tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26265892252765399942024-03-18T22:29:44.151-06:00Book ReivewsStacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701047226779356451noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2626589225276539994.post-57593731110917337212014-01-28T08:22:00.002-07:002014-01-28T08:22:55.411-07:00Roar of a Snore<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5JG-Ygex5PwfZO2GRhhl6LvSYjdWsSoaV478ZJScUNiSXSy7-ZWvjp-JSMSGZ6MAdgzTvMkgi5sonbmx8K2MR3ucxOwOpQRI2DGlucWurpXe4OFH45tI_3OKwSdQzOSfuVedlreb18WZ/s1600/Screen+shot+2014-01-28+at+8.21.45+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5JG-Ygex5PwfZO2GRhhl6LvSYjdWsSoaV478ZJScUNiSXSy7-ZWvjp-JSMSGZ6MAdgzTvMkgi5sonbmx8K2MR3ucxOwOpQRI2DGlucWurpXe4OFH45tI_3OKwSdQzOSfuVedlreb18WZ/s1600/Screen+shot+2014-01-28+at+8.21.45+AM.png" height="320" width="241" /></a></div>
Roar of a Snore<br />
By Marsha Diane Arnold<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">All the Huffles are fast asleep, except for Jack. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">He heard a noise that rocked the floor. He heard a noise that shook the door. Jack heard . . . a snore!</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"> Just who is making this racket? Unable to sleep, Jack and his dog go searching. It must be Mama Gwyn, whose huffs and puffs set her curlers spinning, but when Jack wakes her . . . the snore roars on! And so it goes with Baby Sue, the twins, Papa Ben, even the farm animals. At last the Huffles follow their ears toward a surprising culprit.</span>Stacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701047226779356451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2626589225276539994.post-83103437714333258492014-01-11T19:40:00.001-07:002014-01-11T19:40:29.640-07:00My Lucky Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsxf1pZacH1v2OOlfg6UxMS42D9bJjgo61Y7E_zT34x0kgTNuAfPyxFFlqe6baiiTLBEMHUK6coBXiFnecXchSwVard6HYnWwK56ATpqtSeFcYiqucYiuTmW8k8cR-0F4ei-GUqFIOZSCV/s1600/Screen+shot+2014-01-11+at+7.39.00+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsxf1pZacH1v2OOlfg6UxMS42D9bJjgo61Y7E_zT34x0kgTNuAfPyxFFlqe6baiiTLBEMHUK6coBXiFnecXchSwVard6HYnWwK56ATpqtSeFcYiqucYiuTmW8k8cR-0F4ei-GUqFIOZSCV/s1600/Screen+shot+2014-01-11+at+7.39.00+PM.png" height="320" width="254" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My Lucky Day </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">By <span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 19px;">Keiko Kasza</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">When a delicious-looking piglet knocks on Mr. Fox's door "accidentally," the fox can hardly believe his good luck. It's not every day that dinner just shows up on your doorstep. It must be his lucky day! Or is it?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Before Mr. Fox can say grace, the piglet has manipulated him into giving him a fabulously tasty meal, the full spa treatment (with bath and massage), and . . . freedom.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In a funny trickster tale of her own, Kasza keeps readers guessing until the surprise ending when they'll realize it was piglet's lucky day all along.</span></div>
Stacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701047226779356451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2626589225276539994.post-21578612222963894422014-01-09T15:14:00.003-07:002014-01-09T15:18:19.008-07:00God Bless Your Way<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX7bJfdpHRjkVtajwp9qUR__mBUKDU3aa0fOyd_-7zvtF8yYFdfGWc-WMqASdQG7xCi7ticvqTAHRxRbNcdkE-XcYcw0pMT462zg9i8q3mZkGaDz8g5JcZ1xIgHkUdtEfb__SZAFyUW9tn/s1600/Screen+shot+2014-01-09+at+3.12.43+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX7bJfdpHRjkVtajwp9qUR__mBUKDU3aa0fOyd_-7zvtF8yYFdfGWc-WMqASdQG7xCi7ticvqTAHRxRbNcdkE-XcYcw0pMT462zg9i8q3mZkGaDz8g5JcZ1xIgHkUdtEfb__SZAFyUW9tn/s1600/Screen+shot+2014-01-09+at+3.12.43+PM.png" /></a></div>
God Bless Your Way<br />
By Emily Freeman, Music by Hillary Weeks, Illustrated by Dan Burr<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.390625px;">Based on the song by Hilary Weeks. Mary and Joseph weren't the only ones turned away from the inn at Bethlehem. In this new Nativity story, a widower named Micah travels the crowded road to return to the town of his birth. Just in front of him a young woman, heavy with child, rides in the back of a donkey. Her husband leads the way, walking slowly to make the ride smoother. Every so often the young woman turns toward Micah, offering gentle words of encouragement as he hobbles along behind them. And each time they stop for water, she makes sure that her husband offers Micah a sip. When they arrive at Bethlehem, Micah and the young couple go their separate ways. Micah wearily wanders the streets for shelter, a place to eat, and some way to fill his loneliness. Although he doesn't receive what he wants, he does receive what he needs--a warm quilt, a loaf of bread, and in the end, an invitation to come inside a small stable.