Winter Holiday Reading

LIke many readers, I have a list of books that I wish to read. I also have a pile of books both at school and at home. One of the things that I look forward to when a holiday comes is some uninterrupted reading time. This winter, I am going to be diving into the Red Maple nominees. Those will take care of the school reading. For myself, I will see what is lying on my pile of books at home.

What will you be reading over this winter holiday?

Epitaph Road pgs. 102-144

Now the story gets down to being a regular adventure. Kellen, Sunday and Tia have a quest. Of course they are pitting themselves against the authorities in a bid to save Kellen's dad, Charlie. It is quite predictable for the three kids to go up against a seemingly unbeatable foe. Along the way they meet Gunny, another loner like Charlie's dad. He will, undoubtedly, be of immeasurable help in their quest.

Predictions:
In working through the blockades placed by the government, the kids will learn some deeper truths about the Elisha Bear virus, and the realities will become public in a way that will signal radical changes in the world. Kellen will learn more about his father, and thus come into his adulthood as a man.

I liked the beginning a lot more than this part. The ideas were fresh. Right now I am just reading to see how the adventure will play out. Don't get me wrong, I like this book, but I am a bit disappointed with how it is going more mainstream at this point.

Epitaph Road pgs 62 -101

In keeping track of my thoughts while reading this book, I have noticed that I am able to make many connections, and think about several things.

Today I begin with the word "loners". In the context of the novel this refers to those men who have fled from the restrictive rule of women to live life by themsleves. Kellen's dad is one of these men. Interestingly, these loners tend to choose places of wilderness in which to live. What is it about the wilderness that draws men? Are these men social rejects or are they freedom fighters?

In one scene, Kellen goes into a library to sign out some books on his required reading list. He's admittedly a bit old school and likes the feel of the book in his hand. While in the library he is harassed by an over-zealous security guard. This instance of male-hating, is it supposed to make the reader think of all the times we pick on people because of their gender, race, religion...? Kellen handles it quite well, though he is happy to see some of his friends sticking up for him.

While in the library he signed out some interesting titles:
Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut, Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by Willaim Shirer and Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. What interesting titles. I wonder what books from today will be held in high esteem in the future?

So far, Kellen's relationship with his father has not been fully explored. He yearns to spend time with his dad, but is unable to do so as he is under the control of his mother. Still, Kellen dreams of the reunion he will have with his father. This will obviously lead to such a reunion, but will the reality match Kellen's dreams?

There is a crisis approaching. After eavesdropping on his mother, and some digging by his new friend Tia, Kellen sees conspiracy surrounding him. Was the Elisha Bear virus an accident, or a planned attack? Now, he's got an idea, but how will he be able to prove it?

I am having fun with this book. Too bad I don't have the time I would like to sit down and really dig into it.

Trying something new

It's been a while since my last entry. I, once more, apologize for that. I had a couple of ideas about new posts, and I will still write them, but right now, I want to try something I haven't done before.

It's easy to rave on about a great book that we've read, but what about as it is being read?

Today I began the novel, "Epitaph Road"


I would like to blog about this while I am reading the novel instead of afterwards.

Pages 1 - 62

First things is this book was on the list of dystopian novels that I referenced in an earlier post. In this case, 97% of the world's men have been killed by a plague. The women have been left unscathed. Jump ahead 30 years, and the world is now governed by women, no wars, little crime, money to spend on health care, the environment, education....Sounds too good to be true. With no men around the women have rebounded and created a world vastly different from the one when men were dominant.

Kellen is a boy living in a world of women and girls. Males have their lives strictly regulated and only a small percentage of baby boys are allowed to be born.

How can he not feel strangled, and imprisoned by this?

This reminds me of a book I read in University where the women were the controlling gender.

It all sounds good, but there has to be a catch. Something has to happen to Kellen to pit him against the ruling women. I have a feeling he will need to leave his home.

Book Buying

Today, I went down to the CNE to a Library Book Fair. The Queen Elizabeth Building was filled with a variety of book sellers. Some are stores that have been lucky enough to get the contract with the TDSB to sell books to the schools. Some are book wholesalers who also have this contract. The building was filled with tables and displays from all of these vendors. It is a bibliophile's dream.

Over the years, I have developed a strategy for these days. My first stop is The Beguiling. I like to stop here first because they sell out quickly. This is the store that first re-introduced me to the wonderful world of graphic novels and manga. As these books are among the items most heavily circulated in the library, I end up spending a fair bit of my budget here.

