Get Good Books @ The Scholastic Book Fair!

It's Book Fair Time Again!!!

The UMS Student Council will be holding their Scholastic Book fair during Parent/Teacher Conferences on Thursday, February 9th from 4-8pm and Friday, February 10th from 8-11am outside the cafetorium.

Stop by for some popular new books, old favorites, and other fun things to read. The prices on these books are often lower then the prices at bookstores and there are lots of popular paperbacks so now is the time to get some good things to read.

The Scholastic Book Fair benefits the UMS Library which means that depending on how much is purchased, the Library gets a certain amount in free books. This fall I was able to get a lot of popular books to add to the Library's collection thanks to the book fair :-)

Also, a special thanks to all the student council members who work the book fair. You are amazing and I appreciate everything you do!!!

Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Name of the Star

By Maureen Johnson

Published by Penguin Group, 2011

384 pages (hardcover)

The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper in the autumn of 1888.

Soon "Rippermania" takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police now believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.(from barnesandnoble.com)

During Winter Break I read Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes and The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson. I LOVED Maureen Johnson’s writing so I was excited to pick up her latest book Name of the Star. I usually don’t like creepy books with blood and gore, but I wanted to read something else by this author so I got up my courage and opened this book. The premise of the novel (copycat Jack the Ripper murders) is really intriguing PLUS the main character is at a boarding school in another country where her southern accent and stories make for some interesting interactions…. how fun!

Then Maureen Johnson moves from creepy reality to creepy fantasy where a few people with special powers have some extraordinary encounters with ghosts. The best part is that it doesn’t seem cheesy and fake at all. In fact, ghosts and a city gripped by murders seems perfectly normal. I think I was holding my breath the last few chapters because it was so intense!

The only bad part of Name of the Star is that it is part of a series (which I didn’t realize until I was almost done with it) and obviously the next book won’t be out for a while. Arg!

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Riggs Ransom

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

By Riggs Ransom

Published by Quirk Books, 2011

352 pages (hardcover)

A mysterious island.

An abandoned orphanage.

A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows. (from barnesandnoble.com)

At first I was wary of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Not because I didn’t think it would be good; I had only heard good things about book. It was just that the book seemed so creepy. The pictures were weird and I wasn’t sure if I was adventurous enough to read it. But, alas, I picked up the book and I pretty much couldn’t put it down.

The beginning, in particular, was unique and it was refreshing to read something that wasn’t similar to so many books out there. I have read/seen plenty of books about dystopian societies, love, vampires, etc. lately but this was really quite different, especially the use of real photographs to tell the story.

Toward the end of the book it did become a bit more fantastical/paranormal than I thought it would, but overall it was an interesting and fun read. I just hope a sequel comes out because I really need to know what happens to Miss Peregrine and all her peculiar children!

TOP TEN TUESDAY: The Top Ten Books I'm Excited To Read in 2012

Top 10 Tuesday is hosted at The Broke and the Bookish. Today’s topic is the Top Ten Books I'm Excited To Read in 2012.

 

Ashes by Laurie Halse Anderson
WHERE IS THIS BOOK? No, seriously. Where is it? Chains and Forged were awesome and I really want book #3. And now that 7^th grade has read Chains there are lots of requests for Ashes. Where is it?

Insurgent by Veronica Roth (sequel to Divergent)
Divergent was amazing and I am definitely excited for May to come so I can read book #2

The sequel to Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick
Sooooooooo good. And so many unanswered questions.

The sequel to Matched & Crossed by Ally CondiThis is a sequel to a good series. Of course I need to find out what happens next!

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom RiggsThis book looks kind of creepy and I am not sure I want its creepiness in my house. But it also looks fascinating. I just can’t look away.

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
Anna & the French Kiss and Lola & the Boy Next Door were awesome. And I kinda love Stephanie Perkins. I am looking forward to hearing Isla’s story this fall.

The Name of the Star by Maureen JohnsonThis is the next book I will be reading. Maybe I will start tonight. Whoo hoo!

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
I have read this before but I need to re-read it before the movie comes out in December. Hooray for Bilbo Baggins!!!

Fire by James PattersonThe kids on those commercials crack me up.

Legend by Marie LuI have heard great things about this book so I am looking forward to picking it up.

*BONUS (too many great books!): The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. SmithJust the title makes this book sound great!