</span>Stacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701047226779356451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2626589225276539994.post-43363831814899163462014-01-09T15:09:00.001-07:002014-01-09T15:09:37.882-07:00Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHVInifKysimXuULgkNBjiSalSVTZyYQ_AVGvqV17uAXjtA8jpWK1w2jXQzxgFcBVfPSRxxB1Xw-HbMHfohA-yx5qSfy56AnPfQ_f_r95ykGs0auVxzx82iJAui58MQzySa6721S-CfehV/s1600/Screen+shot+2014-01-09+at+3.04.56+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHVInifKysimXuULgkNBjiSalSVTZyYQ_AVGvqV17uAXjtA8jpWK1w2jXQzxgFcBVfPSRxxB1Xw-HbMHfohA-yx5qSfy56AnPfQ_f_r95ykGs0auVxzx82iJAui58MQzySa6721S-CfehV/s1600/Screen+shot+2014-01-09+at+3.04.56+PM.png" height="320" width="260" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.390625px;">Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect<br />By Richard H. Schneider</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.390625px;">Long, long ago, in a land far away, lived a perfect little tree named Small Pine. Small Pine hoped to maintain its perfect form and be selected by the Queen as her Christmas tree. But as the warm-hearted little tree gave shelter to birds, rabbits, and deer in the forest, its branches became damaged. Fortunately, the Queen had a different idea of perfection...</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.390625px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.390625px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.390625px;">Young readers will want to read and reread the story of how Small Pine's love and charity for its friends helps make it the most "perfect" Christmas Tree of all.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.390625px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.390625px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.390625px;">This magnificently illustrated story of a warm-hearted Christmas tree will surely become one of the most beloved classics of future generations. Schneider's storytelling will enthrall children and adults alike.</span>Stacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701047226779356451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2626589225276539994.post-36440441067746336582012-08-28T11:34:00.002-06:002012-08-28T11:34:32.914-06:00Read to Tiger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Read to Tiger</div>
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By R. W. Alley</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6I9GdV3SXkihRpxFsjBhyIGsxl8x_Xaf50Ovxa92eDBJENukPtJYyN9kjsSd3BIzz6c7q_YxEZjFE_k2COiG1FYjq6T6jUvSPjyY-_AYGE_4vzXLRN0KcxQeLwqT63UmJbD_MK4ZpM8zv/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-08-28+at+11.29.41+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6I9GdV3SXkihRpxFsjBhyIGsxl8x_Xaf50Ovxa92eDBJENukPtJYyN9kjsSd3BIzz6c7q_YxEZjFE_k2COiG1FYjq6T6jUvSPjyY-_AYGE_4vzXLRN0KcxQeLwqT63UmJbD_MK4ZpM8zv/s320/Screen+shot+2012-08-28+at+11.29.41+AM.png" width="246" /></a> A young boy tries to read his book but he can't read because the tiger is being loud. My personal favorite, "I sit on the couch and try to read. But I CAN'T read because there is a tiger behind my couch pretending to be a bear." In the end he realizes the best way to get the tiger to let him read is if he reads to Tiger.</div>
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A great story for older siblings who are annoyed by younger siblings (even if it's not specifically about reading.) Lots of sound effects - great for reading aloud!</div>
<br />Stacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701047226779356451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2626589225276539994.post-48482511277707629142010-10-07T09:17:00.003-06:002014-01-09T15:11:38.204-07:00A Crooked Kind of PerfectBy Linda Urban<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHbQ_WwvBiJDQ2uO0rfo4iknwzx6RM6ptLrkqNhTRxsBlI6biuftgiRjwLqMiemHtKKbsh5QgFneDU5OKk62JSz0vPArKfh_BBeuNy1Xrro_XG-sD51bo9DnccfAuINGieMzeWWGKL5SSi/s1600/Picture+5.png"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHbQ_WwvBiJDQ2uO0rfo4iknwzx6RM6ptLrkqNhTRxsBlI6biuftgiRjwLqMiemHtKKbsh5QgFneDU5OKk62JSz0vPArKfh_BBeuNy1Xrro_XG-sD51bo9DnccfAuINGieMzeWWGKL5SSi/s320/Picture+5.png" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525323730300476098" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 214px;" /></a>11 year old Zoe Elias dreams of playing a piano in Carnegie Hall. All she needs is a piano. The problem is that her dad gets her a "wheeze-bag" organ rather than a piano. And her teacher doesn't call her a prodigy. And her dad has anxiety attacks when he leave the house. And her mom is a workaholic who can't take her to the Perform-O-Rama. Nothing seems to be going right - but perhaps having things a little unperfect might just be the best way.<br />
