The Invention of Huga Cabret

Okay, the first thing about this book is that it is 533 pages. I know. Way too big to read. Before you totally stop listening to me, though, there is something else you should know about his book. It is mostly pictures. I would say that at least 300 of those 533 pages are pictures. The pictures aren’t just illustrating what the words say. Mostly the pictures are there instead of words.
This is a great story. I won't say that I couldn't put it down, because at 533 pages you almost have to put it down. However, I did read big chunks at each sitting. This book follows Hugo, an 11 year old boy living in Paris in the 1920's. He lives inside the Paris train station, where he is in charge of the train station clocks. He is trying to fix a mechanical man that he is sure contains a last message from his dead father. At the same time, he is trying to make sure that no one finds out that he is living on his own, or he is sure they will put him out on the street.

Book Blog on Display

Check out our new display in the YA area, featuring books that have been mentioned right here on the Book Blog. This display can be found next to the YA magazines. And don't forget our regular display shelves, which currently feature books relating to our winter programs.

One Whole and Perfect Day by Judith Clarke

One Whole and Perfect Day is the story of Lily and her family. Lily a 10th grader in Australia, thinks her family is weird. Her grandfather is a racist, her grandmother has an invisible friend, her mother brings home stray senior citizens, and her brother can't seem to settle down and stick to anything. She herself does all of the housework and so has a bit of a Cinderella complex around her friends.

I wanted to like this book. I really did. But I found the main character, Lily, grating and her mother was too wishy-washy. The resolution was too easy, but not in an over-the-top funny way. I wanted more from the characters. They just felt too one-dimensional.

Life on the Refrigerator Door

This book, written by Alice Kuipers, is a collection of notes between a mother and daughter. The daughter is named Claire, while the mother is known as simply "Mom" throughout. Like most of us these days, they are super busy. Claire has school, homework, friends, babysitting, and boys. Her mom is a doctor working with cancer patients and has a very hectic schedule. As a result, they are always leaving notes on the fridge. As the story develops, we learn that Claire's mom is, herself, ill, and how Claire will deal with that.
This whole book really is just notes back and forth. I am a big fan of books written as letters and this was very similar. It was a quick read that I really couldn't put down.

In Search of Mockingbird

I think maybe I think I liked this book more than I really did. What I mean is that because this book is about To Kill a Mockingbird, which is a book I really do love, that I let that color my opinion. So, because I like TKaM, I think I like In Search of Mockingbird more than I really did. I think I just wanted more from this story. Everything was too quick and too easy. I am not really sure how else to describe this. It wasn't a bad book, just not as good as TKaM. And maybe that standard is too high.
Has anyone else read this? What did you think?

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

I really loved this book. It was quite a bit like Twilight, so if you are a fan of Twilight, definitely check it out. I would say that it is not quite as well written as Twilight, but is very satisfying in ways that Twilight is not. It moves much quicker and it reaches a definite resolution at the end. So, if you are looking for a good, quick read, I would check out this realistic fantasy book.
The story revolves around Aislinn, who would be a normal 17 year old, if not for the fact that she sees fairies. She has spent her whole life pretending not to see them, because if they found out, the best thing she could hope for is to be blinded. Imagine her surprise when the Summer King, one of the fey royalty, approaches her to be his Summer Queen. He needs her to fulfill a centuries old prophecy. Aislinn wants no part of fairy life. Plus, her friend Seth is beginning to hint that he would like to be more than just friends. And he's hot. What's a girl to do?

East

East has a lot to do with Nordic exploration, as Rose journeys the earth for the search for her true love. Did you know the Vikings were one of the first peoples to explore America? Here is a website on Leif Erikson, who discovered North America.
http://www.mnc.net/norway/LeifErikson.htm

East-original verision

This website contains the original version of East of the Sun and West of the Moon:
http://web.utk.edu/~gwhitney/tales/east/ftpgeast.htm

East by Edith Pattou

Hello fellow book bloggers:
In East, by Edith Pattou, a young girl woman Rose journeys the earth in search of her one true love, who is under the spell of a troll queen.
The book is based off of a saga called: "East of the Sun and West of the Moon." It is also a Rebecca Caudill 2008 nominee.

Mythology this week!!!

Earthly Knight by Janet McNaughton
If you like mythology, the Earthly Knight by Janet McNaughton is another good read.
Jenny is only sixteen years old, yet she is old enough to be married in the year 1162. Will Jenny find happiness being married to William de Warenne, the brother of the king of Scotland, or will she find happiness with Tam Lin a mysterious man who lives in the enchanted forest?
Read the book to find out!!!!

http://swan.sls.lib.il.us/search?/tearthly+knight/tearthly+knight/1%2C1%2C2%2CB/frameset&FF=tearthly+knight&1%2C%2C2

More Crutcher

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am now a huge Chris Crutcher fan. I recently read both Whale Talk and Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes in two days. Both were great. I will say that these aren't light, happy-go-lucky reads, but don't let that stop you from picking them up. Whale Talk is about a boys swim team made up of misfit kids getting together to prove a point about sports teams in high school. I was laughing out loud a lot! Staying Fat deals with friendship and loyalty. Crutcher has written about a dozen books- most with realistic teens in realistic situations. He isn't afraid of tackling sensitive issues, so don't look here for a "fluffy" read! But, if you like a quick read with some substance, these books are for you.

