Archie Meets KISS

 

Archie Meets KISS by Alex Segura

 

It's been awhile since I've read an Archie comic, so when I was ordering this round of graphic novels I couldn't resist including Archie in his latest antics. The characters of Riverdale remain the same, with a few unexpected visitors, Sabrina the teenage witch, Josie of Josie and the Pussycats and well obviously KISS - oh yeah and throw in some zombies. The storyline is the following: When one of Sabrina the Teenage Witch's spells goes awry and summons forth a gang of dangerous monsters bent on turning the people of Riverdale into mindless zombies, what can Archie and the gang do to save the town and their friends. Enter KISS - four supernatural heroes with their sights set on the frightening invaders.

 

Things I liked: Reading an Archie comic again. KISS lyrics sprinkled throughout the text. The chapter cover artwork that mimics KISS album covers. The artists sketchbook at the end of the book - I love to see where the inspiration comes from.

 

Things I didn't like: It was a little predictable and I would have liked the monsters to be more monsterish.

 

Here's the trailer

Skating Sensation

Dork Diaries : Skating Sensation by Rachel Renee Russell

These books are gaining so much popularity at school that I've had to order more, and yesterday this brand new one arrived.
Here's the summary:
Nikki Maxwell isn't at all surprised to find out that her crush Brandon volunteers at a local animal shelter. He's such a sweet guy - of course he wants to help those adorable puppies. Then Brandon tells her that the shelter is in danger of closing down, and Nikki knows that she can't let that happen. Especially when she discovers a shocking secret about Brandon that makes keeping the shelter open more important that anything. So Nikki and her friends Chloe and Zoey enter an ice skating competition to help raise money for the shelter, but big surprise MacKenzie has to stick her nose in and cause trouble so that she can be the one to swoop in and save the day. No way will Nikki let that happen: she'll just have to find some extra creative ideas this time.

Summer Reading

The Case of the Deadly Desperados by Caroline Lawrence

Sometimes when I'm choosing a book, I read the first sentence and if it grabs my attention, I'll check it out. Here's the first sentence -- "My name is P.K. Pinkerton and before this day is over I will be dead."  So that in combination with cover was enough to peak my interest. (And I seem to be on a western kick these days.) This book might be a bit of a gamble for some, but with short chapters, loads of action, fascinating characters - including our main character P.K. (who if you can imagine Sheldon from Big Bang Therory were twelve years old and living in the old west, a hilarious combination.) and guns being drawn just about every other chapter -- well then this should be your next book. It was loads of fun.

Here's the summary from the book jacket:
The year is 1862 and twelve-year-old P.K. Pinkerton is on the run from Whittlin Walt and his gang of ruthless desperados. P.K. is determined to hold on to his ma's last priceless possession: the deed to a large amount of land and silver mines in the Nevada Mountains. But this is the Wild West, and there's hardly a safe place to hide in Virginia City, an untamed mining town full of gamblers, hurdy girls and gunmen - all of them on the make! Relying on disguises will only keep P.K. hidden for so long as he works to outwit the outlaws who are quickly closing in...
At once thrilling, funny, and moving, this mystery adventure will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very last page.

Summer Reading - Graphic novels

Lost Trail : Nine Days Alone in the Wilderness by Donn Fendler ; illustrated by Ben Bishop

Based on the true story Lost Trail is a boldly illustrated graphic novel that tells the story of Donn Fendler, a twelve-year-old Boy Scout from New York, who climbs Maine's mile-high Mount Katahdin and in a sudden storm is separated from his friends and family.
What follows is a nine-day adventure in which Donn, lost and alone in the Maine wilderness, struggles for survival.
What I liked: I liked how Donn relied and remembered his training from Boy Scouts about what to do when your lost (sometimes he ignored this and therefore made things more difficult for searchers.) Stay with the group. Don't panic. Follow a stream. and others. I thought the black & white illustrations were very atmospheric and gave a good sense of how Donn was feeling emotionally. I also really liked that the story was made into chapters with breaks that were made from Newspaper articles.
What I didn't like: Although Donn had a strong faith in God, I don't know if that it should have overshadowed his survival the way that it did.

