Kick

Kick by Walter Dean Myers and Ross Workman

Walter Dean Myers is a very established young adult author, he probably gets tons of emails and letters sent to him every year. So what was it that made him want to write a book with one of those letter writers?

Kick is the result of the collaboration between Myers and teenager Ross Workman. Here's the summary:
Kevin Johnson is thirteen years old. and heading for juvie. He's a good kid, a great friend, and a star striker for his Highland, New Jersey, soccer team. They're competing for the State Cup, and Kevin wants to prove he has more than just star-player potential.
Kevin's never been in any serious trouble ... until the night he ends up in jail. Enter Sergeant Brown, a cop assigned to be Kevin's mentor.
If Kevin and Brown can learn to trust each other, they might be able to turn things around before it's too late.
Here's an introduction from the authors.

100 words every middle schooler should know

100 words every middle schooler should know from the editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries

I thought this was a terrific little book/dictionary. These are words that you've probably encountered in your recreational reading, or maybe heard your teacher use, or maybe you've seen them in a textbook.

Well this book gives you the definition, the pronounciation, short notes on where the word comes from and each word is also shown in at least one quotation from a book by a popular YA writer.

Learn a few and I sure you'll impress your teachers, your parents and me.

P.S. I can still remember the day that a grade 8 student used the word plethora (I thought I was the only one using that word - I was amazed.)

Breakaway

Breakaway by Andrea Montalbano Summary: LJ knows her place in the world is on the soccer field. When she's out there scoring goals, everything is right. But being a big-shot on the field is starting to go to her head. She's letting her temper get the best of her - both on the field and off, alienating everyone around her. Everyone except Tabitha, the popular girl who cares more about credit cards than yellow cards and spends most of her time on the bench. But when it's LJ on the bench instead of Tabitha, forced to be a spectator instead of a star, she realizes that sometimes it takes more skill and guts to make others look good instead of yourself. and that by losing a little glory, you can win more than just championships. This will be the perfect pick, as soccer season isn't that far off now.

The Running Dream

The Running Dream by Wedelin Van Draanen

This was great, on many, many levels. Top marks! Loved it! I'm already planning something big around this one.

Summary:

What would you do if you lost the one thing that mattered most?

Sixteen-year-old Jessica is a runner. It's not just what she does, it's who she is. So when a tragic accident causes her to lose one of her legs, she is shattered - inside and out.

Though the doctores say she'll be able to walk with a prosthetic limb, recovery is slow and full of pitfalls. Jessica wonders if the girl who died in the accident didn't get the better end of the deal. But as she struggles to reclaim her life, Jessica get to know Rosa - a girl with cerebral palsy whom she and her friends had always overlooked. Not only does Rosa come to Jessica's rescue in math, she also helps her reach for a future that is full of wonder: Is it possible not only to walk again, but to run?

"I ran everywhere. raced everyone. I loved the wind across my cheeks, through my hair. Running aired out my soul. It made me fell alive. And now? I'm stuck in this bed, knowing I'll never run again."

This book will make you look at things differently, appreciate the little things that we so often take for granted each and every day.

Here's Wendelin Van Draanen introducing the book.

Trapped

Trapped by Michael Northrop

The day the blizzard started, no one knew that it was going to keep snowing for a week. That for those in its path, it would become not just a matter of keeping warm, but of staying alive.
Scotty and his friends Pete and Jason are among the last seven kids at their high school waiting to get picked up that day, and they soon realize that no one is coming for them. Still, it doesn't seem so bad to spend the night at school, especially when distractingly hot Krista and Julie are sleeping just down the hall. But then the power goes out, the the heat. The pipes freeze, and the roof shudders. As the days add up, the snow piles higher, and the empty halls grow colder and darker, the mounting pressure forces a devastating decision....

I love the cover artwork, it set the initial tone for the book.
I always enjoy a book that lets me imagine what I would do in that situation. What if I were trapped at school with a couple of good friends, a couple people I'd like to get to know better, and a couple that I don't really want anything to do with. For me I have experienced some crazy snow storms, where we were trapped at home, without power and limited water for several days. But home is home, there are comforts there that you know exist. Being trapped in a school with no adults would be quite another story. Imagine it if you can.

I liked how the weather and the snow itself became a character of the story, sometimes bringing hope and other times the complete bad guy. Mean, nasty, unforgiving and in this case unrelenting. I'd enjoy hearing if you guys think that a super storm of this magnitude could ever be possible? Think of your answer carefully - the past 5 years have had some pretty crazy stuff happen.

