Page Turner

The Morgue and Me

2010-04-27T12:16:00.000-07:00

by John C. Ford

Christopher Newell took a summer job doing a little janitorial work at the morgue. It wasn't really his first choice, but it sort of fit in with his life-long goal to become a spy; learning forensics and all that jazz, so it wasn't too bad of a gig. Little did Chris realize that his summer would end up heavy on the spying and light on the cleaning.

Something needed cleaning up, all right, but it wasn't the floor. There was a body and it had been declared a suicide. But it had a few too many bullet holes in it and the doctor doing the examination had a few too many stacks of hundred dollar bills sitting in a bag in his office.

Chris knew he couldn't go to the police with this one. The sheriff was the one who brought the body in. So Chris went to the local paper where he finds Tina, a new-in-town reporter looking for her big break. Before he knows what he's doing, he's holding on for dear life in the passenger seat of Tina's Trans Am as they go hunting all over town for clues.

The Morgue and Me is a great mystery. It's fast-paced and funny with enough twists you keep you guessing until the very end. If you like "whodunnits" then definitely check this one out at the LFHS library. Act fast, though, because book check out end May 7th!

Marcelo in the Real World

2010-04-07T07:43:00.000-07:00

by Francisco X. Stork

The sound Marcelo hears in his head is like the most beautiful music in the world. But it's not quite music. It's like the feeling of music without the music actually being there. Lately, though, the internal music, or IM as Marcelo calls it, has been harder to hear and often it isn't there at all. Maybe there is no IM in the "real world." Marcelo would rather not be in the real world, he'd rather stay at Paterson.

Marcelo likes being at Paterson. It's a school for "people like him," although he's not quite like "people like him" either. The closest thing to what Marcelo "has" is Asperger's syndrome, but he's that's not really the best description either. Marcelo's father, Arturo, thinks that it's about time Marcelo left Paterson to learn to live in the "real world" and go to a public school for his senior year.

It'll be very difficult for Marcelo, so Arturo makes him a deal. If Marcelo can work at Arturo's law firm for the summer and learn to follow the rules of the real world, then Marcelo can return to Paterson for his senior year. But if he cannot successfully follow the rules of the real world, then Marcelo must go to the public high school.

The real world is tough to process. Marcelo is given a job in the mail room under the supervision of Jasmine who informs him that he's not to let other people in the office give him tasks to do. However, Arturo informs Marcelo that he should try to help out Wendell, the son of Arturo's partner, whenever he can. Is the real world always so complicated?

Things really get complicated when Marcelo finds a photograph of a disfigured girl in the trash. Marcelo wants to know what happened to her, but can Marcelo follow the rules of the real world and also solve the mystery of the girl in the photo? In the real world you have to make choices and choices have consequences. Will Marcelo risk his chance to stay at Paterson to satisfy his curiosity? Check out Marcelo in the Real World to find out!

Leviathan

2010-03-19T10:26:00.000-07:00

by Scott Westerfeld

Here's another one by Westerfeld that I really liked. It's a little sci-fi and a little old-fashioned at the same time, a style that has come to be known as "steam punk." The story is set in a sort of alternate timeline version of Europe around the time of World War I. As the story begins, Alek is woken up in the middle of the night by a couple of his personal instructors to give him a late-night Stormwalker driving lesson. It makes sense to some degree, but why is Alek's fencing instructor, Count Volger, coming along? Is he in danger, is that why they're leaving at night? Is he in danger from Count Volger? Maybe he's being kidnapped!!

At about the same time, a girl in England named Deryn is trying to join the military's Air Service. She has a couple of things standing in her way, though. She's a bit young and she's a she. So Deryn tries to pass herself off as Dylan to join up. She has a lot of experience with flying already, so she's well ahead of her peers in terms of skill. While riding up on a tethered Huxley, Deryn runs into a storm that forces her to cut ties with the ground and float off over London. She's picked up by a giant airship, the Leviathan. Or should I say air beast? The Leviathan and the Huxley are both living creatures. England is a Darwinist country and they use living things, crazy beasts made from the DNA of different creatures, for transportation and weaponry.

Alek is from Austria, though, and he's a "Clanker," relying on giant mechanical contraptions for their military conflicts. How will Deryn (Dylan) and Alek fare when their countries start gearing up for war? Check out Leviathan from the LFHS library to find out!

The Answer is Always Yes

2010-03-04T12:09:00.000-08:00

by Monica Ferrell

What does it mean to be cool? Can you decide one day that you're going to be cool? Can you rebuild your personality, start over from scratch, and make yourself one of the cool people? If you study what the cool folks are doing and emulate their styles, will they accept you?

These are the questions that Matt faces as he heads off to NYU for his freshman year of college. He's spent the summer finding the "right" clothes and made sure he's found the "right" places to hang out. But what happens when he puts theory into practice?

It doesn't go well, at least not right away. His first impression with his dorm roommates goes horribly wrong and his dorm counselor hands him a pamphlet on homesickness. His pre-planned "cool" outfits don't go over very well either. Matt does make his first friend, Jason, because of his shoes, but not for the right reasons

Things start to go a little better for Matt when he meets Sophie, a sophomore from Lake Forest, Illinois (weird, right?). She and Jason help Matt feel a little better about himself and they form a nice little trio. One night they find themselves at a very trendy club and Matt finds his way into the VIP area where he is approached by the club's owner, Vic. Vic thinks Matt has potential and invites him to be one of the club's promoters. Everything seems to be going Matt's way, but what happens when you get everything you think you want? Will it go to Matt's head or can he walk the fine line between his life at school and his new life at the club

Check The Answer is Always Yes out from the LFHS library to see what happens!

The Lightning Thief

2010-02-16T08:15:00.000-08:00

By Rick Riordan

This week the LFHS Library Blockbuster Book Club will be discussing The Lightning Thief and going to see the movie version of the book this Friday. For more information about either of these events, click on this page.

The Lightning Thief is about a kid named Percy who gets into a lot of trouble and has been expelled from several schools. It’s not really his fault, though. Weird things just seem to happen to him. Things start getting really weird for Percy, though, when his math teacher turns into a monster and starts attacking him. His best friend, Grover, turns out to be a satyr who conceals his goat legs with baggy pants and fake feet, and his Latin teacher turns out to be a centaur who conceals his horse body with a magic wheel chair. It’s a lot for Percy to digest all at once. Maybe if he had paid more attention to the Greek mythology lessons in class, he’d be able to figure out the mess he’s found himself in.

When she realized how much danger he in, Percy’s mom finally reveals to her son that he’s a demi-god (child of a mortal and a god) and that he’ll be going to a special summer camp for kids like him. Hopefully there he’ll be able to get a handle on what’s going on. While at camp he meets Annabeth and Luke who help show him the ropes. He’ll need a lot more help than that, though, because things get out of hand quickly and before he knows it, he’s out the door and on a quest to save the world.

It’s a great book; funny and full of adventure. If you like Greek mythology, you’ll definitely get a kick out of it. If you’ve already read it, then join us in the library for the Blockbuster Book Club. Hope to see you there!

Shift

2010-02-10T08:01:00.000-08:00

By Jennifer Bradbury

Chris and Win, short for Winston, want to ride their bicycles across the country after graduation. They’re starting in West Virginia and plan to ride all the way up to Seattle, where Win says his uncle lives. The thing is, though, Win doesn’t have an uncle in Seattle. That’s just one of the things that Chris learns during his first week of college after finishing the ride….without Win.

Somewhere along the way they get split up and Win’s father pulls in a favor from an FBI agent “friend” of his to keep an eye on Chris after Chris shows up home by himself. Something had to have happened and Win’s father thinks Chris knows a lot more than he’s been telling everybody. But what did happen? How could best friends just lose each other like that and why hasn’t Win contacted anybody? Well, maybe he has…

To find out what happens next, check out Shift from the LFHS library!

Creature of the Night

2010-01-27T06:06:00.001-08:00

By Kate Thompson

Bobby likes to steal cars and go joyriding. He also likes to steal iPods and other gadgets to sell. He and his friends use the money to buy drugs and alcohol. This is Bobby’s life in Dublin and Bobby thinks it’s a pretty good one. So, he’s not too happy when his mother packs him and his little brother, Dennis, up to go live in the country. He’s not too worried, though. He doesn’t plan on staying long.

The new place seems okay, but boring. The people seem nice, but are a little strange and act a little mysterious about the previous tenants of their new home. The last guy disappeared, but that’s not the weirdest part. The landlord’s mother tells them that they need to leave a bowl of milk out every night, for the fairy.

Fairy?

Bobby and his mother brush off the advice and think nothing of it until Bobby finds Dennis awake in the middle of the night, talking about visiting with a tiny old woman. Could it be true? Could there really be a fairy that comes into their home every night? Bobby doesn’t think so, but the more he learns about the house and who used to live there, the more he’s sure he wants to go back to Dublin and back to the life he used to have. To see how Bobby and his family deal with the strangeness of their new home, check out Creature of the Night from the LFHS library.

Luke, it is your Destiny

2010-01-21T07:10:00.000-08:00

Do you know how to use the LFHS library online card catalog? It's called Destiny Card Catalog and you can access it at the library (you know, on those last two computers on the main level that you use to check your email even though you know you aren't supposed to...) or from anywhere through the library's web page. You can use Destiny Card Catalog to look up fiction and non-fiction books, audiobooks, and lots of other resource material as well.

But is that all Destiny Card Catalog does? No way! Destiny Card Catalog gives you, the student, the opportunity to interact with the catalog and leave your mark here at the LFHS library. You can make book lists and even write reviews that show up in the catalog for all of your classmates to see. Tell us what you liked and what you didn't. Tell us why you liked a book, or why you thought it was awful. When you're looking for a new book to read, it often helps to see what your friends and other classmates think about it.

So, how do you sign up for this feature? On the upper right side of the Destiny Card Catalog search page, click on "Create Account"

Then enter your last name and your barcode number. That number is "P" plus your ID number. For some students there is a space between the "P" and the ID number and for some there is not. Try it both ways. If you have trouble, find one of the library staff members to help you.

After that, all you have to do is log in to your account and you're ready to go.

To write a review, first find the book you want to review and click "Reviews" on the upper right, then click "Add Review" and start writing! When you're done, save it and it'll go to one of our staff members to check over before it goes "live" on the catalog. Have fun with it, but inappropriate language and other abuse will, of course, not be tolerated.

So get out there and review something! And if you find that you like reviewing books or writing about your reading experiences, why not write for the Page Turner? Email us with your reviews or other ideas lfhslibrary@lfschools.net

Going Bovine

2010-01-13T06:57:00.000-08:00

By Libba Bray
It’s not every day you see a talking yard gnome or a punk angel with pink hair. You probably haven’t had to save the universe from black holes and fire giants either. But you’re not Cameron Smith and you probably don’t have Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, otherwise known as the human form of Mad Cow Disease.

The disease is slowly turning Cameron’s brain into Swiss cheese and the doctors don’t give him very long to live. But what if the doctors are wrong? What if it’s not CJ (Mad Cow) at all? This is where the angel comes in. Dulcie, the angel, visits Cameron in his hospital room and tries to explain to him that something is eating his brain, but it’s not what the doctors think. It’s something much worse that won’t stop at Cameron’s brain. It will destroy the universe and only Cameron can stop it. But he’ll need some help. Dulcie suggests that Cameron bring along Gonzo, the guy in the next hospital bed.

So begins their adventure to save the universe and find the mysterious Dr. X and play jazz and rescue a short, wooden Norse god and be on a spring break TV show and locate a time-travelling pop group and… well, all sorts of crazy things. It’s a wild ride and you can join in by checking out Going Bovine from the LFHS library!

The Maze Runner

2010-01-06T07:03:00.000-08:00

By James Dashner

He arrives in a box without any memories except his name and a vague feeling that he’d been here before. His name is Thomas, but everybody is calling him “Greenie” as in, the new guy. They’re all kids and they’re all boys. One new boy arrives each month, Thomas being the newest. Each boy has a job to do and now they have to find something for Thomas to do as well.

After learning about the different job possibilities, Thomas decides he wants to be a runner. He needs to be a runner. He can just feel it. But newbies can’t be runners. Being a runner is the most dangerous job you can have in this place, whatever this place is. They all call it the Glade. From what he’s learned so far, Thomas begins to understand that outside of the Glade’s walls is a maze. Every day, the walls open up and the runners take off into the maze with the task of mapping out the maze’s twists and turns. The job sounds simple enough, except for the fact that the maze changes every day. The walls of the maze move. Despite their best efforts, the runners have yet to find the exit to the maze. Some in the Glade doubt they ever will.

The day after Thomas arrives, everything changes. Another person has come through the box. They’ve never had two kids come through the box on consecutive days. But that’s not the strangest part. This kid is a girl.

So what does it all mean? Is this girl somehow linked to Thomas? Just like he feels he needs to be a runner, Thomas also feels like he knows this girl. Is Thomas special? Is being special a good thing in the Glade? Check out The Maze Runner from the LFHS library to find out!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-04T12:05:00.000-08:00

It's a new year and it's cold! It's a great time to knock out a bunch of books! This month we'll be tackling books about giant mazes that change their paths and adventures with mad cow disease and other fun and weird stuff like that.

