Author: Karen Rivers
Published: 2016 Kammie has recently moved to a new town. She has decided that she wants to be friends with Kandy, Mandy, and Sandy, the three most popular girls at her new school. She asks if she can be their friend, and they say that she must go through an initiation first. This initiation includes getting a haircut from one of the girls, which turns into a choppy mess. The three girls lie to her and say it's fashionable while secretly laughing at her. The second part of her initiation is to stand on top of a board over a well and sing a song for them. These girls are bullies, and Kammie only wants to fit in, so she ignores her instinct and does whatever they tell her to do. Unfortunately, the board that was over the well was rotten, and Kammie falls deep inside the well. The deeper the well is, the narrower it gets. Kammie's whole body is stuck in the well. Her arms are jammed by her side, so she can't even attempt to climb up. She screams at Kandy, Sandy, and Mandy to help her, but they laugh at her and don't try to help. She begins to freak out. Every time she wiggles, she falls deeper and deeper into the well. She is in pain, and she is having a hard time breathing. Eventually the girls leave to go get help. She begins to run out of oxygen at the bottom of the well and starts to hallucinate. When the girls don't come back for hours, Kammie starts to think that she's going to die there. What a horrifying book! The bullying that Kammie goes through with these mean girls is awful. I can't imagine laughing at someone who is stuck in a well and is in that much danger. Multiple times I had to set this book down for a little bit and take a break because I started to get claustrophobic reading about Kammie being unable to move in this well and running out of oxygen. As Kammie is down in the well, she reflects on important moments in her life, and we get to learn more about why Kammie moved to this town in the first place. This book was a quick read, and it was different from anything I've read before now.
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Author: Deb Lucke
Published: 2016 Grunhilda the Black Heart is back! The second book in The Lunch Witch series is just as good as the first one. Madison, the girl Grunhilda turned into a frog in the first book, has moved away, and Grunhilda misses her. As an evil witch, Grunhilda isn't supposed to have a soft spot; she is supposed to be mean! In order to make sure that her ancestors don't become aware of her softness, Grunhilda's pet dog takes matters into his own hands. Mr. Williams, the dog, accidentally makes a potion of positivity instead of a potion to make Grunhilda mean all the time. Now the whole town is being nice and kind and overly friendly! Her ancestors are upset and have come back to the world to turn things around. Grunhilda needs to find Mr. Williams (who ran away after making the potion) and turn around this positivity spell. I loved this book. The nice rainbow colors made a great addition to the book to symbolize the positivity that is going around the town. Grunhilda is still the same way--mean, grouchy, and soft at the same time. I am looking forward to more and more books from Deb Lucke about this lovable lunch witch. Author: Ronald L. Smith
Published: 2015 Hoodoo takes place in Alabama in the 1930s. It follows a boy named Hoodoo. The term "hoodoo" refers to folk magic. When Hoodoo was born, his grandmother could tell that he had magic in him, so that's where he got his name. His family is able to conjure and do other magical things, but Hoodoo still can't do any. Hoodoo and his friend Bunny visit a fortune teller. The fortune teller tells Hoodoo that darkness follows him, that people are in danger and their fate is in Hoodoo's hands. She warns him of a mysterious stranger and tells him to look for the black crow to help. Hoodoo leaves, feeling confused and frightened. He is even more confused and frightened when he finds out that someone has gone to the cemetery and dug up bodies and cut off their hands. A man shows up in town asking for "The One That Did the Deed." Hoodoo thinks this man must be the stranger the fortune teller warned him about. He begins to have these weird dreams involving this stranger. Hoodoo's parents passed away when he was younger, so he lives with his grandmother. He never really knew what happened to his father, and he discovers secrets about him that have to do with the stranger. When dark magic threatens to destroy people, Hoodoo discovers just how much hoodoo he has inside of him. This was a new kind of book for me. I loved the historical aspect of this novel. It was fun to read about the magic and the darkness, especially at the end of October. I think that this is something new and exciting to hand to kids. Author: Robert Beatty
