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Kupperberg, Paul. KEVIN New York : Grosset & Dunlap, 2013 IL 5-8 ISBN 0448458527 Before Kevin Keller was the handsome, popular guy we know from the Archie comics, he was a not so popular middle schooler. His dad was in the military so Kevin was used to moving around and being the new guy in school. On top of that, he had a mouth full of braces and a face full of zits. He was the perfect target for bullies. How did he go from geeky middle schooler to popular high school athlete? This is the story of his coming of age.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Today's podcast 05/31/2013
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Today's podcast 05/30/2013
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Krosoczka, Jarrett J. LUNCH LADY AND THE VIDEO GAME VILLAIN
Krosoczka, Jarrett J. LUNCH LADY AND THE VIDEO GAME VILLAIN New York : Knopf, 2013 IL 3-6. RL 2.5 ISBN 0307980790 Student council president. That is what Hector is hoping for. The race is going to be tough but the Breakfast Bunch believes that Hector can pull this off. But in the midst of the campaigning, there is mystery afoot. Someone is stealing computer gadgets from students and staff. Can the kids find the thief and win the election?
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Today's podcast 05/29/2013
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Knutsson, Catherine. SHADOWS CAST BY STARS
Knutsson, Catherine. SHADOWS CAST BY STARS New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2012 IL YA ISBN 1442401915 In this postapocalytic novel, we meet Cass who is living 200 year in the future. A plague has wiped out most of the population on earth. Now Cass and her family must hide away. It seems that the blood of Native Americans contains the antibody that kills the plague. And the powers that be want to kill all Native Americans to get the cure. Add to this a spiritual world element when Cass realizes that she can communicate with spirits. This is an interesting combination of postapolcalyptic fiction and Native American spirituality.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Today's podcast 05/28/2013
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Kladstrup, Kristin. GARDEN PRINCESS
Kladstrup, Kristin. GARDEN PRINCESS Somerville, MA : Candlewick Press, 2013 IL 5-8, RL 6.0 ISBN 0763656852 Princess Adele loves gardening. Of course she has heard of Lady Hortensia's beautiful garden but has never actually seen it. It is said the the flowers are always in bloom and that no two are alike. That just can't be true. When she gets the chance to enter the garden, she learns the terrible truth about the garden -- and Lady Hortensia. Now it is up to Adele to try to fix what is so terribly wrong.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Today's podcast 05/27/2013
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Handler, Daniel. WHY WE BROKE UP
Handler, Daniel. WHY WE BROKE UP Boston : Little, Brown, 2011 IL YA ISBN 0316127256 Written in the form of a break up letter from Min, an aspiring filmmaker, to Ed, the popular jock. This doesn't seem to be a match made in heaven from the beginning but there is so much more to it than mismatched lovers. Min drops off a box of tiny remembrances along with her Dear John letter. Each of the items in the box -- a toy truck, rose petals, bottle caps -- have a story to tell. And Min offers us the chance to understand the relationship as well as why it ended as it did. We will want to read the entire missive, but will Ed?
