Happy Holidays

My holiday wishes curtesty of Wordle.

Something to read for those after the whole Twilight series

Night Runner by Max Turner

This is for those of you who now need your next great read after the Twilight series. I picked up this book on the recommendation of my old boss and mentor Diane, and she is usually right on the mark, and she's done it again. This was an action-packed trill ride of the vampire kind. The action sequences reminded me of The extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp and I just couldn't put it down. It had elements of suspense, humor, action, adventure and romance all within its 261 pages.

From the back cover -

For Zack Thomson, living in the Nicholls Ward wasn't so bad. After his parents died, he developed strange and severe allergies, and the mental institution was the only place where he could be properly look after. As strange as it seems, it was home.

He could watch as much television as he wanted; his best friend Charlie, visited him often enough; and Nurse Ohelia -- the pretties no-nonsense nurse ever -- sometimes took him bowling. Of course, that didn't mean he had it easy. His allergies restricted his diet to strawberry smoothies, and being the only kid at the hospital did get lonely. But it never once crossed Zach's mind to leave... until the night a stranger crashed through the front doors and told him to run.

Now he's on a race for answers -- about his past, his parents and his strange sickness -- even as every step takes him closer to the darkest of truths.

This had a crazy amount to twists to it, and I was kept guessing right to the last chapter.

Congratulations to high school science teacher/author Max Turner of Ottawa for what is sure to be a hit with the kids at Lakie. We need more authors like you, who know how to keep them reading past that first page, first chapter, first hundred pages. Way to hook em!

Read on

Would you?

Would you by Marthe Jocelyn

Would you rather know what's going to happen or not know?

A summer night. A Saturday. For Claire, this summer feels fantastic, because she'll be zooming off to colledge in the fall. For her younger sister, Natalie, it's an okay time with her friends: summer jobs, then hanging out. Fun, mostly, but nothing special. A summer night. An accident. Life changes in a heartbeat.

Would you? Is a game that's played by Natalie and her friends. It goes something like this - "Would you rather have your father sing at the supermarket or your mother fart in the principal's office? / Would you rather lose all your hair or all your teeth? " This game is usually just a way to gross each other out, but the questions of the game take on new meaning after Claire's sister is involved in a life changing accident.

A book that explores what would you do? How well do you know yourself, and how would you answer the hard questions when faced with them. A story about sisters, friends, family and strength. I found this book didn't sugar-coat what a family goes through in an extreme and difficult situation, and that it left room for discussion and introspection. Overall I thought it was well done and reminded me of another great read called The Dive From Clausen's Pier.

Read on

Adrenalin Ride by Pam Withers

It's summer vacation for best friends Peter and Jake, and when they're invited to help develop a mountain bike trail west of the Canadian Rockies, they can' believe their luck. But as they start working hard in an isolated park, the boys sense that something's not right. Join the boys as they plunge into the mountain-biking descent of their lives. (from back cover).

"Adrenalin ride takes me back to my first adventures riding bikes on trails. It captures the energy and adrenalin generated when knobby tires are mixed with generous helpings of trees, rocks and dirt. Add intrigue, danger and suspense to the brew and you have an unbeatable read" Cam McRae, editor, North Shore Mountain Biking e-magazine.

I started this one this morning and finished it this afternoon.So obviously I liked it. I did find that it kind of got off to a slow start, but I felt the action picking up once they were out on the trails. Unfortunately I felt there wasn't enough difference between the characters Jake and Peter. I did however like the plot turns and felt it could be a good read for those into mountain biking. I liked how the guys worked/slaved all day building trails but still had energy and drive to rip-it-up or build jumps after a long day. Reminds me of guys I know, who with mountain biking or snowboarding after the lifts have closed for the day still are out there building jumps and climbing up to take hits off it. Sick! So this one is for those guys -way to go!

Cool new hockey books

Xtreme Hockey by Stephen Cole

Wow! What a cool book. The back cover raves that Hockey has never been so Xtreme, and with info on the fastest player, hardest hitters, greatest goals, vilest villains, rowdiest fan and worst injuries - I found that it did live up to all this. I learned tons of crazy facts - from where hockey originated to the injuries goalies sustained before they wore masks ("Once, a player stepped on his unmasked face with the sharp blade of a skate. Afterward, Glen could stick out his tongue through his cheek). Gross I know, but tidbits like this will definitely grab some of the hockey crazed that Lakie has. There was other cool stuff like how to throw an octopus if your at a Detroit game, and loads of stats through the years. The information is contained in very short snippets and complimented with loads of photos.

My other new hockey book is Hockey Superstars 2008-2009 by Paul Romanuk. This book features 17 of today's best players. It too is bound to be popular.

I might not be the biggest hockey fan, but I learned lots from both these books and feel I could shout a little louder at the next hockey game I go to.

