Wednesday, August 29, 2012

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making is by Catherynne M. Valente. The first book in a new series young girls are sure to love. A charming tale of a young girl who finds herself whisked away to Fairyland where she must defeat an evil Marquess and restore order. She is helped along by a memorable cast of imaginary characters.

Ratings: 5th grade - 8 out of 10.

Sarah's Key

Sarah's Key is by Tatiana De Rosnay. Sarah was a 10-year-old Jewish girl caught up in the round up of French Jews in 1942. Before she and her family were taken she locked her younger brother in a secret cubicle in their apartment thinking she would be able to come back and let him out. Julia is an American-born journalist married to a Frenchman. Her editor assigns her to write about the Jewish round up as the 60th anniversary approaches. As she writes the story and deals with the personal conflict in her marriage, Julia discovers the secret her husband's family has kept since WWII.

Ratings: 11th grade - 7 out of 10 - P (profanity) - V (violence) - AC (mature thematic content).

The Big Over Easy

The Big Over Easy is by Jasper Fforde. The first novel in Fforde's Nursery Crime series. Fforde takes his quirky brand of farcical humor from great literature to nursery characters and the result is a rollicking good time for all. Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall - or did he? Detective Jack Spratt head of the Nursery Crime Division discovers that even though "Hump" was drunk, he didn't fall off the wall, he was shot. This leads Spratt and his new assistant Mary Mary on a romp through Reading to find the killer. Be careful where you read this book as you will be laughing out loud!

Ratings: 9th grade - 10 out of 10 - P (profanity) - V (violence) - AC (mature thematic content).

The Death Cure

The Death Cure is by James Dashner. The conclusion to The Maze Runner series. Thomas has made it through the Maze, the Scorch, and is now "safe" at WICKED. He knows they can't be trusted, but they tell him the time for lies is over and now he will find out everything. He is told he must undergo one final test to complete the research and find a cure for the Flare, but what are they not telling him? Thomas and his friends embark on their final adventure to bring down WICKED once and for all, but at what cost for Thomas, his friends, and for all mankind?

Ratings: 8th grade - 8 out of 10 - V (violence) - AC (some mature thematic content).

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Leven Thumps and the Eyes of the Want

Leven Thumps and the Eyes of the Want is by Obert Skye. The third book in the Leven Thumps series. Leven, Geth, and Winter are chasing the whispered secret before it reveals itself to the wrong people. During the chase they are separated. Geth and Winter fall into the clutches of the evil Azure, and Leven travels to the island of Lith to meet with the mysterious Want. Before the three friends are reunited secrets are revealed, war is begun, a new gateway is found, and Foo is in more danger than ever. Another charming installment in this series.

Ratings: 7th grade - 8 out of 10.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Roanoke: The Mystery of the Lost Colony

Roanoke: The Mystery of the Lost Colony is by Lee Miller. A beautifully written account of the lost colony and what might have happened to the colonists who disappeared there. The research is impeccable and the pictures are both historical and lovely. A great introduction to early American history using one of the strangest and most baffling mysteries of the time.

Ratings: 6th grade - 10 out of 10.

Vicious: A Wicked History of Vlad the Impaler

Vicious: A Wicked History of Vlad the Impaler is by Enid A. Goldberg & Norman Itzkowitz. A charming and factual nonfiction tale of the original Count Dracula. A great way to introduce young readers to nonfiction and history. The pictures are magnificent and the text is very readable.


Ratings: 5th grade - 8 out of 10.

Barbaric: A Wicked History of Attila the Hun

Barbaric: A Wicked History of Attila the Hun is by Sean Stewart Price. A charming and factual nonfiction tale of the famous barbarian who swept across Europe at the beginning of the Middle Ages. A great way to introduce young readers to nonfiction and history. The pictures and magnificent and the text is very readable.

Ratings: 5th grade - 8 out of 10.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is by J.K. Rowling. The final book in the Harry Potter series. Harry and his friends continue their search for Horcruxes. As they begin to destroy them one by one, they also discover the secret of the Deathly Hallows. This is the best book of the series. The ending is both triumphant and sad at the same time; as there is no victory without some loss.