Fans of the Hatchet series might want to check this one out, or you might want to read the original book recounting the story : Lost on a Mountain in Maine by Donn Fendler. There is even talk of making it into a movie. Here's a promo for it.

Awesome SUPERPOWERS

Have you heard, reading gives you superpowers?, How awesome is that!! I knew it, I knew that sometimes I can make myself invisible.
For years I've been a fan of Dav Pilkey, author of Captain Underpants - his creativity, energetic style and he's funny. So is it any wonder that he let's us in on a secret (that reading gives you superpowers.)

Summer Reading

The Girl is Murder by Kathryn Miller Haines

I love a good mystery. I enjoy historical fiction. And I really dig hep-cat lingo. So it's no wonder that I got so caught up with this title.
Summary:
It's the fall of 1942 in New York City and Iris is dying to help out at her father's detective agency, especially when she discovers that one of Pop's cases involves a boy at her new public school. But when Pop adamantly refuses her help, Iris quickly realizes that it's much easier to lie than to ask permission. Suddenly, this once-obedient former private-school girl is sneaking out of the house, double-crossing her friends, and dancing at the Savoy till the early-morning hours. There's certainly never a dull moment in the private-eye business.

Here's a sample - Iris (our main character has joined a group of friends headed to Harlem's Savoy Hotel) - "But it wasn't just the dancing that grabbed my gut and held me solid. The music was different. This wasn't Benny Goodman rocking the airwaves from the parlor radio. These musicians worked their instruments like they were part of themselves - trumpets grown in places of  arms, pianos where there should've been legs. Instruments didn't sound like instruments here: they were animals that growled, hooted, and barked in four beats to a measure. I don't know how the musicians got them to sound that way, but it was more alive than any music I'd ever heard before."

Summer Reading

The Magnificent 12 : the call by Michael Grant

We've had this book in the library throughout this past year, and yes it did circulate and the readers of it gave it favourable reviews but I didn't get a chance to read it until yesterday. Now I know exactly how to booktalk it -- read the first chapter out loud. Right away you'll find an unlikely hero and storytelling that is filled with a scarcastic style of humor, that I think most middle-schoolers will love. This was a fun, fast read - filled with gross monsters, an evil princess,  a phobia filled hero and world travel- what's not to like? This is a series that I'm excited to be ordering the next book of.

Summary from book jacket.
Twelve -year-old Mack MacAvoy suffers from a serious case of mediumness. Medium looks. Medium grades. Medium parents who barely notice him. With a list of phobias that could make anyone crazy. Mack never would have guessed that he is destined for a more-than-medium life.
And then, one day, something incredibly strange happens to Mack. A three-thousand year old man named Grimluk appears in the boys' bathroom to deliver some startling news: Mack is one of the Magnificent Twelve, called the Magnifica in ancient times, whatever that means. An evil force is on its way, and it's up to Mack to track down eleven other twelve-year-olds in order to stop it. He must travel across the world to battle the wicked Pale Queen's dangerous daughter, Ereskigal - also known as Risky. But Risky sounds a little scary, and Mack doesn't want to be a hero. Will he answer the call?

Summer reading

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Whoa, I finished this a couple of hours ago and I'm still reeling. There's a part of me that wants to go back and read it again to find all the clues that were given along the way, and there's another part of me that can't bear to go through the hard parts of the book over again. This is a WW II story, filled with unlikely heroes, code names, operatives, double agents, Nazi SS men and women, the resistance movement, and a very strong friendship. This story keeps you guessing almost the entire time, with an unreliable narrator who is protecting not only her secrets but an entire country's. This is an atypical  story because it is about women during WWII - not the stay at home weepy kind, not jews marched off to deathcamps, but a very unlikely sort of women- the strong, courageous, mysterious sort, the sort that deciphers codes, creates codes, pilots planes and  trades in secrets and cigarettes.
Powerful and thrilling to the end.

