Friday, February 26, 2016
YA Book Giveaway: Blackhearts
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
YA Pick: Blackhearts
by Nicole Castroman
Simon Pulse
2016
369 pages
ISBN: 9781481432696
Gothic romance, swashbuckling pirates, an heiress who cannot collect her inheritance, an arranged marriage, the high seas, adventure and love! What could be better than all that?
House maid Anne Barrett is forced into servitude upon the death of her father and her uncle kicks her and her mother out into the streets. Once her mother dies, Anne is alone and penniless. She is given a job in Master Drummond's house where she takes abuse from the housekeeper. She gets more than her fair share of strange looks; people in Bristol are not used to seeing a housekeeper of color (Anne's merchant father fell in love with a servant on one of his voyages). Anne longs for escape and is stashing as much money as she can hoping to gain passage on one of the ships leaving Bristol.
Master Drummond's son returns from a year at sea and soon sparks are flying between the handsome young sailor and beautiful, exotic Anne. She keeps her distance, not trusting a master to be kind. Teach is engaged Patience, daughter of a baron and she is a girl he doesn't love. He longs to return to the sea, but his father forbids it.
When Teach is accused of piracy, he fears they will lock him up. His father still expects him to marry Patience and give up his dreams of the sea. Using the story of Blackbeard as the spark for this story, Nicole Castroman weaves a tale as compelling as any love story.
Anne and Teach are clearly star-crossed and meant only for each other, but society and people keep getting involved and trying to keep them apart. As the novel ends, both are still looking for each other. I can see book two on the horizon.
The cover art depicts a ship in a bottle. Clever minds will realize that both Anne and Teach are trapped like the ship. The title Blackhearts is a spin on the Blackbeard legend and the pink color of hearts on the cover makes the cover pop for romance fans.
Highly recommended grade 7-up. No profanity. Some kissing. Patience finds herself pregnant with another man's child but that is how it is put forth. No details.
FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Young Reader Pick: Bloom
by Doreen Cronin
Illustrations by David Small
A Caitlyn Dlouhy Book
(Atheneum Books for Young Readers)
2016
32 pages
ISBN:9781442406209
"A mud fairy, an extraordinary girl, and a castle in peril." (from the front cover)
Bloom is not your ordinary fairy. Gone is the fairy dust, the twinkling wings, the sparkling wand. Bloom has heavy feet and leaves mud wherever she goes. The king and queen are appalled. Their kingdom is made of glass; they don't want all that mud dirtying things up. Bloom can make flowers bloom where weeds used to grow and she can make glass out of sand. All this magic isn't enough to gain the favor of the royals. They tell Bloom that she must leave. Off she goes to the forest where she makes flowers grow everywhere.
After a few years, the kingdom is in disrepair. The king and queen don't know what to do! The king ventures into the forest to ask for Bloom's help. When he declines, he sends the queen hoping for better luck. The queen also turns away Bloom's "dirty" answer to their problem. They decide to send a young servant girl who is a "nobody" hoping she will get the secret to saving their kingdom.
Genevieve finds Bloom and asks for her magic. Bloom gives her a shovel and tells her, " I will show you the magic that can save your kingdom." Genevieve is amazed! She can make bricks! She can get dirty and build things! She is worried that the king and queen will never believe her because she's just a commoner, "an ordinary girl." Bloom's answer is the mantra that all girls should hear, "Tell them there is no such thing as an ordinary girl..."With her newfound sense of power and self-esteem, Genevieve returns to her kingdom and saves it!
I LOVE the message! I love the HEART! This is a must read for every single girl on the planet (no matter what age)! Even the boys! Doreen Cronin, you have done it again! Thank you for your genius, insight, and heart. You have created a truly marvelous picture book that readers will treasure.
Illustrations by David Small and smart placement of font size and lettering carry the story across each spread. When we see Genevieve return to her kingdom, she shatters the palace door and bits and shards fly across the page.
What a treasure! What a gem of a story! Well done, you two!
So highly recommended that everyone should own this book! It's message is that great! This is a wonderful book for new readers and its mantra of, "There is no such thing as an ordinary girl," should be over the hallowed halls of every place of learning and over every crib.
FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
YA Pick: It's All Your Fault
by Paul Rudnick
Scholastic Press
2016
304 pages
ISBN: 9780545464970
Unstoppable satire, perfect profanity, bad girl behavior, good girl sanctimonious speech, fangirl furor, teen trilogy madness, what more could you want in a YA book?
