tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57693302011-07-14T20:44:46.762-04:00The Hip Librarians' Book BlogHip Librarians post information about books they like. Or loathe.AprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comBlogger1891100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1116878603546471672005-05-23T16:00:00.000-04:002005-05-23T16:03:23.553-04:00Visit our new blog!http://hiplibrariansbookblog.blog-city.com/AprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1115480782343773882005-05-07T11:41:00.000-04:002005-05-07T11:46:22.350-04:00I just did a presention of booktalks to 9th and 10th graders at an alternative high school. They are studying memoirs and writing their own, so the teacher asked me to booktalk memoirs geared to teen readers. Thanks to Reading Rants and some other great recommendations, this is the list that I came up with. I put stars by my favorites:*The air down there: True Tales from a South Bronx Boyhood Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1115135401690408012005-05-03T11:42:00.000-04:002005-05-03T13:06:38.786-04:00I have been reading something I should have read long ago. But this way I can talk up a classic YA series.Over the weekend I flew through the first three books in the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce. I had been introduced to Pierce last summer when I had to review Trickster's Queen for SLJ. I of course had to read Trickster's Choice first, and I was totally engrossed and thoroughly loving Anna M. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147861067103951279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1115089760248968952005-05-02T22:42:00.000-04:002005-05-02T23:09:20.250-04:00So excited to finally get our copy of Luna by Julie Anne Peters. It's the story of Liam (17 or 18 yrs old) who has felt like a girl trapped in a boy's body his entire life. His story, the story of his transformation into Luna, his true female self, is actually told by Regan, Liam's younger sister. In this way I think the author was able to appeal to a wider audience. Regan is a very appealingAprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1114983463319629892005-05-01T17:22:00.000-04:002005-05-01T17:37:43.320-04:00I finally got my hands on an advanced reader’s copy of the third installment in Suzanne Collins’ Underland Chronicles: Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods. I’m a big fan of the series thus far and this book did not disappoint. Gregor once again returns to the underground world to play out his part in the mysterious Prophecy of Blood. A deadly disease threatens the lives of all who inhabit thisTheresanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1114905057069026432005-04-30T19:39:00.000-04:002005-04-30T19:50:57.070-04:00I recently read Stained by Jennifer Richard Jacobson.Stained is set in a small New England town in the seventies and deals indirectly with sexual abuse by priests in the Catholic Church. The main character sometimes feels like an outsider because her father left when she was young and her mother raised her without religion. The local priest is telling her boyfriend that he should stop seeing Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15353743389479041742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1114356763759406492005-04-24T11:24:00.000-04:002005-04-24T11:32:43.763-04:00Recent Reads in Denver:Prom by Laurie Halse AndersonReading this on the flight from Philadelphia to Denver was a great experience. The book's setting is a working class neighborhood of Philly and Anderson did a great job of catching the Philly flavor (including the TastyCakes) in her novel. The Schwa Was Here by Neal Shusterman How is it that the Schwa can be standing right in front of you, but Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1113855153029933732005-04-18T15:56:00.000-04:002005-04-19T12:54:05.926-04:00I finished reading Prep by Curtis Sittenfield this weekend. It is about a girl named Lee Fiora who decides at the age of 13 to apply to boarding school. She gets in, and even gets an almost total financial aid package, which is good because her family in South Bend, Indiana, doesn't have a lot of dough. So Lee leaves for Ault, a prestigious prep school in Massachusetts.This story had the Anna M. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147861067103951279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1113772977978967622005-04-17T17:10:00.000-04:002005-04-17T17:22:57.980-04:00I haven't posted in awhile... I think I haven't read anything outstanding or maybe I am just in a funk.Finished Prom today by Laurie Halse Anderson. I think there is an audience for this book that has been untapped... the "normal" kid who isn't college bound, has a kooky family (she seems to resent them more than they deserve), and has sex with her boyfriend without getting pregnant or dumped orAprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1112734345766953392005-04-12T16:35:00.000-04:002005-04-12T19:59:07.096-04:00April, cool about Kelly DiPucchio!I too have had an author communication recently, from someone who read a review I posted here in which I mentioned that I love Richard Russo's work. The someone, a first-time author named Jason Headley, told me that his novel Small Town Odds had been compared to Russo's novels and invited me to take a look.I was engrossed in this book from the first chapter, allmainermacenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1113310724295203912005-04-12T08:49:00.000-04:002005-04-12T08:59:14.093-04:00Over the weekend I read a really interesting grown-up book. Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell is not your typical history lesson. Vowell, who writes for McSweeney's and is a contributing editor the NPR's This American Life is obsessed with death. In this book, she focuses particularly on the three presidents assassinated before Kennedy. Can you name them all? Well, there's Lincoln....yeah, Anna M. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147861067103951279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1112963316294231242005-04-08T08:15:00.000-04:002005-04-12T08:58:56.510-04:00Last night I finished So B. It by Sarah Weeks. It is the story of Heidi, a 12-year-old who lives with her mother (who has a "bum brain") and Bernadette (Bernie, a woman with agoraphobia who took in Heidi and her Mom when Heidi was about a week old). Heidi leads a very isolated life - she does not go to school, and has no real friends her own age. But she also has a great lucky streak - when the Anna M. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147861067103951279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1112816999500085262005-04-06T15:35:00.000-04:002005-04-06T15:49:59.503-04:00For those teens who like memoirs and diaries such as Go Ask Alice, A Child Called "It" and Stick Figure, I highly recommend The Burn Journals by Brent Runyon. In the 1980s, Brent was a severely depressed eighth grader who attempted suicide many times. His final attempt at killing himself by lighting himself on fire was not successful, but it did burn 85% of his body. He spent months in Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1112670805863769212005-04-04T23:12:00.000-04:002005-04-04T23:13:25.863-04:00I just finished listening to The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood, which has been on my mental "to read" list since it was published. I love the audio version and can easily see myself restricting my listening to British novels since I am in love with the accents (one strong perk of listening to Bindi Babes on audio which was fun). In this story (which continues with at least 2 sequels I am AprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1112476610590735522005-04-02T16:03:00.000-05:002005-04-02T18:08:38.630-05:00The Beacon Street Girls series has become wildly popular in my library, and I guess in my area as well, there was a recent article about the series and the author, Annie Bryant, in the Globe. I admit to being a little skeptical at first since we all know how some series lack quality where they are strong on quantity. I had also read the article and perused the website www.beaconstreetgirls.com AprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1112238484402686272005-03-30T22:03:00.000-05:002005-03-31T21:56:55.070-05:00Recent Reads that I liked:Rock Star Superstar by blake NelsonFor those interested in music, being in a band and the recording industry, this is a great read. For those who like great teen novels, this is a great read. Pete's life is all about music, and high school, and music, and his girlfriend Margaret, and music, and his Dad, and music. Get the picture? The Books of Fell by M.E. KerrDue toAllihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1112047067322038932005-03-28T16:40:00.000-05:002005-03-28T16:57:47.323-05:00I just submitted a review to SLJ for the book Ten Thousand Charms by Leander Watts. I didn't like this book at all, and there are many reasons I have to justify this statement. Reason #1: The plot was not believable. It is sort of a cross between a fairy tale and historical fiction, although there are no markers to place the story in the context of history. It is about the king of a Anna M. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147861067103951279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1111520206550771282005-03-22T14:34:00.000-05:002005-03-22T14:36:46.550-05:00I am probably the last person to know about this, but I found a really neat blog today through YALSA-BK. It is at: http://yaarc.blogspot.com/ and it is for YA Librarians who have ARCS and are willing to share! If you browse through and see something you are dying to read, you just leave a comment with your name and address, and the ARC will be sent to you! Of course, you can't keep them, but Anna M. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147861067103951279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1111174128558144522005-03-18T14:00:00.000-05:002005-03-18T14:32:27.550-05:00How cool that Kelly DiPucchio checked out your review! I love Bed Hogs , it's been such a hit at storytime. Also, I have flagged Liberty's Journey as a title to booktalk at the elementary schools in May. How cool!I fell in love with some new picture books...Ish by Peter ReynoldsWere you ever told that you weren't good at something and then never wanted to do it again? Well, that's what Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1111076980071822522005-03-17T11:25:00.000-05:002005-03-17T11:29:40.073-05:00Hey, Kelly DiPucchio just sent me a lovely email thanking me for the review of What's The Magic Word ... which means 2 things, 1 she is nice and cool and you should really buy the book now for your library and as a gift for any young children you know and 2 PEOPLE read our blog! besides us I mean!And also here is a plug for her website which is funny (esp the bio) and fun and colorful.http://AprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1110419098718970392005-03-09T20:09:00.000-05:002005-03-09T21:59:01.506-05:00Fish by L.S. Matthews is a captivating read. The story is timeless with its unnamed characters, unnamed setting, unnamed war and a mysterious Fish. A boy and his parents, who seem to be employed by a group similar to "Doctors Without Borders," are attempting to escape the war torn country that they have been living in for years. They hire a guide, known as Guide, and start trekking on foot to Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1110392097214903202005-03-09T13:03:00.000-05:002005-03-09T13:14:57.216-05:00Devil in the Details: Scenes from an Obsessive Girlhood by Jennifer TraigThe first chapter of this book is so sad and crushing that I almost didn't go on. Jenny Traig is a woman who had undiagnosed Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder at a time (the early 80's) when the disease was hardly known about. And to top it off, Traig also had a form of the disorder called scrupulosity which is OCD with a Anna M. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147861067103951279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1110324172735495612005-03-08T18:19:00.000-05:002005-03-08T18:25:45.816-05:00What's the Magic Word by Kelly DiPucchioJoin Little Bird on a windy adventure through the barnyard. Newly hatched this fluffy little fellow is swept up by a gush of wind and plunked down in front of a stall. Little Bird wants in but he doesn't know the magic word ... which according to the cow in the stall is "moo moo". When the wind sweeps him up again and drops him in front of a hive Little AprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1109717200579718082005-03-01T17:38:00.000-05:002005-03-01T17:46:40.580-05:00Amber, Jazz and Geena have it all. The newest styles, mobile phones, all the coolest music. Their Dad gives them whatever they want, whenever they want it. They are the epitome of cool in Bindi Babes by Narinder Dharmi. The girls are good at everything; they get good grades, they have good friends and things are just about perfect. But hidden under that perfect image is a lot of sadness. Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1109616909926354452005-02-28T13:47:00.000-05:002005-02-28T15:18:32.190-05:00Last week I finished So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld. In it we read about Hunter, who is aptly named, as he is a "cool hunter" in New York. He goes out and takes pictures of the up to the second fashion trends for market researchers. It was an amazing book that really made you think. And there were such delightful bits of trivia mixed in. Like did you know the Phonecians were a bunch of Anna M. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147861067103951279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1109607050572464302005-02-28T10:46:00.000-05:002005-02-28T11:10:50.576-05:00Two great new YA reads: "I am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak and "The Secret Under My Skin" by Janet McNaughton. Messenger is the story of Ed Kennedy, a 19 year old cab driver and your basic sweet harmless bum. He hangs out with his friends, plays cards, attempts to suppress his crush on a childhood girlfriend (as in girl-who-is-a-friend), and has an uncomfortable relationship with his mother. Theresanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1109457061376832912005-02-26T17:04:00.000-05:002005-02-27T13:09:59.390-05:00Recent well-loved book:So B. It by Sarah WeeksAllihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1109290307812099052005-02-24T18:55:00.000-05:002005-02-24T19:11:47.813-05:00Richard Peck strikes again with a down-home Indiana farming novel called The Teacher's Funeral: a Comedy in Three Parts. Russell Culver and his brother Lloyd couldn't be happier when their teacher, the old, ugly and mean Miss Myrt, drops dead right before school starts. Yeah! No school! Russell believes that he can soon live out his dream to move to the Dakotas to farm. Well, he couldn't Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1109006536668925952005-02-21T12:12:00.000-05:002005-02-21T12:25:10.596-05:00Ever read a book that just sticks with you? The kind of story that you just don't want to end? That's how I feel after reading (and looking at) Gemma Bovery, a graphic novel by Posy Simmonds. Put this towards the top of your "must read" lists because you won't regret it! The story is a modern day version Madame Bovary. I found Gemma to be an extremely intriguing character and the story works AprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1108743709912240802005-02-18T11:18:00.000-05:002005-02-18T11:22:53.240-05:00Thanks to the blogger who recommended God Went to Beauty School by Cynthia Rylant. It is a quick read and as in just about all of Rylant's writing, it is poignant, thoughtful and fun, all in one.I just read (most of) George Washington, Spymaster: How the Americans Outspied the British and Won the Revolutionary War by Thomas B. Allen. This book is going to make a great gift for my history-lovingAllihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1108608291454105332005-02-16T21:13:00.000-05:002005-02-21T22:35:24.480-05:00Ear Tickler:Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko This was a great book to listen to--I really like the narrator, Johnny Heller. It's not just a story of a boy living on Alcatraz Island in the 1930s. It's the story of a family struggling to do the right thing for their "unusual" daughter. It is never said directly, but the reader can gather from Natalie's behavior that she is autisticAllihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1108603326325494982005-02-16T20:18:00.000-05:002005-02-16T20:22:06.326-05:00I just picked up "Searching for Oliver K. Woodman" by Darcy Pattison. In this follow-up to “The Journey of Oliver K. Woodman”, Tameka and her Uncle Ray’s attempt to recreate Oliver’s original journal across the country has gone awry. The life-sized wooden man (a gift from Ray to his niece) has not been heard from and Tameka enlists the help of a reporter, Paige Hall and her uncle to help track Theresanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1108319517032184702005-02-13T13:20:00.000-05:002005-02-13T13:31:57.033-05:00I love a good biography. Escape From Saigon: How a Vietnam War Orphan Became an American Boy by Andrea Warren, is an excellent biography about a boy who escaped Vietnam during Operation Babylift in 1975. Maybe I feel connected to this book because my Dad is a Vietnam Vet or because I spent time in Vietnam in college or just because it is a riveting story of courage and patience and bravery and Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1107882159449282852005-02-08T11:39:00.000-05:002005-02-08T12:02:39.453-05:00Andy Warhol: Prince of Pop by Jan Greenberg & Sandra Jordan
Fantastic bio of a fascinating man. I like the way the authors address Warhol's life without watering it down or even more sensationalism. I am a bit of a Warhol fan so there wasn't much new information for me but I still found the book highly enjoyable and read it quickly. My one complaint is there are not enough pictures! When writing AprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1107563458004532242005-02-04T19:16:00.000-05:002005-02-04T19:30:58.006-05:00When I was young, one of the big events in my household was when "The Sound of Music" came on every year around Christmas time. My parents loved the movie, my siblings loved the movie, I loved the movie. We all yodeled right along with Maria and the von Trapp children during the marionette show and knew all the words to every tune. I knew a children's biography of Maria von Trapp was published a Theresanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1107558624397541282005-02-04T17:46:00.000-05:002005-02-18T11:25:25.180-05:00I love Lynn Munsinger's illustrations, and her new picture book, written by Laura Numeroff, Beatrice Doesn't Want To is a great library story. Find it and read it and share it with kids! I also just finished reading Christopher Paul Curtis's Bucking the Sarge. Now, don't go recommending this to your 4th and 5th graders who loved his other two books because it is definitely a teen novel with Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1107475650822398722005-02-03T18:55:00.000-05:002005-02-03T19:07:30.823-05:00Thanks to my fellow bloggers (Allison & April) who recommended Pam Munoz Ryan's "Becoming Naomi Leon" and Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy. I'd been putting both off and finally was motivated to pick them up. Naomi Leon is just perfect. I was expecting another sad story about sad people living their sad lives in a trailer park, but it was a delight to read. Pullman's books did make Theresanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1107463970352782252005-02-03T15:27:00.000-05:002005-02-03T15:52:50.353-05:00Wow. It has been a while for me. But I can beg off since I was moving to Florida.