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Today's podcast 05/26/2013
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Kadohata, Cynthia. THE THING ABOUT LUCK
Kadohata, Cynthia. THE THING ABOUT LUCK New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2013 IL 5-8 ISBN 1416918825 Some families seem to live a charmed life and some seen to have no luck at all. When Summer's Japanese American parents have to return to Japan to take care of family business, Summer and her brother Jaz stay with their grandparents. In order to pay the mortgage, the grandparents take a job with a custom harvesting company. And Summer and Jaz are working as well. This is just the latest in a series of bad luck events. As a matter of fact, Summer almost died of malaria earlier in the year. Life is hard for migrant workers but when grandfather gets ill, it is up to 12 year old Summer to figure out a way to keep them from losing everything.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Today's podcast 05/25/2013
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Grant, Michael. LIGHT New York : Katherine Tegan Books, 2013 IL YA ISBN 0061449180 In the final book of the Gone series, we find the children facing even more peril. The FAYZ has gone transparent and now the outside world is visible again. The children can see their parents. And the parents can see the unimaginable things that are going on inside. They see the mutants, the violence, the starvation. The food is almost gone and the children would rather spend time looking at their families than working in the fields. The children are hoping that the dome will soon come down. But there is an evil inside the dome that they need to fight first. Gaia is growing and gaining strength. She also looks forward to joining the outside world. Sam, Astrid, Diana, and Caine must find a way to keep that from happening. Even if it means sacrificing themselves. The answers to the questions you've been asking through the series are answered and you will learn what caused the FAYZ, the mutants and why Sam and Caine are so powerful.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Today's podcast 05/24/2013
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Grahame, Abby. WENTWORTH HALL New York : Simon & Schuster, 2012 IL YA ISBN 1442451963 For fans of Downton Abbey, here is a story set in 1912 England. Maggie Darlington has just returned from France to find that her father has decided that she should marry to help restore the family fortune. But Maggie is more interested in the Michael, the horse groom. Filled with stories about underpaid servants and overdressed aristocrats, this is a delicious tale of romance and secrets.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Today's podcast 05/23/2013
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Gonzalez, Christina Diaz. A THUNDEROUS WHISPER
Gonzalez, Christina Diaz. A THUNDEROUS WHISPER New York : Knopf, 2012 IL 5-8, RL 5.9 ISBN 0375969292 Ani's story is set during the Spanish Civil War. Ani works in her family's sardine business and always smells like sardines. Ani finds her first real friend in Mathais Garca. Mathais is German and he has left Germany to escape the restrictions placed on Jews by the Nazis. The two become fast friends and also get involved in the Resistance. They are fighting for Spain and use the sardines to deliver secret messages. Will these two teenage spies be able to survive the coming war? What will happen when their sleepy little town is bombed by the Nazis?
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Today's podcast 05/22/2013
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Giff, Patricia Reilly. GINGERSNAP
Giff, Patricia Reilly. GINGERSNAP New York : Wendy Lamb Books, 2013 IL 3-6, RL 3.2 ISBN 0375938915 Rob and Jayna lost their parents in a car accident with Jayna was just a bady. She now lives with Rob who is her only family. But the country is at war and Rob is shipped out to Japan leaving Jayna in the care of a neighbor. Jayna is not happy and longs for the day when Rob will return. When the news arrives that Rob is missing in action, she runs away in search of a woman in a photograph that is found in an old recipe book. Will Jayna find the mystery woman? And just who is this woman?
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Today's podcast 05/21/2013
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Gewirtz, Adina. ZEBRA FOREST Somerville, MA : Candlewick Press, 2013 IL 3-6, RL 3.2 ISBN 0763660418 Annie and Rew are masters at storytelling. Some may even call it lying but Annie knows what she needs to do to stay safe. The two children live with their grandmother who has good days and bad days. Annie knows how to spin the truth to keep social services from taking them to foster care. And Annie and Rew love to sit in the woods behind the house telling stories. When an escaped convict breaks into the house, Annie will have to do a lot of talking to keep them safe. And when she finds out who the intruder is, her world is turned upside down.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Today's podcast 05/20/2013
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Fusco, Kimberly Newton. BEHOLDING BEE
Fusco, Kimberly Newton. BEHOLDING BEE New York : Knopf, 2013 IL 4-6, RL 4.5 ISBN 0375968369 Bee was orphaned at a very young age and now she is living with a traveling carnival and trying to keep from becoming one of the freak show exhibits. Bee has a large birthmark on her face and she tries to keep to herself. Pauline runs the hotdog stand and is the closest thing Bee has to a mother. When Pauline leaves to work at another carnival, Bee takes off in search of a real home. Together with her pets, she finds a home with two mysterious women who take her in and offer her a home. But there is something very odd about these women. Why is it that Bee is the only one who can see them?