Have something to say? Leave a comment! But what if you have something to say about a different book? Why don't you write your own review?! Write something up and send it to lfhslibrary@gmail.com and we'll add it to the blog. If you'd rather talk about a book, we can have you do a video or podcast review. It's your blog, LFHS, take charge!

Rats Saw God

2009-12-17T07:47:00.001-08:00

By Rob Thomas
Steve York used to be a model student, but something changed. Now he’s in his senior year and won’t be able to graduate because he’s missing an English credit. Steve’s counselor makes him a deal; if he can write a hundred pages of “something” by the end of the year, he can graduate. The “something” Steve chooses to write about is his high school life thus far.

The book switches between the “present” time of Steve’s senior year and the “past” of his sophomore and junior years at a different school. During sophomore year, Steve starts hanging out with Doug. Doug has an ongoing bet with his parents to appear in a school club yearbook photo. So to fulfill the bet that year, Doug and Steve form a Dada art club called GOD. One of club members is Wendy or “Dub” as they call her. Steve and Dub hit it off and form an inseparable couple… for a while. Their split seems to be why Steve exiles himself to his mother’s house in California for his senior year. But that’s not all there is to it. There’s always another side to the story. Check it out and fill in the details for yourself, details like, what the heck does the title mean anyway?

Holidays on Ice

2009-12-14T07:32:00.000-08:00

by David Sedaris

The winter holidays are upon us and one of my favorite winter reads is Holidays on Ice, a collection of holiday-themed short stories and personal recollections. The first story, “SantaLand Diaries,” is a tale about David’s life as a full-time elf at Macy’s department store. The elves have many different duties, some worse than others. David recounts an experience as a Cash Register Elf, “The worst part is that after I have accumulated three hundred dollars I have to remove two hundred, fill out half a dozen forms, and run the envelope of cash to the drop in the China Department or to the vault on the balcony above the first floor. I am not allowed to change my clothes beforehand. I have to go dressed as an elf. An elf in SantaLand is one thing, an elf in Sportswear is something else altogether.”

Sedaris’ humor is usually pretty dry, but in “Season’s Greetings to Our Friends and Family!!!,” the author delves into the absurd as he spins the tale of Dunbar family and their annual family newsletter. One might think that Mrs. Dunbar would forego the tradition this year in light of her upcoming court date resulting from the death of her unexpected grandchild, Satan (Don), at the absentminded hands of her really unexpected new, 22-year-old Vietnamese daughter, Khe Sahn. But, no! The holidays must go on! Mrs. Jocelyn Dunbar won’t let a few “hassles” dampen her spirits.

The holiday humor doesn’t stop there, though. Sedaris also strings together tales of inappropriate, yet fascinating, dinner guests and scathing theatre reviews of elementary school Christmas pageants. In “Christmas Means Giving” the author explores the rivalry between neighboring families, each trying to out-do the other with exuberant giving. “If practiced correctly,” Sedaris writes, “generosity can induce feelings of shame, inadequacy, and even envy, to name just a few.” That certainly captures the spirit of the season!

So if you’re looking for something a bit different to read this holiday season; a little less “Rudolph, the Red-nosed Reindeer” and little more “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” then check out Holidays on Ice from the LFHS library! And if you like it, we have more Sedaris books for you to read.

Uglies

2009-11-20T07:05:00.001-08:00

by Scott Westerfeld

In Kurt Vonnegut’s classic short story “Harrison Bergeron,” society attempts to balance out the inherent inequalities of its population by handicapping those born with above average features, skills, or intelligence. If everybody is “equal” then nobody will feel inferior. That’s the theory, anyway.

Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies takes Vonnegut’s story and turns it upside down. Instead of making everybody average through handicaps, he makes everybody pretty through surgery. Tally Youngblood can’t wait to be pretty, but she’s not quite 16. Her best friend, Peris, was already made pretty and now Tally is alone with little to do but wait the few remaining months until it’s her turn. But she can’t wait. She’s afraid Peris will forget about her. After all, the Pretties are allowed to come and go as they please and Peris hasn’t been back to visit once since the surgery. Tally really can’t blame him, though. After all, she is still just an Ugly.

Before her birthday, Tally becomes friends with Shay, another Ugly who, like Tally, enjoys pulling pranks and other tricks. On one of their adventures, Shay takes Tally outside of town on their hoverboards to the ruins of an older civilization, the Rusties. Shay hopes to run into somebody out in the ruins, but nobody lives out there, do they? Why would anybody want to live out there when they could live in New Pretty Town and go to “bubbly” parties every night? But that’s exactly what Shay has in mind and she wants to take Tally with her. Is she crazy? Why would anybody choose to stay Ugly? Check out Uglies from the LFHS library to find out!

Monster

2009-11-04T08:41:00.001-08:00

By Walter Dean Myers

Steve Harmon is on trial for allegedly taking part in a drug store robbery that turns bad and results in the shooting death of the store’s owner. The title of the book, Monster, comes from the word that the prosecutor uses to describe Steve and the other suspects of the crime. He wants to figure out what it means to be a monster and why people would see him that way. He’s not sure what to make of himself anymore. He thinks he’s a pretty good guy, but now he’s not so sure. The prosecutor does a convincing job of making some of the other guys involved in the trial seem pretty bad and Steve is worried that the jury, and his family, will see him as a part of that group.

Steve is interested in filmmaking and he spends his time in jail writing a screenplay about the trial. Steve’s screenplay makes up the bulk of the book’s text and the rest is made up of Steve’s handwritten reflections about himself and what he is going through. The style is unique and effective. The visual cues in the script set the scene and the mood. The reader understands when Steve is sad or confused. The reader becomes uncomfortable when Steve tries to rationalize his own actions. He does know those other fellows, the ones who look so bad. What does that say about Steve? How will the jury view him? How does his own lawyer view him? How does his father view him? These are the issues and emotions that Steve deals with throughout the course of the book. It’s a quick and engaging read and definitely worth checking out from the fiction section of the LFHS library.

November Spawned a Monster

2009-11-04T08:24:00.000-08:00

The post title is the name of a Morrissey song, but it also provides a segue from the supernatural twist of last month's selections to the first book selection of this month. While I was searching through monster titles in the card catalog, I came across a book called Monster. It wasn't about ghouls, ghosts, or other creatures, though. It's about an entirely different kind of monster...

The Graveyard Book

2009-10-28T12:11:00.000-07:00

by Neil Gaiman

The Man Jack has a job to do, but he fails on one small point. That small point is an infant boy who manages to escape Jack’s murderous intentions by crawling his way into a local graveyard. The inhabitants of the graveyard, being dead and all, aren’t sure what to do with the little tyke. Mr. and Mrs. Owens, a couple who never had children when they were alive, decide that they want to raise the child as their own. Some graveyard residents think it would be wonderful to have a living boy amongst them. Others do not. After all, how could they acquire the things like food and clothing that a living boy would need? That’s where Silas comes in. Silas straddles the world between the living and the dead and agrees to be the boy’s guardian. Silas can come and go and make sure that the boy has everything he needs. The first thing he needs, though, is a name. The residents debate who among them the child is most like, but then decide that he is like nobody but himself, so they call him Nobody, or Bod for short.

The story follows Bod as he spends his childhood growing up in the graveyard, learning all of the little graveyard tricks and making friends with all of the ghost children who live there. Those children stay the same age, but Bod continues to get older. As he ages he makes friends with some of the teenage ghosts, including the ghost of the witch who lives in the forgotten part of the cemetery. He’s going to need all the friends he can get because The Man Jack is still out there, waiting to finish the job he started years before.

The Graveyard Book is a very charming story that is a little dark, but not too scary. It’s part ghost story, part mystery and Gaiman puts enough twists in the tale to keep you guessing until the end. Come in to the library and check it out!

Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story

2009-10-13T07:01:00.000-07:00

by Christopher Moore

What do you do when you’re a freshly made vampire with no guidance? You find yourself a roommate/boyfriend who can do things during the day like pick up your last paycheck and get your car out of the impound lot. The living situation isn’t so simple, though, because the roommate/boyfriend is also the night manager at the local grocery store. That kind of defeats the point of the arrangement. He, Tommy, is simultaneously fascinated and terrified by your condition and borrows every vampire book he can find from the library because he wants to test which of the myths are real and which are just made up.

These are some of the day to day (or night to night, rather) trials and tribulations for newly undead Jody. Most of these things are manageable, but she does run into a few problems here and there. First, there’s a creepy homeless guy who keeps following her around and second, the police start noticing a pattern with Jody and Tommy and a few dead bodies that are a little short on blood. The police don’t believe in vampires, though, and Tommy’s going to have some difficulty explaining why he stuffed his lifeless girlfriend in a freezer along with another dead homeless guy.

Not all of their problems revolve around avoiding the cops or creepy dudes who lurk in the shadows. Tommy and Jody also have everyday relationship issues as well. Maybe Tommy would rather date the new checkout girl at the supermarket. She does have the distinct advantage of being alive and having a less restrictive sleep schedule. And maybe Jody would prefer to find somebody who isn’t going to get all old and wrinkly in a few short decades. They’ll get around to sorting that stuff out, I’m sure, but in the mean time there’s work to be done. One of Tommy’s crew at the supermarket just smashed up the meat display case while skiing behind the floor waxer.

Gil's All Fright Diner

2009-10-07T08:21:00.000-07:00

A vampire, a werewolf, and a rusty pickup truck make for an unlikely trio of heroes in A. Lee Martinez’s Gil’s All Fright Diner. On their way to nowhere in particular, Earl, a vampire, and Duke, a werewolf, stop for a sandwich at an off-the-beaten-path diner that may be serving up more than grilled cheese and fries. Their first clue that things might not be as quiet as they appear in dusty Rockwood is the minor zombie nuisance that interrupts their meal. Well, Duke’s meal, that is. Earl had a bite earlier. Loretta, the diner’s proprietor, doesn’t seem to be too upset by the zombies except for the fact that she’s counted 181 of them so far and the local cemetery only has about 100 plots. Duke and Earl decide they had better stick around to see what’s going on.

Meanwhile, Tammy, or Mistress Lilith as Chad (her lone minion in her sadly underpopulated cult) calls her, wants little more than to unleash a few thousand ancient and evil gods upon an unsuspecting world. Can Duke and Earl figure out who is behind all of the strange happenings in Rockwood before Tammy, er… Mistress Lilith, brings about the end of the world? Will Earl fall for the cute ghost who hangs out at the cemetery behind the diner? If the local general store doesn’t carry blue candles for your ritual, will white candles and some blue spray paint do the trick? And just what happened to ol’ Gil anyway? To find out, check it out from the library!

A Little Note About October

2009-10-02T06:42:00.000-07:00

To get into the "spirit" of the month, we're going to be taking a look at a few books with supernatural themes. The LFHS library has quite a large collection of books about vampires, ghosts, and other creatures for you to check out and read.

Not all monsters are scary. Werewolves can be caring, vampires can be charming, and ghosts can be like family. But if you want to be scared, we certainly have those kinds of books, too.

So pull the covers up over your head and turn on the flashlight and get yourself ready for some spooky good times. And that noise coming from outside your door is probably just the cat. Probably.

Jennifer Government

2009-09-21T07:35:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Government by Max Barry

It’s the not-too-distant future and the ideals of a small government, capitalist society have gone to their most extreme. Corporations run mostly unchecked by a government that has little authority to enforce the laws. John Nike has just executed a marketing campaign to generate demand for a new line of shoes. The campaign centers around the murder of several customers, but “that’s just good business” according to John Nike, whose name, like all other characters, reflects the name of the place he works.

Agent Jennifer Government wants to bring John Nike to justice, but her reasons for doing so might go deeper than a simple respect for the law. She and John have something in common. Before she can chase John around the globe, though, Jennifer Government needs to secure funding. In this society law enforcement lacks public support and Jennifer has to ask the family of one of the murder victims to sell their home for money to put together an investigation. At such times it is difficult to like even the “good” characters in the story as they set aside morality to get ahead, but the reader can’t help but cheer them on because the bad guys are so much worse.

In many respects Jennifer Government fits well within the dystopian novel tradition of 1984 and Brave New World. The future is bleak, but bears enough resemblance to current society to make the story believable. Some readers may find the political overtones a bit heavy-handed, but it is those political views that set up Max Barry’s vision of the future and tie the story to our own present. It is how the characters weave themselves in and around the rules of this future that compels the reader along to the end. Just how far will John Nike go to get ahead in his company? Can Jennifer stop him, or is the law too weak to stand in the way of a large corporation? Check it out from the library to see for yourself.

My Two Cents

2009-06-09T14:22:00.001-07:00

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
Book Description: Jennifer Harris, years after being the tormented outsider on the playground, has reinvented herself into Jenna Vaughn, a popular girl with what seems to be the perfect life, but when a childhood friend re-enters her life, she is forced to confront the most traumatic event of her past and question who she really is.

My two cents: Zarr has a way in telling a rich, complex story in a very small amount of pages. Sweethearts is a story of two people: Jennifer aka Jenna and Cameron. Their relationship is hard to explain-more than sister & brother, lovers, friends. I would say they are kindred spirits. Jennifer and Cameron have been childhood friends. One day, Cameron doesn't go to school. Jennifer hears a rumor at school that Cameron has died in an accident, which her mother later confirms. Eight years later, Cameron reappears on Jennifer's birthday. What happened between those eight years? How will Jennifer and Cameron work it out? Interested? Request it for our library!

Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Book Description: In a world where some people are born with extreme and often-feared skills called "graces", Katsa struggles for redemption from her own horrifying Grace of killing and teams up with another young fighter to save their land from a corrupt king.

My two cents: If you are a fan of Meyer's Twilight or Bray's Gemma Doyle Series, then this book is for you. Katsa is a kick butt heroine, who doesn't compromise herself because of what's expected of her in her society. The writing is very strong as well as the character development and themes. The romance was a nice bent to the story. I can't wait to read the next one.
Interested? Request it for our library!

Favorite Books Continued

2009-06-09T14:08:00.000-07:00

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

Juliet Ashton, an author, writes to her publisher expressing her desire to stop covering the aftermath of WWII, but Guernsey farmer Dawsey Adams invites neighbors to write to Juliet with their stories, which puts her off at first but eventually helps her find inspiration for her next book, and her life. Interested?
Request it to our library!

Death Note Series (Vol. 1-12) by Tsugumi Ohba

Light Yagumi comes across a Death Note dropped by a Shinigami death god and vows to use this power to rid the world of evil; but when criminals start dropping dead, the great detective L is sent to track down the killer. Interested? Request it for our library!

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel--a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors. Check it out from our library!

Our Favorite Books that We Read in 2008..Take 1

2008-12-12T09:02:00.000-08:00

It's hard to read every single book from 2008. So, for the couple posts, we are dedicating it to the books that our library staff has read in 2008. Some of these books aren't necessarily copyrighted in 2008, but we love them so much that we wanted to share them with you anyway. Without further ado, here's our favorites:

From the Bottom Up: One man's crusade to clean America's rivers by Chad Pregracke

Chad Pregracke, who took it upon himself to clean up the Mississippi River, and, with the help of others, founded Living Lands and Water, a not-for-profit organization based in East Moline, Illinois.

Check it out from our library!

November's D.E.A.R's Selection

2008-11-24T10:04:00.000-08:00

Thankfully, I had the time to read a lot of titles this month. If you're looking for something to read for this Thanksgiving weekend, take a look at my D.E.A.R.'s selection for this month. Here are my top five for this month, in no particular order, and let me know what you think about them!

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Book Description: In a future world where those between the ages of thirteen and eighteen can have their lives "unwound" and their body parts harvested for use by others, three teens go to extreme lengths to uphold their beliefs--and, perhaps, save their own lives.

My two cents: This book is fantastic and would be an excellent selection for a book club. I had goose-bumps the entire time I read it. There is so much to discuss! The story takes place in the not too distant future. There has been another huge civil war and new laws have been made. The most chilling is the law that states teenagers from the years 13-18 are at risk of being unwound i.e. retroactively aborted and their body parts are distributed to others. This law has been made by both "pro-choice" and "pro-life" teams. The characters are interesting and so is the premise. Questions such as the meaning of life, betrayal, religion, independence, and trust are discussed in the book.

Interested? Check it out!

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

Book Description: After being sold to a cruel couple in New York City, a slave named Isabel has to decide whether or not she is willing to spy for the rebels during the Revolutionary War. Is Isabel willing to do anything in order to set herself and her sister, Ruth, free?

My two cents: I love how Anderson combined the notion of the US struggling for independence from Britain and parallels it to Isabel's personal struggle. It's very ironic to say the least. Anderson is nominated for the National Book Award for YA and she righly deserves the nomination. There will be a sequel to the book called "Forge" and I will definitely be reading it

Interested? Request it for our library!

Spanking Shakespeare by Paul Wizner

Book Description: Shakespeare Shapiro navigates a senior year fraught with feelings of insecurity while writing the memoir of his embarrassing life, worrying about his younger brother being cooler than he is, and having no prospects of ever getting a girlfriend.

My two cents: Fans of the movie "Superbad" will love this book! Shakespeare is the name of a 17 yr old senior in high school. He's trying to survive his last year of school with minimal embarassment and hopefully with a girlfriend. The story is composed of Shakespeare's writing assignment (to write a memoir) and his current musings. It's hiliarious, raunchy at times, and heart warming. A cute, quick read.

Interested? Check it out!

Come and join the LFHS B&B!

2008-11-11T08:43:00.000-08:00

The LFHS B&B (Book and Breakfast) will have it's first book discussion on Dec. 4th at 7:15 am in the Media Center. We will be discussing Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn. As always, breakfast will be served!

Reserve your copy today!

If you love the book, I highly recommend you watch the movie. Michael Cera and Kat Dennings do a fantastic job portraying Nick and Norah. Warning: You may never chew a piece a gum ever again.

Breaking Twilight News!

2008-10-10T06:35:00.001-07:00

Summit Entertainment has released the final trailer of "Twilight" yesterday. This will be the last sneak peek fans will see until the movie, which will be released on November 21st! Mark your calendars! View the trailer from MySpace.com:

In case you didn't know, there has been a hiatus until further notice regarding "Midnight Sun". "Midnight Sun" is essentially the book "Twilight" by from Edward Cullen's point of view. During the summer, Meyer's partial draft of Midnight Sun was linked on the internet. She has posted the partial draft on her website as well as an explaination of what happend. You find all the info here.

This month's D.E.A.R. Selection

2008-10-03T06:28:00.001-07:00

After thinking about what my next blog post should be, I decided that we should have a D.E.A.R. post every month. What's D.E.A.R., you say? The acronym D.E.A.R. stands for Drop Everything And Read. Here are the top 5 books that I think everyone should read for this month, in no particular order:

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Book Description: Budding cartoonist Junior leaves his troubled school on the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend an all-white farm town school where the only other Indian is the school mascot.

My Two Cents: Jr. is the epitome of being an outsider. He didn't fit in his own community at the Spokane Indian Reservation, but also at his new school. He struggles to find his own niche, strengths, and a voice to explain to the reader and himself who he really is. This book has it all: humor, sadness, and ultimate triumph.

Interested? Check it out from our own library!

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Book Description: When high school student Clay Jenkins receives a box in the mail containing thirteen cassette tapes recorded by his classmate Hannah, who committed suicide, he spends a bewildering and heartbreaking night crisscrossing their town, listening to Hannah's voice recounting the events leading up to her death.

My Two Cents: Rarely has a book caught and held my interest right away. 13 Reasons Why kept me thinking long after I completed the book. A mystery surrounding the reasons why Hannah committed suicide gets deeper and complicated as the story progresses. The questions that I keep asking myself after I read Asher's incredible debute novel is: Could Hannah be saved and how? Fans of John Green's Looking for Alaska will really enjoy this realistic, gritty, and provocative book.

Interested? Check it out at our library!

Boy Toy by Barry Lyga

Book Description: After five years of fighting his way past flickers of memory about the teacher who molested him and the incident that brought the crime to light, eighteen-year-old Josh gets help in coping with his molestor's release from prison when he finally tells his best friends the whole truth.

My Two Cents: Unfortunately, the subject of this book isn't new. Lyga did an excellent job in describing Josh's confusion and vulnerability as well as the manipulation of his teacher. The true victim and criminal are cleverly blurred until Josh's epiphany thanks to his best friends who urge him to finally talk about matter. The author was brave enough to write this book and I don't have any doubts that it will be on a banned book list somewhere.

Interested? Check it out from our library!

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

Book Description: After being interrogated for days by the Department of Homeland Security in the aftermath of a major terrorist attack on San Francisco, California, seventeen-year-old Marcus, released into what is now a police state, decides to use his expertise in computer hacking to set things right.

My Two Cents: Little Brother hits close to home in so many ways: the ongoing debate on how to take on the "war of terror" and most importantly, the issue of civilian rights to privacy. How far are willing to give up our own alienable rights in order to be secure? What if the real enemy is our government itself? The technology that Marcus and his friends use is very cool and intricate, but Doctorow does a great job in explaining everything to the common reader. This book is a knockout, especially if you combine it with the terrifying classic 1984 by George Orwell. Be ready to see Little Brother on many book award lists.

Interested? Request this book to our library!

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

Book Description: After a nasty fall, Naomi realizes that she has no memory of the last four years and finds herself reassessing every aspect of her life.

My Two Cents: Naomi is in a predicament. She's trying to remember what happend before the accident. What was she like? Would she want to do anything differently? Is her amnesia a curse or a second chance to really explore her identity? Zevin does a great job in exploring the classic coming of age question of "Who am I?" in a refreshing light. Naomi's amnesia is both metaphorical and literal. She begins to see what is really happening around her. Does becoming a "new" person really mean rejecting one's "past"? Can the two coexist? These questions are the crux of this remarkable novel.

Interested? Check it out from our library!

Coming to Theaters Near You!

2008-09-23T06:45:00.000-07:00

There is a whole slew of books that are being made into a movie. Here are just some that I'm very excited to see:

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

Check the book out from our library!

Harry Potter and the Half Blooded Prince

Check it out from our library!

The Boy in Striped Pyjamas

Check the book out from our library!

The Watchmen

Check the book out from our library!

Breaking Dawn Tour concert in Chicago 8/5/08

2008-08-15T18:19:00.000-07:00

I know that I'm a week late in reporting about the awesome Breaking Dawn Concert/Signing with Stephenie Meyer, but late is better than never, right?

Needless to say, the concert and signing was awesome. It took place on August 5, 2008 at the Harris Theater in Chicago. The event was sold out. Approximately, 1,525 people attended the event. Twilight fans took the place by storm. I don't think Harris Theater expected such a huge turn out. People started to show up as early as 4:30pm, even though the doors of the theater didn't open until 6pm.

Here's what the lines looked like at 4:50pmish and then at 5:30pmish. As you can see, these fans were prepared with home-made t-shirts and their books in hand:

The event was MC'ed by Electra by Q101's Electra. The covers of the books were the background setting of the stage along with a sofa at the center. Electra introduced Justin Furstenfeld, leader singer of Blue October, who played some songs acoustically. Blue October has several songs that are on Stephenie Meyer's playlist for her books. He was fantastic. To be honest, I wasn't a fan of Blue October before the concert, but I definitely wanted to pick up their albums after the concert.

Justin performed the songs that were on the Twilight Saga playlist as well as some unreleased songs from Blue October's upcoming album. After Justin's performance, Electra and Stephenie started the Question and Answer session of the show. A good friend of mine has a transcript of the Q&A in case anyone is interested. Unfortunately, her website is down but I will update the blog with that info. After the Q&A, Stephenie brought out Justin to join her onstage. Stephenie explained the significance of music and how it inspires her to write. Justin played the hit single "Hate Me" and an unreleased title, "My Never", that had me all choked up :

Breaking Dawn Tour coming to Chicago!

2008-06-30T18:05:00.000-07:00

The last installment of the Edward-Bella saga is coming to Bookstores near you on August 2nd! If you can't wait, then I would suggest you to pick up a copy of the Special Edition of New Moon which now has the first, full chapter of Breaking Dawn! Stephenie Meyer will be coming to Chicago on August 5th. I was lucky enough to get tickets after waiting for over 2 hours by the phone and my computer. I hope to take some great pictures to share with you all!

Summer Reading Recommendations

2008-05-16T06:30:00.001-07:00

The end of the year is quickly drawing to a close and you may be wondering what books to read while you soak up the sun and dip your toes into the pool. Well, we've got you covered!

The LFHS library has compiled a list of summer reading recommendations. Just look at our Shelfair widget, located on the right hand side of the blog. In case you have difficulty in viewing the widget, the list can also be found here.

If you're curious to see what the library staff is reading, you can find that here in our Plan to Read list on Shelfari.

Did miss anything that is not on our list? Please let us know by commenting on this post! Just click on the comments link and fill out the fields.

Twilight Movie Exclusive!!!

2008-05-06T06:29:00.000-07:00

This has to be on one of my favorite birthdays yet! The moment all Twilight die-hard fans have been waiting for is getting closer. Yes, you've heard that the amazing, thrilling, romantic novel by the incredible Stephenie Meyer is now come to life. Summitt Entertainment is producing Stephenie Meyer's Twilight. The movie stars Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart as the cross-lovers Edward Cullen and Isabella Swan.

Check out the Official Movie Teaser Trailer below!

The poster is from MTV Movies.

Learn more about the cast and crew from the Twilight movie on the Twilight Lexicon.

Read about the trailer at the MTV Blog.

2009 Abraham Lincoln Award Nominees 2009

2008-05-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

Every year the Illinois School Library Association puts out a list of books that have been selected from a wide audience ranging from students to librarians. Readers read the chosen titles and vote for their favorite book at their school and public libraries. Get a head start on reading them now!

Crank by Ellen Hopkins

Kristina Snow's life is turned upside-down, when she visits her absentee father, gets turned on to the drug "crank", becomes addicted, and is lead down a desperate path that threatens her mind, soul, and her life.

Check it out now!

What Happened to Cass McBride? by Gail Giles

After his younger brother commits suicide, Kyle Kirby decides to exact revenge on the person he holds responsible by buring someone alive.

Check it out!

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson

After he was taken in and nursed back to health by the people of a Pakistani village, he promised to return one day and build them a school. From that rash, earnest promise grew one of the most incredible humanitarian campaigns of our time--Mortenson's one-man mission to counteract extremism by building schools, especially for girls, throughout the breeding ground of the Taliban.

Check it out!

The Girls by Lori Lansens

A fictional autobiography of conjoined twins told by Rose and Ruby Darlen, two young women who, nearing the age of thirty, are about to become history's oldest surviving twins to be joined at the head.

