rainforest

Title: rainforest
Author: Thomas Marent
Location: 577.34 MAR 2010 (in the adult area)
Level: adult


rainforest is a DK book that was reviewed in the Oprah magazine O. As with any DK book the pictures are very important and these are great pictures! The pictures start with a few panoramic views. You'll see animals you recognize and some you don't. In the Arms and Armor section you might be left asking, "What's that?" See if you can find all the critters hiding in the Deception section. There are a few pictures of creatures being eaten by another and mating, but none are graphic in any way. Lots of colorful frogs, snakes and butterflies. Also a full spread sequence series of a cicada coming out of it's shell. Check out the bats living inside a leaf on page 323,or the fantastic shot of a strangler fig on page 160 (Guess how it got that name.) or maybe say eehhh when you see the millipede on page 344. This photographer definitely spent numerous hours in the rainforest. Wonder how many mosquito bites he has? Just check out the pictures of other animals that have to endure mosquitoes too.

Bottom Line: This book has amazing pictures of all kinds of rainforest animals and plants (mostly animals) with just a few sentences about each picture. There is a page or two of text at the beginning of each section. Read it if you want to learn more or just skip it and read the captions as you enjoy the pictures. This book is worth the trouble of placing a hold to see it. You'll want to share it with friends or family so you can eeww and wow together. And yes parents this adult book really is ok for children of all ages.

Mockingjay

Title: Mockingjay
Author: Suzanne Collins
Reading Level: Young Adult
Location: YA Collins

This review contains no spoilers for Mockingjay but may contain details from the two previous books in the Hunger Games series. If you have not yet read The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, skip ahead to The Bottom Line.

Mockingjay picks up about one month after the events of Catching Fire. With her home destroyed, Katniss resides in District 13 with the few refugees that survived the Capitol's bombing of District 12. President Coin and the rest of the leaders of District 13 are managing the rebellion and need Katniss to be their Mockingjay, the symbol and hope of the rebellion. Unfortunately, the physical and emotional damage Katniss suffered in the arena coupled with her guilt over the fate of Peeta has left her emotionally unstable and unwilling to be used as a pawn for yet another cause, however noble. As the rebellion takes hold in more districts and her fellow citizens fight and die brutal deaths in massive numbers, will Katniss give them the strength they need to continue their struggle? Or will she retreat from the spotlight, unwilling to be the cause of more death and destruction?

I find it difficult to discuss this book, not only for fear of giving away any of the major spoilers, but also because reading this book was so emotionally draining. While the first two books set up the country of Panem, its controlling government and the brutality of the games, Mockingjay introduces the reader to the horrors of war and the atrocities both sides, of any war, are willing to commit. Make no mistake, the blood runs freely in Mockingjay. Even the characters that are spared remain forever altered by the experience. The book has a lot of action and many characters die making it impossible to put down but difficult to read at times.

I've heard a few complaints about Katniss in this book but I thought her character was written perfectly. I got frustrated with her at times, but her actions are consistent and understandable in the face of all the ruthless brutality she encounters. The other characters, both from the first two books, and the new ones introduced in this installment, added a lot of interest to the story. I enjoyed seeing how their stories all played out, even if I was upset about some of their fates. I particularly loved getting a different perspective on Finnick and Prim; I just fell in love with both of them in this book.

The Bottom Line: This was a great ending to a unique and amazing series! Even though Mockingjay was extremely bloody and depressingly sad it was a magnificent ending to the series. I think fans will love it! If you have not yet read the Hunger Games trilogy, it is truly one of the best for both teens and adults, so give it a try!

Maze Runner

Title: Maze Runner
Author: James Dashner
Location: YA Dashner
Age: Young Adult

Thomas, with no memories of anything, is delivered to a controlled guarded place called the Glade. The only residents are teenage boys. Everyday these boys are trying to stay alive, with the supplies given weekly, as they attempt to solve the massive maze. Thomas soon becomes a runner for the maze and things start happening - including a mysterious girl being delivered with a message that she's triggered the "end".

Bottomline: This was an excellent story that kept me on edge! It has a slow start as Thomas tries to get his bearings, and figures out who is friend or foe. But, once the climax started, I couldn't put it down! I'm anxious to read the sequel because the book definitely leaves you hanging!

Here is the book trailer:

Evil?

Title: Evil?