Somethings rotten in Denmark Tennessee

Something Rotten by Alan Gratz
There's something rotten in the town of Denmark, Tennessee, and it's not the smell from the polluted Copenhagen river. Horatio is in town visiting his best friend Hamilton Prince after the death of Hamilton's father, millionaire paper-plant owner Rex Prince. On a surveillance video, Hamilton's father tells his son that he's been systematically poisoned over the course of the past few months, but the tape cuts off before he is able to name his murderer. Hamilton vows to avenge his father's murder and makes Horatio help by playing detective. Meanwhile, as Horatio pokes into the family secrets, Hamilton plays the drunk, hoping to fool everyone into thinking he's too out of it to notice what's going on. Hamilton's mother Trudy, who married her dead husband's brother, Claude, also seems to be clueless about the murder. But does she know more than she's letting on? And what about Claude? He had the most to gain, with the new wife and control of the family business. Add in one media mogul attempting a hostile takeover, one pretty evironmentalist convinced the paper plant is polluting the river and two redneck friends, and you have a cast of suspects that only Shakespeare could have bested.

I really enjoyed this modern twist on Shakespeare's Hamlet. I recognized lots of one liners from the play - but not so many that if your unfamilair with the it that it would bog you down. Hip, darkly funny, a sarcastic main character, and a mystery to boot.

Dog sense

Dog sense by Sneed B. Collard III





This was one of the books I picked up at the K-9 conference I was at. So I thought it appropriate that I read the canine book.


Dog sense is the story of Guy Martinez who has recently moved to Montana from California (and life sucks, until the day he gets to choose a dog from the SPCA - enter Streak the border collie). The first day of school he makes his first enemy, school bully Brad Mullen and his first friend Luke Grant. Guy's relationship intensifies with both these characters through his dog Streak. Luke encourages Guy to enter Streak in the town Fair's Frisbee-catching competition. This also happens to be Brad Mullen's main event. The rivalry between Guy and Brad escalates until an impulsive wager pits the boys head-to-head and places Streak in jeopardy.

Although I found some of the characters to be stereotypical, I found the dialogue (especially Grandpa) to be well done. I learned stuff about a sport I never would have known and this is always a good thing. Having been around border collies in my life, I thought that Collard did a great job of explaining their intense personalities that are in constant need of challenging.

Read on

If a tree falls at lunch period

If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period by Gennifer Choldenko

First sentence: "This is lame but I'm actually looking forward to school this year, because every day this summer was like crap: dog crap, cat crap -- I even had a few elephant crap days. Trust me, it was bad."
Told in alternating chapters, the voices of Kirsten McKenna and Walker Jones tell the story of two kids and their middle school worlds colliding.
Kirsten world is falling apart, her parents marriage is falling apart, her best friend has dumped her for a more beautiful popular group, and her main way of dealing with this is eating.
Walker finds himself in a new world, where he's the only African American in the class and he knows that he can't mess this up (for his mom's sake).
Kirsten and Walk's worlds collide on more than one occasion - being late the first day of school, the teacher's missing wallet - but these are nothing compared with the family secret that Kirsten learns.

Read on.

Stuff I've been reading

Keturah & Lord Death by Martine Leavitt

Kethurah has enchanted many in her village, not with her beauty alone but also with her captivating storytelling. So when Kethurah becomes lost in the woods and meets Lord Death she rallies and through her storytelling ability saves herself for another day, but is she clever enough to save her friends and family and the lives of those who live in the village?

An interesting mix of fairytale, romance and suspense woven together in an incredible story where Death has a leading role. The character of Death you want to hate, you don't want to understand him or worse yet sympathize with him - and yet you do begin to view this character differently by the end of the book.
"If untimely death came only to those who deserved that fate, Keturah, where would choice be? No one would do good for its own sake, but only to avoid an early demise. No one would speak out against evil because of his own courageous soul, but only to live another day. The right to choose is man's great gift, but one thing he many not choose - the time and means of death."
At times this book reminded me of the Book thief by Marcus Zusak, in which Death is the narrator - honest, humble and lonely.

I enjoyed the pacing of the book and found myself wondering if she could fulfill the promises she makes to friends, neighbors and Lord Death.
Read On.

Wowed by Kaleidoscope

For those of you who think I'm talking about the tube that you look into and see colorful shapes change with each little turn you'd be right, I do get wowed by those, but this time I'm talking about the Kaleidoscope 9 Children's Literature Conference. This conference is held every four years and brings together some of the best authors and illustrators from around the globe. It also brings together the best and brightest teachers and librarians from across the country.
Of course you can't make it to see all your favourites but here's a few that I did manage to see.

Shaun Tan - wow, when I saw that he was going to be at this conference I immediately signed up - he happens to be one of my favs. Here's some stuff that I jotted down, wonderfully odd, visual rhyming, each page a complete miniature story, troubled sense of belonging, returning to a child like state, confounding, all experience has layers, melts into real life, lost stories form the past, reconstructing memories, and people to a strange place or a stranger to a known place.
If you haven't looked through The Arrival or The Rabbits you're missing out on a wondrous experience that will stick with you for a long while.

Lois Lowry - another favourite for many many reasons, and as she revealed more about herself I saw infinite caring, humor and a deeply thoughtful person. Here's some stuff I wrote - human integrity, the importance of memories, we need the sad parts to balance and give importance to the rest.