Good Christian, homespun and home schooled, knee socks wearing, family singing group songstress, Bible thumping Caitlin Mary Prudence Rectitude Singleberry is approached by her crazy Aunt Nancy. Cousin Heller Harrigan grew up a kid show sensation, Anna Banana. Now cast as Lynnea, the Chosen Winglet, in the Hollywood blockbuster movie "Angel Wars," Heller is hitting rock bottom. She's out of control with boys, booze and drugs. Nancy begs Caitlin to take the job of "babysitter" until Heller gets off the press tour. It will be Catey's good influence that will keep Heller on the straight and narrow ( Yeah, right).
Chapter titles are hilarious! "The Highway to Heller" contains this gem of conversation. "No one under the age of eighteen needs a cell phone unless they're a surgeon, drug dealer, or a prostitute." To which Heller replies, "Wouldn't it be incredible to be all three?" The girls' chemistry is believable and laugh out loud funny. Catey tries to get Heller to lay off cussing like a sailor. She is so salty, she could out cuss most sailors! Catey tells Heller to say the name of any town in New Jersey when she wants to cuss. Like "Weehawken!" Heller tries and comes up with, "Go Teaneck yourself, you Dunellen piece of ###$$$$$$ Mount Kittatinny!" Heller's ability to come up with spot on curses at every turn is her greatest achievement!
Every time Caitlin is introduced to any "cool" Hollywood people, they always ask her the same question, "Are you homeschooled?" Her ubiquitous knee socks make quite the impression. Later, Caitlin finds herself reveling in the spotlight. She wonders if she is sinning by acting in such a n un-Christian way. She begins to crush on the male lead of "Angel Wars" and since he's on the same press junket, she sees him all the time.
Just when you think Heller is a possessed, evil, maniacal, crazy, rude sociopath, she comes clean. She admits to Catey the reason why she began to unravel. The spotlight made her life bigger than life, so that when the filming was over, she had all this energy and nowhere to put it. In fact, at her bleakest Heller planned suicide. She had pills, white wine, and weed all "...lined up on ...Buddhist altar..." which Heller says, "...was sort of like the menu for a suicide buffet , or an LA kid's birthday party, if you added a clown who'd bring flourless brownies and soy milk."
Once Heller admits that she missed Catey for all these years, they get along. Enter cancer patient Sophie. She convinces the girls to help her carry out her plan for exiting this life. When the girls attempt Sophie's wishes, hilarity ensues with grand theft auto, tattoos, body piercings, gun toting, scaring off armed robbers who have a sawed off shotgun, weird hair, kissing a boy, and flashing a trucker.
The cover is clever and eye-catching. Nice job of packaging this hilarious romp!
Paul Rudnick has just taken his place among witty YA writers Andrew Smith and Libba Bray.
Highly, highly recommended grade 9-up. NOT for middle school. Profanity, sex, drugs and rock and roll.
FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.
Monday, February 8, 2016
Now in Paperback! Flunked: Fairy Tale Reform School
Now in Paperback!
Flunked: Fairy Tale Reform School
By Jen Calonita
February 2, 2016; Tradepaper ISBN 9781492620815
Book Info:
Title: Flunked: Fairy Tale Reform School
Author: Jen Calonita
Release Date: February 2, 2016
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Praise for Flunked: Fairy Tale Reform School
“Spellbinding and wickedly clever.” –Leslie Margolis, author of the Annabelle Unleashed novels and the Maggie Brooklyn mysteries
“A fresh and funny take on the enchanted world. (And, who hasn’t always wanted to know what happened to Cinderella’s stepmother?)” –Julia DeVillers, author of the Trading Faces series and Emma Emmets, Playground Matchmaker
“Charming fairy-tale fun.” –Sarah Mlynowski, author of the Whatever After series
“Fairy tale fans will love this clever and lively tale of magic, friendship, and courage.” –Discovery Girls Magazine
“Gilly’s plucky spirit and determination to oust the culprit will make Flunked a popular choice for tweens” –School Library Journal
“Calonita blithely samples from fairy tales, nursery rhymes, and folklore in this lighthearted first book in the Fairy Tale Reform School series.” –Publishers Weekly
“There’s much to amuse and entertain fans of classic tales with a twist.” –Booklist
Summary:
Would you send a villain to do a hero’s job?
Flunked is an exciting new twisted fairy tale from the award-winning author of the Secrets of My Hollywood Life series.
