tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53352013746851000562024-02-18T21:20:54.829-05:00YA Not-Just-Books Book ClubAn online club for teens to talk about books, movies, TV shows, music, magazines and video gamesStacy Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763794065372796915noreply@blogger.comBlogger162125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335201374685100056.post-53992401183354791972012-09-20T17:46:00.001-04:002012-09-20T17:46:44.489-04:00Review of Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler, Art by Maira Kalman<p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-WLB0JmzJW6s/UFuOuOUatiI/AAAAAAAAA5k/KF7UwGzrVpo/s1600-h/broke%252520up%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="broke up" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="226" alt="broke up" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hEpKaAeDbVFJ8_ekyv-npvi0sO5KZphudS8aKbrMyKNsqMSP_y25C1NMTgfYP6FpLA6Ok2Nt8CIOSgCKhegxT7Mv8-jwhseptpt_-EiBh0-ELG6VRdWRAO76N_hl60iTz_c8kCw7A78/?imgmax=800" width="226" align="left" border="0"></a> Hindsight is 20/20: <p>Most relationships collect things along the way –little trinkets that hold a memory of a whole night or maybe just a moment. The breakup story of Min and Ed is told through the significance of 25 items that, looking back, are keys to why they broke up. From bottle caps to ticket stubs the relationship swells and breaks within the confines of these objects. We go with Min as she looks back upon their story both with clouded eyes of love and the clear-headed eyes of a sober (out of love) person. The novel is one long letter explaining the reasons for the beginning and end of their relationship. Their story is familiar, the old stomping ground of 80's movies: two people from different sides of the social stratosphere meet and, against all odds, fall in love. John Hughes was a sucker at heart and most of his heroines got their happy ending. But unlike Hughes, Handler gives that classic routine a reality check in the dramatic, sometimes funny, and always realistic story of Min and Ed. Min is an artsy old-movie fanatic, Ed is co-captain of the basketball team with celebrity status and a string of ex-girlfriends. But when they meet at a party they connect. The plot seems routine; it is the details and the characters that make this title stand out. I love Maira Kalman's work in general, but her paintings of the items framing Handler's prose are the epitome of the beauty of form and content. Her paintings pack the emotional punch to Min's words and give the book its cinematic feel. The cover art alone (a teacup paused in the moment before it falls to broken pieces, paralleling Min and Ed's own break into pieces) is a great example of a how a well-designed book can help bring the story to life. <p>Handler can be likened to John Green for sure as both make their teens quite witty, and both take on the trials of those years with gusto. Here is a little taste of Min: <i>"I love like a fool, like a Z-grade off-brand romantic comedy, a loon in too much makeup saying things in an awkward script to a handsome man with his own canceled comedy show. I'm not a romantic, I'm a half-wit…I'm like every single miserable moron I've scorned and pretended I didn't recognize. ..The only particle I had, the only tiny thing raising me up, is that I was Ed Slaterton's girlfriend, loved by you for like ten secs, and who cares…How utterly incorrect to think it any other way, a box of crap is treasures, a boy smiling means it, a gentle moment is a life improved."</i> <p>I highly recommend checking this out. And if you need to, Daniel Handler has created the "Why We Broke Up Project," a website devoted to telling your own breakup story. Express feelings, explain reasons, or relate anything else that bothered or bothers. Everyone has a story, and Handler has created an outlet for any and all emotional outbursts. Some end happy, most don't, but a lot are quite humorous. <p>Check it out <a href="http://whywebrokeupproject.tumblr.com/">http://whywebrokeupproject.tumblr.com/</a> Review by Lizzy Healy Stacy Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763794065372796915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335201374685100056.post-62790256517769855982012-06-06T11:26:00.001-04:002012-06-06T11:26:24.168-04:00This month’s book: Matched by Ally Condie<p>Copies of Matched are available for check-out! Come in to the young adult dept. and check it out! Review to follow.</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-vZb76AiLU4Q/T892liGsQqI/AAAAAAAAA5Q/yaQq3KWjNCo/s1600-h/matched%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="matched" border="0" alt="matched" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-gCjhIhxse7Y/T892m5DumfI/AAAAAAAAA5U/bjXVlKDB-hc/matched_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="160" height="244"></a></p> Stacy Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763794065372796915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335201374685100056.post-13635231711979972382012-03-27T12:52:00.001-04:002012-03-27T12:53:08.586-04:00If You Liked Fetch….<p><strong><font size="4">Are you inspired to learn more about dog training (to use on dogs or human beings of your choice)? Check out these great books:</font></strong></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:66721397-FF69-4ca6-AEC4-17E6B3208830:59c7fc8a-0a7b-472b-90f1-72050f856695" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;width:410px;border-collapse:collapse;'><tbody><tr><td style='margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:none;border-style:none;width:auto'><a style="outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;" target="_blank" href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=d75a789798edf6bb&page=play&resid=D75A789798EDF6BB!669&type=5&authkey=!AC_ZU3k0vTGTmRc&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos"><img style="outline:none;border-style:none;padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;background:none;background-image:none;vertical-align:bottom;" alt="View album" title="View album" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-rp3czzNhWhg/T3HwQZAb14I/AAAAAAAAA5I/FwCOaUJ9xyM/dog%252520training%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" /></a><div style='width:410px;text-align:center;overflow:visible;padding:0px;margin:0px;'> <div style='width:410px;overflow:visible;'><a style="text-decoration:none;" href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=d75a789798edf6bb&page=browse&resid=D75A789798EDF6BB!669&type=5&authkey=!AC_ZU3k0vTGTmRc&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" target="_blank"><span style="line-height:1.26em;padding:0px;width:410px;font-size:26pt;font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;" defaultText="Enter album name here"></span></a></div> <div style="text-align:center;padding:9px 0px 0px 0px;margin:0px 0px 0px 0px;font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;"> <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style="text-align:center;width:auto;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;padding:0px;outline:none;border-style:none;border-collapse:collapse;"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top;outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:6px 12px 6px 0px;"><a href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=d75a789798edf6bb&page=play&resid=D75A789798EDF6BB!669&type=5&authkey=!AC_ZU3k0vTGTmRc&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" border="0" target="_blank" style="font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;outline:none;border-style:none;text-decoration: none;padding:0px;margin:0px;">VIEW SLIDE SHOW</a></td> <td style="vertical-align:top;outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:6px 0px 6px 0px;"><a href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=d75a789798edf6bb&page=downloadphotos&resid=D75A789798EDF6BB!669&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos&authkey=!AC_ZU3k0vTGTmRc" border="0" target="_blank" style="font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;outline:none;border-style:none;text-decoration: none;padding:0px;margin:0px;">DOWNLOAD ALL</a></td> </tr> </table> </div> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p><strong>The Modern Dog: A Joyful Exploration of How We Live with Dogs Today by Stanley Coren</strong> <p><strong>The Original Dogs for Kids!: Everything You Need To Know about Dogs by Kristin Mehus-Roe</strong> <p><strong>4-H Guide to Dog Training and Dog Tricks by Tammie Rogers</strong> <p><strong>Dog-friendly Dog Training by Andrea Arden, illustrations by Tracy Dockray</strong> <p><strong>Dog Training in 10 Minutes written and illustrated by Carol Lea Benjamin, with photographs by Stephen J. Lennard and the author.