George Little Child - How I'd love for him to come to our school and do an art workshop, his ability to tell stories, explain history depicted on a colorful canvas is almost beyond words. Here's some stuff I wrote - art has been his best friend and always been there for him, oral traditionalist, pictograph influence, blood memory (intuition), stars of hope.

I did see other workshops but these three are still firmly at the forefront of my thinking. How stories are all around us. That boxes full of pictures at a grandparents house represent amazing stories to be discovered or reinvented. To think of the ordinary from an outsiders view. To enjoy another persons perspective even when it differs greatly from your own.

I'll blog on individual titles by some of these folks soon.

The Juvie Three by Gordon Korman

The Juvie Three by Gordon Korman.

This was my quick fix for weekend reading, and here I thought i'd give you a look at the two current covers for the book. I think the one on the right does a better job of grabbing your attention and also does a better job of capturing the theme of the book.

When three young offenders are offered a second chance, a chance to live outside of prison, they of course say YES! Gecko has been sent to Juvie for driving the get-away car for his brother. Terence planned a robbery as part of a gang initation and was left holding the bag. Arjay fought back against a group of jock bullies and with one punch ended up killing one of them. So when Douglas Healey enters their lives and offers them a very alternative option to Juvie and jail they gladly accept before even thinking about the conditions that go along with it. The critical condition is that if one of them screws up, they all go back behind bars.

In true Korman fashion, there's a sense of humor along with a story that keeps you rooting for the characters and turning the pages.

Read on.

Traveler IQ

I love this world geography quiz. Let me know how you score when you take it. Here's the address - www.travelpod.com/traveler-iq

This Traveler IQ was calculated on Wednesday, October 29, 2008 at 01:27PM GMT by comparing this person's geographical knowledge against the Web's Original Travel journal's 3,243,792 travelers who've taken the challenge.

Back to the city of Ember

The Diamond of Darkhold by Jeanne DuPrau

If you've been a fan of The City of Ember and the People of Sparks by Jeanne Duprau then you'll be happy to read on with The Diamond of Darkhold. Lina and Doon's struggle for survival continues now that they've been living in Sparks. But life above ground is hard and most of the time uncertain and unhappy. During the dark days of winter Doon finds an unusual book. Deciphering the remaining pages, Doon feels certain that the Builders of Ember meant for them to find a critical device that would make their lives easier. And so the adventure begins.

I'm a huge fan of these books (well -with the exception of The Prophet of Yonwood). I was happy to meet up with Lina and Doon again and rediscover that feeling of hope as they try to learn from the past and courageously step into the future.

Read on.

Samurai shortstop

Samurai shortstop by Alan Gratz

From the back cover-

From his first day at boarding school, Toyo Shimada sees how upperclassmen make a sport out of terrorizing the first-years. Still, he's taken aback when the seniors keep him from trying out for their baseball team - especially after he sees their current shortstop. Toyo isn't afraid to prove himself; he's more troubled by his uncle's recent suicide. Although Uncle Koji's defiant death was supposedly heroic, it has made Toyo question many things about his family's samurai background. And worse, Toyo fears that his father may be next. It all has something to do with bushido- the way of the warrior- but Toyo doesn't understand even after his father agrees to teach it to him. As the gulf between them grows wider, Toyo searches desperately for a way to prove there is a place for his family's samurai values in modern Japan. Baseball might be the answer, but will his father ever accept a "Western" game that stands for everything he despises?

From the opening sentence I was hooked. The rest of the chapter was just as gripping. And from there I just kept liking the book more and more.

I learned a lot about the time of transition for Japan, how moving from a feudal system to a modern one was more than difficult - as politics, religion and western influences pushed people into finding a new Japanese identity. How for Toyo's uncle (a samurai) this change was impossible.

Toyo is a memorable character. He's a student, he's a friend, he's a leader. He understands the samurai spirit and brings this knowledge to his friends and teammates and also applies it when being bullied, to understanding his relationship with his father, or out on the baseball field and you get the sense it will stay with him for life.

The baseball moments of the story are also worth the read. It's no wonder the Japanese have guys playing in the American League and winning world championship little league tournaments. After reading this book I get the connection and see the long history baseball has in Japan.

I thought it was a great read, and has terrific curriculum tie-ins.

Art break

3-D ABC ; a sculptural alphabet by Bob Raczka

Today I was busy cataloguing more of the new books, but took a moment to read through this book. I loved it!

Bob Raczka has done it again, pairing beautiful pieces of art - this time sculptures and wonderfully simple wording to help explain or get us thinking about what art means to us. This time he also cleverly uses the alphabet to move from piece to piece. Each sculpture is given full credit to who created it, where it is housed and what it is made from.

Readers will learn about contemporary sculpture, he covers everything from various sculptural styles (kinetic, relief, ready-made) to sculpting materials (metal, old car parts, light, etc.).

