When one things of February two things spring to mind. The first (for better or worse) is Valentine's Day. St. Valentine has nearly been forgotten in favor of the more amorous aspects of the holiday. In honor of that the first half of my blog post this month is dedicated to books of love :)
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
Nora is not looking for romance, in fact that's not even on her radar. That is until Patch came along. He's very different from the other boys and Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment. But after a series of terrifying encounters, she begins to wonder whom she can trust.Should she fall into Patch’s arms or run and hide from him? When she seeks the answer, she finds a truth more bewildering than any feeling Patch evokes.
Beastly by Alex Flinn
Kyle Kingsbury has the deck stacked-privileged, popular, and proud.He can get away with murder because of his good looks and his father's money. When Kyle goes too far and picks on a feisty witch, the witch casts a spell on him, turning him into a beast. Now he is as ugly on the outside as he is on the inside. If Kyle wants to break the curse he has to fall in love with someone who will look pas his appearance and love him in return.
Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman
I love this book and I can't do better in describing it than the publication notes already have "Charles Darwin published The Origin of Species, his revolutionary tract on evolution and the fundamental ideas involved, in 1859. Nearly 150 years later, the theory of evolution continues to create tension between the scientific and religious communities. Challenges about teaching the theory of evolution in schools occur annually all over the country. This same debate raged within Darwin himself, and played an important part in his marriage: his wife, Emma, was quite religious, and her faith gave Charles a lot to think about as he worked on a theory that continues to spark intense debates."
The second thing that comes to mind when one thinks of February is Black History Month. I feel this is under celebrated in pop culture. Let's all strive to be more conscientious during February! With that mission in mind here are some books centered around Black History Month
A Sweet Smell of Roses by Angela Johnson
For this beautiful picture book I cannot summarize it better than the publication notes "There's a sweet, sweet smell in the air as two young girls sneak out of their house, down the street, and across town to where men and women are gathered, ready to march for freedom and justice. Inspired by countless children and young adults who took a stand, two Coretta Scott King honorees offer a heart-lifting glimpse of children's roles in the civil rights movement."
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Yes this fiction. Yes this book was written by a white woman. Yes this book has become very controversial. All of these things do not negate the fact that this book also tells the story of downtrodden housemaids, tired of being treated as second class citizens, standing up for themselves, their people and future generations. Heartwarming and impossible to put down, The Help, is a wonderful book to illustrated racial tension in the South in the pre-civilrights days.
Jacqueline Woodson
Okay so Ms. Woodson is an author and not a book, but I love her work so much I could not include one title to the exclusion of all others. If you have not had the privilege to read Ms. Woodson's amazing work-STOP EVERYTHING- go to your local library and check out one of her titles right now!
Friday, February 17, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Bet you didn't know January is...
Fiction
Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer
Thirteen-year-old half-vampire Vladimir Tod struggles to find away to survive the ups and downs of eighth grade while keeping his untested super powers and inhuman impulses in check.
Nonfiction
The Vampire Book by Sally Reagan
Learn the moves you need to find vampires, kill vampires or become a vampire in this highly engaging book. Filled with photos as well as valuable information this is a must have for all future Buffys :)
Adult Pick
Adult Pick
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
Through a bizarre twist of fate the narrator of this fictionalized biography of our 16th president meets a vampire who spurs him to read the slaying journal of Abraham Lincoln. A very amusing read if you need a paperback to take with you on a trip.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Books to be snowed in with
With the first few flakes of the year being anxiously expected any moment, here are a few books worth curling up with.
Fiction
Fiction
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Jane is a poor, plain, orphan growing up in the household of her hateful aunt. Despite being neglected and overworked she endures. She is sent to boarding school, where the treatment is no better. In spite of the torture and loss Jane manages to emerge with her spirit and integrity unbroken. She becomes a governess to the children of Thornfield Hall. Once there she finds herself falling in love with her employer Mr. Rochester. A deep dark secret tears apart their relationship, forcing Jane to face poverty and isolation once again.