Check it out!

Taken by Chris Jordan

When caterer Kate Bickford's 11-year-old son, Tomas, vanishes after his Little League game in Fairfax, Conn., she races home, hoping to find him. Instead, she discovers a mother's worst nightmare: Tomas has been kidnapped and his kidnapper is Capt. Steve Cutter (former Special Ops), a ruthless liar.

Coming Soon!

Sold by Patricia McCormick

Thirteen-year-old Lakshmi leaves her poor mountain home in Nepal thinking that she is to work in the city as a maid only to find that she has been sold into the sex slave trade in India and that there is no hope of escape.

Check it out!

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

New York City teenager Craig Gilner succumbs to academic and social pressures at an elite high school and enters a psychiatric hospital after attempting suicide.

Check it out!

Peeps by Scott Westerfeld

Cal Thompson is a carrier of a parasite that causes vampirism, and must hunt down all of the girlfriends he has unknowingly infected.

Check it out!

Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

After learning about his magical ancestry and his own warrior powers, sixteen-year-old Jack embarks on a training program to fight enemy wizards.

Coming Soon!

I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak

After capturing a bank robber, nineteen-year-old cab driver Ed Kennedy begins receiving mysterious messages that direct him to addresses where people need help, and he begins getting over his lifelong feeling of worthlessness.

Check it out!

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

After learning that he is the son of a mortal woman and Poseidon, god of the sea, twelve-year-old Percy is sent to a summer camp for demigods like himself, and joins his new friends on a quest to prevent a war between the gods.

Check it out!

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

Sixteen-year-old Mattie, determined to attend college and be a writer against the wishes of her father and boyfriend, takes a job at a hotel in 1906 where the death of a guest renews her determination to live her own life.

Check it out!

Such a Pretty Girl by Laura Weiss

Haunted by flashbacks, fifteen-year-old Meredith learns that three years in prison has not changed the abusive father who molested her.

Coming Soon!

Hawksong by Amelia Atwater Rhodes

In a land that has been at war so long that no one remembers the reason for fighting, the shapeshifters who rule the two factions agree to marry in the hope of bringing peace, despite deep-seated fear and distrust of each other.

Check it out!

Catch by Will Leitch

Teenager Tim Temples must decide if he wants to leave his comfortable life in a small town and go to college.

Check it out!

After the Wreck, I Picked Myself Up, Spread My Wings and Flew Away by Joyce Carol Oates

Blaming herself for the car accident on the Tappan Zee Bridge that killed her mother, fifteen-year-old Jenna undergoes a difficult physical and emotional recovery.

Check it out!

Jennifer Government by Max Barry

Hack, a corporate employee in a future, extraordinarily capitalist, America, is pressured to commit murder as part of his promotion and is soon chased by a government agent--Jennifer Government

Coming Soon!

Dairy Queen by Catherine Murdock

After spending her summer running the family farm and training the quarterback for her school's rival football team, sixteen-year-old D.J. decides to go out for the sport herself, not anticipating the reactions of those around her.

Check it out!

The Bonemender by Holly Bennett

Gabrielle is a bonemender of extraordinary talent. One day a stranger arrives, desperately seeking help for his injured friend. To Gabrielle's wonder, they are Elves, a people not seen in Verdeau in many years. And they bring news of a coming invasion that threatens the freedom of the entire Krylian Basin, Human and Elvish alike.

Check it out!

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Sixteen-year-old Miles' first year at Culver Creek Preparatory School in Alabama includes good friends and great pranks, but is defined by the search for answers about life and death after a fatal car crash.

Check it out!

Raiders Night by Robert Lipsyte

Matt Rydeck, co-captain of his high school football team, endures a traumatic season as he witnesses the rape of a rookie player by teammates and grapples with his own use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Check it out!

The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult

Comic book artist Daniel Stone, a stay-at-home dad with a fourteen-year-old daughter Trixie, and an unfaithful wife, turns a blind eye to Trixie's first broken heart and wife Laura's affair, but the feelings of rage he has buried for years come to the surface when Trixie is raped at a party and accuses her former boyfriend.

Check it out!

11 days to the release of Stephenie Meyer's The Host!

2008-04-24T09:14:00.001-07:00

The author who brought you New York Times Bestseller Twilight Saga, now brings you The Host on May 6th, 2008.

Description from Stephenie Meyer's website:

Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed.

When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Wanderer probes Melanie's thoughts, hoping to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills Wanderer's mind with visions of the man Melanie loves—Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love.

Dying to know more? Read an excerpt from The Host.

Visit the official website for The Host

Watch Border's exclusive interview with Stephenie Meyer!

Check out fan forums for The Host: The Host index and The Host library

Faeries and Fairy Tales

2008-04-15T08:50:00.000-07:00

Did you think that faeries and fairy tales were only for small children? Think again! Discover a new faerie world and revisit old fairy tales with unique twists and turns. Here are our recommendations of books that will make you crave for all things faerie and possibly make you not want to leave the faerie world!

I am Morgan le Fay by Nancy Springer

In a war-torn England where her half-brother Arthur will eventually become king, the young Morgan le Fay comes to realize that she has magic powers and links to the faerie world.

Check it out!

River Secrets by Shannon Hale

Young Razo travels from Bayern to Tira at war's end as part of a diplomatic corps, but mysterious events in the Tiran capital fuel simmering suspicions and anger, and Razo must spy out who is responsible before it is too late and he becomes trapped in an enemy land.

Check it out!

Valiant by Holly Black

17 yr old Valerie Russell runs away to New York City and befriends a group of very unusual characters who live in the city's subway tunnels and soon finds herself bound into service by a troll named Ravus.

Check it out!

The Wishsong of Shannara by Terry Brooks

Allanon, legendary Druid protector of the Races, must seek aid from Brin, a descendant of the Elven king Shannara.
Check it out!

The Witch's Boy by Michael Gruber

A grotesque foundling turns against the witch who sacrificed almost everything to raise him when he becomes consumed by the desire for money and revenge against those who have hurt him, but he eventually finds his true heart's desire.

Check it out!

The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett

Tiffany, a young witch-to-be in the land of Discworld, teams up with the Wee Free Men, a clan of six-inch-high blue toughs, to rescue her baby brother and ward off a sinister invasion from Fairyland.

Check it out!

Spinners by Donna Jo Napoli

A tale of a young tailor who cripples himself while spinning gold thread on a magic wheel to win his beloved's hand. Spurned for his ugliness, he watches her marry the miller and die giving birth to the child he knows is his own. The girl grows up to become a master spinner. Does this sound familiar to you?

Check it out!

The Complete Brother Grimm Fairy Tales edited by Lily Owen

Look no further when it comes to fairy tales. Find out what the real story behind your favorite Disney movies were really all about. Warning: not for the squeamish.

Check it out!

The Complete Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales edited by Lily Owens

Revisit your favorite Hans Christian Andersen story like The Little Mermaid, Thumbelina, and many more!

Check it out!

The Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire

So what was Cinderella really like? Were the stepmother and stepsisters really all that nasty? Find out in this retelling of Cinderella. You may be surprised.

Check it out!

Briar Rose by Jane Yolen

Rebecca Berlin, a young woman who has grown up hearing her grandmother Gemma tell an unusual and frightening version of the Sleeping Beauty legend, realizes when Gemma dies that the fairy tale offers one of the very few clues she has to her grandmother's past.

Check it out!

Breath by Donna Jo Napoli

The setting is the late 13th century. Hamlen and surrounding towns are inflicted with a terrible, incurable disease. Animals are sick and dying and the fear is that humans may be next. What is causing the disease? Maybe it's the rat infestation, but no one is certain of the cause. Hopefully, the new piper that Salz meets can solve the problem.

Check it out!

Tithe by Holly Black

16 yr old Kaye, who has been visited by faeries since childhood, discovers that she herself is a magical faerie creature with a special destiny.

Check it out!

The Blue Girl by Charles de Lint

17 yr old Imogene decides to reinvent herself after moving to a new town with her family. She hopes to leave behind her tough, rebellious nature, befriend the high school outcast and try her best to avoid trouble. However, when she gets on the wrong side of a gang of malicious fairies, Imogene finds herself in more trouble than ever before.

Check it out!

Birdwing by Rafe Martin

Prince Ardwin, known as Birdwing, the youngest of six brothers turned into swans by their stepmother, is unable to complete the transformation back into human form, so he undertakes a journey to discover whether his feathered arm will be a curse or a blessing to him.

Check it out!

Celandine by Steve Augarde

In Somerset, England, during World War I, Celandine becomes involved in the lives of the little people living on a hill near her family's farm, while also coming to terms with her own healing abilities and psychic gifts.

Check it out!

Beauty by Robin McKinley

How far would you go to save your family? That is the question Beauty, a plain-looking, intelligent young woman has to decide when she's confronted to spend her life in the Beast's castle in this retelling of the beloved fairy tale Beauty and the Beast.

Check it out!

I was a Teenage Fairy by Francesca Lia Block

A feisty, sexy fairy helps a young woman heal traumas from her past.

Check it out!

The New Policeman by Kat Thompson

15 yr old musician J.J. Liddy leaves his small, Irish town and travels to the land of the fairies to search for time so he can give it to his busy mother, but when he gets there, he discovers that the inhabitants are in trouble and learns about his family's secret history

Check it out!

Dangerous Angels by Francesca Lia Block

A collection of post-modern fairy tales that chronicle the interwoven lives of Weetzie Bat, her friend Dirk, and their lovers Duck and My Secret Agent Man. A must read for fans of fantasy!

Check it out!

LFHS B&B Presents "American Born Chinese" by Gene Yang

2008-04-10T07:39:00.000-07:00

Join the LFHS B&B (Books and Breakfast) for a great discussion on the Michael Printz award winning graphic novel and National Book Award Honoree, American Born Chinese by Gene Yang, on April 30th, 2008, at 7:15 am. Snacks will be provided. Please join us!

What is a graphic novel?
Read the author's interview from The Trades.
Gene Yang's website.
Looking for suggestions for your next graphic novel? Click here!

More Book Reviews!

2008-04-02T07:41:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Ms. Elliott's Contemporary Literature class for the following Book Reviews!

Outside our capital city, an experienced burglar named Luther Whitney has just finished robbing a multi-million mansion in a very upscale neighborhood. However, as Luther is leaving the house, in which he is certain the owners are gone, he is confronted with a difficult situation where he hears two people coming upstairs. Luther hides out inside a bedroom in which a young man and women come up into. Little did Luther know that this woman would be murdered right in front of his eyes, and there was nothing for him to do to stop it. More shocking is that this isn’t an ordinary person, yet the President of the United States. Luther quickly bolts out of the house and into a world of hide and seek, undecided on what to do. This novel connects three different perspectives of this murder into one great story.

I would recommend reading this story because of the action in the beginning and the suspense reading on. It is a quick read and hard to put down after opening the book. Within the first ten pages, the reader gets thrown into all of the action making this book hard to stop reading on. This is an entertaining book for readers of all types. If you have the time, be sure to read Absolute Power.

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The story of Absolute Power revolves around a brutal murder involving the President of the United States and his attempts to cover it up. While sneaking around with a woman named Christine Sullivan, the two get drunk and he turns abusive. When she almost kills him in self defense, his secret service agents shoot her to death. The crime scene is cleaned up completely, but there’s one hitch: a burglar happened to witness the scene while robbing the house, and he escapes with a key piece of evidence: a letter opener with the blood and fingerprints of both the president and the victim. Now the burglar, named Luther Whitney, has a choice to make: Does he try to get away clean, or does he try to take on the man of the people? Also involved are his daughter, who hates him so much that she became a prosecutor, and a young defense lawyer named Jack, who is currently engaged to a woman he’s not sure he loves.

The book is relatively long, with a slight lull in the action toward the middle, but it’s still exciting overall, and filled with plot twists that keep things interesting. The story also switches between characters at a fairly rapid pace, giving the plot a really rapid, suspenseful feeling. It does drag on a bit, and the ending is very weak, leaving open a lot of loose ends, but I still would recommend it for someone who wants a change of pace.

When I started reading A Hole In My Life, I was skeptical. I had heard of Jack Gantos’ literary prowess as a children’s author, and was not particularly thrilled about the prospect of having to read what in all possibility what could have been a rather interesting and adult plot premise written with a 4th grade reading level in mind, and as events unfolded, my skepticism proved not only well founded but true.

The book follows the misadventures of the book’s author, Jack Gantos. Gantos spares no undue detail in describing his early life (relatively speaking), his movement from the continental US to the Florida Keyes in search of work, and his return back to the mainland without his parents to continue high school ( a move which seems to be a misjudgment on the part of his parents, most noteworthy of which his removed yet protective father). Yet somewhere between when young Jack returns to the island of St. Croix looking for work and when he accepts a deal to transport two tons of hash (or hashish if you want to get particular) directly to New York City by sailboat for the humble sum of $10,000, Gantos loses his sense of detail. Now, this may be because at that particular time, Jack was more likely to be high than, well, doing anything else, and his memory was appt to failure, but that doesn’t make the literary sin of confusing the reader through his own inaction any more forgivable.