I just finished how i live now. And all I can say is that I totally think it deserved to win. I was totally fascinated in they way they foraged for food, and in a strange way I was a little envious. Not of the horror of war, mind you, but of the quiet and the simplicity of their life after they returned back Anna M. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147861067103951279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1107404156537178942005-02-02T23:09:00.000-05:002005-02-02T23:15:56.536-05:00Recently enjoyed: Mable Riley: a reliable record of humdrum, peril, and romance by Jocelyn Marthe. Give this to your Dear America girls. Give this to girls who like fiesty girl main characters who just can't help but think for themselves and then say what they think out loud. This is a great historical fiction novel and it has the added bonus of having a story within the story.
I also loved Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1107287905358651352005-02-01T14:50:00.000-05:002005-02-01T14:58:25.360-05:00I agree with Alli that How I Live Now is a very powerful book. It is chilling at times because while the enemies are never named it feels as if the war in the book could really happen at any moment. What if Iraqi armies invaded England? Or anyone else who deemed themselves "enemies" ... just like Daisy we only see war on tv and in movies....except that it really does happens to her. I was AprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1106670767587841232005-01-25T11:19:00.000-05:002005-01-25T11:32:47.586-05:00Lumber Camp Library by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock is a third grade level chapter book along the lines of Sarah, Plain and Tall. It was recommended to me by one of my favorite young patrons and she was right, it is a great book. A lot sad and a lot happy.
I just attended the YA BER Literature workshop and I've been reading lots of YA books that were recommended there. Ron Koertge's Margaux with Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1106668563338344112005-01-25T10:20:00.000-05:002005-01-25T10:59:52.266-05:00Recent Reads:
Mighty Jackie: The Strike Out Queen (picture book format by Marissa Moss). Who knew about Jackie Mitchell who at 17 struck out both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig during an exhibition game in 1931. I didn't. And with most of us living in Red Sox nation I think it is important to know. So every library needs to own this book and the librarians need to talk it up and suggest Jackie as a AprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1106325015699585862005-01-21T11:22:00.000-05:002005-01-21T11:30:51.916-05:00How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff is narrated by Daisy, an anorexic teenager sent to England to live with cousins for a bit, leaving her father and evil stepmother in New York City, looking forward to the birth of their child. When war breaks out in England, Daisy and her cousins, Osbert, Edmond, Piper and Isaac are left home alone since Aunt Penn went off traveling. Soldiers take over their countryAllihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1106272483912221922005-01-20T20:24:00.000-05:002005-01-20T20:54:43.913-05:00Recent reads from Colorado:
Ordinary Wolves by Seth Kantner
Meet a boy, Cutuk, who has grown up in the Alaskan wilderness with his Dad in an igloo living in the traditional way of the Inuit People. Despite Cutuk's white skin, he's more Inuit than the majority of native people that live in the village near his wilderness igloo home. As a young adult he goes to Anchorage to work. Fitting in Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1105119231378211632005-01-07T13:15:00.000-05:002005-01-07T12:33:51.376-05:00True Confessions of a Heartless Girl by Martha Brooks is one of Allison's favorite books. And now it is one of mine. The story of Noreen, the heartless girl, is one you immediately get lost in. I feel like I am part of this small town, wrapped up in everyone else's heartache ... and joy. So many rotten things happen in this book but the writing is so brilliant you never feel like it is too much AprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1105118273821081812005-01-07T13:05:00.000-05:002005-01-07T12:17:53.820-05:00Recent picture book favorite:
Mr. George Baker by Amy Hest. Whimsical, descriptive language tells the story of a 100 year-old-man, Mr. Baker, and a young boy who wait for the bus together. They are both learning to read.
Recent chapter book favorite:
Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan. Munoz Ryan never disappoints. Naomi is a softspoken, thoughtful, clever little girl with a talent for Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1104375321022136082004-12-29T21:12:00.000-05:002004-12-29T21:55:21.023-05:00Shannon Hale's companion to The Goose Girl, Enna Burning, is, in my opinion, not as satisfying a read as the first book. Its sluggish start really got to me. The only thing that really kept me going was that I had to read it for work because we may change it from a J to a YA. Thank goodness that the story picks up in the last 117 pages. I was about ready to throw the book across the room and Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1103478683784875852004-12-19T13:48:00.000-05:002004-12-19T12:51:23.786-05:00Just wanted to chime in with a "me too" on The Misfits by James Howe -- we just read it for Popular Paperbacks this year (and it's on the nominations list -- I'll let you know if it makes it on the final list!). I loved it, both for its sense of humor and the, well, sense of less weight about the whole outsider deal. Many, many teen books make being an outsider like it's the weighto of the RobinBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14615057962112114509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1102981245280549082004-12-13T18:22:00.000-05:002004-12-13T22:17:35.936-05:00I listened to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. I also borrowed the book from a friend so I could look at the little pictures. I loved the narration though and I am really glad I listened to it because I liked the way the narrator portrayed Christopher, the main character who is a 15 year old autistic boy. You really get a sense of Christopher's character throught AprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1102640440980373262004-12-09T19:54:00.000-05:002004-12-09T20:01:51.620-05:00I like books that use just a little bit of text to impart a strong message. Worth by A. LaFaye does just that. Young Nathaniel is seriously injured in an accident on his family's farm in Nebraska and as a result, is unable to help his Pa with the farmwork. His leg badly crippled and his heart hurting even worse after the death of his sister and the loss of the time he used to spend with Pa Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1102562623169106012004-12-08T22:02:00.000-05:002004-12-08T22:24:31.633-05:00I haven't posted in forever because I've been reading a grown-up book for my new book club. We just read Empire Falls by Richard Russo. It is an excellent novel about a small town in Maine and the so-called small town life happening there.
