Saturday, July 21, 2012

Read-a-thon!

We're having a Read-a-thon at the library on Saturday, July 28, at 1pm! Come and bring whatever book you're reading or we'll match you up with a great new book. We'll also have pizza and giveaways. Come hang out with your friends and other teens and discuss your favorite books or just enjoy some food and a good book.

I thought that I would share with you some of the books that I've enjoyed recently.

Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey
Charlie Bucktin is startled one summer night by an urgent knock on his bedroom window. His visitor is Jasper Jones, an outcast in their small mining town, and he has come to ask for Charlie's help. Terribly afraid but desperate to impress, Charlie follows him into the night. Jasper takes him to his secret glade, where Charlie witnesses Jasper's horrible discovery. With his secret like a brick in his belly, Charlie is pushed and pulled by a town closing in on itself in fear and suspicion. He locks horns with his tempestuous mother, falls nervously in love, and battles to keep a lid on his zealous best friend. Jasper Jones is a 2012 Printz Honor Book and  it's one of the best books I've read so far this year and features some unforgettable characters--especially Charlie's best friend, Jeffrey Lu.

The Académie by Susanne Dunlap
I love French history so this book instantly intrigued me. Eliza Monroe-daughter of the future president of the United States-is devastated when her mother decides to send her to boarding school outside of Paris. But the American teen is quickly reconciled to the idea when she discovers who her fellow pupils will be: Hortense de Beauharnais, daughter of Josephine Bonaparte, and Caroline Bonaparte, youngest sister of the famous French general. It doesn't take long for Eliza to figure out that the two French girls are mortal enemies-and that she's about to get caught in the middle of their schemes. Loosely drawn from history, The Académie provides a scintillating glimpse into the lives, loves, and hopes of three young women during one of the most volatile periods in French history. 

Insurgent by Veronica Roth
I loved Divergent and couldn't wait to read the sequel! As unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves as well as herself. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but haunted by grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so. Now that I've finished Insurgent, I'm dying to read the last book in the trilogy!

Chi's Sweet Home by Kanata Konami
This is my favorite manga series! Chi is a mischievous newborn kitten who, while on a leisurely stroll with her family, finds herself lost. Overcome with loneliness she breaks into tears in a large urban park but is suddenly rescued by a young boy named Yohei and his mother. The kitty is then quickly and quietly whisked away into the warm and inviting Yamada family apartment...where pets are strictly not permitted. This is such a cute and silly manga series and it's a favorite of several Anime & Manga Club members. Chi is just so adorable and reminds me of my own cat!

I am also currently in the middle of two excellent books:

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth
I've had trouble putting this one down! When Cameron Post's parents die suddenly in a car crash, her shocking first thought is relief. Relief they'll never know that, hours earlier, she had been kissing a girl. But that relief doesn't last, and Cam is soon forced to move in with her conservative Aunt Ruth and her well-intentioned but hopelessly old-fashioned grandmother. She knows that from this point on, her life will forever be different. Then Coley Taylor moves to town. Beautiful, pickup-driving Coley is a perfect cowgirl with the perfect boyfriend to match. She and Cam forge an unexpected and intense friendship--one that seems to leave room for something more to emerge. But just as that starts to seem like a real possibility, ultrareligious Aunt Ruth takes drastic action to "fix" her niece, bringing Cam face-to-face with the cost of denying her true self--even if she's not exactly sure who that is. 

Legend by Marie Lu
Yes, it's another novel about a dystopian America but the story and characters are so addicting! What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, Day is the country's most wanted criminal--but his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths--until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

So what are you currently reading?

Kimberly

Friday, July 13, 2012

Chocolate


Our Summer Reading Club is almost over so now it's time for dessert! Here are some books about chocolate. :)

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
Stunned by his mother's recent death and appalled by the way his father sleepwalks through life, Jerry Renault, a New England high school student, ponders the poster in his locker- Do I dare disturb the universe? Part of his universe is Archie Costello, leader of a secret school society-the Virgils-and master of intimidation. Archie himself is intimidated by a cool, ambitious teacher into having the Virgils spearhead the annual fund-raising event-a chocolate sale. When Jerry refuses to be bullied into selling chocolates, he becomes a hero, but his defiance is a threat to Archie, the Virgils, and the school. In the inevitable showdown, Archie's skill at intimidation turns Jerry from hero to outcast to victim leaving him alone and terribly vulnerable.

Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies by Erin Dionne
Thirteen-year-old Celeste Harris is no string bean but comfy sweatpants and a daily chocolate cookie suit her just fine. Her under-the-radar lifestyle could have continued too, if her aunt hadn't entered her into the HuskyPeach Modeling Challenge. Celeste competes to please her mother but she makes plans to sabotage her chances of winning by losing weight. What Celeste never imagined was that the HuskyPeach challenge would help her gain a backbone and give her a chance to shine. A hilarious read.

Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause
Vivian Gandillon relishes the change, the sweet, fierce ache that carries her from girl to wolf. At sixteen, she is beautiful and strong, and all the young wolves are on her tail. But Vivian still grieves for her dead father; her pack remains leaderless and in disarray, and she feels lost in the suburbs of Maryland. Then Vivian falls in love with a human. Aiden is kind and gentle, a welcome relief from the squabbling pack. He's fascinated by magic, and Vivian longs to reveal herself to him. Moving between two worlds, she does not seem to belong in either. What is she really--human or beast? Which tastes sweeter--blood or chocolate?

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce
When their stepmother casts Gretchen and Ansel out as teens, they are invited to stay with Sophia Kelly at her sweet shop. Sophia creates magical treats that instill confidence, bravery, and passion and cause Gretchen's haunted childhood memories of her twin sister's abduction by a witch-like monster to fade. Life seems idyllic--until Gretchen meets handsome local outcast Samuel, and learns that girls have been vanishing at Sophia's annual chocolate festival, taken by the insatiable witch of Gretchen's nightmares.

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin
In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidentally poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.

Kimberly

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Comics

Artist Christine Thornton will be here on Monday, July 9 at 7pm to teach a class on how to create your own comic book and superhero.

Here are some of the library's best new superhero comics to get you inspired!

Batman Vol. 1, The Court of Owls by Scott Snyder
Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo begin a new era of The Dark Knight as with the relaunch of Batman , as a part of DC Comics--The New 52! After a series of brutal murders rocks Gotham City, Batman begins to realize that perhaps these crimes go far deeper than appearances suggest. As the Caped Crusader begins to unravel this deadly mystery, he discovers a conspiracy going back to his youth and beyond to the origins of the city he's sworn to protect. Could the Court of Owls, once thought to be nothing more than an urban legend, be behind the crime and corruption? Or is Bruce Wayne losing his grip on sanity and falling prey to the pressures of his war on crime? 

The Avengers: The Heroic Age by Brian Michael Bendis
Iron Man, Thor and Captain America have been the Avengers' heart and soul since the team's earliest days. But in the wreckage of Asgard, they find themselves squabbling over old wounds. As unstable magics cast the heroes-at-odds into the scattered Nine Realms, they quickly realize the world in which they're trapped is not how it should be. Can they come together and put it right? Then, as the three heroes re-forge the Avengers with the likes of Hawkeye, Spider-Man, Wolverine and Spider-Woman.

The Justice League, Vol. 1: Origin by Geoff Johns
In a world where inexperienced superheroes operate under a cloud of suspicion from the public, loner vigilante Batman has stumbled upon a dark evil that threatens to destroy the earth as we know it. Now, faced with a threat far beyond anything he can handle on his own, the Dark Knight must trust an alien, a scarlet speedster, an accidental teenage hero, a space cop, an Amazon Princess and an undersea monarch. Will this combination of Superman, The Flash, Cyborg, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman and Aquaman be able to put aside their differences and come together to save the world? Or will they destroy each other first?

Ultimate Spider-man: Death of Spider-man by Brian Michael Bendis
Prepare yourself for the most shocking Spider-Man story you will ever read! Young Peter Parker has led a heroic life and tried to live by the simple and powerful philosophy that with great power comes great responsibility - but will that philosophy be enough to save him from the horror that awaits him here?


Ultimate Comics X: Origins by Jeph Loeb
The world was on the brink of destruction. Countless heroes have died. The Fantastic Four have disbanded and the X-Men are gone. Mutants are now being hunted as criminals. But there is hope in the form of an unlikely group of young heroes gathered together to save tomorrow. Who is Ultimate X? What connects Jimmy Hudson, Karen Grant, Derek Morgan, and Liz Allan and what drives them to reach out to the most dangerous person in the Ultimate Universe, the Hulk?

Kimberly

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur

Cover imageEleven-year-old Aubrey is doing just fine on her own. No one can know her mother has abandoned her. No one can know that she is alone now.

But eventually, someone finds out and Aubrey's grandmother comes and things start changing. People start looking for her mother. Aubrey is forced to move far away from her own home and into her grandmother's house. She must start a new school and make new friends and pretend she's just a normal kid. Not the kid whose mother ran away. Not the kid with the scar on her head. And not the kid who was in the car when the accident happened; the accident that changed everything...

Love, Aubrey is a serious portrayal of what it is like to lose everything you know and everything you love. But it is also a story of how kindness and hope can heal.

Karen