I'm having a hard time picking a favourite, but tonight I'd have to say it's the letters K & L - the sculptures are The Kiss and LOVE. Tomorrow who knows I might pick a totally different one , that's the great thing about art- it kinda depends on your mood.

I love books like this, i may never get to see these sculptures up close but now I know more about them and I'm inspired to visit the sculptures that I have access to here in Alberta.

Read on

Rucker Park Setup by Paul Volponi

Rucker Park Setup by Paul Volponi

Harlem's Rucker Park has seen more than a few stars rise through its ranks, and Mackey and J.R. are hopeful that they will be the next - afterall they've been playing and watching ball their entire lives. Finally the moment they've been dreaming of has arrived - they're about to play in the Rucker Park Tournament where there is sure to be college scouts. Their team is sponsored by the Rapper named Greene and Greene has wagered heavily against opposing coach Fat Anthony that they will win. Before the tournament can even start, things go wrong and J.R. is killed. Mackey knows what has gone down and now has to decide how he'll handle things, including his own involvement.

The basketball action was intense and really kept the story captivating. The characters believeable and I found it to be a fast read. I'd recommend this for any of those reluctant readers who might need something for a book project, that and it's about 160 pages.

There is lots of language** in this one, so use some caution.

Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell

Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell

Sixteen-year-old Vasser Spore has her life planned out for the next 15 years, from graduating valedictorian - right through to winning the Pulitzer Prize. Her very scheduled, precisely planned life take a wild turn when her Grandma (who she's never met) sends her airline tickets to join her for the summer in South East Asia. Vassar doesn't have any intention of going, until she overhears a mysterious conversation between her parents and her grandmother. Before she knows it, she's rearranging her well planned summer and making up her AP English class by agreeing to write a novel during her travels in Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos.

The travel part of the book is really what grabbed me. Vassar finally has to give up some of her rigidness and learn to LIM (Live in the moment). Along the way she figures out the mystery between her parents and her grandmother, finds an unexpected boyfriend and decides she can live without having every moment of her life planned out - sometimes the unexpected is fun.

Although it wasn't quite as good as I wanted it to be, I still think this will be a great book for those needing an escape to a foreign country.

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Warning don't start this book if you have homework you should be doing or if you've got other important stuff you have on the go - because you won't be able to put it down.

I started this book on Tuesday morning before I came to work, and I seriously thought about skipping work for the day so that I could finish it. I went to work, but the moment I got home, I immediately pickup it up and didn't stop reading till I finished.

Wow! What a book. What a trill ride.

Time: The future

Setting: The nation of Panem (what used to be North America)

Characters: 16 year-old Katniss Everdeen

16 year-old Peeta

old - Haymitch

In this futuristic world of Panem, a land made up of thirteen colonies (but really only twelve, the capitol blew up the thirteenth when they tried to rebel). Each year the Hunger Game is played.

Every district holds a lottery with the names of all those aged between twelve and eighteen - a boy and a girl are chosen to play in the Hunger Game.

What's the Hunger Game? It's a reality tv "survivor" like game with one small twist. This game is played to the death. The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. There is only one person left standing at the end of the Hunger Game - or is this years' game in for a change.

Have I got your interest? Cause this is one you really don't want to miss out on.

Read On

Story collections

Right now in our library there is a large display of Octoberish books. All have the common theme of - the creep factor, whether it be ghosts, goblins, halloween, or paranormal. I have a few new suggestions to be added to the display. Good scary titles to make your spine tingle.

All Hallows' Eve 13 stories by Vivian Vande Velde
As some of you know, I'm a spineless wimp went it comes to horror stories, I made it through the first three stories in this book and I had to quit, it was gonna give me nightmares for sure.

666 The Number of the Beast : Stories of Horror

From the back cover-

Tales of evil. Tales of darkness. Tales of beasts.

There's the ...

Vampire who visits the same girl every night.

Dangerous rumor that turns all too deadly.

Zombie who couldn't look more innocent.

Boarding school plagued by a tortured ghost.

And so much more in this spine-tingling, bone-chilling collection of 18 stories from 18 masters of horror.

So lock the door. Turn on the lights. Don't answer the phone. And open this book ... if you dare...

Oddest of All : Nine odd stories by Bruce Coville

Started this one this morning and loved the weird, odd factor. It reminded me of the Twilight Zone my favourite tv show when I was in senior high. I might save this one for read alouds.

The Dark Side : truly terrifying tales / chosen by Susan Price

From the back cover.

Sure to leave your skin crawling with fear, this chilling collection of horror stories will get your heart racing and goose bumps popping. Twenty-four terrifying tales by such authors as Charles Dickens, Stephen King, and Edgar Allen Poe are sure to haunt even the bravest of readers.

The Curse of the Campfire Weenies and other warped and creepy tales by David Lubar

I love David Lubar, I think he's funny, quick and clever. So it's no wonder I picked up two copies of this one. Delicously silly and at the same time macabre. Can't wait to dive into this one.

Beastly Rhymes to read after dark by Judy Sierra

I'll share one.

Never Bully a Bug

Young William was not nice to bugs,

Or bees, or centipedes, or slugs.

