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.

Brotherband Chronicles

Brotherband Chronicles by John Flanagan --
Book 1 The Outcasts, Book 2 The Invaders

They are outcasts, Hal, Seig and the others - they are the boys the others want no part of.  Skandians, as any reader of the Ranger's Apprentice could tell you, are known for their size and strength.
Not these boys. Yet that doesn't mean they don't have skills. And courage - which they will need every once of to do battle at sea against the other bands - The Wolves and the Sharks in the ultimate race. The icy waters make for a treacherous playing field... especially when not everyone thinks of it as playing.

Here's an interview with John Flanagan.

New titles being added

Amazon by Hena Khan and David Borgenicht

Part Worst-Case Scenario, part choose your own adventure this time we're venturing down the Amazon, prepare yourselves, this is gonna get messy.
Join an expedition of students exploring the Amazon Jungle and face real dangers and decisions. Your choices will determine your fate. Will you survive your encounters with Piranhas, tarantulas, mosquitos, monkeys and jaguars? Or will you be forced to return home early? Only you can decide how you'll survive. There are twenty-two possible endings to this adventure, but only one leads to ultimate success.

New titles being added

Darke by Septimus Heap
Book 6 in the Magykal series

In the gripping sixth book, Septimus Heap enters the Darke Domaine and discover how to defeat its hold on the Magykal world.
Alther Mella has been banished, a Darke Domaine engulfs the Castle, and Darke dragon is on the loose. Septimus Heap must use all his skills to save the Castle and the Wizard Tower from destruction. He must enter the Darke. But he cannot do this alone. With the help of Jenna, Alther Mella, Marcellus Pye, and Septimus' estranged brother Simon and Marcia Overstrand battle the spreading darkness. Will Septimus succeed in protecting the Magykal world?

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:

After The Hunger Games

Hi, Some of you have already seen this, but for the rest of you... here's an ideas list for what to read next.

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View more PowerPoint from cfischbuch

Book People Unite

Hi,

This morning I'm off to meet other librarians and bookish people at The National Reading Summit (Gilbert Paterson is hosting via telecoference.) This conference is important because it's about developing strategies to keep readers reading and come up with new strategies to help non-readers discover reading. Not just in our schools, or in our community but across the whole country. Are there community functions that we should be a part of? Are there province wide initiatives that we could be involved with? And as a country do we inspire lifelong readers?

Lots to ponder.
Here's something I stumbled across this morning that I think relates.

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.

Chasing Brooklyn

Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

This is a companion book to I Heart You, You Haunt Me. A novel in verse from both Brooklyn and Nico's perspectives. I enjoyed how this is a ghost story but not way you think it is going to be, because it's also a love story. Once again I feel admiration to the novelist that has the ability to refine and edit down their work to this polished simplicity.

From the back cover:
Brooklyn can't sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca, died only a year ago, and now her friend Gabe has just died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe's ghost is there waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants, or why it isn't Lucca visiting her dreams.
Nico can't stop. He's always running, trying to escape the pain of losing his brother, Lucca. but when Lucca's ghost begins leaving messages telling Nico to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface.
As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they're being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.

Cool or creepy?

Matel has created a Katniss Everdeen barbie. What do you think, cool or creepy?