Gilly wouldn’t call herself wicked, exactly…but when you have five little brothers and sisters and live in a run-down boot, you have to get creative to make ends meet. Gilly’s a pretty good thief (if she does say so herself).
Until she gets caught.
Gilly’s sentenced to three months at Fairy Tale Reform School where all of the teachers are former (super-scary) villains like the Big Bad Wolf, the Evil Queen, and Cinderella’s Wicked Stepmother. Harsh. But when she meets fellow students Jax and Kayla, she learns there’s more to this school than its heroic mission. There’s a battle brewing and Gilly has to wonder: can a villain really change?
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21996359-flunked?from_search=true&search_version=service
Buy Links:
About the Author:
Jen Calonita is the author of the Secrets of My Hollywood Life series and other books like Sleepaway Girls and Summer State of Mind, but Fairy Tale Reform School is her first middle-grade series. She rules Long Island, New York, with her husband Mike, princes Tyler and Dylan, and Chihuahua Captain Jack Sparrow, but the only castle she’d ever want to live in is Cinderella’s at Disney World. She’d love for you to visit her at jencalonitaonline.com and keep the fairy-tale fun going at happilyeverafterscrolls.net
Social Networking Links:
Excerpt from Flunked Fairy Tale Reform School:
There’s a boy up there, standing on the crystal chandelier! He has slightly curly blond hair and is wearing a uniform—a navy sweater vest over a white shirt with khaki pants—but his boots are muddy. He’s stepping on priceless crystals with cruddy boots? Is he insane?
“Jax! What are you doing up there?” Kayla whispers heatedly.
“I’m cleaning the crystal for Flora,” Jax says and rolls his eyes. “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m making
a break for it.”
Kayla applauds. “Yay! This time I know you can do it.”
I shade my eyes from the light bursting through the stained-glass window next to the chandelier Jax is perched on. “Busting out? Why?” I ask Kayla. “I thought you said this place was cool.”
Jax laughs loudly and looks at me. I feel slightly stunned. I’ve never seen violet eyes before. “FTRS was fun for a while, but strange things have started happening and I don’t want to be here when something bad goes down.”
Strange things? What kind of strange things? Why does Kayla suddenly look pale?
“He’s exaggerating,” Kayla tells me, but she doesn’t sound convincing.
Drip. Whatever Jax is holding is leaking. Kayla and I move out of the way so we don’t get wet. “Grease,” Jax explains to me. “It lubes the window.” He swings the chandelier, and as it nears the window, he uses a fork to try to pry the window open. “A few more tries and I’ll have it.”
“Then what are you going to do, genius?” I ask. “You’re two stories up.”
Jax’s eyes gleam. “I’ve jumped from higher spots before.”
“It’s true,” Kayla says to me. “Jax once jumped from the gym to the dining hall turret. That was three stories up. We call him the Escape Artist. One time he even managed to break into Azalea and Dahlia’s rooms and borrowed their keys to the indoor pool so the whole dorm could take a midnight swim.”
“Impressive,” I tell him. “And I thought I was good at tricking obnoxious royals.”
“She stole a dragon’s tooth clip from one this morning,” Kayla fills him in.
“Nice,” Jax says. “Your first pull?”
“No, I’ve been doing it for a while,” I brag.
“Me too,” Jax says. “My father is a farmer. You can only get so far trading vegetables. I needed to kick things up a notch.”
For some reason, I don’t think any of us are going to make the transformation Headmistress Flora is looking for. “Why do you want to break out so bad?”
“I’ve got places to see, and Enchantasia isn’t one of them.” Jax swings the chandelier so hard the crystals clang together. The window latch pops open, and I watch Jax leap from the chandelier to the tiny window ledge. I’m in awe. Jax looks down at us smugly before pushing open the window. “Are you sure you two don’t want to join me?”
“There’s no time for us,” Kayla says. “Get out of here. Wait!” Her eyes widen. “You deactivated the alarm on the window, right?”
“There isn’t one,” Jax insists. “If there was, I wouldn’t be able to do this.” But when Jax lifts the window, we hear:
EEEEEE! EEEE! EEEE! Unauthorized exit! Unauthorized exit!
The shrieking sound is so intense that Kayla and I cover our ears. Within seconds, Flora is out of her office and running toward us.
Swoosh!
I feel something brush past me and I whirl around. When I look up at Jax again, a large, muscular man with a long mane of hair is hanging on to the window ledge, his furry hands pulling Jax back by his shirt. How did the man get up there without a ladder?