Nonfiction
Angela's Ashes, T'is, Teacher Man by Frank McCourt
I am a great fan of Frank McCourt's work. His blunt honesty and self-deprecating humor make his subject matter as accessible as it is memorable. Growing up in Ireland lent itself to many colorful stories which he lays out in Angela's Ashes. Upon reaching adulthood McCourt sails back to New York and begins life again as a struggling student and then teacher in T'is. Teacher Man offers a look into his teaching years and the warmth and honesty of each tale will endear this book to you forever. Each book is written in natural language and so a small swearing advisory is in place :)
Adult Pick
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
This is one of my favorite books and I can't do a better job of telling you about the book than the book jacket can. "Is it possible to share your life with someone whose record collection is incompatible with your own? Can people have terrible taste and still be worth knowing? Do songs about broken hearts and misery and loneliness mess up your life if consumed in excess? For Rob Fleming, thirty-five years old, a pop addict and owner of a failing record shop, these are the sort of questions that need an answer, and soon. His girlfriend has just left him. Can he really go on living in a poky flat surrounded by vinyl and CDs or should he get a real home, a real family and a real job? Perhaps most difficult of all, will he ever be able to stop thinking about life in terms of the All Time Top Five bands, books, films, songs - even now that he's been dumped again, the top five break-ups. Memorable, sad and very, very funny, this is the truest book you will ever read about the things that really matter."
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Sometimes you can judge a book by its cover
The theme of this week's picks are books with great cover art, because let's face it the audience is looking at the art first. With Halloween on it's way we will focus on spooky books.
Fiction
Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan
A teen age boy sneaks out to an illegal freak show with his friends, and his life becomes entangled with a vampire carnival worker.
Non-fiction
Encyclopedia horrifica : the terrifying truth! about vampires, ghosts, monsters, and more by Joshua Gee
Discover a 4 billion year history alien life on earth. Meet the "real" ghostbusters. Answer the question who was the real Count Dracula. All this and more wait for you inside the Encyclopedia horrifica.
As always these titles are recommended for adults. Any ambitious young adult wishing to read these should do so with parental permission only.
The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, Book 1) by Stephen King
"The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed." That is the opening line from what can be argued to be the greatest work of famed author Stephen King. Roland, the gunslinger, believes that the Man in Black knows the nature of the Dark Tower. If Roland can catch the Man he will reveal these secrets, which is the ultimate goal of Roland's quest. Any more information would simply spoil the brilliance of this book. A must read!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Time for Poetry
I would be remiss if I failed to include some of the best poetry books in honor of Poetry Month.
Fiction
Love that Dog By Sharron Creech
This adorable book tells the story of a young boy forced by cruel teacher to write poetry. This is horrible everyone knows "boys don't write poetry. Girls do." The reader joins him in his struggle through the canon of great poets, many of whom he does not enjoy. This hilarious book is an instant classic.
Nonfiction
Where the sidewalk ends by Shel Silverstien
Some of beloved author and artist Shel Silverstien's best works are complied in this anthology. This extremely entertaining collection is a great way to introduce poetry to your students.
Adult Pick
My Adult Pick this week is William Butler Yeats' poetry.
The Collected Poems of W.B. Yeats
Yeats is my favorite poet. His collection includes my two favorite poems, of his, Brown Penny and The Stolen Child.
Fiction
Love that Dog By Sharron Creech
This adorable book tells the story of a young boy forced by cruel teacher to write poetry. This is horrible everyone knows "boys don't write poetry. Girls do." The reader joins him in his struggle through the canon of great poets, many of whom he does not enjoy. This hilarious book is an instant classic.
Nonfiction
Where the sidewalk ends by Shel Silverstien
Some of beloved author and artist Shel Silverstien's best works are complied in this anthology. This extremely entertaining collection is a great way to introduce poetry to your students.
Adult Pick
My Adult Pick this week is William Butler Yeats' poetry.
The Collected Poems of W.B. Yeats
Yeats is my favorite poet. His collection includes my two favorite poems, of his, Brown Penny and The Stolen Child.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Remembering
April is Holocaust Remembrance Month. In honor of this memorial I have chosen books themed around the Holocaust.
Fiction
The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
In the beginning Adolf Hitler's initial political doctrine was filled with hopeful solutions for a country plagued with hunger and devastation post-World War I. Promises of prosperity quickly turn to oppressive new laws including the required participation in the Hitler Youth. Protagonist Helmuth Hübener enters the program with his friends but he quickly begins to question reality behind the regime's invasions of neighboring countries, mistreatment of Jewish citizens, and closely controlled media. He creates an underground newsletter with information gathered from BBC reports using an illegal shortwave radio. As he secretly distributes the flyers throughout the town, his boldness encourages him to gather several accomplices resulting in his arrest, trial, and execution.
Nonfiction
Holocaust by Angela Gluck Wood
This DK presentation, in the classic glossy style, combined with the eyewitness accounts of Holocaust survivors makes for a sobering and visually compelling work of history. A wide variety of materials create a disturbing timeline of events beginning with Jewish exile from Jerusalem in 70 CE after Roman occupation and ending with modern-day Holocaust denial and the creation of memorials around the world.