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A fun, easy read. Good for kids and adults.Stacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701047226779356451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2626589225276539994.post-42525578610746455262010-10-06T22:33:00.003-06:002010-10-06T22:36:02.735-06:00Some cool new thingsI just added a search bar to my blog - in the left hand column. Now you can search this blog for anything you might be interested in. Type in a name or partial name of a book and it will come up. That is SOO cool!<br /><br />Also, I'm going to add tabs - to make things a little easier to read. There are too many things on this first page to read at one time.<br /><br />Anyway - that's it for the cool stuff for now.Stacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701047226779356451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2626589225276539994.post-86528098465754332502010-10-06T21:56:00.004-06:002010-10-06T22:04:53.852-06:00The Red PyramidBy Rick Riordan<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYAmfbXZeRSEv06jjuSrhsUaYVpNY7Ta-2_abbfpio5IQmvKQ5UlZvf7sYkcc_cA6hzx1tgihbeMaDRjRoekUj-B_o-CxP6u0MH6U4p39xke_7KIX8q8KRekK41Ei0EBsS5StEf5pwyEkS/s1600/Picture+4.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 198px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYAmfbXZeRSEv06jjuSrhsUaYVpNY7Ta-2_abbfpio5IQmvKQ5UlZvf7sYkcc_cA6hzx1tgihbeMaDRjRoekUj-B_o-CxP6u0MH6U4p39xke_7KIX8q8KRekK41Ei0EBsS5StEf5pwyEkS/s320/Picture+4.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525148409114571698" border="0" /></a> Carter, 14, and Sadie, 12, (brother and sister) have grown up apart. He has traveled all over the world with his Egyptologist father, Dr. Julius Kane, while Sadie has lived in London with their grandparents. Their mother passed away under mysterious circumstances, so when their father arrives in London and wants to take them both on a private tour of the British Museum, all is not necessarily what it seems. The evening ends with the apparent destruction of the Rosetta Stone, the disappearance of Dr. Kane, and the kidnapping of Carter and Sadie. More insidiously, it leads to the release of five Egyptian gods, including Set, who is their mortal enemy. Carter and Sadie discover the secrets of their family heritage and their ability to work magic as they realize that their task will be to save humanity from Set, who is building a destructive red pyramid inside Camelback Mountain in Phoenix.<br /><br />This book is written as an audio recording that both children made. Occasionally they interrupt the story with a quip to their sibling. Funny book and full of Egyptian history.<br /><br />*Warnings: Some swearing - mainly Sadie - who grew up in London and uses the English swear words.Stacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701047226779356451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2626589225276539994.post-1391098945684185652010-08-24T13:21:00.002-06:002010-08-24T13:24:33.975-06:00Four Seasons in Rome:<h1 style="font-weight: normal;" class="parseasinTitle"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span id="btAsinTitle" style="">On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World</span></span></h1>Anthony Doerr<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgusKog_j7ze1Oag_TdrmVFHpcSOx_6ivd4l3nQmRZQ-EGBm6wrZAiClcqVe-ihtpLVEUcEx5_drLF4gbXkDAmVrSEUVcJwu2vzT_iHCjx63mFarl-JFmpWyoq-1WL3O1SI7riDv-cOnK/s1600/Picture+2.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 172px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgusKog_j7ze1Oag_TdrmVFHpcSOx_6ivd4l3nQmRZQ-EGBm6wrZAiClcqVe-ihtpLVEUcEx5_drLF4gbXkDAmVrSEUVcJwu2vzT_iHCjx63mFarl-JFmpWyoq-1WL3O1SI7riDv-cOnK/s320/Picture+2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509058713985112850" border="0" /></a><br />The recipient of an American Academy fellowship, Doerr, his wife, and their twin newborns are on their way to Rome for a year. Cultural isolation, the death of John Paul II, struggles to complete a novel, and the tales of first-time parenthood uniquely blend together as Doerr meanders his way through a one-year Roman holiday. Along the way, he meets Romans quick to praise his twins, Romans quick to prejudge an American, and Romans happy to share the secrets of their city with him.<br /><br />Doerr is a poet. He tells things as they really are and yet puts them in a very lyrical sense. A fun, relatively quick read.Stacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701047226779356451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2626589225276539994.post-17739098559471520552010-08-18T23:53:00.004-06:002010-08-18T23:59:51.569-06:00Beyond the Blue<span style="font-weight: bold;">Leslie Gould</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ZX4xNse376fgpv3sj-crOf7ynj1heU4Aqdf41PpJVo8kEwCmJkOlE46nqZYO8mT9hDv9n1tibbj4KUVT_7J83jkLfHYmrCwG2mP3XTL6MpAlKWLVInUZIfZ-ccWBGglzlR4LznrkxO9q/s1600/Picture+9.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 194px; height: 297px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ZX4xNse376fgpv3sj-crOf7ynj1heU4Aqdf41PpJVo8kEwCmJkOlE46nqZYO8mT9hDv9n1tibbj4KUVT_7J83jkLfHYmrCwG2mP3XTL6MpAlKWLVInUZIfZ-ccWBGglzlR4LznrkxO9q/s320/Picture+9.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506995167187977826" border="0" /></a><br />Genevive loses her mother in 1975 due to a plane crash during the Vietnam war. At nearly the same time a young lady named Lan is learning to understand the effect of war (poverty) is having on her family. As these two grow older the book follows both of their stories that intertwine in a miraculous way through international adoption.