PURGE by NICOLE JOHNS

Here's a compelling non-fiction pick for all you fans of A Child Called It and other memoirs. Purge is a true story of what the author, Nicole went through with her eating disorder. She struggled with it over many years and documented it in a journal. Her binging, purging, and eating restrictions caused heart and other health problems. Eventually, it got so bad that she spent some time in a rehab center to help her get through her disorder. It's a true and sometimes difficult book to read, but an important one, especially for teen girls.

SHIVER by MAGGIE STIEFVATER

Shiver is a spooky tale about a girl named Grace. Grace lives in Northern Minnesota where wolves are a common sight in the winter. One winter, Grace was attacked by a pack of wolves and is still haunted by memories of it. However, one wolf seemed to have influenced the others to turn away and Grace watches for his return every winter. This particular wolf had yellow eyes.

One winter, a local teen is killed and the town goes on a hunt for the wolf they believe is responsible. This leads to an encounter between Grace and a boy named Sam. From there on out, it becomes a bit of a love story that will appeal to fans of Twilight and light romance.

LET IT SNOW

To get into the holiday spirit, I read Let It Snow, a collection of three holiday romance stories. It came out last yr in hardcover, but is now available in paperback.

Though technically romance stories, they are actually really funny and would appeal to some guys as well. Each of the three stories centers on one town where a train has been stopped on Christmas Eve due to a terrible snowstorm. The first story is about a girl who was going to Florida on the train, but got stranded in this small town. At the Waffle House she meets a guy who invites her to spend Christmas with his Jewish family. The second story is about three friends who are trying to make their way through the snow to the Waffle House for hashbrowns and cheerleaders... The third story follows a girl who spends her holidays heartbroken after breaking up with her boyfriend and then having him stand her up when she tried to apologize. Characters and places in all three stories intersect.

Though I enjoyed the stories, they were really "winter stories" rather than holiday. Didnt get me into the holiday mood, but I did have fun and a few laughs reading the book. Recommended for ages 13 and up.

New Moon wrap up and The Clique!

The New Moon party was a great time. We had yummy vampire and werewolf treats and gave a way over 30 prizes! Watching the previews got us all pumped up for the movie, comes out Thursday night!

Our bloody drinks and werewolf chow:










Come to our next party on Wednesday, November 25th where we will eat cupcakes and watch a movie based on the popular book series by Lisi Harrison. 1 p.m. in Eldridge in the program room !!!

NEW MOON PARTY

Our New Moon Party is in less than 2 weeks!!
We'll have games, food, and prizes!

Be Here- November 16th from 6-7 p.m. to join in on the fun (and swoon over Jacob or Edward)!

Anime

the Anime Fest and Art Show is this Sunday, October 18th!!! 12:00- 4:00 p.m. Dress in cosplay! Learn martial arts! Make candy sushi! View Manga art! Win Prizes! Watch AMVs!
Cost is $5 admission to the Figge.

NEVER CRY WEREWOLF by HEATHER DAVIS

Shelby’s annoying stepmother reacts badly when she catches Shelby kissing an older boy, after taking a joy ride in a stolen porche, so she sends her off to Camp Crescent to shape up. While there, Shelby meets and fallsf for a mysterious guy named Austin. Austin is the son of a famous rock star. He is also hiding a darker family secret and, now that Shelby knows it, she is in danger and could be in more trouble than she ever got into before. Austin needs to run away from camp so no one will find out, and Shelby wants to help him, but she knows she needs to stay away from trouble. oh what to do what to do. Read it and find out what Austin's secret is (as if the title doesn't give it away).

Books from our Jr High visit

Below is a list of the books we discussed during our two-day visit to NSJH...
visit the library catalog or call us to reserve one today! 285-4794

Non-Fiction:
Playing with the Enemy by Gary Moore
Elephants on Acid by Alex Boese
Geeks' Guide to World Domination by Garth Sundem
Sneakiest Uses for Everyday things by Cy Tymony
Father Water, Mother Woods by Gary Paulsen
Road to Omaha by Ryan McGee

Graphic Novels:
Inubaka by Yukiya Sakuragi
Nightschool: The Weirn Books by Svetlana Chmakova

