Sam and CY students & staff are reading…

Who would like this book? Fans of Artemis Fowl, for sure, will want to grab this book right away. If you have not discovered Artemis Fowl but like the idea of a young criminal mastermind coming up against a teched-out fairy,then you have a treat in store for yourself. You might want to start with Artemis Fowl, the first in the series.

Why? The life of master criminal Artemis Fowl takes a U-turn in this sixth book in the series. With new twin brothers, Artemis discovers a capacity for compassion that grows when his mother becomes desperately ill with a disease of the fairies. The only cure is in the brain fluid of an extinct lemur, and a younger, selfish Artemis is the one who handed over the last of its species to the Extinctionists eight years earlier. The only hope for healing his mother is to get the help of Captain Holly Short, the high-tech fairy, and go back in time to steal the lemur from his younger self. Their ensuing adventures pit them against villains and obstacles that bring them together in surprising ways. The development of their characters and relationship deepens the clever plot, and verbal sparring and inside jokes lighten it with humor. Many of the jokes, allusions, and character traits were lost on me since I have only read the first and last in the series. I’m motivated by this book to go back and read the other four.

The details: 391 p. 2008

#1: Artemis Fowl
#2: Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident
#3: Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code
#4: Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception
#5: Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony

Submitted by Elsie:
This book is about a teenager named Vince. He doesn’t really have a normal family. His dad works in a mob, which is like a mafia group thing. His mom just cooks. His brother Tommy works with his dad. Vince doesn’t want to be any part of his dad’s business. His dad almost went to prison because he was accused of killing a celebrity named Mario Calabrese. He out smarted the cops and got away. Vince has a friend named Alex. Alex is always talking about girls and stuff like that. He also always whines about the fact that he can’t get a girlfriend.
At school Vince is taking a new media class. He had to make up a web site of his own. Alex was in that class too. Alex made a web site of Ferraris. Vince made a web site about cats. The first few days it wasn’t getting many hits. When he checked again he had a lot, but they were weird. Vince and Alex tried out for the football team. They both made it in, but Vince quit because the players were scared to tackle him. They thought that if they hurt him his dad would send some one after them to beat them up. So Vince just quit the team.
Vince and Alex and other students got invited to a high school party. When they got to the party, they didn’t really see any body from their school. They decided to split up and check the place out. Vince was walking when some girl came up to him, She seemed like she was running away from some one. Then she told a guy that Vince was her boyfriend, which was not true. Then Vince recognized who it was. It was Kendra Bightly, the school journalist. She tells Vince that her dad worked for the FBI. He was shocked. Then he just kisses her. When he left to his house, he realized that he kissed and likes the daughter of his dad’s worst enemy. The guy who wants to put his dad in prison. I will let you find out what happens with him and Kendra. This book is funny and at the same time a story of a teenager just wants a normal life and not having to let go of some one he likes just because of his dad and family. It’s a good book.
Submitted by Elsie

Who would like this book? This book appeals to teens and adults.

Why? Whirligig is a great book with worthwhile life lessons, and great inspirational text. It follows a boy who has accidentally killed a girl by drunk driving, and who then goes on a journey to build four whirligigs. The whirligigs the mother of the girl killed, says that they will preserve her spirit, and keep her alive. This book is a great life story, read it!

The details: 133 p. 1998           Submitted by Chance

Who would like this book? Readers who like fantasy, especially the books of J.R.R. Tolkien (and J. K. Rowling!). This book is straight-ahead fantasy and has no literal connection to our own world, but it does have a very deep psychological connection to each of its readers.

Why? Originally published in 1968, The Wizard of Earthsea is one of the original fantasy worlds that have inspired so many other fantasy writers. If you like fantasy, don’t miss this book, the first of a series of four. Le Guin has created Earthsea, a sprawling archipelago in which magic and wizardry is as normal as sailing amongst the islands. Sparrowhawk, the “use” name of the main character, shows great magical power from a young age. After saving his village from Kargish invaders, the mage Ogion comes to take Sparrowhawk as his apprentice, and to give him his true name, Ged. Ged becomes restless with Ogion’s silence and chooses to set out on his own to the school for wizards. Here, Ged’s pride gets the best of him, leading him to make a mistake with dreadful consequences. Le Guin narrates this plot with beautiful, formal prose that fits the serious tone of Ged’s struggles and weaves in powerful themes: names, balance, and the reality of our shadow selves.

The details: 82 p. 1968

Who would like this book? Older teens who have an interest in survival stories and environmental/new age themes.

