Friday, January 30, 2009

Suspense in a Future World

Edward Bloor's new book Taken takes you to the year 2035, a time when the crime rate, especially for kidnapping, is so high that those who can afford it live in gated communities and have security guards accompany their children to school. Unfortunately the security around Charity Meyers has collapsed. On New Year's morning she awakes to find herself alone, strapped to a stretcher, and in an ambulance that is not moving. Fortunately she has been trained at school in how to behave during a kidnapping - Remain calm, don't panic. Don't try to escape and wait for your parents to pay the ransom. If this were a normal kidnapping that would probably work, but nothing about this kidnapping is normal. As the hours pass by without any contact with her parents, Charity begins to realize that she will need to do something!
Be careful when you read this book. The ending is almost a Twilight Zone-type ending - it's not what you or Charity expects. Taken is currently available in the New Book section along the nonfiction wall.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Are You Charmed?

When the television series Charmed about the three witch sisters was on the air, I became a big fan. While witchcraft was the underlying theme of the series, it was the relationship between the sisters that kept me interested. They were like real people -- sometimes friends, sometimes enemies. One day in the book store I found a Charmed novel with new adventures of the Halloway sisters. I read it and wanted more. Over time I purchased several of these books. When I finished reading them, I realized that they were not books that I wanted to keep on my bookshelf forever, so I donated them to Lakeview. At first it was just one book, The Legacy of Merlin. (Merlin is another of my favorite characters.) To my surprise the book was seldom on the library shelves. It was so popular that I decided to donated the rest of the titles I had. Now there are five titles in Lakeview's collection and one more on the way. Of these books only one, Charmed Again, is a novelization of an actual television broadcast and therefore, unsuitable for books reports. All the other titles, which you can find by searching the I.P.A.C. for Charmed as a series, are original novels and can be used for book reports. I hope you will enjoy the further adventures of Prue, Piper, Phoebe (and Paige) as much as I do.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Once Upon a Time in a Kingdom Far, Far Away

There seems to be a trend in Young Adult literature to bring back the familiar fairy tales, myths, and folk tales in new versions or variations. The series, Once Upon a Time, of re-told fairy tales has become very popular here at Lakeview.

One of our newest books is Fairest, by Gail Carson Levine, best know for her book, Ella Enchanted. In Fairest we meet Aza who was given by the fairy Lucinda the gift of a mysterious magical mirror. Aza never looks in the mirror because she knows she is not the fairest in the land. However, even in a land of singers, Aza's voice is extraordinary and she has learned how to do several magical things with her voice. Aza is drawn to the castle and Prince Ijori who is captivated by her. But the vain Queen Ivi would do anything to remain the fairest in the land, including blackmailing Aza into using her magical voice powers. This all leads to a power struggle within in the castle where Queen Ivi seems to be winning and becoming all powerful. I am sure that some of this sounds familiar from the classic fairy tales. How order, and goodness, is restored in the kingdom is the tale of Fairest.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Favorite Books of 2008

Sorry we missed publishing this list last year (2008) but there was no school on the last Friday before winter break due to a snowstorm. So I decided to hold the list for the first blog of 2009. Once again Mrs. Wilson and I have read a lot of great books over the past year. It was extra hard to limit our lists to only ten, especially since the Caudill nominees are all so good this time. But we have narrowed our lists and ranked them with #1 as our favorite of 2008. If you have a top ten list and would like to share it with us, please do. We would love to know what your favorites are.

Mrs. Wilson's Favorite Books of 2008


1. Alabama Moon, by Watt Key (Caudill nominee 2009)


2. A Dog's Life, by Ann A. Martin


3. Rules, by Cynthia Lord (Caudill nominee 2009)


4. Gossamer, by Lois Lowry (Caudill nominee 2009)


5. Hattie Big Sky, by Kirby Larson (Caudill nominee 2009)


6. The Brimstone Journals, by Ronald Koertge


7. Shakespeare Bats Cleanup, by Ronalad Koertge


8. Here Today, by Ann A. Martin


9. Angel of Death, by Alane Ferguson


10. Private Peaceful, by Michael Morpurgo



Miss Hagensee's Favorite Books of 2008


1. Alabama Moon, by Watt Key (Caudill nominee 2009)


2. The Wednesday Wars, by Gary D. Schnidt


3. Life as We Knew It, Susan Beth Pfeffer (Caudill nominee 2009)


4. Icecore, by Matt Whyman


5. Notes from a Midnight Driver, by Jordan Sonnenblick


6. Rodzina, by Karen Cushman


7. Hattie Big Scky, by Kirby Larson (Caudill nominee 2009)


8. Code Orange, by Caroline B. Cooney


9. The Green Glass Sea, by Ellen Klages (Caudill nominee 2009)


10. The Looking Glass Wars, by Frank Beddor