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Today's podcast 05/19/2013
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Eulberg, Elizabeth. REVENGE OF THE GIRL WITH THE GREAT PERSONALITY
Eulberg, Elizabeth. REVENGE OF THE GIRL WITH THE GREAT PERSONALITY New York : Point, 2013 IL YA ISBN 0545476992 Everybody loves Lexi. She's popular, smart, and funny. The kind of girl everyone likes but no one asks out. To make her feel worse, her little sister is a regular on the pageant circle where she is always praised for her beauty. Well, it’s easy to be beautiful when you are using fake hair and tons of makeup. And Lexi is sick of it. She decides to use some of the beauty tricks to enhance her own looks. She is going to be the one who is beautiful and popular. But is being popular all it is hyped up to be?
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Dessen, Sarah. THE MOON AND MORE
Dessen, Sarah. THE MOON AND MORE New York : Viking, 2013 IL YA ISBN 0670785601 Growing up in a small beach town certainly has its advantages. And Emaline knows that all too well. She lives with her mother, stepfather and stepsisters. And her boyfriend Luke. Luke is handsome, kind and lots of fun. But now there is a new boy in town. Theo is from New York and he is helping out with a documentary being filmed in the town. Theo is sophisticated, exciting and lots of fun. And he likes Emaline. So she has to decide if she wants to stick with what she knows or take a chance on a life that hadn’t seemed possible before.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Today's podcast 05/17/2013
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Dahlquist, Gordon. THE DIFFERENT GIRL
Dahlquist, Gordon. THE DIFFERENT GIRL New York : Dutton, 2013 IL YA ISBN 0525425977 The four girls are living alone on an island with two adult teachers. The girls are almost identical is every way. Almost. Veronika has red hair, Eleanor, black; Isobel yellow; Caroline brown. But other than that, the girls are interchangeable. And now their teachers are trying to get them to think for themselves and assert their individuality. The lessons are going well until young May shipwrecks onto the island and brings trouble. Now the four girls will really have to learn to think for themselves.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Today's podcast 05/16/2013
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Cox, Greg. RIESE : KINGDOM FALLING
Cox, Greg. RIESE : KINGDOM FALLING New York : Simon & Schuster, 2012 IL YA ISBN 1442429690 This is a prequel to a series on syfy. Here we meet 15 year old Riese. She is a princess and heir to the throne of Eleysia but she is not all that interested in learning her royal duties. She would much rather ride and hunt than learn how to be a proper lady. While out one day, she meets a villager and she pretends to be a servant at the palace. She escapes her lessons whenever she can so that she can spend time with Micah. But when war breaks out, she must decide between her love of Micah and her duty as a royal princess.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Today's podcast 05/15/2013
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Collomore, Anna. THE RUINING New York : Razorbill, 2013 IL YA ISBN 1595144706 Things are really looking up for Annie. She is leaving behind her life in Detroit for a new life in San Francisco. No more living in poverty for her. She is now the new nanny for the Cohen family and she has it all. The mother, Libby, takes Annie under her wing and buys her fancy clothes and even lets her use the car. Annie has a boyfriend now and life couldn’t be better. But it can be worse. Libby is starting to find fault in everything Annie does. She is getting blamed for things she didn’t do. Her boyfriend breaks up with her and things are spiraling out of control. Has Annie lost touch with reality or is there something else going on?
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Today's podcast 05/14/2013
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Buyea, Rob. MR. TERUPT FALLS AGAIN
Buyea, Rob. MR. TERUPT FALLS AGAIN New York : Delacorte Press, 2012 IL 3-6 ISBN 0385742053 Mr. Terupt is back and he is now teaching 6th grade. After the tragedy of what happened in 5th grade, the kids are happy to find out that they will have Mr. Terupt as their teacher yet again. There are some aftereffects of the accident last year and the kids will learn how to cope with that. The children will go through many changes in 6th grade as will Mr. Terupt.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Today's podcast 05/13/2013
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Bryant, Jen. A SPLASH OF RED : THE LIFE AND ART OF HORACE PIPPIN
Bryant, Jen. A SPLASH OF RED : THE LIFE AND ART OF HORACE PIPPIN New York : Knopf, 2013 IL K-3, RL 3.1 ISBN 0375967125 On February 22, 1888, a young boy named Horace was born in Pennsylvania. By the time Horace was three, he was drawing. He would use charcoal from the stove and draw whenever he could. When he won an artist's kit, he was finally able to add color to his drawings. As a young man, Horace went to war and his right arm was injured. He could no longer draw. Oh how he longed to be able to capture the images in his head. One day he decided to try something new. He tried using his left hand to support his right and started painting. Would this work?
