The Mortal Instruments Series- Clare

Titles include:

City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, and City of Fallen Angels

Clary Fray and her best friend, Simon have their lives turned upside-down when they meet Jace.  He is a boy unlike anyone Clary has ever met.  She can't stop thinking about him, but Jace's world and his powers make him an attractive but dangerous young man.  Jace introduces Clary and Simon into the realm of demon-slaying Shadowhunters.  The Shadowhunters have mad skills and are always ready for battle.  They acknowledge the Downworlders but try to avoid them as they are not particulaly fond of the Night Children (vampires), or Lycanthropes (werewolves), or even the warlocks, and faeries that make up this realm. The Shadowhunters and the Downworlders do have a common enemy throughout the series, Valentine, a power-hungry, evil man.  Jace and Clary each have past histories with Valentine but that isn't always a good thing as you will find out as you read the novels.

I love this series. If you are a Hunger Games fan, or a Maze Runner fan, or maybe an Twilight fan, you're going to love this series too! Fast-paced, lots of action, the forbidden romance, it is all in this series!




Mrs. G

Birthmarked-O'Brien

This is certainly a book for the more mature reader. 

Gaia and her parents live outside the wall.  The people inside the wall live a much easier life but that has never really bothered Gaia until now.  Now, the soldiers have made it personal.  They have taken Gaia's parents because the government suspects them of withholding information that the government wants.  Gaia tries to carry on without them.  She has been trained as a midwife by her mother and she is the only one left in their Sector to help deliver babies.  Gaia has always followed the rules of the Enclave but now she is beginning to question everything about her government.  Should she keep working along as if nothing has happened or risk her life to get inside the walls so she can save her parents?  She knows she can't do it alone, but who can she trust to help her?  Could she live with the guilt of putting others lives in danger? 

The Gardener- Bodeen

Mason finally met the girl of his dreams, Laila.  He met her at the Haven of Peace home where his mother works.  It happen quite by accident, he went there to meet up with his best friend and winds up waking Laila up from a coma.  Laila's first reaction is to run and well since Mason feels responsible for her, he follows and ends up trying to hide her from the authorities. Weird, right?  Well, it gets even creepier when you learn what is really behind Laila's coma and the Haven of Peace.  Things are not what they seem.  You see, instead of being a restful care home, Haven of Peace is really an experimental science lab.

I still have mixed feelings about this book.  It has an Unwind type of vibe, that science-fiction/contemporary fiction feel.  It definitely makes you wonder where science will take us in the future and about what would happen if the wrong person were left in charge.  Can't wait to hear your opinions.

Mrs. G
 

The Grimm Legacy- Shulman

Elizabeth has started a new job.  She works at the New York Circulating Material Repository.  Instead of lending out books, the Repository lends out objects- everything from tea sets and hockey sticks to Marie Antoinette's everyday wig.  The collection that requires special access is the Grimm Collection.  As you can imagine this collection includes some pretty powerful magic, not be to handled by just anyone.  When strange things begin happening around the Repository Elizabeth starts feeling very unsettled about the collection. Is someone stealing from the Grimm Collection?  I mean who wouldn't want to wear magical shoes or borrow a magic wand?  When it comes to fairy tales it always seems like with something good comes something evil.   Who is going to pay the price for this one?

Mrs. G  

Mockingbird-Erskine

This is a great book about compassion and acceptance.  Caitlin has just lost her brother due to a school shooting and she is having a hard time "Dealing With It".  She as Asperger's and her school counselor is trying to assist Caitlin with finding "Closure".  The story is beautifully told from Caitlin's perspective so the reader really gets a better understanding Asperger's and how to have empathy for others.

Boys Without Names- Sheth

Eleven-year-old Gopal and his family leave their rural Indian village to live with his uncle in Mumbai, but when they arrive his father goes missing and Gopal ends up locked in a sweatshop from which there is no escape. Gopal tries to be the voice of hope as he works to keep up the spirits of the other young boys trapped along with him. He knows the only way survive is to work together as they come up with a plan to outsmart the boss.

This realistic fiction novel is sure to grab your attention from the beginning . It is very interesting to watch Gopal’s character develop throughout the story. This novel is well written and tackles the very real problem of human trafficking.

