Pick of the Week

The Diamond of Darkhold by Jeanne DuPrau is the fourth and final book of the series. It is the one that is most similar to The City of Ember, in a way. The second book, The People of Sparks is about life in a new place and the action happens between the people of Ember and the people of Sparks. The City of Ember has a lot of physical action as does this last book in the series. Lina and Doon are once again on a mission to help the people in their community out. Food is scarce, the weather is a major obstacle in the winter time and the community is feeling helpless. The two teenagers embark on another nail biting adventure and you will have to read the book to find out if they help the situation or make it worse. DuPrau does a good job of linking the Prequel, The Profit of Yonwood, to the story overall but you won't know this until the very end. If you haven't picked up The City of Ember yet, I strongly recommend it, and the ending will not disappoint.

Book Club November 23rd!

Hi everyone! My second pick of the week was Catching Fire, I have a write up about it on the blog and the bulletin board in the library. I am currently reading The Diamond of Darkhold, which is the last in the City of Ember series, it is a little slower than the the first one but it is getting better and I think I will like the series as a whole, a lot. Please post here what you are reading and tell me a little bit about it. Have a great break for Thanksgiving!

Book Club is changing days (maybe)

Book club needs a few more members, let's vote on a day that might work best for more people to come for about 15 minutes at luc and talk about books. Just leave a comment here on this post telling what you think would be the best day. Also, ask your friends that you know love to read if they might want to join us.

Lunch Bunch for Friday 11/13

Hi everyone, sorry I am out today but I thought this would be a good opportunity for you all to leave me a comment here on the book review blog. Just click on post a comment and leave me this information: what book you are reading, what is it about, how do you like it so far. Be prepared to tell me more about it next Friday at lunch. Have a great weekend!

New Pick of the Week!

This book is the sequel to The Hunger Games, which was my first pick of the week. I don't want to give too much of Catching Fire away because it will ruin some of the suspense in the first book. The Capitol and President Snow are still very much in charge in the second book which creates a great deal of problems for the people of the districts. This year's games mark the 75th anniversary which means that the game will be a Quarter Quell. The Gamemakers from the Capitol change the game up to throw a major wrench into the traditional reaping, where the contestants are chosen. Catching Fire lets the reader in on a little more about how the different districts work and what life is like for the people of Panem. This book totally sets the reader up for another adventure and leaves you with the feeling that you haven't read the best of what this story has to offer yet.

2nd Lunch Bunch Book

The book Bird, by angela Johnson, is the second book that I read for our Lunch Bunch Book club. Our group decided to read different books and then come back to share out about them and hopefully give others an idea of what might be a good read. I really enjoyed this book, it was written in a similar style to Behind You, by Jacqueline Woodson. Each of the characters in the book has thier own voice, they tell the story through chapters of their unique perspectives, with the reader having to put together how these people are in each other's lives. The connections between them are sometimes subtle, but Ms. Johnson does a nice job letting the story fall into place for the reader.

The main character, Bird, is a young teenager struggling with abandonment issues. She has lost her real father and is now going through the loss of the only other father she's known, her mother's boyfriend, Cecil. It turns out that Cecil has a life that Bird never knew about in another state and she leaves her mother and travels alone to try to bring him back. In the meantime, she meets two boys whose lives have been changed forever by fatal illness, death, and one powerful gift. This book takes the reader on an emotional journey through the process of loss, grief, friendship, random kindness and re-connecting with the world. Angela Johnson is a Michael L. Printz and Coretta Scott King Award winning author and her book, Bird, is a worthwhile read.

Austin Teen Book Fest 2009!

On Saturday, October 24, 2009 Ms. Thibodeaux and Ms. Hill brought 19 of our students to the Austin Teen Book Festival to meet 16 authors of Young Adult books. The event, held at Westlake High School, included panel discussions with the authors, 5 local teen bands and books, books, books!

The day began with a brilliantly funny and touching speech by the Keynote, Libba Bray. Ms. Bray is the author of a popular series in the fantasy genre, as well as her latest work, Going Bovine. She then participated in the fantasy panel discussion with Rick Yancey (Alfred Kropp series), Lisa McMann (Wake, Fade) and Justine Larbalestier (Liar).

