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08:47:49 pm on January 11, 2011 |
Comments Off on Crossing the Tracks by Barbara Stuber | # |
Tags: courage, death, family, Realistic Fiction, Romance
While the snow was falling and Lincoln Public Schools were closed for a couple of days, I read the book, Crossing the Tracks, which I borrowed from the public library. I selected the book because the setting is in towns and cities not too far from where I grew up. The novel relates the story of a young girl, Iris, who faces many trials in her life including the death of her mother at an early age and a distant father who sends her away for the summer. Although not thrilled to work for the Nesbitt family, Iris is genuinely surprised by their warmth, friendship and hospitality. However, Iris must face her memories, anger, and sadness especially when tragedy dramatically changes her course in life. I fell in love with the characters in this novel especially Mrs. Nesbitt, Dr. Avery Nesbitt, and Leroy (Iris’ boyfriend). They make the novel worth reading. I was disappointed about the celebratory treatment of a particular death near the end of the novel. I’d tell you who dies, but I’d ruin the story for you.
Crossing the Tracks was a 2011 Finalists for the The William C. Morris YA Debut Award
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08:30:33 pm on January 11, 2011 |
Comments Off on The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzales | # |
Tags: cuba, fidel castro, Historical Fiction, Nebraska, trailer
I recently read the book, Lucky: Maris, Mantle, and My Best Summer Ever by Wes Tooke, which took place during 1961 when Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle were racing to beat Babe Ruth’s homerun record. The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzales reminded me of this book because it took place during the same year, 1961. Yet, The Red Umbrella takes on a more serious historical event. Lucia tells the story of her life in Cuba when Fidel Castro comes to power. She is a typical teenage girl concerned with fashion, friends, and upcoming dances. As the revolution begins to impact her family more directly, Lucia must bravely embrace her parents’ plan to protect her and her brother. The Red Umbrella is a warm and beautiful story about a young girl’s courage and perseverance admist life-changing events. P.S. Some of the events in the story occur in Grand Island, Nebraska!
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08:16:42 pm on January 11, 2011 |
Comments Off on It’s Raining Cupcakes by Lisa Schroeder | # |
Tags: baking, cupcakes, family, friendship, Realistic Fiction, travel
So very often you ask me for a short book to read for your book report. Well, here is a cute story that is 193 pages, but a quick and easy read. You’ll fly through it like it’s 100 pages, and you will enjoy the sweet story along the way. In the story, Isabel would give anything to travel outside of her small town in Oregon. So, she enters a baking contest, and if her recipe is selected, she will travel to New York for the national competition. However, two people may stand in the way of her plan. Her best friend, who seems to succeed at everything she tries also plans to enter a recipe, and her mother wants her to enter a cupcake recipe to promote the Cupcake shop their family is opening in town, but Isabel is not sure her best recipe is a cupcake recipe. If you want to find out what Isabel decides, read It’s Raining Cupcakes by Lisa Schroeder. We don’t have this book in our library yet, but if you let me know, I can help you obtain a copy to read.
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06:32:26 pm on January 1, 2011 |
Comments Off on Lucky: Maris, Mantle, and My Best Summer Ever by Wes Tooke | # |
Tags: babe ruth, baseball, family, mickey mantel, roger maris, summer
Lucky: Maris, Mantle, and My Best Summer Ever chronicles Louis May’s experience as bat boy for the Yankees during the summer of 1961, which was the year Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle raced to beat Babe Ruth’s home run record. If you enjoyed the baseball card adventures by Dan Gutman, you will certainly enjoy this book, too.
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Despite the fact that she is currently homeless and living on a school bus, Amber Appleton is the most hopeful, optimistic, and loving teenager ever. She teaches English to the Korean Divas for Christ, created a program that spices up the lives of the elderly at the Methodist home, befriends a lonely Vietnam Veteran, and fights to save her favorite teacher’s job. But when tragedy strikes, Amber must decide if she will remain hopeful or give in to despair. Grab a box of tissues. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, but you will absolutely love the way this one ends! Here’s the trailer for Sorta Like a Rock Star created by Matthew Quick, the author of the book:
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06:05:33 pm on October 31, 2010 |
Comments Off on Willowood by Cecilia Galante | # |
Tags: bullies, disabilities, family, friendship, moving, pets
Lily’s mom gets a new job, and Lily must leave her school and her best friend to start again in a new town. Willowood is Lily’s story about embracing change, dealing with bullies, making new friends, and doing what is right even when adults may not understand at first.
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A car accident kills Mia’s mother, father, and brother. Now Mia is in intensive care in critical condition. The novel flashes from the past to the present as Mia experiences an out of body experience between life and death where she must decide whether or not she will live or die. An engaging novel that will be loved by anyone who read Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reason’s Why, Laurie Halse Anderson’s Wintergirls, or Jennifer Brown’s Hate List.
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02:58:32 pm on October 6, 2010 |
Comments Off on Streams of Babel by Carol Plum-Ucci | # |
Streams of Babel was an intriguing story about six teenagers’ whose neighborhood water supply has been contaminated by terrorists. As the teens attempt to figure out what is making them sick, two other teenage hackers are working with the authorities to track down the terrorists. I enjoyed this book because of the fast moving plot and well-developed characters. I was disappointed when a relationship between characters did not evolve as I thought it would.
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10:20:59 am on September 14, 2010 |
Comments Off on The Importance of Wings by Robin Friedman | # |
Tags: family, friendship, israel, israeli, multicultural
Roxanne moved to the United States from Israel when she was four years old. She wants nothing more than to fit in and be “all American.” With her mom living in Israel and her dad working late nights as a Manhattan taxi driver, Roxanne’s life is far from what she desires. When Liat, an Israeli girl, moves into the cursed house next door, Roxanne learns from Liat what it means to be Israeli and that maybe being all American and what Roxanne considers normal is not as important as Roxanne once thought.
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01:15:50 pm on September 9, 2010 |
Comments Off on Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater | # |
Tags: relationships, Romance, supernatural, werewolves
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater tells the story of a girl, Grace, who is attacked by a pack of wolves, but saved by one wolf among the pack. After the attack, Grace is infatuated with the wolves particularly the wolf who saved her, Sam. Maggie soon learns that Sam is a werewolf, and she and Sam spend the summer together, but Sam believes this is the last summer he will transform into a human. Now Sam and Maggie are doing everything they can to avoid Sam’s trasnformation back into a wolf.
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