Sigh

"Every Soul a Star" by Wendy Mass is a wonderful book about 3 very different teens who come together during a very unusual and rare experience, a solar eclipse. Ally has spent her whole life in Moon Shadow Campground, in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of America where her parents have been preparing for years for hundreds and hundreds of visitors to view this spectacular event . She and her brother have been home schooled but she loves her life full of astronomy and family and the simple things around her. This is in complete contrast to Bree, a beautiful girl whose whole focus in life is looking great and has a goal of being a model. Her scientist parents are making the trek to the campground but with more in mind than just seeing the eclipse - they are planning on staying for 3 years while Ally's parents are planning on moving back to the city so the kids have a more normal experience. You can easily imagine how both girls are devastated. Thrown into this mix is Jack, a teen who hates his life; friend problems, weight problems and school problems have come together to enlist him help his science teacher lead an expedition to this event. This story is told in the teen's 3 voices in alternating chapters where you get to hear their thoughts, dreams and realizations in a very real way. If you liked "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli I know you will like this one.

What are you reading today?

Another Winner

I am a big fan of Andrew Clements and have read and loved most of his books. Favourites that come to mind are "No Talking", "The Report Card" and all the Jake Drake books. So I was very excited to see a new one, "Extra Credit". After reading it I think it is another winner! One of the main characters is Abby, a young girl who loves rock climbing and the outdoors... at the expense of her school work. When she is told she will have to stay back in the same grade she decides to show them she can do the work. She is asked to do an extra credit for the work she has missed and her task is to become a penpal to another student in a foreign country. She chooses Afghanistan because of the mountains. Her first letter ends up in a small village where it is decided to have the best student respond. The problem is that the best student is a boy and traditional values dictate that a boy should not correspond with a girl. This boy is Sadeed. It is his sister who is then chosen to write but because she does not do such a good job he intervenes and helps write back. A friendship between Abby and Sadeed begins that is based on the mutual love of the land and the honesty that children can have with each other. The problems arise when society with all its fears, both in America and Afghanistan, interfere. Read this! Not only a good story but one that will make you think.

What are you reading today?

Humphrey Again!

I love reading stories about Humphrey the hamster by Betty G. Birney. My first love was the "World According to Humphrey" where Humphrey was bought by Ms Mac from Pet-O-Rama and brought to Room 26 as a class pet because .... well .... you can learn alot about about yourself when you take care of another. Humphrey is no ordinary hamster. He can read, write and loves to help his classmates, teachers and even Mr. Morales the Principal solve their problems. I am sure you are wondering how Humphrey can help but believe me he is very good at it as he is very observant and very creative. In this latest Humphrey book called "Adventure According to Humphrey" not only does Humphrey help others but he also achieves his biggest dream - to have a real adventure. However this adventure could have disastrous results for Humphrey and you will have to read it to see how it all manages to end happily. Be sure to also read "Friendship According to Humphrey", "Trouble According to Humphrey" and "Surprises According to Humphrey". You will love them all!

What are you reading today?

Loved It!

Do you like a book that will make you laugh out loud? I do and "Granny" by Anthony Horowitz made me laugh ... alot. Yes, that Anthony Horowitz. The one who wrote all those Alex Rider books but this time he writes this very entertaining book about Grannies and Joe's Granny in particular.They hate watching all the young people take over so the Grannies deliberately.... get in their way. For example they see how long they can take to get on a bus.... 3/4 of an hour then 23 minutes to find the bus pass . For example Joe's Granny takes delight in giving him a present that is much too babyish for him. Joe thinks she is evil but he has no idea what a convention of Grannies wants to do. This would make a very fun read aloud. Lots of puns and plays on words. Read this!

What have you read today?

A Good Read

I was a little skeptical when I began to read "Ruined" by Paula Morris. It is about a girl, Rebecca, who has been sent to stay with friends of her father in New Orleans for a few months and sees a ghost of a young girl in the graveyard across the street from where she is staying. A new school, not fitting in, mean girls, it felt a bit predictable. But the more I read the more I got hooked and just had to finish it in the wee hours of the night. A forbidden romance with a handsome boy from one of the town's oldest and richest families, a curse placed on a house 150 years ago and a murder all come into play. Probably will best appeal to girls in Grades 6 & 7.

What are you reading today?