From the book jacket:
When "Verity" is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn't stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she's living a spy's worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution.
They'll get the truth out of her. But it won't be what they expect.
As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuelage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage, failure, and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from a merciless and ruthless enemy?
Harrowing and beautifully written, Code Name Verity is the story of an unforgettable friendship forged in the face of the ultimate evil.

Summer reading

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Loved it!! Thank you Brooklyn for recommending that I move it to the top of my summer reading stack. This futuristic Cinderella story has it all, cyborgs, a plague, evil step-mother, handsome prince -- and yet it still had  an unpredictable cast and plot. (just because you know the old story of Cinderella, doesn't mean you know this version.)
Here's the summary:
Sixteen-year-old Cinder in considered a technological mistake by most of society and a burden by her step mother. Being cyborg does have its benefits, though: Cinder's brain interface has given her an uncanny ability to fix things (robots, hovers, her own malfunctioning parts), making her the best mechanic in New Beijing. This reputation brings Prince Kai himself to her weekly market booth, needing her to repair a broken android before the annual ball. He jokingly calls it "a matter of national security," but Cinder suspects it's more serious than he's letting on.
Although eager to impress the prince, Cinder's intentions are derailed when her younger stepsister , and only human friend, is infected with the fatal plague that's been devastating Earth for a decade. Blaming Cinder for her daughter's illness, Cinder's stepmother volunteers her body for palgue research, an "honor" that no one has survived.
But it doesn't take long for the scientists to discover something unusual about their new guinea pig. Something others would kill for.

And there's a book trailer:

Rick Riordan Live

With everything that was going on last week, it slipped by me to write about our live webcast with Rick Riordan. G.S. Lakie fans and fans from around the world joined Rick as he walked us through the amazing Egyptology exhibit at the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum. As Rick made his way through the exhibit, he explained various artifacts and their significance in Egyptian history and how they played a major role in The Kane Chronicles. The exhibit is set up much like you are exploring an Egyptian tomb yourself, as we traveled along with Rick. Deep inside the exhibit (tomb) Rick used a handheld lamp as he read from The Serpent's Shadow. After hearing that snippet of the story, I'm anxious for more. But I'll let our readers have first crack at it. Rick then answered questions from students all over the world. here's some of the ideas he's working on - wrapping up the Lost Hero's series, developing a story working with Norse mythology, possibly having Percy and Carter meet up? He's one busy author, and I know most of us think that he needs to write even faster!!

The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan

Despite their best efforts Carter and Sade Kane can't seem to keep Apophis, the chaos snake down. Now Apophis is threatening to plunge the world into eternal darkness, and the Kane's are faced with the impossible task of having to destroy him once and for all. Unfortunately, the magicians of the House of Life are on the brink of civil war, the gods are divided, and the young initiates of Brooklyn House stand almost alone against the forces of chaos.

Bewitching by Alex Flinn

What a fun romp through fairytales. Alex Flinn has done it again, cleverly recreating, modernizing and humourously creating characters we think we know. Told several points of view but alway return to our main character witch Kendra - good witch? bad witch? even she's not sure. References to Beastly, the titanic, Marie Antionette, vampires, ashley olsen and full house and so much more.
Here's the book jacket summary:
Once, I put a curse on a beastly and arrogant high school boy. That one turned out all right. Others didn't.
I go to a new school now - one where no one know that I should have graduated long ago. I'm not still here because I'm stupid; I just don't age.
You see, I'm immortal. And I pretty much know everything after hundreds of years - except for when to take my powers and butt out.
I want to help, but things just go awry in ways I could never predict. Like when I tried to free some children from a gingerbread house and ended up being hanged. After I came back from the dead (immortal, remember?), I tried to play matchmaker for a French prince and ended up banished from France forever. and that little mermaid I found in the Titanic lifeboat? I don't even want to think about it.
Now a girl named Emma needs me. I probably shouldn't get involved, but her gorgeous stepsister is conniving to the core. I think I have just the thing to fix that girl - and it isn't an enchanted pumpkin. although you never know what will happen when I start...

