Sunday, November 30, 2008

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen (374 pages)

Cover image for The truth about foreverWhen seventeen-year-old Macy lost her father to a heart attack a year and a half ago, she closed herself off from most people.  The only friend she had was Jason, who eventually became her boyfriend.  He’s perfect, according to most people.  He gets straight-A’s, volunteers countless hours to community charities, knows several languages, and is very even-keel.  He was perfect for Macy in her fragile state because he doesn’t believe in PDA.  In fact, when he is off to “Brain Camp” for the summer, he breaks up with Macy because she ends an e-mail with “I Love You.”  Who knew those three little words would end her relationship?  Macy throws herself into a new job with a chaotic catering business in order to forget about Jason, and there she meets Wes, a handsome artist with a tortured soul.  The two get to know each other by playing a game of Truth, and they truly don’t hold back.  Soon, Macy begins to come out of her shell and accept others into her life, but will she regret it and be hurt yet again?

Miss Simer’s Rating: ***1/2

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Saturday, November 29, 2008

Much Ado About Grubstake by Jean Ferris (265 pages)

Cover image for Much ado about GrubstakeDown-on-their-luck miners have not found anything in Grubstake for years.  Most of the townspeople have moved away, especially since the train only comes to town once a month.  Sixteen-year-old Arley runs a boarding house full of miners, but she has no money either.  When a well-dressed business man arrives in town and begins to offer all the miners a hefty price for their mines, Arley grows suspicious.  Why would anyone pay good money for mines that have produced nothing?  Soon she uncovers the truth: there is a rare mineral in the mine that is worth enough money to make them all millionaires!  Arley does what she can to stop the miners from selling to the smarmy businessman, but most don’t listen.  Will she be able to save her town before it becomes a ghost town?

Miss Simer’s Rating: **1/2

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Friday, November 28, 2008

The Killer’s Cousin by Nancy Werlin (229 pages)

Cover image for The killer's cousinAfter being found not guilty of his girlfriend’s murder, high school senior David Yaffe moves in with his Aunt Julia, Uncle Vic, and cousin Lily in order to repeat his last year of high school.  David moves into the third-floor attic room of the house, which used to belong to his cousin Kathy.  Kathy has been dead for four years and died in this very room.  Soon, David begins to see Kathy’s ghost and suspect that his cousin Lily isn’t as innocent as she seems.  Could an 8-year-old girl really be capable of murder?

Miss Simer’s Rating: **1/2

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Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Antsy Does Time by Neal Shusterman (247 pages)

Cover image for Antsy does timeWhen Anthony “Antsy” Bonanano finds out that his classmate Gunnar Umlaut has a terminal illness called Pulmonary Monxic Systemia, he creates a “time share” deal in which he, his classmates, and the rest of the school staff donate months of their lives to Gunnar so that he can live longer.  Gunnar maintains a cool demeanor about his upcoming death and even goes as far as carving his own tombstone.  Antsy can’t believe Gunnar isn’t more freaked out by his own mortality, but becomes quite distracted when Gunnar’s supermodelesque older sister Kjersten shows interest in him.  Antsy and Kjersten begin dating, and Antsy continues to gather donations of time for Gunnar.  This is a sequel to Shusterman’s The Schwa Was Here, but you don’t have to read it to understand or enjoy this novel.

Miss Simer’s Rating: ***1/2

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Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Touching Spirit Bear Book Trailer

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The Great Quarterback Switch by Matt Christopher (96 pages)

Cover image for The great quarterback switchThe book begins when Michael gets into an accident that changes his life forever. He is paralyzed and has to be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Then during one game, the impossible becomes possible. Michael is running as a quarterback for the Eagles. The question is, is Michael really playing as a quarterback, or is he just imagining it? The answer is he and his twin brother, Tom, use T.E.C., thought-energy control. Through this Michael gets into Tom’s shoes and Tom gets into Michael’s shoes (and I mean literally, they get into each other’s shoes). The hard part is that they can’t give away their secret. Will Tom and Michael keep their secret and win the games, or will they blow it?