This year, I was buying more graphic novels and new manga. I will do an inventory of the current manga series that are in the library and then send in an order to update, replace missing volumes, and extend the series. Some of the new manga series I bought are: St. Dragon Girl and Bakuman

After The Beguiling, I headed to Permabound. I have recently begun to buy more from this distributor because they make a nearly indestructible product. For the books that are borrowed a lot, this is a great option. This year I bought the entire Babymouse series, the enitre Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, and some assorted other titles.

After these two stops I try to visit the smaller book sellers. I find they offer a level of service that is more personal. There are some really awesome book stores in Toronto. I am happy to see that the TDSB recognizes them and that they can come to these book fairs. Today, I bought books from:
Ella Minnow Children's Bookstore
A Different Booklist
Mabel's Fables
and
Another Story Bookshop

While these are not the only vendors I visited, I want to highlight them for being outstanding places to buy books. In this day of big box stores for books, they offer a book buying experience that takes the time to get to know you as a reader and find the right books for you. Which is pretty much what I try to do in the Library.

In any case, new books will begin there journey onto our shelves. Stay tuned for some sneak peeks at what will be coming. Seems like a good time for the SAM Early Readers to begin again. Listen for the announcement.

Book to Movie: What will come after Harry Potter and Twilight?

I came across this site while surfing today: The Next Harry Potter or Twilight.

This got me thinking about which book, or series would make an excellent film. I have read most of the books that are proposed on this site, and if it is true that each of these titles/series has been optioned for film, then we may have some exciting and interesting movies coming out. Why don't you take a look at these ten titles. You can even add your opinion to the discussion.

You can also comment here. Maybe we can come up with our own list of books we, at SAM, would like to see made into movies.

Let me know.

Dystopian Novels

While looking at LibraryThing I cam across this article on the popularity of dystopian novels.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/00000000/42087-children-s-books-apocalypse-now.html

Now, I have enjoyed reading books that fit into this genre for a long time. There is something, as the article suggests, about reading stories that deal with the end of civilzation as we know it. When I was younger it was about picturing how I would survive in the worlds created by the author's of htose books. It seems that the popularity of such books as The Hunger Games have launched a love of similar books amongst teenaged readers.

I am pleased to announce that the SAM Library has a fair number of the books mentioned in the article as a part of our collection. Why not try one of them, if you haven't already?

Here is a list of some of the Dystopian titles in our collection:








Drop by the Library and I can suggest even more possibilities.

Around the Library in 14 Genres

Announcing the first Library Contest of the Year.

Cue Trumpet Fanfare.

Be the first to read through the 14 different genres in the Fiction section of the Library.

The genres are:

General Fiction
Teen Fiction
Adventure Fiction
Fantasy
Science Fiction
Historical Fiction
Mysteries
Humour
Horror
War
Sports
Classics
Graphic Novels
Manga


As you read through these genres, you will track your progress through a Genre Passport. Each time you complete a book from a different genre you will get a stamp in your passport from Mr. Gould. Once you have completed your journey hand in your passport to Mr. Gould for verification. Prizes will be awarded for the first 2 complete passports from each grade.

Contests @ the SAM Library

I've been doing some reading (no big surprise there, and I've been doing some thinking about ways to attract even more of you to the Library. There are a lot of you who make regular visits to the Library, and this makes me happy. I like seeing students with an armful of books to read. There are, however, still students walking the hallways of SAM without a book to read. So how do I get those students into the Library to borrow a book?

And then it came to me. Have a contest.

So let it be announced that the first of SAM's Library Contests will be beginning this week. I haven't worked out all the details yet, but if you listen to the announcements in the morning, and read this blog regularly, you will be the first to know.

The contest is going to have something to do with reading through the genres. One of the things I try to encourage in students is the reading of multiple genres. It's fun to read a lot of books in the genrer we favour, but it also fun to ry new genres and maybe, find a real treasure.



So stay tuned for further details.

A New School Year is Beginning

Welcome back. Did you know that the Library is open virtually every day after school? Did you know that many students have already dropped by to borrow books? You should drop by too. Come take a look at our fine selection of fiction, non-fiction, picture books and manga. I'm sure you will be able to find something to peak your interest.

If you haven't guessed, this blog will be the place to keep up to date on new book releases, and other Library info.

Check back often.

Coming soon will be our first contest of the year, and yes, it has to do with reading.