It was not often that I found myself confounded as to what was going on because an important detail turned up absent in the story. The lack of detail made the story feel empty, making some plot elements feel rushed and disjointed. I mean, Gantos barely gets off the boat before he’s apprehended by the authorities (which, by the way, was a period of about a week or two) and shipped off for prison. (The funny thing, is in prison, Gantos’ details find their way to the page again, much to the disdain of my rather sensitive stomach. Seriously, I don’t need to hear what the male prisoners do to one another when their together. At night. *shudders*).

I would not recommend this book to anyone really. While I didn’t hate it, I didn’t particularly like it either. While his writing style is more adjusted to children, the subject matter is definitely adult, essentially isolating this book from serious readers. Don’t waste your time.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini takes place in Afghanistan in a span of the past 30 years. It spans over the Russian take-over of Afghanistan, to the Taliban revolution, to American interference in the new millennia. There are two separate stories. One about a young girl named Mariam whose father sends her away to a forced marriage to live in Kabul. Mariam the only bastard child of her fathers eight kids and he is embarrassed of her.

The second story takes place when Mariam is an adult but the focus of the book goes towards a young girl who lives in Kabul named Laila. When war is heavy in Kabul, and their family is just about to leave for Pakistan, a tragic occurrence happens that leaves Laila by herself. She is saved by Mariam and her demeaning husband, Rasheed, where only more troubles come. A Thousand Splendid Suns, although fiction, is filled with historical fact. Hosseini incorporates the history of Afghanistan in great detail, including times and dates of coups, names of those in power, and basically what life would have been like in Afghanistan during times of war. There’s violence, misery, and abuse, and because of the character development, when a character you care for struggles, you feel it.
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A Thousand Splendid Suns is an intriguing novel that shows another dimension into the lives of women who lived in Afghanistan over the past twenty years. The book starts off in the 1970’s following one character on her journey to find out the history behind her parent’s relationship. It then develops to include another character whose family and friends are the center of her life, and what happened when war is found on her doorstep. This book is full of unexpected surprises and a strong emotional connection with the characters. I found that there was a lull in the plot during the middle fifty or so pages, but it was all necessary information that helped build the significance of more monumental moments.

If you are interested with feminism in the Middle Eastern culture, A Thousand Splendid Suns is the book for you. There is an air of mystery when the characters try to develop who they are while trying to not interfere with demeaning and controlling husband. If you are interested in a happy ending, this is also the book for you. Even thought the women in this book are put down time after time, the main characters learn to survive and become the strongest people they can be.

I recently finished the book Upstate, by Kalisha Buckhanon, and was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it. In this book, a seventeen year old, troubled teen from Harlem, Anthony, finds himself in an extremely undesirable position. Accused and convicted for the murder of his father, he is sentenced to spend what should have been the best ten years of his life behind bars. Through this hardship, he keeps close contact with his girl friend, Natasha, through various letters to and from each other. Upstate explores the ultimate test of commitment. Their love for one another is tested daily as they attempt to maintain the closeness of the relationship they had grown fond of. With Natasha’s life moving forward and Anthony’s in a stand still, they fight to maintain the connection they have grown accustomed to.

Upstate brings you through their sorrows and triumphs, one letter at a time. The style in which this book is written in allows you to really connect with the characters. Written in solely letters and the typical Harlem argot, readers subconsciously are able to relate and have an understanding of each character’s distant personally, dialect, and train of thought. Each letter inspired and dictated by the intensity of both the situation and the emotions that it brings, I found myself relating and caring about each character. With questions and situations presented by both sides of the relationship, you will find yourself turning the pages quickly to discover more and more about their lives, and what will become of them. Although you probably will not relate to a life in a penitentiary or living on welfare, a connection will be established with the universal emotions brought about in relationships, commitment, and the never ending task of growing up.

I highly recommend reading this book. It’s style and plot is much different than most books I have read, and I thoroughly enjoyed straying from the traditional style of books read in school. Readers do not need to worry about depicting underlying meanings or hidden messages, or even understanding the plot of the story. The story does contain much depth and a very powerful message, but also is a great source for the pure enjoyment of reading.

Red Scarf Girl is a story told by Ji-li, a twelve year old girl who experiences the affects of China’s Cultural Revolution. At first it appears to offer many opportunities for Ji-li, until a background check reveals her dead Grandfather used to be a landlord. After that Ji-li and her family are labeled a threat to the success of the Cultural Revolution. Throughout the book she struggles with fitting in with those who view her as a lower class as well as being happy for who she is and where she came from.

While the author wrote the book as an adult, her writing style for the book makes it appear like the journal of a twelve year old. Due to this fact, it is evident that she intended her audience to be in the sixth and seventh grade. Yet at the same time, the reader, regardless of age, can feel the fear she experiences while her house is being searched and the arrest of her father. It is a wonderful book to read in order to gain small knowledge about the Cultural Revolution and how it greatly affects the life of a child.

I am America (and so can you) is a modern satire written by Stephen Colbert touching on many current and controversial events. This book is written from the view point of Stephen’s ultra-conservative character on Comedy Central’s the Colbert Report. Colbert tells us of his radical views of homosexuality, sports, science, and many other topics, all of which form a perfect mix of hilarity and offensive views.

Its no secret, this book wasn’t really written by someone who actually believes this, and it wasnt written by someone who just thinks this is amusing. Stephen Colbert and all the creative minds behind his character have found some idiosyncrasies with modern life and they point them out by exaggerating them. By blowing right-wing antics far out of proportion, it both serves to amuse and to inform.

Overall, this book was easy to read, consistently light hearted and very amusing (for a teenaged guy). This book is a must read for any fan of Colbert’s show, and good book for everyone else looking for a different sort of book to read.

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I thought that I Am America (And So Can You!), by Stephen Colbert, was a great book. Each page had numerous funny jokes. The chapters consisted of Stephen Colbert’s opinions on many different topics, some including religion, family, sports, homosexuals, and the media. The book was so funny it made me want to keep reading the next chapter. Although Stephen Colbert’s views are very humorous, they are also very logical. I really enjoyed reading his book and I suggest it to anyone who wants a funny, enjoyable, and not too long read.

Fresh off the Book Carts...Take One!

2008-03-13T11:50:00.001-07:00

Our library just a slew of new books. Here's a first crack at the brand new books! Enjoy!

An Island Like You by Judith Ortiz Cofer

Twelve stories about young people caught between their Puerto Rican heritage and their American surroundings.

Check it out!

Red Spikes by Margo Lanagan

Ten stories that take place in worlds not quite our own and yet each one illuminates what it is to be human.

Check it out!

Reservation Blues by Sherman Alexie

One day legendary bluesman Robert Johnson appears on the Spokane Indian reservation, in flight from the devil. When he passes his enchanted instrument to Thomas-builds-the-fire a magical odyssey begins.

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The Perfect Shot by Elaine Marie Alphin

Brian uses basketball to block out memories of his girlfriend and her family who were gunned down a year ago, but the upcoming murder trial and a high school history assignment force him to face the past and decide how far he should go to see justice served.

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Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

After finally getting noticed by someone other than school bullies and his ever-angry father, seventeen-year-old Tyler enjoys his tough new reputation and the attentions of a popular girl, but when life starts to go bad again, he must choose between transforming himself or giving in to his destructive thoughts.

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Demon in My View by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Seventeen-year-old Jessica Allodola discovers that the vampire world of her fiction is real when she develops relationships with an alluring vampire named Aubrey and the teenage witch who is trying to save Jessica from his clutches.

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Funny Little Monkey by Andrew Auseon

Arty, an abnormally short fourteen-year-old boy, enlists the help of a group of students, known at school as the "pathetic losers," to take revenge against his abusive, tall fraternal twin brother.

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The Sari Shop by Rupa Bajwa

When Ramchand is sent to a new part of the city to show wares to a wealthy family preparing for their daughter's wedding, he gets a glimpse into a different world.

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The Ghost Road by Pat Barker

The Ghost Road is the culminating masterpiece of Pat Barker's towering World War I fiction trilogy. The time of the novel is the closing months of the most senselessly savage of modern conflicts. In France, millions of men engaged in brutal trench warfare are all "ghosts in the making.".

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Harley Like a Person by Cat Bauer

Fourteen-year-old Harley, an artistic teenager living with her alcoholic father and angry mother, suspects that she is adopted and begins a search for her biological parents.

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My Lost and Found Life by Melodie Bowsher

When her mother is accused of embezzling a million dollars and vanishes, spoiled, selfish Ashley must fend for herself by finding a job and a place to live.

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Evolution, Me and Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande

Following her conscience leads high school freshman Mena to clash with her parents and former friends from their conservative Christian church, but might result in better things when she stands up for a teacher who refuses to include "Intelligent Design" in lessons on evolution

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The Last Summer of You and Me by Ann Brashares

Alice and her older sister Riley have been coming to their parent's vacation home on Fire Island all their lives, but things change the summer Alice turns twenty-one and their island neighbor and friend Paul, who has been away several years, returns to sell his family's house and finally act on his attraction to Alice.

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Lucky T by Kate Brian

Carrie gets upset when her mother gives her lucky T-shirt to Help India. Now to stop her bad luck, she only has to travel around the world to get her lucky shirt back. No problem, right?

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Sophie by Guy Burt

Matthew's search for answers about his childhood and his family lead him to kidnap his own sister and demand she reveal what she knows, no matter what the cost is.

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Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card

Alvin, the seventh son of a seventh son, is born with a destiny to become something great, perhaps even a Maker.

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Dragon's Keep by Janet Kee Carey

In 1145 A.D., as foretold by Merlin, fourteen-year-old Rosalind, who will be the twenty-first Pendragon Queen of Wilde Island, has much to accomplish to fulfill her destiny, while hiding from her people the dragon's claw she was born with that reflects only one of her mother's dark secrets.

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Daniel Half Human by David Chotjewitz

In 1933, best friends Daniel and Armin admire Hitler, but as anti-Semitism buoys Hitler to power, Daniel learns he is half Jewish, threatening the friendship even as life in their beloved Hamburg, Germany, is becoming nightmarish.

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One whole and perfect day by Judith Clarke

As her irritating family prepares to celebrate her grandfather's eightieth birthday, sixteen-year-old Lily yearns for just one whole perfect day together.

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One Mississippi by Mark Childress

When Daniel Musgrove's troubled family moves to Mississippi just before his junior year, he is appalled. On top of the usual teenage humiliations, he now has to learn to say "y'all" and "Co-Cola" or risk being ostracized as a Yankee. But Daniel's loneliness fades when he meets fellow outsider Tim Cousins. They commit a small crime that grows larger and larger, and threatens to engulf the whole town.

Check it out!

Foe by J.M. Coetzee

Susan Barton, having lived for over a year on a desolate island with fellow castaways Crusoe and his mute servant Friday, approaches author Daniel Foe upon her safe return to England to write of her adventures, but he sees a very different truth in her story.

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I, Tituba by Maryse Condé

From the warm shores of Barbados in the seventeenth-century to the harsh realities of the slave trade, and the cold customs of Puritanical New England, Tituba, the only black victim of the Salem witch trials, recalls a life of extraordinary experience and mystical powers.

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Bass ackwards and belly up by Liz Craft and Sarah Fain

When one of four best friends lies and says she will pursue her dream of writing a novel rather than start college, two others join in, one by going to Los Angeles to become an actress and one by backpacking through Europe to find herself, while the fourth goes to college, joins her hero's ski team, and tries to fall in love.

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Storm Thief by Chris Wooding

With the help of a golem, two teenaged thieves try to survive on the city island of Orokos, where unpredictable probability storms continually change both the landscape and the inhabitants.

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Poison by Chris Wooding

When Poison leaves her home in the marshes of Gull to retrieve the infant sister who was snatched by the fairies, she and a group of unusual friends survive encounters with the inhabitants of various Realms, and Poison herself confronts a surprising destiny.

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Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini

Badly in need of self-confidence and a change of image, high school nerd Jeremy Heere swallows a pill-sized super computer that is supposed to help him get whatever he wants.

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Off the Books by Sudhir Venkatesh

The author takes the reader into Maquis Park, a poor black neighborhood on Chicago's Southside, to explore the desperate, dangerous, and remarkable ways in which a community survives. We find there an entire world of unregulated, unreported, and untaxed work, a system of living off the books that is daily life in the ghetto.

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Gang Leader For a Day by Sudhir Venkatesh

The story of the young sociologist who studied a Chicago crack-dealing gang from the inside captured the world's attention when it was first described in Freakonomics.

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Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson

One man's campaign to build schools in the most dangerous, remote, and anti-American reaches of Asia.

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Heroin Diaries by Nikki Sixx

The co-founder of the rock band Mötley Crüe presents a candid account of his own descent into the hell of drug addiction, describing the impact of heroin on his life and the band.

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Cromartie High School by Eiji Nonaka

Takashi Kamiyama enters Cromartie High, where he struggles to fit in with the school's tough student body, and turns to a book to help him adjust to his new environment, but the book's advice causes more harm than good.

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God's Bits of Wood by Sembene Ousmane

A fictionalized account of the workers' strike against the Dakar-Niger railway in West Africa in 1947-48

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You'll be Okay by Edie Kerouac-Parker

Edie Kerouac-Parker chronicles her relationship with Jack Kerouac, discussing how they met and fell in love, the years they lived together in New York, their friendships with other prominent figures in literature, and other related topics.

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Save Me from Myself by Brian "Head" Welch

Former lead guitarist of Korn Brian "Head" Welch discusses his experiences touring with the band and his addiction to drugs, and provides insight into his journey to seek a higher power and how his newfound Christian beliefs have changed his life.