</strong> <p><strong>Cesar's Rule : Your Way To Train a Well-Behaved Dog by Cesar Millan with Melissa Jo Peltier.</strong> <p><strong></strong> <p><strong><font size="4">Or you could try a more traditional approach to problem-solving:</font></strong></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:66721397-FF69-4ca6-AEC4-17E6B3208830:6a9a7e3f-aa73-4218-8f46-93ca89afe990" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;width:420px;border-collapse:collapse;'><tbody><tr><td style='margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:none;border-style:none;width:auto'><a style="outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;" target="_blank" href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=d75a789798edf6bb&page=play&resid=D75A789798EDF6BB!676&type=5&authkey=!AJz8AfykCmkJoq4&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos"><img style="outline:none;border-style:none;padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;background:none;background-image:none;vertical-align:bottom;" alt="View album" title="View album" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-gBtrxn7kF_w/T3HwQ2ivZjI/AAAAAAAAA5M/Tk2UAaf8bNA/problems%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" /></a><div style='width:420px;text-align:center;overflow:visible;padding:0px;margin:0px;'> <div style='width:420px;overflow:visible;'><a style="text-decoration:none;" href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=d75a789798edf6bb&page=browse&resid=D75A789798EDF6BB!676&type=5&authkey=!AJz8AfykCmkJoq4&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" target="_blank"><span style="line-height:1.26em;padding:0px;width:420px;font-size:26pt;font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;" defaultText="Enter album name here"></span></a></div> <div style="text-align:center;padding:9px 0px 0px 0px;margin:0px 0px 0px 0px;font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;"> <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style="text-align:center;width:auto;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;padding:0px;outline:none;border-style:none;border-collapse:collapse;"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top;outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:6px 12px 6px 0px;"><a href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=d75a789798edf6bb&page=play&resid=D75A789798EDF6BB!676&type=5&authkey=!AJz8AfykCmkJoq4&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" border="0" target="_blank" style="font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;outline:none;border-style:none;text-decoration: none;padding:0px;margin:0px;">VIEW SLIDE SHOW</a></td> <td style="vertical-align:top;outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:6px 0px 6px 0px;"><a href="https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=d75a789798edf6bb&page=downloadphotos&resid=D75A789798EDF6BB!676&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos&authkey=!AJz8AfykCmkJoq4" border="0" target="_blank" style="font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;outline:none;border-style:none;text-decoration: none;padding:0px;margin:0px;">DOWNLOAD ALL</a></td> </tr> </table> </div> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p><strong>Uncool: A Girl's Guide To Misfitting In by Erin Elisabeth Conley.</strong> <p><strong>Yikes!: A Smart Girl's Guide To Surviving Tricky, Sticky, Icky Situations from the editors of American girl, illustrated by Bonnie Timmons</strong> <p><strong>Stand Up for Yourself & Your Friends: Dealing with Bullies and Bossiness, and Finding a Better Way by Patti Kelley Criswell, illustrated by Angela Martini.</strong> <p><strong>Odd Girl Speaks Out: Girls Write about Bullies, Cliques, Popularity, and Jealousy, Rachel Simmons, editor</strong> <p><strong></strong> <p><strong></strong> <p><strong><font size="3">Here’s another book about dogs and bullying</font></strong> <p><strong><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-i4N_rCE_J0s/T3HwRUKdOeI/AAAAAAAAA44/F0gfRFPSl5s/s1600-h/dogsense%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="dogsense" border="0" alt="dogsense" align="left" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQUbq-sU1vLEYli6GxE3dMxZ2v40ifCSHwRTnS_qe3znvpxfu4t3zb-AUVM70cFJi26p-SZt3w2PL9YKLsZMnfPQ9Z17VXAJSWwJalI1oTnxszI27Wio1MVq6jJ8Xmao-elGJ17gAFv4Y/?imgmax=800" width="132" height="197"></a></strong> <p><strong>Dog sense : a novel </strong> <p><strong>by Sneed B. Collard III</strong> Stacy Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763794065372796915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335201374685100056.post-5365941531640080932012-03-10T15:26:00.001-05:002012-03-10T15:29:40.052-05:00Kiera Stewart<p><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgJ3XYx4qiHVMdeiLeBh6s55iw-trqZ8Y62f08Tg8cvjr02Wp3WUndPY9rbdL9ozcYSj-sLLWyiVOUU0RCSQIZMc66l7ocrf2qp-6GdidBmn1zeliTHMCyG3kvMorLOBwZT4JmuRfOfCE/s1600-h/kiera%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="kiera" border="0" alt="kiera" align="left" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-NJpa6LlVzQ4/T1u5BtfSgjI/AAAAAAAAA4A/ALnU_XRk0TY/kiera_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="164" height="244"></a></strong></p> <p>Kiera Stewart is a writer for teens and tweens. Her qualifications include never having gotten wisdom teeth. She's been writing since she was five, but with titles such as "Mixed Feelings," "Old Monster, the Bees, and Karen," and the self-congratulatory, "The Amazing Story!" it's no wonder FETCHING is her first published novel. She's currently at work on her second tween novel and lives in Arlington, Virginia, with her family and her dog, Casper, who, despite shots and proper training, tends to look slightly rabid in photos. <p><strong></strong> <p><strong><font size="4"></font></strong> <p><strong><font size="4">Excerpt from an interview with Kiera Stewart</font></strong> <p><strong>Where did you get the ideas for the novel? How did you learn about dog training? What inspired you to (brilliantly) connect dog breeds to middle schoolers?</strong> <p>My dog Casper was definitely my muse for <em>Fetching</em>. We adopted him from a great organization called Friends of Homeless Animals. They’re located on a nice stretch of land out in Loudoun County, Virginia where you can meet and greet potential pets — even “test-walk” them. He’d come from an animal hoarder who had 126 dogs. But given Casper’s sweet demeanor, I’d guess that this hoarder was probably just a really kind person with a really huge problem. <p>I was actually working on a different novel when we adopted Casper and started working on training him. I took him to classes (another confession: we were obedience school drop-outs, but that’s another story). I also read some books and watched a lot of training shows on TV. What fascinated me the most was how big of a role human behavior played in dog training. Sometimes it wasn’t really about the dog, but about the owner. Self-doubt, weakness, lack of confidence — dogs notice these things and react pretty negatively to them. It’s not hard to believe that people do too. And where is self-doubt, weakness and lack of confidence more rampant than in middle school? <p>Read the rest of Erika Robuck’s interview at: <a