2008 log

Deep and Dark and Dangerous

by Mary Downing Hahn

A terrifically spooky ghost story by a local

Maryland author. If you read this, you'll also

want to read The Old Willis Place.

Zen and the Art of Faking It

by Jordan Sonnenblick

Mr. Sonnenblick delivers a terrific and touching story with a generous sprinkling of Zen Buddhist philosophy thrown in.

Eggs

by Jerry Spinelli

This one made me cry. I love how Jerry Spinelli introduces wounded and struggling characters and then shows how they find their way back to themselves.

Evil Genius

by Catherine Jinks

This book reminded me a little of another evil genius story called H.I.V.E. I have to admit, I think I enjoyed H.I.V.E. a little better - it is a little more light-hearted. But, this one was good too. I really like the idea of a child prodigy with evil plans! It sounds like there is going to be a sequel - I'll be in line to read it.

Schooled

by Gordon Korman

I have always loved Gordon Korman's books - but I think this is my new favorite. Cap Anderson has grown up on a commune with almost no contact with the "real world." When he is dropped into a normal middle school - two worlds collide with sometimes hilarious, sometimes touching results. I think all middle school kids will identify with the characters and will love seeing the "bad guys" getting some of their own back!

7 Days at the Hot Corner

by Terry Trueman

Well - I usually love Terry Trueman too - but this book is not my favorite. I think there is definitely a need for more fictional works about teens dealing with homosexuality and how to relate to their gay peers. But this book seems more like a textbook on AIDS and relationships without the engaging story line I was looking for. I would still recommend it - especially for kids who find out that one of their friends is gay. I think it would be very helpful in terms of how to deal. But if you are looking for an interesting story - this one is a little lacking.

The Decoding of Lana Morris

by Laura and Tom McNeal

A terrific read! I enjoyed meeting the character of Lana and seeing her learn about herself as she discovers the truth about the people around her. The characters are often my favorite part of a book and these characters really came alive for me.

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac

by Gabrielle Zevin

I loved Elsewhere by the same author, so I was really looking forward to this book. I wasn't disappointed. Again - the characters are what really pull me into a story, and I loved finding out about Naomi as she tries to piece together her life after a head trauma leaves her with amnesia. I especially loved the relationship between Naomi and her best friend Will. The added twist of the amnesia makes this better than the average teenage relationship novel.

The True Meaning of Smekday

by Adam Rex

Wow! What a strange and fantastic book. The earth is invaded by not one, but two alien species. A 12-yr-old girl befriends one of the aliens and goes on a mission to find her mother who was previously abducted. There are battles, escapes, alien comic books - just too much to explain! Get it and read it - you won't be disappointed.

All Hallow's Eve

by Vivian Vande Velde

Those who know me realize what a huge Vivian Vande Velde fan I am! But here was one of her books I hadn't read yet. So, in preparation for her up-coming visit to our school, I had to take care of that over-sight. I loved the sometimes creepy, sometimes downright scary stories in this collection. Mrs. Vande Velde doesn't shy away from allowing her scary stories to end the way they should - with the main character meeting a terrible fate. I have so many students who want to read truly scary stories - not ones where everyone gets rescued at the last minute. This is one I can add to my list to recommend to those who want a truly good fright.

The Teen Girl's Gotta-Have-It Guide to Boys

by Jessica Blatt

This is a fun, well-written book for teenage girls with fantastic advice for how to deal with the opposite sex. It covers all sorts of issues - how to get a boy to notice you, how to balance friends and boyfriends, how to deal with rejection and break-ups. It even gives great suggestions for how to choose a gift for a boy and what to do for an interesting date. If I had a daughter - I would definitely give her this book to read. It was fun to read and gave excellent suggestions that any girl could follow.

Marie Curie: Giants of Science

by Kathleen Krull

I do not normally like to read biographies - but I love the Giants of Science series! I've read every book as soon as they have come out. Ms Krull writes biographies so interesting that you just can't put them down. It doesn't even matter who the subject is - she finds the fascinating facts and tells them in such an engaging manner that I'm always hooked from page one. I recommend all four Giants of Science books heartily!

by Michael Crichton

I love Michael Crichton's mix of real science and suspenseful mystery! This is another of his books that frightens me while it entertains. He presents some of the current and cutting edge issues in genetics and spins them out to some (hopefully) impossible conclusions. This book is written for adults and is not available in the Monocacy Middle Media Center.

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

by Mary Hershey

Hershey's new book is a semi-serious, semi-funny realistic fiction book about a teenage boy named Alastair who has a secret in his past. He jumped from a ski lift as a child and ended up having his leg amputated. He has been very angry at his father since his parents' divorce, and that becomes a problem when he finds out he will be spending the summer with his dad while his mom is in rehab. The humor begins when Alastair, trying to get a reaction from his father and new stepmom, tells everyone to call him Stump! I enjoyed the character of Stump and the mystery of the secret in his past. A good read!

Me Talk Pretty One Day

by David Sedaris

This hilarious book was recommended to me by several friends. It contains autobiographical essays about Sedaris' life and family. I thoroughly enjoyed his reflections on all sorts of life experiences. I especially enjoyed his description of his efforts to learn French. Since this book was written for adults, we do not have a copy in the media center.

