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Red Glass by Laura Resau
Article posted August 19, 2008 at 02:55 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 7267
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 Multicultural Fiction: FIC RES
16-year old Sophie lives with her mother, stepfather, and great aunt in Tucson, Arizona. She has grown up afraid of everything. But when her family is called to the hospital one night, her life changes forever.
Pablo is 6 years old and was found in the desert, the only survivor of a group of people trying to cross illegally into the United States. His parents are among the dead. When no one claims him, Sophie’s family decides to keep him. He is silent, a victim of tragedy so profound, Sophie cannot even imagine. He won’t speak, and when he finally does, he reveals his name, and eventually where he is from in Mexico. Sophie’s parents immediately call the town to find his relatives. They want Pablo to stay in the United States. But Sophie’s parents want Pablo to go home and be allowed to make the decision about where he wants to live.
So, Sophie and her eccentric great aunt Dika set out for Mexico with Dika’s boyfriend and his son, 16-year old Angel. In Mexico, Sophie discovers her ability to fight fear. She also discovers love.
**I couldn't put this one down! Mrs. T
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Article posted August 19, 2008 at 02:55 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 7267
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BlueBloods Trilogy by Melissa De La Cruz
Article posted August 19, 2008 at 02:51 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 722
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  Realistic Fantasy: FIC DEL
Schuyler Van Alen attends Duchesne High School, an elite preparatory school for the Blue Bloods of New York City. She has never felt like she belonged at the school, preferring to hang out with other loners like herself. But when she turns 15, everything changes.
When she turns 15, though, things begin to change. For one, Jack Force is suddenly showing an interest in her. As one of the most popular boys at Duchesne, his interest in her is both exciting and frightening. Especially when she discovers her commonality with the other Blue Bloods. The fact that they are all vampires and at 15, their abilities begin to show themselves.
Schuyler isn’t at all sure what to think of the fact that she is a vampire, reborn many times over. And in this life, there is a secret that the highest level of Blue Bloods is keeping. A secret that threatens them all.
The third book is coming out Fall 2008!
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Article posted August 19, 2008 at 02:51 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 722
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Deadline by Chris Crutcher
Article posted August 19, 2008 at 02:48 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 661
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 Realistic Fiction: FIC CRU
Ben Wolf is a senior this year. He has lots of plans for his senior year. But when he goes to the doctor for his beginning of the year physical, bad news awaits him. His doctor discovers an aggressive form of cancer and recommends an immediate start of treatment. Treatment that will leave him bald and sick.
Ben makes a decision not treat the cancer. He is afraid people will treat him differently and that isn’t in his plans. He wants to spend his last year in high school having fun, no pity, no long faces from his friends. So he swears the doctor to secrecy, and at 18, he has that right. The doctor is frustrated, but understands the law, so agrees not to tell Ben’s parents.
Knowing that this is his last year alive, Ben does things he would never have tried before, playing football and asking out a girl he’s had his eye on for some time, but was always afraid to approach.
Unfortunately, his silence has consequences. A cost he had not anticipated.
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Article posted August 19, 2008 at 02:48 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 661
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The Lost Art by Simon Morden
Article posted June 10, 2008 at 11:06 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 1412
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 Science Fiction/Fantasy: FIC MOR
Set in the future, the book follows three different men on a quest. Va, a Russian monk who has broken from his past of violence. Benzamir, returning to the area his ancestors left 700 years ago, and Solomon, a Masai from the Kenyan Empire.
Va is trying to locate 12 books that were stolen from his monastery. Books that cost every other monk their lives, and if opened and read, could mean the end of the world. He has vowed not to kill anyone in the process of retrieving the books, but finds it difficult as his instincts are well honed after years of killing without thought. While searching for the books, he must also deal with Elenya, the woman who pledged her love to him, even though his vow of celibacy prohibits him returning her affection.
Solomon has one of the books, and is using the information contained in its pages to help the villagers he has joined, make their life simpler, creating a wind-driven mortar for grinding flour, and sails for the boats that make them move swiftly. But Solomon stole the book, and knows he is being hunted.