I've been enjoying some shorter J fiction books since then. I loved The Misfits by James Howe. A group of friends, all considered misfits, form a new Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1102540110404532732004-12-08T16:05:00.000-05:002004-12-08T16:08:30.403-05:00I am trying NOT to have a new favorite book every minute but Baby Brains is the best picture book since .... well, since The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard!
Baby Brains is a very funny idea with very funny and cute illustrations, a must read! Would also make a nice gift for a child with a sparkly sense of humor! To me it is on par with Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems so if you are a fan you AprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1102539754634824412004-12-08T16:00:00.000-05:002004-12-08T16:02:34.633-05:00Mmmmmm .... I just love The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard by Gregory Rogers. It is simply delicious.
AprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1101571516680379822004-12-07T10:50:00.000-05:002004-12-07T12:22:20.223-05:00I have a confession to make ... I don't like reading "long" books. Ok...hear me out...it's actually one of the dangers of my job...I have so much to read! There are so many great new books coming out but I still need to catch up on the classics! So I try and avoid long books. When I saw Harry Potter 5 I knew right then and there I would never finish that series. So I was a little intimidated by AprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1101772968560294012004-11-29T18:55:00.000-05:002004-11-29T19:02:48.560-05:00Hello everyone! I did nothing this past weekend but read YA books for the Popular Paperbacks Committee (will it never end?), except for allowing myself one non-committee read. I must therefore gush about David Levithan's newish book The Realm of Possibility. I was a huge fan of Boy Meets Boy (soooo cute!), and I wasn't sure if his latest prose poetry collection would be more schmoopy goodness RobinBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14615057962112114509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1101505779076189882004-11-26T16:47:00.000-05:002004-11-26T16:52:06.076-05:00P.S. I also love The Red Book by Barbara Lehman. Very cool wordless picture book. And Lemons Are Not Red by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, a fun and colorful concept book.
Just feel the love as I open up boxes and boxes of new picture books since I am working on the day after Thanksgiving and my first patron did not come in until and hour and a half after being open!
AprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1101504815908268492004-11-26T16:16:00.000-05:002004-11-26T16:33:35.906-05:00What librarian does not love The Library by Sarah Stewart? I love all her books with husband David Small and so it comes as no surprise that I love The Friend, their latest collaboration. The illustrations are so beautiful and expressive in their simplicity. The story outlines Belle's relationship with her housekeeper, no make that her Friend, Bea. They do chores together and end each day at the AprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1101404174680404472004-11-25T13:30:00.000-05:002004-11-25T12:36:14.683-05:00Just finished the audio of Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism by Georgia Byng. If you have not read this book yet you certainly should and if you like audio books to keep you company during your commute than I whole heartedly recommend you give this one a listen. I love the way the narrator, Kate Burton, changes her voice for each character but I especially love her British accent. ThisAprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1100378968984214912004-11-13T15:31:00.000-05:002004-11-13T15:49:28.983-05:00And speaking of great new picture books, my Christmas orders came in earlier this week and you all must buy "Shall I Knit You a Hat?: A Christmas Yarn" by Kate Klise. Because of an impending blizzard, Mother Rabbit knits a hat for Little Rabbit. He likes it so much that he asks his mother to knit hats for all their friends for Christmas so they won't be cold in the snow. What makes this so Theresanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1100231563742003812004-11-11T22:43:00.000-05:002004-11-12T13:14:12.153-05:00New picture books that I love:
Wallace's Lists by Barbara Bottner
Doodler Doodling by Rita Golden Gelman
Knuffle Bunny: a Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems
***
Am I an Athiest? Maybe. I think that's what drew me to Pete Hautman's novel, godless. Am I ready to convert to Chutengodianism? Not quite. It's hard to believe that a group of kids would start worshipping a water tower. But they do.Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1099757351290712682004-11-06T10:34:00.000-05:002004-11-06T11:09:11.290-05:00Just read the sequel to Philip Reeve's "Mortal Engines". "Predator's Gold" is amazing. Set in a future where cities are mobile and prowl the landscapes searching for others to "eat" for resources and slave labor, Tom and Hester have left the ruins of London andeventually end up crash landed on Anchorage, a traction city in the Ice Wastes region. What follows is action, betrayal, theft, mystery,Theresanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1099418447029357012004-11-02T13:36:00.000-05:002004-11-02T13:02:18.983-05:00In light of today's special nature I have 2 great books to tell you about...
A Woman for President : the story of Victoria Woodhull by Kathleen Krull & Madam President by Catherine Thimmesh with illustrations by Douglas B. Jones. I admire the work of Kathleen Krull, she writes about the most interesting topics and really makes them accessible to young people (I am especially a fan of her recent AprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1098832774640850732004-10-26T19:16:00.000-04:002004-10-26T19:19:34.640-04:00Recent Reads:
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer.
Great science fiction even for those, like me, who aren't big sci-fi fans. Clones, drugs, eejits, pollution, drug lords, orphans, body part farming and transplanting...what more do you need to make a great story!
Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett
This book is not at the top of my list of favorite books, but for a mystery reader, this is aAllihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1098335916070526912004-10-21T01:56:00.000-04:002004-10-21T01:18:36.070-04:00I finished listening to Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim last week and since then I have been missing David Sedaris. It felt like he was keeping me company on my commute and I cherished every moment we had together! I gave the tapes to a coworker who has confessed the same feelings...in fact, she told me today she anticipated the loss and ordered the audio online! At times I found myself AprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1098201052917843542004-10-19T11:39:00.000-04:002004-10-19T11:50:52.916-04:00In the mood for a frightening read? Well, just go for it. Joseph Bruchac's new scary story, The Dark Pond is a creepy, freaky tale of a huge sea serpent type monster that lurks in the dark waters of a pond near Armie's boarding school. Armie is half Shawnee Indian and half Armenian and he is sent to boarding school because his parents are both busy lawyers in Washington, D.C. this school is Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1097807738007611512004-10-14T22:33:00.000-04:002004-10-14T22:35:38.006-04:00I just want to agree with everything that April said about Eoin Colfer's The Supernaturalist.
Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1097807236880703982004-10-14T21:50:00.000-04:002004-10-14T22:27:16.880-04:00Books on CD. I've recently gotten the bug. Robert Morgan's Gap Creek (read by Kate Forbes)was amazing. Southern fiction has always been one of my favorite genres and this one is at the top of my list. Julie's only seventeen when she and Hank get married, but in life experience, she's much older. She's already witnessed her younger brother and father's deaths. She's worked the fields like a Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1097197301856349052004-10-07T20:49:00.000-04:002004-10-11T21:41:44.856-04:00Since I was at amazon.com I decided to look and see what people are saying about Eoin Colfer's The Supernaturalists. I observed that the grown ups like Artemis Fowl better and the kids just love it ... why am I not surprised? I think adults have trouble "moving on". I think we should be more like children and read books on an individual basis...and I know, I need to follow my own advice! But I amAprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1097196484621367012004-10-07T20:33:00.000-04:002004-10-07T20:48:04.620-04:00God Went to Beauty School by Cynthia Rylant ... Since we got this book I have been meaning to read it. I finally did when I learned it is a Boston Globe/Horn Book honor book. In 23 poems Rylant expresses eloquently what many people like to think about ... what is God doing all day? I noticed one reviewer on amazon.com thought the book offensive and I can see the risk the publisher took with AprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1097103297496834162004-10-06T18:05:00.000-04:002004-10-06T18:54:57.496-04:00Mary Hooper's At the Sign of the Sugared Plum takes the reader back in time to daily life in London, England, just as the Great Plague is taking hold of the city. The story follows Hannah and her sister Sarah, who run a candy, or sweetmeats, shop in London. The girls work hard making and selling their delicate, flowered candy treats. The church bells throughout the city start to ring fairly Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1096596941441247422004-09-30T21:55:00.000-04:002004-09-30T22:15:41.440-04:00Sometimes I feel like I conceal some parts of me, the tree-hugger, the moon-lover, overall earth lover, and B.A.A.(Bad Attitude Allison--when I am gloomy and moody and glum and hum-drum). I don't know why, but those things just seem to stay close to me and don't get out too much. That's why I enjoyed Ida B...and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid disaster, and (possibly) Save the World by Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1096411193856182752004-09-28T18:03:00.000-04:002004-09-28T18:39:53.856-04:00Just a few notes...
I just listened to Outlaw Princess of Sherwood by Nancy Springer. It wasn't my favorite book ever, but I like the whole person in a cage theme (because I loved Jane Yolen's book, Girl in a Cage). I found that I could let my mind wander and then when it came back to listening I didn't have to rewind.
Just stayed up really late to finish Vegan Virgin Valentine by Carolyn Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1096341634371679112004-09-27T23:07:00.000-04:002004-09-27T23:20:34.373-04:00Alli...where do you find all this time to read!? And maintain that active social life we all know you have?
I just finished An American plague : the true and terrifying story of the yellow fever epidemic of 1793 by Jim Murphy. I had heard it was great but then it won the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award for non-fiction and since I plan on going to the ceremony I thought I should read it. It is AprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1096125880990998152004-09-25T11:16:00.000-04:002004-09-25T11:24:40.990-04:00In Cabin on Trouble Creek by Jean Van Leeuwen, Pa and Daniel and Will travel west to the new state of Ohio to build a cabin where the family will settle. When the cabin is just about finished, Pa leaves the two boys with plenty of supplies to last for about five or six weeks and heads back to Pennsylvania to get the rest of the family. Daniel and Will continue chinking the walls of the cabin, Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1095785190559258002004-09-21T13:25:00.000-04:002004-09-21T12:46:30.560-04:00Thanks to my freaky friend April, I ate my way through David Almond's book, CandyFreak. I am now waiting to try those fancy Bread & Wallet --I mean Bread & Circus -- candybars. What a great travel book, Boston (one of my fave cities), various parts of Midwest, Idaho and California, through the eyes of a candyfreak. And wow, the candyfreaks that we got to meet along the way! Next time I eat a Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1095735615680437512004-09-20T22:52:00.000-04:002004-09-20T23:19:31.703-04:00I'd never read any of Meg Cabot's books until last week. One of my favorite 11-year-old patrons, who is not into the Princess Diary thing, said that she loved All-American Girl. And you know what...I did too. The characters are so likeable and fun and surprisingly unpredicatable. The plot itself is a modern day fairytale. Misfit middle child is in love with the boyfriend of her older sister, MissAllihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1095281848644519802004-09-15T16:57:00.000-04:002004-09-15T16:57:28.646-04:00Polly Horvath has come out with another winner. The Pepins and Their Problems is a great book for kids who like Roald Dahl, Louis Sachar and Astrid Lindgren's Pippi Longstocking books. The Pepins are funny, goofy, idiotic, and doofy. Horvath tells their story in episodes, speaking conversationally to the characters and to the reader in a Baudelaire style (also familiar to Lemony Snicket fans).Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1095013524920087272004-09-12T13:58:00.000-04:002004-09-12T14:25:24.920-04:00William Wise recently published the book Christopher Mouse: the tale of a small traveler. Young Christopher Mouse is quite content in his wire cage with his mom and family, but he knows that one day he will be separated from his mother and his dear sister Anna. Always hopeful, he is determined that he will not be taken to one of these dreadful laboratory places he hears so much of. He'd much Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1094700355170383432004-09-08T23:19:00.000-04:002004-09-08T23:25:55.170-04:00Recent Reads:
For Matrimonial Purposes by Kavita Daswani--I loved that this book was a great escapist chick-lit novel but that it really dealt with issues of blending cultures.
