All Things New

by Lynn Austin
Hennepin County Library hardcover 412 pages
genre: Christian historical fiction

Josephine Weatherly (Jo, Missy Jo, Missy, . . . )

I just can't blog right now. Here's the back of the book: "Josephine Weatherly struggles to pick up the pieces of her life when her family returns to their Virginia plantation. But the realities of life after the war cannot be denied; her home and land are but a shell of their previous grandeur; death has claimed her father and brother; and her remaining brother Daniel, has returned home bitter and broken. Her life of privilege, a long-ago dream. Josephine soon realizes that life is now a matter of daily survival - and recognizes that Lizzie, as one of the few remaining servants, is the one she must rely on to teach her all she needs to know. Josephine's mother, too, vows to rebuild White Oak . . . but a bitter hatred fuels her. Can hope - and a battered faith in God - survive amid the devastation?"

We discussed it on Monday. Good story. 

Playground

by 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson III) and Laura Moser
personal paperback 314 pages
genre: realistic fiction

Leslie Geissler gave this to me as a gift! I already had it in my collection, but had not read it yet. Butterball resents his mother for making him live in a town where he doesn't have his old friends or the entertainment of the city where his dad still lives. This is sure to resonate with kids who feel out-of-place and a bit angry with parents or other authority figures. My favorite part of the story is when he sticks up for his little neighbor kid. I disliked the stupid things he did in his anger.

The Looking Glass Wars

by Frank Beddor
PRMS hardcover 358 pages
genre: fantasy adventure

So many people have raved about this book, but it has taken me the longest time to actually read it! What a strange book - what if Alice in Wonderland were a real person? In this book, Alyss Heart is heir to the throne of Wonderland until her Aunt Redd kills Alyss' parents and seizes control. Filled with imagination, adventure, and lots of vivid characters, this story is only book one in a series. Of course, I like the developing romance between Alyss and new captain of the guard, Dodge Anders.

Clockwork Angel

Infernal Devices - book one
by Cassandra Clare
PRMS paperback 478 pages
genre: paranormal romance, steampunk

This was for eighth grade book club. I had to force myself to read it. Yuk. I really do not like this author's work. Other than the romantic tension between Tessa and Will, there wasn't much for me to like about it. Only one of my eighth graders read the whole thing! She truly enjoyed the story. A few of the girls who usually like this genre said they just couldn't get in to it . . . and some didn't expect to like it and didn't get past chapter one.

Tessa has come to England after the death of her aunt in New York. All she has left is her brother Nate. But there are two sisters who greet her at the docks, saying they were sent by her brother. Soon Tessa is locked up and being "taught" / forced to use her special powers to change into other people.
The Nephilim are angel warriors from Heaven (but with all the attributes of human attitude - these angels have nothing to do with glorifying God) and of them all, Will is stunningly gorgeous and a powerful fighter with a reckless attitude. Jem (James) is his best friend and the only one to whom Will shows gentleness.

One thing I liked were all the references to literature and reading. On page 94, Will says, "I've never seen anyone get so excited over books before. You'd think they were diamonds." It's a nice scene (though their reading tastes are somewhat different from one another's).

One thing that makes me crazy - why point out that vampires have no hearts, no lungs, no need to breathe, and then have the battle scene be full of vampires being cut and bleeding all over! Or they explode or spurt or burst with blood . . . what? That's just a strange mixing of ideas.

Pretty Little Liars

by Sara Shepard
Hennepin County Library hardcover 286 pages
genre: realistic (?) fiction (what I call "mean girls")

What I liked: . . . good question. I really tried to keep an open mind. I think Aria was my favorite character.

What I disliked:  the meanness of the girls' "friendship" - based on lies, coercion, threats, and taunting; the fact that "The Jenna Thing" was never explained; the ugly behaviors (drinking, smoking pot, shoplifting, sleeping around, bulimia, drunk driving, . . . and NO apparent negative repercussions for negative behavior other than the censure of their peers); the shallow and materialistic focus on shopping, name-brands, etc.; . . .

Why I read it at all:  for a few years, I've just said "no" when kids have asked about this series. This year, I've had more requests than ever and lots of disappointment when I said "no." Then I thought perhaps I was being unfairly biased. I'd never actually read one of the books or watched the tv show . . . I ought to at least try. So I got this and was ready to stop at chapter five. What garbage! Then I pondered WHY I hated it so much. After all, I have other books in this collection that include teenage drinking and promiscuity. I have other books I don't "like." So I decided to read through to the end. Yuk. What an awful book! I'm not sure why it's so popular.