“Mr. Jax,” the man says in a low growl, “we really must stop meeting like this.”
ALSO BY JEN CALONITA:
Charmed: Fairy Tale Reform School
Available March 1, 2016; Hardcover: 9781492604044
Summary:
Charmed is the exciting sequel to the wildly popular Flunked -- second in the brand new Fairy Tale Reform School series where the teachers are (former) villains. "Charming fairy-tale fun." -Sarah Mlynowski, author of the New York Times bestselling Whatever After series.
It takes a (mostly) reformed thief to catch a spy. Which is why Gilly Cobbler, Enchantasia’s most notorious pickpocket, volunteers to stay locked up at Fairy Tale Reform School…indefinitely. Gilly and her friends may have defeated the Evil Queen and become reluctant heroes, but the battle for Enchantasia has just begun.
Alva, aka The Wicked One who cursed Sleeping Beauty, has declared war on the Princesses, and she wants the students of Fairy Tale Reform School to join her. As her criminal classmates give in to temptation, Gilly goes undercover as a Royal Lady in Waiting (don’t laugh) to unmask a spy…before the mole can hand Alva the keys to the kingdom.
Her parents think Gilly the Hero is completely reformed, but sometimes you have to get your hands dirty. Sometimes it’s good to be bad…
Goodreads Link:
Pre-Order Links:
Rafflecopter Giveaway Fairy Tale Princess Book Pack
Runs December 23rd -Feb 29th (US and Canada only)
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/54ca7af7268/" rel="nofollow" data-raflid="54ca7af7268" data-theme="classic" data-template="" id="rcwidget_seegfnxr">a Rafflecopter giveaway
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
YA Pick: Dumplin'
Dumplin'
by Julie Murphy
Balzer + Bray
2015
371 pages
ISBN: 9780062327185
“I’m obsessed with this book. Wickedly funny, heartbreakingly real, full of characters to love and cheer for.Dumplin’ is such a star.”
—Katie Cotugno, author of How to Love and 99 Days
“Dumplin’ should be required reading for anyone who has ever felt even slightly uncomfortable in his or her skin. Julie Murphy’s star continues to shine with this groundbreaking, poignant story that will surely change lives.”
—John Corey Whaley, award-winning author of Noggin and Where Things Come Back
My Review:
Intelligent, witty, and beautiful, Dumplin' is testament to the strength of one tough Texas teen who won't be written off. She won't listen to haters. She won't let people shame her or shut her down. She won't let her mothers constant digs get her down. Using her moxie, Willowdean shows the town of Clover City that she is a teen tour-de-force to be reckoned with. Willowdean's mom is the Bluebonnet Pageant director and an ex-crown holder herself. In fact, her whole life has been a let down compared to winning that darned crown. It is literally her crowning achievement. She wishes her daughter would diet, so that she can be the beauty queen. She wants her daughter to be willowy and beautiful like she was in her youth. Instead of celebrating the smart, sassy and sweet daughter that she has, she longs for the outer shell--the shell that society is so enthralled with.
Willowdean has been crushing on hunky athlete Bo who just so happens is her co-worker at the burger joint. When he begins flirting with her, Will is surprised. Pleasantly so. They share a few sweet kisses and soon they seem to be in a "relationship."
Willow decides to make a point. Even though she is not considered "beautiful" due to her weight, she is going to enter the Miss Bluebonnet Pageant to make a point--fat is beautiful. Will triumphs against all odds and proves her point to her mother, to the audience and most importantly, to herself.
I loved the positive statements in Willow's personality. She owns herself, fat and all. As Willow puts it, "That cute, little fat girl is a beauty queen."
Beauty queens everywhere will love this book, fat girls will love this book, anyone who ever looked at a body part and hated it will love this book, Anyone who loves Texas, Dolly Parton, country music, bluebonnets, pageants, little towns, greasy burger joints, and pick-ups will love this book.Texans will love this book, heck, everyone will love this book.
Recommended grade 8 and up. Kissing, talk about "doing it," talk about virginity, profanity no worse than on primetime television, talk of beer money.
FTC Required Disclaimer: I purchased this book for my library. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.
Friday, January 29, 2016
YA Pick: Me Being Me Is Exacly as Insane as You Being You
by Todd Hasak-Lowy
Simon Pulse
2015
646 pages (no kidding!)
ISBN: 978144495739
The girth of this novel will scare away some readers but not if they realize most of the book is written in short, choppy lists. The format is easy to love and easy to read.
