Mirror, mirror

Mirror, mirror : a book of reversible verse by Marilyn Singer ; illustrated by Josee Massee

Summary from the publisher:
What's brewing when two favourties - poetry and fairy tales- are turned (literally) on their heads? It's a revolutionary recipe: and infectious new genre of poetry and a lovably modern take on classic stories.

First read the poems forward (how old fashioned), then reverse the lines and read again to give familiar tales, from Sleeping Beauty to Prince Charming, a delicious new spin.

I'm enchanted with reverso poetry, I've watched some of it scroll down the screen and then back up on youtube, and usually it has to do with a negative set of values being reversed into a positive set of values, but I had never seen it become a retelling of classic fairytales until now. Charmed by the book, the illustrations and ready to share it with those classes about to embark into the world of poetry.

Read On

Finally

Finally by Wendy Mass

You can pierce your ears when your twelve. You can go to the mall with your friends when your twelve. You can babysit little Timmy nextdoor when your twelve. You can get a cell phone when your twelve. Hey, you can even ride in the front passenger seat when your twelve.

When your twelve, when your twelve, when your twelve...

My name is Rory Swenson, and I've been waiting to turn twelve my whole life. In exactly 18 hours, 36 minutes and 52 seconds, it will finally happen.

My life will officially begin...

I love Wendy Mass and her writing style, it's easy, fun and puts you right there in the heart of things. So it's no wonder that Finally is already a hit with so many readers at G.S. Lakie.

Read On

The Carbon Diaries of 2015

The Carbon Diaries of 2015 by Saci Lloyd

As most of you know, I enjoy a good dystopian future book and well here's another to add to my list of favourites.

The year 2015 should have been a great year for 16-year-old Laura Brown, instead it's a year of chaos, confusion, rationing, and turmoil - and most of that has been forced upon her because the government has imposed carbon rationing.

Global warming is not just something scientists debate anymore, it's real, it's here and now, the evidence is in the winter storms that rage unlike anything ever seen before, followed by droughts that only people from the Sararah are ready for. So when the UK implements carbon rationing, each person is given a card with 200 points, use more than 200 and sorry your cut off and will have to go to carbon offenders school. So forget straightening your hair, forget even blow drying it, forget learning to drive - better find a bike, no more air-travel, and remember all those yummy things you used to devour without much thought - coffee, bananas, chocolate, good riddance.

Laura documents these tradegies as well as her family falling apart, her grades going down the toilet, her band the dirty angels finally getting some gigs, and an almost romance with cute guy down the street.

I thought it was great and it will getting strong recommendations from me.

Jake Ransom

Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow by James Rollins

A mysterious envelope, a glowing artifact, and an explosion that blows out the lights...
Jake Ransom and his older sister, Kady, are suddenly moving through darkness. A few words scrape into his mind, like fingernails digging at the lid of a stone coffin.
"Come to me..."
It's the Skull King, the evil that threatens Calypsos - a strange world where Jake will begin to find his own strenth and the power of friendship. In Calypsos, Jake searches for answers to his parents' disappearance and learns that the Skull King wants him and Kady - dead or alive.

Here's the book trailer.

The Unwritten Rule

The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott

From the back cover;
Everyone knows the unwritten rule, you don't like your best friends' boyfriend.
Sarah has had a crush on Ryan for years. He's easy to talk to, supersmart, and totally gets her. Lately it seems like he's paying extra attention to her. Every thing would be perfect except for two things, Ryan is Brianna's boyfriend, and Brianna is Sarah's best friend.
Sarah forces herself to avoid Ryan and tries to convince herself not to like him. She feels so guilty for liking him, and the last thing she wants is to hurt her best friend. But when she is thrown together with Ryan one night, something happens. It's wonderful... and awful.
Sarah is torn apart by guilt, but what she feels is nothing short of addiction, and she can't help herself from wanting more...

Sounds like a winner to me. It's already been snapped up by a few people so I guess I'll have to wait my turn to read it. Till then I've got a couple that I'm willing to read.
Read On

New Title

Backtracked by Pedro de Alcantara

Here's another title that is new to the Lakie collection. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but will try to put it in my to be read stack.

Here's the summary:
Tommy Latrella is haunted by the ghost of his older brother, Jimmy who died a hero on 9/11. Unable to live up to his family's expectations, Tommy rebels and becomes a graffiti artist. He rides the subway fro his home in Brooklyn to the farthest points in the Bronx, tagging surfaces all over New York City. But when he plays a dangerous prank in the Times Square station, the cavernous heart of the city's transit system, the subway turns on him and hurls him back in time.

There's also a book trailer.
Have a look.

Another new title

Chiggers by Hope Larson

Abby is back at the same old camp she goes to every summer, except for the fact that this summer, nothing is the same. Her best friend Rose is a camp assistant, her friend Beth is pierced, and now the only person who doesn't seem too cool for Abby is Shasta, the new girl. Shasta, who has been struck by lightning, whose internet boyfriend is a high school senior, and who is totally annoying to everyone but Abby...