See you @ the SAM Library.

SAM READS

...and more book reviews.

Impossible
By: Nancy Werlin

This book is about a teenage girl named Lucy Scarborough who finds this diary her mom wrote when she was a teen. She discovers she needs to break a family curse that has been passed down for many generations now. If the curse is not broken, she will end up like her ancestors and act crazy in the future and her future child will become pregnant like the rest of her family at seventeen . In order to break this curse, she has to accomplish three impossible tasks before the birth of her child with the support and help of her family and friend, Zach.

This book is pretty good. Well, this book turned out to be better than I thought it would be. This book shows how your family and friends are always going to be by your side and always be supportive. Along the way, when Lucy was trying to accomplish these tasks Zach was always supportive, kind and caring. Impossible shows how you should never give up or your dreams won't come true.

I would recommend this novel to people who enjoys a combination of romance and suspense. I rate this book 7.5/10.

Reviewed by Corinna 8H


The Gryphon Project
by Carrie Mac

When I'm searching for a book, I usually look in the Fantasy section, but this book caught my eye as soon as I read the summary of the book. "The Gryphon Project" is about a close group of childhood friends who encounter a big problem with their friend Gryph/Gryphon. Phoenix (Phee) is his younger sister, and Gryphon used to be an admirable older brother, but somehow, he changed. Phoenix finds out that Gryph and some of his friends are keeping secrets that cannot be spoken... Written/Sign languaged/mouthed etc.

This book is in the genre of sci-fi and the really cool thing about it is that Gryphon and Phoenix and friends live in a world where reconning/reviving people is possible. Another element to the story is that Gryphon is a teenage athlete who is talented in all sports. The only thing I didn't enjoy reading in this book was the excessive use of the "bad language". I enjoyed this book and all; the characters are realistic and believable! Now you only have to pick it up @ the library :DDDD


Reviewed by Daria 7F

Books that will soon be on the LIbrary Shelves

The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle

This book is about a battle between two vampire brothers who each want to win the heart of Elena, a human girl. Damon is always on the side of darkness and wants to possess Elena. He is ready to harm his brother to make her his own. Stefan, the other brother, really cares about Elena and is desperate to gather enough power to defeat his brother, Damon.

Elena loves Stephan, but also realizes she has a growing affection for Damon. She ties herself to both brothers by letting htem drink her blood and drinking their blood in turn.

This is the second book in the Vampire Diaries series. It follows "The Awakening".

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy vampire romance books like "Twilight". This book is for readers who like horror and enjoy an exciting read. If you enjoy cliff-hangers, this his a book for you, as you will be eagerly waiting to to find out what happens next.

Divya

Let's Try Again

Ok, Ok. I know I said I would try to post more frequently, and January wasn't too bad. February, however, was not so good. I'm hoping that March will be better. I have been busy cataloguing new books and I am waiting, sometimes not so patiently, for the spine labels for these books to arrive. In the mean time, the SAM Readers are eagerly reading some of these books and writing reviews for them. I will begin to post some more of these in the next few weeks.

We have also launched to new services for all you patrons of the SAM Library. You can send me a request to hold a particular book for you, and you can also send me suggestions for books you would like me to purchase. These forms can be accessed through the SAM Library Mini Site which can be accessed through the SAM website.

More new books

Catching Fire

By Suzanne Collins

This book talked about a sixteen- year-old girl named Katniss who, along with a boy named Peeta from her district, won the annual Hunger Games last year in Panem. This year, they are both crowned Victors and attend the Victory Tour. Soon, a rebellion was created to fight against the corrupt government.

I enjoyed reading this book a lot. There was so much action in the middle, that I read the book in two days! I beat the record for the Twilight series last year, where each book took me 4 to 5 days.

In order to make a book fast-paced, the author would need to have a plot full of suspense and action. This novel has everything: from romance to science fiction to adventure. When Peeta was about to die, I wondered if Katniss could save him. That was one of the parts where I wanted to keep on reading to find out.

I definitely recommend this book to teenagers and adults. It is like reading Twilight, but with more action, for attracting more people to read it. Furthermore, teens like to read books that relate to their life. For example, Katniss is rich, popular, and has a taste for clothes; after she won the Hunger Games.

Iris

Spy High: Mission 4

by A.J. Butcher

I do not like or dislike this book. It was, inevitably, cheesy, but entertaining. I think it would have been beneficial to read the previous books. Some less annoying characters may have helped too.

