Summer Reading

The Recruit by Robert Muchamore (#1 in the CHERUB series)

This has been highly recommended to me so many times that I brought it home with me for the summer and moved it to a much higher position on the To Be Read stack, and then brought it with me to the lake for more of my summer reading. I'm very glad I did all those things, because it didn't disappoint.
"What is CHERUB? -- During World War II, French civilians set up a reistance movement to fight against the German forces occupying their country. Many of their most useful operatives were children and teenagers. Some worked as scouts and messangers. Others befriended homesick German soldiers, gathering information that enabled the resistance to sabotage German military operations.
A British spy named Charles Henderson worked among these French children for nearly three years. After returning to Britain, he used what he'd learned in France to train twenty British boys to work on undercover operations. The codename for his unit was CHERUB.
Henderson died in 1946, but the organization he created has thrived. CHERUB now has more than two hundred and fifty agents, all aged seventeen or under. Although there have been many technical advances in intelligence operations since CHERUB was founded, the reason for its existence remains the same: adults never suspect that children are spying on them."

Our main character is twelve-year-old James Choke, who finds himself recently orphaned and forced to live in a Childrens Home. It is there that he is recruited to become part of CHERUB. First he'll have to undergo some pretty intense training before he ever ventures out on his first mission. Action-packed, thrilling, gritty, with a very real sense of teenagers (you know -- the kind that don't clean their rooms, play endless videogames, make crude jokes and occasionally go overboard when asked to vandalize something.)

Thanks to the students that recommended this one. It was very entertaining. I'm not sure I'll make it through the remaining 10 in the series, but I may try the pre-series The Henderson Boys.
If you loved The Recruit there are some great bonus stories at the CHERUB website-
http://www.cherubcampus.com/the%20recruit.htm

Read On!

Divergent

Divergent by Veronica Roth

I have just finished Divergent which Lakie readers have been insisting I read - and I can see why, it's a dystopian future book, it has a lot of action, a little romance, a crazy bad guy, an oppressive government, survival in a harsh world. What's not to like? right?
Well, at times I felt things were too similiar to other books I've read, and when I read the author interview and her influences I thought to myself , oh yeah I can see that. But for those of you who maybe aren't as wide reading as me, this might be your next favourite.

I liked this review from The Guardian, it sums it up nicely.
"Close your eyes and picture this: you are sixteen years old and about to make the biggest choice of your life.You've grown up in a faction that values a particular trait Abnegation (selflessness), Candor (honesty), Amity (kindness), Dauntless (bravery) or Erudite (knowledge seeking). You could choose to stay with your parents and the place you know or you could strike out into a new faction, but beware , once you've made that decision there's no going back.
This is Beatrice's story, an Abnegation girl who is conflicted about which faction to join. On one hand she feels that she has never truely belonged in Abnegation, but on the other she doesn't want to betray her family. Her decision is made more difficult by the knowledge that she is not like most people: she is Divergent. Once in her chosen faction Beatrice must absorb the culture shocks and keep her wits about her if she is to survive as failing the initiation will render her factionless and an outcast of society. Meanwhile, government troubles are brewing and Beatrice's world is about to turn upside down."

Book Trailer.

Wolf Rider

Wolf Rider by Avi

This is an interesting twist on the boy who cried wolf story. I was in need of a change up from the stack of dystopian future books that I'd been reading, and this provided just the right amount of mystery / thriller that I was looking for. A fast read with an unexpected ending.

"The phone rang three times before Andy picked it up. "Hello?" he said. A voice replied, "I just killed someone. I killed ... Nina."

Andy Zadinski in convinced that the man who calls himself "Zeke" is serious. But no one will listen to Andy - not his friends, not the police, not even his father. They all say he's crying wolf, even when Andy discovers that there really is a Nina Klemmer. Even when he spots her at the local college and sees that she fits Zeke's description fo her. Exactly.

Despite warnings from his father that he should just forget about the call, Andy feels obligated to track Nina down and warn her. What if Zeke really is plotting to kill her? When Andy investigates futher, he finds out that Nina may not be Zeke's only target...