Invisible Lines-Amato

Trevor is of three children growing up in a poor, single-parent family.  Trevor and his younger brother just want to fit in among the students at their new school but their mother is currently unemployed and there is no money for anything new.  Trevor must rely on his intelligence, artistic ability, quick wit, and soccer skills to win friends.  Unfortunately, rich and popular Xander seems determined to cause him trouble.  When Trevor’s life starts to spiral out-of –control he manages to make things right with the support of a teacher, a couple of unexpected friends, and Charlie.  

This story is great for all of you interested in art.  Lots of Trevor's art is featured throughout the book.  It is also a great book for building tolerance and helping us to learn to judge the person not their situation.

Linger-Stiefvater

I posted Linger, the sequel to Shiver, here because once you start reading this series you'll want to know what happens between Sam and Grace. Grace, whose parents have pretty much allowed her to raise herself, now has to start answering to her parents. She resents this a lot because for whatever reason her parents no longer seem to approve of Sam. Well too bad. Nothing is going to come between them ......nothing!

There is a new wolf introduced in this book. The back story on Cole is that he was an out-of-control musician who was very self-destructive. He is running away from live in general but especially from a couple of personal relationships. Wait until you see how his story weaves in between Sam and Grace’s love story. It is pretty wild and gruesome at times.

Shiver- Stiefvater

For years Grace has watched the wolves that lurk behind her house each winter. She is inexplicably drawn to the yellow-eyed wolf. He feels like he somehow belongs to her.


Sam has lived two lives. During the winter, as a wolf, he watches over the girl he loves. In the summer, as a young man, he works at a small bookstore and thinks about Grace. What if they could actually be together? He doesn’t dare let his heart consider the possibility…..until now.

This unconventional love story demonstrates how through love all things are possible. People are willing to accept things they would have never considered before.

They Never Came Back- Cooney

A case of mistaken identity or is she really a long-lost cousin who either truly doesn't recognize him or is trying to hide in plain sight?  Tommy is sure she is Murielle, his cousin.  It's been a long time since he last saw her but this girl is a dead ringer for her.

Cathy Ferris signed up for an accelerated language course this summer.  Even though it means car-pooling with Spencer and his mom, Mrs. Tartaglia, she made the commitment and is working hard along with seven other Latin students.  How could Tommy have just walked up to her like that at lunch?  Now instead of worrying about tonight's homework assignments these super students will be researching the unsolved case of Murielle and her embezzling parents.  

Project Sweet Life- Hartinger

Dave, Curtis, and Victor are looking forward to summer vacation.  They are fifteen, the summer of the optional job. Right? Well, not according to their fathers who also happen to be good friends.  The boys get together in their "club house" to discuss their imposed summer situation where instead of coming up with employment opportunities they hatch a plan to make money without taking on summer jobs.  They call their plan "Project Sweet Life."  The boys are very creative when it comes to ideas for fake jobs and ideas for making money.

The book is a fun read.  While their schemes are pretty "out there" at times,  I had no problem with the fact that the young men really put twice the effort into their plan then they ever would have had to by simply going to work.  I also know they never would have learned the lessons they did along the way.  

Shattered - Baron

Cassie is a very gifted violinist.  She feels the music deep in her soul.  She knows this is what she was born to do. Her dreams are shattered one night when her father, in a fit of rage, throws her valuable violin and it breaks into pieces.  This is when the reader learns that this is not the first time her father has flown into a fit. Cassie is scared and angry.  She decides to run away.  It doesn't take her long to realize this was a big mistake.  We follow Cassie on her journey back to home, family, and forgiveness. 

Jane in Bloom-Lytton

Jane has always felt invisible in her family.  Her older sister, Lizzie seems to be the center of attention all the time.  Even on Jane's birthday, Lizzie got the extra attention because she was so fragile.  Lizzie suffers from anorexia, a horrible disease that impacts the whole family.  When something tragic happens to Lizzie, Jane realizes her family will never be the same again.  Will it be stronger or will it fall apart?  Jane is struggling as they try to work things out. 

Pop- Korman

Marcus Jordan had just moved to a new town and already he has been to the police station three times. His mother is not very happy with him. Well, what's a guy to do? He really hadn't done anything wrong except became friends with Charlie. Charlie was the prankster and only the best football player that Marcus had ever seen. Marcus learned more about taking a hit and making a tackle from Charlie then he had from any of his coaches.
Marcus shows up for high school football try-outs ready to play. He has been working on his passing game and thanks to Charlie he is no longer afraid of taking hits on the field. The only problem is that this high school team went undefeated and they have no intention of letting an outsider mess up their chance for a repeat this season. There is certainly no way that their number 1 quarterback is going to accept that Marcus wants to take his position away from him. When his girlfriend shows interest in Marcus the intensity grows and when he learns that Marcus knows Charlie...the war is on!