Adult Pick
Night by Elie Wiesel
A chilling memoir in which a scholarly, pious teenager is wracked with guilt at having survived the horror of the Holocaust and the genocidal campaign that destroyed his family. Nightmares of the world of the death camps haunt him. He is plagued by a question: “how can the God he once so fervently believed in have allowed these monstrous events to occur?”
Fiction
The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
In the beginning Adolf Hitler's initial political doctrine was filled with hopeful solutions for a country plagued with hunger and devastation post-World War I. Promises of prosperity quickly turn to oppressive new laws including the required participation in the Hitler Youth. Protagonist Helmuth Hübener enters the program with his friends but he quickly begins to question reality behind the regime's invasions of neighboring countries, mistreatment of Jewish citizens, and closely controlled media. He creates an underground newsletter with information gathered from BBC reports using an illegal shortwave radio. As he secretly distributes the flyers throughout the town, his boldness encourages him to gather several accomplices resulting in his arrest, trial, and execution.
Nonfiction
Holocaust by Angela Gluck Wood
This DK presentation, in the classic glossy style, combined with the eyewitness accounts of Holocaust survivors makes for a sobering and visually compelling work of history. A wide variety of materials create a disturbing timeline of events beginning with Jewish exile from Jerusalem in 70 CE after Roman occupation and ending with modern-day Holocaust denial and the creation of memorials around the world.
Adult Pick
Night by Elie Wiesel
A chilling memoir in which a scholarly, pious teenager is wracked with guilt at having survived the horror of the Holocaust and the genocidal campaign that destroyed his family. Nightmares of the world of the death camps haunt him. He is plagued by a question: “how can the God he once so fervently believed in have allowed these monstrous events to occur?”
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Remembering World War II
Fiction
Under a War Torn Sky by L.M Elliot
19-year-old Hank is an American pilot flying dangerous mission when his plane is shot down over Alsace, near the Swiss border. The location is a bit of luck as it allows him to cross into neutral territory. The problem is he has broken ankle, limited language skills, and enemy soldiers all around. Nazis are not known for being forgiving and an American soldier made for excellent collateral. Hank must rely on a few brave citizens of France, and Switzerland, to move him in secret.
Nonfiction
Winston Churchill : soldier, statesman, artist by John Severance
The author of this biography chooses to focuse on Churchill's contributions during World War I, which is why it has made it to my list. He also includes Churchill’s childhood, Boer War stories, and his journey to becoming a statesman. It is obvious from reading this biography that Severance was taking with the famous Churchill wit as well as his larger than life personality and affinity for cigars
Adult Pick
Résistance : a woman's journal of struggle and defiance in occupied France by Agnès Humbert
Agnès Humbert was an art historian in Paris during the German occupation in 1940. She witnessed many atrocities while living in silence. When she could be silent no more she joined forces with several colleagues to form an organized resistance to Nazi power. The members of Humbert’s group were betrayed to the Gestapo while plotting to remove German forces from France. Humbert was imprisoned, mistreated by her captors and forced to endure horrors in a string of German labor camps. In spite of these tortures she never gave up hope for herself, for her country, and for the fate of humanity.
Under a War Torn Sky by L.M Elliot
19-year-old Hank is an American pilot flying dangerous mission when his plane is shot down over Alsace, near the Swiss border. The location is a bit of luck as it allows him to cross into neutral territory. The problem is he has broken ankle, limited language skills, and enemy soldiers all around. Nazis are not known for being forgiving and an American soldier made for excellent collateral. Hank must rely on a few brave citizens of France, and Switzerland, to move him in secret.
Nonfiction
Winston Churchill : soldier, statesman, artist by John Severance
The author of this biography chooses to focuse on Churchill's contributions during World War I, which is why it has made it to my list. He also includes Churchill’s childhood, Boer War stories, and his journey to becoming a statesman. It is obvious from reading this biography that Severance was taking with the famous Churchill wit as well as his larger than life personality and affinity for cigars
Adult Pick
Résistance : a woman's journal of struggle and defiance in occupied France by Agnès Humbert
Agnès Humbert was an art historian in Paris during the German occupation in 1940. She witnessed many atrocities while living in silence. When she could be silent no more she joined forces with several colleagues to form an organized resistance to Nazi power. The members of Humbert’s group were betrayed to the Gestapo while plotting to remove German forces from France. Humbert was imprisoned, mistreated by her captors and forced to endure horrors in a string of German labor camps. In spite of these tortures she never gave up hope for herself, for her country, and for the fate of humanity.
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