One Of My Favourites

I was so excited to go book shopping this week to see a new addition to one of my favourite series "The Ranger's Apprentice" titled "The Siege of Macindaw". This is Book 6 in the series by Australian author John Flanagan and is a continuation of the story begun in "The Sorcerer of the North". This fantasy novel is set in Araluen, a take-off of medievel England, and its main character Will is a boy whose job as a Ranger is to overcome the traitorous Sir Keren and his band of criminals who have taken possesion of a castle in the desolate north. His friend Alyss has been captured and is a prisoner in the castle and Will not only has to free her but find a band of fighting men to help stave off the attack of the Scotti. Well written and very exciting this is a series not to be missed.
Another day, another book.... this one is a quick read but entertaining and fun. "Lawn Boy" by Gary Paulsen is about a 12 year old boy who becomes rich, very very rich after he gets a riding mower for his birthday from his grandma. It starts when he cuts his own lawn and his neighbour asks him to cut his and then his neighbour asks him to cut his and then his....... But one of his new "customers" asks to invest his money instead of giving him the cash. This leads to a return of hundreds then thousands of dollars as our boy learns about investing and capitalism. A very good way for kids to be introduced to how hard work and investing in the stock market can pay off.

I have about 20 or even 30 more books to read - so off I go. ( I think I will finish the Battle of the Labyrinth - I put it aside when I saw the Ranger's Apprentice!)

What are you reading today?

From Realism to Historical Fiction

"How Do You Spell g-e-e-k?" by Julie Anne Peters is a light and entertaining read about ..... spelling bees.... and friends - one who is determined to win and spends all her time spelling and one who is asked to be a sponsor to a new girl in school who is a real geek but who is also a great speller. This is a National Book Award finalist that has many heartwarming moments about fitting in and true friendship. Can you see yourself in any character?


Historical fiction presents readers with a story that takes place during a period in history. The book "The Fire of Ares" by Michael Ford is the first in a series called "Spartan Warrior". The setting of this book is Ancient Greece where a group of people, the Helots, have been conquered by the Spartans and forced to be slaves. A young Helot boy, Lysander, works the fields each day for a tiny amount of grain to feed himself and his sick mother. He wears around his neck a pendant, The Fire of Ares, a beautiful red stone given to him by his mother. He has been told never to show this pendant to anyone and the adventure in the story begins when an old Spartan sees the stone and knows who it belonged to. The life of a Spartan is very hard as this group of warriors are put through very tough training. You will be interested to learn how hard these times were for both the Spartans and the Helots. And of course what happens to Lysander! I think boys will love this action packed series but I know I found it good also.

Next up - the "Battle of the Labyrinth" of the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians series".

What are you reading today?

Fantasy Rules

"Enter a world of treachery and danger" is the heading to "Stravaganza - City of Secrets" by Mary Hoffman. This is the 4th book in her Stravaganza series and I think you definitely should read the first one "Stravaganza - City of Masks" to have an understanding of what is happening. Characters, settings and ongoing rivalries intermingle within these books. Partly set in modern day England, partly set in mid 1500 Talia, (which is a play on Italy), the main character, Matt, discovers he is a stravagant who, while asleep holding a new talisman in his hands, is transported to this strange and wonderful place while his body lays still in his bed. He is welcomed by others who know what he is and the adventure begins, particularily fighting the conniving di Chimici, a family who will stop a nothing to rule Talia.
Once into it this book becomes quite riveting and you will want to know how it ends. I am sure more books in this series are on their way.

What are you reading today?

Ghostish Stories

Do you like ghostish stories? Stories about the dead? Zombies? Well I don't and I have just read two! The first left me feeling very unsettled and I still am not sure if I am going to put it into the Library. "The Haunting of Derek Stone" is beyond a ghost story - it is really a very scary zombie story and the chase of the zombies after this young boy Derek who narrowly escaped death himself.

It was reassuring to talk to Ms. Brown who agreed with me about what we buy and recommend to students. We try to buy great books that are well written and powerful in their message or theme. Some books might be funny, sad, of historical note or just plain good. I am just not sure of this one.

However, at Summer School, this book turned up on a student's "best books they have read" list. Maybe kids like zombie stories and I just have to trust their judgement and give in to their tastes. Needless to say this is the beginning of a series - the author is Tony Abbott - of the "Secrets of Droon" series. I am going to sit on the fence with this and wait till I hear a couple more opinions.

"The Night Tourist" by Katherine Marsh won the 2008 Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery. It took me a while to get into this one - but I can see its appeal. Jack also narrowly escaped death. His father sends him to a doctor in New York city and while waiting for the train home in Grand Central Station manages to meet a girl, Euri, who takes him on a tour under the station. This underworld just happens to be the home of many ghosts who have not yet moved on. Two rules of the underworld say that if a living person stumbles into this area and are caught they will be killed and another is they can only stay for three nights or have to stay forever. Jack decides to find his mother, who died in New York when Jack was little, to ask her all sorts of questions. Lots of adventures follow and you will have to read it to find out if Jack manages or even wants to escape.

I also re-read one of my favorites "Bloody Jack" and loved it all over again. This is a Grade 7 read but what a ride! It tells of Jacky's adventures on the HMS Dolphin as a ship's boy only Jacky is a girl disguised as a boy. She is always getting into trouble but always getting out of trouble too, sometimes by luck, more often by using her head and quick thinking. I think I will have to re-read the rest of the series!

What have you read today?