The Young Adult Real Voices panel included Matt De La Pena (Ball Don’t Lie, Mexican White Boy), Terra Elan McVoy (Pure), and Deb Caletti (Honey, Baby, Sweetheart). This panel discussed writing about real life events, when they began writing and also shared personal stories about family and the first time they were published.

The Zombies vs. Vampires panel included Heather Brewer (Vladimir Todd series), Cynthia Leitich-Smith (Eternal), Daniel Waters and Carrie Jones. This panel conducted an exciting discussion on whether zombie or vampire books are better.

The Local author panel consisted of Varian Johnson (My Life as a Rhombus), Shana Burg (A Thousand Never Evers), April Lurie (Brothers, Boyfriends & other Criminal Minds), and Jennifer Ziegler (How Not to be Popular). This group discussed what it is like to be a writer in the Austin community. The Book Festival was awesome and we can’t wait for ATBF 2010!

I want to say thank you to Ms. Woollven and Ms. Adonyi for coming to the book festival with us and I also want to thank the ELA department at EMHS and the administration for supporting the trip!

Favorites from Summer 2009

I guess I should have posted this entry first, but I guess it's never too late to share great books!

Julian Carax is an author from Barcelona who wrote a book named The Shadow of the Wind and then mysteriously disappears, along with copies of the book. In 1945 a boy named Daniel comes acroos the book and falls in lovee with the story. He becomes determined to find out about the elusive author and why there aren't any other copies of this book anywhere. Through many years of his life, Daniel continues to follow the only clues he has about Carax and about the mysterious people and events that have plagued his life. Does Daniel finally find Julian Carax? Is his life in danger with every step closer he becomes? Read this book by Carlos Ruiz Zafon to find out!

 This book is brilliantly written as a series of letters between the main character Juliet Ashton and several of the people who live on Guernsey in the Channel Islands. It is the story of how these people survived the German occupation of their home during World War II. Through letter correspondence, Juliet, a writer who is researching Guernsey to write about it, becomes close friends with some of the most vivid, unforgettable characters who live there and are members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Juliet eventually visits Guernsey to meet all of her newfound friends. What will finally meeting each other face to face be like for all of them? How will it change their lives forever? Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows take the reader on a journey to the Channel Islands they won't soon forget!

First Post of the New School Year!

I read this book with my Lunch Time book Club at the high school where I am a librarian. It was their pick out of 5 options I gave them and I have to say it wasn't what I expected. It is written from the perspective of several characters all dealing with the loss of a teenager named Miah, who was shot to death by two policemen in a case of mistaken identity. His perspective is also captured in the book as he is watching the people that he loved deal with the loss. It was a very emotional portrayal of dealing with death and the unexpected loss of someone so young. The circumstances surrounding Miah's untimely death are woven in throughout the story but are not the main focus, the pain and process these people are going through remains at the forefront.

The Hunger Games is a fascinating tale of Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark from District 12 who are representing their hometown in the annual, Capitol City run Hunger Games. This is a government controlled “game” where 12 people from the age of 12-18 are randomly chosen in a lottery to hunt and kill each other until only one is left standing.

This year’s game has an unexpected twist; Katniss and Peeta both have a chance to survive. Can they win the Hunger Games against 22 other contestants? Will they both be allowed to live if they can pull it off? What will they all have to do in the process of the games? Will they be able to live with their actions when the games are over? Check it out!

more recommendations from my semester

These are the other books that I read this semester and completed other projects for. I though I would include them because my final project blog only required 10 of the books but I read 27 altogether this semester. I didn't include the ones that I didn't enjoy all that much.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a classic written by Betty Smith. While it is a young adult novel, I think that some of the Great Depression Era references might be lost on today's young adults, unless they are familiar with the history. It is a story of struggle, family and survival. I'm really glad it was on my list to read for class because I already had been planning to read it and this assignment allowed me to do that. A great read for any adult or really mature YA with some background knowledge.
Speak is a book that is a surprise right until the end. I was really shocked by this book, there is some very mature subject matter in it. I don't want to spoil it for any one so I'll leave it at that but it would be good for 8th graders on up I think. It was written by Laurie Anderson, very good book.
This book, Aleutian Sparrow by Karen Hesse is not one that I read for class but just for pleasure. It is a very short book written in verse that tells the story of the Aleutian people being kicked out of there homes during the war. It is a very sad and touching story that is based in truth about the Japanese attacks in 1941 and 1942. A beautiful tribute to the Aleut people of Alaska.