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The Red Azalea by Anchee Min

Red Azalea is Anchee Min’s celebrated memoir of growing up in the last years of Mao’s China. At seventeen, she was sent to work at a labor collective. Miraculously selected for the film version of one of Madame Mao’s political operas, Min’s life changed overnight.

Check it out!

Book Reviews!

2008-03-05T09:10:00.000-08:00

Page Turner is very happy to present student book reviews!

Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

Dexter, just an ordinary lab rat working for the Miami police department’s blood spatter unit. Wrong! Living a double life has never been so easy, Dexter Morgan seems like an average guy but that’s where things turn different. He is a murderer on the side, killing people he believes truly deserves it. The author Jeff Lindsay creates twists and turns throughout the book to keep you guessing. If your interested in books that become television shows, Dexter is airing on Show-time and CBS. Have you ever wondered what the people you’re around all the time do in their free time? If you’re into thrilling mysteries, then Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay is the book for you.

Reviewed by Jonathan Perellis

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Eat Pray Love is a story about a woman in her mid-thirties who has just been through a depression, a backfiring rebound romance, and a severe bout of depression. After deciding to make a fresh start for herself, she embarks on a journey to Italy, India, and Indonesia. In Italy she learns the art of pleasure, indulging herself in both the rich language and food. Then in India she learns the art of devotion. She enables herself to sit for hours at a time, clearing her mind and contemplating how both her troubled past and her hopeful future. In Indonesia she learns the art of balance, and sees how to juggle both pleasure and devotion while staying true to herself. She learns that life must be lived and not calculated every step of the way. She learns the same thing about love, in that love must be unexpected and is something that just happens, not always for a reason. Love is not something that can be controlled, and neither is life- these lessons are very crucial to the main character’s discovery of herself. The author's sarcastic form of writing and the honesty in her voice make you want to savor every second you have while reading the book.

Reviewed by: Lindsey Faucher and Lauren Geschke

A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer

This is a very sad autobiography about a little boy’s struggle to survive the abuse of his alcoholic mother. He is brutally beaten, starved and ostracized from society from the age of four up until his rescue at the age of twelve. The rest of the world didn’t realize what was happening on account of the mother’s clever lies to cover up the truth. The truth was better covered because of David’s near perfect childhood as well. His mother was a loving woman who slipped into alcohol eventually dragging his father into the addictive drug as well. His father, once David’s hero, became a frail coward allowing his son to continue to be a target of abuse. As this happened in the 70s, it was not something common and not something to make a big deal about. David was a part of the third worst child abuse case recorded in California history and thanks to his teachers, who eventually made a big deal about it, David was saved. He was able to escape his mother’s wrath and live a normal, but somewhat scarred, life. Lost Boy and A Man Named Dave are continuations of his story into adulthood sharing David’s stories of foster care and learning to find the love of a family. Although this is a very graphic book, it’s a very touching story showing you that you have a lot to appreciate. We really recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick but moving read.

Reviewed by: Kathryn Bro, Amanda Mattson, and Kristen Decker

When the world was steady by Claire Messud

This book displays the relationship between two estranged sisters. Each sister has their issues and handles them separately. The book takes place in three places: Bali, London and the Isle of Skye. Emmy Simpson goes to Bali in the search to find herself after her husband leaves her for her best friend. Her sister, Virginia Simpson lives In London with her mom Melody Simpson. Her mom is losing her mind, she doesn’t like to leave the house anymore ever, a basket that she lowers down to the street is her only outside communication. Melody and Virginia also take a trip to the Isle of Sky and many interesting things happen between the two. In the end the two sisters increase their communication and better their relationship.
This book in general is not a great one. It has had great reviews; however we did not enjoy this book in the least. The story really has no point, nothing is resolved in the end, and it is really frustrating to read. The plot is truly lost on the reader and the detail is overly rich.

Reviewed by: Amanda Jimenez, Brielle DeFlippis, and Caroline Kurzydlo

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

We read the murder mystery by Gillian Flynn called Sharp Objects. This book was riveting and often disturbing. The plot has several twists to it regarding a journalist returning to her home town where two murders have recently taken place. The journalist, Camille, in more ways than one, becomes a detective. For Camille and her twisted family these murders hit close to home. We both thought this book was a very addicting read and had trouble putting it down. At times it can be scary and disturbing but remained enthralling all the while. We would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good, quick read.

Reviewed by: Corey Sharman and Kylie Barrie

Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

A girl who just turned 15, who the novelist refers to as Alice, keeps a diary of her everyday observant life, from her first crush to her dad getting a new college professing career that starts on a fresh page of her life in a new state. As she struggles through her new school to fit in, as every teenage girl would do, she attends a party were she unknowingly begins her winding path of destruction. I definitely recommend this book for high schoolers mainly, because young teens can relate their lives to the many different obstacles she induces. The novel’s themes of peer pressure, vulnerability, coming of age, and many more allow the reader to connect with Alice and relate her struggles to their own whether or not it be and LSD addiction or experiencing a new school atmosphere. We highly recommend this heart-wrenching tale of a girls’ life she can’t control.

Reviewed by: Mareena Good and Libby Jaekel

Snow Falling on Cedars by David Gutterson

Snow Falling on Cedars takes place on a small island off the Northwest Coast. One morning, a fisherman named Carl Heine is found dead, drowned next to his fishing boat. The accused is a Japanese-American named Kabuo Miyamoto.

From information given on the back of the book, I started reading this book with the impression that it would be a courtroom drama.
How wrong I was.
While the main plot itself takes place over a couple of days and follows the court proceedings, the real meat of the book is in flashbacks. These flashbacks explain the lives of all the main characters, their childhood years, and in some cases even begin to delve into their parents’ lives.

The flashbacks serve the purpose of illustrating the characters’ motivations and desires. From a narrative point of view, they drag the book down. As a reader, I wanted to know whether or not Kabuo actually was the murderer, not intimate backstory about the defendant’s mother.

The narrative could be described as “calming and beautiful,” but it really feels more like “meandering” and “listless.” It goes nowhere fast, instead it arbitrarily scrolls from flashback to flashback, most of which aren’t even in chronological order. By the later chapters, I was ready to just skip to the last chapter and find out the ending and be done with the book. I was convinced that this author wanted to torture me with slogging through backstory. Even the ending was completely unsatisfying in light of what I had to suffer through to get to it.

It can’t be called a courtroom drama because it lacks the drama. It can’t be called a murder mystery, because most of the book doesn’t even take place in the “present.” It can’t be called a slice-of-life story about the characters, because their situation often feels contrived and a little too convenient. One thing that does happen is a lot of commentary on racism, particularly with the Japanese internment during WWII.

In conclusion, while the writing itself isn’t bad, the lack of a coherent narrative and the writer’s preference for flashbacks over advancing the plot really drag this book down. If you’re looking for a slow, quiet, relaxing book, you may want to pick this up. If you’re looking for an interesting, engaging read, I suggest you look somewhere else.

Memoirs..Take Two

2008-02-25T06:52:00.000-08:00

There are just too many great memoirs that we wanted to share with you. Enjoy!

Finding Fish by Antwone Quenton Fisher

Antwone Fisher tells the story of his life, from his birth to a prison inmate to his success as a screenwriter in Hollywood, discussing his childhood and teen years in foster homes, his stint in the Navy, his attempts to find his mother and father, and the determination that led him to create the life of his dreams.
Check it out!

The Tender Bar by J.R. Moehringer

The author presents his memoirs of growing up without his father and finding himself looking for male role models among the regulars at Publicans, a Manhasset, Long Island, bar.

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Bad Boy by Walter Dean Myers

Award winning YA author, Walter Dean Myers, describes his childhood in Harlem in the 1940s and 1950s, discussing his loving stepmother, his problems in school, his reasons for leaving home, and his beginnings as a writer.

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Lost in Place by Mark Salzman

You thought you were weird? You've seen nothing yet! This humrous memoir tells the tale of how author, Mark Salzman, who tried to rise above the everyday normalcy of his childhood.

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Soldier by Jordan June

Poet June Jordan chronicles the first twelve years of her life and discusses how her experiences during those years influenced her writing.

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Wasted by Marya Hornbacher

The author reflects on her fourteen-year battle with bulimia and anorexia, discussing how the eating disorders have affected her life from childhood through the present day.

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Prozac Nation by Elizabeth Wurtzel

A personal memoir of Elizabeth Wurtzel's breakdowns, suicide attempts, hospitalizations, and her battle with depression.

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The Nazi Officier's Wife by Edith Hahn Beer

Edith Hahn tells how she survived the Holocaust, first by going underground, using a Christian friend's identity papers, and eventually marrying Werner Vetter, a Nazi Party member who knew she was Jewish.

Check it out!

A Hope in the Unseen by Ron Suskind

Follows gifted African-American student Cedric Jennings from his crime-infested high school in Washington D.C. to his junior year at Brown University, discussing the problems he encountered along the road out of the ghetto.

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The Lost Childhood by Yehuda Nir

Describes six years in the life of a daring and resourceful Polish Jewish boy and his family, who survived the Holocaust by using false papers and posing as Catholics.

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The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

The author recalls her life growing up in a dysfunctional family with an alcohol father and distant mother and describes how she and her siblings had to fend for themselves until they finally found the resources and will to leave home.

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When a Crocodile eats the sun by Peter Godwin

Peter Godwin recounts the experiences he had after returning to his birthplace in Zimbabwe to be with his dying father, and shares his impressions of the country and the political and social changes that have thrown it into a vortex of brutality and hatred.

Check it out!

Barefoot Heart by Elva Trevino Hart

The author, born in south Texas to Mexican immigrants, provides an account of her life growing up in a family of migrant farm workers, and tells how she overcame the disadvantages of her youth to attend college and earn a master's degree in computer science/engineering.

Check it out!

Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy

Lucy Grealy describes her journey to find physical beauty after surgery left her face disfigured.

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Autobiography of a Schizophrenic Girl by Renee

A translation from French of the memoir of a young woman named Renee, who began suffering from schizophrenia at age five, and an interpretation of Renee's experiences by her analyst, Marguerite Sechehaye.

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Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

The author chronicles his impoverished childhood in Limerick, Ireland, in the 1930s and 1940s, describing his father's alcoholism and talent for storytelling; the challenges and tragedies his mother faced, including the loss of three children; and his early experiences in the Catholic church, and balances painful memories with humor.

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A Long way gone by Ismael Beah

Ishmael Beah describes his experiences after he was driven from his home by war in Sierra Leone and picked up by the government army at the age of thirteen, serving as a soldier for three years before being removed from fighting by UNICEF and eventually moving to the United States.

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My Losing Season by Pat Conroy

The author reflects on his days at a South Carolina military college. He recalls his love of basketball and its value to him as a means of self-expression, and shares experiences that shed new light on his novel "The Great Santini."

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Wild Swans by Jung Chang

Memoir of three Chinese women, Jung Chang, her mother, and her grandmother in twentieth-century China.

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Hello, America by Livia Bitton-Jackson

The author tells the story of how she and her mother came to New York City in 1951 to try to leave the horrors of the Holocaust behind, but found it harder than they expected to fit into this "new world."

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Funny in Farsi by by Firoozeh Dumas

Firoozeh Dumas recounts the experiences she had after her family moved from Iran to Southern California, discussing how her family adapted to life in America.

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My Life in and out of the rough by John Daly

Presents the author's first-hand account of his experiences as a professional golfer, providing information on his family life, his addictions, and his accomplishments.

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Bowman's Store by Joseph Bruchac

A memoir in which the author describes his upbringing in his grandparent's home where he was loved, nurtured, and encouraged, and tells how he came to fully claim his Abenaki heritage in spite of the fact that his grandfather never admitted to being Native American.

Check it out!

Memoirs...Take One

2008-02-14T06:39:00.000-08:00

Peek inside the lives of others with these riveting memoirs from all walks of life.

Dry by Augesten Burroughs

When he was 13, Augusten Burroughs' mother gave him away to her lunatic psychiatrist, who adopted him. Now he has established a life for himself as a high-paid advertising hotshot in Manhattan where he hides from his haunting past in a martini glass.

Check it out!

Not Fade Away by Ben Fong-Torres

Rock reporter Ben Fong-Torres reflects on the experiences he had while studying the rock and pop culture of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.

Check it out!

Forgotten Promise by Gretchen Kreuter

Relates the author's experiences trying to improve racial and gender agendas at a small midwest college in the face of violence, threats, and disorder.

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The Burn Journals by Brent Runyon

Presents the true story of Brent Runyon, who at fourteen set himself on fire and sustained burns over eighty percent of his body and describes the months of physical and mental rehabilitation that followed as he attempted to pull his life together.

Check it out!

Truth & Beauty by Ann Patchett

Ann Patchett describes her friendship with Lucy Grealy, author of "Autobiography of a Face," and their commitment to each other for twenty years, from graduate school in Iowa to literary fame in New York City.

Check it out!

Warriors don't cry by Melba Beals

A riveting true story of an embattled teenager who paid for integration with her innocence. Beals chronicles her harrowing junior year at Central High where she underwent the segregationists' brutal organized campaign of terrorism which included telephone threats, vigilante stalkers, economic blackmailers, rogue police, and much more.

Check it out now!