Published: 2015 Serafina and her father live in the basement of Biltmore mansion. Her father works on the estate as the person who fixes any mechanical issues. Serafina works as the C.R.C., the Chief Rat Catcher. They live in the basement of the 250-room mansion in secret. Serafina is different from other children. She is so quiet on her feet that no one can hear her sneaking up on them. She can see just fine in the dark and can hear way better than other people. She only has eight toes on her feet, and her some of her bones don't connect the way they do in other kids, so she is able to squeeze herself into tiny spaces. All of these differences come to her advantage as she explores the mansion at night in secret. One night while she is exploring, she witnesses something awful. A man in a cloak has taken a child, a guest in the mansion. The young girl is screaming for help, but no one except Serafina can hear her. Serafina sees the cloak come to life and wrap and twist around the child. Once the cloak folds over the girl, the screams stop, and the girl has disappeared. Serafina tries to tell her father what happened, but he thinks Serafina is just imagining things. Then another child goes missing one night, followed by another. The people at the estate organize search parties to find these missing children, but they have no luck. Only Serafina knows what has happened. She confides in a boy named Braeden, who is living at the estate. It is up to them to find out who the man in the black cloak is and why he is taking these children. This was a fun read! I enjoyed the mystery of the man in the black cloak stealing children, and I also enjoyed learning more about Serafina and why her father has to hide her away in the basement of the mansion. I am so excited that there is a sequel out. Author: Tracey Baptiste
Published: 2015 The Jumbies takes place in the Caribbean. Corinne and her father live near the forest, the closest anyone has ever lived to it. Other people are afraid of the jumbies that live deep inside the forest. Corinne doesn't believe in jumbies; she thinks they're just a fairy tale. The Jumbies is inspired by a Haitian folktale. A jumbie is a name used for "every bad-thinking, sneaky, trick-loving creature that comes out at night with the purpose of causing trouble" (p. 232). Corinne has a knack for growing delicious oranges, and she sells them in town. One day while she's at the market, she sees a mysterious woman. She then finds that this mysterious woman is at her house with her father. The woman's name is Severine, and Corinne quickly finds out that she is a jumbie who has put her father under a spell. The only reason Severine looks like a human is because she got a potion from the town's witch to help her blend in with people temporarily. All Corinne has left of her mother who passed away, is a necklace. After Corinne finds out that her father is under Severine's spell, she discovers that when her necklace touches Severine, it causes her extreme pain. Corinne needs to figure out what Severine wants with her family and how to stop Severine's army of jumbies from taking over the island. This was such an interesting read. It's fun to read about the different folktales from around the world. The book starts on All Hallow's Eve, which made it a fun book to read in October, especially with how creepy some of the book was. I loved how we go to read from Corinne's point of view for a lot of the book, but we also got to see things from Severine's point of view, so we figured out what her motivation was before Corinne even did. This is a quick read that would be good for readers who like spooky and creepy books. Author: Robison Wells
Published: 2013 This book starts out with a group of teenagers named Laura, Dan, and Alec who have these mysterious super powers. The group is planning an attack. You quickly find out that these teenagers are terrorists who are trying to destroy famous landmarks, big buildings, or large bridges and kill people in the process. There are several groups like these throughout the country. Dan has the power to manipulate minerals, Laura is extremely strong, and Alec can plant memories into people's minds. They use these powers together to destroy and kill thousands of people. The country is starting to fall apart. People don't know who is behind these terrorist attacks. Meanwhile, we learn about a character named Aubrey who also has these super powers. She, however, can make herself become invisible. She isn't a terrorist, and she believes that she is alone in her abilities. One night at a school dance, she and all of her classmates are gathered up and taken away to be kept in captivity by the government. The government has figured out that teenagers are the ones who are behind the attacks. They have figured out that there is a virus out there that only affects certain teenagers, and it gives them these super abilities. In order to make sure that there are no more attacks, everyone that age is being tested to make sure they don't have the virus. If they don't, they are sent home. If they do, they are held against their will for another purpose. Jack, Aubrey's classmate, is certain he doesn't have the virus; however, when he is tested he finds out that he does. There are doctors who have ways to make the special power appear. The government has plans for people with powers to help take down the terrorists. This storyline was not what I was expecting when I picked up this book. We aren't sure where the virus comes from or why the terrorists are attacking. This is a book that will keep you on your toes. I found the different types of abilities very interesting. This definitely left me wanting answers to my questions. Hopefully they'll appear in the next book! Blackout is an Iowa Teen Award book for the 2016-2017 school year. Author: Matt de la Pena
