What's New on the Book Shelves

A SCIFI-MYSTERY

2012-01-27T14:22:00.000-08:00

If you're a fan of the TV show Bones and a reader of Young Adult fiction, then you are also interest in Kathy Reichs's book Virals. Kathy Reichs is the author of the books that the TV show is based on and this is her first book for YA. She blends the mystery of a secret laboratory with the science fiction of an unusual strain of a canine virus that affects humans. Throw in some spine-tingling, dangerous adventures and, of course, some bones and you have Virals, the first book in a projected trilogy. Tory Brennan, niece of the female scientist on Bones, lives on a island where her scientist father works. With friends from school she rescues a wolfdog pup from a secret lab unknowingly exposing all of them to the virus. Now they start to have strange ailments and exhibit heighten senses and abilities. When they stumble upon a buried skeleton that strangely disappears, Tory and her friends have to get to the bottom of the mystery. Virals is available on the New Books shelf.

TWINS, MAYBE?

2012-01-20T13:05:00.000-08:00

Have you ever felt that you have a twin out there in the world somewhere? That's the way Missy feels in Caroline Cooney's new book Three Black Swans. Her cousin Claire is so like her that they finish each other's sentences and practically read each other minds. Missy decides to create a video showing that Claire is her long-lost identical twin and posts it on You Tube. That posting leads to an unexpected result which completely changes the lives of both girls. Ms. Cooney has once again created an amazing story that feels like the truth or could be in the news headlines. Three Black Swans is on the New Book Shelf and ready for check-out.

A NEW GENRE - STEAMPUNK

2012-01-13T12:50:00.000-08:00

Do you know what steampunk literature is? It's just the hottest new genre for young adults. It's a combination of science fiction or fantasy with historical fiction in some kind of alternate reality. Our world, the real world, is recognizable but often goes off in a different direction through the scifi/fantasy elements. On the 2012 Rebecca Caudill nominee list, Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld is a perfect example. I recently finished Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare which is another example. In Clockwork Angel Tessa Gray has left the Untied States to come to Victorian London, England to join her brother. She is met at the docks by two sisters who kidnap her and put her through terrible trials to awaken her special power. After she is rescued by Shadowhunters (demon hunters) from these sisters, who are really demons, she is introduced to an underground world full of supernatural creatures - vampires, demons, and more. Her brother has disappeared and the Shadowhunters agree to search for him. Along the way there are bloody battles, charming villains, and romantic relationships - enough to terrify a young girl from America. I found myself so involved in this world that when I heard a book two was published, I immediately bought. Look for the Clockwork Prince to also join our collection in the near future.

WOULD YOU SURVIVE...

2012-01-06T13:22:00.000-08:00

...if you found yourself in a strange world with a group of boys, your memory wiped clean, living in a compound where the walls close at night to keep out the Grievers, weird monsters that are trying to kill (and eat) you? That's what happens to Thomas in James Dashner's book The Maze Runner. Thomas, Newt, Minho, Frypan, Chuck, and the other boys are trying to find an escape route through the maze outside the walls, but the paths change every night. Inside the walls, the boys have organized themselves to be self-sufficient with their own farm for growing fruits and vegetables and chickens, pigs, and goats for food. But they all want to leave. The Maze Runner is the first book in a trilogy. I'm currently reading the second book The Scorch Trials, and the series ends with The Death Cure. If you read The Maze Runner, you will want to finish the series and see if Thomas and his friends survive. Hunger Games fans, put this new trilogy on your reading list!

Our Top 10 of 2011

2011-12-16T13:30:00.000-08:00

Once again Mrs. Wilson and I have selected the top ten books that we read this year. Some are from the Caudill 2012 list, some are by favorite authors -- some are old, some are new. If you have a top ten list, please share it with us. Have a happy holiday season and see you in the new year.

Mrs. Wilson's Top Ten Reads of 2011

1. Wild Things, by Clay Carmichael

2. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin

3. Three Black Swans, by Caroline B. Cooney

4. Every Soul a Star, by Wendy Mass

5. Powerless, by Matthew Cody

6. Greetings from Nowhere, by Barbara O'Connor

7. The Limit, by Kristen Landon

8. After, by Francine Prose

9. Project 17, by Laurie Faria Stolarz

10. The Accomplice, by Eureann Corrigan

Miss Hagensee's Top Ten Reads of 2011

1. Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld

2, Clockwork Angel, by Cassandra Clare

3. Crunch, by Leslie Connor

4. One-Handed Catch, by M. J. Auch

5. Matched, by Allie Condie

6. The Water Seeker, by Kimberly Willis Holt

7. Out of My Mind, by Sharon M. Draper

8. Mockingbird (Mok'ingburd), by Kathryn Erskine

9. The Girl Who Threw Butterflies, by Mick Cochrane

10. Night of the Howling Dogs, by Graham Salisbury

HIGH FLYING ADVENTURE

2011-12-09T13:12:00.000-08:00

Starclimber is the third book in Kenneth Oppel's Airborn Adventures series. If you like adventure and suspense, these books are for you. In an alternate reality where airships have taken the place of our world's airplanes and cruise ships, the first book Airborn introduces us to Matt Cruse, a cabin boy on such an airship, and Kate de Vries, a wealthy passenger. These ywo young people survive air pirates and a crash landing to discover a mysterious creatures that live hundreds of feet in the air. The second book Skybreaker shows Matt as a student at the Airship Academy teaming up with Kate again to discover a long-lost airship that may have a treasure abroad. Now in Starclimber, these two young people are aboard a new ship that literally climbs its way into outer space. The ship is soon surrounded by strange life-forms and plagued by mechanical failures possibly caused by a saboteur. Non-stop adventure and suspense as well and some romance make this series fun to read. And don't be turned away by the length of the books, the stories will keep you reading.

TOO GOOD TO OVERLOOK

2011-11-22T13:04:00.000-08:00

Now that I have finished reading all 20 Rebecca Caudill nominees for 2012, I can get back to some of the other books on my reading list. Having heard Sharon M. Draper speak at the Anderson's YA Literature Conference in September, I realized I had never read one of her books. Everyone at the Conference raved about Out of My Mind so I started with that one. Wow! The story is told by Melody who has a photographic memory but no one knows about it because she has cerebral palsy, can't speak or move on her own and is confined to a wheelchair. She, and the other handicapped students in her class, are treated like imbeciles until the day she gets a computer that speaks for her. Although her world suddenly opens up, her problems are not over yet. Out of My Mind can be found in the Fiction section with the call number DRA.

BIKES MORE IMPORTANT THAN CARS?

2011-11-18T13:38:00.000-08:00

That's what happens when gas runs out across the country in Leslie Connor's book Crunch. This "crunch" time finds Dewey, his older sister Lil, his younger brother Vince, and the twins home alone without their parents who are stranded in Canada. Dewey and Vince, who are running the family's bike repair business while their dad is gone, are overwhelmed as everyone is now using bikes for transportation. To make matters worse bike parts start disappearing from the shop. Dewey takes it upon himself to find the culprit and keep the shop running. This is a great family story and a mystery with a scifi twist due to a future that could be ours. You can find Crunch in the New Book Display at the front of the IMC.

WHO WILL SURVIVE?

2011-11-04T13:40:00.000-07:00

Three Rivers Rising, by Jame Richards, tells the story of the 1889 Johnstown Flood in a unique way. This is a novel in verse. Beginning in the summer of 1888, the poem chapters introduce us to various people whose lives will be changed by the flood -- if they survive. We meet Celestia, from a wealthy family who vacation at an elite resort on Lake Conemaugh. Also at the resort is Peter who works at the hotel. Celestia and Peter become friends, but their relationship lacks parental approval on both sides because hotel guests and hotel workers were not to socialize in the late 1800's. We also meet Joseph and Maura and their children. Joseph is a railroad engineer who is often gone from his family, but has a special whistle signal to let Maura know his train is coming in. Finally there is Kate who wants a career in the medical profession but is told she can only be a nurse. When the flood occurs, each of these people will be severely challenged to stay alive and keep their loved ones alive, too.

A FAMILY OF THIEVES

2011-10-28T13:39:00.000-07:00

Katarina Bishop tries to leave the family business and have a normal life in Ally Carter's book Heist Society. Katarina comes from a family of thieves. Her venture into a normal life is cut short when her friend, Hale, frames her for mischief at her new school and gets her kicked out. There is a good reason -- her father is accused by a powerful mobster of stealing the mobster's priceless art collection, Katarina and her group of teenage thieves have 10 days to return the collection before the mobster has her father killed. In a race against time can Katarina outsmart a super-secret master thief and pull off the greatest heist in her family's shady history? Heist Society is available in the New Book Display.
I noticed that now there is a sequel to Heist Society. Let me know if I should buy this new adventure of Katarina for the IMC.

TWISTS AND TURNS

2011-10-21T13:07:00.000-07:00

In Lian Tanner's book Museum of Thieves, the twists and turns are in the Museum of Dunt. Staircases move around, rooms shift from place to pace, and Keepers are needed to hold the Museum together. This strange Museum exists in a city called Jewel where children are carefully protected -- so protected that children are chained to their parents or the Blessed Guardians until their Separation Day when they are free to move on their own. Goldie Roth can't wait for Separation Day but when it is abruptly canceled, Goldie escapes. She finds her way to the Museum. She learns that she is skilled in the ways of thievery which is a requirement to becoming a Keeper. While Goldie is still in training the Blessed Guardians invade the Museum and unleash a terrible evil force. Can Goldie and the other Keepers restore calm to the Museum?
Look for this book in the New Book section by the windows.

WORDS AND PICTURES

2011-10-14T14:37:00.000-07:00

The Invention of Hugo Cabret, a 533-page novel by Brian Selznick, is an incredibly imaginative book which tells its story through words and pictures. While we anxiously await the arrival of our copy of Selznick's new book Wonderstruck, you should take a look at The Memory Bank by Carolyn Coman and Rob Shepperson. These author/illustrators also tell a story in words and pictures. Hope Scroggins is a champion dreamer. When the World Wide Memory Bank starts running low on dreams,Hope is brought to the Bank. It is at the Bank that Hope finds out she has a little sister that her parents told her to forget!! Can Hope figure out what is happening to the Bank AND find her sister AND get a chance at happiness? Only the words and pictures of The Memory Bank can tell.

MORE NEW BOOKS

2011-10-07T13:39:00.000-07:00

Among the 30 new books ready for student checkout this week is a personal favorite of mine by author Jill Wolfson. In Cold Hands, Warm Heart, Wolfson deals with the serious topic of teens waiting for organ transplants. The first chapter begins with the story of Amanda, a talented gymnast, who suffers a terrible accident during competition that leaves her brain dead. The family decides to donate Amanda's organs. Next we meet Dani who is waiting for a heart transplant. Amanda's heart become the long awaited transplant. Throughout the rest of the book we see Dani begin to have a normal life and Amanda's family deal with her death. This slim book carries a very powerful and moving story that I hope many of you will have a chance to read.

WILD THINGS

2011-09-30T13:23:00.000-07:00

On Mrs. Wilson's recommendation I read Clay Carmichael's Wild Things as my next choice from the 2012 Rebecca Caudill nominee list. It seemed strange to start a book with the thoughts of a cat, but as I read further I found that I looked forward to the chapters told by the cat. I like the cat's voice! The story is about a girl Zoe who lived her first eleven years with a mom who had mental problems and a variety of stepdads. When Mom dies, Zoe goes to live with her step-uncle who was a famous heart surgeon and is now a sculptor in metal. The uncle's house is out in the country next to a forest that holds secrets. As Zoe explores the area and her relationship with her uncle, the neighbors, and the townspeople, she begins to unravel many of these secrets. The "wild things" in the story are sometimes unexpected, the title definitely fits.

