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.

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.

Running Out of Time

Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix

This is a story that will satisfy both historical fiction fans and sci-fi fans. Our strong female protagonist Jesse lives with her family in the frontier village of Clifton. The children of Clifton are getting sick. Seriously sick. Jesse is the one chosen to leave the village (and everything she knows) to travel to a strange new place in order to find medicine that could save her friends and family. Can she do it before she runs out of time.

This book will provide great conversation, the idea of reality TV might have sprung up from this book. I love the idea of which skills transfer through generations of time. Jesse's courage and questioning mind are the heroes of the story. It was a great quick read for the weekend.

Storm Runners

Storm Runners by Roland Smith

The breakneck  pace of Storm Runners by Roland Smith, grabs you from the first page and just keeps on going, right to page 143. The story never really let up- in fact I'll be heading to the shelves this morning to check out book two in the series. Chase Masters and his father are storm runners, racing across the country in pursuit of hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. Anywhere bad weather strikes, they are not far behind. Chase is learning more on the road than he ever would just sitting in the classroom. But when the hurricane of the century hits, he will be tested in ways he never could have imagined.
Here's an interview with author Roland Smith.

Summer Reading

The Houdini Box by Brian Selznick

I'm smitten with Brian Selznick's work, both as an author and an illustrator. Since my first introduction to his illustrative style in Ann M. Martin's, The Doll People right through to his most current work Wonderstruck, I have been enchanted with how he visually tells a story, as well as, when he writes  a story. Blending these two talents together in more than just a picture book fashion (32 pages) has been such a hit with readers at Lakie. Why I think it is a hit? I believe that some of us readers are better at interpreting visual clues and then making the inference with the verbal clues in the story. In other words the pictures help us understand the story. And Selznick is a master - it's a joy to uncover the clues in his pictures.
I guess it's no wonder that I searched out more of his titles this summer.
In The Houdini Box we are introduced to Victor a young boy who idolizes Harry Houdini. He tries to learn countless magic tricks to no avail - often with humourous bruising results. Then a chance meeting with the magician leads Victor on an unexpected journey.
I loved learning more about the magician Harry Houdini, I love the thought of a magic box that could transform Victor into the magician he dreamed of being. The black & white cross-hatched illustrations supported the story beautifully. And I appreciated the non-fiction content including a biography and magic trick at the end of the book.

I was delightfully surprized to find out that this book has been the inspiration of a children's play. Here's a preview of it.

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

Wolverine : Worst Day Ever by Barry Lyga

I have to admit that this was a totally random pick. What can I say? sometimes fate gives you what you need -- something fun, adventurous, hilarious and with great artwork. I found it in the graphic novel section, but I don't know that it qualifies as a graphic novel (it's not  a story told in sequental artwork / drawings). It's more of a story, told in blog format, with illustrations. That's really unimportant to anyone who's not a librarian.
So, to get on with the review... Eric is a recent recruit to Xavier's School for Gifted Students. He has a very peculiar mutant gift, in his words
 " Basically, people don't notice me. I don't mean like I'm shy or anything like that. I mean that people just don't notice me. I could walk into a room totally naked, playing an accordian while juggling chainsaws, and people might get the idea that something's a little off in the room."
So what's a kid with a strange undeveloped mutant power supposed to do when surrounded with peers who have awesome mutant powers, well..., sneak around, lurk in the shadows, tag along with the X-men on secret missions and spy on favourite X-man of all Wolverine. This is where the fun, the action and the hilarity gets rolling.
I'm buying this one for our library for sure! I loved it.
Read On.