Benzamir is an enigma. He is a magician of sorts, able to fight off several men at once and shoot lightning from his fingers. He is also looking for something, but what? And where is he from?
***This is a brand new book! Publication date is TODAY, June 10, 2008!
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Article posted June 10, 2008 at 11:06 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 1412
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Tattoo by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Article posted May 21, 2008 at 01:56 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 1209
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 Fantasy: FIC BAR
Bailey Morgan and her three best friends have just had the strangest experience. They were shopping at the mall when they stopped at a little kiosk. The woman running it was odd, pressing strange objects onto them to purchase. Bailey’s purchase was four temporary tattoos. As it turned out, once the tattoos were applied, they gave each girl an unusual ability.
Bailey can set things on fire. Delia has the ability to change things from one form to another. (A power she delights in as the fashion expert of the foursome.) Annabelle can read minds and Zo can foretell the future.
The abilities were not given by accident, though, They were bestowed by magical beings that are trying to save the world from destruction. And now, Bailey and her friends are right in the middle of the fight. But how can four 15-year olds stop the person bent on gaining power regardless of the cost to mankind?
****This was a great book! I had a hard time putting it down. I really enjoyed the fantasy interwoven with the real world. ~Mrs. T.
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Article posted May 21, 2008 at 01:56 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 1209
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The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
Article posted May 16, 2008 at 07:28 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 683
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 Romance/Historical Fiction: FIC GOD
The year is 1899, and Manhattan is the center for socialites and their wealthy families. The book opens with the funeral of 18-year old Elizabeth Holland, one of the social elite. Everyone is shocked at her death, and questioning the circumstances. It is especially sad as one of the pallbearers was her fiancé, and the day they are burying her, would have been their wedding day.
Two weeks earlier, Elizabeth had just returned from spending a season in Paris. She was excited to hear all about her best friend Penelope’s summer crush. Penelope didn’t get a chance to tell her, though, before things got out of hand.
Unbeknownst to anyone, Elizabeth is in love with the family coachman, Will. This in itself would be disgraceful if discovered, but her mother has just informed Elizabeth that her father’s death has left the family near destitute. It is up to Elizabeth to marry a wealthy suitor to redeem the family and help them retain their social status. Unfortunately, the wealthy suitor just happens to be Penelope’s summer crush.
Now Will has asked Elizabeth to run away with him. But Elizabeth feels her responsibility is to her family. Will she choose love, or family obligation?
***I enjoyed this book. The historical references were rich and descriptive, helping me feel a part of the story. Unfortunately, these descriptions sometimes got long-winded and as a result, in the way of the story itself. If you can get past this, though, it is a good read and will keep you guessing! -Mrs. T
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Article posted May 16, 2008 at 07:28 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 683
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Happy Hustle High by Rie Takada
Article posted April 30, 2008 at 04:39 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 906
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 Manga: 741.5 TAK
Hanabi attends an all-girls Japanese high school. When the administration decides to close her school and combine it with an all-boys school, she isn’t as excited as the other girls. That is, until she sees Yasuaki. He’s gorgeous, and very quiet. So quiet in fact, she thinks he hates her.
When the schools combine, Hanabi’s friends talk her into petitioning to join the Student Council which is currently run by the boys. She only needs the signatures of the current officers. The problem is, one of the officers is Yasuaki. He is a terrific surfer, and when he refuses to sign Hanabi’s petition, she challenges him surfing. The problem is, she doesn’t know how to surf and practically drowns. Which of course, necessitates mouth-to-mouth resuscitation by Yasuaki!
What follows is an interesting triangle as another boy and Yasuaki decide they are interested in Hanabi.
***This is the first book in a series. It is true manga as it reads back to front, which I found difficult. I have lots of students that don’t mind that layout, though! -Mrs. T
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Article posted April 30, 2008 at 04:39 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 906
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The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Article posted April 11, 2008 at 07:40 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 699
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 Historical Fiction: FIC BAR
It is October 1942. 17 year-old Helmuth was born and raised in Germany. Now he sits in prison, having been sentenced to death. While he waits for the executioner, he remembers what his life was like growing up.