IF YOU LIKED TWILIGHT...

2011-09-23T13:15:00.000-07:00

...I think you will like Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater, a love story with a werewolf. Grace has always been fascinated by the wolves that live in the woods behind her house. In fact she was bitten as a young child when some of the wolves dragged her into the forest. Now as a teenager in high school she meets Sam who has the same yellow eyes as her favorite wolf. Grace finds out that Sam is a werewolf who changes into a human in the warm months of spring and summer and turns into a wolf during the cold months of fall and winter. The story is told with alternating points of view from Grace and Sam. At the beginning of each chapter you are given a temperature reading which makes sense after you learn about when the humans turned into wolves. Shiver is currently in the New Book Display.

WE NEED YOUR HELP

2011-09-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

There is a very bare looking tree on the bulletin board by the Exit Only door. We need your help to decorate it. I am featuring Book Award books this year and the bare tree is part of my plan. In first trimester the featured award is the the Newbery. Read any Newbery Medal or Honor book. Take a minute to tell me about the book - Did you like it? Do you think it deserved the award? What was it about? Then you get a fall leaf with your name and the book you read to add to the bulletin board. As we get closer to Halloween, there may be ghosts, witches, and bats to add to the display, too.

I am currently reading the 2011 Newbery Medal book Moon over Manifest, by Clare Vanderpool. It's a story that takes place in a small Kansas town in 1936 where Abilene has been sent to stay by her drifter father. Manifest is the town where her father grew up and Abilene finds a mysterious group of letters that connects to the time when her father was a boy. There seems to be a mystery developing and I can't wait to read more.

To help you pick a book for the Reading Tree, the bulletin has a pocket with a checklist of Newbery books in our library. There is another pocket with a checklist of Anderson's Mock Newbery books for those of you who prefer more modern books. (The Newbery Award goes back to 1922!) Please read and help us decorate the Reading Tree.

SUMMER READING PROGRAM

2011-05-20T13:36:00.000-07:00

Since there is no more checkout for this school year, it seems heartless to talk about new books that won't be available until August. Instead here is a sneak preview of our Lakeview Summer Reading Program. This year our program is called Read S'More. I encourage all of you to do just that over the summer. I will post a Reading Log Form on the Lakeview Library webpage. On the Reading Log keep track of everything you read this summer. Use as many pages as you need. In August when we return to school, bring your Reading Logs to the IMC and you will earn prizes. To help you get started, there is a Summer Paperback Checkout for all students in grades 5, 6, and 7. You will receive details and more information when your classes visit the Lakeview IMC one last time beginning Wednesday, May25th.
This summer I will have a special blog where I will let you know what I am reading. Please respond to my blog with your summer reading plans and include suggestions for me to read. But I warn you, I already have 3 boxes of books set aside for this summer's reading.

FINALLY NEW BOOKS

2011-05-13T13:30:00.000-07:00

Now that the library schedule has returned to normal, we librarians have been working on the last batch of new books for this school year. Check the New Book Display on Monday for these new items which include:

Bloody Horowitz, by Anthony Horowitz: The author of the Alex Rider books presents this collection of gruesome tales.

The Cruisers, by Walter Dean Myers: A school story about a mock Civil War where a group of students try to make peace with their alternative newspaper.

The Kind of Friends We Used to Be, by Frances O'Roark Dowell: A sequel to The Secret Language of Girls that shows how friendships can change over time.

Rebound, by Eric Wallace: A friendship/sports story where two boys, one in a wheelchair, find they have much in common.

Takedown, by Rich Wallace: A wrestling story where controlling one's temper can lead to winning.

NEW AR QUIZZES

2011-04-29T13:55:00.000-07:00

During the last two weeks the IMC has been busy with inventory and MAP testing so working on getting new books ready for checkout has not happened. However the 7th grade did come to checkout books from the list of new Accelerated Reader quizzes. In preparing a display to assist the students in their selections, I realized how many great books we have added to the AR database this year. Here's just a few examples:

Adventure: Taken by Edward Bloor; Death Run by Jack Higgins; Tunnels by Roderick Gordon
Animals: A Nest for Celeste by Henry Cole; The Mayor of Central Park by Avi
Fantasy: The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett; Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
Historical: Miss Spitfire by Sarah Miller; Voyage on the Great Titanic by Ellen Emerson White
Horror: Three Quarters Dead by Richard Peck
Humorous: The Curtain Went Up, My Pants Fell Down by Henry Winkler; Science Fair by Dave Barry
Mystery: 39 Clues - Books 1-4; The Postcard by Tony Abbott; The Sixty-Eight Rooms by Marianne Malone
Realistic: After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick; Antsy Does Time by Neal Shusterman; Bucking the Sarge by Christopher Paul Curtis
Science fiction: The Clone Codes by Patricia McKissack; The Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson
Sports: Offside by Erik Esckilsen; Mixed-Up Doubles by Elena Yates Eulo; Beanball by Gene Fehler
Sports/Adventure: Getting Air by Dan Gutman
Suspense: Code Orange by Caroline Cooney; After by Francine Prose

Sequels

2011-04-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

This week's new books included a number of sequels. Book 2 in the The Missing series by Margaret Peterson Haddix is Sent which continues the story of Found where children have been pulled out of their historical time period by people from the future because these children were meant to die. Jonah and Katherine are trying to return the children to their correct home in time and restore their timeline. In this sequel they travel to England in the 1400s to return the two princes in the tower who were supposedly killed by King Richard II. The popular book The Alchemyst by Michael Scott is followed by The Magician and The Sorceress. These books continue the adventures of the twins Sophie and Josh as they assist Nicolas Flamel. the alchemyst, escape pursuit throughout Europe from Dr. John Dee and Niccolo Machiavelli. Finally the second adventure of Daniel X, alien hunter, is called Daniel X: Watch the Skies. Daniel's first book written by James Patterson is The Dangerous Days of Daniel X. Here we meet Daniel who is following "The List of Alien Outlaws on Terra Firma" to track down and exterminate alien beings hiding on Earth. He is anxious to move up in the alien hunter rankings by going after the top-of-the-list bad guys.

New Career Books

2011-04-08T14:13:00.000-07:00

Just before spring break I received information about a wonderful deal on books from a new company consolidating several publisher whose books I have bought in the past. With the 7th grade career project starting after break, I took advantage of this deal to order 50 new career books and 2 new career encyclopedias. Fortunately the books arrived over spring break and 7th grade students are using these books for their research. In order to make at least some of the new books available for check-out, I added them to the automation system by a procedure called catalog-on-the-fly. This process allows me to enter the minimum amount of information about the book into the automation. Then Mrs. Wilson processed the books to a shelf-ready status. The books were posted and ready to check out. Later I can go back to these records and fully catalog the books for next year's research. The students have found these new books very helpful in their research. The new career encyclopedias are Career Discovery Encyclopedia (copyright 2009) and Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance (copyright 2011). The other books come from two series -- Careers in Focus and What Can I Do Now? All of the books have copyright dates no older than 2005. I was able to purchase a wide range of careers so that we have almost meet everyone's needs.

Thank You P.T.O.

2011-03-25T13:24:00.000-07:00

The Lakeview P.T.O. sponsored a Book Fair this week. Unfortunately book sales were low -- maybe students were too focused on spring break. So instead of a cash profit for the P.T.O., the IMC was able to take a profit in books. The books we selected (listed below) will be the first books we work on after spring break. We hope to have them ready for the students before the end of April. Thank you very much for this donation.

767 Sports Questions Your Friends Can't Answer
Dolphin Song, by Lauren St. John
Eon, by Alison Goodman
Faithful, by Janet Fox
Guinness Word Records 2011
I Survived
Hurrican Katrina, 2005
Shark Attacks of 1916
Sinking of the Titanic, 1912
I Was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader, by Kieran Scott
Last Leopard, by Lauren St. John
Scholastic Book of Firsts
Trackers 1 & 2, by Patrick Carman
Wish, by Alexandra Bullen

New Books for Persuasive Speech Research

2011-03-18T12:52:00.000-07:00

This week Mrs. Wilson and I have been working hard to get all the new books for persuasive speech research ready for check-out. We are adding 34 new pro/con books to the collection. Since it is important for students to be able to find books on their topic even if there is only a chapter of information, I type into our automation system the table of contents for each non-fiction book. While this takes a lot of time, it is very valuable to the students. A keyword search will bring these books to the student's attention.
Students will be able to check-out these new books, but only one book at a time and only for one night. Check-out begins at 3 PM as the students are on their way to the buses. This is our general policy for books being used for research and insures that the books are in the IMC during the school day but still gives students an opportunity to continue their research at home. Some of the new title are: Is Global Warming a Threat?, Overweight America, Electronic Devices in Schools, Organ Transplants, Offshore Drilling, The Right to Die, Gun Control, Illegal Immigration, and America's Prisons. These books and the other new books present both sides of the controversial topic and are very helpful for persuasive speech research. If anyone has trouble finding a book for their topic, they should see a librarian for assistance.

What Happens When You Reach Your Limit?

2011-03-11T13:42:00.001-08:00

In Kristen Landon's new book The Limit, we found out how one possible future deals with families who spend more money than they earn. Matt and his family seem to be always buying things, but one day on an ordinary shopping trip, they find that they are over their limit. At home they learn the consequence -- Matt is taken away from his family and put in a workhouse until his family can reduce their debt under the limit. At first things at the workhouse seem pretty good. Matt, a math and computer genius, tests to the top floor where he is challenged to do computer work for various companies along with keeping up his computerized school curriculum. Top floor residents can order anything they want -- food, clothes, things. However, Matt soon realizes that something is very wrong. Some kids get terrible headaches or are removed from the top floor. Matt finds that he cannot get any e-mails from home or even leave the top floor. Can Matt discover what is really happening in the workhouse and help his family get out of debt?
This book and many other new books are available in the New Book Display section by the windows. Come an have a look.

Mysterious Package

2011-03-04T11:35:00.000-08:00

Three men are waiting at 221B Baker Street in London for Professor Sigurdsson, but the professor never shows up. Instead a mysterious package is delivered by an unusual little man shortly followed by monsters who are apparently after the package. A dangerous flight to an old-fashioned ship saves the men, but the adventure has just begun. This is the start of James A. Owen's book Here, There Be Dragons, the first book in the Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica. John, Jack, and Charles, the three waiting men, are brought together in this wild adventure to protect the Imaginarium Geographica, an atlas of all lands that have existed in myth, fable, and fairy tale -- and the lands are real. Join the adventure! You can find this book in the New Book display area by the windows.

Do You Know a Football Genius?

2011-02-25T13:13:00.000-08:00

I do -- Troy from Tim Green's book Football Genius. I heard Tim Green speak at the Anderson's Children's Literature Breakfast last Saturday. The ex-NFL player, now a lawyer and children's book author, talked to us about he started his writing career. He told us how he modeled his main characters, Troy and Tate, after his own children, how he read chapters aloud to his children and their classmates asking for their help in making the book appeal to kids. Green is an energetic speaker and had us laughing at his early writing problems. His books read the way he speaks to audiences -- a winning style. Chapters are short so the action moves along quickly. Troy and his single-parent mom are each dealing with problems in their lives. Troy is a second-string quarterback on his football team because the coach's son Jamie is first-string and Jamie is a lousy football player. Troy's mom is dealing with a new job as PR assistant for the Atlanta Falcons. Troy does a few stupid things that, unfortunately, get his mom in trouble at her job. Oh, yes, and Tony is a football genius because he is able to figure out what opposing teams will do before they do it. If you are in the mood for a great football and family story, try Tim Green's Football Genius or the other of his books we have at Lakeview, Football Hero.

