Night of the howling dogs

Night of the Howling Dogs by Graham Salisbury

From the back cover:

On the Big Island of Hawaii, Dylan's scout troop hikes down into the desolation of an ancient lava flow to camp on a small beach below the volcano. It's beautiful. Peaceful. But there's a problem: Louie Domingo. He and Dylan share a secret history, and it lies like a shark beneath the surface of everything they do.

Until the world comes apart.

Foreshadowed by two mysterious howling dogs, a disaster of unearthly proportions strikes. No one is spared its horror. But over the next hours Dylan learns the true meaning of leadership and the will to survive. More amazing still is the this story actually happened.

I read this one this weekend. I liked the fact that it is a retelling of an actually event - a huge 7.2 earthquake that unleashed a tsunami, and the idea that a boy scout troop is camped on a deserted beach and is eleven miles from the nearest road (uninhabited) makes this into a trilling survival story. I thought the tension between Dylan and Louie added a more complex thread to the story and would recommend this book lots of our readers.

Runner by Carl Deuker

Runner by Carl Deuker

This is probably my book of the week! I enjoyed the fast-paced, edge of your seat suspense that the book had. Here's the summary from the back cover:

One step from homelessness and hunger, Chance Taylor worries about things other kids his age never give a second thought to: Where will the money come from for the electricity bill and grocery bill? When a new job falls his way, Chance jumps at the opportunity, becoming a runner who picks up strange packages. Chance knows how much he will earn - what he doesn't know is how much he will pay.

I thought the use of short chapters really helped keep this book going pace wise. Chance is a believable character that gets caught up in a situation that he has his own doubts about and against his better judgement he takes the risk that will end up having pretty extreme outcome.

Highly recommend this one.

I've already got a great booktalk planned for this one.

Here's a student (not from G.S.Lakie) made book trailer for Runner.

Great non-fiction books guys should try

First to Fly: how Wilbur and Orville Wright invented the airplane by Peter Busby

I was watching a thing on the Discovery channel the other night and it made me think about flight, inventors, trial and error and persistance - which then made me think about this book. This is a terrific short non-fiction book with really good illustrations that documents the accomplishment of the Wright brothers and their adventures in inventing and discovering what we now relie on as a another form of transporation - the airplane.

This book also includes web-sites, a timeline, glossary of terms and an index.
So the next time your watching Discovery channel or spot that jet stream up in the sky think how curious the Wright brothers must have been to pursue such a crazy dream, and that maybe some of the crazy stuff you dream up might not be that crazy afterall.

Great non-fiction books guys should try

Ductigami : the art of the tape by Joe Wilson

Some of us know how useful ductape is (Red Green built a whole show around it) and here is a book that takes it beyond useful into fashionable, fun and funky.

I have built the wallet, and the toolbelt from this book and have amibitions of creating other stuff. The basic instructions were easy to understand and I got the hang of it right away. I gave both the wallet and the toolbelt to as gifts and recieved curious looks and then comments of this is so cool. I think most of you could easily create one of the 18 different projects offered up in this book.

Alex Rider graphic novel

Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz

So this morning I read this - the graphic novel version of Stormbreaker. I've read most of the Alex Rider series and have to say the story is always soo intense, dramatic that you can easily picture it in your head. So I guess it isn't to much of a stretch to see it in graphic novel format.

The full colour illustrations are well done, with manga style characters. I thought using differing styles of text boxes was a nice touch - to tell when different characters were speaking.

This would be a terrific introduction to the Alex Rider series - using this graphic novel format to lead readers into the book series. Fun, exciting and action packed.

So far only Stormbreaker and Point blank have been made into graphic novels but I think others in the series will soon follow.

Great non-fiction books guys should try

Swords an artists devotion by Ben Boos

This is a beautiful book to look at, but beyond that I learned stuff - I learned about swords and other handheld weapons from ancient times and cultures. The information is kept to short snippets, general and specific information on the different styles and uses of a wide range of swords. Beautifully detailed illustrations makes this an awesome book for those of you who love the topic of war, warriors/combat and the tools of their trade - swords!

Some of you have already designed and illustrated your own interpretation of some of the swords in this book and have shown me your works. Way to go - obviously I wasn't the only one inspired by this book.

Wintergirls

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

This has to be one of my favourite teen authors, and once again I am in awe of her writing ability. She lets you become completely absorbed in the characters life. Wow!!

From the cover:

"Dead girl walking" the boys say in the halls.

"Tell us your secret" the girls whisper, one toilet to another.

I am that girl. I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through. I am the bones they want, wired on a porclain frame.

Lia and Cassie were best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies. But now Cassie is dead. Lia's mother is busy saving other people's lives. Her father is away on business. Her step-mother is clueless. And the voice inside Lia's head keeps telling her to remain in control, stay strong, lose more, weigh less. If she keeps on going this way -- thin, thinner, thinnest -- maybe she'll disappear altogether.

Haunting, vivid, powerful, terrifying and disturbing. I felt naive to the extreme mental state that an eating disorder (in this case anorexia) could consume a person. The fact that Lia has twice been in rehab for her disorder and feels that the people around her are the ones doing the brainwashing speaks of how her mental state has been undermined by her illness. Even more disturbing is that statistic that one in four women will struggle with eating disorders.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIjyJ_tqedc

Beastly a fairy tale

Beastly by Alex Flinn

This is a modern day retelling of the fairytale Beauty and the Beast, told from the beasts' point of view.

Kyle Kingsbury has it all, he's rich, goodlooking, friends, hot girlfriend, smart, he goes to an elite prep school. He's quick to judge people on looks alone and gets caught playing an evil trick on the social outcast at school - Kendra. Little does he know that by treating Kendra as the butt of his joke he will be spending the rest of his days covered in fangs and fur. That is unless he can change his ways.

From the back cover:

A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright - a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.

You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll stay this way forever - ruined- unless I can break the spell.

Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly ... beastly.

I especially like the online chat group that the beast belongs to along with other cursed misfits from fairytales. I felt that this was a fun, light-hearted read, for some it maybe a bit too predictable, but really we all know that fairytales usually have a happy ending ; )

Book Fair results

We held a very successful Book Fair, we sold over $3500 worth of books, and profited $800 for our library. I've already started taking requests for books we need to have for the library, so if you have a suggestion of something we need, let me know!!

Thank you to Michael and Susan of Owl's Nest Books for providing such a great selection and book-talking them to students and to Mrs. Wolsey and Ms. King-Hunter for the wonderful door prizes. Special thanks to all of you who supported the fair by buying books for your self and in some cases for your friends.

Here's some photo's of the event.

BOOK FAIR

Don't forget the BOOK FAIR tomorrow and Thursday. I helped with the set up after school, and I think the selection looks great. I can't wait for tomorrow, I hope you all remember to bring your debit card or money, cause you don't want to miss out.
I try and post some photos of the event tomorrow.