<br /><br />This is one of my new favorite books. It was well written and very hard to put down. The people in the book are Christian but this book would not be defined as preachy. This book is also not sappy. Perhaps it is a bit slow through the middle while they are waiting for paperwork to be signed for adoption - but it seems natural. It is a very touching and moving book.Stacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701047226779356451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2626589225276539994.post-41059251982004790482010-08-18T23:38:00.004-06:002010-08-19T00:13:42.055-06:00Dairy Queen and The Off Season<span style="font-weight: bold;">Catherine Gilbert Murdock</span><br /> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSuYmy6_srYJZDAy_nLipwt3ueUbvvgAy49TToNc74yA_N-tL3WUNhAkkxH1ToUc5k80JAaEBg3oHofxxRadzAJhIY3rSkFKbQNTbBMWPehCGRKar-ip0d0KR2MPlCgMBIJeRY0PpsNPzB/s1600/Picture+7.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 98px; height: 145px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSuYmy6_srYJZDAy_nLipwt3ueUbvvgAy49TToNc74yA_N-tL3WUNhAkkxH1ToUc5k80JAaEBg3oHofxxRadzAJhIY3rSkFKbQNTbBMWPehCGRKar-ip0d0KR2MPlCgMBIJeRY0PpsNPzB/s320/Picture+7.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506982878417814834" border="0" /></a>After her father is injured, 15-year-old D.J. Schwenk takes over the lion's share of work on her family's small Wisconsin dairy farm. Between milking cows, mucking out the barn, and mowing clover, this erstwhile jock takes on training Brian, the rival high school's quarterback. A monster crush and a tryout for her own school's football team ensue. D.J., a charming if slightly unreliable narrator, does a good deal of soul-searching while juggling her grinding work schedule, an uncommunicative family, and a best friend who turns out to be gay. Savvy readers will anticipate plot turns, but the fun is in seeing each twist through D.J.'s eyes as she struggles with whether she really is, as Brian puts it, like a cow headed unquestioningly down the cattle shoot of life. Wry narration and brisk sports scenes bolster the pacing, and D.J.'s tongue-tied nature and self-deprecating inner monologues contribute to the novel's many belly laughs. At the end, though, it is the protagonist's heart that will win readers over.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdLT0qYZou-Pk2MmFtxrWpWalyxrxFnbZuUxNwGIsaZ26f35h26fNdK1JNnNwBCgOTY8wf0dGot25Bh0wR27nFG-GaKusw-70oBqux4njz8D0dZuS24DME_uRuTK3kVRCXxJl3BKxteVJN/s1600/Picture+8.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 107px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdLT0qYZou-Pk2MmFtxrWpWalyxrxFnbZuUxNwGIsaZ26f35h26fNdK1JNnNwBCgOTY8wf0dGot25Bh0wR27nFG-GaKusw-70oBqux4njz8D0dZuS24DME_uRuTK3kVRCXxJl3BKxteVJN/s320/Picture+8.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506982885278790130" border="0" /></a> This sequel to Murdock's <i>Dairy Queen</i> (Houghton, 2006) catches readers up with narrator D.J. Schwenk as she hits her stride in her junior year of high school. She's playing linebacker for her high school football team, hanging out with Brian (the rival high school's quarterback), earning passing grades, and pulling her weight on her family's struggling dairy farm. But "a whole herd of trouble" is coming her way. First, D.J. and, by extension, Brian become the unwitting subjects of a <i>People</i> magazine article. Then D.J. suffers a shoulder injury that threatens her sports career, her gay best friend runs away with an older girlfriend, and D.J. notices that Brian isn't too keen on being seen with her in public. These problems are all put into perspective when D.J.'s older brother, Win, suffers a serious spinal-cord injury during a college football game. D.J. stays by his side in the hospital, a task made even tougher by Win's refusal to communicate, and accompanies him to rehab in Minnesota. There's no too-tidy ending here; readers gain a sense of the wait-and-see and grueling nature of physical rehabilitation. Though not as laugh-out-loud funny as the earlier title, <i>The Off Season</i> depicts a believably maturing D.J., a young woman whose character shines through even as she struggles to find her voice.<br /><br /><br />I found these books a joy to read. The author has a way of writing that makes you believe these characters.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Warnings: </span>The main character's best friend is gay and that is a huge part of the story. It is done extremely tactfully and doesn't try to persuade the readers that one way or another is best. The first book doesn't come out and say specifically what is going on. A young teen (12) might not get what is going on. The second book it is much more open.<br /><br />Also there is quite a bit of swearing.Stacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701047226779356451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2626589225276539994.post-24048488880201372252010-08-06T21:18:00.001-06:002010-08-19T00:25:56.730-06:00Updates to the blogTo whom it may concern...<br /><br />It's about time I got back to updating this blog. It will no longer be strictly used for Young Adult books. I will now post many different types of books. I will also be fixing up the labels. I will no longer put authors as labels unless I put up more than one book of theirs.