Readers will empathize with the main character. Darren's life is messed up! His parents divorce, his older brother goes to college, his best friend moves away, his dad drops a bombshell (he's gay), and later Mom tells him that she's moving across country. No one is acting as they "should," and Darren begins listing everything wrong with everything.
The format works and lets readers see what's bothering Darren through third person point of view as Darren refers to himself in the third person. Emotions leap off the pages through Darren's lists. He feels grief, disappointment, sadness, loneliness, and surprisingly, great compassion.
Through the lists, Darren's voice comes through. He's just a kid who's learning how to fit in. He's a bit overweight and self-conscious, he's seriously crushing on a cute girl, he's not speaking to his dad, he's mad at this mom, and he's disappointed with his brother. All this adds up to the expected overblown teen angst so familiar in YA, but the author does it better. Darren is a character who comes through the pages. Readers will commiserate with him as he navigates through the problems and obstacles with sarcasm and wit.
I thought the novel dragged in several places and easily could have been cut 150 pages or so and still would be a compelling read. A shorter book may have packed a stronger punch. Boys will believe in Darren and girls can study teen boy behavior. It's quite entertaining.
Recommended grade 9-up. This is NOT for middle school. At all. Sex, drugs, rock and roll, profanity. The usual suspects.
FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Makerspaces: How To Build an Epic LEGO Wall!
Consider building one for your library, classroom, or kid's room. Teen spaces will be more fun with a LEGO wall. This is the next thing on my To Do list!
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
So You Want a Makerspace? 15 Sites
So You Want a Makerspace?
15 sites to help you along: ideas, inspiration, and impetus. From coloring
to creating to building, the sky’s the limit with your Makerspace. Although some of the craft projects are geared to younger grades, the projects could be modified for older students. For your Makerspace, take plenty
of photos from the very beginning. You will want to see how your
Makerspace grew each month and year. Your Makerspace success will help other
libraries plan their own adventure. Now go forth and MAKE!
Getting started:
Your shopping list for Makerspaces: http://renovatedlearning.com/2014/11/17/the-arts-and-crafts-makerspace/
Crafts, games and
fun:
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Hot Tech Tools for the Classroom and Beyond
Hot Tech for Classroom and
Beyond
Some for
testing, some for studying, some just for fun! There are so many free applications and sites, here are ten I like.
List by Pamela Thompson, LMS
http://www.flubaroo.com/ Use with Google docs; self-grading tests,
send reports, and best of all, email students their grades. Save time grading.
Flubaroo does it for you!
http://www.imagechef.com/ Choose a photo/image and add your own words; share to Twitter or Facebook.
http://www.cdc.gov/bam/gameroom.html games for kids from the CDC; interactive learning
http://www.fotobabble.com/ create talking photos and slideshows. Add a
message to photos.
Thursday, January 21, 2016
Middle Grade Book Giveaway and Review: The Girl in the Well Is Me
The Girl in the Well Is Me
by Karen Rivers
Algonquin Young Readers
2016
224 pages
ISBN: 9781616205690
Available March 15, 2016
Praise for The Girl in the Well Is Me:
"A brilliantly revealed, sometimes even funny, exploration
of courage, the will to live, and the importance of being true to
oneself. The catastrophe draws readers in, and the universality of
spunky Kammie's life-affirming journey will engage a wide audience.
Moving, suspenseful, and impossible to put down."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“I dare you to pick up this riveting novel without reading straight through to its heart-stopping conclusion. Karen Rivers has penned a dazzling voice, at once hilarious, heartbreaking, and searingly honest. The Girl in the Well Is Me is a triumph.”—Katherine Applegate, Newbery Medal-winning author of The One and Only Ivan
“A gripping story that doesn’t shy away from dark places but explores them with heart, humor, and light . . . This book will spark thoughtful conversations about choices, consequences, and what makes us who we are.” —Kate Messner, author of All the Answers
“Funny, surreal, occasionally heartbreaking…a compulsively readable story.” —School Library Journal
“This is a fascinatingly well told story that strongly reminded me of Libba Bray’s Going Bovine, but with a completely believable middle grade flavor.”—Teen Librarian Toolbox / School Library Journal
“I dare you to pick up this riveting novel without reading straight through to its heart-stopping conclusion. Karen Rivers has penned a dazzling voice, at once hilarious, heartbreaking, and searingly honest. The Girl in the Well Is Me is a triumph.”—Katherine Applegate, Newbery Medal-winning author of The One and Only Ivan
“A gripping story that doesn’t shy away from dark places but explores them with heart, humor, and light . . . This book will spark thoughtful conversations about choices, consequences, and what makes us who we are.” —Kate Messner, author of All the Answers
“Funny, surreal, occasionally heartbreaking…a compulsively readable story.” —School Library Journal
“This is a fascinatingly well told story that strongly reminded me of Libba Bray’s Going Bovine, but with a completely believable middle grade flavor.”—Teen Librarian Toolbox / School Library Journal
MY REVIEW:
Poignant, profound, and heart-warming, The Girl in the Well Is Me will speak to readers on every level. At times, laugh out loud funny, at times grippingly sad, at times over the top optimistic, at times irreverent, at times harsh, but at all times rich in voice and full of heart and character.
