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December 27, 2008
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK(S) FOR 2008?
This is the time of year, when everyone looks back on the favorite and worst things of the year. In this entry the Staff of Young Adult Services would love to know what were your favorite reads of 2008. Here are some of ours:
Mrs. Jackson
THE DEAD AND THE GONE by Susan Beth Pfeffer
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS by J.K. Rowling
HURRICANE SONG by Paul Volponi
UNBELIEVABLE: A PRETTY LITTLE LIARS NOVEL by Sara Shepard
Ms. Cea
SUCKS TO BE ME : THE ALL-TRUE CONFESSIONS OF MINA HAMILTON, TEEN VAMPIRE (MAYBE) by Kimberly Pauley
MY LIFE, The MUSICAL by Maryrose Wood
THE CHRONICLES OF VLADIMIR TOD : EIGHTH GRADE BITES by Heather Brewer
Mrs. Hirsch
THE BURN JOURNALS by Brent Runyon
THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME by Mark Haddon
A LONG WAY GONE by Ishmael Beah
Mrs. Sayan
RAT LIFE by Tedd Arnold
THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE-LANDAU-BANKS by E. Lockhart
Ms. Walsh
WHAT WAS LOST by Catherine O'Flynn
JUST POST YOUR FAVORITES UNDER COMMENTS.
THANK YOU AND HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR.
STAFF OF YOUNG ADULT SERVICES
Posted by fjacksonem at 4:58 PM | Comments (3)
December 25, 2008
THE MOZART QUESTION by Michael Morpurgo
With the opening of the movie, THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS, and the fact the Festival of Chanukah is celebrated during this season, it seems appropriate to write about this very thin book (69 pages with lots of illustrations), THE MOZART QUESTION by Michael Morpurgo.
Getting ready to interview the famous violinist, Paolo Levi, Lesley is reminded not to ask "The Mozart Question," but she has no idea what it is. She does know Levi only plays live concerts never records his music; he never waits for applause because he believes it is not his playing but the music that should be revered; and he protects his privacy by avoiding interviews of any kind.
With a cup of mint tea and a view of a Venetian canal Lesley struggles with her fears to find the first question. It is "...if you'd mind telling me how you got started. I mean, what made you pick up a violin and play that first time?" (page 14) Mr. Levi agrees to answer her question, but requests that no other questions can be asked. The answer includes a generation before his birth, a hideous war, great friendships and loves, and a pain so deep it might never heal.
The war was World War II, the friendship and love his parents, and the pain was an orchestra in a concentration camp.
This is a special read, especially for music lovers. It reminds us of the importance of music in our everyday lives and how deeply music affects us.
I RECOMMEND THE MOZART QUESTION TO MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS AND ANYONE INTERESTED IN HOLOCAUST STORIES.
Mrs Jackson
Head of Young Adult Services
Posted by fjacksonem at 2:52 PM | Comments (0)
December 21, 2008
2009 TEEN THREE APPLES BOOK AWARD NOMINEES
The New York Library Association is proud to announce the 15 finalists for the second annual Teen 3 Apples Book Award, a New York State Teen's Choice Award. This award is jointly sponsored by the Youth Services Section and the School Library Media Section of the New York Library Association.
Teens across New York State have nominated the following titles:
BREAKING DAWN by Stephenie Meyer
Although eighteen-year-old Bella joins the dark but seductive world of the immortals by marrying Edward the vampire, her connection to the powerful werewolf Jacob remains strong.
BRISINGR by Christopher Paolini
Following a colossal battle, Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have narrowly escaped with their lives while Eragon finds himself bound by a tangle of promises he may not be able to keep.
THE CLIQUE by Lisi Harrison
Can Claire the new girl at an exclusive private school fit in? The Clique…the only thing harder than getting in is staying in.
ECLIPSE by Stephenie Meyer
When Seattle is ravaged by a mysterious string of killings, Edward, Bella and Jacob need to decide whether their personal lives are more important than the well-being of an entire city.
ERAGON by Christopher Paolini
In Aagaesia, a fifteen-year-old boy of unknown lineage called Eragon finds a mysterious stone that weaves his life into an intricate tapestry of destiny, magic, and power, peopled with dragons, elves, and monsters.
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS by J.K. Rowling
Year 7 – Burdened with the seemingly impossible task of locating and destroying Voldermort's remaining Horcruxes, Harry struggles to find the inner strength he needs to follow the path set out before him.
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE by J.K. Rowling
Year 6 – Harry learns more about Voldemort’s past and is convinced that Draco Malfoy, his Hogwarts enemy, has become a Death Eater.
HATCHET by Gary Paulsen
When the pilot of a two-person plane has a heart attack and dies, Brian has to crash-land
in the Canadian wilderness, and learn how to survive on his own with only a hatchet.
HOLES by Louis Sachar
Living under a family curse brought about by his “No-Good-Dirty-Rotten-Pig-Stealing-Great-Great-Grandfather,” Stanley Yelnats is wrongly convicted of a crime and sent to Camp Green Lake where his punishment is to dig holes. What will he dig up?
THE OUTSIDERS by S. E. Hinton
The struggle of three brothers to stay together after their parent's death and their quest for identity among the conflicting values of their world.
PETEY by Ben Mikaelsen
In 1922 Petey, who has cerebral palsy, is misdiagnosed as an idiot and institutionalized; sixty years later, still in the institution, he befriends a boy and shares with him the joy of life.
SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson
A traumatic event near the end of the summer has a devastating effect on Melinda's freshman year in high school.
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee
Scout Finch, daughter of the town lawyer Atticus, has just started school; but her carefree days come to an end when a black man in town is accused of raping a white woman, and her father is the only man willing to defend him.
TWILIGHT by Stephenie Meyer
Bella falls in love with Edward after she moves from Phoenix to Forks, Washington. He is exquisitely handsome…and a vampire.
WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS by Wilson Rawls
The story of a young boy's love for two hunting dogs and his coming of age in Oklahoma in the 1930's.
ALL OF THESE BOOKS ARE GREAT READS FOR THE HOLIDAY RECESS. VOTING WILL BEGIN ON APRIL 1, 2009 AND WILL END ON APRIL 20, 2009.
Posted by fjacksonem at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)
December 16, 2008
THE ADORATION OF JENNA FOX by Mary E. Pearson
Have you ever thought you could live forever? Has science created a way for ever-lasting life by creating synthetic body parts and even brains? Mary E. Pearson explores the concept of bioengineering in the book, THE ADORATION OF JENNA FOX.
Jenna Fox awakes from an 18 month coma after a car accident. Her father, the owner of a medical technology company, is heart-broken and uses his resources to save her, so Jenna has neither her old body nor a complete memory. To add to the confusion her parents have moved her from Boston to California, and requested she not tell anyone the reasons for their move. What are her parents hiding from her and why is her grandmother so distant?
With the assistance of home videos about her previous life Jenna tries to piece together her past. Along the way a reclusive neighbor, new classmates at school, and a school project help her understand her present.
If you are looking for science fiction story of the 21st century kind, try THE ADORATION OF JENNA FOX. I RECOMMEND THIS TITLE FOR GRADES 8 AND UP.
Mrs. Jackson
Head of Young Adult Services
East Meadow Public Library
Posted by fjacksonem at 4:45 PM | Comments (0)