This was a quick and entertaining read, but it did not live up to other spy books such as the Alex Rider series.

I liked their innovated technology, but the cloning theme is extremely overused (and over rated). The addition of love interests was completely not needed.

Cathleen

Urban Voices

This is a last reminder for all you would be poets. The deadline for submission of poems to be considered for this year's Urban Voices publication is Monday January 25, 2010. Drop by the Library to pick up a submission form.

Ripley's Believe it or Not, The Fortunes of Indigo Skye

Ripley's Believe it or Not

I liked this book. It's fun and amusing to read. I liked how the facts were placed around the pages, making the important ones really stand out. This book is about facts, amazing creatures and lots more information gathered from around the world. I recommend this book to anyone who likes amazing and cool facts from around the world. If you like this book, you will probably like the other books int his series.

Linda C.


The Fortunes of Indigo Skye
by Deb Caletti

This unique and creative story teaches a lesson everyone should know. This lesson is that some things, like family, close friends, to name a few, can't be bought with money. Though there are some words in the book that people should not repeat, the book is really good.

Ivy C.

The Odyssey, Change of Heart, Amulet vol. 2

The Odyssey (Graphic Novel adaptation)
by Homer

I like the fact that this book has been modified to help people understand the story. At the beginning, it shows all the main characters, what they looked like, and a simple description. The story was very creative, but it could have used more explanation, as to which character is which and what they actually do. At times, the reader can get confused because there are so many different legends and myths and heroes. Overall, the story was good, and the illustrations were very detailed and realistic.

Angel L.


Change of Heart
by Nora McClintock

Robyn is torn apart when one friend accuses the other for the murder of her boyfriend. I think that was a very interesting set-up, but it could have played out better. Although the plot has been used before, there were lots of twists thrown in. The only thing I didn't like was how, as a reader, you knew that the accused wasn't the actual murderer. It would have added a whole lot more drama if this wasn't the case. The ending was a little predictable, but also a bit surprising. I was surprised by who the actual murderer was.

I would have liked more action in the story, because the only suspenseful part came very close to the end. Nick appears very briefly throughout the book. I would have liked to read more about him.

In all, this was not the best book in this series, but still it was pretty good.

Cindy L.


Amulet vol. 2
by Kean Soo

I liked this book because it had a n interesting, adventurous and action based theme. It is the sequel to Amulet. It is about Emily and Navin going to Kanalis tofind a way to cure to the poison their mother was given and also a way to escape the elves. Instead, they find themselves in the middle of a war.

I recommend this book to those who like to see pictures and some words together on the page. In other words: Graphic Novels.

SAM Readers Student Reviews

Devon Delaney Should Totally Know Better
by Lauren Barnholdt

Devon Delaney Should Totally Know Better is a very good novel. The main character in this book is named Devon Delaney. In her first book, she was caught in a super big lie that almost ended her friendship with everyone. And now, she can’t help but to start lying again. When she finds out that her boyfriend, Luke, is talking to his ex-girlfriend, Bailey Barelli, everyday she can’t help but lie about her past relationship. To show how totally unaffected she is by Bailey’s obvious crush over Luke, she invents her own fake ex-boyfriend: Greg. What starts as a little white lie doesn’t seem like one toward the end of the book.

I really liked this book because of the characters, the plot of the story and how everything unfolded. It was very realistic; it was captivating from the very beginning and I just couldn't put the book down. The theme of this book was to always tell the truth and to never lie, even when you want to impress somebody, because it never works and you might end up losing everything. If I could rate this book, I would give it 5 stars! I definitely recommend reading this because once you do; you won’t be able to put it down. The first book is just as good and I recommend reading it.

Stephanie T. 8h

Maggie Bean Stays Afloat
by Tricia Rayburn

I recommend this book to people who have already read The Melting of Maggie Bean . This book was not that exciting for me. When I read the first book, the next month, i completely forgot what the book was about. I think this is also the case for this book. I skipped a page here and there, as it all seemed the same. The story line of this book is alright. I enjoyed the website; building Maggie and her friend Arnie. In the story, they have a group called Pound Patrolers, that helps teens lose weight and have fun doing it. Since Pound Patrolers was so successful, they created a new club called Patrol This (for younger children)I admire Maggie for a few reasons: she lost weight while in Pound Patrolers, made a best friend through it, and is similar to me (computers and swimming).

I give this book 4 stars.

