I'm Hooked

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

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?

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

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.