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.