title="http://erikarobuck.wordpress.com/2010/01/07/interview-author-kiera-stewart/" href="http://erikarobuck.wordpress.com/2010/01/07/interview-author-kiera-stewart/">http://erikarobuck.wordpress.com/2010/01/07/interview-author-kiera-stewart/</a> Stacy Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763794065372796915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335201374685100056.post-38087596362205970252012-02-10T15:49:00.001-05:002012-02-10T15:49:39.024-05:00This month’s book: Fetching by Kiera Stewart<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9xBgxdPycOjxKXr_vRYGYkxSdq5M7Cbhpvmo2jJiZ0qAE0HDbkKWBepMkUQ9t37RqC14h8-nm5yoeMowhDaxHb1Rjz28M2JWanuts33dGnYTpqmOEBAwiIS0OZh5jSvuIR1fMOE-FkiY/s1600-h/fetching%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="fetching" border="0" alt="fetching" align="left" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-hMxsQE_0Roc/TzWC4b5AtRI/AAAAAAAAA3w/yYphMV6t_sI/fetching_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="132" height="197"></a>What a great idea! Use dog training techniques to shape your enemies’ behavior! Olivia decides she’s had enough of being tormented by Brynne and her mean group of friends. If she can use training to change a dog’s behavior, why not a person? The first step is: body language. If you are someone who’s always tormented by bullies, you need to cultivate a strong assertive presence (think Cesar Milan!) –head up, shoulders back. “Basically, the way you walk and stand and talk tells everyone how you feel about yourself It can say that you’re in charge and you know what you’re doing, or it can say ‘loser.’” Olivia has a hard time convincing her fellow Bored Game Club members that her plan can work, but they gamely (ha ha) try to ignore any bad behavior –even when it makes them feel like wusses. Then Olivia teaches them about looking for cues that bad behavior is about to occur: “’You know how when a dog starts to get upset, sometimes its hair stands up on its back, or it might start to growl…There’s always some type of cue before an attack, and we’ve got to start noticing these signs…Because once you see the cues, you can create a distraction.’” They’re having some mild success, but what really gets things going is when Olivia decides they have to step up the training by using treats (gum, cookies, post-it notes) to reward good behavior (anything from Corbin passing by Mandy without making an insulting noise, to actually witnessing one of Brynne’s minions standing up to her). It isn’t long before the balance of power has shifted: Olivia’s friend Mandy, formerly a social outcast who outlined her lips with Sharpie, is running for class president, and their lunch table is so crowded with popular kids that there’s no place for Olivia anymore. It also isn’t long until Olivia feels sorry for the formerly-popular, now-outcast Brynne. When Olivia finds out that her best friend Delia shared some very private information about Olivia’s mentally-ill mother, Olivia turns to Brynne to fill in for the friends she’s turned against. The class election provides plenty of drama, especially after Olivia tells Brynne the reason for her social downfall: that Olivia trained the other kids to dislike her. This is a very clever book, and the techniques will be recognized by anyone who has familiarity with dog training. In the end, Olivia promises to never use dog training on humans again, but I think a little calm, assertive behavior can go a long way towards improving your relations with the people around you! Review by Stacy Church</p> Stacy Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763794065372796915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335201374685100056.post-58552891255225149322012-01-11T12:20:00.001-05:002012-01-11T12:20:31.277-05:00Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvOu6skiQWhAleYxHAVpx09qpBTOzsWh6jrLrJbgPviJkfcHji4MjUQTVJqd_1pTbu35m1Cq4XbE04DJNUxmASFhTuXhcsx4GA055BSgiwWWBXGRT-NS5Gx42i1hDZ4SKuhdamNo06jM/s1600-h/okay2.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="okay" border="0" alt="okay" align="left" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-lQPQxzl_C1o/Tw3E3t-tatI/AAAAAAAAA3Y/YDgCSQJiipc/okay_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="132" height="196"></a>It’s 1968, and 8<sup>th</sup> grader Doug has just moved to the small town of Marysville, in upstate NY. He has no friends. He is living with his angry, abusive father, and a bully of an older brother, who, after only a few days in the new town, is already falling in with the wrong crowd. Doug doesn’t particularly like the idea of moving to this new town, or a house he calls “the dump,” especially since everyone in town already considers him a bad egg, or a “skinny thug” just like his Dad and brother. He struggles against being the bad kid that the police and most of his teachers assume him to be. Doug truly wants good things to happen, although he feels that if something good happens, then something bad will too; it’s as if he is always waiting for the other shoe to drop and remind him of his low place in the world. Doug finds an unlikely ally in the fiery Lil Spicer, whose father offers him a job delivering groceries. Doug begrudgingly takes the job because he has nothing else to do, but his life is forever altered when he wanders into the library and comes face-to-face with the plates of John James Audubon’s birds in a book under glass. <p>“I went over to the table to see how come it was the only lousy thing in the whole lousy room. And right away, I knew why. Underneath the glass was this book. A huge book. A huge, huge book. Its pages were longer than a goodsize baseball bat. I’m not lying. And on the whole page, there was only one picture. Of a bird. I couldn’t take my eyes off it. <p>He was all alone, and he looked like he was falling out of the sky and into this cold green sea. His wings were back, his tail feathers were back, and his neck was pulled around as if he was trying to turn but couldn’t. His eye was round and bright and afraid, and his beak was open a little bit, probably because he was trying to suck in some air before he crashed into the water. The sky around him was dark, like the air was too heavy to fly in. This bird was falling and there wasn’t a single thing in the world that cared at all. It was the most terrifying picture I had ever seen. The most beautiful. I leaned down onto the glass, close to the bird. I think I started to breathe a little bit more quickly, since the glass fogged up and I had to wipe the wet away.” <p>The power of the Audubon paintings causes an intellectual awakening in Doug. The local librarian starts teaching him ho to draw, and he discovers that the library is a safe haven from his terrible home life. Doug’s friendship with Lil is the driving force that helps him discover friendship and goodness all over the town. He finds the strength to endure an abusive father, the suspicions of a whole town, and even the tragic return of his oldest brother from Vietnam. Together they find inspiration in learning about the plates of John James Audubon’s birds, and have a hilarious adventure on a Broadway stage. There are many themes in this story, some devastating and others wildly funny, but ultimately the book is about the healing power of friendship and art. Review by Lizzy Healy Stacy Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763794065372796915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335201374685100056.post-29846814159642689582011-10-16T16:25:00.001-04:002011-10-16T16:25:14.950-04:00This month’s book: Flip by Martyn Bedford<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfxkNJel0ZMIRqhGHcegjm0ohvQk_iKVBzwDGqD3obXH7DX6Ty-vp3VSTzgR_zslwfBWTbFJ17Q3_QTRmKTeLIMz8UgQE2JrE9dG4nMGggrSEttdyW1xl2MJkUAV1-owXYTq3tN1TQjN0/s1600-h/flip%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="flip" border="0" alt="flip" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaln1SdwFNxKX9C4AAVBrF6y_OaQGOF_GFHz4K3QplzZa7E2g8Zcl-GSIpT2SPmxekgF8mEOEDaIkBkmeLZCmEX7-88nV1_bDoMrhKWBphCg7aralOMQTcKygMyAcUkoTC4P_ptZKP5e0/?imgmax=800" width="157" height="243"></a></p> <p>As I was reading over my review of <em>Flip</em>, I remembered how much I liked it, and I thought, “Hmmm…why don’t I use this for this month’s book?” So, here you go. For the review, see below.