An Animal Story with an Historical Twist

2011-02-18T11:59:00.000-08:00

A Nest for Celeste, by Henry Cole, tells the story of a mouse looking for a home. Celeste, a very accomplished and self-sufficient mouse, is chased out of her snug mouse hole by two large gray rats. Now she has to find a new home and avoid the family cat. Visiting in this house outside of New Orleans are John James Audubon and his assistant, Joseph, who are observing and drawing the local birds. Add to this mix a hurricane and Celeste is having a difficult time. The story is based on an historical event where Audubon did stay at a New Orleans plantation while preparing his famous book on birds. What really makes the story come alive are the incredible pencil drawings that illustrate the book. Henry Cole has been an illustrator for many years before writing this book, his first.

A New King Arthur Book

2011-02-11T13:33:00.000-08:00

In a beautifully written novel in verse, Lisa Ann Sandell tells the story of Elaine of Ascolat, the Lady of Shallot from the famous poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson. Song of the Sparrow is Elaine's story as she joins her father and brothers in the war camp of Arthur after her mother is brutally murdered by invading Saxons. Growing up with only men and warriors around her, Elaine finds a place for herself tending to the wounded and mending torn clothing. When Lancelot brings Gwynivere to camp to marry Arthur, Elaine rejoices for she now has a girl to be her friend. Unfortunately Gwynivere is cold and cruel. It isn't until both girls are captured by the Saxons that they make any kind of bond together. In a daring escape from the Saxons the girls are able to warn Arthur of a coming attack leading to a victory for the Britons.

A Continuing Trend

2011-02-04T13:45:00.000-08:00

Over the last few years I have noticed a number of young adult books where the author has taken classic fairy tales and folktales or works of literature and retold, updated, or found a new slant. Three of the new books we prepared for check-put this week fit in this new trend.

Belle, by Cameron Dokey, is from the Once Upon a Time series where classic fairy tales are retold. Belle, of course, is the story of Beauty and the Beast. Not the Disney version, but a beautifully told romance about true love.

Birdwing, by Rafe Martin, is a continuation of the Grimm fairy tale "The Six Swans." The tale tells of six brothers transformed into swans and how their sister has to remain silent and sew six shirts to change her brothers back. The spell was broken except for the youngest brother who remained with one arm enchanted as a wing forever. Martin's story tells what happened to this brother after the end of the fairy tale.

Enter Three Witches, by Caroline B. Cooney, is a different view of the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Creating a minor character, Lady Mary, Cooney tells the murder of the King of Scotland and the rise to kingship of Macbeth from the sidelines. Each chapter begins with a quotation from the play.

If you are interested in these retold fairy tales or works of literature, you can get a list from the Lakeview IPAC by typing "Based on Fairy Tales of Legends" or "Based on Works of Literature" and searching them as a subject. Lakeview has quite a nice collection.

New Books Ready to Go

2011-01-28T13:17:00.000-08:00

Since the IMC staff was relatively on their own this week, we got a lot of new books ready for checkout. It was rewarding to see several empty spots on the new book display shelves as students started to grab up the new books. Some of the new fiction titles still available are: Firestorm, by David Klass, a heart-pounding action book with fantasy and environmental themes (I want to read this one.); Miss Spitfire, by Sarah Miller, an inspiring look at teaching Helen Keller through the eyes of Annie Sullivan; and Ghost in the Machine, by Patrick Carman, a journal noting the search for answers to the strange happenings in a small town.
If you prefer nonfiction you might want to look at: Storm Scientist, by Timothy R. Gaffney, which looks at the study of storms through the careers of scientists; John Madden's Heroes of Football, by John Madden, a history of football, its special teams, and important players (Mrs. Wilson liked this one.); or Trouble Begins at 8, by Sid Fleischman, a biography of Mark Twain which focuses on his life in the wild West. All of these books are currently available on the New Book shelves by the windows.

TEST, by William Sleator

2011-01-21T13:01:00.000-08:00

All the MAP testing over the last 2 weeks has reminded me of this book by William Sleator. Imagine a future world where a Test determines if you live a life of the rich and powerful or sit in traffic with everybody else. Ann is sure she won't pass the TEST and will never escape the traffic. But then strange things begin to happen to her. A black motorcycle follows her home. A boy reveals a source of test answers. What is going on? Join Sleator, a master of thrills and suspense, on this frightening ride into a future that could happen. Test can be found on the new book shelves by the windows.

The Dark Side of Immigration

2011-01-14T13:36:00.000-08:00

We hear a lot about immigration issues in the news these days, but these are not necessarily new problems. Ann Bausum in her book Denied, Detained, Deported; Stories from the Dark Side of American Immigration tells some of the cases where the freedom promised by the Statue of Liberty didn't happen. The book begins with two poems -- one by Emma Lazarus from 1883 which proclaimed "Give me your tired, your poor/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free" and a 2008 poem by Naomi Shihab Nye telling the story of what it really is like to be an immigrant in our country. The rest of the books tells individual stories of people who were denied the right to freedom in the United States. At the end of each story Bausum relates the problems of that story to our immigration issues of today. So while this is an historical view, there is relevance to today. Also there is an extensive timeline at the end of the book which chronicles immigration trends and legislation beginning in 1788. Denied, Detained, Deported is one of the Anderson's Book Stores Mock Siebert (for nonfiction) 2010 list.

Vietnam War Tragedy

2011-01-07T13:50:00.000-08:00

All the Broken Pieces, by Ann E. Burg, tells the story of a Vietnamese refugee who comes to the United States after the Vietnam War. Young Matt Pin is adopted by an American family who have a younger son Tommy. Matt remembers a tragedy that happened to his Vietnamese family before he came to America but he refuses to talk about it. Slowly his story is revealed as he deals with prejudice from the other kids at school, attending Vietnam Vet meetings, learning to play the piano and baseball, and always fearing that his new family will send him back to Vietnam. The story is told in verse, beginning at the end of the war when Matt's American father leaves his Vietnamese family behind and follows Matt's progress in America. This book was an nominee on the Anderson's Mock Newbery list in 2010. This powerful story was an excellent candidate for the list and makes an emotional choice for a book to read.

Best Books of 2010

2010-12-17T14:12:00.000-08:00

It's that time again when Mrs. Wilson and Miss Hagensee select the best books they have read during the year. There have been so many great books that we both had a hard time limiting ourselves to just ten. We invite you all to send us your top ten list or at least tell us how your list compares to ours. Have a great holiday time and see you in the new year.

Mrs. Wilson's Favorite Books Read in 2010

1. Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins

2. Gone from These Woods, by Donny Seagraves

3. After Ever After, by Jordan Sonnenblick

4. 11 Birthdays, by Wendy Mass

5. When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead

6. The Willoughbys, by Lois Lowry

7. Trouble, by Gary D. Schmidt

8. The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman

9. Waiting for Normal, by Leslie Connor

10. Notes from the Dog, by Gary Paulsen

Miss Hagensee's Favorite Books Read in 2010

1. Trouble, by Gary D. Schmidt

2. Ten Things I Hate about Me, by Randa Abdel-Fattah

3. Cracker, the Best Dog in Vietnam, by Cynthia Kadohata

4. After, by Francine Prose

5. Flygirl, by Sherri L. Smith

6. Greetings from Nowhere, by Barbara O'Connor

7. Chains, by Laurie Halse Anderson

8. Woods Runner, by Gary Paulsen

9. Skullduggery Pleasant, by Derek Landy

10. Mergers, by Steven L. Layne

Hottest New Addition

2010-12-10T13:33:00.001-08:00

Now that the 6th graders are busy reading the nominees for the 2011 Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award, we find that the nominees we have in audiobook form are in great demand. We currently have 6 of the 20 nominees in audiobook format and 3 more are coming. (I had to order special plastic cases to protect the CDs since they only came in cardboard boxes.)
While the IMC has some older audiobooks in audio cassette form, the new Caudill nominees are either in CD format or Playaway format. Playaways are a small box that is a complete audio book. The packaging includes earbuds, an extra battery, a lanyard, and a print copy of the book. I have seen several students walking around school listening to a Playaway between classes or in the IMC.

Greetings from Nowhere

2010-11-19T13:42:00.000-08:00

This book by Barbara O'Connor caught my eye on the Anderson's Mock Newbery list for 2009. I finally found time to read it this week during lunch. The story takes place in a motel off the main highway tucked in the hills of North Carolina. Aggie who has run the motel for many years with her husband Harold now deceased is facing having to sell the motel and move in with her sister in Raleigh. Willow and her dad buy the motel but Willow hates moving there now that her mom has left the family. Kirby and his mom are now their way to a school for problem children when their car breaks down and they stay at the motel. Loretta and her parents arrive at the motel on a search for the places Loretta's birth mother may have visited in the area. These unlikely and unhappy people find new meaning for their lives at the motel. The story is told in alternating chapters by each of the four main characters so the reader has the opportunity to see the changes in each life as they occur. I hope you will have a chance to stop at the Sleepy Time Motel and meet Aggie, Willow, Kirby, and Loretta, too.

More New Books

2010-11-05T14:11:00.000-07:00

I have some great new books for you that were added to the IMC collection this week.
First, if you liked the Richard Peck books A Long Way from Chicago and A Year Down Yonder, you would probably agree that Grandma Dowdel really makes those stories funny. Now Peck has a new Grandma Dowdel story called A Season of Gifts. In this story Grandma Dowdel has new neighbors, a preacher's family, who are having a hard time adjusting to their new home, especially with Grandma Dowdel's spooky house next door.
A new addition by Andrew Clements is called No Talking. The boys and girls in Mrs. Overby's class just don't get along. AND the boys are always LOUD! Friction between the boys and girls leads to a bet to see who can be silent the longest. What will school be like with No Talking.
Competition is fierce in Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson's new book Science Fair. Add in a $5,000 prize, a plot to destroy the United States, a pair of bumbling spies, and a very nervous frog and you have a hilarious book with danger and suspense.
Two books that I blogged this summer are now ready for checkout - Shannon Hale's Book of a Thousand Days about two girls walled up in a tower who have to rescue themselves and Ridley Pearson's The Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark where holographic images of five teens have to defend Disney World and the whole world against Disney villains and witches come to life.
All these new books are available in the New Book Section by the windows.

I'm Hooked

2010-10-29T13:29:00.000-07:00

I have been reluctant to try audio books (books read on cassette, CD, or Playaway) because I was afraid they would be too distracting, especially in the car when I'm driving. Then I realized that I listen to old-time radio in the car and have no problems with distraction. Using money from our State Grant for School Libraries last year, I purchased nearly half the Rebecca Caudill nominees for 2011 in audio book format. As time is getting short to complete my reading of all 20 nominees, I needed to do something to speed up my list. I started with the audio book version of The Alchemyst by Michael Scott. This audio book, read/performed by Denis P. O'Hare, is a fantastic listening experience. Mr. O'Hare manages to create individual voices for each character. And there are a lot of characters. The voices are distinct enough to recognize which character is speaking before they are identified. Now I'm hooked on audio books! They make my drive home much more enjoyable. And should I need to concentrate on traffic, I can always press the skip back button to repeat a section. I was worried that I would not retain enough of the story to effectively booktalk later so I tried taking the Accelerated Reader quiz and I scored 100%! Even now I find myself remembering the story as vividly as if I held the book in my hands and read it. All of the Caudill 2011 books will be ready for checkout over the month of November including the audio book versions. For those of you who can't wait, the IMC already has a blossoming audio book collection ready for checkout. Take a look at the rack on top of the Reference shelves by the windows and begin listening to some great stories.