TOP TEN TUESDAY: My Top Ten Childhood Faves

Top 10 Tuesday is hosted at The Broke and the Bookish. Today’s topic is My Top Ten Childhood Faves.

*Yes, I know today is Thursday. I have been busy, ok!?! :-)

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls WilderWell I really loved ALL the Little House books. I read the books and watched the TV show.
The idea of running through fields of prairie grass and setting out on adventures appealed to me. And Laura was awesome.

The Babysitter’s Club series by Ann M. Martin
The first chapter book I ever read was in the Babysitter’s Little Sister series and was called Karen’s Kitty Cat Club. I was hooked. I read all my sister’s BSC books. Then I bought my own to read. Then I bought more to read. Oh, how I loved those girls.
*Side note: my niece is named after the BSC character Claudia!*

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
At first Charlotte annoyed me with her prissy-ness, but once things start going crazy on the ship, I liked how she stepped up and became a strong leader with her own opinions. She was faced with so many challenges and was able to overcome and persevere in spite of mutinies, traitors, and death.

The American Girl books (especially the ones about Kirsten)History + girls doing fun things = American Girl books. And yes, I do have 6 of the dolls because I am cool like that.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
I love historical fiction, but, unfortunately, much of it is really sad. This book gave a more positive spin to the events of World War II and the Holocaust. It was nice to read about people helping each other instead of being mean to each other.

Heidi by Johanna SpyriThe idea of living in the mountains of Switzerland sounds so blissful. It just made me feel all warm and cozy inside.

                                                                      
Matilda by Roald DahlI want special powers to use against mean people.

Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis SacharCoolest. School. EVER!

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
I won’t the Young Author’s contest for my school in 4^th grade and received a set of all the Anne of Green Gables books. I read them and reread them. Anne’s imagination is amazing and Gilbert is so freaking cute! Ahhhhh!

The Westing Game by Ellen RaskinThis book still amazes me. I was engrossed in trying to figure out how everyone was connected and how the murderer was. The characters were developed well with bits & pieces of the mystery carefully woven in. Every time I read this book I find details I had forgotten about or missed.

STUDENT REVIEW - The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus Series #1)

By Rick Riordan

Published by Hyperion, 2010

576 pages (hardcover)

Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up on a school bus holding hands with a girl. Apparently she’s his girlfriend Piper, his best friend is a kid named Leo, and they’re all students in the Wilderness School, a boarding school for “bad kids.” What he did to end up here, Jason has no idea—except that everything seems very wrong.

Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, and her vivid nightmares reveal that he’s in terrible danger. Now her boyfriend doesn’t recognize her, and when a freak storm and strange creatures attack during a school field trip, she, Jason, and Leo are whisked away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood. What is going on?

Leo has a way with tools. His new cabin at Camp Half-Blood is filled with them. Seriously, the place beats Wilderness School hands down, with its weapons training, monsters, and fine-looking girls. What’s troubling is the curse everyone keeps talking about, and that a camper’s gone missing. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist they are all—including Leo—related to a god.  (from barnesandnoble.com)

Yes, [I would recommend this book to middle schoolers]. It was such a good book. I never wanted to put it down! It was action-packed and very well written. It was a good book because it was full of action and stuff was always happening like battling a Cyclops, meeting King Midas, etc. It had lots of good details. –Jenna H.

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

Ashes

By Ilsa J. Bick

Published by EgmontUSA, 2011

480 pages (hardcover)

It could happen tomorrow . . .
 
An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions.
Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom—a young soldier—and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP.

For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it’s now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human.

Author Ilsa J. Bick crafts a terrifying and thrilling novel about a world that could be ours at any moment, where those left standing must learn what it means not just to survive, but to live amidst the devastation. (from barnesandnoble.com)

I had heard a lot of good things about this book before I started reading and those people were not wrong. Ilsa J. Bick has created a terrifying present-day setting in Ashes where you don’t know what is out there and who you can trust. Like the main character Alex, I really was questioning everyone’s motives and constantly wondering how Alex will  survive the fallout from the incident and the hundreds of survivors willing to do anything to make it another day.

Warning: This book does end on a cliff-hanger and I am not sure when the sequel will be out. BUT, this is so worth the time it takes to read it and the impending wait for the sequel. The characters were so real with vivid emotions and thoughts scattering between survival, missing loved ones, and looking toward a not-so-certain future.