Friday, February 12, 2016

Armada

Armada is by Ernest Cline. Zach Lightman lives in Beaverton, Oregon with his mother. His father died in an accident when he was a baby. He works in a video game store and plays video games constantly. Then one day the alien space ship from the video game Armada arrives at his school. The game is real! The government has been using video games to seek out and train fighters to defend Earth from the upcoming alien invasion - wait! - the book is actually much better than this makes it sound. Zach is recruited into the Earth Defence Alliance and sent to Moon Base Alpha, but things are not as they appear. A very different read from Ready Player One, though 80s references are still in evidence.

Ratings: 11th grade - 8 out of 10 - P (profanity) - V (violence) - AC (mature thematic content).

Found

Found is by Harlan Coban. The third book in the Mickey Bolitar series. Mickey is living with the guilt of Spoon's injury, Rachel isn't speaking to him, and he is digging up his father's coffin to discover if his father might be alive. Secrets abound in this third installment. What really happened to Mickey's dad? What is the truth behind a basketball player's disappearance? Who is the mysterious guy Ema met on the internet? What is Mickey willing to do to be accepted by the basketball team? Another fast-paced action-packed adventure in a series boys will love. This one will make you think about keeping secrets and telling the truth and the consequences that follow.

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

Monday, February 1, 2016

The Chaperone

The Chaperone is by Laura Moriarty. A wonderful piece of historical fiction. The story introduces soon-to-be movie star Louise Brooks, who goes to study dance in New York City at fifteen with her thirty-six year-old chaperone - Cora Carlisle. You think the story will be about Brooks, but it's really the coming of age of Cora. She has to deal with her past in order to embrace her future in a time of great change in our country. A beautifully written book, thoroughly enjoyable. The hallmark of good historical fiction is when you want to go out and read more nonfiction about the subject. This book made me hunt for information on Brooks.

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

Men in Black: How the Supreme Court is Destroying America

Men in Black: How the Supreme Court is Destroying America is by Mark Levin. A fantastic look at the history of the men and women who have served, and serve, on the Supreme Court; how they have usurped power from the other branches of government; and how the country is in danger of becoming an oligarchy instead of a constitutional republic. Levine walks us back through history and explains the important cases and how those decisions affect us today. He also makes some thought provoking suggestions on how to constitutionally reign in unelected unaccountable judges.

Ratings: 10th grade - 9 out of 10.