Bog Child

Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd

This book totally got me caught up in it. I got caught up by the many differnent strands of it, the bog child (herself), then tensions in Ireland, with its hunger strikers, the friendship of Fergus and a young police officer from Wales, the budding romance between Fergus and Cora (the archeaologist's daughter), a family that is being torn apart by its involvement with the IRA.

Here's the summary from the cover:
In 1981, the height of Irelands "Troubles", eighteen year old Fergus is distracted from his upcoming A-level exams by his imprisoned brothers hunger strike, the stress of being a courier for Sinn Fein, and of a murdered girl whose body he discovered in a bog.

This is a sophisicated mystery, that once it grabs you won't let go.
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Liar

Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Micah freely admits that she is a complusive liar. And that maybe the one honest thing she will ever tell you. Over the year's she has duped her classmates, her teachers, and even her parents. But when her boyfriend, Zach, dies under suspicious circumstances, the shock might be enough to set her straight. Or maybe not. Especially when lying comes as naturally to her as breathing. Was Micah dating Zach? Or was Sarah his real girlfriend? And are the stories Micah tells about inheriting a "family gene" real or are they something that exists only in Micah's mind?

There has been a ton of buzz about this one in the publishing world, so I can't wait for it to come home with me.

Here's the book trailer and an interview with the author.

Foiled

Foiled by Jane Yolen

Yesterday I had the terrific surprize of receiving what will probably be my last shipment of books for the year, waiting for me on my desk. I dove into those boxes like a kid at Christmas.

Boy, do i have some summer reading ahead of me. I started last night with this graphic novel.

Aliera Carstairs just doesn't fit in. She's always front and centre at the fencing gym, but at school she's invisible. And she's fine with that... until Avery Castle walks into her first period biology class. Avery may seem perfect now, but will he end up becoming her Prince Charming or just a toad?

I enjoyed this flight of modern urban fantasy, from the chapter headings which are fencing moves, to the gray-scale artwork (which you learn has a significance later in the book), the artwork is manga-esque and I thought the illustrator Mike Cavallaro did an excellent job of showing Aliera's emotions, with just a slight dip of the brow or flick to the smile, to the sharp teeth she shows when angry. Jane Yolen has written hundreds of books and for her first venture into graphic novels, I think this one (and it is set up to have a sequel) will become a hit with readers.

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Storm warning

Storm warning by Linda Sue Park --- Book #9 - 39 Clues

Yeah!! the next book is here, we're soooo close to knowing who's gonna win it all, and what the ultimate prize will be.

Here's a teaser:
The shadow of a man in black has followed fourteen-year-old Amy Cahill and her younger brother, Dan, on their worldwide search for 39 Clues that lead to a great power. Amy and Dan know the man in black has tried to kill them. They know he is a Madrigal, a member of the most secretive and terrifying group hunting for the Clues. And they know something else, a secret they would rather forget - their parents were Madrigals, too. Amy and Dan have run hard and fast, but they can't escape the man following them. And now, in the wake of a terrible tragedy, he's ready to step out of the darkness for their final confrontation.

Fruits basket

Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya

I was on a little shopping trip yesterday and found the start of this series, Fruits basket for a great price so I've added them to our collection. Here's an intro to the series.

Tohru Honda was an orphan living with her grandfather, when one day fate kicked her out of the house and she was forced to take up residence in a tent in the forest. Little did she know that the land she was staying on belonged to the Sohma family, a clan of beautiful and mysterious people. After stumbling upon the teenage squatter, the Sohma's invite Tohru to stay in their house in exchange for cooking and cleaning. Everything is going well, until she discovers the Sohma family's greatest secret: when hugged by members of the opposite sex, they each turn into their Chinese zodiac animals.

I know when I showed these to a couple kids yesterday, they practically begged me to let them take them home (even though the library is now closed.)

Thirteen Plus One

Thirteen Plus One by Lauren Myracle

Summary from cover: Winnie Perry is fourteen now, and the countdown to high school is shaping up to be as eventful as an entire year of middle school. Not only are things shakey with her boyfriend, Lars, but BFF's Dinah and Cinnamon have been acting weird, big sister Sandra is college bound, little brother Ty has smuggled a stolen penguin home in his backpack, and new baby sister Maggie has everything turned upside down.

It's alot for anyone to handle, and loyal Winnie is so busy worrying about everyone else that she hardly notices that she just might be struggling a little bit herself.

With humor and honesty Lauren Myracle brings us another pitch-perfect novel featuring the characters that her legions of fans have grownup loving.

I know we have part of that legion of fans, so I'm happy to say this treasure will be waiting for you in September.

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More new technology

Pranav Mistry : The trilling potential of sixth sense technology.
I watched this on Mr. Hall's blog and thought I'd share it with my crowd of viewers. It's truly fascinating to think of what the future will behold.

Legends of Rock

Legends of Rock by Marjorie Galen and Gordon Matthews

In Legends of Rock, climb into a jukebox time machine to examine the artists and bands that created a new sound and experience. From ground breaking performers such as Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley, all the way up to contemporary acts like Wilco and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Legends of Rock gives readers a front row seat for the stories behind the superstars. Spanning six decades and featuring some 100 of rock's most influential acts. Each artist's unique story is illustrated with captivating photography, along with behind-the-scenes nuggets, greatest-hits lists, and select discographies. Whether you're punk, a folkie, or just a fan of all things rock and roll, Legends of Rock has something for everyone.

