Thursday, March 17, 2011

Bloody Horowitz by Anthony Horowitz

     Although by the same author, this is not for the typical Alex Rider fans! These 13 tales (yes, 13) of bloody mayhem are written for hard core horror fans only. And what a variety Bloody Horowitz has to offer…

The Man Who Killed Darren Shan. Yes, the author of the Cirque du Freak novels is in big trouble in this story.

The Cobra.  This will teach you to never make fun of the locals while on vacation.

sheBay. Please don’t make your parents mad, and pray that they always have enough money to support you.

And the final story, Seven Cuts, shows that you should not mess with Anthony Horowitz.

Feel like being scared? Then this is for you. But don’t say we didn’t warn you…

Karen

Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Valerie is happy to find her first real boyfriend in Nick, a loner she starts the hate list with. The hate list is therapeutic for Valerie, just a way for her to vent about people who bother or harass her. She is shocked when Nick, after being bullied one too many times, comes to their high school with a gun and starts shooting teachers and students on the list. Nick even ends up shooting her in the leg when she tries to get in front of him to stop the carnage. He then turns the gun on himself.
 After the incident, Valerie wonders if she should have known what Nick was capable of. She ends up becoming a suspect in the shootings due in large part to the hate list. Hate List shifts back and forth in time between when Nick was still alive and Valerie’s current struggles to have a normal life. While in some ways Hate List is Valerie’s story, its true power comes from the fact that it goes far beyond the day of the shooting to show how the horrible event impacted everyone from the shooter to the community as a whole.
John

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

March Madness

Watching a lot of college basketball this month?  Why not read some good basketball books too!

Box Out by John Coy
Sophomore Liam Bergstrom just joined the varsity basketball team. His teammates made varsity because they're good. Liam's here because he's tall and Coach needs a guy who can grab rebounds. It's the chance Liam's been waiting for, but already he's playing catch-up. The other guys know what Coach expects, and they're willing to do things Coach's way, no matter what. So when Liam questions the team's practice of praying together before games, he's suddenly the odd man out. Now Liam has to find the guts to stand up for what he believes in--and take his game to a whole new level.

Travel Team by Mike Lupica
Twelve-year-old Danny Walker may be the smallest kid on the basketball court--but don't tell him that. Because no one plays with more heart or court sense. But none of that matters when he is cut from his local travel team, the very same team his father led to national prominence as a boy. Danny's father, still smarting from his own troubles, knows Danny isn't the only kid who was cut for the wrong reason, and together, this washed-up former player and a bunch of never-say-die kids prove that the heart simply cannot be measured. Travel Team is an inspirational tale in the tradition of The Bad News Bears and Hoosiers. And check out these other basketball-related novels by Mike Lupica.

Boost by Kathy Mackel
Thirteen-year-old Savvy’s three-point shot is deadly. But she gets pushed around on the basketball court. Her older sister, Callie, is on varsity cheerleading, but she’s not light enough to be a flier—her coveted position. Both girls need to boost their level of competition to get into the action. How far are they willing to go to be the best?

Game by Walter Dean Myers
Drew Lawson knows basketball is taking him places. It has to, because his grades certainly aren't. But lately his plan has run squarely into a pick. Coach's new offense has made another player a star, and Drew won't let anyone disrespect his game. Just as his team makes the playoffs, Drew must come up with something big to save his fading college prospects. It's all up to Drew to find out just how deep his game really is.

Ball Don't Lie by Matt de la Peña
Sticky is a beat-around-the-head foster kid with nowhere to call home but the street, and an outer shell so tough that no one will take him in. He started out life so far behind the pack that the finish line seems nearly unreachable. He’s a white boy living and playing in a world where he doesn’t seem to belong. But Sticky can ball. And basketball might just be his ticket out . . . if he can only realize that he doesn’t have to be the person everyone else expects him to be.

Black and White by Paul Volponi
Marcus and Eddie are best friends who found the strength to break through the racial barrier. Marcus is black; Eddie is white. Stars of their school basketball team, they are true leaders who look past the stereotypes and come out on top. They are inseparable, watching each other’s backs, both on and off the basketball court. But one night—and one wrong decision—will change their lives forever. Will their mistake cost them their friendship . . . and their future?

Kimberly

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Matched by Allie Condie

If you enjoyed the romantic triangle and dystopian future of The Hunger Games, you'll love Matched by Ally Condie.  In the world of Matched, the Society has perfected humanity and Officials use personal statistics to choose what food you eat, your future profession and who you marry--or "match" with.   On her 17th birthday, Cassia is matched with her best friend: the handsome and perfect Xander.  She couldn't be happier about her match until a "glitch" in the system shows that she is also matched with her childhood friend Ky.  As Cassia learns more about Ky and prepares to enter her profession, she begins to uncover more of the darker secrets of the Society.  Cassia no longer wants Society to make her life decisions for her; she wants to choose her own destiny but not following the Society's chosen path proves to be dangerous to Cassia, her family, and her friends.

Kimberly