Thursday, September 8, 2011
Monday, August 15, 2011
Saturday, April 30, 2011
John Grisham shares how the library and reading books were an important part of his childhood. The book Bleachers is a popular title in our library---if you like football and are a fan of John Grisham's movies, try reading one of his books!
Friday, April 29, 2011
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! In the first of the series, readers will discover a plot that is somewhat reminiscent of Harry Potter. Vlad Tod is a typical eighth-grade student - with the exception that he is a vampire! His parents were killed in a mysterious fire three years earlier. Now Vlad, utterly alone in the world, must go live with his mother's best friend, Nelly. Nelly works as a nurse which enables her to bring home expired blood bags for Vlad to feast on - so he doesn't have to feed on humans. When Vlad's homeroom teacher is discovered missing, it sets off a chain of events that put Vlad on a quest to discover what really happened to his parents. In doing so, Vlad discovers that whoever murdered his parents, is now after him as well.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Hopkins features the raw voices of five teens as their elusive search for love leads them down the dark alley of teen prostitution. These five stories are shockingly honest and graphically portrayed. A compelling read for mature readers.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
Journalist Zora von Burden presents a series of fascinating interviews featuring 20 female performers that have blazed a trail as figures of rock's counterculture. Important to music collections as it highlights women who have opened doors both musically and culturally and tells their stories in a very personable way.
A sensitive, haunting memoir that describes the love affair and eventual lifelong friendship that developed between poet and musician Patti Smith and photographer Robert Mapplethorpe beginning with their chance encounter in a New York bookstore.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Amy Nelson is having a bad day. Not only has she just met her real father for the first time, but she has just been informed that she is spending her summer vacation with him in Israel meeting a family she has never known! OMG! Though Amy has some heavy issues to deal with, Elkeles gives the story a light, romantic feel, like a pleasant summer read. As Amy reluctantly goes off to Israel with her father, readers will notice how her experiences there enable her character to grow and mature by the end of the story.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Jerk, California is a wonderful book about a teenage boy who faces many challenges, not the least of which is Tourette Syndrome which results in such regualar tunts as Twitch, Jerk and Freak. The author, Jonathan Friesen, does a beautiful job explaing the syndrome as well as capturing the reality of high schol life for those who are "different". Mr. Friesen draws on his own experiences with Tourette to realisticly portray the disease and its impact on teen life. I especially like the realtionship that develops between Sam Carrier, our hero with Tourettes, and Naomi, the beautiful and popular girl on campus with troubling secrets of her own.