He'd poke, and pull, and squeeze, and tweak

And laugh because they were so weak.

Young William never realized

The tiny mites he victimized

Had cousins that were giant-sized.

One day, while walking down the stair,

Young William met a bumblebear.

The bumblebear packed quite a sting,

But when a beast more frightening -

A stomping-mad rhinocepede-

Came hurtling toward him at top speed,

Young William, feeling far less smug,

Collided with a hipposlug,

And disappeared in one slow g-l-u-g.

Thank you

I just want to give a huge shout-out to my friends at ULS - Monica, Stella, Diane, Robin, Yolanda, Brenda, Anna, Tina, and everyone else who works there. You do a fabulous job and you always make my day when I'm up for a shopping trip / visit. I can't thank you enough for the book suggestions, advance readers copies and posters that keep me and the rest of your fans at G.S. Lakie smiling.

Thank you many times over.

Home and other big fat lies

Home and other big fat lies by Jill Wolfson

Another great read from the weekend.

Whitney is trading in buildings for trees. She is headed from the city to Northern California, and foster home #12. #12 because of the top five complaints about Whitney from foster parents...
1. Big, sassy mouth
2. Too hyper
3. Doesn't always stick to the truth
4. Thinks she knows everything
5. Climbs everything (p.19)

Whitney soon learns that she's not the only "foster" new in Forest Glen, in fact theirs a lot of them. She also learns that the reason there are so many off them, is that these families need the financial income that comes along with having foster child in the house. Forest Glen is and always will be a logging town so when a closure of the timber cutting areas closes the effect is felt in just about every family. Whitney (aka - Termite) begins to love the outdoors, the forest and most of all a ginormous redwood tree she's nicknamed Big Momma. She leads her fellow fosters in starting a nature and ecology club. And that's just the beginning the adventure.

Termite is one of those great characters- she's full of action, bounce, energy and and her own creative way with language. It's no wonder she finds herself leading an environmental cause and winning hearts along the way.

Read on

The Missing Girl

The Missing Girl by Norma Fox Mazer

Haunting, chilling, creepy, tense. This is how I describe this book.

Told in alternating voices. The story of five sisters from a poor family, each going about their own lives in differing ways, full of chatter, laughing, bickering typical of any family.

The oldest Beauty (ironically rather plain) is planning for the day she'll turn eighteen and be away from all this. Mim quiet and responsible holding a personal secret that she has yet to share with anyone. Stevie always temperamental, on the attack and demanding attention. Fancy is always doted on by her sisters as she is "special" and loves to tell the others of her special teacher and special class. And Autumn the tag along, lagging behind, wanting attention from the others.

Meanwhile a man secretly covets watching the girls, deciding which one he likes best, which one he'll take home and keep.

Definitely a page turner.

Read on

What's your savvy?

From the cover.

For generations, the Beaumont family has harbored a magical secret. They each possess a "savvy" — a special supernatural power that strikes when they turn thirteen. Grandpa Bomba moves mountains, her older brothers create hurricanes and spark electricity... and now it's the eve of Mibs's big day.
As if waiting weren't hard enough, the family gets scary news two days before Mibs's birthday: Poppa has been in a terrible accident. Mibs develops the singular mission to get to the hospital and prove that her new power can save her dad. So she sneaks onto a salesman's bus... only to find the bus heading in the opposite direction. Suddenly Mibs finds herself on an unforgettable odyssey that will force her to make sense of growing up — and of other people, who might also have a few secrets hidden just beneath the skin.

I soooo enjoyed this, the well crafted if somewhat wacky characters, the tall tale adventure, the wonderful savvy Mibs is given and how it presents itself are all unforgettable (it made me kind of glad I don't have a tattoo ;-). I felt part of the team on that bumpy pink bus ride, wondering what my savvy was and if I could guess what yours might be.

"But as I grew up, I began to understand that a savvy is just a know-how of a different sort."

"In most ways, Mibs, we Beaumonts are just like other people, we get born, and sometime later we die. And in between, we're happy and sad, we feel love and we feel fear, we eat and we sleep and we hurt like everyone else."

Wonderfully odd, no wonder this book (the authors first - wow!) has already been optioned for a movie. Check out the book trailer on youtube or visit the authors website http://www.ingridlaw.com/ for more about this great book.

Don't miss this one!!

Read on

Rapunzel's Revenge

I love new takes on fairy-tales, and this one is terrific!! Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale ; illustrated by Nathan Hale. An old-west, tall tale version of the classic fairytale Rapunzel with loads of giddy-up told in the graphic novel format. Yahoo!

Rapunzel has grown up in a beautiful villa, surrounded by wonderful blooming gardens under the watchful eye of Mother Gothel. As Rapunzel grows up she begins to question what lies on the other side of the gigantic wall that surrounds the villa. Being bored and a bit adventurous Rapunzel scales the clock to see for the first time the very puzzling landscape that stretches almost as far as the eye can see. When Rapunzel questions Mother Gothel on this and other issues concerning her past, Mother Gothel banishes her to a towering tree. The years slide by, and Rapunzel's determination has grown with each day. When she escapes her lonely tower, the adventures and a lesson to be taught to one Mother Gothel get underway. Her long braids come in handy and a friend named Jack joins in on settin' things right.