Here's the book trailer:

Uglies: Shay's Story

Uglies: Shay's Story by Scott Westerfeld ; illustrations by
Steven Cummings
Summary from back cover:
Uglies told Tally Youngblood's version of life in Uglyville and the budding rebellion against the Specials. Now comes an exciting graphic novel revealing new adventures in the Uglies world - as seen through the eyes of Shay. Tally's rebellious best friend who's not afraid to break the rules, no matter the cost.
A few months shy of her sixteenth birthday, Shay eagerly awaits her turn to become a Pretty - a rite-of-passage operation called "the Surge" that tranforms ordinary Uglies into paragons of beauty. Yet after befriending the Crims, a group of fellow teens who refuse to take anything in society at face value, Shay starts to question the whole concept. And as the Crims explore beyond the monitored borders of Uglyville into the forbidden , ungoverned wild, Shay must choose between the perks of being Pretty and the rewards of being real.

I've tried reading the Uglies series before and never could get into to it - so I thought I'd give the graphic novel version a try - this was the right path for me, I liked the futuristic interpretation of the Uglies / Pretties world. The Black & White manga style drawing is a great choice  for these wide eyed teens in a society where everything revolves around looks. It was a fun, fast read and I look forward to more of the graphic novel adaptations.
Fans of Maximum Ride graphic novels might want to try this series out.

Book trailer.

Death Cloud

Death Cloud by Andrew Lane

Think you know Sherlock Holmes?... think again.

It's the summer of 1868, and Sherlock Holmes is fourteen. On break from boarding school, he is staying with elderly relative in the country and expecting a tedious vacation. Instead, he finds himself in the midst of a shocking murder mystery. Two local men have died from symptioms resembling the plague. Soon it is clear they have not died from natural causes.
Heedless of danger, Holmes throws himself into an investigation of what and who really killed them. With encouragement from his American-born tutor and the help of two new friends, he uncovers a diabolical plot. So begins his first battle of wits against a brilliantly sinister villain of exquistely malign intent.

Here's a sample --
"A cloud of smoke began to rise from the object just as Sherlock recognized it for what it was: a man's body, lying twisted on the ground. The smoke wafted away, driven by the breeze, but there was no sign of fire. For a moment Sherlock thought the man was tying there smoking a pipe, his face wrapped for some reason in a red-spotted white handkerchief, but as he got closer he realized that the red blotches were neither markings on a toadstool nor spots on a white handkerchief. They were bloody boils on the face of a corpse."

Now that will either turn your stomach or have you turning pages. For me, I was turning pages.

Booktrailer.

Chomp

Chomp by Carl Hiaasen

(reviewed from netgalley copy)
What if you took a Bear Grylls wanna-be and threw him into a crazy cast of characters, gave him an enormous budget to create an over-the-top surviorman style show and set the first production in the Florida Everglades. Well, you'll end up with a story like Chomp. Your imagination can create all sorts of scenarios, I'm sure, but can they compete with master of the quirky characters' that Carl Hiassen creates?
In keeping with his familiar style Hiassen gives us a great environmental caper filled with quirky characters both human and animal, and it will make you question how much to believe really happens on some of those 'survive in the wild' type of shows and how much is staged.

Here's the book trailer.

Voki

I have been thinking of a variety of options students could use in presenting book talks. Here's a cool one for books that contain a strong main character that could promote the book or books that contain an avatar character, such as the one I created for Rash by Pete Hautman.
Check out -- voki.com -- if you want to try it for your next project.
Read and create.

Michael Vey

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans

Superpowers? What would yours be? Would you want to be able to read minds? How about stop time? or reverse time? How about generate electricity? or make people feel a certain way?
In the story of  Michael Vey a group of teenagers (all born on the same day at the same hosipal in Pasadena) who discover that their is something special -- in fact very special about themselves. Most have been gathered up by evil genius Hatch and have been quickly forced into doing his bidding. All except Michael and Taylor. I'm not going to give too much more away, but this is where the going really gets started.
I think this will find it's way into the hands of those of you who enjoy the Percy Jackson books and also those who enjoy x-men. Kind of an underdog story in a battle of good vs. evil.