Fiction:
Killer Pizza by Greg Taylor
Read my Lips by Teri Brown
As You Wish by Jackson Pearce
Thwonk by Joan Bauer
Rampant by Diana Peterfreund
Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors
Tempo Change by Barbara Hall
The Tear Collector by Patrick Jones
Fairest of All by Serena Valentino
Monster's Proof by Richard Lewis
All the Broken Pieces by Ann Burg
H.I.V.E. by Mark Walden
POP! by Gordan Korman
Tunnels by Gordon Korman
The Tomorrow Code by Brian Falkner
Shooting Star by Frederick McKissack
Full Tilt by Neal Shusterman
Never Slow Dance with a Zombie by Ehrich van Lowe
Diary of a Witness by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Episodes: My Life as I See It by Blaze Ginsberg
On The Devil's Court by Carl Deuker

FREE BOOK FRIDAY

Check out this website, FREE BOOK FRIDAY. Every Friday they give away free copies of books. All you have to do is put in your name and email address. They also have some cool author interviews and what not.

Cool Website

Check out this website, all about the books THEY don't want you to read. pssh
click below

BANNED BOOKS

PRISM by FAYE & ALIZA KELLERMAN

Kaida and two of her classmates she doesn’t know well get stuck riding together in a van on a class trip to Carlsbad Caverns. Kaida drifts off to sleep and wakes up as the van careens off the road, rolls and burst into flames. Her and her two classmates escape and wait roadside in the desert. It starts to pour so they run into a cave. As they go deeper into the cave, Joy falls into a hole and the other two fall in trying to help her.

Suddenly, Kaida wakes up and she is at home in her own bed, about a week before the trip is supposed to take place. She figures it’s all a dream until she goes to school and both Zeke and Joy come to tell her that they had the same experience. Other things are off in the world they live in. As Zeke and Kaida are walking home, they see a man get struck by a car. No one seems to notice or do anything to help. Instead, a cleaning crew comes, cleans up the mess, and takes the man’s body. Nothing is quite the same as it used to be, so they try to uncover why, but they aren’t supposed to know the truth.

Faye Kellerman is a best selling adult mystery author and she wrote this one with her daughter. It's a great mystery with some action thrown in as well.

VACATIONS FROM HELL

Here's a fun one. A collection of short stories from today's best writers of teen fiction. This one is all about vacations that go terribly wrong, mostly from paranormal occurrences.
Authors include :
Libba Bray (Great and Terrible beauty- Gemma Doyle trilogy)
Cassandra Clare (Mortal Instruments series)
Claudia Gray (Evernight)
Sarah Mlynowski (Magic in Manhattan series) and
Maureen Johnson (Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes)

This is a great warm-up to the Halloween season. You could read a story each night for 5 nights and be done. Be sure to check out the first anthology Prom Nights from Hell which includes a story from Stephenie Meyer.

NEXT BIG THING?

Twilight spawned a whole slew of authors trying their hand at writing the "next big thing." So what series or book will be the next 'Twilight?'

The Hunger Games from Suzanne Collins has gotten a lot of buzz and the second book in the trilogy, Catching Fire, comes out September 1st. The trilogy is set in the future and the United States is divided into 12 districts with an oppressive government and shortage of food. Each year, group of kids are selected by lottery to compete in this massive reality show/game to win food for their district. Suddenly it's kill or be killed, all while the citizens of the district watch and hope for their competitor to survive and win them food.


The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (author of Coraline) is another hit for the popular writer. I could see this one being a Tim Burton movie someday. It is similar to the Jungle Book, but the young baby escapes a murderer and ends up in a graveyard. The ghouls and spooks of the graves raise him (they call him "Nobody") from infant to teenager, much like the animals of the jungle raised Mowgli. This recently won the Newbery Medal.






Wings by Aprilynne Pike is set to become a movie. It is the first of four books about a girl who suddenly sprouts wings on her back. She then discovers that her parents found her on their doorstep when she was a baby, so she goes about to uncover her past and who her real parents are.