Drake D.’s Rating: ****
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Sunday, November 23, 2008

The Battle of Jericho by Sharon Draper (297 pages)

Cover image for The battle of JerichoThe Warriors of Distinction is the most renowned club at Jericho’s high school, and when he is one of the few asked to join, he is stoked.  Jericho, his cousin Josh, and his friend Kofi are all in the elite group chosen to pledge the Warriors.  They know all about the club’s community service projects, but the rest of the group’s activities are kept under the strictest secrecy.  Questions arise: How far will you go to become a Warrior of Distinction?  Will you steal?  Will you physically assault someone or allow yourself to be assaulted?  Will you betray what is most important to you just to get in?  These questions cause a battle inside of Jericho as he deals with the humiliation and tragedy that will haunt him by becoming a Warrior of Distinction.

Miss Simer’s Rating: ***1/2

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Saturday, November 22, 2008

Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen (241 pages)

Cover image for Touching Spirit BearCole Matthews shows no mercy for anyone.  He is angry and the latest focus of his rage is his classmate, Peter.  Cole, in a blind rage, smashes Peter’s head against a sidewalk and in order to avoid jail time, he agrees to go to a remote Alaskan island for the period of one year.  He is to spend one year alone in the wilderness with periodical visits from his parole officer and a resident of the wilderness.  Still enraged when he arrives on the island, Cole immeidately burns down his shelter and attempts to swim off the island.  His plan backfires when there is a major storm and he has nowhere to hide.  Also hindering his plans is an enormous white bear, a Spirit Bear, which Cole threatens and then tries to attack.  The Spirit Bear ravages Cole and Cole is left paralyzed, left to die.  Luckily, he is rescued, but will this attack be enough to shake Cole out of his violent behavior and get him on track to becoming a good person? 

Miss Simer’s Rating: ***1/2

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Escaping the Giant Wave by Peg Kehret (147 pages)

Cover image for Escaping the giant waveEscaping the Giant Wave was about a boy named Kyle who is 13 and his younger sister, BeeBee, who is 8.  Kyle and BeeBee’s father becomes Salesman of the Year.  As a reward their whole family gets to go on a wonderful vacation to the coast of
Oregon.  It sounds like the best vacation Kyle has ever had, but is it?  Their mom and dad go on a private yacht to receive his award, but it is grown-ups only.  So Kyle babysits BeeBee at their hotel while their parents are gone.  During dinner an earthquake happens, the hotel catches on fire, and there is Tsunami.  Will Kyle and his family survive this vacation?  I really enjoyed reading this book.  It is wonderfully written and has a great plot.  It draws you into the story immediately.  It makes you want to read all of it in one sitting.  I read all of it in around an hour.  I highly recommend reading this book!

Hannah L.’s Rating: ***

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Tuesday, November 18, 2008

The Killing Sea by Michael Lewis (183 pages)

Cover image for The killing seaSarah and her younger brother Peter are on vacation with their parents among the islands of Indonesia.  They’re on a small yacht planning on heading out to sea, weary from just celebrating Christmas.  Ruslan and his father live peacefully on one of these islands.  They awaken on December 26, 2004, and go about their typical business.  Ruslan’s father heads out to the oil tanker where he works, and Ruslan works on some drawings.  However, this day was unlike any other day.  On this day, an earthquake in the ocean sent a tsunami toward Ruslan’s island that decimated everything in its way.  Ruslan sees the giant wall of water heading his way and runs as hard as he can for higher ground.  Sarah and Peter also survive, but are separated from their parents.  With gruesome discoveries of hundreds of dead bodies, rebel fighters who force them to work on “body detail,” and Peter infected with some sort of illness, Sarah and Ruslan must rely on each other to get through this devastating event.

Miss Simer’s Rating: ***

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