 Clues series is slated for 10 books. It will be one to read!

Life As We Knew It-Pfeffer

Life As We Knew It-Pfeffer
Through journal entries sixteen-year-old Miranda describes her family's struggle to survive after a meteor hits the moon, causing worldwide tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. It is a great "What If..." premise and the author does a great job of covering the possibilities from all angles.

The Sea of Monsters- Riordan

The Sea of Monsters is the second book in the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series by Rick Riordan. It's the last day of school and Percy has almost completed a successful school year (finally)! Oops, I said almost. The last day ends with a bang that sends Percy on his next big adventure. This time he is on a quest to save Grover. Written with the same interesting mix of contemporary characters and mythological characters, Mr Riordan does a wonderful job of weaving together an adventure full of suspense and humor. This series has been flying off the shelves!

Lightning Thief- Riordan

Lightning Thief-Riordan
Mr. Riordan is a middle school teacher and it shows. He really knows how to write for his audience. Lightning Thief has just enough twists and turns in the story plot that you don't mind getting a class in Mythology along the way. Gods and Goddesses with super powers and jealous streaks can cause a lot of havoc in a young man's life. Just ask Percy Jackson!

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy- Carter

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy
Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter. Cammie Morgan attends school at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women which sounds like a boarding school for privileged girls, but really the girls are in training to become spies. Things change at the school when a class of boys from a boy's spy school are invited to take classes with the girls. The story is fast paced and Cammie is very interesting as a main character, even if she gets a little confused in the romance area.

Remembering Raquel- VandeVelde

Remembering Raquel
Remembering Raquel by Vivan VandeVelde is a story of a young girl's death and how she is remembered by those who loved her, and even some who didn't. Raquel's death was accidental, or was it? We are left wondering about that. We also meet classmates who never took the time to acknowledge Raquel in life who are all the sudden her best friends. The story is authentic, people do react to death differently. The ending feels incomplete, random, like the author didn't know where to go with the story after a certain point.

First Light- Stead

First Light
First Light by Rebecca Stead is an intersting story that reminds me a little of the City of Ember. We have two societies that co-exists, one underground the other above ground. Peter's parents are both scientist and his father's job takes him on some interesting adventures. This summer Peter's father is going to Greenland and Peter and his mother are going along. Peter makes an unusual discovery in the ice that turns his world upside down.

All of the Above-Pearsall

All of the Above
Mr. Collin's has a tough teaching assignment. He teaches math in a school where students really don't have much drive/motivation to learn. What can he do to get them fired up? How about a contest? How about a chance to get your name in a book of world records? Will the students go for that?

Black Duck-Lisle

Black Duck
Black Duck by Janet Lisle is a fast paced adventure book that has you guessing until the end. The story is told by Rueben Hart as he reminisces about a very exciting time in his childhood. Rum-runners, prohibition, and lawlessness rule the day.

Beast of Noor-Carey

Beast of Noor
Beast of Noor by Janet Carey is an exciting story that has the reader jumping between two magical worlds. Fifteen-year-old Miles Ferrell uses the rare and special gift he is given to break the curse of the Shriker, a murderous creature reportedly brought to Shalem Wood by his family's clan centuries before.