Summer Reading

Paint the Wind by Pam Munoz Ryan

As a kid growing up I had a long list of my favourite horse stories. It included titles like The Black Stallion, Misty of Chincoteahue, My Friend Flicka and Smokey the Cow horse along with others. I also grew up riding a horse most every day during the summer and at one point in time I think our family had a remuda of around 30+ horses. So it was with great pleasure that I picked up Paint the Wind and was transported to a familiar, wonderful place, filled with the great outdoors and the wonder that can fill a person up by being on the back of a horse.
If your a horse lover, this should definately be your next good read. Even if your not a horse lover - I still think this book has lots to offer. It has earned it way into my favourite horse stories list**

Summary from back cover:
Maya lives like a captive. At Grandmother's house in California, everything is forbidden: friends, fun, even memories. and her life is built on lies Grandmother tells her about her dead mother, lies Maya tells to impress or manipulate. But then she moves to the vast Wyoming wilderness where her mother's family awaits - kind, rugged people who value independence and have no tolerance for lies. They challenge Maya to confront the truth about who she is. And a mysterious mustang called Artemisia waits, too. She holds the kiey to Maya's freedom. But to find it, Maya will have to risk everything ... including her life.

Summer Reading

The Project by Brian Falkner

Fun, action-packed read. Thoroughly enjoying this one, I'm about two-thirds of the way done and now have to set it down to get some of my chores done, but wanted to give it the thumbs up before I head off to the cabin again. If you're a fan of the Alex Rider series this might be a great choice for you.

Here's the summary from the book jacket:
It begins with a book. The most boring book in the world. A book so boring no one could ever read it - the perfect place to hide a dangerous secret.
When best friends Luke and Tommy voluntyeer to help move books from their library's basement to hight ground during a quick-rising flood, they discover the only surviving copy of the most boring book in the world: Leonardo's River, lost for over a hundred years.
The book is connected to Leonardo da Vinci and is worth millions, but the secret it hides could be world-shattering. After they steal it from the library, dark froces are soon on their tail. Luke and Tommy must unock the mystery first, but with their puruers closing in, the clock is ticking down to the final hour.

Summer Reading

Game Changers by Mike Lupica

Some of you might be familiar with the name Doug Flutie, he was a quarterback in the CFL, the NFL, a Heisman trophy winner, and he was a little guy, an underdog. He was also the inspiration behind this book Game Changers. I think this book will find an audience at our school. It's a book about football, but also what it takes to be a great team player.

Here's the summary:
Ben McBain is every football team's dream player. He's a jack-of-all-trades guy that can handle almost any position. When the game is on the line, Ben's number is the one being called for the final play. But Ben wants to be the starting quarterback and the one thing standing in his way is the coach's son.
Shawn O'Brien looks the part. He has been groomed by his father, a former professional quarterback. But despite his size and arm strength, Shawn is struggling.
Ben is torn between being a good teammate and going after his own dream. As Ben finds out, Shawn isn't the easiest person to help. And when Ben gets an unexpected opportunity, the entire game will change for the both of them.

Summer Reading : Graphic novels

Amulet - book 5 : Prince of the Elves by Kazu Kibuishi

I was lucky enough to read this ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) via NetGalley, the release date isn't until September 1. I really like this series, the art work is fabulous and story of the stonekeepers has kept my interest for years now and although I'm not a huge sci-fi / fantasy kind of person I can relate to the characters and enjoy the depiction of this other world, with its flying ships, weird talking creatures and robots.

Here's the summary:
Emily has survived the chaos of the Guardian Academy, but Max Griffin, who is working for the Elf King, has escaped with the mother stone. The Elf King has now forged new amulets, which allow him the ability to invade Cielis and destroy it once and for all. Emily and her friends desperately make preparations to defend Cielis in what will be a brutal war, and they can only hope that it will be enough to defeat the Elf King.

I'm sure Scholastic will be putting together a book trailer and will include that at a date closer to the release or when I'm holding the copy for our library in my hands.

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

Oh, Rats! ; the story of rats and people by Albert Marrin

Those of us that live in Alberta don't really know the problem with rats - the Alberta Department of Agriculture has enforced a strick rat control since the 1950's. It wasn't until my first trip to Europe, staying with a friend in an apartment that was built in the 1500's that I came across my first rat. OMG! these things are huge! and scary! and ugly!, So it was with some trepidation that I took home Oh, Rats! the story of rats and people. In the end I was rewarded with a fascinating book that reveals tons of details about the rat and its relationship with humans.