Published: 2013 Shy works as part of the crew for the summer on cruise ships. He cleans up after and provides beverages and sporting equipment to the rich passengers of the cruises. One night, his job is to stand outside on the deck and offer free water to any of the passengers who step outside to get some air. A man step outside, and Shy offers him water. The man begins to say strange things, and Shy becomes really confused. The man calls himself a coward and tells him that he has betrayed many, many people. He rambles about the blood that he has on his hands. Suddenly, the man climbs over the guard rails of the ship. Shy runs over and grabs his arm before he can jump, but the man is too heavy, and he falls to his death. Shy is really bothered by what happened. He soon discovers that a man in a black suit has been asking questions about him and wants to know what the guy who jumped off the ship told Shy before he jumped. Shy is also dealing with the fact that some of his family has gotten sick with a mysterious, new disease called Romero's disease. His grandmother recently passed away from it, and he received word that his nephew has just gotten the disease. Meanwhile, a huge earthquake has hit the Western United States, an earthquake larger than any before it. Then, a tsunami hits, and everyone on the ship is in extreme danger. If you love books about survival or natural disasters, you will love this book. However, there is so much more to this book than that. These strange events are all connected to one another. I couldn't put it down because I had to figure out what was going on in the book and why these things were happening. There is a sequel called The Hunted that I will be picking up soon! Author: Julie Murphy Published: 2015 Willowdean proudly calls herself the resident fat girl of her school and her workplace. She is extremely confident in her own body, and she doesn't let others put her down. "But that's me. I'm fat. It's not a cuss word. It's not an insult. At least it's now when I say it. So I always figure why not get it out of the way?" Bo is Willowdean's coworker. She has a huge crush on him, but because he is thin, Will thinks he will want nothing to do with her. Until he kisses her one night. Then again another night. And another. All of a sudden, Will becomes self-conscious about her body, and it ruins her confidence, her friendships, and her relationship with Bo. Willowdean's mother is in charge of the pageant that happens in their town every year. Willowdean has never wanted anything to do with the pageant...until now. To try to prove to herself that beauty queens can come in any shape or size, Willowdean decides to enter the beauty pageant, even though her mother thinks she is doing it as a joke. Will wants to reclaim her confidence and open up a few minds along the way. In addition to the beauty pageant storyline, Will is also dealing with her aunt's recent passing. Her aunt died of a heart attack because of her weight. Will is having a really hard time, especially when her mom starts to clean out her aunt's old room. Her relationship with her aunt was much better than her relationship with her mom, and she is missing that part of her life. I love Willowdean. She is funny, and her confidence is infectious. While there is some romance involved in this story, it's not just a love story. It's about being happy with who you are and finding confidence in yourself, even when others try to take it away.
We held a contest in September that challenged students to come up with what they loved most about the library. These were some responses.
Author: Deborah Noyes
Published: 2016 This is a nonfiction book about Nellie Bly, a famous reporter from the late 1800s. During this time period, it was very rare to be a woman reporter, and it was even more rare to be a woman reporter who didn't write about fashion and other similar topics. Nellie Bly sounds like an extremely fascinating person. She would do almost anything in order to uncover a story. One of her most famous stories was about the conditions in the insane asylum on Blackwell's Island. Nellie purposefully got admitted to the insane asylum so that she could expose the terrible conditions that the mentally ill faced there. In order to get admitted, she had to be proclaimed insane by four different doctors, and she was able to trick all of them. When she first arrived, the man escorting her tells her that Blackwell's Island is "an insane place, where you'll never get out of" (p. 33). Women were brought to the island for various reasons. Many of them were not even mentally ill, but whenever they tried to tell any of the doctors that, they were ignored. The food was awful and often made them sick. They were bathed by being dunked in freezing cold water until they couldn't breathe. Medicine was forced upon them, and often the side effects made them thirsty but the nurses refused to give them any water. Some patients were forced to walk around chained to one another outside. Nurses beat patients and pulled their hair out in handfuls. They were treated like they weren't even humans. Nellie was finally released when the person who hired her to write the story came to get her after ten days, and shortly after Nellie exposed the terrible ways of the asylum. This was just one story that Nellie wrote. There were many others, like her trip around the world in less than eighty days. Nellie lived a very interesting life, and it is clear she had a deep passion for her work and for justice in the world. I don't often read a ton of nonfiction, but this book made me realize how great and interesting it can be! |
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