A Stolen Life

by Jaycee Lee Dugard
Hennepin County Library audioCDs 6 discs
read by the author
genre: memoir

This was SO hard to listen to! I give her kudos for sharing her story and not letting Garrido off the hook for what he did. It just makes me so incredibly sad that ANY child has ever had to endure such terror, loss, and confusion. She tells her story in a childlike voice and with fairly simple, straightforward writing style. I found myself actually hoping that Phillip Garrido has received treatment from fellow inmates in prison that would help him understand a little bit of what he did to an eleven-year-old girl . . . . but I know that I shouldn't think that way.

I also hated that he would read the Bible and put his own sick twist on it. Hearing from "demon angels" and blaming his evil acts on them . . . again, it makes me so angry. I suppose I should have more compassion and forgiveness for someone who is truly messed up. But one cannot overlook the evil he (and his wife Nancy!) inflicted on this courageous young woman.

Science Verse

by Jon Scieszka & Lane Smith
Hennepin County hardcover picture book w/ CD
genre: snappy science poetry

These two are so creative and smart! I love their work, but I'm glad I read this from the library before buying it for school. It's an odd mix of too simple & yet too-over-kids'-heads. But I may not be giving my students enough credit. I love the literary allusions. Very clever!

Every Soul a Star

by Wendy Mass
PRMS paperback 322 pages
genre: realistic fiction, relationships, coming of age

Eighth grade book club will discuss this today; glad I finished it last night! I liked the three perspectives - Ally, Bree, and Jack - though I didn't find the girls' scenarios to be very realistic. The author did an amazing job of weaving the astronomy and wonder of science throughout the book. I think our earth science teachers might enjoy this book . . .

Ryan - has changed from Ally's reliable friend to a workout-focused guy looking for "hotties"
Melanie - Bree's positive, energetic little sister who's unconcerned with peer pressure, societal norms, etc.
Kenny - Ally's brainiac little brother who loves bugs
Stella - the little old lady who befriends Jack, then Bree; knits a red scarf

The Unusuals - interesting, yet also a little too New Age-y for me . . .

The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean

by Susan Casey
Hennepin County Library audioCDs 9 discs
read by: Kirsten Potter
genre: non-fiction, science (sort of)

Likes: lots of interesting stories and information, Potter's voice work is great

Dislikes: seemed to be 80% surfing . . . which got really, really old. Info on tsunamis was minimal (and I still question the accuracy of her wave height information in relation to tsunamis).

My dad wants to re-listen to it.

Zita the Spacegirl

by Ben Hatke
PRMS paperback 184 pages
genre: YA graphic novel fantasy adventure

Love it! Already know the kids I'll recommend it to, and looking forward to re-reading it. Hatke's storyline and artwork effectively tell an enchanting tale full of (clean) adventure, drama, and friendship. Wonderful book!

The Tail of Emily Windsnap

by Liz Kessler
CMSE hardcover 209  pages
genre: YA fantasy

Emily finds out she's a mermaid! She has adventures with her new mermaid friend Shona, rescues her mother from the evil Mr. Beeston who has been wiping mom's memory and spying on them for years, rescues her dad from the merpeople prison, and convinces Neptune to change his tune on human / mer love relationships. Perfect for dreamy sixth graders. I won't read the sequels, but at least now I "get" why some kids love them.

Debt Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About

by Kevin Trudeau
Hennepin County Library audioCDs 9 discs
genre: non-fiction financial advice

What I liked:
He pointed out that if you pay your bill in full, any new charges do not accrue interest for thirty days. BUT if you have a balance from one month to the next, any new charges start accruing interest immediately. I hadn't really thought about that . . . all the more reason to pay credit cards off completely!

What I disliked:
- he's a blowhard whose vitriolic speech is NOT helpful
- he read his own book - fine. BUT he paces his reading ineffectively and unprofessionally. You can also hear the rustling of papers in the background. Not a high quality audiobook.
- in the intro, he implies that anyone who is listening to his book doesn't read or can't read . . . insulting. There are commuters who listen to audiobooks while they drive!
- he keeps saying what he's going to tell us about / teach us. It got to the point where I wanted to scream "just say it, then!" Very similar to the last audiobook I tried about financial advice.
- he is terribly unethical, advising people to unload old debts by lying. I cannot imagine trying to get out of paying for things that I charged.
- he doesn't seem to think that consumers need to have any kind of personal responsibility for their choices. It's all about the evil consumer credit industry and the evil government conspiring to screw us out of our money and keep us enslaved . . .

I couldn't even finish disc two. This guy was just too obnoxious. Any good points he might have to offer are lost in his inflammatory language and ineffective communication style.

Bad Island

By Doug Ten Napel
PRMS paperback ? pages
genre: YA fantasy adventure

A family goes on a sailing trip but encounters a huge storm. They end up on a strange island with unusual flora and fauna. The teen son, Reese?, ends up being a pretty cool hero. The whiny daughter carries her dead snake around - nasty. It was a little jarring when the space fight story interrupted the family story, but it all worked out in the end. I really like Napel's work! I will re-read this one, but it's already checked out to an avid graphic novel reader.