Thirteen days to midnight

Thirteen Days to Midnight by Patrick Carman

Alright many of you already know what a fan of Patrick Carman I am - so I really shouldn't have to go tooo overboard on the excitement I feel when a new title of his shows up at the library. Here it is --

You are indestructable. Three whispered words transfer an astonishing power to Jacob Fielding that changes everything. At first, Jacob is hesitant to use the power, unsure of its implications. but there is something addictive about testing the limits of fear.
Then Ophelia James, the beautiful and daring new girl in town, suggests that they use the power to do good, to save others. But with every heroic act, the power grows into a spectre of a curse . How to decide who lives and who dies?

Here's Patrick Carman giving an introduction to the book.

Cloaked

Cloaked by Alex Flinn

Think you know paranormal romance? Alex Flinn gives the genre a twist in this modern fariy-tale mash-up.

Johnny's not your average hero. But a little magic changes everything. There isn't a fairy godmother or any of that. It all starts with a curse. And a frognapping. And one hot-looking princess. And before Johnny knows it he's on a mission in the Evergladws, with only a flock of swans and a talking fox named Joe to help guide him against the forces of an evil witch.

For those fans of Beastly, I think you'll enjoy the wit / humor and the variety of characters and bits and pieces of fairy tales you think you know, all in this charming modern day re-imagined fairy-tale.

Here's the book trailer.

Al Capone Shines My Shoes

Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko

This is the follow up book.
The summary from the back cover:
When twelve-year-old Moose Flanagan finds a note in one of his freshly laundered pillowcases, he knows exactly who it's from: Al Capone. Capone may be one of the most notorious criminals in residence at Alcatraz, but he and Mosse have a special connection. And now, it seems, Al Capone wants Moose to do something for him.
As Moose and his friends work together to figure out how they're going to get away with helping one of America's most notorious gangsters, some of Alcatraz's other inhabitants are trying to get away with something of their own...

Al Capone does my shirts

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

I adore this story of Moose and his sister Natalie and the mystery an intrigue of the famous prison Alcatraz. But for some reason I don't book talk it very well (something I'll need to work on.)

So I thought maybe if I re-introduced it here on the blog and included a book trailer, maybe it would get circulating again.

Trickster: Native American tales

Trickster: Native American Tales , a graphic collection / edited by Matt Dembicki

Well, I might have a new favourite graphic novel. I loved this collection of trickster stories. Matt Dembicki selected native american storytellers from across the continent and then also selected illustrators from across the continent and helped match them up- to put forth this awesome collection of pourquoi stories (pourquoi means - a story that explains why something is the way it is), some stories teach young children rules or lessons, some are funny, some a bit scary. In general I think there will be something for everyone to enjoy.

Here's part of the summary from the back cover:
Meet the trickster, a crafty creature or being who disrupts the order of things, often humiliating others and sometimes himself in the process. Whether a coyote or rabbit, raccon or raven, tricksters use cunning to get food, steal precious possessions, or simply cause mischief.

Here's a link for an interview with author Matt Dembicki and one of the storytellers Michael Thompson -
http://www.graphicnovelreporter.com/content/trickster-tales-interview-matt-dembicki-and-michael-thompson-interview

Thank You to Miss Hiembecker for suggesting it for our library.

Excalibur: the legend of King Arthur

Excalibur: The Legend of King Arthur by Tony Lee, illustrated by Sam Hart / a Graphic Novel

This is Tony Lee's second book in graphic novel format, I know I loved the dark moodiness of the first book - Outlaw: The legend of Robin Hood. And now what a treat to have the story of King Arthur and the sword Excalibur told in such a visually appealing way, and with incredible depth to the story.

Here's the summary from the back cover:
Albion is at war. Ruled by the murderous King Ulric for too long, its people are desperate for justice. Arthur, son of Uther Pendragon, is their last hope. Now of age, Arthur can fulfill a long-standing prophecy by freeing the enchanted Caliburn from its sheath on Stone Hill. Finally the land will have its true king. But Arthur's future is uncertain. Not only does his half sister Morgans, have a vengeful score to settle, those whom he trusts most are also destined to betray him.

I know - you think I've missed spelled Caliburn and it should be Excalibur - but Excalibur doesn't come until much later in the story. And Excalibur is not the sword that was pulled from the stone.

