SURVIVAL IN THE NEAR FUTURE

In Mike Mullin's new book Ashfall, the world is dramatically changed when the supervolcano underlying Yellowstone National Park erupts. The thick ash falls as far as Iowa and Illinois cutting off power and causing many buildings to collapse. Alex, alone for the weekend, has to deal with the changes by himself. He soon realizes that if he wants to see his family again, he will have to follow them if he can. Along his journey he finds people who want to kill him for his meager supplies and a few people who actually want to help him. This is a story of survival that could be in our future as there really is a volcano caldera under Yellowstone National Park and according to geologists, it is erupt at any time!

BOOKS I LOVE

That's the theme of one of the IMC bulletin boards this month. I have asked teachers and students to share their favorite books. On each suggested book the teacher 's or student's name is written in a heart attached to the book and then the book is added to the display. So far teachers have recommended these books:

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Shexie Sherman

Cinder, by Marissa Meyer

Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie, by Jordan Sonnenblick

Every Soul a Star, by Wendy Mass

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankenweiler, by E. L. Konigsburg

The Giver, by Lois Lowry

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, by Wendy Mass

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs

Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer

A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'Engle

Students have recommended these books:

Peak, by Roland Smith

The Ruins of Gorlan, by John Flanagan

The White Giraffe, by Lauren St. John

You, by Charles Benoit

There is still plenty of bulletin board space to add your favorite book to this excellent collection. See me before the end of the month with your book suggestion.

SOMETHING OLD AND SOMETHING NEW

This week I am reading two fascinating books. From the IMC collection I finally found time to read Joseph Bruchac's Dragon Castle. While Bruchac is known for his Native American novels, this book takes place in an unnamed Slovakian country and tells two stories. One story seems to take place in the Middle Ages where Prince Rasko's parents disappear and an enemy army appears at the castle's gates. In alternating chapters we read the story of Rashko's ancestor who escaped when a conquering army destroyed the castle and killed all the inhabitants except for Pavol. Pavol goes on to become a folk hero and he may have discovered the secret that Rashko needs to save his people in his time.

Brand new to the IMC collection is Annabel Monaghan's A Girl Named Digit. "Digit" is Farrah Higgins's nickname because she's good with numbers. No, she's great with numbers. She see patterns in numbers which drives her classmates nuts. One day while watching television with some friends she notices a series of numbers at the bottom of the TV screen. Similar numbers appear over the next two weeks leading Digit to analyze a possible meaning. Could these numbers be part of a terrorist plot and is Digit the only one who sees the danger? I can't wait to read more.

AMAZING!!!!

Students haven't yet voted for the 2013 Caudill Award and the 2014 list is available. Use the link on the Lakeview IMC webpage to check out the new nominees. The IMC is proud to announce that we already have 13 of the 20 nominated books. Three of those are not quite shelf-ready yet, but will be soon. I am proud to say that I have already read 5 of the nominees (try to guess which ones) and they were great! I can also tell you that at least 3 of the nominees are nonfiction. Congratulations to the Caudill committee for another wonderful list of nominees.