<br /><br />I'm also trying to figure out Blogger's new way of designing things - so it may look different every time you visit. The blog is still public. If you would like to be added as an author please let me know. And if I am pressed for time I may just grab a synopsis off of amazon.com. Kinda lazy I know - but it would definitely simplify things - provided it has a good synopsis on there.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2626589225276539994.post-16456040046368546382009-04-06T21:03:00.003-06:002010-08-19T00:20:52.817-06:00Anahita's Woven Riddle<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Meghan Nuttall Sayres<br /></span>Publisher<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">: </span></span>Amulet Books<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALtrVNP4mtPo7ulcer9yPDWxPvQwr5a0W7OWd9EPWOD_MYyJ8GiJrDi9muYOIUqJDFLz0CL-RWJzwh_RloqujLQMUFcfxrtlV7yJV99b2jjMB5Ex_rHv-OaOOFJpd2K1ddf7AG1deZvc/s1600-h/Picture+3.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 142px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALtrVNP4mtPo7ulcer9yPDWxPvQwr5a0W7OWd9EPWOD_MYyJ8GiJrDi9muYOIUqJDFLz0CL-RWJzwh_RloqujLQMUFcfxrtlV7yJV99b2jjMB5Ex_rHv-OaOOFJpd2K1ddf7AG1deZvc/s200/Picture+3.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321782851923618482" border="0" /></a><br />Anahita is at an age to be married. Though tradition is that her father will arrange a marriage for her, and the wealthy khan has asked for her hand, Anahita wants to marry for love or at least marry someone who has things in common with her. So Anahita proposes a riddle contest. She will work on weaving her wedding carpet and incorporate into it a riddle. The man who can figure out the riddle will be her husband.<br />This book is beautifully written and includes many Iranian terms and ways of life. A very good book to read about another culture. I really enjoyed this one!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2626589225276539994.post-41986518780959185722009-04-06T20:48:00.004-06:002010-08-19T00:13:05.359-06:00The Chocolate War<span style="font-weight: bold;">Robert Cormier</span><br />Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJKvjNWeoEj1wAiCs0s5wZRKv6BoZFtZsCEwICL7pxpwfg7lUjby1aSjJGcK8RTwGzGI-_HsH8w2chmAdRdGPGX7hZJp0PgS5Aqa8GPwOEy-xbffCUdqvz__MQ_OwwaRgtGZ2l_Y4nNY/s1600-h/Picture+2.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJKvjNWeoEj1wAiCs0s5wZRKv6BoZFtZsCEwICL7pxpwfg7lUjby1aSjJGcK8RTwGzGI-_HsH8w2chmAdRdGPGX7hZJp0PgS5Aqa8GPwOEy-xbffCUdqvz__MQ_OwwaRgtGZ2l_Y4nNY/s200/Picture+2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321776480592233362" border="0" /></a>Jerry is starting a new Catholic boys school. His mother recently died and his father is often distant. When kids at school convince Jerry to be a part of their pranks he only does so to stay out of trouble. When Jerry realizes he doesn't have to be subjected to the other kids pranks he starts to stand up to them - daring to disturb the universe. They make his life miserable. Can Jerry withstand the mocking and torment of the other boys?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Warnings:</span> This book is about teenage boys and there is a lot of talk about girls that is not polite. Also there is ALOT of swearing. There are other disturbing things in this book - mostly how people act which I cannot tell all without giving away the whole story. My advice to parents who have teens who are required to read this book...READ THIS BOOK WITH YOUR TEENS. Do not let them jump into this book unaware. The principles of this book are important to learn in life - but while they are important lessons to learn this is a very difficult way to lean about them. Not a book for young teenagers.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2626589225276539994.post-3360856372626663252009-04-06T20:35:00.004-06:002010-08-19T00:14:07.214-06:00The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel<span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael Scott<br /></span>Publisher<span style="font-weight: bold;">: </span>Delacorte Books for Young Readers<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheqDE5dOo55skrBzRDM_sIP9vEh1LcjGh9Hzb7H6mB3LTLTD2qaj5oAAqEVubrI1-fQybFixVKrn7-ExUHyVYRZH7G3-bV54jzouztx63JL2lr5RjYDGk_ubMzAwTkdqNA6_EwgTn68Sg/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheqDE5dOo55skrBzRDM_sIP9vEh1LcjGh9Hzb7H6mB3LTLTD2qaj5oAAqEVubrI1-fQybFixVKrn7-ExUHyVYRZH7G3-bV54jzouztx63JL2lr5RjYDGk_ubMzAwTkdqNA6_EwgTn68Sg/s200/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321774078388499602" border="0" /></a>Sophie and Josh Newman think their summer jobs at a coffee shop and a bookshop across the street are just perfect. Then strange things start happening - goons show up at the bookstore and kidnap the owner's wife - the owner of the coffee shop - and they also get away with a book that has important meaning to Nick Flemming, the bookstore owner (aka Nicholas Flamel). Join Sophie and Josh on an incredible adventure full of magical powers and wondrous creatures.