Chiggers was a fun graphic novel about summer camp, and although I never had the opportunity to go to summer camp, I did have a group of friends who went every year. And I did hear all about the drama!! And I think Hope Larson has created just the right atmosphere for young girls struggling with friendships and fitting it.

Hope you enjoy it.

Read On.

Alabama Moon

Alabama Moon by Watt Key

I just started this book this morning - I'm so into it that I'm wishing I'd have brought it to school with me cause instead of blogging about it, I'd be reading right about now.
Oh well. But I've got to say I'm really, really liking it so far (I think I'm on page 130.)

Here's what Booklist has to say about it:
"This excellent novel of survival and adventure begins with the death of young Moon's father, an antigovernment radical who has been living off the land in rural Alabama with Moon for years. Moon has never known any truth but his Dad's, and so he tries to continue his father's lifestyle. Unfortunately, Moon quickly finds himself in the claws of civilization, as personified by a sadistic cop. After a brief stint in jail (a lifetime of hunting and gathering leaves Moon is hilariously pleased with prison food), Moon again lights out for the territories, only to be recaptured and ends up in reform school. Of course no school is gonna keep Moon in check. Key's first novel is populated with memorable characters and studded with authentic details about rural Alabama and survivalism. Stylistically, the book is perfectly paced and Moon's narration is thoroughly believeable." Ilene Cooper

Like I said earlier, I can't wait to get home to read more.
PS - it's so good they've made it into a movie, of course you should read the book first but here's the trailer.

The White Gates by Bonnie Ramthun

The White Gates by Bonnie Ramthun

When Torin Sinclair's mom gets a job as the town doctor in Snow Park, Colorado, Tor can't wait to learn to snowboard. He wants to know every inch of Snow Park Mountain, from the bunny slope to the White Gates, twin avalanche chutes that are off-limits to even the most experienced riders.
On Tor's first night there, a member of the high school snowboarding team falls seriously ill. "It's the curse," everyone says. A curse that no one will explain, but that - judging by the way people look at them - has everything to do with Tor and his mom.
With the help of two new friends, Tor must piece together a mystery involving the snowboarding team, an old mine, a Ute curse, and the magical secret that links them all. But to complete the puzzle, will Tor have to ride the deadly White Gates?

Here's the book trailer.

Current favourite

Hold Still by Nina LaCour

I appreciate what Gayle Forman wrote for the back cover:

"Hold Still may be the truest depiction of the aching, gaping hole left in the wake of a suicide that I've ever read. But it's anything but depressing and gloomy - it's also about the tender shoots of new relationships that grow unexpectedly out of tragedy. A haunting and hopeful book about loss, love and redemption.

Hold Still is not an easy book, suicide is not an easy topic to write about, talk about or even for some of us to think about. And yet it's a topic that needs to have a voice, and Nina LaCour has created a beautiful, real voice that relates the hurt, lonliness and anger that is real in the survivors. Carefully crafted , I can't help but have this as my current favourite.

From page 201 -- "I imagine what would happen if everyone turned their regrets into wishes, went around shouting them. Signal lights would change at intersections, and as the people on opposite sides of the street stepped off the curbs, they would calle to one another - Finish college! Exercise at least three times a week! Never start smoking! Tell your mother you love her! Make peace with your brother! Take your dog to the park! Keep in touch with your friends!"

Loved it!!

Here's the book trailer

Football Hero

Football Hero by Tim Green
Ty's just gotten his big break on the football field, the chance to prove his speed and talent to Coach V, who believes in him. Instead, he's trapped scrubbing bathrooms after school for his uncle Gus's cleaning service. Without football practice, the one bright spot in Ty's life is his older brother,Thane, who's just been drafted into the NFL and who visits Ty as often as he can.
But then Uncle Gus decides to use Ty to get to Thane and obtain valuable insider info for his Mafia-connected gambling ring. Now Ty's a pawn in a dangerous game for dangerous money. If he can't break free, it's not just Thane's football career on the line - it's his life.

Exciting new titles for the library

hi everyone,

I know i've been a little slack on writing recently but I gonna try and make up for some of that now by previewing a bunch of new titles that have just come in for the library.
Here goes.

Starting with Shots on Goal by Rich Wallace.

It's soccer season, and sophomore Bones Austin and his team are struggling to make it to the district playoffs, against all odds. To make matters worse Bones has a crush on the girlfriend of his best friend joey. Bones and Joey are forced to learn a little something about teamwork, even when hard times are tearing them apart.

101 Things you wish you'd invented ... and some you wish no one had by Richard Horne and Tracey Turner

Fancy having you leg chopped off without anaestectic, a party with no music, or cleaning your teeth with a stick? Probably not.

Perhaps it's time you marvelled at the brilliance of invention. how ever did we end up with: Morse code? Toilet Paper? X-rays?

Make something, invent something or just marvel at the sheer luck, twist of evil or pure genius which lies behind the most innocent looking objects.

Warning: This book may induce a spontaneous brainwave. Do not read near naked flame.