Friday, December 31, 2010

Librarian's Pick of the Week: Whale Talk


Title: Whale Talk
Author: Chris Crutcher
Published: 2001
Age: 13+

Gripping. Powerful. Stirring.

Synopsis: "There's bad news and good news about the Cutter High School swim team. The bad news is that they don't have a pool. The good news is that only one of them can swim anyway.A group of misfits brought together by T. J. Jones (the J is redundant) to find their places in a school that has no place for them, the Cutter All Night Mermen struggle to carve out their own turf. T. J. is convinced that a varsity letter jacket--unattainable for most, exclusive, revered, the symbol (as far as T. J. is concerned) of all that is screwed up at Cutter High--will be an effective carving tool. He's right. He's also wrong.Still, it's always the quest that counts. And the bus on which the Mermen travel to swim meets--piloted by Icko, the permanent resident of All, Night Fitness--soon becomes the cocoon inside which they gradually allow themselves to talk, to fit, to bloom.Chris Crutcher is in top form with a cast of characters--adults, children, and teenagers--fighting for dignity in a world where tragedy and comedy dance side by side, where a moment's inattention can bring lifelong heartache, and where true acceptance is the only prescription for what ails us."

Review: "Crutcher's fans will recognize the author's signature style and subject matter in his new novel, his first in six years. Adopted, biracial high-school senior The Tao Jones (his birth mother seems to "have been a little too `spiritual'") is well-adjusted on the surface. A smart, likable kid with a great sense of humor and athletic ability, he glides through academia with everything an adolescent boy needs--decent grades and female companionship. What T. J. doesn't need is competitive sports, which Cutter High School jocks and coaches see as a personal snub. T. J.'s resolve weakens, however, when English teacher-coach Mr. Simet makes an unconventional offer: Be the anchor of the swim team and pick your fellow fish. Perfect, especially since racist football bully Mike Barbour has taken up letter jackets as a cause. It seems developmentally disabled Chris Coughlin has been wearing his dead brother's jacket, and Mike is annoyed. If Chris, naturally comfortable in the water, is on the swim team, T. J. reasons, Chris will earn a jacket of his own, and Mike will be put in his place. The veteran author once again uses well-constructed characters and quick pacing to examine how the sometimes cruel and abusive circumstances of life affect every link in the human chain, and a heartwrenching series of plot twists leads to an end in which goodness at least partially prevails. Through it all, as expected, shines Crutcher's sympathy for teens and their problems." - Booklist


If you're intrigued, don't forget to check our library's catalog for this book!

New Arrivals!!

December 16th - December 31st

Monday, December 27, 2010

Book Nook


Who wouldn't want to read here?

Friday, December 24, 2010

Librarian's Pick of the Week: Little Women


Title: Little Women
Author: Louisa May Alcott
Published: 1868
Age: 11+

Oh, could any book be more wonderful? My favorite Christmas read of all time!

Synopsis: "The charming story of the March sisters, Little Women has been adored by generations. Readers have rooted for Laurie in his pursuit of Jo's hand, cried over little Beth's death, and dreamed of travelling through Europe with old Aunt March and Amy. Future writers have found inspiration in Jo's devotion to her writing."

Excerpt from the First Chapter: "
Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents, grumbled Jo, lying on the rug. It's so dreadful to be poor! sighed Meg, looking down at her old dress. I don't think it's fair for some girls to have plenty of pretty things, and other girls nothing at all, added little Amy, with an injured sniff. We've got Father and Mother, and each other, said Beth contentedly from her corner.Based on Louisa May Alcott's own Yankee childhood, Little Women is the lively portrait of beloved matriarch Marmee March and her four daughters - domestic Meg, headstrong Jo, sensitive Beth, and artistic Amy. While their father is serving as a chaplain in the Union Army during the Civil War, Marmee is left to raise her daughters alone in New England. Although mired in poverty, the genteel and refined family nonetheless survives through snow and sisterly squabbles, love and laughter, pranks and plays, illnesses and courtships." - Booklist


If you're intrigued, don't forget to check our library's catalog for this book!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Book Trailer: Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters


I didn't much care for the book, but this book trailer for Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters is quite hilarious!