</p> Stacy Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763794065372796915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335201374685100056.post-78675610036629609802011-10-05T11:12:00.001-04:002011-10-16T16:10:09.505-04:00Review of Flip by Martyn Bedford<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjstBB3mP1xU8RN0riPMALGaKcc8nrUYgHhIHh5ykCHXekATszoYqWLW6etSV9rJUf-Yc7C4favqjIwmgTsD9KY8Zd56N52RaN7UCJvoz11gnOWoy2elg8qJBFr54XZ3h-k-YJuSGOguxw/s1600-h/flip%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="flip" border="0" alt="flip" align="left" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGAZ8vIrfGpcfYNxCfmpSAqmrljB7rfM-QKCWz11aV-1Eiuc6cPVMAnlOaiga1qL1aybu5Ej-kDe45bGvdgf9tVSDpGBq0rjZozfS2VpZjfiRUhV8iV8eH8qAO1EJmv5Ptkc9chB2mRZU/?imgmax=800" width="132" height="196"></a> <p>Alex wakes up one morning after a night out, and he’s in a strange bed in a strange house. Someone is shouting for him from downstairs, but they’re calling, “Flip!” He’s sure it’s just some kind of mix-up, until he gets his first look in a mirror and doesn’t recognize the person he sees. How did he end up in someone else’s body? Can he get anyone to believe that he isn’t who they think he is? And what happened in the 6 months since his last memory as the old Alex, and his first memory as Flip? About the only one who knows that Alex isn’t Flip is the Garamond family retriever, Beagle, who growls at him each time he sees him. Alex is confused and desperate, but, at the same time, he’s kind of fascinated by his new life and family. There are some great things about being Flip (being popular at school is one. Having any number of girlfriends is another), but he’d rather be himself again. Flip’s family and friends are bewildered by his new habits (really his old habits), and it’s funny to watch Alex having to deal with a body that doesn’t work the same way his own does. When he abandons cricket and hanging out with his crude friends, his buddies are really worried. Then he falls for a sensitive, intelligent girl. Alex finds other people on the internet who have experienced what they call psychic evacuation –when a soul leaves a body and enters another body, usually because of the imminent death of their own body. I’ve watched lots of movies that involve people swapping bodies, but it’s always with someone they know. It’s really intriguing to watch Alex try to navigate a life as someone he’s never met, and surrounded by people he doesn’t know. There’s plenty of suspense as Alex tries to figure out why his soul took over Flip’s body, and how he can get back into his own before it’s too late. Review by Stacy Church </p> Stacy Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763794065372796915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335201374685100056.post-67292733338902984402011-09-21T12:05:00.001-04:002011-09-21T12:05:48.800-04:00Want To Read More Books Like Me, the Missing, and the Dead?<p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Y2MpUmLj7-k/TnoLWqY09oI/AAAAAAAAAyc/rziW-rY7o6Y/s1600-h/missing%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="missing" border="0" alt="missing" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdX0kaBQL753tRUdjkmm-9vr4fWuZIq8EncePNyIzz-0zWhCLStJHTrYi5w9ESNsa_WbqAz2XdU48s2RYXiZSS3Q81XDpATn3-Cf1KriJ92MaWdRVRFjGBqgJ_AE66dX8Ryhyphenhyphenf2ZDwZw/?imgmax=800" width="418" height="297"></a> <p>Here are some more books about life going on after a death in the family <p><strong>Defining Dulcie </strong>by<strong> Paul Acampora</strong> <p><strong>Boy2girl </strong>by<strong> Terence Blacker</strong> <p><strong>Feels Like Home </strong>by<strong> e. E. Charlton-Trujillo</strong> <p><strong>A Swift Pure Cry </strong>by<strong> Siobhan Dowd</strong> <p><strong>The Key to the Golden Firebird </strong>by<strong> Maureen Johnson</strong> <p><strong>Let's Get Lost </strong>by<strong> Sarra Manning</strong> <p><strong>Girlhearts </strong>by<strong> Norma Fox Mazer</strong> <p><strong>After the Wreck, I Picked Myself up, Spread My Wings, and Flew away </strong>by<strong> Joyce Carol Oates.</strong> <p><strong>Cures for Heartbreak </strong>by<strong> Margo Rabb</strong> <p><strong>A Gathering of Shades </strong>by<strong> David Stahler, Jr.</strong> <p><strong>Broken Soup </strong>by<strong> Jenny Valentine</strong> Stacy Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763794065372796915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335201374685100056.post-58990788327524750722011-09-06T17:45:00.001-04:002011-09-06T17:45:57.406-04:00Jenny Valentine<p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-SugJqAANK84/TmaUk0zFsHI/AAAAAAAAAx0/xl9CggX2a2E/s1600-h/jenny%252520valentine%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="jenny valentine" border="0" alt="jenny valentine" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-afTgyNudzm8/TmaUlOAHgJI/AAAAAAAAAx4/AZKYSzzyA2A/jenny%252520valentine_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="226" height="146"></a></p> <p>Here’s what Harper Collins Publishers has to say about Jenny Valentine, author of <em>Me, the Missing, and the Dead</em>:</p> <p>Jenny Valentine worked in a food shop for fifteen years, where she met many extraordinary people and sold more organic bread than there are words in her first book. She studied English literature at Goldsmith's College, which almost made her stop reading but not quite. Her debut novel, <i>Me, the Missing, and the Dead</i>, won the prestigious Guardian Children's Fiction Prize in the UK under the title <i>Finding Violet Park</i>. Jenny is married to a singer/songwriter and has two children. She lives in Hay on Wye, England.</p> <p>When asked in an interview by The Bookbag what her inspiration for the book was, Valentine said:</p> <p>Ah, well I knew a lady called Eileen when I was nineteen and she was about eighty. She was the first disgracefully behaved old lady I had ever met and I thought she was brilliant. When she died she was cremated and her ashes were left on a shelf - not a mini cab office - but somewhere very odd. The difference is I don't think Eileen minded, but Violet does. Stacy Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763794065372796915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335201374685100056.post-60496421135527208862011-08-20T11:16:00.001-04:002011-08-20T11:16:25.837-04:00This Month’s Book: Me, the Missing, and the Dead by Jenny Valentine<p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-6mbmC2ZE09w/Tk_PtbHC74I/AAAAAAAAAxs/UaRsQNUxcsk/s1600-h/me%252520the%252520missing%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="me the missing" border="0" alt="me the missing" align="left" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguiHpTYoNU34N9UM_s-P1XNqCJ8slNFkJEnlDynOOoGO1Mt3ozaJKrjZarYkw-SJwiaGMJgdHiokJ4OWYvDHUr5nVW-l9CUW35t-zxkjuwpBNTNaTp-5BEudJGQ3MTUS-PTOeyFT862xU/?imgmax=800" width="152" height="216"></a>This is a story about looking for clues to solve one mystery, only to find that the solution is inextricably linked to the central mystery of your life. The story starts with Lucas finding “a tenner” in his coat pocket after staying too late at his friend’s house and deciding to take a cab home. In the mini-cab office, he sees an urn up on a shelf and when he asks about it, is told that it was left in a cab 18 months ago. Lucas can’t stop thinking about the abandoned urn; in fact, he thinks the inhabitant is talking to him. He finds out her name is Violet Park, and he concocts a plan with his grandmother, Pansy, (who swears all the time, but without actually saying the word, “just mouths it with her face screwed up”) to liberate Violet from her purgatory. One of the things I really love about this book is how detailed and original the descriptions are. For instance, when Lucas is looking out over the heath, unable to sleep: That part of the heath is covered with enormous crows. They’ve got massive feet like they can’t believe how big they are. They all look like actors with their hands behind their backs, rehearsing the bit in that play when the king says, “Now is the winter of our discontent…” Lucas’s family is pretty messed up –his father disappeared five years ago, and they’ve never been able to move on. Lucas idolizes his father, which drives his mother insane, and his sister is just angry. Lucas has quite a funny voice, and the story is broken up by lists, such as this one about parents. “You start off thinking they own the world, and everything is downhill from there. Parents do so many things to wake you up to the idea that they are less than perfect. <ul> <li>Speak like they think teenagers speak (always wrong, excruciatingly wrong). <li>Get drunk too quickly or too much. <li>Be rude to people they don’t know. <li>Flirt with your teacher and your friends.. <li>Forget their age. <li>Use their age against you. <li>Get piercings. <li>Wear leather trousers (both sexes). <li>Drive badly (without admitting it). <li>Cook badly (ditto). <li>Go to seed. <li>Sing in the shower/car/public. <li>Don’t say sorry when they’re wrong. <li>Shout at you or each other. <li>Hit you or each other. <li>Steal from you or each other. <li>Lie to you or each other. <li>Tell dirty jokes in front of your friends. <li>Give you grief in front of your friends. <li>Try to be your mate when it suits them.” </li></ul> <p>As I’ve already hinted, by the end of the book, Lucas has solved more than one mystery, and has come to some sort of peace with the world, and his mother especially. Review by Stacy Chur Stacy Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763794065372796915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335201374685100056.post-31287383095057841362011-06-11T14:44:00.001-04:002011-06-11T14:44:39.855-04:00What Inspired Chris Wooding To Write The Haunting…?<p><font size="2"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-nDj1i-BCFK4/TfO3lVBgRtI/AAAAAAAAAvw/p4nc4RhwwgM/s1600-h/Chris%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="Chris" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="244" alt="Chris" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-sAnCXZK6Jlw/TfO3li2wpsI/AAAAAAAAAv0/UWCHtfKilmI/Chris_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="159" align="left" border="0"></a> The story came out of the scenery really. I had just moved to London from Leicester (where I’d returned after Uni in Sheffield), and I absolutely hated it. I just couldn’t get on with the Underground, the unbelievable amount of time it took to get <em>anywhere</em>, the sheer size and riotous expense of the place. The dark, perpetually foggy and dangerous city in the book was just an exaggeration of what I felt, and the rest fell out from there. It started as a riff on how much I disliked living in London, mixed in with a bunch of H.P.Lovecraft that I was heavily into at the time, and somewhere along the line it developed subtext, themes and even, dare I say, a </font><em><font size="2">message.</font> –from http://www.chriswooding.com</em> Stacy Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763794065372796915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335201374685100056.post-8700457463475091742011-06-03T16:34:00.001-04:002011-06-03T16:34:51.938-04:00This month’s book: The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding<p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-cjeX4rTgFPY/TelFaejxZmI/AAAAAAAAAvo/uqFFoLbPQZY/s1600-h/haunting%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="haunting" border="0" alt="haunting" align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-3yUwIFjcBsg/TelFak8idSI/AAAAAAAAAvs/tg7Iy4MfcYw/haunting_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="132" height="194"></a>This is a very creepy book. It's set in London in what appears to be the 19th century, but none of the events described in the story have any real place in history. In this parallel London, the city was bombed and nearly destroyed by a German airship fleet, and in the ensuing years becomes overrun by wych-kin, supernatural monsters that prey on human beings. The only protection comes from wych-hunters who use ancient rituals to track them and kill them. Thaniel Fox is a 17-year-old wych-hunter who learned the craft from his father, and then his mentor, Cathaline. The book opens with Thaniel chasing a Cradlejack (much more dangerous than it sounds: it's like a vampire that preys on babies) into an abandoned building where he stumbles across a crazed young woman who attacks him and then collapses. He takes her home, and with Cathaline's help, tries to unravel her mystery. The only thing she remembers is her name: Alaizabel Cray. Cathaline surrounds her room with talismans to ward off any evil pursuers, but Alaizabel insists that during the night something cold, wet and horrible tried to get into her room, even though no one else heard or felt anything. Is she insane or is something really trying to get her? Thaniel and Cathaline soon realize that the girl they saved is the key to a conspiracy that could bring the ultimate evil into the world. Along the way, they join forces with the vagrants, pickpockets and other unsavory people who inhabit the Old Quarter, an area of London most people avoid. Besides the wych-kin and wolves that inhabit the Old Quarter, there's also the serial killer Stitch-face, clearly modelled on Jack the Ripper. This is a real page-turner, but don't read it unless you have a strong stomach for gore. Review by Stacy Church </p> Stacy Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763794065372796915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335201374685100056.post-54682709737795607642011-05-27T14:16:00.001-04:002011-05-27T14:16:16.788-04:00Favorite Quotes from The Edenville Owls<p>“In bad weather, especially when it was raining and windy, I used to like to go down to the empty bandstand and sit in it alone, protected by the pointed roof, and look at the way the rain and the wind made the harbor look.” (page 23)</p> <p>“There was something in his voice, like a piece of broken glass.” (page 31)</p> <p>“I wondered if it was a sin to think about her with her clothes off. I hoped it was only a venial sin. I mean, guys thought about stuff like that.” (page 33)</p> <p>“Well, so far I’ve lied and broken my word and skipped school and broken into Miss Delaney’s house,” I said “I mean, am I a good guy or a bad guy?” (;age 108)</p> Stacy Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763794065372796915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335201374685100056.post-20548998233936257332011-05-24T19:14:00.001-04:002011-05-24T19:14:15.261-04:00Review of Unearthly by Cynthia Hand<p><font size="2"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4-swqaCJt6Y/Tdw7w2-Mp0I/AAAAAAAAAu4/Pf8N6lcXTj4/s1600-h/unearthly%5B2%5D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="unearthly" border="0" alt="unearthly" align="left" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxOF_w4Ie6UgNR5aQS0dylsiHdRBbWmrsqvF6NdtFXw61syhLY0cCgxthMJGX5rP6AdqMGEgGuhZdYHVyRg5NDanaqPWHZfC_ynG6hIdB1_XXBTwjIAkc-YrSr5ts5c_SFCsrZRBlYqM/?imgmax=800" width="131" height="197"></a>I have to confess, I put off reading this because I thought, “Oh, no, another paranormal romance book,” so I was pleasantly surprised when I finally gave in and started it. I really enjoyed it! It’s not about vampires, werewolves or other spirits; it’s about angels. Clara has just recently started to have the vision, the vision that will tell her what her purpose is. “All angel-bloods have purposes of different types –some are messengers, some witnesses, some meant to comfort, some just doing things that cause other things to happen –but guardian has a nice ring to it It feels particularly angelic.” She sees a bit more of the vision each time she has it, and her mom quizzes her carefully to try to tease out enough information so she can help Clara fulfill