I've moved

Hi,

Just to let you all know, I haven't stopped blogging, but I have moved my blog over to wordpress.
You can now follow me here:
http://lakielibrary.wordpress.com/

Read On!

Ungifted

Ungifted by Gordon Korman

From the back cover:
The word gifted has never been applied to a kid like Donovan Curtis. It's usually more like Don't try this at home. So when the troublemaker pulls a major prank at his middle school, he thinks he's finally gone too far. But thanks to a mix-up by one of the administrators, instead of getting in trouble, Donovan is sent to the Academy for Scholastic Distinction (ASD), a special program for gifted and talented students.
It wasn't exactly what Donovan had intended, but there couldn't be a more perfect hideout for someone like him. That is, if he can manage to fool people whose IQs are above genius level. And that becomes harders and harder as the students and teachers of ASD grow to realize that Donovan may not be good at math or science (or just about anything). But after an ongoing experiment with a live human (sister), an unforgettably dramatic middle-school dance, and the most astonishing come-from-behind robot victory ever, Donovan shows that his gifts might be exactly what the ASD students never knew they needed.

I enjoyed this visit to an elite school through a normal kids eyes, but I also liked hearing the brainiac voices of the story. In the same fashion as Korman's Schooled - the various characters take a turns in telling the story. I thought the strongest of these to be Donovan, Chloe and Noah's. I especially liked how Donovan's character frees up Chloe and Noah from being driven students with only one goal (A+++++) into becoming people with many characteristics.

From page 8.
"Corrosion is a terrible thing. It was all in slow motion, but there was nothing you could do to stop it. With a crack, the bolt snapped, pieces whizzing out of sight. The ball of the world and heavens toppled and hit the ground with a whump!
The big bronze globe careened down the hill toward the gym, picking up speed as it went...
The prognosis was not good."

Timber Wolf

Timber Wolf by Caroline Pignat

If you crave a story filled with backcountry adventure look no further...
Jack wakes up alone, injured and completely lost in the Northern wilderness. He has no memory of what happened, how he got there, or who he is. The days pass but there is still no sign of rescue. His injuries are festering and he can no longer hunt to survive. With the dwindling scraps of food and the wolf drawing nearer each night, Jack begins to fear for the worst. His family, wherever they are, whoever they are, have abandoned him completely. The only one coming for him is the wolf.

This is the third book in the Greener Grass series by Caroline Pignat. What I like about this series is that each book can stand alone, although they are tied together by the Byrne family.

I loved this description of the Windigo - "The Windigo towers above the tallest man, but is as gaunt as a skeleton. It smells of death and decay, for that is what it brings as it seeks to feed its never-ending hunger. And the more it eats, the bigger it gets. But as it grows, so does its hunger."
It reminded me of Skeleton Man by Joseph Bruchac. Obviously both creatures are based in Native American myths and legends. I hate to be told that kind of story before heading out on a winters night.

Cardboard

Cardboard by Doug TenNapel

Love this! Good vs evil, creative, friendly,  weird, and creepy cardboard monsters come to life. This story has probably been floating in Mr. TenNapel brain since he was a kid - it's more than just a box.
From page 12 --
 "Gideon, this is an empty box."
"Empty? It's full! Full of ideas... projects... adventure!
"He does like to make things."
"Now you're getting it! Make a submarine, a monster, a train! It beats the heck out of some dumb ol' remote-controlled car! - To the naked eye it appears to be just a plain old cardboard vessel! But this is actually a father-and-son project in disguise! Slay the giant! Kill the Nazis! Hunt for buried treasure! It's up to you! No, this is not just a box! It's everything mankind ever needed to accomplish pressed into a cube of corrugated pulp!

And alas that cube of corrugated pulp becomes a whole nother world, complete with living and breathing creatures and creations. Now part of the problem is how to escape it.
Full colour illustrations and characters that you truly feel you know and can relate with, bring this story to life. I appreciate how one reviewer wrote " Marcus is like a teenage version of Calvin from Calvin & Hobbes."
Summary from back cover:
Cam's down and out father gives him a cardboard box for his birthday and he knows it's the worst present ever. To make the best of a bad situation, they bend the cardboard into a man - and to their astonishment, it comes magically to life. But the neighbourhood jerk, Marcus, warps the powerful cardboard into his own evil creations that threaten to destory them all!