New Book Bonanza

2010-10-22T11:53:00.000-07:00

Due the MAP testing taking place in the IMC this week, Mrs. Wilson and I have had a great opportunity to work on new books. Monday the IMC will be open for regular business because no testing has been scheduled due to the Red Ribbon Week assembly. Please come and look at the new book display by the windows. It is packed full of new books including the following.

Many of you have read and enjoyed Jordan Sonnenblick's book Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie. Now he has written a sequel called After Ever After. Jeffrey has beat his cancer (but is still worried it might return) and is now facing middle school and all that goes with it. Even in his own family there are changes as older brother Steven has gone off to Africa to "find himself."

If you like Coraline, by Neil Gaiman, try his Newbery winning book The Graveyard Book. Image a boy who lives in a cemetery and is cared for by ghosts! Having crawled into the cemetery as a baby when his family is murdered by a vicious killer, Nobody Owens is raised by ghosts and other inhabitants of the graveyard. He cannot leave the cemetery because the killer is still after him. This magical, terrifying, suspenseful book is perfect for the Halloween season.

IN SHORT: Other new books include Bucking the Sarge, by Christopher Paul Curtis, where Luther defies his mother, the Sarge, as she tries to milk the system to build an empire of slum housing and group homes. -- Z.Rex, by Steve Cole, is a heart-pounding action-adventure story about a dinosaur brought to life who is on the trail of Adam, the teenage son of the scientist who created the monster. -- One of the Survivors, by Susan Shaw, follows the story of Joey Campbell who escaped a deadly school fire and is now accused of having set the fire. This is such a powerful story that I want to nominate it for the Rebecca Caudill Award.

Do You Find History Boring?

2010-10-08T14:05:00.000-07:00

Is History only a bunch of dates to memorize? Then you need to take a look at The Wicked History of the World, by Terry Dreary and Martin Brown. The subtitle -- "History with the Nasty Bits Left in!" -- tells us that this view of history will be very different from any history textbook. There are cartoons, word plays, fake letters, fake news articles, puzzles, and Did You Know... frames to catch your eyes and give you a chuckle. This is also probably the bloodiest history book I have ever seen. The book is packed full of history but it doesn't feel at all like a textbook. You will find the book in the New Book display by the windows (if I can get it away from Mrs. Maass!).
Please note: At the very beginning there is a note that explains that this book was originally published in Great Britain and that the American editors decided not to change "what's already brilliant (translation = really great)." That means that some words may be unfamiliar British words. Fortunately there is a handy glossary in the back to help you.

September in Review

2010-10-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

With the IMC staff focusing on the new laptop computer and getting them ready for classroom use during September, it's amazing we had any time to prepare new books. However, 42 new books have been added to the IMC collection. In non-fiction we have added books covering such topics as volcanoes and man-made disasters, fortune telling, and the Hoover Dam and Jerusalem to biographies of Jimmy Carter, Tom Cruise, Jeff Gordon, Gregor Mendel, Stephanie Meyer, Alfred Nobel, and Louis Pasteur.

The 28 new fiction books cover all genres from adventure to mystery, sports to suspense, historical to humorous. I especially enjoyed Patricia and Frederick McKissack's new book The Clone Codes. These authors are know for their historical fiction featuring many aspects of Black history, but this new book is science fiction. Set in the world of 2170 where clones are used as slaves, the story parallels the civil rights movement of our recent history. On the run from bounty hunters who arrested her mother for supporting the freedom of clones, Leanna learns some surprising truths about herself. Leanna also learns what freedom is from several famous historical people who appear as holograms and who predict an amazing future for Leanna -- if she can survive. This first book in a new series has plenty of action and I am looking forward to the next installment.

Caudill Nominees 2011

2010-09-24T10:59:00.000-07:00

I have started to read the 2011 Rebecca Caudill nominees and what a great year this will be! While I still predict that The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, and Found, by Margaret Peterson Haddix, will battle it out for the award, there are a number of other great books on the list. For a full list of the nominees, use this link: http://www.rebeccacaudill.org/nominees/2011.htm

The IMC will have multiple copies of all 20 nominated books since the 6th grade will participate in this award program through their LA book reports. Copies are on order and should be shelf-ready in October. This year we will also feature a number of audiobook copies of the nominees in CD and Playaway formats.

Mystery at the Art Institute

2010-09-17T13:22:00.000-07:00

In the Art Institute of Chicago there is a special area called the Throne Rooms. Here miniature rooms furnished for different periods of history are displayed, Until Ruthie's class goes to the Art Institute for a field trip, she believes that nothing special will ever happen in her life. Ruthie is fascinated by the Throne Rooms and it is there that her life suddenly becomes very exciting. She and her best friend Jack find a magic key that shrinks them to just the right size to fit in the miniature rooms. When they enter a room the room expands to include a whole world based on the time period of the room. They meet people of those times and they learn of a mystery that can only be solved within the miniature worlds. Marianne Malone, an Illinois author, has created an amazing world full of mystery and adventure in her book The Sixty-Eight Rooms. It is currently available in the New Book Display area.

Finally New Books!

2010-09-10T14:01:00.000-07:00

This week Mrs. Wilson and I finally got a chance to finish processing some of the new books that I catalogued over the summer. Among these new items now on display in the New Book Section up front by the windows is Lockdown by Walter Dean Myers. Reese, a young teen in a juvenile corrections facility (prison), is trying to turn his life around and win an early release. His crime was stealing a doctor's prescription drug pad and selling it to a drug dealer. The only bright spot in his home life is his much younger sister who is smart and aiming for strong future. With anger issues of his own, Reese gets help from an unlikely source, a cranky old man at his work release program. Like Monster, Myers's prison story from a few years ago, Myers is able to tell a young man's story as though the teen was talking directly to the reader. You will root for Reese as he tries to prove he has a chance at a normal life.

Also now available is Book 6 of the Ranger's Apprentice series - The Siege of Macindaw and Book 5 of The 39 Clues series - The Black Circle. More books in both of these series will soon be available.

Extraordinary Schools

2010-08-27T13:24:00.000-07:00

Among the books I read this summer were two books about very unusual boarding schools. In Libba Bray's A Great and Terrible Beauty, Gemma Doyle is sent to the Spence Academy in Londona after a tragedy strikes her family in India. While at the Spence Gemma has a hard time making friends until the most powerful girls at the school learn of her power to attract the supernatural. The four girls soon find themselves in a fantasy world where their deepest wishes come true. What starts as a way to avoid the boredom of school soon turns into a danger that threatens all of them

Claudia Gray's book Evernight tells the story of Bianca and her parents who move to Evernight Academy where her parents are hired as teachers. Bianca feels that she doesn't fit in with the other students until she meets handsome, brooding Lucas who warns of danger at the Academy. There is a twist to this story that will throw you off guard. What seems to be an ordinary school turns out to something very frightening. And the characters that you think are "normal" are no what they seem.

These new books will soon be available for check out. If you want to be first on the list to read them, see Miss Hagensee.

The End and The Beginning

2010-05-21T14:20:00.000-07:00

The school year will soon end and this blog will go on hiatus for the summer. I have enjoyed telling you about new books in our library collection throughout the school year. Now we are putting all the books back on the shelves so they will be ready for the new school year in August.

For those of you who still want to hear about new great books -- fear not! Over the summer I will start a new blog in the Summer Reading Program section of the Lakeview Library webpage. The link will be in a table right above this one. This summer I have decided to talk about what I am reading -- the brand new books which will be added to the collection in the fall -- the books I didn't have time to read during the school year -- Oprah's Kids List which I have been waiting to get to -- and any more that I can find. My summer plan is to sit out on my patio during the warm summer afternoons (it's shaded) with a tall cool drink and a great book. You are all invited to share your thoughts about the books I am reading or make suggestions of books I should read. Maybe we can start a dialogue -- reader to reader.

Dive into Summer Reading

2010-05-14T13:19:00.000-07:00

The Lakeview Summer Reading Program begins on June 2nd. Students are challenged to keep a reading log of all the books they read over the summer. Copies of the Summer Reading Log are available in the IMC starting next week and online at the Lakeview Library webpage beginning June 2nd. All completed book logs must be turned in by August 27th to be eligible for prizes. After an individual discussion of their summer reading with me, students will receive prizes. Information about the summer reading program will be posted on the Lakeview Library webpage.

Looking for ideas of summer reading, then participate in the Lakeview IMC Summer Paperback Check-out OR read my summer reading blog where I talk about the books I am reading this summer and you can make suggestions for me. Details about the Paperback Check-out are available in the What's Happening in the IMC blog. I plan to spend my afternoons on my patio with a cool drink and a great book. I hope you will, too.

Outer Space Silliness

2010-05-07T13:30:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up, there was a class of movies in the science fiction genre called B movies. These were silly, often cheaply made movies that usually featured BEMs (bug-eyed monsters) who terrorize humans, but the humas always won in the end. The Doom Machine, by Mark Teague, reminded me of those B movies. It starts in a small town where Jack Creedle and his Uncle Bud live. Uncle Bud is developing a gadget (a space traveling machine) that will make him millions of dollars. Jack is a mechanical wiz who soup up any moving vehicle, spaceships included. Into their town come serious-minded Isadora Shumway and her mother, a brilliant scientist, just at the time an alien spaceship lands near the town. The aliens, known as the Skreeps, look like giant spiders with multiple eyes and have come to Earth looking for treasure that will allow their captain Xaafuun to become the leader of their home planet. The aliens capture the four humans and Uncle Bud's gadget and take them into outer space where all kinds of weird and crazy adventures happen. This silly story will keep you chuckling throughout all the strange events. Oh yes, and the humans win in the end.

We Need Your Help!

2010-04-30T14:55:00.000-07:00

Petitions for series to complete or continue are now available on the center bookcase in the IMC. Each series that I could identify in the IMC collection has a sheet listing the books in the series in order, along with the author's name, a list of genres, and a summary of the first book. Attached to this cover page are a couple of petition pages where you can sign your name if you want the IMC to keep that series going. The series have been grouped in brightly colored folders by the main genre of the series. So if you really like mysteries and adventure books for example, you can go to those folders and indicate your choices. The petitions will be available till the end of school in June. Then I will take them home and analyze your choices over the summer. In the fall I will begin purchasing missing or new additions to the series you have selected. Other series will be ignored. This is your chance to make your voice heard and show me what you want in the IMC collection.

There will be a form for new series that the IMC does not have where you and your friends can make new suggestions for me to look at. Please help!

Al Capone Returns

2010-04-23T11:31:00.000-07:00

As the IMC begins asking students for their help in picking series to follow in the collection, I wanted to tell you about a new sequel to Al Capone Does My Shirts. Jennifer Choldenko has written Al Capone Shines My Shoes which continues the story of Moose and his family on Alcatraz Island in 1935 during the time when Al Capone was an inmate. While his father is a prison guard, Moose has to deal with friendship issues with Jimmy, Scout, Annie, and Piper. Now that his sister Natalie is attending a boarding school for "kids who have their wires crossed" possibly through Capone's influence, Moose finds that it is payback time. Capone wants Moose to do him a favor when Capone's wife comes to visit. Moose is challenged on how to accomplish this task without anyone knowing what's going on. Other inmates are introduced in this book like Willy One Arm and Buddy Boy who work at the warden's house and Seven Fingers who does repairs at the prison guards' houses. There are laughter and fear, schemes and chills for Moose and his friends. And there seems to be a third book coming. At a conference this year, the author indicated that she is working on another book. Since the third job that Capone had on Alcatraz was in the prison library, Choldenko suggests her next book may have a library theme.

