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February 27, 2009
NEED by Carrie Jones
After the death of her stepfather, Zara is sent to live with her grandmother in cold and snowy Maine. Her mother hopes the change of scenery will bring Zara out of her depression. Zara loves her spunky grandmother, but she hates the cold and misses her mom. But even worse than the weather and her homesickness is the mysterious man she sees everywhere she goes. Not only does he follow her everywhere and call out to her, but he leaves a strange trail of gold dust behind him. Zara is convinced he’s connected to the disappearance of some missing boys in town and is determined to find out what he wants with her. On her quest to find the truth, Zara finds out that her new town has many secrets and everyone, including those closest to her, may not be who or what they seem.
Fans of Twilight, Wicked Lovely and other paranormal romances will love Need.
I recommend this book to teens in grades 8-12.
Ms. Cea
Young Adult Librarian
Posted by fjacksonem at 4:24 PM | Comments (0)
February 18, 2009
2009 PRINTZ AWARD
THE WINNER OF THE 2009 PRINTZ AWARD IS JELLICOE ROAD by Melina Marchetta. The book is set in Australia, but the story could happen anywhere.
Taylor has been living at the Jellicoe School, since her Mother abandoned her at age eleven. Everything about her is a mystery, but the mystery begins to unravel when the territory wars begins. Cadets, who camp out on Jellicoe Road, townies, who live near Jellicoe Road, and the Jellicoe School students are all vying for property and the right of way through property.
This year the war is different. Taylor is leader of the Jellicoe students and she takes an interest in Cadet Leader, Jonah. Taylor and Jonah have met before, when each tried to runaway from their groups.
As the two get closer and their negotiations become more complicated, Taylor begins to unravel her past. Who she is and why did her Mother abandoned her?
When I started the novel, I found it confusing. Just get through the first hundred pages and you will find a tale that brings tears to your eyes.
I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN GRADES 10 TO 12.
2009 PRINTZ HONOR BOOKS
THE ASTONISHING LIFE OF OCTAVIAN NOTHING, TRAITOR TO THE NATION, VOLUME II, THE KINGDOM OF THE WAVES, by M.T. Anderson. Caught in the crossfire of the American Revolution, escaped slave Octavian joins the British army in hopes of finally securing his own freedom.
THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU-BANKS, by E. Lockhart. Can the old-boy network at her elite boarding school survive the mal-doings of Frankie Landau-Banks? (This is a favorite of the Young Adult Librarians at the East Meadow Public Library.)
NATION, by Terry Pratchett. After a devastating tsunami destroys all that they have ever known, Mau, an island boy, and Daphne, an aristocratic English girl, together with a small band of refugees, set about rebuilding their community and all the things that are important in their lives.
TENDER MORSELS, by Margo Lanagan. A young woman who has endured unspeakable cruelties is magically granted a safe haven apart from the real world and allowed to raise her two daughters in this alternate reality, until the barrier between her world and the real one begins to break down.
Terry Pratchett's NATION and E. Lockhart's FRANKIE LANDAU-BANKS ARE GREAT TALES FOR GRADES 7 AND UP. Avi's OCTAVAIN NOTHING and Margo Lanagan's TENDER MORSELS ARE RECOMMENDED FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
Mrs. Jackson
Head of Young Adult Services
Posted by fjacksonem at 3:23 PM | Comments (0)
February 9, 2009
SCIENCE FAIR by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Terrorism is not a funny subject, but Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson (Peter and the Starcatchers) have created a very funny tale of terrorism gone beserk in SCIENCE FAIR: A STORY OF MYSTERY, DANGER, INTERNATIONAL SUSPENSE AND A VERY NERVOUS FROG.
Toby Harbinger is an eighth grader at Hubble Middle School, and each year there is an annual science fair with the winner receiving a cash prize. Most, well I should say all of the time, the winner came from a group of wealthy students, who had parents willing to pay for a first place project. This year Toby planned to prove to the principal; these students cheated.
At the same time in the extremely tiny county of Krpshtskan, Grdankl the Strong, President of Krpshtskan, was planning on bringing the USA to its knees. This was very interesting, since Krpshtskan was a very poor country with only one computer that ran Windows 98.
Toby and his friends, Tamara and Micah, faced the challenges of wealthy students, nonbelieving teachers and administrators, a weird science genius, and the federal governement, while they uncover who is cheating at the science fair and the terrorist plot to bring down the country.
This is a very funny story. I RECOMMEND IT FOR ALL MIDDLE SCHOOL READERS WHO LIKE SCIENCE, STAR WARS AND JUST PLAIN SILLINESS.
Mrs. Jackson
Head of Young Adult Services
Posted by fjacksonem at 2:42 PM | Comments (0)