When the Whistle Blows- Slayton

Jimmy Cannon grew up in a small railroad town. Railroading was all his family knew. His father worked as a foreman for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad as did many of the men from the community. It was the main source of income for most of the families in town. Jimmy's father didn't want Jimmy anywhere near the railroad but that is all he could think about.

The book follows Jimmy through six years of his life. He spends most of those years trying to figure out his father. Mr. Cannon was a hard man to get to know. He was a hardworking, rule following kind of guy but he had a side to him that was a complete mystery to Jimmy. As we follow Jimmy we learn that he is a young man who isn't afraid to get into a little mischief every now and again. Jimmy is a prankster, a hunter, a football player, and most of all a young man who admires his father.

The Absoluely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian- Alexite

Junior lives on a Spokane Indian Tribe reservation. His parents are both drunks and his family is very poor. Junior takes an inventory of where his life is now and where it is likely to end if he stays on the reservation. He decides to make a change. There is an all-white school in the neighboring town that is one of the best small schools in the state. The students there excel in sports and academics. Junior makes up his mind that he wants to attend school there. This decision creates a few major problems. How will he get to the school that is exactly twenty-two miles away? How will the kids there react? How will his friends take the news that he is leaving them and the reservation each day to go to a fancy “white” school? Especially, when he makes the basketball team and ends up playing against them?
This book is hilarious! I love the fact that the author tells that story though words and comic illustrations. It is really written for the more mature reader, one who can handle bathroom humor and some language appropriately.

All the Broken Pieces- Burg

Matt Pin was air-lifted out of war-torn Vietnam. While he is grateful for the life he has in the United States, he carries a lot of guilt about the family he left behind. Matt’s new family encourages him to go out for one of the local baseball teams. They feel that it would help him get over his shyness and make a few friends along the way. Matt’s new team -mates don’t make it easy for him. Thank goodness he has a coach and other adults in his life who are patient and are willing to help him find his way.

This book is written in free verse which makes it a quick read. Anyone who has ever felt that they were out of place or didn’t “fit-in” would certainly benefit from this story. It is so rich and really makes you think about how people for other cultures need time to go through an adjustment period.

Million-Dollar Throw- Lupica

Nate Brodie is a kid who knows what is important in life. He has a great family, great talent, and good friends. He is the quarterback of his school's 8th grade team. He seems to have everything going for him. As a matter of fact, Nate's best friend Abby, has so much confidence in him that she enters him in a contest where the winner will get to try winning a million dollars simply by throwing a football through a target at one of the Patriot's games. No pressure, right? Well guess who's name gets drawn. Nate should be thrilled, but he's not. He's not ready for everything life is throwing his way right now. He tries to keep his chin up, he knows that is what is expected....but sometimes it just gets too hard.

I can't wait until some of you football fans get a chance to read this book, especially our football players. Mike Lupica does a great job of capturing the excitement of playing in the game. He breaks down plays, explains how the quarterback knows where the offense and defensive players are, and really gets you inside the coach's head as well. He also keeps it real by throwing in a dose of real life, situations that are sometimes out of anyone's control. He uses these events as teachable moments that if you take the time to listen, you will receive some valuable advice.

When You Reach Me-Stead

Miranda and Sal have been best friends since they were babies. They have always walked back and forth to school together, past the crazy man on the corner, and avoiding the group of older boys who were always hanging out along the way. Things change when one of the boys punches Sal in the stomach for no apparent reason. Sal avoids Miranda and starts spending a lot of time alone. What should she do?

Miranda begins hanging out with a different set of friends but that is not the only thing that changes. The apartment key that Miranda and her mom have kept hidden in the same hiding place for years is stolen. Then Miranda starts finding notes in random places that are addressed to her and contain weird messages. All of this adds up to a very interesting read. I enjoyed the book but I'm a little puzzled by one event in the story. (If you read it, the thing I am referring to is on page 161. ) Talk to me so you can help me figure it out!

Mrs. G.

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.