Hard hitting, edgie, fun and packed with info - this is how I'd describe it. I think we'll be needing more than one copy.

Here's a list of the artist's and bands in the book:

AC/DC, Aerosmith, The Allman Brothers Band, The Band, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Beck, Chuck Berry, Black Sabbath, Blondie, David Bowie, James Brown, The Byrds, Captain Beefheart, Eric Clapton, The Clash, Alice Cooper, Elvis Costello, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Crosby Stills and Nash, The Cure, Bo Diddley, Donovan, The Doors, Bob Dylan, The Eagles, The Faces, Aretha Franklin, Grateful Dead, Guns n' Roses, Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Holly, Jefferson Airplane, Elton John, Janis Joplin, Carole King, The Kinks, Kiss, Led Zeppelin, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, The Lovin Spoonful, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Mamas and the Papas, Bob Marley, John Mellencamp, Metallica, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, New York Dolls, Nine Inch Nails, nirvana, Parliment-Funkadelic, Gram Parsons, Pearl Jam, Tom Petty, Pink Floyd, The Pixies, The Police, Iggy Pop, Elvis Presley, The Pretenders, Prince, Queen, Radiohead, The Ramones, Red Hot Chili Peppers, R.E.M., The Replacements, Johnathan Richman and the Modern Lovers, The Rolling Stones, The Ronettes, Roxy Music, Santana, The Sex Pistols, The Shangri-Las, Simon and Garfunkel, Sly and the Family Stone, Patti Smith, The Smiths, Bruce Springsteen, Steely Dan, Steve Miller Band, T.rex, Talking Heads, Television, Traffic, Ike and Tina Turner, U2, Van Halen, The Velvet Underground, Tom Waits, The White Stripes, The Who, Wilco, Stevie Wonder, Neil Young, Frank Zappa, ZZ Top.

In the Small

In The Small by Michael Hague

A mysterious blue light flashes, bathing the Earth and reaching the depths of the oceans. Afterwards, birds go on chirping, and the world goes on spinning. But in those few seconds, the balance of life is forever changed...

Now fewer than six inches tall, mankind must fight for its place in the food chain, and Mother Nature begins to exact her revenge. Desperate to survive, a teenage brother and sister take the lead in the quest to discover the secret that could redeem this strange new world. But despite their courageous efforts, a dark force grows.

Great dystopian future premiss, not gimmicky like Honey I Shrunk the Kids, and although I would have liked a bit more in the details department, I think our readers will enjoy this one. The artwork is dark and atmospheric.

The Search

The Search by Eric Heuvel / Ruud van der Rol / Lies Schippers

Here's the summary for this amazing graphic novel.

After leaving Germany when life there became unbearable and dangerous for Jewish people. Esther thought she'd found a new home in Amsterdam. But the Germany occupied the Netherlands, and one day Esther, separated from her parents, was forced to flee the city, managing to elude a Nazi roundup of Jews. Easter survived the Holocaust by going into hiding in the countryside, but she never saw her parents again. She knows that they died in a concentration camp and has always wondered about the last few months of their lives. With her grandson Daniel's help, she tracks down an old friend living in Israel and finally learns the shocking story.

I enjoyed how the story moved back and forth through time periods (present day with her grandson and the past with her family during the war.) The story also dealt with questions t hat young readers might have - like why did the germans follow Hitler? did all Germans feel the same way about the Jewish people? Why didn't other countries get involved? and why didn't the Jewish people fight back?

The art work reminded me of Tin Tin, and captures the story well.

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The Sorceress

The Sorceress (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flammel #3) by Michael Scott

Nicholas Flammel's heart almost broke as he watched his beloved Paris crumble before him. The city was destroyed by Dee and Machievelli , but Flammel played his own role in the destruction. Sophie and Josh Newman show every sign of being the twins of prophecy, and Flammel had to protect them and the pages from the Dark Elders.

But Nicholas grows weaker with each passing day. Perenell is still trapped in Alcatraz, and now that Scatty has gone missing, the group is without protection. Except for Clarent - the twin sword to Excalibur. But Clarent's power is unthinkable, it's evil making it nearly impossible to use without its darkness seeping into the soul of whoever wields it.

If he hopes to defeat Dee, Nicholas must find an Elder who can teach Josh and Sophie the third elemental magic - Water Magic. The problem? The only one who can do that is Gilgamesh, and he is quite quite insane.

Here's a promo from the author about The Immortal Nicholas Flammel series.

How to survive middle school

How to survive middle school (without getting your head flushed) and deal with an ex-best-friend, um, girls, and a heartbreaking hamster by Donna Gephart

David Greenberg dreams of becoming a TV superstar along the lines of Jon Stewart. But in real life, he's just another kid terrified of starting his first year at Harmon Junior High. Things aren't looking any better when David gets duped by his best friend into breaking the dress code on the first day of school. But while he and his buddy are fighting, David is lucky enough to make a new friend, Sophie.

Luckily for David, Sophie loves TV too, and shares his love of putting together skits to goof on middle school life. When she posts one of their skits to Youtube, they become an overnight sensation. But how will David cope with being an internet star and a real life schmoe? Will this lead to his actually becoming popular in real life? And more importantly - might it convince Sophie to kiss him?

Here's the book trailer.