I loved the independent, honest and daring nature of this wildwest Rapunzel. The illustrations capture the action, excitement and western feel admirably. Yahoo!

Should I let you in on a secret?

I don't know, this is a big undertaking. Trusting you with what could potentially harm you. I could get in a lot of trouble. Dare I tell you of such a mysterious, puzzling phenomena all contained between a set of hard covers?

Well, okay but just this one time.

The name of this book is secret by Pseudonymous Bosch. I read it early in the summer and have managed to keep it a secret so far, but people keep asking. Making it harder and harder for me to keep such a good book safely on the shelves of the library and not in the hands of readers.

Alas I cannot keep it under wraps any longer. I'm gonna spill. It is an alarming account of two extraordinary adventurers, a missing magician’s diary, a symphony of smells and a deadly secret…

For those of you who are fans of Lemony Snicket, mysteries, codes and hidden clues, you might want to give this a try - but beware, it could be detrimental to your health.

PS - don't forget to check out the website: http://www.thenameofthisbookissecret.com/ for more fun stuff.

Oh yeah, I'm currently reading If you're reading this, it's too late also by the same author (but don't tell anyone, I could get in big trouble- as this book was snuck out of the publishing house just for me.)

Read on

Click, one book - ten authors

Click - one book -ten authors. Such an interesting concept, it reminds me of a writing assignment given at a workshop where we were given the starting sentence "It was a dark and stormy night..." and then each person created the next sentence, building this crazy mismash (or terrific) story.

The ten authors of Click each contribute a chapter building the story centred around the character of George "Gee" Keane - renowned photojournalist.

As I read the book, I thought up a bunch of book report ideas, some clever, some straight-forward, some artsy and some just plain out-there, which I guess relates back to how I viewed the book. Some chapters I loved, I thought the writing and tone to be smooth and deliberate, others I thought- where is this going? and a few I had a harder time seeing how it would fit with the overall story. Which I susppose is what you get when you give a novel over to ten authors - endless possibilities.

Read on

Graphic novel weekend

Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island retold by Wim Coleman and Pat Perrin illustrated by Greg Rebis

I love Treasure Island, it's one of those books I end up reading every year, I love the characters, I love the pirates, i love the mystery of the treasure map, and i imagine myself as a bit of a young Jim Hawkins too.

So I was happy to see a graphic novel version of one of my favourites, especially as this version was in colour and appropriate for younger readers (there's a lot more to the pirate language than ARRRR). I thought this version did a great job of summarizing this classic story - I even felt my usual love/hate feelings for Long John Silver. This book even has a glossary for some of those words only used by pirates, a bit about Robert Louis Stevenson, and questions to ponder.

This is a great option for young readers interested in a pirate adventure story.

Read on

Graphic novel weekend

The Regifters by Mike Carey, Sonny Liew and Marc Hempel





"... action, romance and introspection combine in an enjoyable and realistically muliethnic whole"


Booklist, starred review





Regifters is the story of rebellion, crushes and recycled gifts. Jen Dik Seong -or Dixie as she's known to her friends is a gifted hapkido (Korean martial arts) athlete, in fact she could win the up coming nation wide tournament, if only she could focus. Her instructor carefully points out to her that -" you are a good student Jen, perhaps the best I have ever taught, you know that hapkido is much more than a fighting style. You know the importance of Ki. The universal energy that some call spirit. This is not strength of body or mind, but it underlies all strength, and makes strength strong. Where is your Ki Jen? What has become of it?"


Jen unfortunately can only seem to focus on one thing - Adam (a fellow hapkido student) and how to win over her crush. Enter the gift, a sculpture of a Hwarang warrior which Jen decides will win over Adam but also costs her entery fee to the national tournament. As the story develops so does the idea of regifting.

(Re-gift - verb - 1. to give an unwanted gift to someone else; to give as a gift something one previously received as a gift.)

Jen gives the gift to Adam, who gives the gift to Megan, who when she finds out she has been regifted gives it to her brother, who uses it to repay the debt he owes Dillinger, who doesn't know it all started with Jen but for some reason it reminds him of her and she is a true warrior and therefore deserves to have this kind of reminder of who she is. And if that confused you, well check the book out because it won't disappoint.

Thumbs up from me!

Read on

How to Steal a Dog

How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O'Connor

"Half of me was thinking, Georgina, don't do this. Stealing a dog is just plain wrong. The other half of me was thinking, Georgina, you're in a bad fix and you got to do whatever it takes to get yourself out of it."

Georgina is pretty mad. Mad at her Dad (for having taken off from the family). Mad at her Mom (who's temporary solution to their housing crisis is to live in the family car). And mad at her little brother who just isn't much help in understanding all this. What Georgina needs is are solutions. There begins Georgina's idea of stealing a dog and then posting reward signs thus getting the reward money, so that her family can find a home again.