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2626589225276539994.post-91567460475861143312009-03-09T18:01:00.003-06:002009-03-09T18:19:30.664-06:00Countdown<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ben Mikaelsen</span><br /><br />Publisher: Hyperion<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiflhyphenhyphen-O3qvPDlisgbgP8DCUV0yjLeiI0kSabttiNqKL4UBrRClmIDZLOKdW-CgzcPZEyTXOhQuy_mMRq_-fMSK3zCkky4o8R_GbjkhbHihQIJsgvlDSFrgqfTlAbVghlwKUCSNFfxnYMs/s1600-h/Picture+6.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiflhyphenhyphen-O3qvPDlisgbgP8DCUV0yjLeiI0kSabttiNqKL4UBrRClmIDZLOKdW-CgzcPZEyTXOhQuy_mMRq_-fMSK3zCkky4o8R_GbjkhbHihQIJsgvlDSFrgqfTlAbVghlwKUCSNFfxnYMs/s200/Picture+6.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311346973540062834" border="0" /></a><br />Elliot loves to fly. He has flying lessons once a month downtown. But when NASA announces it's first ever Junior Astronaut - Elliot has a new goal in life. Getting ready to go into space is nothing like Elliot imagined. Not only are there lots of shots and medical tests, but there are endurance tests as well - tests that Elliot has to perform with a GIRL - his backup - in case he gets sick or for whatever reason can't go into space. Elliot overcomes these trials and thinks by now - being in space should be easy. But he's in for some more surprises. First there is the Maasai boy - Vincent - who communicates with Elliot through HAM radio. The two boys cannot agree on anything. Vincent says everything about the United States is wrong - their god - their clothing - what they eat... Elliot knows Vincent is totally wrong. Can they reconcile their differences and become friends?<br /><br />Notes: The back of this book is really misleading - the summary on the back is written in somewhat of a confusing way when compared with the rest of the book. I hope this summary will give you a better idea of what the book is about.<br /><br />Also - the cover of the book looks kind of strange - it shows both boys but their shoulders seem to be very disjointed on one side - this is just the way the cover looks. The audio book case looks more normal.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2626589225276539994.post-29302318799028041042009-03-09T17:53:00.003-06:002010-08-19T00:21:01.376-06:00The Invention of Hugo Cabret<span style="font-weight: bold;">Brian Selznick</span><br /><br />Publisher: Scholastic Press<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxs65AOimyBK3H6cBV91QvvCZCNPEXDNtKzeNwtvwvUppCUu9B1SU6I9cX5LbMptGAqiXIJ7zSeXRWL3gHBGlYU_1VviuDRkHFfjZgPD6kUFaAdEzPo-d-rOv9vWPxDnrxIv_WvOxpp5E/s1600-h/Picture+5.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 128px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxs65AOimyBK3H6cBV91QvvCZCNPEXDNtKzeNwtvwvUppCUu9B1SU6I9cX5LbMptGAqiXIJ7zSeXRWL3gHBGlYU_1VviuDRkHFfjZgPD6kUFaAdEzPo-d-rOv9vWPxDnrxIv_WvOxpp5E/s200/Picture+5.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311342438706167506" border="0" /></a><br />Hugo Cabret is an orphan and the clock keeper in a busy Paris train station. His uncle used to be the clock keeper - but he disappeared. As long as Hugo keeps doing his job he gets to pick up the pay checks and can live in the clock keepers apartment. Hugo keeps up the clocks as often as needed which still leaves him plenty of time to steal toy parts for his project. Then the store owner catches Hugo stealing parts. He takes Hugo's notebook and threatens to destory it. Hugo, it seems, will go to any extent to get his notebook back. Why does the store owner have such an interest in Hugo's notebook with drawings of his project?<br /><br />This book is a graphic novel - meaning part of the story is told in pictures. Though it is a thick book it can be read in two or three hours - most likely.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2626589225276539994.post-3895196956320486222009-03-09T17:46:00.003-06:002010-08-19T00:14:40.795-06:00Monster<span style="font-weight: bold;">Walter Dean Myers</span><br /><br />Publisher: HARPERCOLLINSPUBLISHERS<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcE3oSIw7bi2zQFcQsHCqdziCKHHpQ4gU4AbpCsLFbtK24kohABhQxCOEq_DBccC6nrIO3-sCGrSD3v5OvfelTP13CmM3y-j1MEDlR6BEsND5cGS8qlcGaqcWGHR0v9SDLQOUEyHSgb4c/s1600-h/Picture+4.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 140px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcE3oSIw7bi2zQFcQsHCqdziCKHHpQ4gU4AbpCsLFbtK24kohABhQxCOEq_DBccC6nrIO3-sCGrSD3v5OvfelTP13CmM3y-j1MEDlR6BEsND5cGS8qlcGaqcWGHR0v9SDLQOUEyHSgb4c/s200/Picture+4.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311340050592630834" border="0" /></a><br />Steven can see his life like a movie script. While he is in court being tried for murder he writes down his thoughts as well as what he sees in the form of a movie script.<br /><br />Cleverly written in the form of a movie script - including side notes, different types of shots, and voice overs.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Warnings: He spends quite a bit of time at the jail and at the jail a lot of the talk is crude.