The Stone Child

The Stone Child by Dan Poblocki
This was a book that was recommended by one of our students, I can definately see why he thought it would be a good addition to our library. Scary. - You guys know I don't like scary books, so why did I take it home on a  gloomy, rainy, dark afternoon? Thanks for setting me up to jump at every little noise around me!
Here's the summary.
How cool! Eddie loves scary stories, and he is moving to the small town where his favourite author, Nathaniel Olmstead, used to live. The author vanished without a trace thirteen year ago, like something out of one of his own creepy novels.
But Eddie soon learns that life in Gatesweed isn't as idyllic as he hoped. He keeps seeing strange things, unreal things, horrible things that shoule only exist in Olmstead's books. How have they escaped the pages to terrorize the town?
Soon Eddie realizes that he and his new friends Harris and Maggie must solve the mystery of Olmstead's disappearance before Eddie's mom finishes writing her own scary tale, unleashing the most horrific creature of all.

Jump

Jump by Elisa Carbone

Summary:
Jump. That is what P.K. has done. A totally wild, crazy jump from a restrictive life with her family, into a life of total adventure - rock climbing out west with a guy she barely knows. At first, everythings amazing. Not only are they climbing in awesomely beautiful National Parks like Yosemite but they seem awesomely made for each other. P.K. is in heaven. And then the cops show up... with an arrest warrant. And P.K. has to decide who to believe: this amazing guy who she trusts with her life - or the cops who want her to believe that he may take her life. 

Here's the 60 recap.

The Limit

The Limit by Kristen Landon

From the book jacket:
"An eighth grade girl was taken today."
With this first sentence, readers are thrust into a fast-paced thriller that doesn't let up for a moment. In a world not too far removed from our own, kids are being taken away to special workhouses if their families exceed the financial debt limit imposed by the government. Thirteen-year-old Matt briefly wonders if he might be next, but quickly dismisses the thought. After all, his parents are responsible with their spending, right?
But after Matt's family unexpectedly goes over their limit, Matt is whisked away to a workhouse where far more serious dangers exist than anyone on the outside realizes - dangers that could change his reality forever.

Here's the book trailer.

Vesper's Rising

Vespers Rising by Rick Riordan

The Cahills weren't the only family searching for the Clues. They had powerful rivals - the Vespers - an evil organization waiting in the shadows.

I don't know much more than this, today was the release date, so I'll have to see if I can get it into my hot little hands for this weekend. Then I'll be able to talk it up to those eagerly awaiting this next episode in the 39 Clues story.

Missing

Missing by Catherine MacPhail

Maxine's parents have had to do perhaps the worst thing possible: confirm the identity of her brother Derek's body by the clothes he was whereing went he disappeared. So the who was missing is now officially dead. But then the worst possible thing really happens: Maxine receives a telephone call from somebody saying he is her brother. She can hardly believe her ears. Has Derek come back from the dead? In this pacy triller, the author manages to confront many issues - how differenet people deal with grief, the very under-rated effect of severe bullying at school and sibling rivalry - all in a fast paced compelling narrative voice.

I thought comparable titles would be: My sister's keeper and Buried.

The Crossbones

Skeleton Creek - The Crossbones by Patrick Carman

Strange things happen in Skeleton Creek - and when they do, Ryan writes them down and Sarah captures them on video. Now, the spookiness is spreading, and the mystery is going to take them far beyond

Skeleton Creek -- into places both unexpectedly sinister and spine-chillingly haunted.

Love this series - it's no wonder that Skeleton Creek the first book is second in our top ten list.

Here's the book trailer.

And here's Patrick Carman the creator of the series:

Cabin Creek Mysteries

Cabin Creek Mysteries

The Secret of Robber's Cave by Kristiana Gregory

Action! Intrigue! Cliffhangers!

