The Raven

The Raven by Patrick Carman - Skeleton Creek Book 4

Part text, part video, all spine-tingling mystery.

Strange things happen in Skeleton Creek - and when they do, Ryan writes them down and Sarah captures them on video. They've solved old mysteries. They've followed clues all over the country and underground.  They've investigated secret societies. They found their answers. Or so they thought. Because there are still some secrets that Ryan and Sarah haven't uncovered yet. And there's still a shadowy figure standing in their path... someone who doesn't want Ryan and Sarah digging up more of the past.

I can't wait to dive into this next installment of Skeleton Creek. Sorry guys, but I took it home with me, but I promise to have back to the library soon.
In the meantime, here's a teaser.

May

From the back cover-
The sound of screaming fills the air, Cal's identity has been stripped from him and he's been locked up in an asylum where danger lurks on both sides of the bars. He has no idea who's put him there, but the doctors are convinced Cal - Ben Galloway - is delusional, and have no intention of setting him free.
Cal can't reach Great-uncle Bartholomew or solve the Dangerous Mystery of the Ormonds when he's wearing a straightjacket...
No one believes a word he says - no even the truth can save him now.
The clock is ticking. Any second could be his last. Callum Ormond has been warned. He only has 245 days left.

Great fast paced, loads of action, and intrigue. If you liked Alex Rider series or the Cherub series, this might suit you.

Here's the book trailer.

Dead is Not an Option

Dead is Not an Option by Marlen Perez

This is book number 5 in the Dead Is series, and it has been a popular series with our paranormal, vampire, werewoves and zombies fans (that encompasses a large portion of you.) Anyway in Dead in Not An Option, Daisy a senior at Nightshade high is getting ready to move on to bigger and better things, but so far no word from any of the colleges she's applied to. Strange - yes, but also strange is the thought of how she and boyfriend Ryan will maintain their relationship. But that's not the only thing happening in Nightshade, there's also a war going on between the vamps and the shape-shifters and things are getting so tense that there's talk of cancelling prom. Could some of these problems be linked to the mysterious new-comers in town? Daisy will have to use all her skills in order to restore the peace of Nightshade.

Here's the book trailer for Book 4 in the series Dead is Just a Rumor.

Graphic novel Parodies

Parody.
Webster's dictionary defines parody as 1.) a humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature or music. 2. ) to imitate for purposes of ridicule or satire.

Both of these new graphic novels are parodies, and funny ones at that. Joining the ranks of Weird Al Yankovic, This Hour has 22 Minutes and SNL - Papercutz publishing is amusing us with parodies of some of our favourtie books. Have a look, maybe you'll be inspired to draw a parody comic of your own.
Read On

Amelia Earhart : this broad ocean

Amelia Earhart: this broad ocean by Sarah Stewart Taylor & Ben Towle

Amelia Earhart developed a love of flying at a very young age. What began as a simple joy became something much deeper - a commitment to open doors for all women. As Amelia builte a name for herself in the field of aviation - breaking numerous records along the way - she inspired future trailblazers to soar to new heights.

In Amelia Earhart : This Broad Ocean, Taylor and Towle focus on Amelia's triumphant crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in 1928 , offering us a glimpse of her relentless ambition and her tireless will to promote women's rights. But above all, author and illustrator leave us with a sense of her deep-rooted desire to touch the sky.

The art work is tri-coloured, black, white and a beautiful torquoise.The panels of great action are and then given relief by double page spreads of landscapes which remind us how turbulent and calm Mother Nature can be. This is a terrific graphic novel biography, with most of the story taking place in Trepassey, Newfoundland

The Big Time

The Big Time by Tim Green


Things couldn't be going betterfor Troy White. The Atlanta Falcons' football genius is at the top of his game, helping the team get to the playoffs. Agents and lawyers are knocking on his door with big-money offers for the upcoming season, And his own football team has just won the Gerogia State Championship! Troy's celebrating with his friends at Linebacker Seth Halloway's mansion when another lawyer comes knocking - and he says, "I think I'm your father."
In that instant, Troy's life is changed.


This is the sequel to Football Champ.
Here's Tim Green speaking about writing and the Football Genius books.

Fire World

Fire World by Chris D'Lacey -- The Last Dragon Chronicles Book #6

David and the dragons are back in the latest installment of the Last Dragon Chronicles. After destroying a trace of dark fire, David, Zanna and the Pennykettle dragons vanished. In a brand-new world Co:per:nica, which runs parrallel to that of Crescent Lane, firebirds roam the anicient librarium, a museum for books. But when twelve-year-old David and Rosanna accidently injure one of the firebirds, they are suddenly thrust into a remarkable adventure. The evil iX have taken over one of the firebirds, turning it to the side of darkness, but the birds have a secret: They know about the existence of dragons. And from across the universe, one may come to their aid....

Read On

The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie

The Good, the bad, and the Barbie by Tanya Lee Stone

I don't often post non-fiction books for girls, let alone biographies about dolls but today is the day. How many of you have played with Barbie's? She's been around for awhile and still going strong. Just a couple weekends ago, I was at Toys R Us and there seems to be two whole isles dedicated to Barbie and her extended family and accessories for them. What's her history? Why is this toy still popular when others have faded off the store shelves? Is she a positive roll-model or a negative one? Well, be prepared to learn the answers to some of these questions and more, in this biography of a doll - Barbie.

From the back cover:
During her unparalleled fifty year history, Barbie has been the doll that some people love - and some people love to hate. There is no question she has influenced generations, but to what end? Acclaimed author Tanya Lee Stone takes an unbias look at how Barbie became the icon that she is, and the impact she's had on our culture (and vice versa) . Featuring passionate ancedotes and memories from a range of girls and women, this book explores the Barbie phenomenon in a brand new light.

The Black

The Black by D.J. MacHale

At the end of The Light, Book One of the Morpheus Road Trilogy, Marshall learned the truth about what happened to his best friend Cooper. Now in Book Two the POV switches and we get to see his side of the mystery. What does his story have to do with Marshall and the journey along The Morpheus Road? It's time to learn more...

Here's D.J. MacHale giving a short description where this all came from.

Rules to rock by

Rules to Rock By by Josh Farrar


Summary from back cover:
You'd never guess it now, but Annebelle Cabrera used to be a rock star. And not like her mom or dad called her a "total rock star" after she won a spelling bee or something. She was a real rock star, the bassist of Egg Mountain, the most popular band in the New York music scene. But when her parents uproot her from Brooklyn and move her to Rhode Island so they can record their own album, Annebelle feels lost. Starting a new band isn't as easy as she hoped, the school's rival band is a bunch of bullies, and her parents are so immersed in recording that they're completely neglecting Annebelle and her little brother. How can Annebelle make herself heard.


The reviews on this one are great - unfortunately for me - I have a stack at home that I'm working on, so this one is up for grabs.

Read On