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2626589225276539994.post-15481056960994806612009-03-09T17:39:00.003-06:002010-08-19T00:15:10.825-06:00Wee Free Men<span style="font-weight: bold;">Terry Pratchet</span><br /><br />Audio Book<br /><br />Publisher: Harper Children's Audio<br /><br />Read by Stephen Briggs<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUSLTQL-xlaqfPIclEcbTO2n0HzhYmiCypTN7foB-vIlE9xEpdzSCI7vGqOHPnS32rCLOadcJpvKqIXM1raxuMI-sPWegOa3l3AFE4_Axuu2AVHiRmdMJNjj1N1c2ZYhYKNmIFdNYWvDE/s1600-h/Picture+3.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 125px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUSLTQL-xlaqfPIclEcbTO2n0HzhYmiCypTN7foB-vIlE9xEpdzSCI7vGqOHPnS32rCLOadcJpvKqIXM1raxuMI-sPWegOa3l3AFE4_Axuu2AVHiRmdMJNjj1N1c2ZYhYKNmIFdNYWvDE/s200/Picture+3.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311338229154746626" border="0" /></a><br />Tiffany has always wanted to be a witch because all the other girls in stories are princess who twist their ankles or some other silly thing. That's why it would be good to be a witch. When she finally meets a witch and learns about finding the witch school she thinks she is on her way. Then her brother, Wentworth, gets kidnapped by the Queen of Fairyland. Tiffany sets out with a frying pan and some little helpers - the Nac Mac Feegle (also known as the Wee Free Men). Will Tiffany be able to rescue her brother with the help of these new friends? What will she learn about being a witch?<br /><br />*Listening to this on audio book was hilarious! Love the accents the reader uses!!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2626589225276539994.post-2445196135491925312009-02-27T16:00:00.003-07:002010-08-19T00:06:37.608-06:00Drums Girls and Dangerous Pie<span style="font-weight: bold;">Jordan Sonnenblick</span><br /><br />Publisher: Scholastic Press<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWD9s4rixoFnFNelfT4ZFy9LGiTAnLmrLjLZ775zDMvI3rTigFBGHecKOQmVKSMmUsVlBmHxNOYj1G-rlA8_tGP-MyIE94C_rQdSK90oZL-hedKbh_SydFIb7YXdxIPrOgDHP-P1XHeI/s1600-h/Picture+12.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 142px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWD9s4rixoFnFNelfT4ZFy9LGiTAnLmrLjLZ775zDMvI3rTigFBGHecKOQmVKSMmUsVlBmHxNOYj1G-rlA8_tGP-MyIE94C_rQdSK90oZL-hedKbh_SydFIb7YXdxIPrOgDHP-P1XHeI/s200/Picture+12.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307618638122703202" border="0" /></a><br />Steven is a typical teenage boy. He likes girls, loves drumming, and often finds his 5 year old brother, Jeffrey, annoying. One morning, Jeffy interrupts Steven's practicing asking for "moatmeal" aka oatmeal. While Steven is fixing the oatmeal Jeffy falls off the stool and his nose starts bleeding - really bad. After a trip to the emergency room Steven finds out his brother is sick - really sick - and things won't be the same any more. Can Steven cope with his brother's illness and help his parents as they try to keep the family together? As for the Dangerous Pie - you'll have to read the book to figure out what that one is!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2626589225276539994.post-58494921472775208812009-02-27T15:53:00.003-07:002010-08-19T00:20:02.221-06:00The Bomb<span style="font-weight: bold;">Theodore Taylor</span><br /><br />Publisher:Harcourt Paperbacks<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Winner of the</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQMIxjoW2vZge_flJ2cvQq9OgvcYAFVlwNEa6UteOEsnBwieBdh3PUOY6p_Yx74iaU6odoL0BU5LGppfP2pmrauTTK4od6S8GInRTiKLw3W5KFbniL3Oj6lKTnFAHYAZxK13bkl_inE8k/s1600-h/Picture+11.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 129px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQMIxjoW2vZge_flJ2cvQq9OgvcYAFVlwNEa6UteOEsnBwieBdh3PUOY6p_Yx74iaU6odoL0BU5LGppfP2pmrauTTK4od6S8GInRTiKLw3W5KFbniL3Oj6lKTnFAHYAZxK13bkl_inE8k/s200/Picture+11.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307615847910167890" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction</span><br /><br />Sorry, a 14 year old boy, lives on Bikini Atoll, a small island in the Pacific Ocean. Sorry thinks the worst thing in his life is that the Japanese have taken over their island. Then the American's come and free the islanders from the Japanese. That must mean the Americans are wonderful and good right? Sorry certainly thinks so - for a couple of months at least. Then the American's tell Sorry and everyone in his village that they will have to be relocated to another island for Atomic Bomb testing. Suddenly the American's are not the good people they once were. Can Sorry and his family make a stand against the American's and get their island back?