Really enjoyed this one. I think it will have an immediate fan base.
Read On.

Soul surfer

Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton

When Bethany Hamilton lost her arm to a shark attack in 2003, it looked as if the career of one of the top amateur surfers was over. But ten weeks later, she returned to competition in her native Hawaii, vowing to never give up the sport she loves.

Bethany's story became a book, a book series and now is about to be released as a movie.

Inspiring readers of all ages to perservere through all kinds of challenges.

With the movie coming out soon, I thought this might spark a renewed interest in Bethany's story.

You are so undead to me

You Are So Undead to Me by Stacey Jay

From the back cover.
Megan Berry is a Zombie Settler by birth, which means she's part-time shrink to a whole bunch of semi-dead people with killer issues. All Megan really wants is to go to homecoming, but when you're trailed by a bunch of slobbering corpses whenever you leave the house, it's kinda hard to score a date. Let's just say Megan's love life could use some major resuscitation.
Megan's convinced her life can't get any worse - untile someone in school starts using black magic to turn average, angsty Undead into scary, hardcore flesh-eating Zombies. Now it's up to Megan to stop the Zombie apocalypse. Her life- and more importantly, the homecoming dance, depends on it.

I figure the last two posts were about vampires and vampire slayers - might as well throw in some zombie action too.

Alex Van Helsing

Alex Van Helsing : Vampire Rising by Jason Henderson

Fourteen-teen-year-old Alex has no idea that he's descended from the world's most famous vampire hunter, but that changes fast when he arrives at Glenarvon Academy and confronts two vampire in his first three days.
Turns out Glenarvon isn't the only school near Lake Geneva. Hidden deep underground lies an ancient university for vampires called the Scholomance. And the deadly vampire clan lord known as Icemaker? You might say he's a visiting professor.
When two of Alex's friends are kidnapped by Icemaker, it's up to Alex to infiltrate the Scholomance and get them back - alive. Assisted by the Polidorium, a top-secret vampire-hunting organization with buried ties to the Van Helsings, Alex dodges zombies, bullets and lots - and lots - of fangs on his way to thwarting Icemaker's plans and fulfilling his family destiny.

The book trailer.

Hearts at Stake

Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey - The Drake Chronicles

From the inside cover:
Solange Drake always knew she was destined to become a vampire queen. and as the only female vampire ever born, not made, she is surrounded by danger on all sides - from vamprie suitors who want to join with her lineage to bounty hunters who are set on destroying her and her family. When she is kidnapped, it's up to her older brother Nicholas and her human best friend, Lucy, to save her. But can Lucy save herself from Nicholas, who tempts her with his every look? And what will be Solange's own fate if she surrenders her heart to the vampire hunter helping her survive the deadly intrigue at the royal court?
Let the Drake family be your guide into the secret vampire society full of epic battles, undead drama, and wicked humor.

And there's even a book trailer.

Gone series

Plague by Michael Grant, book 4.

Will be coming out in April.






Here's the trailer.

Gone series

Lies by Michael Grant - Gone series book 3.

It's been seven months since all the adults disappeared. Gone.
It happens in one night - a girl who died now walks among the living, Zil and the Human Crew set fire to Perdido Beach, and amid the flames and smoke, Sam sees the figure of a boy he fears the most, Drake. But Drake is dead, or so they thought.


The book trailer.

Gone series

Hunger by Michael Grant, book 2 in the Gone series

It's been three months since all the adults disappeared. Gone.
Food ran out weeks ago, starvation is immenent. Meanwhile the normal teens have grown resentful of the kids with powers. And when an unthinkable tragedy occurs, chaos descends upon the town. There's no longer right and wrong. Each kids is out for himself.
But a larger problem looms. The darkness, a sinister creature, has awakened - and it's hungry.

The book trailer.

Gone series

Gone by Michael Grant

In a blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. Gone.

Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly there are no phones, no internet, no television, . No way to get help. and no way to figure out what's happened.

Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents, unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers, that grow stronger by the day.

It's a terrrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday you disappear just like everyone else.

This series has a lot of fans, so I thought I'd run a profile on it. So obviously this is book one.

Here's the trailer.

And an interview with the author.

Heir Apparent

Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde

This has to be my favourite of the weekend. I got totally caught up in the virtual reality concept of the book. it reminded me a lot of books Epic and The Princess Bride.