This book is hilarious! I loved Sherman Alexie's story and think that any kid would also love and relate to it as well. Junior is a Native American boy growing up on a reservation and there are many sad things that happen to him but he doesn't give up hope that he can make a great life for himself. This is a good book for any student who like to laugh and loves a great character.

Caroline B. Cooney's Code Orange is a very exciting thriller. Mitty is a high schooler who is not that interested in school until he has to write a paper on small pox. Where the research takes him will keep you guessing and the twist toward the end will surprise you. A very intriguing read.

This graphic novel, The Plain Janes by Castellucci, is a good story with great black and white illustrations. Jane moves from the city to the suburbs and is trying to find something that will excite her again. She and her friends are all named Jane and they find a way to bring art and excitement to the town.

Gordon Korman has written a very funny book about a kid who was born into a mob family and wants absolutely nothing to do with it. Vince Luca has enough trouble on his own but he accidentally gets himself into a huge mess with some of his dad's business and the laughs go on and on.

Richard Peck gives us a tale about a girl named Peewee who is living with her brother and grandparents. The story is set during the advent of the car and she works with her brother fixing them up when she isn't at school. Peewee ends up racing in the town's biggest race of the year and her life is never going to be the same afterward.

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones is a fantasy novel about a girl named Sophie who has two sisters and a step-mother. She has a spell put on her that makes her old and she ends up living in the moving castle with Howl, his assistant and the talking fire. This book was interesting, I actually listened to it on audio CD and was able to have all the characters acted out. I think I enjoyed it more with the audio than I would have just reading it on my own.

The book The Hoopster by Alan Lawrence Sitomer is a racially charged story of a young high school student named Andre. Andre is very smart, he makes good grades, works for a magazine and wants to go to college to become a writer. When he is assigned to write and article, he is forced to look at his life and how he has been affected by racism for the first time. This reflection takes Andre and his friends and family on a journey through some tough times and there is a good lesson in the story.

Margaret Peterson Haddix's Shadow Children Series begins with Among the Hidden. It is the story of a boy named Luke who is the third child in his family. The problem is that third children are outlawed and the Population Police are on the look out for children who are illegal. Luke has lived a very sheltered existence without going to school and not having any friends. He finally meets a friend, a girl named Jen who is his new neighbor who is also a hidden third child and they meet in secret when they can. Jen is trying to start a movement with other third children which overturns the law but is met with strong opposition and it costs her dearly. This is a very intriguing series and I am on book three, Among the Enemy now.

Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger is the story of two friends. John and Marisol are both in high school and trying to figure themselves out. They both write small self published work called zines that they distribute to anyone who will read them, this is how they become friends. The problem comes when John falls for Marisol but she can't return the feelings because she is a lesbian and they go through a tough time figuring out what their relationship should be. This is a great story about friendship that is universal.

The City of Ember is a genius piece of work by Jeanne Du Prau. I love this book, it is about a group of people that have been sent to live below the Earth and have been there so long that they think it is the only place that exists. Two kids figure out that it isn't and embark on a journey to find a way out. This is the first book in a series of four.

Down the Rabbit Hole is the first in a series by Peter Abrahams. These stories are mysteries and the main character and detective is Ingrid. She is a middle school student and a soccer player, she also happens to adore Sherlock Homes and has studied all of his books. Ingrid is solving the mysteries of Echo Falls one clue at time and gaining fans along the way.

Behind the Curtain is the second tale of Ingrid and the mysterious Echo Falls. This is a great series and the third book is called Into the Dark and is on my "To Read" list.