Why? Lolly Emerson, a precocious and free-spirited 15-year-old, loves to sail Mugwump, her Boston Whaler. One beautiful moonlit evening in the Florida Keys, her solo sailing goes awry and she is thrown into the ocean. Just when death seems certain, a manatee spirits her away to a tiny island with warm water and mangroves. Lolly narrates her story with a sensitive, intelligent voice that reflects a high degree of self-awareness. The narration alternates between her own experiences and the experiences of her mother and the others on land, who are missing her and searching for her. Monninger does a good job of straddling these two narrative sequences, bringing them together at the end. The descriptions of her experiences while she is with the manatees are riveting, and her sense of the beauty of the natural world is balanced by the harsh threats of bull sharks, alligators, and mosquitoes. The story, though, is predictable and the final chapters are uneven, inexplicably laying out the rest of her life and her mother’s life. Even so, it’s great to have a survival story about a sensitive young woman. The book would be a good choice for public and school libraries. Some middle school librarians should be aware of a couple of scenes with lots of kissing and one brief scene in which Lolly and her boyfriend drink beer.

The details: 156 p. 2008

Who would like this book? This book is probably 14 and under.

Why? Lemony Snicket combines comical characters, with Unfortunate settings, that makes, A Series of Unfortunate Events easy reads, with plots that blow your mind! This particular novel, follows Violet, Klaus, and Sunny going to an academy. Ran by an awful violin player, and lousy teachers, this academy is a lot worse than it sounds. Read to find out how much worse!

The details: 221 p. 2000    Submitted by Chance

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Who would like this book?
I think this book is is probably for ages 13 plus, for its sometimes confusing text. However, I think everyone would enjoy it; after all it is definitely a classic!

Why?  When Mr. Lockwood decides to rent a house by a Mr. Heathcliff, he has no idea of the family’s horrid past, full of love, death, and tragedy. But, when he sees the ghost of a Heathcliff family member, his curiosity inspires him to ask an old family maid of the past. However, as Mr. Lockwood will soon find out, the past is usually not so bright, but what of the future? This book follows the maid’s sometimes chilling, and always intoxicating tale, of love, despair, and glory. With conflicts that will chill your bones, and warm your heart, Wuthering Heights is a definite classic that will make your head swim with pleasure.  Read to find out more.

The details: 303 p. 1847   Submitted by Chance

Who would like this book? Anybody prepared to face slightly unrealistic gender biases and extraordinarily realistic characters.

Why? This book is about this girl, Joan, who goes to a new school. She hangs out with boys as friends and plays rough sports. At the new school, there is a typo on the attendance sheet, stating her name as John, so she decides to reinvent herself and discovers that being a boy might not be what she wants. By the way, her mom was pretty persistent that she act more like a girl. Seriously, that’s just biased.

The details:  151 p. 2005  Submitted by Zoe

Who would like this book? If you liked the original Spiderwick Chronicles, go on to the “Beyond”! If you missed the original series but are interested in a fantasy adventure in which the a guy and his step sister are NOT getting along, jump right in. You don’t need to read the first ones before this one.

Why? Nicholas Vargas, 11 years old, is not cool and not interested in spending time with his new step-sister, Laurie. He’s feeling badly that his mom died and feeling even worse that his dad has remarrried. His older brother,  Jules, is cool personified, always immersed in his video games, his surfing, and his girlfriend. Nick grudgingly shows the enthusiastic Laurie around the Florida development, Mangrove Estates, that his dad is building. He cannot tolerate her obsession with the book Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide, a guide to faeries. Unexpected developments – a four-leaf clover, an unexpected storm, and a dying nixie – change Nick’s view of the world and of Laurie. Their relationship and the wonderful illustrations make this book a worthwhile read. I love that the illustrator (Toni) gets top billing.

The details: 162 p. 2007

 Who would like this book? Anyone who has read the first three books in the Twilight series will not want to miss this book. Definitely read the books in order: Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn.

Why? If you’ve read the first three books in this series, you are most likely reaching for Breaking Dawn to find out what happens once Bella and Edward are married. I can share that much in this review, but do not want to divulge any of the other plot twists. The first half of the book contains some difficult “passages” for Bella, and the passages describing them might be upsetting for some readers. In our library, we’ve given the book an “MC (Mature content): 8th grade or parent permission” rating. When you get to the second half of the book, be prepared to lose sleep because the plot takes off and the dangers mount. The development of Jacob’s character, his relationship with the Cullens, and the insights into more of the members of the Cullen family complement the changes that Bella and Edward experience. Though the ending does not rise into metaphor, the plot twists and deepening characters made the book a satisfying reading experience for me. Of course, being a librarian, I also liked the research that Carlyle and Esme had to do.

The details: 756 p. 2008