The Dewey Decimal System of Love by Josephine Carr--Just a fun read.
Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella--Another fun, and a little predictable, read.
Doing It by Melvin Burgess--Love this book. LOVE IT! My Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1094613612090500122004-09-07T23:04:00.000-04:002004-09-09T10:57:44.000-04:00Warning: Shameless Gushing Follows
If I could make everyone in the world follow one rule it would be to read Candyfreak by Steve Almond. OK...actually If I had such power I would make everyone follow a whole bunch of rules including, but not limited to: drive right dammit, stop thinking just about yourself (and in a related vein, stop thinking everything is about you), vote against Bush, be nice AprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1093464788540949132004-08-25T16:02:00.000-04:002004-08-25T16:13:08.540-04:00The Double-Digit Club by Marion Dane Bauer brought up some interesting issues relating to cliques and true friendship. Paige and Sarah have been best friends since they were babies. Now they are approaching that milestome birthday where they turn ten years old. One of their classmates, the snobby, bossy and mean Valerie started a club earlier in the year that girls are invited to join when Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1093198610281916192004-08-22T14:10:00.000-04:002004-08-22T14:23:40.950-04:00
What I read (and listened to) on my Summer Vacation by April MFair Weather (audio) by Richard Peck … finally got around to this, loved A Year Down Yonder and A Long Way from Chicago but this one is my favorite by far. The narration is excellent, complementing the story perfectly, which has the perfect mix of history, humor and heartfeltness (new word!) … I admit to getting choked up at the end AprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1093035552870863022004-08-20T16:18:00.000-04:002004-08-20T16:59:12.870-04:00The Revealers by Doug Wilhelm is another look at the issue of bullying. It seems like writing about bullying is a recent trend. Is it because it is more common in schools these days or because it has always been there and people are finally paying attention? In this chapter book, Elliot, Russell and Catalina are all singled out by bullies at Parkland Middle School. They are cruelly teased, Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1092959254753851482004-08-19T19:18:00.000-04:002004-08-19T19:47:34.753-04:00My last two weeks of reading have included:
PS, I love you by Cecelia Ahern
This was a fun chick lit novel. Through the whole book I thought I had the ending all figured out and then Wham--it was not what I expected. Pretty impressive for this kind of book.
The glass cafe, or, The stripper and the state : how my mother started a war with the system that made us kind of rich and a little bitAllihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1092095032967113922004-08-09T19:29:00.000-04:002004-08-09T19:43:52.966-04:00I read 3 books this weekend. I finished Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination by Helen Fielding. This is her latest and I like it much better than Bridget Jones - she was too whiny! This Olivia is much more self-sufficient and capable. She is a journalist that ends up spying for the CIA and tracking down an al-Quaeda ring. She gets cool James Bond toys for girls including a bra with some Anna M. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147861067103951279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1091657236843862782004-08-04T17:56:00.000-04:002004-08-04T18:07:16.843-04:00I haven't been able to focus much on my books lately. Maybe it's because it is the summer, maybe I'm just distracted, I don't know. But, I finally found a good one and finished it between last night and this afternoon. Elizabeth Fama's Overboard is about Emily Slake. Her parents are both doctors who travel the world. Emily is fourteen-years-old and has spent more time in foreign hospitals in her Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1090789876756440342004-07-25T16:51:00.000-04:002004-07-25T17:11:16.756-04:00I haven’t read any Gary Paulsen books… inspired by Allison I decided to give him a try. Not feeling in the mood for a wilderness survival plot I searched around for something a little different. And after reading the title and description for The Glass Café Or, the stripper and the state: How my mother started a war with the system that made us kind of rich and a little bit famous … I was hooked!AprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1090442187394089102004-07-21T16:28:00.000-04:002004-07-21T16:36:27.393-04:00I am a big supporter of GLBT's and the issues important to them, but I never really knew much about transgenders. After reading the book Luna by Julie Anne Peters, I can say that I have a much better understanding, and an enormous amount of sympathy for people who's physical and mental sexes do not match. Luna is about a high school senior named Liam who feels he is a girl born in a boy's body.Anna M. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147861067103951279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1090291230913017152004-07-19T21:34:00.000-04:002004-07-19T22:40:30.913-04:00I've read A Wrinkle in Time about a million times but for some reason never got around to reading Madeline L'Engle's other books. Until now. I just read A Ring of Endless Light. Now I am going to read every single book by her.