Here's the write up from the back cover:

Lose the game, lose your life.

In the virtual reality game Heir Apparent, they are way too many ways to get killed - and Giannine seems to be finding them all. Unless she can - get the magic ring, find the stolen treasure, answer the dwarf's dumb riddles, impress the head-chopping statue, charm the army of ghosts, fend off barbarians, and defeat the man-eating dragon, she'll never win. And if she doesn't win, she will die - for real this time.

This book wasn't just an action-adventure story (like Epic), but also hugely funny (like The Princess Bride). I had a great time reading it, and I'm not that into fantasy.

READ On.

Notes from a liar and her dog

Notes From a Liar and Her Dog by Gennifer Choldenko

Synopsis:
Ant MacPherson's basic rules of life.
1. Dogs are better than people.
2. The more you say, the longer they ground you for.
3. Lying only works if you keep it short.
4. Never be nice to people who make fun of you.
5. It's okay to keep a chicken in your house, as long as it's housebroken.
6. Make sure that school doesn't get in the way of important things like your friends.
7. Don't waste the truth on people who won't understand.

Ant MacPherson is totally misunderstood. At least, that's how she feels. Sandwiched between two perfect sisters and stuck with parents who just don't get her, antonia (but please, call her Ant!) finds it easier to lie. After all, only her dog Pistachio, appreciates her anyway. But when her teacher starts to see the turth behind Ant's stories, Ant is in for some big changes....

I want to say - "I loved it (cause I really like this author) , but, unfortunately I was really only so-so on it. I think it does have some redeeming qualities - how good friends behave, how to work through tough situations-without lying, and how to figure out parents who think your invisible most of time until they think your bad.
I hope some of you will try it, and give me reason to maybe give it a second chance.
REad On.

Cosmic

Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Liam has always felt a ite like he's stuck between two worlds. this is primarily because he's a twelve-year-old kid who looks like he's about thirty. Sometimes it's not so bad, like when his new principal mistakes him for a teacher on the first day of school or when he convinces a car dealer to let him take a Porsche out on a test drive. But mostly it's just frustrating, being a kid trapped in an adult world. And so he decides to flip things around. Liam cons his way onto the first spaceship to take civilians into space, a special flight for a group of kids and an adult chaperone, and he is going as the adult chaperone. It's not long before Liam, along with his friends, is stuck betwenn two worlds again - only this time he's 239,000 miles from home.

Here's the book trailer.

And an interview with the author Frank Cottrell Boyce.

Tower of Treasure

Tower of Treasure by Scott Chantler.

Scott Chantler is a great Canadian author / illustrator - one that I would love to meet, I'd have so many questions for him and I'm sure that after reading afew of his graphic novels you would want to meet him too.

Here's the write up about Tower of Treasure.

As an acrobat in a traveling circus, 14-year-old orpahn Dessa Redd flies throught the air with ease. Still, she is weighed down by troubling memories. But when her ragtag circus troupe pulls into the city of Kingsbridge, Dessa feels a tickle of hope. Maybe here in the royal city she will finally find her twin brother - or the mysterious man who snatched him away when they were just children.

Fun, action-adventure, graphic novel.

read on.

Crazy Beautiful

Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

From the back cover:
In an explosion of his own making, Lucius blew his arms off. Now he has hooks. He chose hooks because they were cheaper. He chose hooks because he wouldn't outgrow them as quickly. He chose hooks so that everyone would know he was different, so he would scare even himself.
Then he meets Aurora. The hooks don't scare her. They don't keep her away. In fact, they don't make a difference at all to her.
But to Lucius, they mean everything. They remind him of the beast he is inside. Perhaps Aurora is his Beauty, destined to set his soul free from its suffering.
Or maybe she's a girl who needs love just like he does.

Great modern day retelling of the beauty and the beast story. Told in alternating chapters, giving the reader an inside perspective on love, forgiveness and second chances and reminding us that beauty is so much more that what we see on the surface.

Crescendo

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
Nora Grey's life is still far from perfect. Surviving an attempt on her life wasn't pleasant, but at least she got a guardian angel out of it: a mysterious, magnetic, gorgeous guardian angel. But, despite his role in her life, Patch has been acting anything but angelic. He's more elusive than ever and even worse, he's starting spending time with Nora's arch-enemy Marcie Miller.

Fans of the first book Hush, Hush have raved about this one.

