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.

Get in the game - videogame that is

Epic by Connor Kostick

Wow! Loved this one and so did loads of readers from last year - it's already gone out the door and it's only the second full day of classes (now that's saying something).

In Erik’s world, everyone clips into Epic—a computer game that is also the government and economic system. If you win in Epic, the easier things will be for you in the real world. If you lose, your real world life also suffers. The rich and powerful become more rich and powerful, while the working class has to slave away to survive both in the game and in the real world. Erik is fed up with this imbalance of power. When his father is exiled, Erik wants to change the rules of the game. Determined to defeat the committee, Erik leads his friends on a quest that, if completed, will grant them with enough riches to make them unstoppable.

I liked how this book had the combination of both video game aspects as well as role playing aspects. You choose an avatar personality for playing the game, along with various armaments and weapons. Erik has lost the game time after time as tough bomb totting character and finally chooses to go with something different - a girl, swashbuckler with a few magical powers named Cindella.

Fun stuff, even for a non-gamer like me. I look forward to the sequel Saga which will be coming to our library soon.

If you liked Epic by Connor Kostick you might also want to try:

Only you can save mankind by Terry Pratchett

From the back cover:

The alien spaceship is in his sights. His finger is on the fire button. Johnny Maxwell is about to set a new high score on the computer game Only You Can Save Mankind. Suddenly. "We wish to talk". Huh? "We surrender" The aliens aren't supposed to surrender- they're supposed to die. Now what is Johnny going to do with a fleet of alien prisoners who know their rights under the international rules of war and are demanding safe-conduct? It's hard enough trying to save Mankind from the Galactic Hordes. It's even harder to try and save the Galactic Hordes from Mankind. But it's just a game? Isn't it?

Till Next Time - Read on

Forecast - cloudy with a chance of reading

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt. I found this book to be so fun and funny, all quite unexpectedly. I had given this book out to a couple of other teacher friends, who both truly enjoyed the book, but for some reason I resisted until this weekend. What a welcome surprise it turned out to be.

This is the story of Holling Hoodhood and his crazy year of trying to hold it all together as a seventh grader in the year 1967. Now for some kids this is probably no biggie, but for Holling it's made worse by one factor - Wednesday's. Wednesday are when the rest of his class head off for religious instruction, either Jewish or Catholic. Holling being the only Presbyterian remains at school with Mrs. Baker who hates him. (He's sure of this). After a few weeks worth of Wednesdays filled with mind numbing chores like cleaning the chalk brushes, Mrs. Baker decides that Holling should begin reading and analysing Shakespeare. Unexpectedly Holling finds that he enjoys this assignment - "But her nefarious plot to bore me to death failed again, because The Tempest was even better that The Merchant of Venice. In fact, it almost beat out Treasure Island - which is saying something. It was surprising how much good stuff there was. A storm, attempted murders, witches, wizards, invisible spirits, revolutions, characters drinking until they're dead drunk, an angry monster named Caliban - can you believe it? I was amazed that Mrs. Baker was letting me read this. It's got to be censored all over the place. I figured that she hadn't read it herself, otherwise she would never have let me at it."

As the year goes on Holling discovers he's more than just a seventh grader - he's part Romeo, he's the kid who gets bullied - (for playing a fairy in the community Shakespeare play - including wearing yellow tights with feathers on the butt), he's the friend - to his sister and Mrs. Baker, he's a x-country runner, and maybe even the hero.

I'm hoping kids are going to like this, just as I did - if nothing else they'll learn some creative ways to beat the censors "Toads, beetles, bats, light on you!"

Read on...