Catch me if you can: the amazing true story of the most extraordinary liar in the history of fun and profit by Frank W. Abagnale

Former con man Frank Abagnale, an authority on financial foul play, tells stories of the adventures he had while living the high life as a criminal.

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The Blue Bear: a true story of friendship, tragedy, and survival in the Alaskan wilderness by Lynn Schooler

A memoir in which wilderness guide Lynn Schooler, having chosen a solitary life due to adolescent scoliosis and the death of a woman he loved, shares the story of his decade-long friendship with Japanese photographer Michio Hoshino with whom he embarked on a quest to photograph the rare and elusive glacier bear.

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Rolling with the Stones by Bill Wyman

More than three thousand photos fill this journal-style memoir in which the Rolling Stones' Bill Wyman chronicles his life and that of the famous band, up to his official departure from their ranks in 1993.

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Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen

The author describes her two-year stay at a psychiatric hospital renowned for its famous clientele and for its progressive methods of treatment.

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Sickened by Julie Gregory

The author describes her life as the daughter of a woman afflicted with Munchausen by proxy, a form of child abuse in which a parent, most often a mother, invents or induces illness in a child in order to gain attention from medical professionals, tells how she was able to save herself, and discusses her efforts to have another young girl removed from her mother's care.

Check it out!

Coming soon to LFHS B&B...

2008-02-06T09:42:00.000-08:00

Jodi Picoult's rivetting Nineteen Minutes.

Reserve your copy today!

Written in Verse

2008-01-30T08:37:00.001-08:00

Are you tired of reading the same old, same old? Do you want to try something new? How about reading novels in verse? The following books are written in a free-verse format. You can read them separately as a poem or read them together as a story.

Crank by Ellen Hopkins

Kristina Snow's life is turned upside-down, when she visits her absentee father, gets turned on to the drug "crank", becomes addicted, and is lead down a desperate path that threatens her mind, soul, and her life.

Check it out!

Heartbeat by Sharon Creech

Annie ponders the many rhythms of life the year that her mother becomes pregnant, her grandfather begins faltering, and her best friend (and running partner) becomes distant.

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Who Killed Mr. Chippendale? by Mel Glenn

A murder mystery told in free verse poems, describing the reactions of students, colleagues, and others when high school teacher Mr. Chippendale, loved by some, hated by others, is shot as the school day begins.

Check it out!

Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes

While studying the Harlem Renaissance, students at a Bronx high school read aloud poems they've written, revealing their innermost thoughts and fears to their formerly clueless classmates.

Check it out!

Stop Pretending by Sonya Sones

A younger sister has a difficult time adjusting to life after her older sister has a mental breakdown.

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The Brimstone Journals by Ron Koertge

In a series of short interconnected poems, students at a high school nicknamed Brimstone reveal the violence existing and growing in their lives.

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Keesha's House by Helen Frost

Seven teens facing such problems as pregnancy, closeted homosexuality, and abuse each describe in poetic forms what caused them to leave home and where they found home again.

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Witness by Karen Hesse

A series of poems express the views of various people in a small Vermont town, including a young black girl and a young Jewish girl, during the early 1920s when the Ku Klux Klan is trying to infiltrate the town.

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Learning to Swim by Ann Turner

A series of poems convey the feelings of a young girl whose sense of joy and security at the family's summer house is shattered when an older boy who lives nearby changes her life forever.

Check it out!

Burned by Ellen Hopkins

Seventeen-year-old Pattyn, the eldest daughter in a large Mormon family, is sent to her aunt's Nevada ranch for the summer where she temporarily escapes her alcoholic, abusive father and finds love and acceptance, only to lose everything when she returns home.

Check it out!

One of those hideous books where the Mother dies by Sonya Sones

Fifteen-year-old Ruby Milliken leaves her best friend, her boyfriend, her aunt, and her mother's grave in Boston and reluctantly flies to Los Angeles to live with her father, a famous movie star who divorced her mother before Ruby was born.

Check it out!

Jump Ball by Mel Glenn

Tells the story of a high school basketball team's season through a series of poems reflecting the feelings of students, their families, teachers, and coaches.

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Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff

Fourteen-year-old LaVaughn, trying to earn the money for college, takes a job caring for the two children of Jolly, a single teenage mom, and must find the courage to make the right decision for all of them after Jolly is fired.

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True Believer by Virginia Euwer Wolff

Living in the inner city amidst guns and poverty, fifteen-year-old LaVaughn learns from old and new friends, and inspiring mentors, that life is what you make it--an occasion to rise to.

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Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson

Inspired by his teacher, Lonnie begins to write about his life in a series of poems in which he discusses his feelings about his friends, his foster mom, his little sister Lili, and the death of his parents.

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Split Image by Mel Glenn

A series of poems reflect the thoughts and feelings of various people-- students, the librarian, parents, the principal, and others-- about the seemingly perfect Laura Li and her life inside and out of Tower High School.

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Hard Hit by Ann Turner

A rising high school baseball star faces his most difficult challenge when his father is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

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Impulse by Ellen Hopkins

Three teens who meet at Reno, Nevada's Aspen Springs mental hospital after each has attempted suicide connect with each other in a way they never have with their parents or anyone else in their lives.

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What my mother doesn't know by Sonya Sones

Sophie describes her relationships with a series of boys as she searches for Mr. Right.

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What my girlfriend doesn't know by Sonya Sones

Artistic fourteen-year-old Robin Murphy is so unpopular at high school that his name is slang for "loser," so when he begins dating the beautiful and popular Sophie, her reputation plummets.

Check it out!

LFHS B&B Presents...

2008-01-24T09:07:00.000-08:00

Rock Star SuperStar by Blake Nelson

Join us in the library on Feb. 5th, 2007 at 7:15 AM for some great discussion and snacks!

Destination Chicago...Take Two

2008-01-14T07:55:00.000-08:00

The City of Chicago has so much to offer that we didn't think it would be fair for the city to just have one blog post. If your reading knack is nonfiction, then this post is just for you! Chicago has a very rich culture and history. We're sure that you would find something interesting to read. Here are our recommendations for sports, history, true crime, ghost stories, and more:

The Alchemy of Bones: Chicago's Luetgert murder case of 1897 by Robert Loerzel

Chronicles the 1897 Chicago case of Louise Luetgert, whose husband, Adolph, was charged with her murder, despite the fact that no body was ever found, examining the trial itself, the media attention surrounding it, police efforts to solve the case, and the reason the story was so widely followed.

Check it out!

In life, first you kick ass: reflections on the 1985 Bears and wisdom from Da Coach by Mika Ditka

So what if we didn't make it to the playoffs this year? We've always got next year. Plus we've always got the 1985 Bears to remember, right? Read the Da Coach's first-hand account as he leads the 1985 Chicago Bears to a Super Bowl victory, and his recollection about the players, coaches, games, and life.

Check it out!

My Bloody Life: the Making of a Latin King by Reymundo Sanchez
Why do people join gangs? What do they get out of being a gang memeber? The author explains it all in this gritty memoir. His early life in Puerto Rico, the story of how he became involved with the Latin Kings in Chicago, and talks about how the gang changed over the years from heroes representing the struggle for Latino equality to cold-blooded murderers. This book is hard to put down and hard to forget. Don't forget the sequel: Once a King, Always a King.

Check it out!

To Sleep with the Angels: The story of a fire by Cowan David

Tells the story of the fire that occurred at Our Lady of the Angels School in Chicago in December 1958, claiming the lives of 92 children and 3, and precipitating a complete overhaul of school fire safety laws in the United States. Includes interviews with survivors of the fire, and discussion of the rumors and evidence about how it started.

Check it out!

Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago by LeAlan Jones and Lloyd Jones

Two young men raised in the Chicago ghetto tell what life is like for the residents of the city's housing projects in their own words.

Check it out!

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

In this classic and break-through play, a African-American middle-class family are concerned with the tensions living in Chicago.

Check it out!

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the fair that changed America by Erik Larson

Tells the parallel stories of Daniel Burnham, the main architect of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, and serial killer Henry H. Holmes, discussing the challenges Burnham faced in creating the hugely successful White City, and looking at how Holmes used the opportunities afforded by the fair to lure victims to their deaths.

Check it out!

The St. Valentine's Day Massacre: The Untold Story of the Gangland Bloodbath that brought down Al Capone by William Helmer

Was Al Capone really involved with the hit on George "Bugs" Moran's gang or was it a cover up by the police? Read this book to find out what really happend on that fateful Valentine's Day of 1929.

Check it out!

There Goes the Neighborhood: Racial, ethnic, and class tensions in four Chicago neighborhoods and their meaning for America by William Wilson

Examines four working and-lower-middle-class Chicago neighborhoods including African American, white ethnic, Latino, and one in transition in order to understand how and why urban residents react to racial, ethnic, and class changes.

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Chicago Days: 150 Defining Moments in life of a great city by the Staff of the Chicago Tribune

A chronological profile of memorable events in the history of Chicago, discussing politics, sports, entertainment, business, history, and the arts in the Windy City from the publication of the first issue of the "Chicago Tribune" in 1847 to the opening of the Museum of Contemporary Art in 1996.

Check it out!

Muldoon: a True Chicago Ghost Story by Rocco Facchini

Muldoon: A True Chicago Ghost Story dives into Father Rocco’s four-year saga at Saint Charles, where his spiritual undertaking becomes a worldly adventure. His supporting cast includes a housekeeper inappropriately involved in her pastor’s affairs, and a genius–priest who carries a gun, thwarts neighborhood crime, and teaches Rocco about "loving the poor." And there’s the pastor himself. He padlocks the refrigerator, guides young priests only in the weekly ritual of Bingo, and entangles Rocco in the dirty work of a fraudulent shrine.
As a backdrop to this chaos, the rectory experiences a host of supernatural manifestations, and Rocco discovers the legend of Bishop Peter J. Muldoon. Are there clues in this story of early stardom and great achievement, clerical competition and revenge, accusations and scandal, a missing ring, excommunication, and possibly murder that explain why the unexplainable is happening all around him?

Check it out!

There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing UP in the other America by Alex Kotlowitz

What is it like living in Cabrini Green? The author explores the life in an inner city Chicago housing project discussing the residents' daily encounters with neighborhood violence, drugs, and gangs.

Check it out!

Bog Logan's Fables from Chicago sports: Cubs, Bulls, Bears and other animals by Bob Logan

Veteran Chicago sportswriter Bob Logan offers an insider's glimpse at the Cubs, White Sox, Bears, Bulls, and other professional sports teams, their players, coaches, and fans.

Check it out!

A Theater of Our Own: A History and Memoir of 1,001 Nights in Chicago by Richard Christiansen

Presents a comprehensive study of over one hundred seventy years of the Chicago theater world beginning in the 1830s drawing upon historical records, interviews, and personal memories.

Check it out!

Chicago Haunts: Ghostlore of the Windy City by Ursula Bielski

From ruthless gangsters to restless mail order kings, from the Fort Dearborn Massacre to the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, the phantom remains of the passionate people and violatile events of Chicago history have made the Second City second to none in the annals of American ghostlore.

Check it out!

Destination: Chicago...Take One

2008-01-10T10:08:00.000-08:00

Explore the City of Chicago! Don't waste your money on gas or stand in the cold for the train. Take a stroll down the streets of Chicago with these mysteries, thrillers, graphic novels, and historical fiction.

Blackbird Singing by Jay Amberg

World-famous basketball player Robert "Sky" Walker and small-town detective Tom Hopkins are caught up in an increasingly dangerous web of violence, media mania, and massive egos, when Walker's nine-year-old daughter is kidnapped by a madman who wants fame more than he wants money.

Check it out!

Native Son by Richard Wright

Trapped in the poverty-stricken ghetto of Chicago's South Side, a young African-American man finds release only in acts of violence.

Check it out!

Caramelo by Sandra Cisneros

Celaya "Lala" Reyes, traveling from Chicago to Mexico City each summer, draws together stories of her Mexican-American family of shawl-makers, including her papa and Awful Grandmother.

Check it out!

Chicago Noir by Neal Pollack (Editor)

A collection of short stories by various authors that explore the rougher side of Chicago and the experiences of its residents.

Check it out!

Death In Uptown by Michael Raleigh

Private investigator Paul Whelan and a city cop comb Uptown Chicago for a murderer.

Check it out!

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

Depicts the conditions of the Chicago stockyards through the eyes of a young Lithuanian immigrant struggling in early-twentieth-century America.

Check it out!

The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard

Beth Cappadora finds herself in the midst of every parent's nightmare when her three-year-old son vanishes without a trace from a Chicago hotel lobby, throwing Beth, her husband Pat, and their son Vincent into a turmoil that ravages their lives.

Check it out!

Coffee will make you black by April Sinclair

The story of an African-American woman growing up on the South side of Chicago in the turbulent 60s as she tests the limits of racism and refuses to accept the fact that just because she is African American she is inferior.

Check it out now!

Chicks with sticks by Elizabeth Lenhard

Four teenage girls from very different social cliques at their progressive Chicago high school become friends after forming a knitting club.

Check it out!

The Bishop and the missing L train by Andrew Greeley

When Auxiliary Bishop Gus Quill, and the train he was riding on, seem to vanish into thin air, it is up to Bishop Blackie Ryan to find out what happened to the train and its passengers.

Check it out!

I sailed with Magellan by Stuart Dybek

Presents eleven intertwined fiction stories in which narrator Perry Katzak presents a portrait of his life growing up in the 1950s and 60s in the neighborhoods of Chicago's South Side.