There's a few problems with Georgina's plan - unfortunately she acts before she's thought this through. A couple of minor things like, where will she keep the dog (it's not like she can take it back to the car - her Mom can't find out about any of this), what will she feed the dog?, how will she find time to walk the dog?.

I hope you'll check this one out - I loved it :-)

Read on

Shelley Tanaka / Author talk

Last night I went to hear author Shelley Tanaka speak. Tanaka is a non-fiction author and editor. Some of her books include: Amelia Earhart: the legend of the lost aviator, Climate Change, Mummies: the newest, coolest & creepiest, Earthquake, Gettysburg, D-Day, The Alamo, new Dinos, Attack on Pearl Harbor, Footnotes: dancing the world's best loved ballets, In the time of knights, Secrets of the Mummies.

What I found most interesting, was hearing Tanaka speak of her thirty year career in book industry and the changes she has seen and dealt with first hand in the publishing of non-fiction materials. Some of Shelley's earlier works were creative non-fiction (meaning creative narrative was added to enrich the facts). I think young readers enjoy a story that accompanies the factual material but I do understand the argument that they also need to be told which parts of the book might be fictionalized and which parts are factual. The publishing industry has moved away from this creative non-fiction style and seem to be embracing non-fiction books that every fact is thoroughly researched and cited.

I also enjoyed the fact that Tanaka has worn many hats within the book publishing realm. As an author she has argued with editors and publishers to keep certain pieces in a book. Likewise she has probably argued with authors to whittle down words when wearing her editors hat. I think we often forget how many changes a book sees before it ever reaches our hands and that readers sensibilities vary across the country, across our continent and across the world.

Thank you to the Lethbridge Children's Roundtable for bringing authors like Shelley Tanaka in to speak. I am reminded once again how incredible an authors role is to young people and how my role as a librarian can help bring them closer to understanding and appreciating great books.
Read on.

Getting Air by Dan Gutman

This is real good fun. I usually describe this book as a cross between Hatchet and Transworld Skateboarding magazine, and that if liked either one of these you'll like Getting Air.

Jimmy, David and Henry are psyched. It's summer, school's out, and they are on their way to California, where they'll be able to do some major skating. But on the plane the unthinkable happens: They are hijacked by terrorists. As frightened as they may be, they take action and they succeed - sort of. They may have beaten the terrorists, but now their plane has crashed in the middle of nowhere and all of a sudden their summer vacation is about finding food, water, shelter and to get rescued. Can three twelve-year-old boys find a way to survive without fast food and skate parks?

Hope you'll find time to check this one out.

Read on

Childhood favourite

Last year I surprized my sister with the book Ludo and the Star Horse by Mary Stewart. It was a favourite of both of ours growing up and we both wanted to see if it would stand the test of time and it does.

Ludo lives in a little mountain village in Bavaria. One bitter winter's night, Renti, the family's only horse, escapes from the stable and Ludo follows him to bring him back. Here begins a strange and breathtaking adventure. It is hard to see on the dark slopes, and Ludo and Renti find themselves falling into the House of the Archer- a gateway to the star country of the Zodiac. Together they must follow the Sun through the twelve houses of the Zodiac. In the twelfth and final house, their destinies await.

I always loved reading how Ludo and Renti escape through the clutches of the scorpion (my star sign).

Read on

Yes, there is a comic strip about libraries

I've been a huge fan of the comic strip "Unshelved" for years now, so I thought I'd show a couple of their strips here on my blog. Enjoy.

P.S. some days when it looks like a bomb has gone off in the library, I have to remind myself that they're just REALLY enjoying the library.

something fun

Hi, heres a fun quiz - determining what kind of wand you would have if you were a character in the world of Harry Potter.

http://www.helloquizzy.com/tests/the-harry-potter-wand-test

This is my result.
Your result for The Harry Potter Wand Test ...
10", Willow, Veela
You scored 42 wisdom, 28 bravery, 26 emotional, and 17 martyrdom!
A willow wand signifies that you care deeply about emotions, art, and intuition, and that you have a particular knack for charms. The veela hair as a wand core means that you are slightly unpredictable but very powerful.

Read on

This book is not at all like me, but I tried it anyway

Sunrise over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers

First off you should know, I am a big advocate for peace and so for me to pick up this book was a huge step outside of what I normally read. I did my best not to bring my preconceived ideas with me as I began this novel which is about the current war in Iraq. (And I'll admit that some of the reason for bringing this book home with me was, that I have so many guys asking me for a good war book all the time I figured that I better read one so I have something to tell them about.)

Robin (who's nickname is Birdy) after graduating from high school in 2002 has entered the US army against the wishes of his parents. Before Robin really knows what's happening he finds himself in the hot desert landscapes of Kuwait and Iraq. Robin has been assigned to the Civil Affairs unit -the team that goes in after the bombs and shooting are over, to smooth things over with the Iraqi people. Robin soon learns that this is easier said than done, and that the training they've been given back home in the States has little to do with how things operate in Iraq.