Kammie Summers is a spunky eleven year old uprooted from a comfortable existence in New Jersey where her life was full of a loving family, shared jokes, expensive ice skating lessons, riding lessons and all the trappings of a upper middle class family. It all comes crashing down when her father is arrested for embezzlement. Now Kammie lives in a dusty town in Texas with her mother and brother in an old trailer where her mother is suddenly hoarding cats and her father is in prison. Kammie's mom works two jobs and her once fun and friendly older brother turns into a teenager with an anger problem. Kammie's grandmother recently passed away but Kammie fondly remembers all of her wit and wisdom. Kammie longs for her other life in New Jersey, her normal life. In Texas, she has nothing; all her dreams are dashed. There is no more laughter in her home. Their trailer isn't home; Texas isn't her home.
Kammie tries to make friends with a popular triad of mean girls who pretend they want her to join their group, but they trick her into standing on a piece of wood on the ground. The wood breaks, sending Kammie into an abandoned well. At first, Kammie is mad at the three girls. She knows they did it on purpose and are probably laughing. As the hours pass and the girls seemingly abandon Kammie, she begins thinking about everything that brought her to this place, this well, where she could quite possibly die. Kammie begins to get claustrophobic and that makes her worry about her asthma. She can't have an asthma attack in the well, and even if she had her inhaler with her, she wouldn't be able to reach it. She can't move her arms at all; they are pinned to the sides of the well. As oxygen in the well begins to dissipate Kammie hallucinates about a coyote who speaks French and zombie goats and dying. She thinks of her dog Hayfield and cries. She cries about missing her grandmother, and about her dad and his lies, she cries that everyone over eleven is a liar.
Readers will LOVE Kammie. She has great heart, resiliency, strength and character. She holds a mirror up to the adults around her and shows their flaws. She holds that same mirror up for herself and realizes that she is a grape...and not a raisin like the liars--she wants her dad to be a grape.
Karen Rivers has crafted an intelligent middle grades read that should be a must read for all ages. Book clubs will have so much to discuss after reading this little gem. I expect the author to be inundated with state and national honors this year. Kudos, Karen Rivers!
So highly recommended I will shout it from the mountaintop (Mt. Franklin), READ this book immediately. It is truly that outstanding. It is a blessing that I was able to read and review the ARC; I am so lucky. Thank you, Algonquin!
Recommended grade 4-up and every reader of every age. This book will speak to you about life, love, truth, forgiveness, and family.
FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
YA Thriller Pick: Killer Instinct
by S.E. Green
Simon Pulse
2014
257 pages
ISBN: 9781481402866
Dark and twisted, Killer Instinct is a compelling read for upper grades (high school) and YA.
Lane appears to be an ordinary high school girl, albeit quiet, maybe too quiet. She likes to watch and listen and doesn't have a circle of friends or a social life. She does enjoy science club and taking aikido classes. She also loves studying serial killers. Gruesome, yet fascinating. It helps when your mother is a director with the FBI and when her job is actually brimming with grisly and sordid details of some of the most fascinating killers ever. Lane has looked over her mother's private papers and case files--secretly, of course. Her mother would never condone anyone outside the investigation seeing her files--let alone her young daughter!
When a serial killer starts practicing in her area, Lane can't wait to take him down. In Dexter-esque fashion, she wants to even the odds...by "taking care" of serial killers. Her first taste of justice is when she captures the "Weasel"--nicknamed by Lane for his short and pudgy frame and his capacity to rape and terrorize women. Lane doesn't kill him, she just scares him and makes him pay.
Lane leads a normal existence by day--school and part time at the local vet and shelter. At night, she secretly stalks her next "victims."