When he was younger, sanctions from World War I made day-to-day living hard for the adults in his world, his mother and grandparents. When Hitler began his rise to power, most Germans saw him as their salvation, Helmuth included. Suddenly, Germans were proud of their heritage again. They had faith that Hitler would bring prosperity to their existence. And Helmuth was caught up in the glory of it all, the marching, the uniforms, the deep-seated patriotism that was exploding on every street corner.
But when Hitler and his cronies began targeting the Jews, Helmuth started to have misgivings about his new leader. He watched helplessly as people he had grown up around, were forced from their businesses and shipped away. Having been raised in the Mormon faith, Helmuth realized this was not what he had been taught. He had to do something. Something that would wake up his fellow Germans, and make them see Hitler for what he truly was.
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Article posted April 11, 2008 at 07:40 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 699
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Touching Snow by M. Sindy Felin
Article posted March 25, 2008 at 09:55 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 584
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 Multicultural YA Fiction: FIC FEL
Karina lives in New York with her sisters, her younger half-brothers, her mother and “The Daddy”. Karina calls him “the daddy” because he isn’t her father. He is simply the man to who her mother is married.
Her family emigrated from Haiti, and life is hard. Her mother cooks dinner before leaving for her night job. It is up to Karina’s older sister Enid to make sure all of the food prepared for the children, is eaten before the daddy gets home for his dinner. This is never easy as her mother cooks way too much food. The children get creative about hiding the excess food to avoid being beaten, but one evening, the daddy finds food and proceeds to beat Enid nearly to death.
Karina’s aunt and grandmother rally around her mother, and help nurse Enid back to health. But, the unspoken rule still stands. Do not tell what really happened, or the daddy will be taken away, and the family will be left homeless because Karina’s mother cannot pay the bills alone.
Karina knows the rule, and has abided by it, even though she doesn’t agree. But someone tells the authorities what really happened to Enid and the daddy is taken to jail. Now Karina must decide whether she will tell the truth, too.
***This was a terrific read. -Mrs. T.
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Article posted March 25, 2008 at 09:55 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 584
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The Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks
Article posted January 31, 2008 at 04:08 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 662
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 YA Supernatural Fiction FIC BRO
Ruben is 14. He has the ability to “see” into his family’s thoughts. Mostly, those of his brother. But the night his sister was murdered, he could see and feel her thoughts and her fear. And through her eyes, the Dead Man that killed her.
The police tell Ruben’s mother that Rachel’s body won’t be released until there is a suspect in custody. With their father in prison, it is up to Ruben and his brother Cole, to find out who killed her so their mother can have Rachel’s body to bury.
Their quest leads them to the small town Rachel had been visiting and the friend’s house where she had spent her last days. But the town folks aren’t eager to discuss Rachel’s death, and neither is Rachel’s friend Abbie or her husband.
As Cole and Ruben try to get to the bottom of the mystery of their sister’s death, Ruben’s mind can feel his brother’s frustration, and his dead sister keeps talking to him, too. Can they get to the truth before the people in town stop them?
***A good read. It kept me interested until the very end. Brooks is an English writer, and it comes out in the wording and the settings. This is a great way to travel to the moors! And his description of them makes you feel like you're there. Mrs. T
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Article posted January 31, 2008 at 04:08 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 662
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My Classes & Students
About the Blogger
I am a Library Media Specialist at Westside High School in Omaha. It is a rare book that I don't like or wouldn't recommend to someone. So, while I summarize the books, I am starting to put a little of what I thought by the stars. As I said, I like to read, and I like the "travels" I take within the pages of a book. I also love learning new things, which of course, books do, too. I hope you'll join me & pick up a good book!
Let me know what you're reading. I'd like to add student, teacher, and parent generated book summaries as well!
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