Life As We Knew It

by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Wow! I couldn't put it down! The moon is knocked out of place by an asteroid and moves closer to Earth. The increased gravitational pull causes all sorts of catastrophic circumstances - tsunamis, floods, earthquakes, extreme cold temperature. And Miranda and her family stuggle to survive. I actually went out the weekend after reading this and bought more canned goods to add to my disaster supply! It is a chilling read - and entertaining all the way.

Teach With Your Heart

by Erin Gruwell

The teacher whose life was the subject of the movie Freedom Writers tells about her first several years teaching in an inner city California high school. I found it interesting, even inspiring in parts. But occasionally I got the impression that Ms Gruwell is very impressed with her own accomplishments. (Of course, she should be!) I just find it interesting that many of the outstanding teachers who are held up for us to model seem to get out of the actual teaching profession after only a couple of years.

The Intruders

by E. E. Richardson

A terrifically spooky ghost story - even if it was a little predictable. I loved the suspense and the creepy atmosphere, but I think the resolution to the ghost story was obvious very early on. I kept waiting for an additional twist to liven things up - but it didn't really come. However, I will still recommend this to kids who love a spooky story, because it was very scary - especially as the characters come closer to figuring out who the ghosts are and why they are there. (The cover leaves a lot to be desired too!)

Shooter

by Walter Dean Myers

This was a re-read for me. I still find it a fascinating and chilling glimpse into what might cause a person to resort to violence as a way to solve his problems. This book would provide wonderful food for thought to any group trying to develop an "anti-bullying" program or to understand the underlying reasons for school violence.

Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians

by Brandon Sanderson

I found this adventure in which librarians are the the bad guys who control the flow of information to be hilarious! This is one of those books where the author interrupts the action periodically to speak directly to the reader. Sometimes that makes a book better and sometimes it is just strange. In this case - it just adds an extra element of humor to an already fantastically funny book. I would recommend it to fans of H.I.V.E., Artemis Fowl, and A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Daughters of the Moon: Goddess of the Night

by Lynne Ewing

Another book for those who love the Twilight series. I am late getting to this book - it has been out for quite awhile. But, if you haven't read it yet, and you like your romance with a little spookiness - this is a good choice. Not quite up to the par of Stephanie Meyer's books - but good for filling in the time until her next one comes along!

Epic

by Connor Kostick

This is one of next year's Black Eyed Susan nominees. I think it will be a huge hit with our video game fans. It explores a society in which the economy and judicial systems are conducted within an on-line game. It is a cool mix of adventure, science fiction, and gaming.

The Wicked History of the World

With the Nasty Bits Left In

by Terry Deary and Martin Brown

This book is not for the faint hearted! It covers some of the most gruesome details of world history: torture, human sacrifice, disease, war, etc.... It is covered in a "humorous" way - which is a little strange considering the topics - but it does help temper the awfulness of the historical information. I found several things that contradict other information I've gotten from more scholarly sources, so I'm not sure if it is all completely accurate.

Getting Away With Murder:

The True Story of the Emmett Till Case

by Chris Crowe

A fascinating look at an event in American history that you don't hear about in history class. Crowe paints a vivid picture of life in the deep South at the dawn of the Civil Rights Movement and also brings to life Emmett Till - a victim of the racism and violence of that time.

Spinners

by Donna Jo Napoli

A really beautiful re-telling of the Rumplestiltskin story. Not funny like Vivan Vande Velde's versions, but it does explain the "whys" that are hard to understand in the original.

The Dead and the Gone

by Sue Beth Pfeffer

A companion book to Life As We Knew It - this book tells the story of how Alex and his siblings and friends deal with the aftermath of the moon being knocked out of orbit by an asteroid. It is really cool to read about the same events from a different point of view. Alex's experiences are very different from Miranda's because he lives in New York City rather than in a rural area, and because he and his sisters have to get along without either of their parents. A truly engrossing story that makes you feel you are right there with the characters struggling to survive. Scary!

Fear This Book: Your Guide to Fright, Horror, and Things that Go Bump in the Night

by Jeff Szpirglas

I think the title kind of tells it all. This is another really fun "browser's book" from the author of Gross Universe and They Did What?! I love Mr. Szpirglas' approach to topics - he puts a little bit of everything in each book - just enough to catch your interest and keep you reading. I picked up all kinds of nifty tidbits that I can share with people that will make them wonder, "How did she know that??"

Jinx

by Meg Cabot

I listened to this book on cd - which I think made it lose a little of it's appeal. It took me a long time to finish and that always makes it hard to truly enjoy the narrative. However, I did like the character of Jinx - even though she seemed (like a lot of Meg Cabot's characters) a bit too good to be true! Jean aka Jinx Honeychurch has come to NYC to live with her aunt, uncle and cousins after an unfortunate situation develops back in her hometown in Iowa. She finds out right away that things aren't going to be "peachy" with her cousin Tory who has changed drastically since the last time Jinx saw her. Teenagers play at being witches, love triangles develop, friendships get formed and broken, and lots of NYC sightseeing goes on before everything gets worked out for the best!