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Today's podcast 05/12/2013
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Beil, Michael D. THE SECRET CELLAR
Beil, Michael D. THE SECRET CELLAR New York : Knopf, 2012 IL 5-8, RL 4.8 ISBN 0375967419 The Red Blazer Girls from St. Veronica’s are back with a new adventure and mystery to solve. Sophie buys her father a fountain pen at a local antique store. Little does she know what mystery that will open up. She finds a message in the pen that leads to a secret cellar. They go to the home of the man who originally owned the pen. He is a mystery himself with a house full of puzzles. Now the girls are really determined to get to the bottom of this mystery.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Today's podcast 05/11/2013
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Bauer, Joan. ALMOST HOME New York : Viking, 2012 IL 5-8, RL 3.7 ISBN 0670012890 Meet 12 year old Sugar Mae Cole. She is a character you won’t soon forget. She is given a small dog who she has decided to train as a helper dog. But Sugar is the one who is going to need all the help she can get. Her grandfather dies and her father abandons Sugar and her mother who are now homeless. But Sugar keeps looking on the bright side even as her mother suffers a breakdown that leaves Sugar in foster care. All Sugar has left is her dog Shush. Is that enough to get her through all of this?
Friday, May 10, 2013
Podcast number 1,600 and counting
When I started adding podcasts to my site, little could I image that I would be loading my 1,600th podcast one day. That day is today. I strive to do one podcast a day but there are times when a week or so may go by without a podcast. But I am still going and looking forward to podcast number 2,000 in the days to come. Thanks for listening!
Today's podcast 05/10/2013
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Finneyfrock, Karen. THE SWEET REVENGE OF CELIA DOOR
Finneyfrock, Karen. THE SWEET REVENGE OF CELIA DOOR New York : Viking, 2013 IL YA ISBN 0670012750 Celia’s dark clothes match her dark mood. She once was a girl who had friends and a nice family. Now she is alone and her parents are separated. Add to that the horrible prank that mean girl Sandy Firestone played on her last year, things are looking pretty grim for freshman year. But the new boy in class takes an interest in Celia and the two become friends. Drake has some issues of his own and confides his secrets in Celia. Can the two of them come to terms with the past? Can Drake help Celia understand that sometimes friendship is more important than revenge?
Thursday, May 09, 2013
Today's podcast 05/09/2013
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Bachmann, Stefan. THE PECULIAR
Bachmann, Stefan. THE PECULIAR New York : Greenwillow Books, 2012 IL 3-6, RL 5.1 ISBN 0062195182 In an alternative, steampunk England, we are introduced to two siblings who are living in Bath in the aftermath of the human-faery war. Bartholomew and Hettie are changlings, or peculiars who are half human and half faery. Hated by both the humans and the faeries, the two have been taught to stay in the background and don’t get yourself noticed or you’ll be hanged. When Hettie is kidnapped by a lady plotting against the changelings, Bartholomew teams up with another outcast to try to find her.
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
Today's podcast 05/08/2013
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Averett, Edward. CAMERON AND THE GIRLS
Averett, Edward. CAMERON AND THE GIRLS New York : Clarion Books, 2013 IL YA ISBN 054761215XFourteen year old Cameron is suffering from schizophreniform – a temporary form of schizophrenia. Medication helps but leaves him feeling flat and disconnected. When he doesn’t take the medicine, his inner companions include two male voices – one compassionate and logical, the other more dangerous who goads Cam into actions that may get him into trouble. And lately, there has been a third voice – a female who Cam is falling in love with. If he takes his meds, his inner voices are gone and so is the girl. But he finds a real life girl who has feelings for him. A rather unusual love triangle indeed. Cameron must decide which world to live in.