Legend

Legend by Marie Lu

Well, I have just read my favourite book of 2012!! Legend by Marie Lu, will grab you by the arm and race you down back alleys, into skiv fights, and having you cheering for both Day and June even though they are on opposite sides of the battle. This might be your next great read -- no I'm gonna take that back, this will be your next great read. I think readers will appreciate the fast pace of the story, the Robin Hood type of character that is Day, the intensity of June and ultimately figuring out that all is not as it seems. This is the first book of you guessed it a trilogy and unfortunately we have to wait until September for book 2.

Summary from the book jacket:

Once know as the western coast of the United States, the Republic is now a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors, the Colonies.

Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a military prodigy. Obedient, passionate, and committed to her country, she is being groomed for success in the Republic's highest circles.

Born in the slums of the Republic's Lake Sector, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother is murdered, and Day becomes the prime suspect. Now, caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June tries desperately to avenge Metias's death.

But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths to which their country will go to keep its secrets. Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, Marie Lu has written an exhilarating first novle that is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

A King's Ransom

A King's Ransom : 39 Clues, Cahills vs. Vespers by Jude Watson

It's here, and I've made more than one readers' day. For those of you on the holds list, don't worry it's a fast read and will be in your hands before long.

Summary:
Amy and Dan are in a race for their lives... and the enemy may be even closer than they think. When seven members of their family were kidnapped by a sinister organization called the Vespers, thirteen-year-old Dan and his older sister Amy, vowed that they stop at nothing to bring the hostages home.  But then the ransom comes in and the Vespers demand the impossible. Amy and Dan have just days to track down and steal an anicent map. The only catch? No one has seen the map in over half a century.
Now Amy and Dan are on a desperate search that will lead them to the Nazis, spies, a mad king and some of histories dirtiest secrets . It's the race of their lives ... and one misstep will mean certain death for the hostages.

Book trailer for the series.

Plain Kate

Plain Kate by Erin Bow

The winner of the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award for 2011. Congratulations Erin Bow on such a wonderfully written, heartfelt tale. It's one of those books which will be hard to describe but when you put it into someones hands , you'll say "you have to read this."

Summary from the publisher:
Plain Kate lives in a world of superstitions and curses, where a song can heal a wound and a shadow can work deep magic. As the wood carver's daughter, Kate held a carving knife before a spoon, and her wooden charms are so fine that some even call her "witch-blade" - a dangerous nickname in a town where witches are hunted and burned in the square.
For Kate and her village have fallen on hard times. Kate's father has died, leaving her alone  in the world. And a mysterious fog now covers the countryside, ruining crops and spreading fear of hunger and sickness. The townspeople are looking for someone to blame, and their eyes have fallen on Kate.
Enter Linay, a stranger with a proposition: In exchange for her shadow, he'll give Kate the means to escape the town that seems set to burn her, and what's more, he'll grant her hearts wish. It's a chance for her to start over, to find a home, a family, a place to belong. But Kate soon realizes that she can't live shadowless forever - and that Linay's designs are darker than she ever dreamed.
Thank you Keara C. for putting it in my hands and saying "you have to read this."
Book Trailer.

January

January by Gabrielle Lord

Last week I was asking students for something good to read, something  with  a strong male protagonist. I had lots of suggestions, many I had already read, some were just too big. I ended up taking January -book one of the Conspiracy 365 series home with me and well -- WOW! I certainly got what I asked for. It was a crazy wild ride from beginning to end, and then ending well what can I say they left the poor guy inside an oil storage tank with it slowly being refilled with the heavy smelly slick stuff. If you're not grasping for book 2 February , you'd better check to see if you have a pulse.
If you like Alex Rider or the 39 clues series then this might be a good pick for you.
Here's the summary from the back cover.
On New Year's Eve Cal is chased down the street by a staggering sick man with a deadly warning...
They killed your father. They'll kill you. You must survive the next 365 days!
Huried into a life on the urn , wtih a price on his head, the 15-year-old fugitive is isolated and alone. Hunted by the law and ruthless criminals, Cal must somehome uncover the truth about his father's mysterious death and a history-changing secret. Who can he trust, when the whole world seems to want him dead?
The clock is ticking. Any second could be his last.


Book trailer.