Learning to Swear in America

Posted on: August 21, 2016 at 4:53 pm, in

by Katie KennedyAn asteroid is hurtling towards Earth, and NASA has amassed a group of scientists to figure out how to stop it before it destroys North America.  Yuri is a 17-year-old Russian physics phenom who NASA has recruited to be part of the team.  Yuri’s colleagues in Russia are used to his youthfulness, and […]

The House of the Scorpion

Posted on: August 8, 2016 at 9:00 am, in

By Nancy FarmerIn a future world that feels very “old world”, the USA and Azatlán (formerly known as Mexico) have struck a deal to curb illegal immigration. Along the length of the border, a new country named Opium has been established. The thousands of miles of drug fields are owned by a handful of very […]

Book of the Month: August – Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer

Posted on: August 1, 2016 at 2:02 pm, in

Marie Antoinette, Serial KillerBy Katie AlenderThe story opens in Paris, the apartment of a beautiful, 19 year old, up-and-coming French model, Gabrielle. She has just arrived home from a chic party and is getting ready for bed. Admiring herself in the mirror she notices a dark smudge on her arm. She tries to wash it […]

The Shadow Hero

Posted on: July 18, 2016 at 12:30 am, in

by Gene Luen Yang, illustrated by Sonny LiewHank Chu goes about his life, like most young men in Chinatown.  He spends his days working in his family’s store and his spare time playing mahjong with his father and his father’s friends.  It’s a quiet life, and Hank enjoys it very much.  His world turns a […]

Noggin

Posted on: July 15, 2016 at 4:44 pm, in

Noggin  By John Corey Whaley Imagine if you had a terminal illness.  You knew you were going to die but doctors offered you a way out – sort of.  What if they offered to cut off your head, freeze it, and reattach it to someone else’s healthy body as soon as the technology became available?   […]

Book of the Month – July: Every Exquisite Thing

Posted on: July 9, 2016 at 2:03 pm, in

by Matthew QuickEvery Exquisite Thing, about a girl named Nanette O’Hare who grows from popular star athlete into literature-obsessed non-conformist, is an unexpectedly delightful coming-of-age story. Throughout, the story makes a number of unexpected but still believable turns, and in the end Nanette’s journey felt genuine and the twists unforced.Nanette is eighteen, doing well in […]

Paper Towns

Posted on: July 4, 2016 at 12:00 pm, in

Paper Towns by John GreenA paper town is a fictional town that mapmakers place on thier maps to prevent copyright infringement. If the paper town shows up on another map, the original makers know it is an illegal copy of their map.This novel uses paper towns in a set of clues that Margo Roth Speigelman […]

The Kiss of Deception

Posted on: June 21, 2016 at 9:00 am, in

by Mary E. PearsonThe rebellious princess runs away from an arranged marriage because she wants to experience normal life. That cliche was enough of a deterrent that The Kiss of Deception was on my shelf for a year before I tried reading it. But honestly, it was actually pretty entertaining.Together with her handmaiden, Princess Lia of Morrighan […]

The Firebug of Balrog County

Posted on: June 2, 2016 at 6:46 pm, in

The Firebug of Balrog CountyBy David Oppegaard Mack Druneswald is a high school senior living in Balrog County.  (Mack has named it Balrog County after the fiery monster in Lord of the Rings.  Its real name is something as boring as the place itself.) But Mack has more to contend with than boredom.  His mother […]

Book of the Month – June – Front Lines

Posted on: June 1, 2016 at 9:00 am, in

By Michael Grant In this alternate history set during World War II, a court decision makes women subject to the draft and eligible for service.  Not just desk jobs, either – they’re going to be on the front lines. This doesn’t mean that everyone is thrilled with the idea, though – there’s still a huge […]