Jeff and David's Dad told them they weren't allowed to explore Lost Island until Jeff's 12 birthday, and that they should never go alone. Jeff and David are going to the deserted island to search for clues - and hidden treasure. Town legend tells of a robber and a secret cave, but the brothers have to piece the truth together. with the help of their cousin, Claire, they'll get to the bottom of the mystery, no matter what they have to dig up!

With a riveting overarching series storyline and a mini-mystery in each title Cabin Creek gives readers what they crave: immediate answers and ongoing suspense. Every book reveals clues, adds layers, and finds the characters investigating, plotting and unraveling clues. They'll need their wits, their courage and their gadgets to get to the bottom of these mysteries.

If you like the Hardy boys or Nancy Drew series you'll be a fan of Cabin Creek.

The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

As you can see from my last post this was one of my favourites but I didn't get a chance to blog about it before we left for the break. So here goes...

Exciting, riveting, face-paced, curious these are all ways I would describe this book. The story centers around Thomas, a young man who arrives to a strange new world inhabited by a group of teenage guys. The glade is what they call the place and it is surrounded by sky-high walls with four openings leading out into a mysterious maze that changes everyday. The boys including Thomas have all had theirs memories wiped out and exist in a crude almost primative way, with most doing boring jobs - except for an elite group that goes out into the maze everyday trying to map and make sense of the maze, figuring that if they can solve it they can return home.

Life of the glade is changed the day after Thomas arrives and for the first time a girl is sent along with the message that she is the last thing to be sent. The pace of the story and the intensity just climbs and climbs from this point on.

This is the first book in what will be a trilogy. So here's hoping that book two will make its way to us in 2010.

Here's the book trailer-

The Dark Pond

The Dark Pond by Joseph Bruchac

from the back cover:

As soon as he arrived at the North Mountain School, Armie sensed something strange about the dark pond in the forest. An eerie presence haunts his dreams and keeps drawing him back to the pond - something dangerous that lurks in its depths.

Armie turns to the tales of his Shawnee ancestors for help-but if he's right about what lives in the still, black waters of the dark pond, he may need more than his wits to survive...

Much like Skeleton Man - Bruchac creates a story based around Native American mythology and then gives us a thrilling good suspense ride. If you've enjoyed some of his other stories you'll probably like this one too. I did.

Read On

Ghost in the machine

Ghost in the machine by Patrick Carmen

Wow, this follow up book to Skeleton Creek was an equal as far as the trilling suspense ride created in the first book.

What's unique about this two book series is that Carman has combined a traditional style text and a world of video entries (that involve secret passwords) . The two forms of storytelling are told from the perspectives of Ryan (you follow his journal entries) and his best friend Sarah (Sarah and Ryan have been instructed by their parents to stay away from each other - because Ryan broke his leg while they were checking out the creepy, mysterious dredge). Sarah's side of the story is told through videos she emails Ryan in hopes that together they can find out what the people of the small town of Skeleton Creek are trying to hide.

Idon't want to give much more than this away, I just want to say that I couldn't put it down and had my laptop at the ready for the next password. Perfect for mystery loving kids.

I just learned that they've defined this new style of book/video as a "vook."

Don't miss out on this or Skeleton Creek.

check out the trailer.

Rat life

Rat Life by Tedd Arnold

From the back cover:
The dead body found in the Chemanga River has nothing to do with Todd. Sure, a murder is big news, but what would really interest him? A paying job. Then he meets Rat. Just a little older than Todd, Rat has already seen a lot of the world. And when he offers Todd a gig at the drive-in theatre, Todd takes it. After all, it means a paycheck and free movies. But hanging out with Rat leads to a host of strange experiences and perplexing questions. More and more, that corpse from the river is on Todd's mind; and no matter how he shifts the pieces around, Rat is always part of the puzzle.

This was the winner of the 2007 Edgar Award for best young adult mystery.
I have to say that I got taken up with this story. I really enjoyed the creative writing side of Todd's character, I think it showed humor and gave a believability to his age and background. Although the real suspenseful part of the story didn't get going until half way through the book, I felt that drawing out these characters of Todd and Rat and their unlikely friendship gave the book something deeper to delve into. I think it's a winner for me too.