Tuesday, May 07, 2013
Today's podcast 05/07/2013
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Condie, Ally. REACHED Dutton Books, 2012Concluding the Matched series, we gain a new perspective with Xander as a narrator. The passive struggle continues between the Rising and the Society. After a difficult fight to escape, Cassia is thrown back into the Society, undercover, and runs back in to Xander which complicates her choice with her match. She remains conflicted on how to best help the Rising and trying to figure out who she is supposed to be with. (Candace Skoff for the Colorado Blue Spruce Award, 2014)
Monday, May 06, 2013
Today's podcast 05/06/2013
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Brees, Drew. COMING BACK STRONGER
Brees, Drew. COMING BACK STRONGER Tyndale House Publishers, 2010 IL AD ISBN 1414339437 When Drew Brees, former quarterback for the San Diego Chargers, suffered a potentially career ending injury, everyone doubted his ability to ever play professional football again. Dropped by the Chargers, he worked harder than ever to build himself back up and was drafted to be the quarterback of the New Orleans Saints in 2006, just one year after the city had suffered the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Largely written off, both the city and the quarterback began the long process of rebuilding together. Inspiring his city, and the nation, Brees led the Saints to Super Bowl victory in 2009, proving to the world that not only can you get up after a great and terrible fall, you can come back stronger. (Tana Lucero for the Colorado Blue Spruce Award, 2014)
Sunday, May 05, 2013
Today's podcast 05/05/2013
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Wein, Elizabeth. CODE NAME VERITY
Wein, Elizabeth. CODE NAME VERITY New York : Hyperion Books, 2012 IL YA ISBN 1423152190 Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein tells the tale of Verity, a secret agent captured in enemy territory during WW II, who trades an intricately woven confession to her Nazi captors in hopes of prolonging her life. In flashbacks she tells the story of her friendship with Maddie, a pilot who is her best friend, whom she believes died in the wrecked fuselage of their downed plane. An experienced pilot herself, Elizabeth Wein creates a realistic portrayal of the relationship between Maddie Brodatt, a British civilian pilot during WW II and her best friend Queenie, a wireless operator and spy. In part one Queenie, code named Verity, has been captured by the Nazis and is trading a hand written confession including what she knows about the British war effort, in order to postpone her inevitable execution. Assuming that Maddie died in the crash of their plane over France, Queenie primarily writes about the development of their friendship. Part two is Maddie's "accident report." Unbeknownst to Queenie, Maddie survives the crash and spends the last part of the book attempting to rescue Queenie from her captors. Code Name Verity is a Michael L. Printz honor book. (Sharon Nehls for the Colorado Blue Spruce Award, 2014)
Saturday, May 04, 2013
Today's podcast 05/04/2013
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Clare, Cassandra. CITY OF LOST SOULS
Clare, Cassandra. CITY OF LOST SOULS New York : Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2012 IL YA ISBN 1442416866 City of Lost Souls is the fifth book in The Mortal Instruments series, and the action picks up right where it left off in book four. Clary is once again met with difficult decisions and ethical dilemmas around every corner. The greater demon Lilith has been defeated, but that is just a catalyst for the beginning of a new and even more dangerous journey that Clary and her friends, Shadowhunter and Downworlder alike, must handle on their own. Without much help from the Clave, Clary is left with very few options when it comes to the rescue of the love of her life, Jace. She takes matters into her own hands, and seeks out her evil-minded brother, Sebastian, who holds Jace captive with a very powerful spell—one that joins their bodies and minds together, so whatever happens to Sebastian, Jace experiences the same fate. While Clary is working to gain knowledge of Sebastian’s new plan, Simon, Isabelle, Magnus, and Alec are back in New York trying to gain access to a weapon powerful enough to break the bond between Jace and Sebastian. Only an angel can craft a weapon that can sever the line and leave one of the two boys unharmed. The only problem is: to summon an angel is certain death for anyone bold enough to try.As the character’s relationships flourish and intensify, so do the mysteries and risks. This fast-paced series covers all the topics teens deal with and love to read about. From diverse romantic relationships and complicated friendships, to morally ambiguous decisions and terrifying situations, this book leaves readers with a lot to contemplate about our world, however “mundane” it might be compared to Clary’s. (Kate Farrell for the Colorado Blue Spruce Award, 2014 )