BRUTAL by MICHAEL HARMON

Brutal is a cute book about Poe, who is sent to live with her absentee father after her mother deserts her to provide aid in South America. The story follows Poe as she tries to get to know her dad and figure out why he left their family in the first place. She has always been a free thinker and a bit of a trouble maker so, at her new school, she tries to stir things up by pointing out all the unfairness to school administrators. This causes some trouble as her dad is the school counselor. However, Poe thinks it is necessary as she is trying to protect her sort-of-friend Velveeta after he becomes the target of some vicious bullies.
The story was interesting, but I would have liked a little more character development with Velveeta and Theo. It was a fast read and will appeal to boys and girls age 13+

SO PUNK ROCK by MICOL & DAVID OSTOW

So Punk Rock (and other ways to disappoint your mother) follows 4 friends from a conservative jewish school who form a punk band. The band was the brain child of Ari Abramson, who just wanted to play good music. He recruited his best friend Jonas, who is in it for the "fame" and girls, the only drummer he knows- social outcast Yossi, and Yossi's sister Reena, who has to be in it because their parents insist.
Their band, The Tribe, is the first and only band to come from their school, so they quickly find themselves the talk of the town. This creates some trouble for Ari, who keeps the band a secret from his parents. Soon, they find themselves bigger than they can handle as egos inflate and Ari struggles to keep his secret.
This is a fun read and I learned a lot about Jewish culture as well. For fans of music books and humor.

ANIME CLUB

Plans have begun for our 2nd annual Anime Fest to be held at the Figge Art Museum. It will be Sunday October 18th from 12-4 p.m. We have a lot of cool stuff lined up, so start planning your cosplay now! Also, those interested in joining the Anime Club should email me and I'll let you know when our get togethers will be during the school yr.
scarlin@scottcountylibrary.org

CHASING LINCOLN'S KILLER by JAMES SWANSON

Another great read about our famous 16th President, Abraham Lincoln. Well, it's less about Lincoln, and more about his killer, the infamous John Wilkes Booth. Booth was a star in his day, having been in many big stage productions. He was a name well known throughout the east coast and especially in Washington D.C. So him murdering Lincoln would be like Brad Pitt murdering the President.

The book reads a lot like a mystery/thriller. It explains why Booth did it, and follows him and his co-conspirators as they try to escape the lawmen and army hunting them. You will also learn about the other attempted assassinations that night and how they were able to fight off or avoid the murderers. Very compelling true story for fans of action, mystery, and drama

HIGHWAY TO HELL by ROSEMARY CLEMENT-MOORE

I am a big fan of the Maggie Quinn: Girl vs. Evil series because it's fast fun reading that will appeal to a wide variety of teens.
Maggie Quinn has psychic abilities, but she is still just learning how to use them. She often encounters demons and other supernatural beings and she tries to figure out how to banish them from earth. In the previous books, the demons showed up at the prom and in a sorority house. This time, they show up in a small ranch town in Texas in the form of demon chupacabras.
It's up to Maggie and her best friend Lisa-(who does wiccan-like spells) to help this town. There is a lot of action and many encounters with the demons. Also, it's a mystery in which the reader learns a lot about folk lore and the supernatural while Maggie tries to figure out what the demon is, why it's there, and how to fight it. Another great entry into this fabulous series. CLICK HERE to see all the books in the series

Nightschool: The Weirn Books

We just got this first book to a new graphic novel series last month. It's called Nightschool and though it's drawn in manga style, it's not originally from Japan. It was written by Svetlana Chmakova for Hachette Books new imprint, Yen Press. Unlike mangas, it is read like an english novel, left to right, front to back.
Nightschool is what takes place after hours in a normal school. That's when all the demons, vampires, witches, etc. go to class. The first book centers around a young girl, Alex who seems to be a witch of some sort. She does not attend night school, she is homeschooled by her older sister Sarah. Sarah is also the new Night Keeper at Nightschool.
One night while working at the school, Sarah goes to check out a disturbance in the west wing hall. She disappears and no one at the Nightschool has any recollection of her. Only her sister Alex remembers her. In the following books, we will find out how Alex goes about finding her sister.
There are also some subplots involving Alex and some vampire hunters.
This was a fast read and I'm eagerly awaiting the next book to find out what happened to Sarah. It will be released later this year.

CITY OF BONES by CASSANDRA CLARE

This is the first book in the Mortal Instruments series. I don't normally read fantasy, but the cover looked cool and had a quote that described the book as funny, dark, and sexy. It introduces readers to the Downworlders and Shadowhunters. Shadowhunters kill demons to try to make the world a better place. Downworlders are vampires, werewolves, etc. and if they get out of hand, the Shadowhunters might come after them too. Most humans cannot see either. However, Clary can. She is the main character who finds out about this world while at a club. She watched a Shadowhunter kill a demon and wondered why no one seemed to notice except her. That's when Jace, a shadowhunter, realized that she had "the sight."
Later, her mom disappears and Clary begins to find out the truth about her mother and father's involvement in the other world. A lot of mystery and action follow as she and Jace try to track down her mother.
I recommend this book to both guy and girl fans of fantasy. Though someone had said this was a Twilight readalike, I would disagree. Not everyone will get caught up in the fantasy world of the Mortal Instruments. CLICK HERE for more info about this series and books 2 and 3, City of Glass and City of Ashes.