her purpose. Despite her mom’s close attention to the development of Clara’s angelic qualities, she is strangely reticent on sharing her own history and information about angels in general. It’s not until Clara finds out her new friend Angela (at the school Clara goes to now that her mom moved them to Wyoming where she thinks Clara needs to be for her purpose) is an angel, too, that Clara starts to get some real facts about her own kind, including Black Wings, or fallen angels. Well, you knew there had to be a good vs evil battle, right? I think my favorite thing is the description of Clara when she kisses the boy she cares about and experiences glory –“…then I realize that it’s too bright in there, too bright for the shady dark of the barn, and the light’s coming from me, radiating off me in waves. I’m in glory.” Even though this is the first book of a planned trilogy, it’s not too much of a cliff-hanger. Review by Stacy Church</font></p> Stacy Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763794065372796915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335201374685100056.post-86461623268951257972011-05-08T16:33:00.001-04:002011-05-08T16:33:33.497-04:00Review of The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen<p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4-swqaCJt6Y/Tcb-G13V4EI/AAAAAAAAAuw/rloSpQQh_JE/s1600-h/running%5B2%5D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="running" border="0" alt="running" align="left" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4-swqaCJt6Y/Tcb-HVUPPRI/AAAAAAAAAu0/hE_5oXgzSJE/running_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="127" height="197"></a>It’s hard to find any word other than inspirational to describe Van Draanen’s book about a 16-year-old runner whose leg has to be amputated after her track team’s bus is involved in a terrible accident. Jessica goes through all the stages you would expect a teen (or anyone else) to go through, but the author moves the story along, focusing just the right amount on the difficulties she faces. Her parents are just as devastated as she is, but they manage to hide from Jessica the financial trouble they are in because of the school’s attempt to deflect responsibility. After Jessica goes back to school, her track coach shows her YouTube videos of runners with prosthetic legs, and she begins to think that maybe she can run again after all. The cost is prohibitive, but the team is determined to raise the money, and even convinces Jessica to let herself be photographed in shorts, showing her temporary prosthesis, which looks like a pipe. There’s a side story of Jessica becoming friends with a girl in her math class who has cerebral palsy Jessica has always looked right through her before, but now that she has to share her table in the back of the room, realizes that she is a smart, funny math genius. Like everything else in the book, this could come off as cliched, but Van Draanen pulls it off. This is a great story of how someone’s life can go on after a terrible tragedy, and in fact can be even better than before. Review by Stacy Church</p> Stacy Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763794065372796915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335201374685100056.post-91988699954170403582011-05-06T15:49:00.001-04:002011-05-06T15:49:11.226-04:00Review of Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel<p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4-swqaCJt6Y/TcRQtSlmBjI/AAAAAAAAAug/mySsPGk-A1A/s1600-h/ghostopolis%5B2%5D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="ghostopolis" border="0" alt="ghostopolis" align="right" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4-swqaCJt6Y/TcRQtintyKI/AAAAAAAAAuk/ok0ZUQ7RTjQ/ghostopolis_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="132" height="196"></a>Here I am writing reviews of two horror books in a row, when I don’t usually like horror. Well, this one is a graphic novel, so there’s more to appeal to me than with the usual horror story. I found this book really charming. The story begins with Frank Gallows, a sort of has-been ghost catcher who tracks down ghosts who have snuck back to earth from the afterlife, accidentally zapping Garth Hale into the ghost world when he was trying to capture a living dinosaur skeleton. Frank zaps both of them, and Garth names the dinosaur “skinny” and rides him around the afterlife trying to escape other marauding dinosaurs, and eventually the evil Vaugner who has taken over the rule of the afterlife with the help of some giant bugs. Ok, it sounds ridiculous, and the story is much too confusing to try to explain, but the artwork is great, there’s romance, suspense, lots of gory fights and killing…what more could you ask for in a graphic novel? Review by Stacy Church</p> Stacy Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763794065372796915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335201374685100056.post-11132210741090873172011-05-06T15:41:00.001-04:002011-05-06T15:41:12.798-04:00Review of Three Quarters Dead by Richard Peck<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9QLOrHEghtAZKX3hxbgG4VFL4mJGc1T2InzopRUQpFE5kNDw3O_mpXvMXMLnWJnRWaFKLBH3YGXX6_f4nOavrS4FUrKgyUDXk-WOM4u4vRRcJZeHItOH0CWLaMMuDN4RrrYWg9T5MOxQ/s1600-h/three%20quarters%5B2%5D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="three quarters" border="0" alt="three quarters" align="left" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnxoTatvMAwru0j62n4EUx9bW9fzBR935Mmqg-LR_LlYFryzBI9NMYtyh0vb7hUmqbp_XCHsslp1xTev3fHBNTgjUJJOlWLc6LeUGoMwF6Upbf1QY2iUXZ9hs833zCSc5TPnFvgP4yAOI/?imgmax=800" width="132" height="197"></a>I’m not usually a big fan of horror books, but this one really was “chilling and compulsively readable” as the inside flap says. Kerry Williamson has always felt she was invisible at school, but it never mattered to her until this year, sophomore year, because her best friend went off to boarding school. Now she has lunch by herself every day, watching the three most popular girls (Tanya, Natalie and Makenzie) and listening in on their conversations, until the day they invite her to sit with them. Now, most girls who have such a true perspective on their own position in the social hierarchy would be suspicious enough to protect themselves, but Kerry lets herself be drawn into their circle, even when they involve her in a plot on Halloween to play a creepy “prank” on another girl at school by breaking into her house and leaving a bloody baby doll on her pillow. It’s all downhill from there, and you can’t stop reading until finally you find yourself in the middle of a scene where Kerry is roller-skating with a bunch of dead girls in an apartment in New York City, dressed in bizarre prom outfits (“Tanya’s billowing skirts. Natalie’s peekaboo black bra and red satin dress. Makenzie in lace and leg warmers”) If you like horror, you’ll definitely like this one, and you’ll probably like it even if horror isn’t your usual cup of tea. Review by Stacy Church</p> Stacy Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763794065372796915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335201374685100056.post-50805893194609671182011-05-06T15:01:00.001-04:002011-05-06T15:49:51.398-04:00Want To Read More Novels about Basketball? <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:66721397-FF69-4ca6-AEC4-17E6B3208830:d9872bc1-bb61-41ba-bd51-f276fcc48e76" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;width:410px;border-collapse:collapse;'><tbody><tr><td style='margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:none;border-style:none;width:auto'><a style="outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;" target="_blank" href="https://cid-d75a789798edf6bb.skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?page=play&resid=D75A789798EDF6BB!569&type=5&authkey=afJw724q96E%24&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos"><img style="outline:none;border-style:none;padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;background:none;background-image:none;vertical-align:bottom;" alt="View