Mission Accomplished

2010-04-09T14:03:00.000-07:00

Before spring break I set myself the goal of finishing the 3 newest books I have purchased -- Fang, by James Patterson, This World We Live In, by Susan Beth Pfeffer, and Lockdown, by Walter Dean Myers. I finished those and they are all great. I will be donating them to Lakeview. I also finished what I call my purse book because I like to carry a book in my purse so I have something to read if I get stuck in a line or have to wait. I have been carrying with me The Mayor of Central Park, by Avi all through March. It is a fun book. Set in the year 1900, Oscar Westerwit, a squirrel, considers himself the mayor of all the animals in Central Park in New York City. He also considers himself an excellent baseball player and a wannabe actor in musical theater. Oscar's problems begin with the disappearance of his team's pitcher (and the best player on the team). Problems explode when Big Daddy Duds and his gun-toting rat thugs decide to move into Central Park and take it over. Baseball, romance, and war fill the pages of this delightful comedy. Sometimes it hard to remember that the characters are all animals. They walk , talk, and think like humans!

Spring Break and Reading

2010-03-26T15:37:00.000-07:00

I can't wait for spring break to begin because I have several new books set aside to read over the break. There is the new James Patterson book in the Maximum Ride series called Fang AND the new Susan Beth Pfeffer book, The World We Live in, which picks up the story of Miranda and her family from Life as We Knew It AND a new book by Walter Dean Myers called Lockdown. I hope that you have also picked out a couple of great books to enjoy over your spring break. See you in April.

My Favorite Genre

2010-03-19T13:27:00.000-07:00

This past week I had the opportunity to book talk my favorite genre - science fiction - for Mrs. Hayes/Georges's advanced Language Arts class. I had a most difficult time keeping the number of books I talked about low because there are so many really good science fiction books in our library. The one book that I didn't talk about (because I hadn't finished reading it yet) was Janet McNaughton's The Secret Under My Skin. Now that I have finished it, I would like to share this book with you.

The story centers around a young girl who was orphaned when she was two or three years old. For a number of years she lived on the streets until the Commission picked her up and put her in a work camp. So far this story could have taken place any time in history, but it really takes place in the future -- a future where human destruction of the environment has gotten so bad that the society as we know today fell apart and a military society and a religious society are now struggling for power. Blay, who later finds that her real name is Blake, sees both sides of this struggle when she lives in the work camp and when she is chosen as a servant for the bio-indicator who is preparing for investiture. Blake worries about her future and learns to be concerned about the future of her world as she searches for clues to help her regain her past. This story may present our future if we are not more aware of our environment and takes steps to preserve it.

Meet Author Roland Smith

2010-03-11T17:17:00.000-08:00

Roland Smith's book Elephant Run is nominated for the 2010 Rebecca Caudill Young readers Book Award. This is an exciting adventure which takes place in Burma during World War II. Young Nick is sent to his father's planatation from England to escape the Blitz, the German air bombing. Unfortunately he is no safer with his father because the planatation is captured by Japanese soldiers. Nick and Mya, a native girl, are able to escape and want to rescue his father and her brother. With help from a very old, wise man and a rogue elephant they may have a chance to complete the rescue.

My first meeting with a Roland Smith book was a previous Caudill nominee called Zach's Lie. In this story Zach's father agrees to testify against his boss, a drug czar. The family is put into the Witness Protection Program, moved to the other side of the country, and given new names and identities to try to protect them from the revenge of the drug lord. But Zach has a problem remembering his new identity and makes a slip. If the drug lord finds out about his mistake his whole family is in terrible danger. This book is followed by Jack's Run, a thrilling sequel as the drug lord's trial draws near.

The IMC has a third Roland Smith book, Peak, a mountain climbing attempt on Mount Everest, but I haven't read this one yet. If you have, I would loved to hear what you think of it. I have been checking other books by Roland Smith and he seems to favor writing exciting adventures. If you have read any of his books, I would like to know if you think the IMC should get more. You can contact me by commenting on this blog.

Do the Math

2010-03-05T09:39:00.000-08:00

This is a new series by Wendy Lichtman. In the first book, Secrets, Lies, and Algebra, we meet Tess who has always loved math! She even sees applications of mathematics in her everyday life which help her through the difficult time of 8th grade. In the second book, The Writing on the Wall, Tess is faced with puzzling patterns -- of graffiti, scary pranks, and Damien waiting for her after school. Tess searches for formulas to solve these puzzles, but perhaps life isn't that neat. Sometimes you just have to risk it!

The chapter titles in both books captured my attention because they are math concepts and I was a math teacher. I hope this author will continue writing about Tess and her unique perspective on life.

Lakeview Choices for Caudill Award

2010-02-26T13:31:00.000-08:00

The Lakeview results are in for the 2010 Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award. If any of you have missed the 2010 nominees, here is a short description of the top three at Lakeview.

In third place -- Someone Named Eva, by Joan M. Wolf. In 1942 during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, German soldiers would round up residents of a town and search through the children for those who met the Arryan ideal - blond hair, blue eyes, etc. These children, like Milada in the book, were sent to special schools where they were brainwashed to forget their families and were trained to become good German children who were then adopted by Nazi families and raised as their own. Milada struggles to remember her real family and heritage and resist the branwashing, hoping to be rescued and return to her Czech family.

In second place -- All the Lovely Bad Ones, by Mary Downing Hahn. This is a ghost story that takes place in a Vermont inn run by Travis and Corey's grandmother. There is a legend that the inn is haunted. Travis and Corey decide to bring the haunting to life by faking sightings of ghosts. Unfortunately there really are ghosts and they don't like being faked. This book really scared me as it explains the story behind the ghosts and why they never found eternal peace.

In first place -- Shark Girl, by Kelly L. Bingham. This story is taken from the headlines of sharks attacking people. Jane loses her right arm in a shark attack and has to learn to live her life with only one arm. She tells her story in poetry form as she is frustrated, angry, and feed up with people telling her that she will adjust to her new life.

In about 2 weeks we will hear which of the 20 nominated books is the official statewide winner. As you can see from these short descriptions of only 3 of the twenty nominated books, there are some great reads in this year's list. The 2010 Caudill nominees will remain on display on top of the bookcase by my desk for the rest of the school year. Please stop by and read as many as you can.

Caudill Nominees 2011

2010-02-19T13:32:00.000-08:00

While students are deciding which book is their choice for the 2010 Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award, the IMC already has the nominee list for 2011. The IMC has 5 of the 20 nominated books and 2 more are in processing. I just today ordered a complete set of all 20 nominees. We will get the books shelf-ready as soon as they arrive so students who want a head start can do so before the end of this school year.

The 2011 list looks to be another great list of books to read. I have already read 6 of these new nominees and I am looking forward to reading the rest this summer. The following is the link to the Award website where you can view the 2011 list.

http://www.rcyrba.org/

Mysteries Galore

2010-02-12T12:51:00.000-08:00

Many of our new books during 2009 were mysteries - some in series and some individual. Blood Trail, by Nancy Springer, stirred a lot of interest today when I read the first paragraph from in the inside front cover. That paragraph included the words "last words" and "murder."

The 39 Clues series follows the adventures of a brother and sister who are trying to collect all the clues to a family treasure before other teams of family members. Since each book is written by a diferent young adult author, I have decided to give this series a generic call number FIC THI so all the books will be in the same place on the shelf.

The Samaurai Mysteries by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler show how Seikei realizes his life's dream to become a samurai warrior by helping solve mysteries with his adopted father.

The Enola Holmes Mysteries by Nancy Springer, propose a younger sister to the famous detective Sherlock Holmes who wants to make a name for herself as a detective.

There are psychic mysteries in the Gilda Joyce books by Jennifer Allison as Gilda tries to contact the spirits of dead people.

And my favorite is the Mysteries in the National Parks series by Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson. Each book takes place in a different national park. We currently have four of the series - Rage of Fire set in Hawaii, Cliff-Hanger set in Mesa Verde (and my personal favorite because I was there), Deadly Waters set in the Everglades, and Escape from Fear set in the Virgin Islands.

Remember Love That Dog

2010-02-05T13:56:00.000-08:00

I hope many of you have read Sharon Creech's book Love That Dog. In it Jack is a high school student whose English class is studying poetry. At the beginning he claims he wants nothing to do with poetry, but over the course of the story he realizes that poetry is an interesting way to communicate. He studies various famous poems and is then able to write his own poetry based on his dog. What was unique about that book is that it is written in a series of poems, some taking the specific form of famous poems.

Now there is a sequel - Hate That Cat. A year has passed and Jack's English class is again studying poetry. He decides to write poems about his hatred of cats only to find out that his teacher loves cats. Once again famous poems appear in the story and a variety of poetry styles are used to tell Jack's story.

If you haven't read the first book, Hate That Cat may be a bit confusing. Both books are short and quick to read, so be sure to enjoy both of them. Hate That Cat is currently in the New Book section in the wall bookshelves.

January New Books.

2010-01-29T14:10:00.000-08:00

Over 70 new books were added to the IMC collection in January. Besides a number of new nonfiction books about the 1960s, I recommend Rap Music, by Jennifer Keeley which gives not only the history of rap music but some of the issues that have developed over its lyrics. Also new is Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, by Michael Woods. Here you get a tour of the ancient world of the Mediterranean Sea and visit such wonders as the Colossus of Rhodes, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and the Great Pyramid at Giza.

For those of you who prefer fiction there is my favorite book of 2009 - The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. She combines gladitorial combat and survival with reality TV in a future time when North America is made up of 12 districts. For sports fans we have added Beanball, by Gene Fehler, Football Hero, by Tim Green, and Cover-up: Mystery at the Super Bowl, by John Feinstein. We have finally replaced the missing book 2 of the Percy Jackson series, The Sea of Monsters, by Rick Riordan, just in time for the movie opening of the first book, The Lightning Thief on February 12th. And, yes, we have the first three books in the Twilight series - Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse. Be sure to take a look at the new book section in the wall book shelves for these and other new titles in the IMC.

Fiction About the 1960s

2010-01-15T13:28:00.000-08:00

After a week of researching the 1960s, it might be fun to read a fiction book set in the 1960s. The IMC maintains a bibliography of fiction books covering the decades of the 20th century. Use the phrase Twentieth Century in Fiction - 1960s in the I.P.A.C. if you would like to see the complete list. A couple of outstanding choices would be these:

The Wednesday Wars, by Gary D. Schmidt. Currently on the Caudill nominee list, this story focuses on a clash between teacher and student. At a time when religious education moved public school children to their churches on Wednesday afternoons, Holling and Mrs. Baker find themselves unwilling partners because Holling doesn't have a religious affilliation. Mrs. Baker was looking forward to quiet Wednesday afternoons and now she is stuck with Holling.

Yankee Girl, by Mary Ann Rodman, focuses on the outbreak of violent caused by the civil rights movement. Alice's FBI father moves the family to Jackson, Mississippi for his job. Alice wants to be popular at her new school, but that would involve being mean to the black girl in her newly-integrated school.

Paul, in Full Service by Will Weaver, finds a whole new world of people and ideas when he takes a job at a gas station near his Minnesota farm. And finally another current Caudill nominee, Shooting the Moon by Frances O'Roark Dowell, shows the effect of the Vietnam War on a military family when Jamie's older brother is shipped out to Vietnam. He sends her pictures that he takes of the jungle, his camp and comrades, and the moon that express his feelings.