Amy F - 8H
p.s. the author has a blog: http://triciarayburn.blogspot.com/

More New Books

It's that time of year when the new books start to make their way onto the shelves. Here are a couple more to think about.

This short graphic novel is anything but small. It is a frank and sometimes frightening examination of the perils of eating dis-orders. No punches are pulled as the author takes a look at the pressures that keep people in the seemingly endless cycle of pain and misery that centres on their own body image.

It might be quick to read, but the effects are long lasting.

I first saw this book a number of years ago, and I am delighted that it will be part of our Library's collection. Part encyclopedia, part choose-your-own adventure, all interesting. This book lets you leaf your way through the pages in a pattern that will always be as different as the days on which you choose to read it. It's a good idea to read the instructions at the beginning, but this book also lends itself well to just jumping in wherever you feel like it. In this book you will find information about so many different topics, but grouped mainly into 8 main categories. Science, the Arts, History and the Natural World to name just a few. So go on, jump in, see what you can learn. You may not want to put it down.

Stay tuned next week for student written reviews.

Marcelo in the Real World

I just couldn't put this book down.

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork.

The whole concept of the book was intriguing and as I read more of the story there was so much to think about. This is definitely for a more mature teen reader as the issues that arise in the telling are difficult. One of the main issues here is the treatment of people we perceive to be different. The main character, Marcelo, attends a private high school that specialises in students with "cognitive disorders". Marcelo, when pressed, will identify his condition as being close to Asberger's Syndrome. He perceives the world in a way that is very different from the rest of us, and yet what he sees is often more clear than the rest of us.

The story centres around Marcelo's summer job in the mail room of his father's law firm. His entry into "the real world" is difficult and forces him into situations where he must extend beyond his comfort zone. How he copes and the directions in which he finds himself going make for fascinating reading.

I was intrigued by how the author was able to get me, as a reader, into Marcelo's head. I found the whole book absorbing and now I am trying to figure out to whom I will strongly recommend it. Do you think you would like to give it a try?

The Eternal Smile

I was putting out some of the new books this morning and came across this one.

The Eternal Smile by Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim. I picked this book up because I had read and enjoyed another book by Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese). I opened this book with a great sense of expectation.

The book is easy to read. It contains three stories with very different visual styles in the drawings. (Did I mention this was a Graphic Novel?) At first the three stories didn't seem to be connected. The first story is about a young Prince named Duncan striving to understand the kingdom in which he dwells. The second story is about a greedy frog who sis searching for that elusive happiness. The third story is about a seemingly naive young lady who falls for a banking scam.

While each story works independently, they also, after a little thought, have some common themes. I won't spoil the book for you by telling you any more. Read it and discover for yourselves.

Early Readers

We started a new "club" yesterday when I invited those students who wanted to read the new books first to participate in this new venture. The way it works is that students can read the newest books in the Library before they go into general circulation. When they have finished reading a new book, all they have to do is submit a short review of that book. I will post the reviews here and on a bulletin board outside the Library.

A lot of students took out books for this yesterday. Here are a few of the titles that will be reviewed in the near future.

Maggie Bean Stays Afloat

The Awakening

By Royal Command

I look forward to reading the thoughts of these Eager Readers.

New Books

Yes, the new books have started their journey into the hands and minds of SAM readers. Are you a SAM reader? Would you like to be?

Here are some thoughts about one of those new books:

Broken Memory by Elisabeth Combres.

The setting for this powerful novel is Rwanda. This small, African nation was nearly destroyed by a war that resulted in genocide which began in April, 1994. The story is of Emma, a girl who survived the genocide and yet is wracked by guilt and painful memories of the events. The story is one of healing as Emma, continues to survive, and with the help of caring people, she learns to live again.

Beautiful in its simplicity, and powerful in its message, this short novel was difficult to put down until I had read through it all. An important book to be read as we try to understand the effects that war have upon all those who survive.

A New Year

I have to admit that I have been rather lazy about posting here. As it is the New Year I will try to be more regular. Today, after a long wait, the envelope I was waiting for finally arrived. This envelope contains spine labels for the first batch of new books that I purchased back in October. So, even though the new cataloguing process allows me to do more of the cataloguing from school, i still end up waiting for the labels to be printed. I realise the Library staff are very busy, and I appreciate the work they do. I just get impatient for the new books to be out there circulating. Look for some quick book reviews in the upcoming posts as the new books are slowly released into circulation.