A Ring of Endless Light is the third book in series about the Austin family. Vicky Austin and her family are staying with her grandfather for summer. He is very Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1089999651269586542004-07-16T13:20:00.000-04:002004-07-16T13:42:12.210-04:00I have never read any of the Baseball Card Adventures by Dan Gutman...I always thought I should but I am not really into sports....So I knew I would have to motivate myself to try something new. The thing is, I have no trouble selling those books. Kids come in asking for them and they are hardly ever on the shelves. Well, across the circ desk came the audio version of Shoeless Joe and Me and AprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1089649155726720512004-07-12T12:07:00.000-04:002004-07-13T17:51:36.236-04:00Martha Brooks is still one of my favorite YA authors. Being with Henry is the story of a teenage boy, Laker, who doesn't know his real Dad. His mom kicks him out of the house when he gets in a fight with his new stepdad. Laker lives on a the streets for awhile until he is taken in by an elderly man, Henry. The two form an unusual friendship, helping each other with all kinds of things. LakerAllihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1089237701486631182004-07-07T17:54:00.000-04:002004-07-07T18:01:41.486-04:00Just got back from ALA and I am giddy with meeting authors! I met Tamora Pierce (and am currently reading Trickster's Queen to review for SLJ), Jane Yolen, Janet Tashjihan, and Kate DiCamillo. I also saw Angela Johnston, Jennifer Donnelly, Carolyn Mackler, Helen Frost, K.L. Going, and Andrew Clements. I am starstruck.
I also got a galley of the new Meg Cabot novel called Teen Idol. It was Anna M. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147861067103951279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1089070300256647212004-07-05T19:27:00.000-04:002004-07-05T21:51:37.063-04:00Do you like time travel?
Do you like historical fiction?
Do you like little old ladies?
Do you like France?
Do you like lemon filled doughnuts?
If you can answer yes to any or all of these questions, go and read The Golden Hour by Maiya Williams. Join Rowan and Nina on a quest to reconnect with each other and share their grief after losing their mother in a tragic accident. Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1088706809017137572004-07-01T14:12:00.000-04:002004-07-01T14:33:29.016-04:00I just read Tim O'Brien's Vietnam memoir called If I Die in a Combat Zone Box Me Up and Ship Me Home. This book starts with O'Brien's enlistment into the Army after seriously considering escaping to Canada during the draft. He then chronicles his experiences in bootcamp and the basic training he received in Vietnam before heading out to the jungle. Then, it's all war. I can't really describe Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1088256511522270922004-06-26T09:19:00.000-04:002004-06-26T09:29:06.250-04:00I have heard about Home but haven't seen it yet...I heard it is a lot like Window which I have always loved and even without words sends a strong message.
Right now I am re-reading The Golden Compass ... I am trying to catch up to Mike who is reading the series for the first time but I also never read The Amber Spyglass so this is actually really going to help me because I have forgotten a lot. AprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1088035611188158352004-06-23T20:03:00.000-04:002004-06-23T20:06:51.186-04:00I just put a book down and couldn't wait another second to tell you all about it. It's a wordless picture book called Home by Jeannie Baker. It has so many stories to tell and there is so much to look at in each illustration. It's about family, community, growing up, revitalizing neighborhoods, bringing nature into the city, and so much more. Feast your eyes on this book and enjoy the stories!Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1087942339877864682004-06-22T17:59:00.000-04:002004-06-22T19:26:54.093-04:00I just read:
The Other Side of the Story by Marian Keyes
This was not my favorite of Marian Keyes' fun escapist single women novels, but it was a fast read and kept my mind off being sick and all the busy library stuff going on with the summer reading program.
I also had the pleasure of reading A Northern Light which is a new historical fiction book by Jennifer Donnelly. This is a must read Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13299235218319974620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1087311598091846392004-06-15T10:50:00.000-04:002004-06-15T11:01:04.830-04:00Hello all, and thanks for letting me join!
I just read Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz. It is about Alex Rider, a 14-year-old who is an orphan and lives with his uncle. Then his uncle is killed, and Alex finds out that the uncle wasn't a banker, but a spy for the British government. Alex is then recruited to finish his uncle's last task. Unbelievable, yes, but a really fun read. There are Anna M. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147861067103951279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1087241662325849352004-06-14T15:26:00.000-04:002004-06-14T15:34:22.326-04:00Ooops! Almost forgot... just finished listening to Shattering Glass by Gail Giles. Scott Brick does an incredible narration...one of the best I have heard so far (Tale of Despereaux probably being my all-time favorite) The only con to the audio is that I want to go back and read the quotes from the beginnings of each chapter...they come from documents related to the narrator, Young Stewart's, AprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5769330.post-1087241123747481962004-06-14T15:15:00.000-04:002004-06-14T15:25:23.746-04:00I have not even heard of "Doing It", but based on the title I now want to read it...a lot. Wild Beth, will you tell us what you thought?
A colleague (love using that word) recommended Snow by Tracy Lynn and I really liked it ... some might point out it's no Pulitzer Prize contender but who really cares about that anyway...I want a good story! Something enchanting and that's what Snow is...well AprilMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09343243946541154765noreply@blogger.com