album" title="View album" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4-swqaCJt6Y/TcRFpaN8XdI/AAAAAAAAAuo/3XYfzTNiqxU/basketball%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" /></a><div style='width:410px;text-align:center;overflow:visible;padding:0px;margin:0px;'> <div style='width:410px;overflow:visible;'><a style="text-decoration:none;" href="https://cid-d75a789798edf6bb.skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?page=browse&resid=D75A789798EDF6BB!569&type=5&authkey=afJw724q96E%24&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" target="_blank"><span style="line-height:1.26em;padding:0px;width:410px;font-size:26pt;font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;" defaultText="Enter album name here"></span></a></div> <div style="text-align:center;padding:9px 0px 0px 0px;margin:0px 0px 0px 0px;font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;"> <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style="text-align:center;width:auto;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;padding:0px;outline:none;border-style:none;border-collapse:collapse;"> <tr> <td style="vertical-align:top;outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:6px 12px 6px 0px;"><a href="https://cid-d75a789798edf6bb.skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?page=play&resid=D75A789798EDF6BB!569&type=5&authkey=afJw724q96E%24&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos" border="0" target="_blank" style="font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;outline:none;border-style:none;text-decoration: none;padding:0px;margin:0px;">VIEW SLIDE SHOW</a></td> <td style="vertical-align:top;outline:none;border-style:none;margin:0px;padding:6px 0px 6px 0px;"><a href="https://cid-d75a789798edf6bb.skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?page=downloadphotos&resid=D75A789798EDF6BB!569&type=5&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos&authkey=afJw724q96E%24" border="0" target="_blank" style="font-family:'Segoe UI', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;outline:none;border-style:none;text-decoration: none;padding:0px;margin:0px;">DOWNLOAD ALL</a></td> </tr> </table> </div> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p> </p> <p><em><strong><font size="4">Try one of these:</font></strong></em></p> <p><strong><font size="3">The Perfect Shot</font> by Elaine Marie Alphin</strong> <p><strong><font size="3">In These Girls, Hope Is a Muscle</font> by Madeleine Blais</strong> <p><strong><font size="3">On the Devil's Court</font> by Carl Deuker</strong> <p><strong><font size="3">Night Hoops</font> by Carl Deuker</strong> <p><strong><font size="3">Tears of a Tiger</font> by Sharon M. Draper</strong> <p><strong><font size="3">Jump Ball: A Basketball Season in Poems</font> by Mel Glenn</strong> <p><strong><font size="3">Rebound</font> by Bob Krech</strong> <p><strong><font size="3">Hoops</font> by Walter Dean Myers</strong> <p><strong><font size="3">Slam!</font> by Walter Dean Myers</strong> <p><strong><font size="3">Game</font> by Walter Dean Myers</strong> <p><strong><font size="3">Ball Don't Lie</font> by Matt de la Peña</strong> <p><strong><font size="3">Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Free Throws</font> by Janette Rallison</strong> <p><strong><font size="3">The Hoopster</font> by Alan Lawrence Sitomer</strong> <p><strong><font size="3">Black and White</font> by Paul Volponi</strong> <p><font size="3"><strong>Rucker</strong><strong> Park</strong></font><strong><font size="3"> Setup</font> by Paul Volponi</strong> <p><strong><font size="3">Playing without the Ball: A Novel in Four Quarters</font> by Rich Wallace</strong> Stacy Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763794065372796915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335201374685100056.post-83945352748778801112011-04-29T16:13:00.001-04:002011-04-29T16:13:28.268-04:00Review of The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2pPvgdvs1HVg7OJP8jhWEMHfUWcddGLFBwZexHboeyD8KMG7Sc2p6k4Z1MGqQhDGL97JdKnBeoNLZAoX1RjdScv9Bpoaae3RqG2Q9CxSdKWbLDb3yUC9h0Fayn05NFQMMrx9E-fqTGUE/s1600-h/poison%5B2%5D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="poison" border="0" alt="poison" align="right" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4-swqaCJt6Y/Tbsb57b-uCI/AAAAAAAAAuQ/0UOyeQGK9Ts/poison_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="132" height="188"></a>I have to say I’m not sure how I feel about this one. I liked the beginning: Jessamine keeps a diary of her lonely life with her father in a remote cottage in Northumberland. Her father, Thomas Luxton, isn’t a doctor, or a butcher (what he calls surgeons), but when people are sick, they send for him He is called an apothecary, but he considers himself a gardener, nevermind that many of the plants he grows are poisonous. In fact, he has a special walled garden that’s kept locked, which is full of all varieties of poisonous plants. Jessamine’s life changes when the local owner of an insane asylum drops off a strange, orphaned teenaged boy who’s accused of curing the inmates of their madness. It’s hard to believe that in that time period (late 18th century?) Jessamine’s father would have left her alone in the cottage for days at a time with a boy her own age, but it’s more believable when you realize later in the story that he has nefarious plans for them. Thomas Luxton would give anything to learn ancient secrets of healing plants that have been lost through the ages, and it appears that the foundling boy, Weed, somehow has that knowledge. The story gets pretty wild, but it’s certainly suspenseful. I would have to call this a fantasy since the plants talk to weed, and Prince Oleander, the Prince of Poison, is masterminding it all. Review by Stacy Church</p> Stacy Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763794065372796915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335201374685100056.post-46623666163244475272011-04-29T15:52:00.001-04:002011-04-29T15:52:40.657-04:00Review of Trash by Andy Mulligan<p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4-swqaCJt6Y/TbsXBlwG43I/AAAAAAAAAuE/PAOCZ9Af9tE/s1600-h/trash%5B2%5D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="trash" border="0" alt="trash" align="left" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB92qV6bagrV4yDT3TIX0w4lwJwoQSnwXKdezrae7j2LSBGa2CT0JqtXmOmQAe4DbkHBDa-Lk_OfouOkAKnXDMboxGjySZIGk-7-rPpS13dGaVejHvtB6LoI7UeNMOdzISmh6Y3lMlv9M/?imgmax=800" width="132" height="197"></a>I loved this book! The story is told in a number of different voices, as each person tells of their involvement and contribution to the development of the drama. Behala is a rubbish-town, populated by dumpsite boys (and adults). People live in boxes, stacked up high; of course no one has running water or toilets. Dumpsite boys spend their days (and often their nights, too) picking through the trash, looking for plastic, paper, tin cans, cloth or rags. There’s a Mission School, and even though most of the kids have to work instead of attend, Father Julliard and Olivia try to watch out for them, giving them the occasional bit of money or food. The day everything changed started with Gardo and Raphael finding something unusual –a small leather bag containing a wallet, a folded-up map and a key. They’re just happy to have the money, but when the police come to Behala questioning everyone about whether anyone has found anything unusual, they start to realize that there’s more to the story than just some lost money. The boys can’t let it go until they find out what it’s all about, and they enlist the help of a boy named Rat who’s shunned by pretty much everyone in Behala to help them hide what they found. There’s murder, political corruption, embezzlement, and a code that can only be cracked by visiting a dying man in prison. It’s a great story, and uplifting to read about boys growing up such crushing poverty displaying such heart and courage. Review by Stacy