Broken for You

by Stephanie Kallos
Mary's paperback 372 pages
genre: realistic fiction

This was a get-under-your-skin book on so many levels! Margaret Hughes is elderly and has a tumor in her brain. Wanda Schulz is by turns an efficient stage manager and a sobbing basket case. Both women have past hurts hidden deeply. The day they break Margaret's wedding china (on purpose), their lives start to change in significant ways. Mosaics, Detective Lorenzini, Michael (aka MJ), Paris, Gus, Susan and Bruce, August (Augie), dreams, Irma, bowling, and of course Troy! What an amazing wonderful challenging book. I had to keep wiping my tears away at the end.

What a Difference a Dog Makes: big lessons on life, love and healing from a small pooch

by Dana Jennings
Hennepin County library audioCDs 3 discs
read by the author
genre: memoir, pets, cancer

Quick read. I mostly liked it. It was irritating when he practically deified dogs . . . they're just dogs, not mystic entities. I liked where he talked about dogs living in the "now" - that's definitely a wonderful trait!

Too distracted right now to write . . . too many people asking me questions and needing things. Tiring day. I appreciate the author's candidness about his prostate cancer and how it affected him. I was surprised that he included so little about his wife in this book.

Canned

by Alex Shearer
PRMS paperback 237 pages
genre: YA mystery

What an odd book. Written by a Brit, I love the language differences - taking things to the "dip" rather than the dump, a grocery trolley rather than cart, . . . Fergal Bamfield is a strange boy. He doesn't really have friends, but he does have a reputation for being clever. When he starts collecting cans (unlabeled, sealed, bargain-bin cans), his parents tolerate it for a while. But when he finds some strange things in a few cans, he doesn't share it with his parents. Or the police. Enter Charlotte, another strange child with a can-collecting hobby.

It will be interesting to hear what my sixth grade book club thinks of this one. I enjoyed it but didn't love it.

The Eleventh Plague

by Jeff Hirsch
Hennepin County library audioCDs 6 discs
read by Dan Bittner
genre: dystopian adventure

Liked: characters and their growth, especially Stephen and Jenny. Loved Violet, Marcus, and Jackson & their family dynamics.

Disliked: more depressing futuristic nihilism (sp?) / lack of explanation of the actual plague and its immediate aftermath / Mr. Tuttle and his 1950s-style of "education" . . . seriously?

The story opens with Stephen and his father burying grandpa, whose strength and discipline have ruled their lives since the Collapse. When Stephen and his father encounter some nasty Slavers, things go from uncertain to downright scary. Entering Settlers Landing is like going into a whole new world.

Bittner's vocal work is quite good, but I think I might have enjoyed this story more if I were reading rather than listening, especially in the suspenseful parts.

The Horse Boy

by Rupert Isaacson
Hennepin County Library audioCDs 9 discs
genre: memoir, autism, spiritualism
read by the author

Too tired to blog now. Son has severe autism. Wife is vegetarian Buddhist. Author has excellent accent (British). He seeks healing for his son via shamanism. They travel to Mongolia to visit different shamans. Interesting and thought-provoking.

Just read a review here: http://the-word-of-jeff.blogspot.com/2009/07/horse-boy-book-review.html

1/15/13 note:
One thing that bothered me with this book was how he would use the Lord's name in vain and then be praying to God in the next sentence. Isaacson's theology seems to be a hodge-podge of New Age spiritualism and a dash of anything that may work for him. It was disconcerting to hear him using the Lord's name as a swearword, and then praying to the Lord for his son's healing. Anyhow, this book made me appreciate more than ever how healthy my own children are! It also made me wonder (a lot) about the causes and treatments for autism.

Thunder and Rain

by Charles Martin
Hennepin County Library hardcover 367 pages
genre: Christian fiction, adventure

Tyler Steele is a third generation Texas Ranger who pretty much sees life in black and white. The story of his life is engaging and I enjoyed it for the most part. There was a little too much gun-love, Texas-love, and Ranger-love for me . . . but it was balanced out with a great cast of characters (I love Georgia and Dumps!) and his love for Andie as well as for Samantha created a lot of tension. Brodie and Hope were great kid characters, but Hope's journal often sounded much, much, much too mature and reflective for a ten-year-old.

Grace Kelly: American Princess

By Elizabeth Gillen Surcouf
PRMS withdrawn / hardcover 64 pages
genre: non-fiction biography

This is one of the books I weeded out of the collection at school this fall. It was interesting, but fairly superficial. I enjoyed reading it both out of curiosity and because the photographs are stunning (of Princess Grace and of Monaco). She was a gorgeous woman. I would have liked more details about her life and death. The author doesn't really even explain how her daughter survived the car accident that took Grace's life.