Read On.

The Crossroads

The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein

Zack, his dad and new stepmother have just moved back to his fathers hometown in Connecticut, not knowing that their new house has a dark history. Fifty years ago, a crazed killer caused an accident at the near by crossroads that took forty innocent lives. He died when his car hit a tree in a fiery crash, and his malevolent spirit has inhabited the tree ever since. During a huge storm, lightning hits the tree, releasing the spirit, who decides his evil spree isn't over yet, and Zach is directly in his sights.

This one is the winner of the Agatha Award for YA / childrens mystery. And it's no wonder, with its short chapters, friendly and definately unfriendly ghosts, the creepiest tree in history and a plot that wouldn't quit - this one had me hooked.

Here's the booktrailer (unfortunately it doesn't quite grasp how scary and trilling the book is.)

Deadly little secrets

Deadly little secrets ; a touch novel by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Until three months ago, everything about sixteen-year-old Camelia's life had been fairly ordinary: decent grades; an okay relationship with her parents; and a pretty cool part-time job at the art studio downtown. But when Ben, the mysterious new guy, starts junior year at her high school, Camelia's life becomes far from ordinary.

Rumored to be somehow responsible for his ex-girlfriend's accidental death, Ben is immediately ostracized by everyone on campus. Except for Camelia. She's reluctant to believer the rumors, even when her friends try to convince her otherwise. Instead, she's inexpplicalby drawn to Ben... and to his touch. But soon, Camelia is receiving eerie phone calls and strange packages with threatening notes. Ben insists she is in danger, and that he wants to help- but can he be trusted? She knows he's hiding something... but he's not the only one with a secret. (from the front cover).

A boy to admire from afar, a girl you want to befriend, a novel to keep you turning the pages because you don't know whom to trust. Stolarz's novel is a blend of mystery, chills - a captivating story you have to experience. (from back cover)

As most of you know I had a wicked cold/flu last week - and by Friday afternoon all I wanted to do was, go home, go to bed and read a book (when I wasn't sleeping). Deadly Little Secrets was one of my recovery books. I felt it was a suspenseful read, and I wasn't sure who to trust. There is a great side plot to this book and I think it will appeal to a lot of our readers. From looking at some other reviews and blogs, it sounds like there might be too many similarities to Twilight for some.

There is a planned second book, which will please readers who were miffed by the ending.

Edgar winner Buried by Robin Merrow MacCready

Buried by Robin Merrow MacCready

Claudine has long buried her own needs and dreams to care for her alcoholic mother. But after her mom suddenly disappears , a much darker truth that lies buried under years of angry denial and enabling behaviour is waiting to be uncovered. When Claudine eventually hits rock bottom, she must literally dig to find the secret that lies in a shallow grave behind the families trailer. Buried is a suspenseful mind-twisting psychological triller that will keep you turning the pages.

What I saw and how I lied

What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Bundell

Secrets this story has them. Evie our main character at fifteen she wants more than anything to be a grown-up, and not just any kind of boring grownup but the glamourous, sexy, Hollywood kind that her mother is. Evie's mother (who is a knockout) has her share of secrets too, and as a way of protecting Evie she likes to keep her looking and feeling like a helpless little girl.

Evie's stepfather Joe has just returned from the War in Europe and has many things he won't talk about, as well as a scheme that takes the family to Florida. Enter into the picture Peter, an ex-G.I. who served with Joe in the War. Evie has fallen completely for Peter. And Peter is the keeper of secrets and is threatening to expose them.

This tangled web of lies is bound to catch someone, and Evie find herself in the middle of them. She'll have to decide who to protect- her family or the one she loves.

Dark, smokey, 40's styling language, steamy Florida, and a miriade of unforgettable characters in this couldn't put it down book. Leaves you wanting to watch old black and white movies like Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock.

Winner of the 2008 National Book Award in the Young Peoples Literature category. An unforgettable and page-turner read. Readers will relate with Evie's struggle to find her own place in the world.