The Chestnut King

The Chestnut King by N.D. Wilson

When Henry York found 99 cupboards hidden behind his bedroom wall, he never dreamed they were doors to entirely new worlds. Exploring them with his cousin Henrietta was all the action and adventure an overprotected boy could imagine. But Henry's discovery also unleashed the undying witch, Nimiane, who's hunger for power could destroy every world connected to the cupboards - and every person whom Henry loves. Now Henry must seeks out the legendary Chestnut King to answer the unanswerable. How do you kill someone who cannot die?

Here's the book trailer.

Book Title Poetry

What child is this?

Crackback, the stranger, the wanderer?

Lionboy?

I am the cheeze.

I AM the Cheeze!

Absolutely normal chaos.

Book Title Poetry

Book title poetry made last Friday.

Book Title Poetry

Here's how I see it...

the outsiders,

betrayed,

a curse dark as gold,

angels turns their backs

witness - wildmagic - chosen

phoenix rising

star in the storm.

Book Title Poetry

Book Title Poetry



Click here, for the last exit to normal.
Sew teen!!
the misfits,
a kiss in time,
I want to be your shoebox.
How fast is it?
Running out of time

Book Title Poetry

Here's some book title poetry made by your L.A. teachers. I think they had fun creating them too.

The Undergrounders

Undergrounders by David Skuy

Move over Sigmund Brouwer and Eric Walters - I think we've found your replacement... David Skuy. This is David Skuy's fourth hockey book and I think he's firmly got his foot in the door and a fan base to back him up.

The summary:
Can playing hockey help a street kid get his life back? After his Mom dies, and the landlord kicks him out, twelve-year-old Jonathan faces the loneliness and danger of life on the streets -- until he meets Lewis. Lewis takes him under his wing and leads him to his new home among a group of kids living in an abandoned underground shopping mall who call themselves the "undergrounders." Now renamed "Mouse" Jonathan runs errands, delivers packages and panhandles for food money. An escape from this life comes to him in the form of hockey gear. Stolen hockey gear, but hockey gear nonetheless. He suits up and heads to the community rink, where he befriends regular kids who welcome him into their game and onto their team. He agrees, knowing he can never tell them about being homeless. Playing hockey makes him feel like a kid again, but keeping his double life a secret proves to be more difficult and dangerous than he ever could have imagined.

Heroes

Hero by Mike Lupica

I took this book with me for over the break, liked it but didn't love it. Worth reading and maybe some of you will love it and prove me wrong.

Here's the summary:
Fourteen-year-old Zach Harriman can feel the changes. The sharpening of his senses. The incredible strength. The speed, as though he can text-message himself across the miles. The confidence and the strange need to patrol Central Park at night. His Dad had been a hero, a saviour to America, a confidant to the President. Then he died and the changes began in Zach. What Zach never knew was that his Father was no ordinary man, he was a superhero, battling the world's evil. This is a battle that has been waged for generations and knows no boundaries. And now it's Zach's turn to take on the fight. It's Zach's turn to become a hero.

And there's a book trailer.
Read On.

Concrete Poetry

Mr. Newman showed me this very cool animated concrete poem. This might be the future of concrete poetry.
Enjoy.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid : Roderick Rules

I don't know if you're aware that the next Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Roderick Rules the movie is about to be released this month (March 25?). I thought they did a terrific job with the first movie and will be excited to see how they follow it up.
Here's the movie trailer.

Vik Muniz

The other film I was greatly inspired by featured one of my favourite artists Vik Muniz, called Wasteland.

2010 Academy Awards

This last Sunday the Academy Awards show was on, I hope that as you sit watching the fashion parade and watch the snippets of the films, that you also make the connection that many of these movies started out as a book, or a short story, or a picture book, or a screenplay, that it is someone creatively expressing themselves in words, and then a director instructs the actors how to communicate and display those words with action and emotion. I hope you heard in the acceptance speeches the stories of actors and directors who were so moved and inspired by a book that they believed it was worthy of a larger audience.

So here are a few that inspired me. One made by one of my favourite author/illustrators and the other made by one of my favourtie artists.

The Lost Thing by Shaun Tan

Retelling Red Riding Hood

I love this video format retelling of The Little Red Riding Hood Classic Fairytale. Couldn't resist sharing it with you.

Slagsmålsklubben - Sponsored by destiny from Tomas Nilsson on Vimeo.