These and other stories about life in the 1960s are available in the Lakeview IMC.

New Sixties Books

2010-01-08T13:50:00.000-08:00

As the 8th grade Language Arts classes begin their Sixties Debate research next week, the IMC is pleased to announce several new addtions to our collection covering sixties topics. First, we have the book The Race for Space; The United States and the Soviet Union Compete for the New Frontier, by Betsy Kuhn. This well-illustrated book shows the development of spacecraft from Sputnick to the moon landing and talks about the advancements made and the rivalry between the two major powers.

From the series American Social Movement, we have a book on the Feminist Movement spanning from the 1920s to the end of the twentieth century. Also added is The 1960s from the series Great Speeches in History. This is a primary source book that features articles by many of the movers and shakers of that decade. But our prize addition is a 10-volume set called the Turbulent 60s featuring one volume for each year in the debate. These books contain many articles that are also primary sources having been written in the 1960s.

While the 8th graders are reserching for their debates, these new books will be in the Reserve Section and on overnight check-out. Once the research is completed, these books will be available for everyone who enjoys looking back on a decade that changed America.

Time for the Best Books of 2009

2009-12-18T13:41:00.000-08:00

Mrs. Wilson and I have again compiled our lists of the best books we have read this year. With the 20 Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award nominees for 2010 being so good this year, it has been especially difficult to limit our lists to only 10 books. I hope some of you will have the chance to enjoy some of our choices over winter break. If not, they will be waiting for you here at Lakeview in the new year.

Mrs. Wilson's Favorite Books of 2008

1. Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, by Wendy Mass

2. The London Eye Mystery, by Siobhan Dowd

3. Home of the Brave, by K. A. Applegate

4. Found, by Margaret Peterson Haddix

5. All the Lovely Bad Ones, by Mary Downing Hahn

6. The Wednesday Wars, by Gary D. Schmidt

7. The Naked Mole-Rat Letters, by Mary Amato

8. Regarding the Bathrooms, by Kate Klise

9. Shark Girl, by Kelly L. Bingham

10. Desert Crossing, by Elis Broach

Miss Hagensee's Favorite Books of 2009

1. Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins

2. Found, by Margaret Peterson Haddix

3. Nightmare at the Book Fair, by Andrew Clements

4. Masterpiece, by Elise Broach

5. Bearwalker, by Joseph Bruchac

6. This Side of Paradise, by Steven L. Layne

7. The Juvie Three, by Gordon Korman

8. Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie, by David Lubar

9. Dragon Slippers, by Jessica Day George

10. First Light, by Rebecca Stead

Books into Movies

2009-12-11T13:04:00.000-08:00

There have been an amazing number of children and young adult books on the movie screen this year. I have a display of some of these books in a nook at the main IMC desk to catch students' eyes as they walk into the IMC. Some of the book/movie connections that we have in the Lakeview IMC collection are: Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke; Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, by J.K. Rowling; Coraline, by Neil Gaiman; Cirque du Freak and The Vampire's Assistant, by Darren Shan; Fantastic Mr. Fox, by Roald Dahl, and A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. The IMC is also getting the first three Twilight books and they should be ready for check-out in the new year. Starting later this month is a Richard Gere movie based on the book Hachiko Waits, by Leslea Newman. From picture books the movies have adapted Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, by Judi Barrett and Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak. These books are available at the Ide IMC. What a great opportunity to enjoy both the books and the movies!

Take a Look at These New Books

2009-12-03T15:42:00.000-08:00

New books are getting shelf-ready in record time so I have several new ones to tell you about this week.
For science fiction fans we have The Sky Inside by Clare B. Dunkle. In this future world children are genetically engineered and delivered to families like Martin's little sister Cassie was. Every morning the family gathers around the television to vote on matters of national importance. And all live under the protective dome of the suburb HM1. When a stranger appears who takes away the little children, Martin has to decide if he wants to remain in this domed society or if he is willing to break out of the dome and search the mysterious desert land outside for answers.

In Bearwalker by Joseph Bruchac, Baron is the shortest person in his class and a Native American. This combination makes him a target for the class bullies. But when his class goes on a camping trip to the Adirondacks, Baron's knowledge of his Mohawk heritage helps him assist his classmates and teachers survive the evil being known as a Bearwalker and learn the reasons behind its attacks.

With a different solution to bullying in Steve Cousins's Frankenbug, Adam whose interests are insects of every kind decides he will create a monster bug to attack his bully Jeb McCallister. Using the Frankenstein story byMary Shelley and its movie versions as his inspiration, Adam creates a bug using specifically chosen parts from several deadly insects. After several long nights sewing the pieces together, Adam brings his creation to life using lightning bugs. But now can Adam control the monster he has created? This story has some scary parts as well as some humorous parts.

For these and other new books, check out the New Book section along the nonfiction wall in the IMC.

It's Caudill Time!

2009-11-20T13:50:00.000-08:00

Next Monday is the introduction to the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award 2010 for all 6th graders. The 6th graders as a class will particiapte in this Illinois state book award for grades 5-8. There are 20 books nominated each year. Each 6th grader will read a minimum of 3 nominees before the end of February to be eligible to vote. All Lakeview votes will be sent to the state committee and the state winner will be announced in March, 2010. This year's nominees are fantastic. Mrs. Wilson and I have read all 20 nominees and we are having a hard time picking a favorite. But we don't get to vote! Only the students do. To see the list of nominees, click on the link on the Lakeview library webpage. There is even a link to an online book talk about the nominees. And I hope to link my mimio presentation as well. If you ever need a good read recommendation, any Caudill nominee since the beginning in 1988 would be a great choice.

An New Explanation for Vampires

2009-11-13T13:53:00.000-08:00

With all the excitement about the next Twilight movie opening, here's a very different fiction book about vampires. In his book Sweet-Blood, Pete Hautman presents the idea that vampires are created when diabetes goes untreated. Lucy Szado frequents the Transylvania Internet chat room as Sweetblood. Usually it's just a group of young people that discuss all things goth, but Draco claims that he really is a vampire. As Lucy becomes more involved in the goth/vampire world, her life in the real word begins to fall apart include her ability to regulate her diabetes. Now Draco invites her to meet him and enter his strange world. Lucy has some very difficult decisions to make. Follow this disturbing yet fascinating story to see what Lucy decides to do.

How Far Will Reality TV Go?

2009-11-06T13:44:00.000-08:00

In Andrea White's book, Surviving Antarctica, Reality TV 2083, the answer is all the way to possible death. In the year 2083 education is controlled by the Department of Entertainment. All learning is done on television. The Department sets up reality survivor shows to educate and entertain students and adults. Now the ultimate challenge is given to 5 carefully chosen children - a chance to recreate Robert E. Scott's 1912 doomed attempt to be the first to reach the South Pole - without any adult help! Newly hired Andrew Morton is on the team that monitors the audio-video feed from hidden cameras and microphones for this Historical Survivor show. But Andrew is forbidden to assist the children or even let them know that there is an adult watching them all the time. Once the children have been dropped off on Antarctica, they will face many dangers and life-threatening hazards - all in the name of entertainment. Is there anything that Andrew can do to save the children and keep his job? Can the children survive the cold, ice, snow and reach the South Pole? This is the suspense book that will keep you reading to find out what happens next.

Scary Books

2009-10-29T14:32:00.000-07:00

In honor of Halloween, Mrs. Wilson and I have picked our favorite scary books in the IMC. We hope you will enjoy them, too.

Mrs. Wilson liked: The House with a Clock in Its Walls, by John Bellairs -- Hunters of the Dusk, by Darren Shan (one of the Cirque du Freak series) -- Old Willis Place, by Mary Downing Hahn -- All the Lovely Bad Ones, by Mary Downing Hahn (a Caudill 2010 nominee) -- The Silver Kiss, by Annette Curtis Klause.

I liked: All the Lovely Bad Ones -- The Dollhouse Murders, by Betty Ren Wright -- The Halloween Tree, by Ray Bradbury -- The House with a Clock in Its Walls -- The Silver Kiss.

As you can see we agreed on 3 of the 5 books. We often think alike.

If you prefer a humorous book to a scary one, try Vampire High, by Douglas Rees. Happy Halloween!

Spooky Books for a Dark Night

2009-10-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

It's time to get into the "spirit" of the holiday. The IMC has several new books that can help you.

For information books, we have 2 new books - one on haunted houses and one on witches. These books are from a series called The Mystery Library. Each book examines the history, investigations, and mystery of its topic. There are lots of photographs that show people and events. Just the right kind of nonfiction for Halloween.

There are a number of new fiction books that are spooky, scary, or just plain creepy. You may want to look at Bunnicula, an old favorite about a vampire bunny by Deborah and James Howe OR Heck, Where the Bad Children Go, by Dale E. Basge OR Danger in the Dark, by Tom LaLicki, a mystery which features Harry Houdini, the great escape artist OR Shadowmancer, by G.P. Taylor which involves the forces of good and evil OR The Witches of Worm, another old favorite by Zilpha Keatley Snyder about a girl who wants to become a witch OR a new book by Ms. Snyder called The Unseen about a ghostly world OR Death Is a Lonely Business, by Ray Bradbury, a mystery featuring the author himself and many strange events. These and other terrific holiday books are availble in the IMC.

New Poetry Series

2009-10-16T14:47:00.000-07:00

We are expanding our poetry collection with new additions from the Poetry for Young People series. These slim, brightly illustrated volumes present poems and excerpts from longer works by such famous poets as Robert Frost, Robert Browning, Edward Lear, Rudyard Kipling, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Edgar Allan Poe, and William Shakespeare. These are the type of books that you can dip into at any time. Read a poem here or there --or use the book when your class is studying poetry and impress your teacher. Each book has a short introduction which highlights the poet's life and work. The newest additions are in the New Book section. For the volumes we already have look in the literature section of the non-fiction collection where the call numbers begin with 811 or 821.

Is This the Future?

2009-10-09T13:55:00.000-07:00

In the year 2074, in Pete Hautman's book Rash, people are very, very safety conscious. In the United Safer States of America (USSA) french fries are illegal, football is banned, and outbursts of anger are taken very seriously because people must be protected. Teenager Bo Marsten learns this the hard way. When his temper flares out of control, he is sentenced to three years of manual labor in the Canadian tundra. Now he works in a factory where the warden cares nothing about the safety of his prisoners. If Bo can survive his sentence, he will have to decide what's worse - a society where people are locked up for road rage or a prison where the wrong move could make you a polar bear's dinner.

Great New Books

2009-10-02T13:28:00.000-07:00

I have three new books to tell about this week. I just can't wait to drag them out one at a time. So follow along --

Masterpiece by Elisa Broach is an art theft story that starts with a beetle who is fascinated with us humans. Marvin the beetle with his parents and aunts and uncles and cousins live in the walls of an apartment in New York City. When the human boy James gets a pen-and-ink set for his birthday, Marvin just cannot resist the temptation to try them out. And Marvin has talent! His drawings look exactly like long-lost drawings by Albrecht Durer. When Marvin and James get involved with faking some miniature drawings for the Metropolitan Museum of Art to lure art thieves, the twists and turns of this story pop right out.

Blood Red Horse by K, M, Grant is a story of Richard the Lionhearted and the Crusade to free Jerusalem from Saracen control. The horse Hosanna is chosen by Will to be his knight's charger even though the horse is smaller in stature than most chargers. Will and his brother Gavin and their father sail with King Richard to the Holy Land to wage war. When Hosanna is captured by Kamil, a friend of the Sultan Saladin, Will is afraid he will never see his horse again. There are battle scenes, long marches, sea disasters and a peak at what was happening on the home front while all the time the reader is wondering if Will ever gets Hosanna back.

