Jack Gantos
Hole in My Life
Farrar, Straus and GIroux, 2002
Genre-Biography
Author Jack Gantos who wrote the Joey Pigza books tells the story of his life and how he became a writer. While living with his parents in St. Croix he has the opportunity to earn some money as he helps sail a boat back to the states. It never occurs to Gantos that he is putting himself at risk. When he is arrested, he lets writing become his escape from the awful realities of prison life. Ganto writes with brutal honest and keeps the story of his life moving and interesting.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Whale Talk
Chris Crutcher
Whale Talk
Laruel-Leaf Books, 2001
Genre-Narrative, coming of age
TJ Jones is asked to be on the school's first swim team. He starts rounding up teammates. They develop a team of loners and misfits in their quest to earn letter jackets. The established athletic board begins to ask questions and try to stop the team from earning letters. TJ is determined that his team will earn them.
Whale Talk
Laruel-Leaf Books, 2001
Genre-Narrative, coming of age
TJ Jones is asked to be on the school's first swim team. He starts rounding up teammates. They develop a team of loners and misfits in their quest to earn letter jackets. The established athletic board begins to ask questions and try to stop the team from earning letters. TJ is determined that his team will earn them.
Son of the Mob
Gordon Korman
Son of the Mob
Hyperion Books, 2002
Genre-Humor,
Vince is just trying to get through high school without becoming involved with his father's business. Unfortunately, a body-not yet dead-is in his trunk while he is out on a date and soon some guys who owe his dad money are coming to him for help. When he starts dating a girl, he discovers her dad is the FBI agent watching his dad.
Son of the Mob
Hyperion Books, 2002
Genre-Humor,
Vince is just trying to get through high school without becoming involved with his father's business. Unfortunately, a body-not yet dead-is in his trunk while he is out on a date and soon some guys who owe his dad money are coming to him for help. When he starts dating a girl, he discovers her dad is the FBI agent watching his dad.
Kill the Messenger
Tami Hoag
Kill the Messenger
Bantam Books, 2004
Genre-Suspense, Mystery
Jace, a bike messenger, is caught in a web of lies when a killer is after the package he was delivering. Now he's a suspect in a murder and must try to protect himself and his ten-year-old brother.
Kill the Messenger
Bantam Books, 2004
Genre-Suspense, Mystery
Jace, a bike messenger, is caught in a web of lies when a killer is after the package he was delivering. Now he's a suspect in a murder and must try to protect himself and his ten-year-old brother.
Split Second
David Baldacci
Split Second
Warner Books, 2003
Genre-Mystery, suspense, espinoge
Michelle Maxwell is a Secret Service agent whose protectee is kidnapped. She is drawn to a former Secret Service agent Sean King. His protectee was gunned down in front of him. FIlled with plot twists and action, the two must solve the mystery and save themselves.
Split Second
Warner Books, 2003
Genre-Mystery, suspense, espinoge
Michelle Maxwell is a Secret Service agent whose protectee is kidnapped. She is drawn to a former Secret Service agent Sean King. His protectee was gunned down in front of him. FIlled with plot twists and action, the two must solve the mystery and save themselves.
Leaving Protection
Will Hobbs
Leaving Protection
Harper Trophy, 2004
Genre-Narrative, Realistic, Contemporary
Robbie dreams of working on a salmon troller. He gets that chance working alone with Tor. Tor is seeking treasure as well and Robbie soon thinks that Tor is going to kill him. With a storm approaching, Robbie wonders if he will survive.
Leaving Protection
Harper Trophy, 2004
Genre-Narrative, Realistic, Contemporary
Robbie dreams of working on a salmon troller. He gets that chance working alone with Tor. Tor is seeking treasure as well and Robbie soon thinks that Tor is going to kill him. With a storm approaching, Robbie wonders if he will survive.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Letting Go of Bobby James
Written by Valerie Hobbs
2007-2008 Iowa High School Teen Awards Nominee
Jody, a 16 year old from Texas, writes a letter to a grocery chain owner to tell him about how coleslaw should be prepared. However, her letter keeps getting sidetracked as she tells the details of her life in Florida when her husband Bobby James hits her and leaves her behind in Florida. We read of Jody's life as she looks for a job, a place to live, and makes friends. Bobby James returns to claim his wife and Jody must decide what she wants her life to be.
2007-2008 Iowa High School Teen Awards Nominee
Jody, a 16 year old from Texas, writes a letter to a grocery chain owner to tell him about how coleslaw should be prepared. However, her letter keeps getting sidetracked as she tells the details of her life in Florida when her husband Bobby James hits her and leaves her behind in Florida. We read of Jody's life as she looks for a job, a place to live, and makes friends. Bobby James returns to claim his wife and Jody must decide what she wants her life to be.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Everlost
Everlost
Neal Shusterman
2006
Fiction-fantasy
Allie and Nick find themselves in Everlost after being killed in a car accident. As afterlights, they soon discover many problems like sinking into the earth when walking. Allie is determined to find her way home and they find a world of other lost souls on their journey. They must deal with Mary Hightower, the Haunter, and the McGill. Allie must use all of her wits to try to find a way out of Everlost.