Church</p> Stacy Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763794065372796915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335201374685100056.post-22978744905962221322011-04-23T12:15:00.001-04:002011-04-23T12:15:45.318-04:00Review of Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins<p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4-swqaCJt6Y/TbL7L76DhPI/AAAAAAAAAt8/7Rt7PEUa2W4/s1600-h/bamboo%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="bamboo" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="197" alt="bamboo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7uCMXRebA4CRqoww0PTSHNIw3_EoW7Im5msUGLO01ZX2KmP0KcmRYwCITTGfcKFknNETYfq8Pv4iO3eeem0mjDziQjuSUeQz22Mt8_cRMpN5xO4-DujLrtxmRE0B7a9RzhmAKbzRDofY/?imgmax=800" width="132" align="left" border="0"></a> This is another well-written story by Mitali Perkins, this time set during the conflict in Burma (renamed Myanmar) between the military rulers and the ethnic minority Karenni. Chiko is a book-smart boy trying to avoid being forced into the military like most boys his age. Tu Reh is a Karenni refugee who hates the Burmese soldiers for burning his home. Chiko responds to an ad in the paper for boys who want to becomes teachers, but finds that instead it is a trap to force boys to serve the military government. The two boys are destined to meet, and through their relationship, work through their feelings about what’s going on in their country. I won’t say there’s a happy ending, but both boys show great courage and heart. Review by Stacy Church</p> Stacy Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763794065372796915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335201374685100056.post-8245832153878187922011-04-22T13:52:00.001-04:002011-04-22T13:52:14.629-04:00Review of Life, After by Sarah Darer Littman<p><em><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4-swqaCJt6Y/TbHAS0_MTsI/AAAAAAAAAt0/Jelxaq1vx3Y/s1600-h/life%20after%5B2%5D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="life after" border="0" alt="life after" align="left" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4-swqaCJt6Y/TbHATMs5lfI/AAAAAAAAAt4/wbcx0jR_kmI/life%20after_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="132" height="186"></a>Life, After</em> is a window into a culture and time period that I knew almost nothing about –Argentina during “the Crisis" in the late 1990’s, when the nation’s banks failed. People left Argentina after losing everything, many of them were Jews who emigrated to Israel, or the US. Dani’s home life is miserable –her mother works long hours at the hospital to try to support the family after they lost the family business. Her father is depressed, and only comes out of his depression to yell at Dani and her younger sister. Her aunt died in a terrorist bombing when Dani was 7, and her father has never gotten over it. Dani’s best friend left for Israel. She does have a boyfriend (her novio), but his family decides to move to Miami. After Dani’s mother was injured in a protest outside her hospital, she finally convinces Dani’s father that they should move to America, too. Although some parts of the story seem too pat (how quickly Dani makes new friends and finds a new boyfriends in America, and how her dad’s depression lifts so completely once he decides to take medication), I really enjoyed Life, After for it’s portrayal of what life in Argentina was like –the food, the political history, the family values, and the difficulties Dani faces as she tries to fit into a new school in a new country. Review by Stacy Church</p> Stacy Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763794065372796915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335201374685100056.post-7426950901323908992011-04-22T13:36:00.001-04:002011-04-22T13:36:49.411-04:00Review of Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi<p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4-swqaCJt6Y/TbG8rw5pihI/AAAAAAAAAts/DRZp056rykg/s1600-h/ship%20breaker%5B2%5D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="ship breaker" border="0" alt="ship breaker" align="right" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYQZgu_Ix84PYN_q-Ez4qwNGrP3aFZ-4IGBuRFQi5KDYQfEP21rgGJvxV7_xZr3WGbZ-3ZJjpTlwL_5xAUQyaKyYx7AAe5Ybc7rRB85GPuvDvGpRKV9j0YCgo_RY-JQ-8VbSQpIw2zgTg/?imgmax=800" width="131" height="197"></a>I guess Ship Breaker is technically classified as science fiction, because there are creatures called half-men that are engineered to be part human, part tiger and part dog. Its set in a futuristic world, which, because of its bleakness, seems post-apocalyptic, but I guess that’s just how things turn out to be. Nailer scavenges copper wiring from wrecked clipper ships, but he knows that as soon as he grows too big to fit into the passages his usefulness will be over. His father is a foul-tempered bully whose temperament is made worse by the drugs (crystal meth?) he uses. Nailer thinks he’s found a way out of the poverty and drudgery of his life when he and his crew-mate Pima find a newly wrecked clipper ship. They plan to take all the salvage and keep it to themselves. As they’re pawing through the wreckage, they come upon the body of a girl, crushed under the weight of furniture, but as they go to cut off her fingers to get the rings she wears, her black eyes blink. Pima is all for finishing her off, but somehow Nailer just can’t do it. His decision to save the girl changes the course of his life, for better or worse it’s hard to tell. The savagery of Nailer’s world is well told in this story, but there’s plenty of heart, too, and a really interesting rendering of how New Orleans evolves after the hurricane. Ship Breaker kind of reminds me of Salt by Maurice Gee. It’s pretty clear that Bacigalupi has left the door open for a sequel. Review by Stacy Church</p> Stacy Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763794065372796915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335201374685100056.post-2832186016816099742011-04-22T12:54:00.001-04:002011-04-22T12:54:58.337-04:00This month’s book: Edenville Owls by Robert B. Parker<p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4-swqaCJt6Y/TbGy4ApOCKI/AAAAAAAAAtU/RxNhmQ_9mnM/s1600-h/edenville%5B2%5D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="edenville" border="0" alt="edenville" align="left" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4-swqaCJt6Y/TbGy4VxTF0I/AAAAAAAAAtY/-e2HnvdXh_Y/edenville_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="132" height="183"></a>This book has it all: drama, suspense, sports, history, romance. Bobby and his friends play basketball, but since their junior high school doesn’t have a gym, they are an unofficial team –no coach, no uniforms, and they hitchhike to most of the games. When Bobby finds out there’s an extra slot in the local tournament, the Owls really get down to it. Bobby starts hanging around the high school practices to see how they practice, and he tries to get the Owls to do the same drills. The suspense comes into play with their new (and attractive) teacher, Miss Delaney. One day when Bobby is staying after school for detention, he looks out the window and sees a man threatening Miss Delaney. He scares the guy off by yelling out the window, but he just can’t let it go until he finds out who the man is and why he’s hassling Miss Delaney. The ensuing surveillance turns up Nazi connections (the book takes place just at the end of WW II), a secret marriage and a phony identity. The romance comes with Bobby’s best friend, Joanie, who Bobby maybe has more feelings for than he realized. The Owls are great friends –always there for each other, even when they clash about what to do on the basketball court or who is Joanie’s boyfriend. If you’ve read any of Parker’s adult novels about the detective Spenser, you’ll recognize his character in the young Bobby. There’s a ton of historical information inserted in separate sections of the book that really set the scene of the time period. Review by Stacy Church</p> Stacy Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763794065372796915noreply@blogger.com