Deadline

This latest book by Chris Crutcher was the first I'd read by the author. Now, in just a few weeks, I've read almost everything he's written! Once I started Deadline, I couldn't put it down-and here's why... at a recent YA literature conference I actually saw Mr. Crutcher in person and heard him read aloud the first few pages. From just a few sentences, I was hooked. I immediately went out and bought the book! Deadline has a shocking beginning... high school senior Ben makes a huge decision and then proceeds to live his life in his own personal way. His character is intelligent, sarcastic, and very, very funny. I'm purposely being vague because I don't want to give anything away. I just hope you'll give this one a try... I guarantee that it will make you think and laugh out loud!

Skullduggery by Pete Hautman

Roni Delicata and Brian Bain are back in this exciting sequel to the novel Snatched to solve the mystery of a local archaelogy site that is going to become condominiums, unless they find a way to prove the Bloodwater family is up to no good.

Both Snatched and Skullduggery are both good books if you like short mystery reads.

To get more information on this series, visit this website and click on read about it:http://swan.sls.lib.il.us/search?/tskullduggery/tskullduggery/1%2C1%2C3%2CB/frameset&FF=tskullduggery&3%2C%2C3

Tennis

Hi fellow book bloggers: If you liked reading Vanishing Act, and/or tennis, here is a couple websites you might be interested in:

http://www.tennis.com/
http://www.usta.com/rules/
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/index

Vanishing Act by John Feinstein

Hello fellow book bloggers: I just finished reading a great mystery-the sequel to The Last Shot-
Vanishing Act by John Feinstein. Stevie and Carol find them themselves involved in the middle of a kidnapping at the U.S. Open. Nadia Symanova is one of the world's best tennis players and has just been kidnapped in the middle of a tennis match. What will happen to her?
Stevie and Carol work great as a team solving the second mystery in a row. There is also a little surprise at the end of the novel that you won't want to miss......

Edgar Allan Poe

"True!-nervous-very,very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease has sharpened my senses-not destroyed-not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily-how calmly I can tell you the whole story."

This is an excerpt from the Tell-Tale Heart, which is one of Poe's most famous short stories.

If you have not read any Edgar Allan Poe stories, you really should!! There is a display at the young adult desk that contains some horror stories. One of the books over there is Tales of Edgar Allan Poe. It contains many of Poe's famous short horror stories.



If you want more information on Edgar Allan Poe, here is a link you can go to:http://www.poemuseum.org/

Clay by David Almond

Hi fellow book bloggers: Halloween is coming up shortly and if you're into supernatural/horror books, you should read Clay by David Almond. Although the book is a little strange at times, I do think the author does a good job of illustrating good vs. evil. The setting is a little different: it takes place in Britain where two altar boys, fourteen-year-old Davie and his best friend Geordie, befriend a boy named Stephen Rose. Davie finds out a little too late that Stephen is really up to no good....I don't want to ruin the rest of the story, so go check it out!

Unexplained by Judy Allen

Hi fellow book bloggers: Just wanted to let you know about a book called: Unexplained by Judy Allen. It looks like an awesome book....if you are interested in ghosts and other interesting unexplained phenomenon...
If you want more information about this intriguing title: visit this link and click on read about it.
http://swan.sls.lib.il.us/search?/tunexplained/tunexplained/1%2C6%2C14%2CB/frameset&FF=tunexplained+an+encyclopedia+of+curious+phenomena+strange+superstitions+and&1%2C1%2C

Gilda Joyce: Psychic Investigator

Hi fellow book bloggers: The theme of this year's Teen Read Week is humor: so check out this humorous mystery: Gilda Joyce:Psychic Investigator by Jennifer Allison. You'll really like it if you like a mixture of humor and mystery.
Gilda is a high-spirited teen who engages herself in a mystery surrounding her cousin's aunt who died many years ago. If you want more information about the book check out this link:
http://contentcafe2.btol.com/ContentCafeClient/ContentCafe.aspx?UserID=MLS90879&Password=CC83320&Display=AnnotationDetailByItemKey&ItemKey=0525473750&Options=Y
Warning: Although this book is pretty humorous, it does deal with serious issues including a relative's death and suicide.

The Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World

The Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World is the newest book by EL Konigsberg, who is one of the most brilliant writers ever, in my opinion. Reading From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler changed my life. The idea of living in a museum like that was just amazing. I was ready to run away. (I never did.) Then I read Up from Jericho Tel, a brilliant mystery about two trailer park kids and the ghost of Tallulah Bankhead. One of my favorite books of all time. This new book is the third in a series of loosely related books. The first was Silent to the Bone about a boy who refuses to speak after being accused of a horrible crime. The next was The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place, which deals with the indignities of sleepaway camp and also what exactly the definition of art is. The Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World also discusses art and who gets to decide what art is exactly. Does anybody have that right? Adoph Hitler thought he did. The book also talks about what ahppened to the art and artists that Hitler didn't care for. This book really isnt a mystery in the traditional sense. It is more of a mystery in the way that life is a mystery.