Neal Shusterman
2006
Fiction-fantasy
Allie and Nick find themselves in Everlost after being killed in a car accident. As afterlights, they soon discover many problems like sinking into the earth when walking. Allie is determined to find her way home and they find a world of other lost souls on their journey. They must deal with Mary Hightower, the Haunter, and the McGill. Allie must use all of her wits to try to find a way out of Everlost.
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Inexcusable
Chris Lynch
Inexcusable
Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2005
Genre-Narrative, Realistic, Contemporary
Iowa High School Book Award Nominee 2007-08
Keir Sarafian is a senior who thinks of himself as a good guy. As he thinks about what happened prior to the night with Gigi, he thinks about the events of his senior year. When he causes an opposing football player to be crippled, he keeps telling himself that he just did what he was supposed to do. After it is shown that it was an accident, he's offered a scholarship to play college ball as he had hoped. Knowing this he sets out to enjoy the rest of the year. When his sisters don't come for his graduation, he takes Gigi with him in a limo to surprise them. However, Keir is surprised to find that they could have come to his graduation but chose not to. His sister tells him a few truths about his year including his lack of respsonsibility. At the end Keir realizes the inexcusable truth that he did rape Gigi.
Inexcusable
Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2005
Genre-Narrative, Realistic, Contemporary
Iowa High School Book Award Nominee 2007-08
Keir Sarafian is a senior who thinks of himself as a good guy. As he thinks about what happened prior to the night with Gigi, he thinks about the events of his senior year. When he causes an opposing football player to be crippled, he keeps telling himself that he just did what he was supposed to do. After it is shown that it was an accident, he's offered a scholarship to play college ball as he had hoped. Knowing this he sets out to enjoy the rest of the year. When his sisters don't come for his graduation, he takes Gigi with him in a limo to surprise them. However, Keir is surprised to find that they could have come to his graduation but chose not to. His sister tells him a few truths about his year including his lack of respsonsibility. At the end Keir realizes the inexcusable truth that he did rape Gigi.
Friday, March 2, 2007
Far North
Will Hobbs
Far North
Avon Books, 1996
Genre-Narrative, Adventure, survival
Gabe is experiencing the Northwest Territories for the first time. He's attending boarding school in Yellowknife while his dad is working in the wilderness. His dad has arranged for Gabe to fly along with a bush pilot who is taking Dene (one of whom is his roommate who is dropping out of school) back to their village. Excited to show off the wilderness, the pilot flies them over the Nahanni River and sets the plane down above the Virginia Falls. When the engine fails to restart, the pilot tells the passengers to get all the supplies off. Unfortunately, the tree holding the mooring line pulls out and the pilot and plane are washed down the falls. Gabe, his roommate Raymond, and an old man must survive while waiting for rescuers. Gabe and Raymond decide to build a raft and take advantage of the Chinook to raft out while the river is ice free. However, the weather turns, and they end up in Deadmen Valley. Johnny, the old man, uses his native skills to help the boys survive. After Johnny dies, the boys first try to hike out on the frozen river and then trek into the mountains in search of game. Having killed a moose, they return to the cabin only to have a grizzly thwart them. With Raymond injured and the loss of the meat, the boys set out again down the river.
Far North
Avon Books, 1996
Genre-Narrative, Adventure, survival
Gabe is experiencing the Northwest Territories for the first time. He's attending boarding school in Yellowknife while his dad is working in the wilderness. His dad has arranged for Gabe to fly along with a bush pilot who is taking Dene (one of whom is his roommate who is dropping out of school) back to their village. Excited to show off the wilderness, the pilot flies them over the Nahanni River and sets the plane down above the Virginia Falls. When the engine fails to restart, the pilot tells the passengers to get all the supplies off. Unfortunately, the tree holding the mooring line pulls out and the pilot and plane are washed down the falls. Gabe, his roommate Raymond, and an old man must survive while waiting for rescuers. Gabe and Raymond decide to build a raft and take advantage of the Chinook to raft out while the river is ice free. However, the weather turns, and they end up in Deadmen Valley. Johnny, the old man, uses his native skills to help the boys survive. After Johnny dies, the boys first try to hike out on the frozen river and then trek into the mountains in search of game. Having killed a moose, they return to the cabin only to have a grizzly thwart them. With Raymond injured and the loss of the meat, the boys set out again down the river.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
The Sledding Hill
Chris Crutcher
The Sledding Hill
Greenwillow Books, 2005
Genre-Narrative, contemporary
Iowa High School Book Nominee 2007-08
Billy Bartholomew narrates this story of Eddie Profitt. First Eddie's father is killed while fixing a tire, and then Billy dies when he kicks a poorly balanced pile of sheet rock. Eddie deals with these terrible losses by becoming mute. BIlly in his new state sticks around to help Eddie. Eddie is touched deeply by the characters in a Chris Crutcher book that the librarian has a class of students read. However, the book is challanged by a religious group. With pressure from his mother and minister to be baptized, Eddie uses his quietness to spy and try to stop the book from being banned. In the end the book is banned, but Eddie has been able to deal with the loss of those he loves through the power of his own determination to do what is right.