Regarding the Bathroom by Kate Klise is another wildly humorous story like her Rebecca Caudill nominee Regarding the Fountain. In this book you will need to put on your thinking caps because it is NOT a narrative. The story is told through a series of letters, memos, pictures, and newspaper articles. The same class that meet Florence Waters in Regarding the Fountain are back with a story from summer school. Nobody wants to have regular school so their teacher encourages everyone to volunteer for the summer. One student works at the newspaper, one works for the mayor, one works for the historical society, one works for the school principal, and two start their own private investigation agency when the sheriff turns them down. Be sure to enjoy all the puns in this book, especially of people's names. Sometimes you have to say the name out loud to hear the pun. Have fun and you will soon be chuckling.

This One Has Everything

2009-09-25T13:35:00.000-07:00

One of the most interesting books I read this summer is Daniel Ehrenhaft's Drawing a Blank, or How I Tried to Solve a Mystery, End a Feud, and Land the Girl of My Dreams. Besides having one of the long titles in the IMC, this book combines a narrative story about a boarding school boy, Carlton Dunne IV, with episodes from Carlton's graphic novel. Through his novel Carlton lives his dreams of high adventure and romance until the day his father is kidnapped. Now Carlton is teamed up with a beautiful Scottish girl Aileen who wants to be an American police officer as they try to locate an ancient Scottish dagger and rescue Carlton's father. Many pages of the book contain footnotes with Carlton's comments, historical facts and fictional details, and even a recipe for bannocks. Like I said this one has eveything! Join Carlton and Aileen as they roam the Scottish countryside with adventure and mystery.

This book and many other new books are displayed in the New Book Section found along the Non-fiction wall.

Deep within the Earth

2009-09-18T13:26:00.000-07:00

If you have a yen for digging in the earth, take a look at Roderick Gordon's new fiction book Tunnels. In this book the only common ground for Will and his father is an obsession with archeological digs.When they discover an abandoned tunnel beneath modern-day London, they believe they have the discovery of the century. But then Will's dad vanishes. Now Will with the help of his friend Chester begin a dangerous, possibly deadly, journey under the ground to look for him. You will be amazed at what they find.
You can find this book and many other new books in the New Book section along the Nonfiction wall of the IMC.

Disaster in Pompeii

2009-09-11T12:25:00.000-07:00

I have always been fascinated by the history of the Roman city of Pompeii and the destruction caused that city by the eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius. Kathryn Lasky's book, The Last Girls of Pompeii, tells the story of two young girls living in Pompeii just before the eruption. Julia is the daughter of a wealthy family and Sura is her beautiful slave. Julia's life would be perfect except she bears the Curse of Venus - a withered arm. She has little hope for the future because no family would want their son to marry a girl with this curse. Sura's beauty makes her a desireable property who may be sold away from Julia. For both girls the eruption of the volcano causes a major change in their lives.

The IMC has another fiction book about Pompeii - The Shadow of Vesuvius, by Ellis Dillon. In this story the eruption catches an artist and his slave in Pompeii a few days before disaster strikes. Both books give an intimate picture of what life was like in the city of Pompeii and how the disaster affected the lives of individuals.

Beyond the Shadow Children

2009-09-04T12:33:00.000-07:00

Margaret Peterson Haddix is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. Because of the science fiction theme of Among the Hidden, I was fascinated by her Shadow Children series which she concluded in the seventh book Among the Free. From that book I was lead to Double Identity and The House on the Gulf, both great suspense books. Now the IMC has another her books added to the collection - Escape from Memory. In this suspense-filled story, Kira and her friends experiment with hypnosis at a sleepover. When hypnotized, Kira remembers that she spoke another language, that she was born in another country, that her eccentric mother has been telling her lies about how they came to live in small-town Ohio. As Kira tries to recover more of her memory of who she is and where she is really from, she learns many things that will surprise you. A fascinating adventure story with twists and cliffhangers, Escape from Memory will keep reading reading from beginning to end. To get a complete list of the all the Haddix we have in the IMC, please access the online catalog (I.P.A.C.) from the Lakeview library webpage.

Welcome Back, Readers

2009-08-28T12:50:00.000-07:00

I hope you all had a great summer and enjoyed lots of new books. I know I did! In the coming weeks in this blog I will share with you some of the books I read. I hope you will share with me some of the books you read either in person or at this blog.

I predict that you will find lots of exciting new books at Lakeview this year. Be sure to look at the new book section. It is located on the Non-fiction wall with the sign "Check Us Out."

The spotlight this year is on series books. There are so many new series being published every year that I need your help in deciding which series to follow and which ones to ignore. If you can, take a look at the binder called "Sequels and Series List" in the Fiction section. While that list is still growing, it will give you an idea of what series we have started or have some parts. Later in the year I will ask you to sign petitions for the series you want us to continue or fill in missing parts. This will be a chance to let me know what books you want the IMC to buy.

Have a great school year and keep on reading.

Time for the Sequel

2009-05-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

I hope many of you have had the opportunity to read Ben Mikaelsen's Touching Spirit Bear, the amazing story of an anger-filled boy who learns to deal with his anger on a deserted Alaskan island and finally is able to apologize to his badly-beaten victim. Well, now there is a sequel -- Ghost of Spirit Bear. In this book Cole, the anger-filled boy, and Peter, the victim, have returned from the island and begin to face life in high school again. Cole tries to keep the best of the island rites and ceremonies that the boys created to help him control his anger now. Peter, whose parents are overly protective, also tries to keep the island image. But now there are bullies in the school who torment Peter causing Cole to feed his anger and makes controling his anger more difficult. Is the magic of the island gone? Or can the decisions made on the island give each boy a chance to make a new life for himself?

For books in series or with sequels, check out the bulletin board behiind my desk. Mrs. Wilson and I have displayed our favorite series. After all, one good book deserves another.

Newest Books in the IMC

2009-04-24T13:06:00.000-07:00

It's been so busy in the IMC these last few weeks that I have had very little time to work on new books. There are a number of new nofiction (information) books so why don't I just list them. Then next week you can come to the New Books section and take a look for yourself.

For our 6th grade social students (anad any other interested history students) we have new books on the Middle Ages -

Medieval Society

Science and Technology in the Middle Ages

Places of Worship in the Middle Ages

The Life of a Knight

Life in a Medieval Monastery
Medieval Projects You Can Do!

For 7th grade and other career minded students, we have Career Ideas fo Kids Who Like Art. \This book includes many art-related careers that you may not have considered like Actor, Chef, Interior Designer, Museum Curator, and Photojournalist.

For the persuasive speech topics that 8th grade researches, we now have Standardized Testing in Schools and Drunk Driving. The Drunk Driving book is particularly interesting because if actually assists with writing a critical esaay on this subject. The book contains lot of research and several examples of of the written essays.

For biography fans, we have new this week: Julius Caesar, Vladimir Lenin, rule of Russia in the 952and Alex Haley, the author of Roots,

For the fiction fans, we have 2 new historical books: Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons, by Ann Rinaldi, about being the first Black women, AND Worlds Afire, by Paul B. Janeczko, a noted poet who tells the story of a circus fire told in verse. Gordon Korman's new book Schooled is about what happens when a boy who is home-schooled by his hippie grandmother all his life has to deal with public school for the firsr time. Finally a donation from Mrs. Foellmers's boys, This Side of Paradise - part scifi, part horror where moving to a perfectly controlled town leads to danger for members of the Barrett family and possible cloning.

That's it for this week. More new books next week.

How to Find New Books

2009-03-27T14:06:00.000-07:00

While we are on spring break, you can still find the new books in the IMC by using our online catalog called I.P.A.C. On the Lakeview Library webpage, you use the Outside Lakeview link to the I.P.A.C. As long as there are no power breaks or failures and the network is working, you can search for new books.

The easiest way tp search for new books is to click on the New Items tab above the search window. That method will list the most recently posted books.

If that isn't enough for you, click on Advanced Search and set up the following search:

Click on Mark.

Type the initial of the current month (or any past month within a year) in the first blue box using a capital letter.

Click the button at the bottom of the screen that says Search.

The list that appears is all the books that were posted within that particular month. There are 35 new books posted in March, 2009.

Have fun! Keep reading! See you after spring break!

Scifi in the Distant Future

2009-03-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

PJ Haarsma' s book The Softwire: Virus on Orbis 1, takes us into the distance future where humans have a very minor role in the galaxy. When a human sleeper ship arrives at the Rings of Orbis, only the children survive and are forced to work as knud-niks (slaves) to pay for their passage. Soon Johnny Turnbull discovers that he is a softwire, a special gift that allows him to enter any computer system with his mind. Softwires are rare in the galaxy so now Citizens of the Rings are bidding/arresting/kidnapping to get Johnny's ability. Meanwhile Johnny discovers a virus destroying the computer system at Orbis. Can he alert the authorities to this danger before they dissect him to study his power? Can he better the situation for the human orphans with his ability and avoid being kidnapped by a rival business group? And best news of all, there is a sequel coming soon to this library.

A Mystery Within a Mystery

2009-03-12T14:43:00.000-07:00

So says the subtitle of the new book The Postcard, by Tony Abbott. Just like the hypnotic cover picture, you are drawn into this story. Jason's family is falling apart. His mom and dad hardly speak to each other. Then Jason's dad leaves for Florida because the grandmother he has never known has died. Now Jason is being sent to Florida to help his dad bury his grandmother and pack and fix up the house for selling. While sweating in the Florida heat, Jason gets a strange phone call telling him to look in the desk. A search of the desk reveals an old postcard stuck in one of the drawers. Now the mystery begins. The postcard was blank except for a typed address. The picture was an old hotel, one that had been owned by Jason's great-grandfather.

With this simple start Jason follows a trail of old postcards and magazine stories over time which lead him to learn about his father's family and to uncover many family secrets.

Freddy the Pig

2009-03-06T13:08:00.000-08:00

Freddy is the invention of Walter R. Brooks. Freddy lives on Mr. Bean's farm with his other animal friends -- Jinx the cat, Mrs. Wiggins the cow, Henrietta the hen, and Charles the rooster. What is unusual about Freddy is that he thinks he is human. In his first adventure, Freddy Goes to Florida, Freddy organizes a travel agency for animals so that he and his friends can escape the cold of winter by vacationing in Florida.

The IMC has several other books about Freddy including the newest addition Freddy the Pied Piper. But my personal favorite has always been Freddy the Detective. After reading a book about Sherlock Holmes the famous London detective, Freddy is sure he can solve mysteries, too. He dresses up like Sherlock Holmes and bothers all the animals on the farm looking for a mystery. I couldn't stop laughing at Freddy's crazy ideas. If you haven't yet read one of Freddy's stories, now os a great time. Then watch that smile curl up as you follow Freddy's adventures.

BOOM!

2009-02-27T13:20:00.000-08:00

It is the summer of 1949 in Nigel Hinton's book, Time Bomb. For Andy and his friends their world seems to be falling apart except when they are together. Eddie's stepfather beats him; Manny is the target of anti-Semitic comments; Bob has a stutter that his dad considers a weakness; and Andy finds out that his fathers is cheating on his mother. As they travel about the town exploring that summer, the boys find an unexploded World War II bomb. Keeping the bomb's existence a secret, the boys feel they now have power. What happens with the bomb and their friendship will cause the boys to grow up and take another look at their lives.