Author: Timothy Carter

Reading Level: Young Adult

Location: YA Carter

Stuart is a gay teen who lives in a small, conservative town and attends church every Sunday with his mom, older sister, and younger brother. No one had any problem when Stuart came out a few years prior so he is surprised one afternoon when his brother walks in on him in the shower committing the biblical "Sin of Onan" (err.......having a good time by himself) and all hell breaks loose. Now the town, fueled into a frenzy by some seriously misdirected fallen angels, is out for Stuart's blood and will stop at nothing to ensure that Stuart and other "spillers" never committ their sin again. Stuart teams up with the local priest, Father Reedy, his dimwitted friend (and current crush), Chester, and the demon Fon Pyre to break the angel's hold over the people and make the town safe for "spillers" and all other people everywhere.

As you can probably tell from the description above, this is meant to be an amusing, farcical fantasy tale. Although it can be quite clever at times, the writing is not amazing and the storyline fairly predictable. Stuart shows a little growth throughout the story, but he is relatively flat and one-dimensional. The primary purpose of this book is to entertain and to make you laugh, and it accomplishes this goal very well! I laughed out loud throughout much of the book. Stuart has an authentically sarcastic, teen voice that successfully kept various situations comical when they would have otherwise been a little dark. Althought the supporting characters were all fairly undeveloped, they succeed in adding interest to the storyline. I, personally, was a big fan of Fon Pyre.

The Bottom Line: I'm a little ashamed to say it, due to the lack of good writing, but I really enjoyed this book! Everyone loves to have a good laugh and this book definitely accomplished that. With it's humor and short length, it is perfect for reluctant readers, particularly boys. Even though Stuart's sexual preference is never really an issue in the book, teens who want a good GLBTQ read or a different take on the typical fantasy novel should check this one out.

Lunch Lady and the summer camp shakedown

Title: Lunch Lady and the summer camp shakedown

Author: Jarret Krosoczka

Level: J

Location: graphic novel J Krosocczka vol.4

The Breakfast Bunch kids are on their way to their first sleep away summer camp ( with no technology). Guess who they run into as they get off the bus - the Lunch Ladies! The camp legend of a swamp monster seems to have come true. Everytime the swamp monster shows up another activity is cancelled. Can camp get any worse? Can the Lunch Lady figure out who is behind the swamp monster in time for some fun?

Bottome Line: Cool gadgets that remind me of Inspector gadget. I read this book to a group of 5-8 year olds who voted it their favorite of everything I read. Several boys wanted to know if there were more books. Definitely some humor. I heard snickers as I was reading.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

Title: The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Reading Level: Young Adult
Location: YA MEYER

In this short story, we are given a closer look into the brief life of Bree Tanner and the events surrounding the creation of the vampire army from Eclipse.  Stephanie Meyer fleshes out the characters of the vampire army, including Bree Tanner.  This story opens up with Riley creating his vampire army of newborns and concludes with the aftermath of the battle between the Cullens and Victoria.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner is a quick, enjoyable read.  The tone and rhythm of the text is similar to the Twilight series.  My main issue is that there was no break in the text.  It was difficult to be able to find a place to stop for a break.

The Bottom Line:  This is a nice supplement to Eclipse.  If you enjoy Stephenie Meyer's writing style and are looking for a more in depth look into the world of Twilight, then I would definitely check it out from the library.

The Fool's Girl

Title: The Fool's Girl

Author: Celia Rees

Reading Level: Young Adult

Location: YA Rees (not released yet)

Violetta is the exiled daughter of the former Duke of Illyria. During the violent overthrow of the country that is rightfully hers, she lost everything of value including her family, the man she loves, Stephano, and a holy relic that brought good fortune upon her small country. With the help of her faithful clown, Feste, she tracked the stolen relic to Elizabethan England and the villain Malvolio who holds an ancient grudge against her family and Feste. To win back the relic and regain the throne of Illyria, Violetta and Feste concoct a dangerous plan and bargain for assistance from playwright William Shakespeare, in exchange for the right to tell their extraordinary story. Will Violetta and Feste succeed in their quest? Read the book to find out!

Based loosely on the characters in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, The Fool’s Girl has an entertaining storyline that unfortunately, starts to really drag in the middle of the book. I wanted to love this book because I am a huge fan of Shakespeare, but the character development and the plot did not live up to the suspense and romance that the interesting concept promised. Unfortunately, the action in the book stalls after Violetta narrates her background story to Will Shakespeare. Violetta’s background is richly detailed and entirely gripping. However, after that point, Rees creates the majority of the remaining suspense in the storyline by having Violetta get repeatedly abducted and rescued at random points throughout the rest of the book.

Since the novel lacks in the action department, I expected some serious character development while the rest of the story played out. However, Rees only comes on the verge of truly fleshing out her characters, particularly Violetta. The book is narrated by a few different characters including Feste, Will Shakespeare, and Violetta. I felt that the book, and the character of Violetta herself would have been much better had Violetta had more of a narrative voice. Even though she had all the makings of a memorable heroine, strong and passionate, I never truly connected to her. This made the romance between Violetta and Stephano seem stale and contrived. The scenes with the two of them lacked any spark or passion. Once the suspense let up in the middle, Violetta’s seemingly hollow actions, and her half-hearted romance with Stephano made the rest of the story a chore to finish.