The Sledding Hill
Greenwillow Books, 2005
Genre-Narrative, contemporary
Iowa High School Book Nominee 2007-08
Billy Bartholomew narrates this story of Eddie Profitt. First Eddie's father is killed while fixing a tire, and then Billy dies when he kicks a poorly balanced pile of sheet rock. Eddie deals with these terrible losses by becoming mute. BIlly in his new state sticks around to help Eddie. Eddie is touched deeply by the characters in a Chris Crutcher book that the librarian has a class of students read. However, the book is challanged by a religious group. With pressure from his mother and minister to be baptized, Eddie uses his quietness to spy and try to stop the book from being banned. In the end the book is banned, but Eddie has been able to deal with the loss of those he loves through the power of his own determination to do what is right.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Downriver
Will Hobbs
Downriver
Laurel-Leaf Books, 1991
Narrative, Adventure/survival
Jessie has been sent off to Wilderness Training Camp by her father who is getting remarried. Jessie is bitter about losing her father to a new wife and is unhappy about the program in which he enrolled her. After a disasterous attempt to climb a peak, the group sets off to do some river rafting. While their leader is getting the permits, the kids decide to take off and go illegally down the Colorado through the Grand Canyon. Eventhough they are successfully navigating many of the rapids, they still have problems. When their leader Troy goes too far, the rest of the group heads off to get the help they need. Having grown through the experience, Jessie is able to make a new start with her father and his wife and Star-one of her friends from the trip.
Downriver
Laurel-Leaf Books, 1991
Narrative, Adventure/survival
Jessie has been sent off to Wilderness Training Camp by her father who is getting remarried. Jessie is bitter about losing her father to a new wife and is unhappy about the program in which he enrolled her. After a disasterous attempt to climb a peak, the group sets off to do some river rafting. While their leader is getting the permits, the kids decide to take off and go illegally down the Colorado through the Grand Canyon. Eventhough they are successfully navigating many of the rapids, they still have problems. When their leader Troy goes too far, the rest of the group heads off to get the help they need. Having grown through the experience, Jessie is able to make a new start with her father and his wife and Star-one of her friends from the trip.
Friday, February 9, 2007
Hatchet
Gary Paulson
Hatchet
Scholastic, 1999
Narrative, Suspense/survival
Brian is flying to visit his father when the pilot on their small craft suffers a heart attack. Brian ends up using the little information the pilot had told him about flying a plane to land in a lake. Having survived the crash, Brian must find a way to survive in the wilderness. Suffering a series of difficulties including a porcupine, skunk, moose, digestive distress, and a tornado, Brian meets the problems head on and begins to look at how he will survive the winter since no one has come to save him. When he dives to the plane and recovers some gear, Brian feels secure that he will be able to survive. Part of this gear is a transmitter that allows rescuers to find him.
Hatchet
Scholastic, 1999
Narrative, Suspense/survival
Brian is flying to visit his father when the pilot on their small craft suffers a heart attack. Brian ends up using the little information the pilot had told him about flying a plane to land in a lake. Having survived the crash, Brian must find a way to survive in the wilderness. Suffering a series of difficulties including a porcupine, skunk, moose, digestive distress, and a tornado, Brian meets the problems head on and begins to look at how he will survive the winter since no one has come to save him. When he dives to the plane and recovers some gear, Brian feels secure that he will be able to survive. Part of this gear is a transmitter that allows rescuers to find him.
My Life in Dog Years
Gary Paulson
My Life in Dog Years
Yearling, 1998
Narrative, biography
Paulson shares stories of the dogs in his life. We find out about the author's life and how dogs have affected and helped shape his life. Each chapter tells the story of another of the dogs that were instrumental to him.
My Life in Dog Years
Yearling, 1998
Narrative, biography
Paulson shares stories of the dogs in his life. We find out about the author's life and how dogs have affected and helped shape his life. Each chapter tells the story of another of the dogs that were instrumental to him.
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