Black HIstory - Part 3

2009-02-20T13:15:00.001-08:00

In the last section of my Black History Month bibliography, I focus on African Americans of the twentieth century and beyond. For the students this is the most recognizable section for the biographies and stories are the ones they know, some even from their lifetime. Among the nonfiction I especially like our book on the Harlem Globetrotters which covers their history and several famous players. I was likely enough to see the Globetrotters in person in college and thoroughly enjoyed the show. Since baseball is my favorite sport, I enjoyed the book Baseball at War; World War II and the Fall of the Color Line. Here you can learn about baseall in the 1940s including Joe DiMaggio's hitting streak, the famous world series between the Yankes and the Dodgers, the career of Jackie Robinson, as well as the effect of World War II on the sport.

In the biography section we have books on famous African Americans from all walks of life - from the political to the entertainment world, from musicians to athletes. In particular I remember the book A Strong Right Arm, the Story of Mamie "Peanut" Johnson. This book was a Caudill nominee a few years ago, but it created a lasting impression with me. Mamie was determined to be a professional baseball player and tried out for every all-male, all-white team until she realized her dream as one of only three women to play in the Negro Leagues. What courage for such a petite lady!

Among the fiction there is no doubt that my favorite book is Willie Bea and the Time the Martians Landed, by Virginia Hamilton. The story takes place in October, 1938, on an Ohio farm. It centers on the eventful radio broadcast of the "War of the Worlds" led by Orson Welles. I have always been fascinated by the panic that resulted from this broadcast and over the years have read and researched a lot. Hamilton in her book shows that the panic was not restricted to the east coast. Even in the midwest people were frightened by the thought that Martians had invaded the earth!

I hope over these last few weeks you have read about some Black History book that sounded interesting and have come to the IMC to check it out. Next week I will return to highlighting our new books.

Black History Part 2

2009-02-13T13:31:00.000-08:00

The second part of the Lakeview bibliography for Black History Month is entitled Pre-Twentieth Century. It started out as a Civil War era list but grew beyond the war period itself to include slavery, the underground railroad and blacks of any country up to the twentieth century. Books in this section range from the story of a seventeenth century Spanish slave painter to Jean duSable, the black explorer who is a founder of Chicago to the autobiography of Booker T. Washington.

A couple of the most interesting new nonfiction books in this section are Up Before Daybreak, an overview of the history of the cotton industry in the United States, and The Underground Railroad in Illinois, which traces the abolitionist movement in Illinois and the passengers, stationmasters and conductors in our state.

A fascinating new fiction book is Show Way, by Jacqueline Woodson. In this book Woodson shares her family's tradition of a quilt called Show Way because it was a secret map that "showed the way" for slaves escaping from the South. Woodson brings the quilt up-to-date by showing her daughters their part in the quilt as a continuing family history.

It's Black History Month!

2009-02-06T14:36:00.000-08:00

In recognition of this special honored month, the Lakeivew IMC has prepared a bibliography that covers all aspects of Black History through nonfiction, biography, and fiction books. There are links to this bibliography (in two parts) on the Lakeview IMC webpage. Find the section of the webpage for IMC Links and right in the middle of the top row you will find those links.

Part 1 of this list is divided into two section. The first section lists books about Africa, its countries, cultures, famous people, and novels. Here you will find several of the holiday books from the Fiesta series. These books delve not only into the holidays and festivals, but also aspects of the country's culture like languages, food, songs, and religions.

One of the most interesting biographies I ever read is included in this section. At Her Majesty's Request, by Walter dean Myers, is a fascinating story about a young African princess who is saved from being executed by a British naval officer. Brought back to England the girl's story reaches the ears of Queen Victoria who then provides for the girl's upbringing in England. This book is currently on the bulletin board behind my desk and is available for check out.

The second section of the bibliography started out on the American Civil War, but has grown beyond that to include books that cover non-African blacks up to the twentieth century. Part 2 of the bibliography covers non-African blacks in the twentieth century and beyond. I'll describe some of the most interesting books in these sections in the weeks ahead.

Suspense in a Future World

2009-01-30T12:21:00.000-08:00

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.

Are You Charmed?

2009-01-23T12:31:00.000-08:00

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.

Once Upon a Time in a Kingdom Far, Far Away

2009-01-16T11:19:00.000-08:00

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.

Favorite Books of 2008

2009-01-09T11:30:00.000-08:00

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

Where Are the New Books? When Are They Ready?

2008-12-12T14:01:00.000-08:00

If you haven't already found the section of the IMC for new books, here are the directions. On the book shelves along the wall which holds the non-fiction books, there is one section that contains a sign that says "Check Us Out - New Books." The top 3 shelves in this section are the newest books in the IMC collection. There you will find fiction books, paperbacks, non-fiction and biography books.

My usual plan for the week has me taking the final steps on new books on Friday so the New Book section is restocked by Monday morning for those edgar students who want the newest books. Books that have been in the New Book section for a while are removed and reshelved in their proper place. This week will be different. Due to the Book Fair, I didn't get to spend much time on new books today. I will start working on them Monday so you may expect new books on the shelf by Tuesday or Wednesday.

In the mean time take a look at the bulletin board by the Exit Only door in the back of the IMC. We are highlighting some samples from the IMC audiobook collection. These books come with audiocasettes or audio CDs of the entire book so you can listen and follow along in the book. To see the whole list of audiobooks, go to the Lakeview I.P.A.C. and do a subject search for audiobooks. If you find a title you like, check it out!

Shortcut Leads to Danger

2008-12-04T16:39:00.000-08:00

Mitty Blake is a teenager living in New York City in Caroline Cooney's book Code Orange. Mitty would rather do anything other than his advanced biology project. The weekend before the project is due, Mitty's parents drag him to their country home with no public library and no Internet. Desperate, Mitty finds three old medical books in the house's library room. One of these books about infectious diseases contains an envelope with what looks like smallpox scabs. Thinking his has found a gold mine, Mitty posts his find on the Internet when his family gets back into the city hoping for a buyer. But now Mitty is in real danger. If the scabs are from a smallpox victim, could Mitty contract the disease? And who would be interested in buying smallpox scabs -- a medical facility as Mitty hopes or terrorists? The suspense is heart-pounding as Mitty gradually realizes that his shortcut on a bio project could be a shortcut to his death.

It's Almost Caudill Time at Lakeview!

2008-11-14T12:49:00.000-08:00

I have one more nominee for the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award program to read. Of the nineteen that I have read, they are all terrific! This will be one of the most difficult voting years ever. I will be book talking all 20 nominated titles to the sixth grade on Monday, November 24th. Until then I don't want to give away any of my personal favorites. So instead of a review this week, let me share with you the link to the Rebecca Caudill Book Award website where you can find an annotated list of the 2009 nominates. Then, after November 24th, I will begin sharing my personal favorites.

Link to Caudill website: http://www.rebeccacaudill.org/nominees/2009.htm

New Election Materials

2008-11-07T11:39:00.000-08:00

Now that the presidential election is over and the social studies department is finished with them, I can share with you the new books the IMC has on elections. These books have just been taken off reserve and are available for check-out.

324.6 LEV The Electoral College, by Suzanne Levert (2004)

324.6 STE Vote, by Philip Steele (Eyewitness Books, 2008)

324.273 KLO Third Parties; Influential Political Alternatives, by Lisa Klobuchar (2008)

324.2734 AND The Republican Party; the Story of the Grand Old Party, by Dale Anderson (2007)

324.2736 AND The Democractic Party, America's Oldest Party, by Dale Anderson (2007)

324.973 MOR Presidential Races; the Battle for Power in the United States, by Arlene Morris- Lipsman (2008)

92 MCC John McCain; Profile of a Leading Republican, by Kira Wizner (2008)

92 OBA Barack Obama; "We Are One People", by Michael A. Schuman (2008)

These books are currenting on the New Book Shelves in the tall shelves along the wall of the IMC. If you would like more information about any of them, search in the Lakeview I.P.A.C.. When you look at the detail record, you will find and summary, a list of book parts, and the table of contents (except fot the biographies). If you would like to see the whole list at one time, do a subject search in the I.P.A.C. for Election Materials, and all the books will appear in the Results List.

Happy Halloween One and All

2008-10-31T13:19:00.000-07:00

This week I am taking a break from new books to tell you about my favorite Halooween stories. I am a big fan of Edgar Allan Poe's short stories - both his mysteries and his horror stories. Many years ago I had heard a recording of "The Telltale Heart" that really scared me. As the tension grows in this story about servant who kills his master, dismembers the body, and hides the pieces under the floor, a steady heartbeat grows louder and louder in the background of the storyteller. It is the same heartbeat that the killer hears leading to his confession. For many years I remembered that recording, but couldn't find it. There were many wonderful recordings of the story, but none had the beating heart sound. Finally I stumbled across another recording of Poe short stories -- and there was "The Telltale Heart" with the beating heart. Every Halloween I play the recording just to get in the mood.

My other favorite Poe horror story is "A Cask of Amontillado." The whole idea of being walled up - buried alive - sends chills down my spine. One of the best questions asked about that story is does the criminal get away with his crime. The answer lies in the three Latin words at the end of the story. The Lakeview IMC has several collections that include these great classic horror stories. Read them aloud on a dark and stormy night to get the full flavor of Poe's genius. Have a great Halloween.!

Calling All Time Travel Fans!

2008-10-24T12:34:00.000-07:00

Join Sam Faulkner in his efforts to find his father who disappeared ten days ago. While searching for clues in his father's dusty antique bookstore, Sam finds a hidden room containing an old coin, a strangely carved stone, and a book about Vlad Tepes (basis of the Dracula legend). Within minutes Sam uses the coin and the stone to open a gateway through time and ends up in medieval Scotland just before a Viking invasion. In subsequent time trips Sam visits France in World War I, ancient Egypt, and Renaissance Bruges. Putting together the clues he has gathered, Sam finds a plea for help from his father who may be trapped in the castle of Vlad Tepes. Here ends book 1 of a proposed trilogy. I can't wait to read the rest of the series. Book 2 has just been published and is on order for the IMC.

Join me in enjoying this mystery adventure with book 1: The Book of Time by Guillaune Prevost.

Great Sports Teams

2008-10-17T14:44:00.001-07:00

Let's take a break this week at look at the new sports team books that recently arrived in the IMC. These books are about professional teams from baseball, basketball, football, and hockey. Each book gives a brief history of the team and then highlights the biographies of several team players and coaches/managers. While not every team is covered in this series, there should be enough of interest so that every sports fan can find at least one book to enjoy. There are 4 basketball titles, 3 football titles, 4 baseball titles, and 3 hockey titles. While there is a book on the Chicago White Sox team, there is not a book on the Chicago Cubs. However, I did find an excellent chapter in the Arizona Diamondback book on Mark Grace which covers his Cub career too.

You can find these books on the New Book Shelves or get the whole list by searching the I.P.A.C. for the series - Great Sports Teams.

Bread and Roses, Too

2008-10-10T13:22:00.000-07:00

This is the title of a new historical fiction book by Katherine Paterson. She tells us the story of two children caught up in the infamous Lawrence, Massachusetts mill laborers strike of 1912. First we meet Jake, an American boy who works in the mill with Irish immigrants as he is looking for a warm place to spend the night rather than go home to his drunken father. Then we meet Rosa, daughter of Italian immigrants who loves school and learning but worries about her family becasue the mill wages are so low. The two children cross paths throughout the book as we see how short wages started the strike and various ethnic groups met with outside union organizers to continue the strike for better wages and living conditions. This slice of history even has Rosa and Jake traveling by train to Barre, Vermont, in a plan to give at least some of the strikers children a safe haven and a chance at better food, clothing, and housing. This relatively little-known piece of American history is brought to life along with all the horrors and problems that the Lawrence strikers faced.