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2626589225276539994.post-8661237815995920152009-02-26T12:00:00.003-07:002010-08-19T00:15:48.410-06:00When the Bough BreaksKay Lynn Mangum<br /><br />Publisher: Deseret Book Company<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhr1JmU2wOZZwkWuC5rOKGuMkDxQdig7arMdbDhYWt4H8HlPO3pOBb9RjfZ5KHoFb-F7ay_Qg0zXMWplNiU8Jrnl3opRZ8jP9phA5b07_Cozll2co4gXYdmQMevb8QyJjn6NZeJIgZOsc/s1600-h/WBB3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhr1JmU2wOZZwkWuC5rOKGuMkDxQdig7arMdbDhYWt4H8HlPO3pOBb9RjfZ5KHoFb-F7ay_Qg0zXMWplNiU8Jrnl3opRZ8jP9phA5b07_Cozll2co4gXYdmQMevb8QyJjn6NZeJIgZOsc/s200/WBB3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307183988290709330" border="0" /></a><br />Rachel's life is dramatically altered one night when her father dies in a car accident. Not only does she feel responsible for the accident but she also feels it is her duty to keep her family together. She must take care of her brother when he comes home drunk every night, she has to make sure her mom gets out of bed and eats something each day. Then another man comes into her mother's life. Without Rachel's permission, her mother gets remarried. This gives Rachel not only a step-father but a step-brother as well. As Rachel continues to help her brother she also creates a friendship with her new step-brother, Dallin. Can Rachel hold her family together?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2626589225276539994.post-12918445273986202522009-02-26T11:54:00.004-07:002010-08-19T00:16:11.794-06:00A Love Like Lilly<span style="font-weight: bold;">Kay Lynn Mangum</span><br /><br />Publish<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0B6J6q-cDvxn3_Q2uCi0peBA4joxTw3B6sCKeXQQWbqwsFOFFwHwcKT6GavcIAdsZYCKGq35ZOAVJwOHnxDd7j_1BuTjp63Crn5hm3QEzaPm_e2N8FCfcwifMoUrGf9R1HecwvllqsRA/s1600-h/LLL4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0B6J6q-cDvxn3_Q2uCi0peBA4joxTw3B6sCKeXQQWbqwsFOFFwHwcKT6GavcIAdsZYCKGq35ZOAVJwOHnxDd7j_1BuTjp63Crn5hm3QEzaPm_e2N8FCfcwifMoUrGf9R1HecwvllqsRA/s200/LLL4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307182690478369490" border="0" /></a>er: Deseret Book Company<br /><br />Jamie - usually called James - is a tomboy. She hates dresses, loves basketball, and is nothing like her older sister. After James' grandma dies, she comes to live with her grandfather for the summer. While working on cleaning out her grandma's things, she comes across an old photo album from the 1930s. Her grandfather proceeds to tell her stories behind the pictures, while he was in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and about how he met her grandmother.<br /><br />This book tells stories from two different families and two different time periods. The CCC stories are based off the author's grandfather's journal.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2626589225276539994.post-4081401506002286842009-02-26T11:41:00.004-07:002010-08-19T00:08:24.656-06:00The House of the Scorpion<span style="font-weight: bold;">Nancy Farmer</span><br /><br />Publisher: Simon Pulse<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQpgvWQSnEvWpd3JSLOaDr9gACkilEGSds8kJTOo_1G1HWmGZ2cm0eBxis7mxso9jzFp4XwNYPvAf03n7iwzZt8mYnXkWuf7hutpQYstrgvzd3ddZXPmTU52wK-MhY1zpyoKzMSFrxEw4/s1600-h/Picture+2.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQpgvWQSnEvWpd3JSLOaDr9gACkilEGSds8kJTOo_1G1HWmGZ2cm0eBxis7mxso9jzFp4XwNYPvAf03n7iwzZt8mYnXkWuf7hutpQYstrgvzd3ddZXPmTU52wK-MhY1zpyoKzMSFrxEw4/s200/Picture+2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307180268373386562" border="0" /></a><br />Matteo Alacáran has been raised very sheltered. He lives with Celia who works at the big house all day. Matt is left alone. He is not allowed to go outside or interact with anyone else. Then comes the day when he breaks the rules. He finds out that he a clone of El Patrón - the boss/ruler of the nation of Opium. Most clones are kept simply for the use of transplants for the original donor. But Matt is different - he is El Patrón's favorite. He is educated (when the servant in the big house doesn't have him a cage) and he learns to think for himself. As Matt grows older he realizes that El Patrón has strange ideas of running a country. As Matt struggles to find what is right and wrong, he sets of on a series of adventures and meets several friends.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">WARNINGS: EDGY! It's not an easy or light read - a lot of social and political issues are discussed in this book.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2626589225276539994.post-25298963406931327002009-02-26T11:29:00.003-07:002010-08-19T00:16:29.829-06:00Cherry Ames Clinic Nurse<span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Julie Tatham</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span></span></span>Publisher: </span>Grosset & Dunlap<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidHVO2aCanDPbdG0rEXUwG32h6nAdiL0q66jzcDwZpDW_eEqlqdzCHQIV0v5jxTv0MODo7tRFMUqyeSV96otG0SwwfSdXeG86phKtYPkmWzdxcpYkyHzoMOAqgrSaHWd2kXhl638TMlXg/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 101px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidHVO2aCanDPbdG0rEXUwG32h6nAdiL0q66jzcDwZpDW_eEqlqdzCHQIV0v5jxTv0MODo7tRFMUqyeSV96otG0SwwfSdXeG86phKtYPkmWzdxcpYkyHzoMOAqgrSaHWd2kXhl638TMlXg/s200/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307175214075430466" border="0" /></a><br />Cherry Ames works at a clinic near her home almost every day and she is worn out. Everyone is starting to notice how tired she is. In fact, everyone thinks she is so tired that when she tells a tale of being kidnapped and helping with a surgery, most people think she only dreamed it. Can Cherry find evidence to prove she wasn't dreaming?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0