Ratings: 8th grade - 7 out of 10 - MP (mild profanity) - V (violence).

Selected Poems: William Carlos Williams

Selected Poems: William Carlos Williams is by William Carlos Williams. A fantastic and thorough collection of this magnificent poet's works. A great introduction to Williams' poetry for those new to his work and a marvelous read for fans.

Ratings: 8th grade - 9 out of 10 - MP (mild profanity).

Saturday, August 18, 2012

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma is by Trenton Lee Stewart. The third book in the Mysterious Benedict Society series. An unexplained blackout occurs in Stonetown and the Whisperer is stolen. The four child find themselves embroiled in a final adventure to save everyone from Mr. Curtain and his evil minions. A very enjoyable book in an equally enjoyable series.

Ratings: 7th grade - 8 out of 10.

Moby Dick

Moby Dick is by Herman Melville. The must read classic tale of obsession and whaling. The narrator, "call me Ishmael", signs aboard the whaling ship, the Pequod, captained by the one-legged captain named (prophetically enough) Ahab. Ahab isn't just on a simple whaling venture, he is in search of the whale who took his leg; a great white "devil" known as Moby Dick. Ahab is willing to risk his ship, his crew, and even his own life to follow his obsession. This book is 10th grade level due to archaic vocabulary used in the text. Everyone should read this book before they die. We learn much about whaling, life at sea, and human frailty.

Ratings: 10th grade - 10 out of 10 - V (violence).

Monday, August 6, 2012

Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception

Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception is by Maggie Stiefvater. The first book in The Gathering of Faerie series. Deirdre is a sixteen-year-old who is an extremely gifted musician. She can also see faeries. What she doesn't know is that she has been marked for death by the faerie queen and that the new hottie in her life, Luke, is the one sent to kill her. As their relationship deepens, Luke realizes he loves Deirdre and attempts to protect her from other assassins. Can they survive the wrath of the queen? Will they be able to stay together if they survive? A charming story by the author of the Wolves of Mercy Falls series.

Ratings: 9th grade - 8 out of 10 - MP (mild profanity).

Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie

Drums, Girls, & Dangerous Pie is by Jordan Sonnenblick. Steven is in middle school, he plays drums in the All City Jazz Band, and has a crush on the hottest girl in school. Then his little brother Jeffrey is diagnosed with cancer and Steven's whole world is turned upside down. A heart warming, and surprisingly humorous story, of the turmoil cancer can cause and the bravery and sacrifice it requires of everyone it touches. A wonderful story.

Ratings: 8th grade - 9 out of 10.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Leaves of Grass

Leaves of Grass is by Walt Whitman. A classic collection of poetry by arguably the most famous American poet. Whitman's poetry is free verse and some selections are a bit tedious to read, but his style is totally American and well worth reading.

Ratings: 10th grade - 9 out of 10 - AC (some mature thematic content).

The Face of War

The Face of War is by Martha Gellhorn. The famous war correspondent collects a selection of her articles that range from the Spanish War of the 1930s to the wars in Central America in the 1980s. It is interesting to see her hawkish attitude towards Hitler and the Axis powers during WWII become increasingly more anti-war as time goes on. A fascinating look at the causes and consequences of war.

Ratings: 9th grade - 9 out of 10 - V (violence) - AC (mature thematic content).

A Clockwork Orange

A Clockwork Orange is by Anthony Burgess. The must read creepy classic tale of a vicious fifteen-year-old criminal. When Alex and his group of followers kill an elderly woman, he is sentenced to prison. Once there he agrees to undergo a new experimental treatment to "cure" criminals forever - but at what cost? The book is written in unconventional slang that at times makes reading a bit slow. It is however, a frightening look at a possible future. A Reader's Corner Highly Recommended book. An amazing work of dystopian science fiction.

Ratings: 11th grade - 9 out of 10 - P (profanity) - V (violence) - AC (mature thematic content).

Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus

Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus is by Mary W. Shelley. The classic horror story of a man who decides to use his scientific skills to play God, and ends up creating a monster. Along with Dracula, this is arguably the most famous example of horror fiction. A Reader's Corner Highly Recommended book.

Ratings: 8th grade - 10 out of 10 - V (violence).