Here's the summary:

Able to claw straight up a brick wall, squeeze through a pipe the size of a quarter, gnaw through iron and concrete, rats are also revealed in this fascinating book to be incredibly intelligent and capable of great compassion. Weaving science, history, culture, and folklore, awarding winning author Albert Marrin offers a look at rats that goes from curious to replusive, horrifying to comic, fearsome to inspiring. Arresting black and white scratchboard illustrations with bold red accents add visual punch to this study of a creature that has annoyed, disgusted, nourished and intrigued its human neighbours throughout the centuries.

Summer Reading has officially begun

The Last Musketeer by Stuart Gibbs
Summary:
On the first day of a family trip to Paris, Greg Rich's parents disappear. They're not just missing from the city -- they're missing from the "century." So Greg does what any kid will do: he travels through time to rescue them.
Greg soon finds out that his family history is tied to the legendary Three Musketeers. But when he meets them, they're kids his age , and they'll only live long enough to become true heroes if he can save them. To rescue his parents, Greg must assume the identity of a young Musketeer in training and unite Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and D'Artagnan -- but a powerful enemy is doing everything possible to stop him from succeeding.


I love it when a book has a great first sentence that makes you want to keep reading. This book had it, I was also intrigued with the reinvention of The Three Musketeer's story, and although I'm not a huge time travel fan, it worked for this story. I enjoyed how Greg struggled with some of the more descriptive and challenging aspects of history - scratchy clothes, travel by foot or horse and worst of all the smells of sewage everywhere.

For Riordan Fans

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

Well, fans of Mr. Riordan here's a sneak-peek at the third book in The Heroes of Olympus series. I know it's going to be a long wait until Oct. 2 when it is finally released. As promised here's the link to the first chapter (for those of you who just can't wait)The Mark of Athena.

Middle School Get Me Out of Here

Middle School Get Me Out of Here by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts

Rafe is back, and if life could get any more difficult it has... Now he is sleeping on the couch at his Grandma's house in the city, his Mom is out of work, he's started the new school year at a fancy "art school" and the pressure is on.  Can Rafe control his out of control life? or will the old Rafe make his presence known in this new installment.

Although this is a similiar style of book as the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, it just doesn't carry the same funny punch. Where it does win out is the illustrations - Rafe is the kid that is always doodling, he sees his life as a series of frames in a cartoon, his characterization is some of the people in his life (his Uncle Harry -Hairy the Sasquatch, and the Principal as a man-eating spider) are spot on. The fact that his art work are a strong feature of his personality make the styling of the book valid.

Here's the book trailer.

Gods of Manhattan by Scott Mebus

Summary from publisher:
A New Yorker for all of his thirteen years, Rory Henessy has always been happy to hold his little family together. But then a magician's trick opens his eyes to Mannahatta, a spirit city that coexists along side our own Manhattan. A city inhabited by Indian sachems, warrior cockroaches, and children made entirely of papier-mache. A city built by history and legend, and ruled by the immortal Gods of Manhattan, including, Babe Ruth, Alexander Hamilton, and Peter Stuyvesant. If something or someone in the history of New York was important enough, loved enough, feared enough, imagined enough, remembered enough it is reborn in Mannahatta.
Only Rory has the power to see Mannahatta and reveal it to others. But that gift may soon be his end as he is pursued through mazes of past and present, chasing history and the chance to right Mannahatta's greatest wrong.

For fans of Percy Jackson or readers who enjoy action / adventure in a city they've always wanted to visit - in case New York.

The False Prince

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Suspense, action, intrigue. If you need a book that has these kinds of elements then this will be a book for you. I totally got into this book last Saturday (when we were having that freak snow storm). It had been a while since I had really gotten into a historical fiction - but this one had the kind of pacing that kept the story rolling right along. And just enough to keep you guess and hoping that your right.
Here's the summary from the book jacket:
The thrilling first book in a brand new trilogy, filled with danger, deceit,and hidden identities that will have readers rushing breathlessly to the end.
In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Connor, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Connor's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well.
As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Connor's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove to be more dangerous than all the lies taken together.

Here's the book trailer.