Friday, May 03, 2013
Today's podcast 05/03/2013
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White, Kiersten. PARANORMALCY New York : HarperTeen, 2010 IL YA ISBN 0061985848Evie swears she's a normal teen. Even though she's been working for the IPCA (International Paranormal Containment Agency) ever since she was found wandering alone as child, and can see through the glamours that paranormals use to hide their true forms. She has the same ups and downs as regular teens. She's got problems with her faery ex-boyfriend, loves her pink bedazzled taser (she calls it tasey), is obsessed with a teenaged soap opera and has a newfound fascination for the incarcerated shape-shifter Lend. But Evie's normal life is about to become much stranger...paranormals across the world have begun turning up dead and their deaths seem connected to a prophecy that might be about her. (booktalk by Jocelyn Redel, Arlington Library for Evergreen Young Adult Book Award 2013)
Thursday, May 02, 2013
Today's podcast 05/02/2013
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Shusterman, Neal. BRUISER New York : HarperTeen, 2010 IL YA ISBN 0061134082 Tennyson and Brontë are twins, who (big surprise) are the children of literature professors. Their lives are just as comfortable and well off as you'd imagine.Brewster Rawlins lives with his eight-year-old brother Cody on their uncle's run down former farm in the middle of the suburbs.Not much is known about Brewster, except that because of his hulking size and quiet manner, everyone calls him Bruiser.Brontë decides that she wants to date Brewster and this sends her hot-headed brother into fits. But after confronting Brewster, Tennyson changes his mind, and decides to give him a chance, although he also wants to find out more about this mysterious kid in his class.It turns out that Brewster has a special ability. He can actually absorb the pain of someone he cares for. Up until now, Bruiser's power has been only been used to protect his little brother Cody from their uncle. Brewster has kept it all a secret by being quiet and never really having any friends.As Tennyson and Brontë's injuries start to mysteriously disappear, and their athletic abilities grow, they slowly realize just what Brewster can do. Tennyson and Brontë begin to draw Brewster out of his shell, thinking they're helping him, but Brewster's uncle has other ideas. His rage drives him to a frenzy that will change things forever.You'll hear each person's side of the story: bullying Tennyson, compassionate Brontë, poetic Brewster, and Cody's little kid voice.They say the ones you love the most are the ones who can hurt you worst. In Bruiser's case that's literally true. Find out what happens to him in Bruiser.(booktalk adapted from a book review by Shawn Crosby King County Library System for Evergreen Young Adult Book Award 2013)
Wednesday, May 01, 2013
Today's podcast 05/01/2013
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Quick, Matthew. SORTA LIKE A ROCK STAR
Quick, Matthew. SORTA LIKE A ROCK STAR Boston : Little, Brown, 2010 IL YA ISBN 0316043524Amber explains, "Forget about peeing, unless you want to shiver your butt off --literally. And it's pretty lonely too." Abandoned by her dad and a string of her mother's bad boyfriends, Amber is homeless and living in a school bus with her dog Thrice B (Bobby Big Boy) and her alcoholic mom.How does she cope? She reaches out to other outcasts: the geek gang she plays computer games with at lunch, the elders at a local nursing home, a Vietnam vet, with PTSD, and the Korean women who are learning English at Father Chee's church.Amber is strong in many ways. She takes a stand on what she believes in. She loves people and the places they take her.A violent tragedy changes everything.This novel will touch your heart. It will make you laugh out loud and sob like a baby. This book is for all of you who live outside the edge of normal...............or not.This book may change your life. (booktalk by Donna Bartholomew Pine Lake Middle School Library for Evergreen Young Adult Book Award 2013)
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