CHIBI VAMPIRE

Chibi Vampire is a manga series about Karin Maaka, a teen girl vampire. Except there's a twist...instead of feeding off people's blood, she gives blood to people. And this blood makes them feel refreshed and full of life. Her mother shuns her because of her difference, but her siblings try to teach her how to use her special talent for good.

In the first volume, Karin meets a new student, Kenta, who she has a strong urge to bite, so she tries to avoid him at all costs. Things get difficult when he gets a job at the same restaurant where she works. This is a fun manga that has about 13 volumes out so far. This is great for people just getting into graphic novels.

This FRIDAY JULY 31ST

SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT by DEREK LANDY

Looking for a book packed with magic, action, and murder? Skulduggery Pleasant is a new series that is just right for you. The series follows Stephanie, who is your average 12 year old. Then her famous horror writer uncle dies and leaves her his creepy estate in England. stuck there alone one night during a storm, an intruder breaks in and threatens her. A tall mysterious man wearing a trench coat and hat saves her. He is Skulduggery Pleasant, a skeleton magician who was friends with her uncle. Suddenly Stephanie finds herself in a world where the dead can come back to life and magic is real and deadly.

You can read an excerpt of the book by clicking HERE

If you are a bit squeamish, this book is probably not for you! Though much of the violence is created through magic, there is a lot of fighting and death. Nothing too graphic though. It is also very funny and has a great story of the struggle between the good and evil magicians. The second book is also out now, but I haven't read it yet. I would recommend the series for ages 13 and up.

FAKIE by TONY VARRATO

Alex Miller and his mother have been running for years. When he was younger, Alex witnessed a crime. To protect him, the FBI put him and his mother in the Witness Relocation Program. After Alex makes a great play during a football game and has his picture in the paper, his mother and him move to Virginia Beach. Though the criminal is in jail, he still has people on the outside working for him to try and track down Alex.
In the meantime, Alex is trying to make friends and build a new identity for himself. He decides to try to fit in with the skaters, which is difficult because he has never skated before. When Alex's enemies get closer to discovering where he is, the drama and action really picks up. This is a great page turner that will keep you reading and wondering what happens next. Recommended for ages 12+.

SUZI CLUE: The Mystery of the Prom Queen Curse by MICHELLE KEHM

Though the cover makes the book look like it's for kids, Suzi Clue is actually an awesome mystery book for teens. It follows Suzi, a freshman girl with a unique fashion sense and pink stripes in her hair. Suzi's locker is next to popular GiGi's. GiGi is the lead candidate for prom queen until someone locks her in the gym basement and plants spiders in the pom pom bag. GiGi emerges with spider bites on her legs and a threat written on her locker. Soon the other candidates for queen find themselves in similar predicaments and the school is abuzz with word of a prom queen curse. Suzi loves a good mystery, so of course she decides to solve it and save prom.
I really loved this mystery because Suzi was a very realistic character who is witty and smart. As she gathered the clues, I tried to solve the mystery, but luckily there were enough twists and turns that I didn't find out until the very end when Suzi finally did. Recommended for ages 13+

OH MY GODS by TERA LYNN CHILDS

Phoebe has her future all planned out for her, attend her senior year of high school in California with her best friends and then graduate and go to USC together. She even has a lock on a cross country scholarship there. Unfortunately, her mother returns from a trip to Greece engaged with plans to move her and Phoebe there. Devastated, Phoebe reluctantly leaves Cali behind and hopes to do well in her studies and running at her new Greek school. But once she gets there she finds out that the school is full of teens who are descendents of Greek gods and goddesses. And they have special powers. They even look down on her for not being a descendent. Without special abilities will Phoebe be able to make friends and keep her goals in academics and running? Read the book to find out, I enjoyed it immensely and especially recommend it to track or cross country runners. There's even a sequel called Goddess Boot Camp.

VLADIMIR TOD series by HEATHER BREWER

Vladmir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer

This is the first book in a new series about Vladmir Tod. Vlad is half vampire. The only people who know are his best friend and his aunt. His parents were mysteriously killed a few yrs ago, so he lives with his aunt. Vlad wants to be a normal 8th grader, so he satisfies his thirst for blood with packets his aunt brings home from the hospital.