Check it out!

Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser

The driving forces of our culture -- restless idealism, glamorous material seductions and spiritual innocence -- are revealed in Dreiser's transformation of the conventional "fallen woman" story into a genuinely original work of imaginative fiction.

Check it out!

Hardball by Barbara D'Amato

Cat Marsala, a freelance journalist, is thrust into danger when a bomb explodes next to her at the University of Chicago.

Check it out!

Flight Dreams by Michael Craft

In order to save his career, investigative journalist Mark Manning must prove his hunch that a missing heiress is alive. At the same time, his denial of his sexual orientation is shattered when he finds himself attracted to a visiting architect.

Check it out!

Chicago Confidential by Max Allan Collins

Private-eye Nathan Heller finds himself being tracked by the FBI after they begin the first congressional inquiry into organized crime and realize that Nathan may know where more than a few of the bodies are buried.

Check it out!

Jackson Park by Charlotte Carter

It is the Spring of 1968. After the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., the city of Chicago is a powder keg ready to explode. Against this tense backdrop, there is Woodson and Ivy Lisle, an elegant couple living in a shabby chic apartment hotel in Cook County’s Hyde Park. Both are proud patriarchs of a large, extended family, which includes their twenty-year-old grandniece, Cassandra, a college student standing at the crossroads— and on the brink of a troubling mystery involving the missing granddaughter of an old family friend. Fearing for the girl’s safety, Woody, Ivy, and Cassandra begin a determined investigation. What they uncover is a chilling link to an old murder case. Now a shattering secret of the past threatens all who try to expose it.

Check it out!

A Killing Frost by Michael Black

Private detective Ron Shade agrees to help Maria Castro find her friend Juanita's missing fiance, but when the missing fiance is found dead in the river, Maria, whom Ron has become romantically involved with, refuses to let Ron turn the case over to the police, causing Ron to wonder if Maria is more involved than she has admitted.

Check it out!

The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow

Describes the life of Augie March, a poor Chicago boy growing up during the Depression, and his search for a career.

Check it out!

The Beast of Chicago: an account of the life and crimes of Herman W. Mudgett by Rick Geary

A graphic novel account of the life and grisly career of serial killer H.H. Holmes, particularly focusing on his life in Chicago, where he was responsible for an unknown number of deaths in the late nineteenth century.

Check it out!

Leavin' Trunk Blues by Ace Atkins

Nick Travers heads to Chicago, where he investigates the murder of blues producer Billy Lyons, but he soon learns that some people will go to any lengths to keep the events surrounding his death a secret.

Check it out!

Nerdfighting Lives On!

2008-01-04T06:33:00.001-08:00

Brotherhood 2.0, the fantastic video blog created by Brothers John and Hank Green, has come to an end. John Green is the award winning author of "Looking for Alaska" and "The Abundance of Katherines" and Hank Green runs the environmentalist website Ecogeek. The brothers decided to communicate only through videos for the entire year of 2007.

Feeling B2.0 withdrawls already? Don't fret! Nerdfighters can still come together on their self-titled website. Now you can communicate with nerdfighters from around the world. Don't' forget to be awesome, Nerdfighters!

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

2007-12-27T12:00:00.000-08:00

When the wind is howling and the snow is falling, there is nothing better than cuddling in a comfy sofa with a warm blanket and a cup of hot cocoa in one hand and a book in another. Take a sneak peak at what the LFHS library staff is reading over Winter Break:

The Road to Perdition by Max Allan Collins

Rock Island, Illinois -- 1929. Michael O'Sullivan is a good father and a family man...and also the chief enforcer for John Looney, the town's Irish Godfather of crime. As Looney's "Angel of Death," O'Sullivan has done the bidding of Chicago gangsters Al Capone and Frank Nitti as well -- but when a gangland execution spells tragedy for the O'Sullivan family, a grieving father and his adolescent son find themselves on a winding road fo treachery, revenge, and revelation.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and, ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.

My Dark Places by James Ellroy

In 1958, when James Ellroy was 10 years old, his mother's body was found in a run-down town near Los Angeles. The murderer was never found; the case remains unsolved. This remarkable book--part unflinching autobiography, part vivid reportage--tells an extraordinarily gripping story about the failed murder investigation, uncovering Ellroy's daring, revelatory journey into and through his most forbidding memories.

Necessary Noise: Stories About Our Families as They Really Are
Ed. by Michael Cart

A girl is terrified of her older sister's dual personality. A boy adjusts to his life with two mothers. A father visits his son on death row. These are stories of today's families as they really are. Noted anthologist Michael Cart has asked celebrated young adult authors the question "What does 'family' mean today?" The ten resulting stories provide illuminating -- and surprising -- answers. Here family is defined by the connections between all kinds of people -- and the necessary noise they make.

What are you reading during the winter break?

Best Books for Teens 2007

2007-12-17T15:10:00.000-08:00

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) has prepared the Best Books for Young Adults 2007 list. Teens, publishers, authors, and librarians selected this list of recommended books.

Clay by David Almond

The developing relationship between teenager Davie and a mysterious new boy in town morphs into something darker and more sinister when Davie learns firsthand of the boy's supernatural powers.

Check it out!

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing: Traitor to the Nation by M.T. Anderson

Various diaries, letters, and other manuscripts chronicle the experiences of Octavian, a young African American, from birth to age sixteen, as he is brought up as part of a science experiment in the years leading up to and during the Revolutionary War.

Check it out!

The Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks

Two brothers, sons of an incarcerated gypsy, leave London traveling to an isolated and desolate village, in search of the brutal killer of their sister.

Check it out!

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

High School student Nick O’Leary, member of a rock band, meets college-bound Norah Silverberg and asks her to be his girlfriend for five minutes in a order to avoid his ex-sweetheart.

Check it out!

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Isolated from friends who believe the worst because she has not been truthful with them, sixteen-year-old Annabel finds an ally in classmate Owen, whose honesty and passion for music help her to face and share what really happened at the end-of-the-year party that changed her life.

Check it out!

Grease Monkey: A Tale of Growing Up in Orbit by Tim Eldred

Junior spacecraft mechanic Robin Plotnik arrives at the "Fist of Earth" flagship for his first job to learn he will be assisting brilliant mechanic Mac Gimbensky, who also happens to be an eight hundred-pound gorilla, but despite misgivings, they hit it off and between maintaining the fighter craft for the all-woman Barbarian Squadron, the two friends find their own path in the universe.

Check it out!

Firebirds Rising: An Anthology of Original Science Fiction and Fantasy. Edited by Sharyn November

A collection of sixteen short science fiction and fantasy stories by some of your favorite authors such as Tamora Pierce and Diana Wynne Jones.

Check it out!

Alphabets of Dreams by Susan Fletcher

Exiled form their home country because of their father’s plot against King Phraates, fourteen yr old Mitra and five yr old Babak, who are of royal descent, live as beggars until it is discovered that the boy can tell the future through his dreams, and the magus Melchoir and two other Zoroastrian priests take the children with them to Bethlehem to witness the coming of a new king.

Check it out!

The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs by Jack Gantos

A young woman named Ivy, who made a shocking discovery in her small western Pennsylvania town when she was seven years old and learned a surprising secret nine years later, questions whether she has inherited the Rumbaugh curse of having excessive love for one's mother.

Check it out!

What Happened to Cass McBride? by Gail Giles

After his younger brother commits suicide, Kyle Kirby decides to exact revenge on the person he holds responsible.

Check it out!

Saint Iggy by K.L. Going

Iggy Corso, who lives in city public housing, is caught physically and spiritually between good and bad when he is kicked out of high school, goes searching for his missing mother, and causes his friend to get involved with the same dangerous drug dealer who deals to his parents.

Check it out!

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Having been recently dumped for the nineteenth time by a girl named Katherine, recent high school graduate and former child prodigy Colin sets off on a road trip with his best friend to try to find some new direction in life while also trying to create a mathematical formula to explain his relationships.

Check it out!

Surrender by Sonya Hartnett

As he is dying, a twenty-year-old man known as Gabriel recounts his troubled childhood and his strange relationship with a dangerous counterpart named Finnigan.

Check it out!

Over a Thousand Hills I Walk With You by Hanna Jansen

Jeanne, the only member of her family not murdered in the Rwandan genocide, struggles to start a new life without her family while coping with the violent memories that haunt her.

Check it out!

Accidents of Nature by Harriet McBryde Johnson

Having always prided herself on blending in with "normal" people despite her cerebral palsy, seventeen-year-old Jean begins to question her role in the world while attending a summer camp for children with disabilities.

Check it out!

Devilish by Maureen Johnson

Jane Jarvis, a senior at a Catholic girl's school in Providence, Rhode Island, tries to save her best friend by making a pact with a demon.

Check it out!

Side Effects by Amy Goldman Koss

Everything changes for Isabelle, not quite fifteen, when she is diagnosed with lymphoma--but eventually she survives and even thrives.

Check it out!

The Girls by Lori Lansens

A fictional autobiography of conjoined twins told by Rose and Ruby Darlen, two young women who, nearing the age of thirty, are about to become history's oldest surviving twins to be joined at the head.

Check it out!

Sold by Patricia McCormick

Thirteen-year-old Lakshmi leaves her poor mountain home in Nepal thinking that she is to work in the city as a maid only to find that she has been sold into the sex slave trade in India and that there is no hope of escape.

Check it out!

Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City by Kirsten Miller

Life becomes more interesting for Ananka Fishbein when, at the age of twelve, she discovers an underground room in the park across from her New York City apartment and meets a mysterious girl called Kiki Strike who claims that she, too, wants to explore the subterranean world.

Check it out!

Wait for me by An Na

As her senior year in high school approaches, Mina yearns to find her own path in life but working at the family business, taking care of her little sister, and dealing with her mother's impossible expectations are as stifling as the southern California heat, until she falls in love with a man who offers a way out.

Check it out!

Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Through journal entries sixteen-year-old Miranda describes her family's struggle to survive after a meteor hits the moon, causing worldwide tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.

Check it out!

Terrier by Tamora Pierce

When sixteen-year-old Beka becomes "Puppy" to a pair of "Dogs," as the Provost's Guards are called, she uses her police training, natural abilities, and a touch of magic to help them solve the case of a murdered baby in Tortall's Lower City.

Check it out!

King Dork by Frank Portman

High school loser Tom Henderson discovers that "The Catcher in the Rye" may hold the clues to the many mysteries in his life.

Check it out!

A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life by Dana Reinhardt

Sixteen-year-old atheist Simone Turner-Bloom's life changes in unexpected ways when her parents convince her to make contact with her biological mother, an agnostic from a Jewish family who is losing her battle with cancer.

Check it out!

Just in Case by Meg Rosoff

Convinced that fate is out to get him, fifteen-year-old David Case assumes a new identity in the hope of avoiding what he believes is certain doom.

Check it out!

The Foreshadowing by Marcus Sedgwick

Having always been able to know when someone is going to die, Alexandra poses as a nurse to go to France during World War I to locate her brother and to try to save him from the fate she has foreseen for him.

Check it out!

Knights of the Hill County by Tim Tharp

In his senior year, high school star linebacker Hampton Greene finally begins to think for himself and discovers that he might be interested in more than just football.

Check it out!

Twice Told: Original Stories Inspired by Original Artwork. Illustrated by Scott Hunt

Presents nine drawings by a single illustrator, each of which has been translated into a story by two different authors writing about what they imagine is going on in the picture.
Check it out!

Trigger by Susan Vaught

Jersey Hatch must piece his life back together after attempting to commit suicide.

Check it out!

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

New York City teenager Craig Gilner succumbs to academic and social pressures at an elite high school and enters a psychiatric hospital.

Check it out!

Skin by Adrienne Maria Vrettos

When his parents decide to separate, eighth-grader Donnie watches with horror as the physical condition of his sixteen-year old sister, Karen, deteriorates.

Check it out!

The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin

Seventeen-year-old Matthew recounts his attempts, starting at a young age, to free himself and his sisters from the grip of their emotionally and physically abusive mother.

Check it out!

Blind Faith by Ellen Wittlinger

While coping with her grandmother's sudden death and her mother's resulting depression and fascination with a spiritualist church, whose ministers claim to communicate with the dead, fifteen-year-old Liz finds herself falling for a new neighbor whose mother is dying of cancer.

Check it out!

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

Alternates three interrelated stories about the problems of young Chinese American trying to participate in the popular culture.

Check it out!

The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak

Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel--a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors.

Check it out!

The 9/11 Report: a graphic adaptation by Sid Jacobsen and Ernie Colón

A graphic novel adaptation of "The 9/11 Commission Report," the results of the investigation of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

Check it out!

What is your favorite book that you've read in 2007? Do you agree with this list? Why or why not?

Field Trip!

2007-12-11T09:11:00.000-08:00

After a great book discussion on Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass, the LFHS B (Books) & B (Breakfast) went to see the movie of the same title on Friday, December 7th, 2007. It's a given fact that when a book comes to the silver screen, that there will be changes in the story. The Golden Compass isn't an exception. The critics are split when it comes to the movie. Read the following reviews: Chicago Tribune, New York Times, and Entertainment Weekly.

Due to the book's religious controversy, the director of the movie decided to take out the controversial material. Do you think the director succeeded? What did you think of the movie? Did it change the message of the book and its sequels? Would you recommend it?