Sam and CY students & staff are reading…

Who would like this book? Adults and teens who love adventure, specifically the harrowing story of survival of Ernest Shackleton and the crew of the Endurance in the ill-fated attempt to cross the Antarctic in 1914.

Why? I’ve been mesmerized by the survival of Shackleton and his men since reading Caroline Alexander’s 1998 nonfiction account in The Endurance: Shackleton’s Legendary Antactic Expedition, so I was excited about reading this fictionalized account. I was not disappointed, and I found it amazing that as I finished reading it, a cruise ship retracing Shackleton’s journey hit an iceberg and sunk! If Shackleton catches your interest, don’t miss Mckernan’s well-researched and well-written tale from the point of view of young Perce Blackbarrow. Perce really was a stowaway on the Endurance, and his experiences are an excellent way to capture the excruciating events as they struggle to survive and the vivid personalities of the crew. Once I was halfway through the book, I couldn’t put it down (even though I know what happened), and I was blubbering at the end. The men are so stoic, somebody has to cry! I highly recommend this book.

The details: 336 p 2005 (Hardback); 317 p. 2006 (Paperback)

Who would like this book? Lois Lowry fans and fantasy fans who are fascinated by dreams, nightmares and their impact on humans.

Why? Lowry lets us see one world from two perspectives in this fascinating tale. From the fantasy side, we meet the dream-givers Littlest and her mentor, Thin Elderly. Littlest is learning the art of gathering memories from the homes of humans and weaving them into happy, helpful dreams that she can bestow with compassion on her appointed human. From the real side of the story, we get to know one of the dream-givers’ humans — a lonely, elderly woman who takes in a troubled foster son, John. The arrival of the vicious Sinisteeds, the bringers of nightmares, is the conflict that brings the characters to crisis and redemption.

The details: 144 p. 2006

Who would like this book? Daniel Pinkwater fans of all ages! If you haven’t heard of Daniel Pinkwater and you like quirky characters and adventure that goes sideways, give this book a spin.

Why? Ned Wentworthstein, the young son of an eccentric shoelace magnate, narrates his adventure which begins on a train taking him and his family from Chicago to their new home in Los Angeles. (His father wants to eat in the restaurant that’s shaped like a hat.) On an hour-long stop in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Ned follows his curiosity into the “Indian Building.” As Ned gets into the experience of the building, “an Indian guy, not tall, not short, not young, not old, not handsome, not ugly” tells Ned that he “has it right” and gives him a little turtle carved of stone. The Indian guy, maybe a shaman, maybe named Melvin, keeps popping up in unexpected places as the adventure unfolds and Ned learns that the turtle may (or may not) save humanity from destruction. Pinkwater wraps the turtle adventure with fantastic experiences that any kid in the 1940s would love and the result is a funny, goofy romp that kept me smiling, giggling, and laughing.

The details: 307 p. 2007

Review submitted by Vanessa:

This book is a great young adult and teen novel. At a place called “the School” six kids (the flock) were genetically enhanced (they have avaian genes) by “scientists.” One nice scientist named Jeb helped them break out and took care of them while they hid for two years. Then, Jeb disappeared and that left Max in charge. The flock is Max (14, the eldest and the leader of the flock), Fang (14 also), Iggy (blind and six months younger than Max), Nudge (11 and very talkative), the Gasman (8 and known as Gazzy), and Angel (who Max loves the most, is 6). They are only 98% human and have wings; their other idiosyncrasies are incredible! The only other things the “scientists” have ever successfully created are the Erasers; they are part human and part wolf and live only six years. The Erasers are all predator and are out to get the flock after four years in hiding. The flock gets split up when the Erasers attack, and that brings on the missions to get the flock back together. The rest of the book is a series of strange events, battles, triumphs, and even more absurdities in the flock. I think this book has a great plot, with many strange events. There are battles and triumphs, but there are also losses and someone may just go crazy.

The details: 422 p. 2005

Finally, we have news about Book Three in Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Trilogy…but, it is no longer a trilogy. It is now the Inheritance Cycle, comprised of four books. Book Three will be published on September 23, 2008 and will end in the death of one of the main characters.

Read more and listen to an interview with Christopher Paolini  at  http://www.alagaesia.com/kvetha/

Who would like this book?”…He felt things were often connected in ways that no one could yet explain in scientific terms. But if none of this was coincidence, what was it?” (p. 249) If you like this quote, art, puzzles, codes, and mystery, read this book!

Why? Petra and Calder are not friends when this novel begins, but a series of strange coincidences bring these two eccentric sixth graders together. The coincidences revolve around a missing painting by the Dutch painter, Jan Vermeer. Their open-minded teacher, Ms. Hussey, at the University of Chicago’s Lab School, seems to be involved, as does their stern, elderly neighbor Ms. Sharpe. Petra and Calder plunge into solving the mystery with a captivating combination of intuition and logic. Their process takes them to many fascinating places in Chicago, and Balliett describes them so well that I felt as if I were there. I never thought about visiting Chicago before, but after reading this book I want to go and use the book as my tour guide! The afterword has lots of information about the author, the illustrator, Vermeer, puzzles, and art.

The details: 254 p. 2004