As the hunt for the serial killer heats up, Lane discovers a dark family secret. One that will change her life. The Decapitator begins to taunt Lane and she can't resist a good thrill. Is she willing to gamble everything--including her life--for a thrill?
Some reviews don't believe or like the character of Lane. I think she's a great character--yes, she's detached, no, she doesn't show emotion, yes, she is awkward, yes, she does seem older and serious, but these are all traits of sociopaths. Can the reader empathize with her? If you can empathize with Dexter, you can certainly empathize with Lane. Is Lane a sweet girl with high school angst and mean girl tweets? Nope and nope. But that's what makes her awesome. She's who she is because of her past and her DNA.
Exciting and twisty, Killer Instinct is a real page turner. Think Dexter as a YA read. With more sex (Daisy).
Recommended grade 9-up. Profanity, violence, teen sex, rape, murder.
FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Young Readers Pick: Night Animals
Night Animals
by Gianna Marino
Viking
2015
32 pages
ISBN: 9780451469540
Skunk comes across possum who's hiding from "night animals." He's afraid of what's out there in the dark making creepy noises. Along comes a equally frightened wolf who's running from something big. The bear who is following the wolf is also on the run from something "HUGE." The four animals continue to creep each other out until they realize they are running from a bat's shadow. They admit they are afraid of night animals, but the bat assures them that they ARE night animals. When the animals come into contact with humans sleeping in a tent, everyone, animals and humans, scares each other. Just when you think the story's over, possum even quits "playing possum," they hear a weird sound and get scared all over again.
Refreshing and captivating illustrations and the cute friendship between skunk and possum will have young readers enthralled. This is a great keeper of a book. It is a good read for a child with night fears, helping to show that sounds in the night are just animals. Even the animals may be afraid of each other and humans! The character of Possum is hysterical--he is memorable and dramatic.
Highly, highly recommended as a bedtime, night time or camping story. I heart Night Animals.
FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.
Friday, January 15, 2016
Book Club Pick: Blackbirds
Blackbirds
(book 1)
Books 2 & 3 now available
by Chuck Wendig
Saga Press
2015 (paperback edition)
276 pages
ISBN: 9781481448659
From the inside cover:
"A gleefully dark, twisted road trip for everyone who though Fight Club was too warm and fuzzy. If you enjoy this book, you're probably deeply wrong in the head. I loved it and will be seeking professional help as soon as Chuck lets me out of his basement." --James Moran, screenwriter "Doctor Who," " Torchwood," and "Blackbirds."
From the inside cover:
"A gleefully dark, twisted road trip for everyone who though Fight Club was too warm and fuzzy. If you enjoy this book, you're probably deeply wrong in the head. I loved it and will be seeking professional help as soon as Chuck lets me out of his basement." --James Moran, screenwriter "Doctor Who," " Torchwood," and "Blackbirds."
Once considered by Starz as a new series, this blogger wishes that one of the cable networks will consider putting this on the screen.
My review:
My review:
Gritty, grimy, ghisly, grotesque, gruesome, and gory, Blackbirds roars off the page and puts up one helluva fight. Miriam Black can see how you will die. All it takes is for her to touch someone skin on skin and she can see everything. She just sees it happen once; no replays. This freakish occurrence nearly brought her to insanity until she discovered that she could follow someone (her mark) whose death was imminent and empty their pockets and wallets. Miriam is not greedy but takes only what she needs to survive. Because of this, readers will empathize with her as a character. She is cursed with a condition that forces her to see hundreds of deaths and she makes the most of it. Does she try to keep people from meeting their Maker? Yes, to terrible results. Having failed, she lives with guilt and finds a way to keep herself fed.
When she accepts a ride from a trucker, she gets rattled for the first time in a long time. Miriam has a vision that Louis has only a few days to live, but what's get her even more concerned is that Louis calls out the name "Miriam" just before he dies. To Miriam this means she is responsible and present for his death--and it's a grisly, terrible death.
Miriam soon has a run-in with a stranger that leaves her speechless. He's been secretly following (stalking) her, and offers her a partnership in crime. She declines; she doesn't need anyone and certainly not Ashley. What she doesn't know is that she has no choice. Someone's after Ashley and they'll stop at nothing to catch him. As Miriam tries to shake Ashley, she is pulled into the cat and mouse game. On the run from bad guys and trying to save good guy truckerLouis, Miriam and Ashley will have to learn to trust each other or die.
