Author: Hopkins, Ellen
Title: IDENTICAL
Publisher: McElderry ISBN (library bind):1416950052
Price: $17.99 #pages: 565 Call number: FIC HOP
Annotation: Identical twin daughters of a father who is a local judge and a mother who is running for congress may look identical but have very different ways of dealing with their family secrets. Discovery of the father’s family secrets only slightly helps the reader understand how the twins can deal with their father’s sins. The mother is so detached that the reader will really have little sympathy for her losses. Be prepared for Hopkins’s usual blunt dealings with dysfunctional family problems like bingeing/purge disorders; sexual encounters; cutting; drug and alcohol abuse; and finally incest. The descriptions are in some detail, but the use of use of free verse does lessen the horribleness, somewhat. The twist at the end doesn’t really help, but it is another attempt to help the reader deal with this family.
Recommended grade levels:11-12
Monday, September 29, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Myers, Stephanie ECLIPSE
Publisher: Little, Brown & Co. Date: 2007 ISBN: 978-0-316-160209 (hardcover) Price: $18.99 #of pgs: 629 Call number: FIC MEY
Annotation: This book is a sequel to Twilight and New Moon by Stephanie Meyer. As graduation approaches and college looms in the near future, Bella is once again the center of danger. Trying to balance her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob amidst their age-old hatred, Bella faces dangers from old and new enemies - entangling Jacob and Edward in her protection. The vampire and werewolf come to understand that both care for her deeply. The understanding leads to a new relationship between the Cullens and the Blacks, protecting Bella being their common goal.
Strength: Fast paced
Cover Appeal: a free-floating fraying red ribbon on a black background
Publisher: Little, Brown & Co. Date: 2007 ISBN: 978-0-316-160209 (hardcover) Price: $18.99 #of pgs: 629 Call number: FIC MEY
Annotation: This book is a sequel to Twilight and New Moon by Stephanie Meyer. As graduation approaches and college looms in the near future, Bella is once again the center of danger. Trying to balance her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob amidst their age-old hatred, Bella faces dangers from old and new enemies - entangling Jacob and Edward in her protection. The vampire and werewolf come to understand that both care for her deeply. The understanding leads to a new relationship between the Cullens and the Blacks, protecting Bella being their common goal.
Strength: Fast paced
Cover Appeal: a free-floating fraying red ribbon on a black background
Friday, September 12, 2008
The Calder Game by Blue Balliett
Petra, Calder and Tommy are back with another great math and art related mystery. Calder goes to England with his Dad. He has a great time exploring the small town where they are staying. There's a new art installation in town of a Calder (the artist) sculpture that he finds fascinating because his class had just gone to see a Calder exhibit in Chicago before he left. He's got a whole plan for how let his friends know how much fun he's having...until he dissappears and so does the sculpture. Are the related? That's the mystery
Petra and Tommy get to go to England to help find him and they create lots of extra intrigue and humor to the rest of the plot.
Petra and Tommy get to go to England to help find him and they create lots of extra intrigue and humor to the rest of the plot.
The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
A solid mystery about the dissappearance of the main characters' cousin. He gets on the London Eye to ride it but never gets off.
What happened to Salim? Has he been kidnapped? Did he run away? Did he get lost? Maybe he didn't get on in the first place!
This book has an interesting twist in how it gets solved. Ted, one of our main characters, has a "brain that runs on a different operating system" than everyone else. We are never told but can assume he has asburgher's (sp?) syndrome. His autistic tendancies, and his sister's ability to keep him focused, are the fuel to figuring out this mystery.
Great family story and an intriguing mystery. There's a little bit of british cultural stuff that kids might confuse but not enough to keep anyone away from this little gem.
Pretty cool
What happened to Salim? Has he been kidnapped? Did he run away? Did he get lost? Maybe he didn't get on in the first place!
This book has an interesting twist in how it gets solved. Ted, one of our main characters, has a "brain that runs on a different operating system" than everyone else. We are never told but can assume he has asburgher's (sp?) syndrome. His autistic tendancies, and his sister's ability to keep him focused, are the fuel to figuring out this mystery.
Great family story and an intriguing mystery. There's a little bit of british cultural stuff that kids might confuse but not enough to keep anyone away from this little gem.
Pretty cool
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