I will say that it is obvious Rees spent a lot of time researching Elizabethan England. She expertly details the city of London, its cultural and political atmosphere as well as a few of the historical figures of the time period. She also thoroughly describes the fictional city of Illyria to such an extent that the reader can easily immerse themselves in this picturesque country by the sea.

The Bottom Line: I was definitely not a big fan of this book. It has its strong points, but I never really connected to the characters and the story fell flat for me in the middle. If you enjoyed Celia Rees’ previous books, you may really like The Fool’s Girl, so I would suggest giving it a chance. If you like Shakespeare, definitely give it a try, but I would suggest checking it out from the library.

The publisher of this book sent me an advance readers copy for this review. The Fool's Girl will be released in the U.S. on July 20, 2010.

This World We Live In

Title: This World We Live In
Author: Susan Beth Pfeffer
Level: Young Adult
Location: YA Pfeffer, S.

*Sometimes called The Last Survivors Trilogy, this title follows the events of the companion novels Life As We Knew It and The Dead and the Gone. If you have not read these novels, please stop reading as there are spoilers in this review.

It's been a year since a meteor hit the moon causing the Earth and it's inhabitants to struggle to survive a global catastrophe, massive starvation, floods, tornadoes, climate change, and disasters unimaginable. In this novel, Miranda and her family from Life As We Knew It continue to live as best they can, rationing supplies, scavenging abandoned houses for the things we all take for granted. In a twist of fate, Alex Morales and his sister Julie from The Dead and the Gone become a part of Miranda's life.


This World We Live In Susan Beth Pfeffer Book Trailer - Funny bloopers are a click away

The Bottom Line: While we got to know the characters very well in the first two novels, this addition completes what I feel is an authentic and moving series of books with characters that are unforgettable.

Going Bovine

Title: Going Bovine
Author: Libba Bray
Location: YA Bray

Can Cameron find what he’s looking for?

All 16-year-old Cameron wants is to get through high school—and life in general—with a minimum of effort. It’s not a lot to ask. But that’s before he’s given some bad news: he’s sick and he’s going to die. Which totally sucks. Hope arrives in the winged form of Dulcie, a loopy punk angel/possible hallucination with a bad sugar habit. She tells Cam there is a cure—if he’s willing to go in search of it. With the help of a death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf and a yard gnome, Cam sets off on the mother of all road trips through a twisted America into the heart of what matters most.

Bottomline: This was an interesting read - a bit of adventure, a bit of fantasy, and a bit of "is this real or is it a dream?". He definitely comes across some interesting things on his road-trip, including: a talking gnome, a cult obsessed with being happy, snowglobes, spring break Party houses, etc etc. I wasn't really liking the story at the beginning, but it pulled me in and I really wanted to know if Cameron would achieve his "quest".

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place - the mysterious howling

Title: The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place- the mysterious howling
Author: Maryrose Wood
Level: J
Location: J Wood M.








Have you ever watched someone's children who acted like animals? Well Penelope Lumley's charges really do. After being told she is old enough to leave Swansburne Academy for Poor Bright Females Penelope starts her first job (at 15) as a governess. She soon learns the three children were found living in the woods and act like wolves. Not only must she teach them how to dress and speak instead of bark, she must also have them ready to dance and socialize at Lady Constance's first Christmas party . Odd things happen. It seems someone is trying to lure the children into behaving in a way that would send Lady Constance running. Who is trying to sabotage Penelope's efforts with the children? Will she be fired before she can find out and will the children survive without her protection? It is clear Lady Constance has no clue about children and does not wish to form a relationship with them. Lord Ashton is away at his club quite frequently or hunting. (He and Mr. Aldo are the ones who found the children.) Although he does not attend the Christmas party he invites several of his hunting friends from the club. It is unclear exactly what he has been saying about the children to them. There are a few other characters who seem questionable and a few household staff who are Penelope's allies.



Bottom Line: I thought this was an enjoyable read and will pick up the next book to find out more answers to the background of the children and Penelope. I also want to learn if my hunches about who is causing trouble are correct. The book is set in a time when carriages are used, but don't let that turn you off. The language isn't old fashioned or hard to understand. There are just enough possible clues and new questions to keep me reading and the story moving along. You may think you have some of the answers! I felt for Penelope and shared her compassion for the children, who are really sweet kids. I too was trying to figure out the answers to the many questions that arise around the party.