Myer's does a convincing job of portraying the everyday existence of today's soldiers - the job can be exciting, scary, boring, and mostly filled with uncertainty. I really liked how he told the back story of how these young men and women thought the war would be over in a couple of months, and how they all at some time end up questioning what they are really doing in Iraq and for Iraq. I also thought there were enough Humvee rides and action to keep the interest of young adult readers.

I'm sorry to say that I didn't have a chance to finish the book (made it about half way), I ended up book talking it on Monday and had a student hooked, what could I do? - I loaned him my copy. Maybe when it comes back, I'll finish it up.

Till Next Time

Read on

Quick pick

Last night as I was leaving the library, I thought I'd better grab a quick something. So after scanning the shelves, I picked up The Tuesday Cafe by Don Trembath. I had looked this one over before but for some reason other books made their way to the top of the stack. Once I got home, I started and by 7:00 p.m. I was finished. It was a good, quick pick and by that I mean, the action started right away, I felt involved with the character, and I wanted to know what would happen next. A quick pick is also usually a shorter novel - this one was 120 pages.

Here's the story line from the back cover - "It all started with a small fire in a garbage can. Unfortunately, the garbage can was in the hallway of Harper's school... Harper Winslow has some problems. His parents don't seem to understand what is going on in his life at all. He's not doing well at school. And a juvenile court judge has just ordered him to write a 2,000-word essay on how he's going to turn his life around. - Now his mother has enrolled him in a writing class called The Tuesday Cafe, but it's not quite what she expected."

Read on

My summer favourite.

My sister's keeper by Jodi Picoult

Well this has to be my favourite from this summer, in fact as I book talked it this week, I thought I might just read that again - and soon. This was a great, complex and thought provoking book.


Here's what I told students about it. --- The story starts off with the youngest daughter Anna seeking out a lawyer, the reason she is doing this is that she wants to gain the rights to control of her body. You see, Anna has been giving of herself from the day she was born. Anna's sister Kate was born with a rare form of cancer. Basically Anna was created to be the perfect genetic match for Kate - so Anna from that first day and her life following has been that of giving -first her umbilical cord, then countless blood/platelets donations, and bone marrow, now they want a kidney. But this is not only Anna's story, this is also the story of Anna's family.
In the novel each member of the family tells a chapter through their eyes or voice (the omniscient). Because your given each persons perspective, you can examine and empathize with each member of the family - what mother wouldn't want to save her child?, what father wouldn't want to make the members of that family happy and peaceful?, what brother wouldn't act out from being shut out of important events and decisions? and what will sisters do for each other (taken to the most extreme measures)?

There's a delicious twist at the end of this book and I didn't tell the students and I'm not gonna spill it here either.


As I talked with the students about the book, we had all kinds of great discussion - I can't wait to hear what they have to say after they've read it.


This is not a young adult novel, but it is a book that I couldn't put down and I've witnessed that it can create interesting, lively discussion. I loved the interview with Jodi Picoult and the reader discussion guide at the end of the book.

I hope some of you will pick it up, it's sooo! worth it.
Read on...

Weekend reading

I'll start with The Amazing Life of Birds: The Twenty Day Puberty Journal of Duane Homer Leech by Gary Paulsen. This was a fun read. As Duane discovers the craziness of puberty (one minute your normal and the next your clumsy, awkward, covered in zits and your voice is doing all sorts of wierd stuff) . As Duane chronicles his trials of growing up he also watches and comments on a fledgling chick in the nest on his window sill. Gary Paulsen always creates a wonderfully real world for his characters and makes this stuff so believable you'd think it all happened to him. A perfect book for someone in need of a quick, humorous read.


Also this weekend - Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock. I truly enjoyed this authors' previous works, Dairy Queen and The Off Season, so I was a bit surprised to find a historical (fairytale) fiction offering from her this time.
Sometimes it's that first sentence that grabs you and insists that you read on to learn more. Murdock has a great example of just this " How many times I have wondered what my fate might have been had I accompanied my parents that rainy spring morning." Princess Ben soon finds herself in a very different world than the comfortable one she started her life in. With her parents lost to assassins, she finds herself under the tutelage of Queen Sophia (Ben or her full name Benevolence will be the next in line to the throne). Ben reluctantly begins her schooling of what she considers all things dull - dancing, embroidery, and foreign languages. Locked away in the castles highest tower, she discovers a mysterious magical room and soon begins an education she can get excited about, spells, flying broomstick and the like. Eager to escape the Queen, she uses her new magical powers and finds herself stuck with the enemies army. Ben eventually makes her way back to the kingdom and finds that she needs to make some mighty changes if she really does want to save the country and herself from foul tyranny.

What I liked about the book, was how Murdock interwove various childhood fairy tales - The frog prince, Rapunzel, Cinderella, Jack and the bean stock, Sleeping beauty, and who knows maybe a few others I missed. Unfortunately I found Ben's character to be too different from start to finish and therefore not completely believable, but beyond this one small thing I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who likes a historical fiction with a fun twist to it.

Read on.