Friday, December 17, 2010

Librarian's Pick of the Week: The Lost Years of Merlin


Title: The Lost Years of Merlin
Author: T. A. Barron
Published: 1997
Age: 13+

One of my all-time favorite books as a kid. If you like Arthurian legend and medieval themed novels, this book is for you!

Synopsis: "There has never been a magic like Merlin's, and T. A. Barron reveals how the legend was born in his adventure-loving five-book epic featuring the heroic young wizard and his unforgettable band.To celebrate the epic, which has sold over a million copies, Philomel has created a stunning paperover-board edition with fantastical new cover art by Justin Sweet to enchant and enthrall a whole new generation of readers!"

Review: "This engrossing presentation of T.A. Barron's fascinating contribution to Arthurian lore (Philomel, 1996), is the first in a trilogy about Merlin's boyhood and coming of age. From the moment young Merlin is washed ashore on a beach in ancient Wales to his exciting journey to the enchanted land of Fincayra, the action never wavers. Actor Michael Cumpsty's deep, growling voice enlivens the drama, making this powerful story all the more compelling. The ingredients of delectable fantasy are at work hereÄmagic, adventure, Celtic folklore, Druid spiritualism, well-developed charactersÄin a format that really delivers. Fans of Arthurian legend will not want to miss this quality audiobook about one of the grandest wizards ever." - School Library Journal


If you're intrigued, don't forget to check our library's catalog for this book!

New Arrivals!

December 1st - December 15th





November 1st - November 30th

Friday, December 10, 2010

Reimagination of the Month

It is officially that time of the year again! No, not time for egg nog, shopping, and twinkling lights... It's time to watch my all-time favorite Christmas movie, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation!! Please tell me you have seen it. If not, go get it right now! It's warm, hilarious in a slapstick sort of way, and absolutely a holiday must.



Items in this set:
Mod Genius Glasses, $12
PSD Detail | Santa Hat | Official PSDs
Men: Fair Isle hooded sweater - grey fair isle, $98
Next Directory - Shop By Product -Christmas, Table Linen, Glasses, 12 GBP
Gold Ornament. 1.5"sq.x1.5"H, $3.95


For those of you who have not been graced with this awesomeness yet, it is about the Griswold Family (of National Lampoon fame) and their holiday misadventures. Clark Griswold wants desperately to have the best Christmas of all time, until disaster strikes, and strikes again, and again. His Christmas lights wont work, his dysfunctional brother-in-law (and the RV) show up the driveway, the cat gets blown up, and so much more. And to make matters worse, almost the entire Christmas (and an expensive swimming pool he's already put a down payment on) is depending on the Christmas bonus that keeps not showing up. The movie culminates when he has a mental breakdown and has a hilarious tirade. Now go rent it!




Disaster

Librarian's Pick of the Week: The Outcasts



Title: The Outcasts
Author: L. S. Matthews
Published: 2007
Age: 13+

The Breakfast Club meets Bertie Wooster. A little hokey, but entertaining none-the-less.

Synopsis: "Four of the Outcasts don't really participate in class, and all five could care less about a group activity, so the fact that all of them actually go on the fieldtrip is something of a miracle. And when reality splits, and they end up in another dimension, you can imagine how badly they'll all wish they'd stayed home. Five outcasts fall out of reality. How many will make it back to the world as they know it?"

Review: "A group of English high-school students who have reputations as school troublemakers are surprised to find that they have been picked for an overnight field trip.They end up in an old estate with an ancient skull that, according to legend, screams if it is taken from the house. The kids soon find themselves in a weird, surreal, video-game-inspired adventure as they must face an assortment of deathly challenges. In the midst of the action, the characters find themselves changing and growing more confident and trusting of others. The novel's strengths don't lie just in the imaginative plot and creepy, atmospheric setting, however. Matthews also presents a realistic view of the anger and frustrations of teenagers who don't fit in at school but possess an assortment of unrecognized strengths and talents. A fun, wild, and thoughtfully layered adventure." - Booklist


If you're intrigued, don't forget to check our library's catalog for this book!

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Unique Bookmarks


Greenmarker bookmarks. How awesome are these! Perfect Christmas gift for a bookish friend with a sense of humor.


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