One day, Vlad's teacher disappears. He is soon replaced by a substitute who is very odd and seems to have it out for Vlad. Does he know Vlad's secret? And if he does, what does he want?

This is a great book full of action and humor, I would recommend it to anyone into vampires

Vladmir Tod: Ninth Grade Slays by Heather Brewer

This is the second book in the series about Vlad. In this book, he starts high school with his best friend Henry and Henry's cousin Joss, who is new to town. In his first yr in high school, Vlad gets picked on a lot and still doesn't quite know how to talk to his crush. To add to his misery, Vlad's uncle warns him that there is a vampire slayer in town out to kill him. During winter break, Vlad visits his uncle in Siberia and meets with a bunch of vampires who want to teach him how to use his skills. These skills will come in handy when faced with vampire foes and the slayer who wants him dead.

Unlike the first book, this one delves deeper into this secret world of vampires and describes what kind of powers they have. There is a lot of mystery and action in this book and a surprise ending will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Vladimir Tod: Tenth Grade Bleeds

I'm a fan of this series and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good vampire story without mushy romance. Though there is some romance, it definitely isn't the main focus of the story. If you haven't read the Vladimir Tod series before, start with the first book, Eighth Grade Bites (reviewed above).

In this 3rd book of the series, Vladimir must say good bye to his uncle Otis who has been in town protecting him. Now on his own, Vlad is being stalked by two vampires and a nosy schoolmate. One vampire wants him dead and the other wants Vlad's father's journal. Vlad is also struggling with his growing need for human blood...from the source, and growing apart from his best friend Henry. Will Vlad become a killer vampire or will he be killed by his vampires stalkers? Lots of conflict and action in this one!

ONE GOOD PUNCH by RICH WALLACE

Would you rat out a friend if your future was at stake?
Michael Kerrigan, star of East Scranton's track team finds himself in such a predicament. His loyal friend Joey stashes drugs in his locker the weekend before school officials run an unannounced drug sweep. Suddenly Michael has lost his job, the track season he worked so hard for, and possible track scholarships for college. Everyone urges Michael to rat out his friend who really did it, Joey, a known drug dealer, but loyal friend. What will he do? What would you do?
Rich Wallace gives readers that question in the short 115-page drama, One Good Punch. Recommended for readers who want something short and to the point or areinarushtodoabookreport!

DERBY GIRL by SHAUNA CROSS

Derby Girl is about Bliss, a 16 yr old Pageant Queen...sort of. Her mother wants her to be a pageant queen but Bliss is into indie music and boys. She finds a flier for a roller derby match, so she and her friend Pash check it out. Bliss instantly falls in love with the unusual sport and heads to tryouts the next week. Though she was never very athletic, Bliss discovers that she is really really good at derby. Even though she is the youngest- and claims to be 18, she becomes one of the stars on her team. She also meets a hot guy who is into music and derby too. Suddenly she finds her life consumed by derby and finds herself alienated from her family, who has no idea she is in derby, and her best friend Pash.
This is an exciting story with the usual drama of high school and boys with the added element of derby action and excitement.
Here's a trailer for the movie Whip it! which is based on the book. I'm super excited to see it!



Also, here's a link for the local roller derby team, Quad-City Rollers.

DAIRY QUEEN by CATHERINE MURDOCK

Sixteen year old DJ has been running the family farm ever since her dad broke his hip and her two older brothers left for college. It hasn't been easy for her, but she rarely complains and enjoys the hard work. Her father's friend, football coach for a rival high school's team sends over his quarterback to learn hard work from DJ. She shows him the ropes of working on the farm, helps him train for the upcoming football season, and unexpectedly finds herself falling for him. With his encouragement, DJ begins to speak up for herself and let her family know that she needs a life outside of the farm. And that life includes trying out for her high school's football team.

Dairy Queen is a funny book, easy to read, and full of realistic teen dialogue-nothing poetic or airy. The story has a typical romantic subplot, but takes a few twists and turns, and ultimately focuses on the bigger changes in DJ's life.
DQ is filled with likeable, real characters- DJ is not your typical smart or beautiful heroine, she is your everyday girl struggling with insecurities and being pulled in many directions. Although not preachy or cheesy, the book teaches readers the importance of finding balance in life, speaking up for yourself, and overcoming obstacles.