Breakneck speed and taut dialog make this a quick read. Gratuitous violence (think Russian mob type violence), torture sessions, vomit inducing descriptions of grisly scenes and language that would make a sailor blush, and you get the picture. Blackbirds is the best kind of raunchy--a tough bird named Mariam kicking a** and taking names. I usually don't gravitate to this kind of violence in a book, but Mariam is an interesting character that I wanted to get to know. She is the driving force of this book and the reason I kept reading.
Recommended for readers who aren't squeamish and don't mind profanity that stings.
Recommended grade 11-up--it's pretty racy and violent.
FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.
Miriam soon has a run-in with a stranger that leaves her speechless. He's been secretly following (stalking) her, and offers her a partnership in crime. She declines; she doesn't need anyone and certainly not Ashley. What she doesn't know is that she has no choice. Someone's after Ashley and they'll stop at nothing to catch him. As Miriam tries to shake Ashley, she is pulled into the cat and mouse game. On the run from bad guys and trying to save good guy truckerLouis, Miriam and Ashley will have to learn to trust each other or die.
Breakneck speed and taut dialog make this a quick read. Gratuitous violence (think Russian mob type violence), torture sessions, vomit inducing descriptions of grisly scenes and language that would make a sailor blush, and you get the picture. Blackbirds is the best kind of raunchy--a tough bird named Mariam kicking a** and taking names. I usually don't gravitate to this kind of violence in a book, but Mariam is an interesting character that I wanted to get to know. She is the driving force of this book and the reason I kept reading.
Recommended for readers who aren't squeamish and don't mind profanity that stings.
Recommended grade 11-up--it's pretty racy and violent.
FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Humorous Pick: Kill the Boy Band
by Goldy Moldavsky
Point
2016
320 pages
ISBN: 9780545867474
Available February 23, 2016
I have a huge fan girl crush, and it's for the new YA book Kill the Boy Band which is everything hilarious about fandom, fan fic, and fan girls! Straight off the pages of a teen rag or a fan girl's Twitter feed, this book amazes. Spot on dialog with popping snark and "me first" just because I deserve it attitude, Kill the Boy Band is so funny it nearly aches.
Four fan girl BFFs (two go to the same school, the other two are online "friends" who know each other only from Twitter, text and DM's--don't hate--I met some of my BFF librarian friends online first and then in person, lol) agree to meet in NYC and rent a room at the hotel where their beloved boy band, the Ruperts (all the boys in the band have the real first name of Rupert--go figure), will stay while in New York. Fooling all their parents is easy since the adults seem clueless; with the help of Apple's family maid, who checks the girls into the hotel, their plan of meeting their idols is finalized. Now to find out which room the "boys" are in. Isobel wants to post inside scoop for her blog, and readers will soon find out that Erin has much darker ideas for the boys.
After an unexpected coup at the ice machine, Apple returns with an unconscious Rupert P. The girls tie him up so he won't run off. It goes from bad to worse when Apple wants to keep him as her very own pet and Isobel snaps photos to post. At first the girls question their options, but finally talk themselves into full blown kidnapping. Rupert P. is having none of it; he argues and tries to escape. The girls have to gag him. Then they have the problem of Rupert K.'s fake girlfriend who keeps trying to find him. She's becoming a real pest.
The kidnapping and felony charges/prison time does not sit well with our narrator (who never tells us her own name). She escapes to the hotel bar where an older bartender--she calls him Civil War Bartender--berates all fan girls in general for their foolish and foppish attempts to see/touch/hear/kiss/scream at/possess their idols. He tells her that someday in the future she'll be at a college party and someone will mention the Ruperts and say what a loser band they were. She does not believe Civil War Bartender at the time.
An unexpected but blissful encounter on the roof with her real crush, Rupert K., has our narrator in the throes of romantic tizzy, but it all comes crashing down (literally). When bestie Erin informs the others of her real plans for the boy band, the narrator nearly loses it.
All this mayhem is just the beginning; the story gets trippier and messier but, oh, so fun! Goldy Moldavsky has a great time satirizing boy bands, fandom, and pop culture. The media frenzy and pop culture hype created by social media makes this a believable read. #fangirllove, #KTBBrocks, #foreverRuperts! Shout out and heads up: Texas librarians, Goldy is coming to TLA in Houston this year! Score!
Highly, highly recommended and addictive grade 9-up. Profanity, sexual innuendo, mature themes, bad fan girl behavior, bad boy band behavior, sex, sexting.
FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.
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