Mission: READ

…there’s a new hero in town!

In a world where superheroes are as common as mild-mannered reporters AND they have a whole island city, Megalopolis, where they live and train, Josh Blevins has, to his horror, been born without superpowers.  But never fear! Josh is determined to enter into Burlington Academy for the Superhuman the hard way, even if it means breaking a few rules here and there.

After a few forged documents, Josh, now known as Chance Fortune, enters the Academy to hone his super power: luck. He quickly makes a few friends (and enemies), and many of them are on his battle team, The Outlaws:

• Space Cadet (S.C.), who makes super gadgets out of anything mechanical
• Shocker, tough punk, who has laser-beam eyes
• Gothicka, as good a witch as her attitude is bad
• Iron Maiden, daughter of super Vikings
• and many more…

Join the team as they battle arch-rivals The Invincibles and investigate some weird stuff happening at the Academy. And, if you’re a fan of comics, look for lots of in-jokes and homages.

Yes, Chance Fortune and the Outlaws by Shane Berryhill is a fun superhero romp that ends on a cliffhanger..so we can be sure to enjoy more of Chance’s adventures in the future!

Mission: Accomplished

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You’ve got to love Street Love, the newest book by Walter Dean Myers. In beautiful verse, he tells the story of Damien and Junice, two teens from Harlem who fall in love.  Junice struggles with taking care of her 9-year-old sister and aging, forgetful grandmother when her mother is sentenced to prison for drugs. Damien struggles with his mother’s distrust and disapproval of Junice and her family. But their two hearts beat as one….

Mission: Accomplished

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This month’s theme for Books and Bites is Feel-Good stories, which leaves room for sharing many interesting books.

First up is Perfect by Natasha Friend:  Isabelle Lee does NOT feel good AT ALL. She is a blend-into-the-crowd girl when she longs to be as popular as Ashley Barnum, who gets straight A’s, is great at sports, has perfect hair, teeth, and skin, and is as thin as a model. Her dad dies two years ago, and her mom has put away all his pictures and refuses to talk about him, even though her daughters really need to. And the WORST thing is that Isabelle’s “former little sister” April TOLD. She told mom that Isabelle was sneaking into the kitchen, eating everything she could get her hands on and making herself throw up–every day, and more than once most days. Now Isabelle has to go to Group, an eating disorder and body image and therapy group, so that she can start to feel good. Isabelle hates going, and doesn’t think it will help, and then she meets a most unlikely person at group. . . .

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate Di Camillo is a story of a china rabbit doll who feels good about himself and his fine clothes, but only about himself; he does not know how to love, even though he is dearly loved by his owner, a little girl named Abilene. When Abilene’s grandmother, Pellegrina, tells Edward she is ashamed of him, a chill runs down Edward’s spine, and it is not too long after that that he is swept overboard when Abilene takes him with on an ocean cruise. After spending years on the ocean floor, Edward is “rescued” by a fisherman and has many adventures: being a scarecrow, riding the rails with a hobo and his dog, comforting an ill child, and more. Will he ever learn to feel good about others and to make them feels good?  To love?  Read the book and find out.

If you liked Where the Sidewalk Ends or A Light in the Attic, you’ll love Runny Babbit, A Billy Sook by Shel Silverstein. This funny book is full of Runny Babbit speak, but it’s not hard to understand at all. It is hilarious to read out loud to your friends and family, too. I dare you to read “Runny Mancey Feal” on page 50 out loud, trying not to make any mistakes. . . .

“Defiance” is defined as “a daring or bold resistance to authority or to any opposing force,” according to dictionary.com. In the book Defiance by Valerie Hobbs, we meet three defiant characters. Pearl is an elderly lady who lives on a farm with a sign on her door that reads “Whoever steals my freedom takes my life.” Blossom is a stubborn, old cow who walked away from her cruel owners and found Pearl. Toby is an eleven-year-old boy who is vacationing for the summer in a cabin nearby. How is Toby defiant?  He has cancer, as everyone can tell from his lack of hair. He has cancer which is supposed to be in remission but he has recently discovered a lump on his side that means the cancer is coming back. Toby is defiant because he keeps the lump a secret from his parents. He can’t bear to go back to the children’s hospital and undergo the painful cancer treatments that make him sick and weak—no matter what the cost. You may be wondering how on earth this could be a feel-good story.  Read the book to find out how Toby, Pearl, and Blossom are of great help and comfort to one another.

Mission: Accomplished

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Today is Weird Wednesday of Teen Read Week, and I started out the day reading aloud some weird short stories before school.

Here is a short story book that you should read just so you can say that you read the book with possibly the longest title ever:

Noisy Outlaws, Unfriendly Blobs, and Some Other Things…:That Aren’t as Scary, Maybe, Depending on How You Feel About Lost Lands, Stray Cellphones, Creatures from the Sky, Parents Who Disappear in Peru, a Man Named Lars Farf, and One Other Story We Couldn’t Quite Finish, So Maybe You Could Help Us Out

This title is so long that Amazon.com doesn’t even print the whole thing–just shortens it. Here’s proof: Amazon listing

Oh, and it’s hysterical, too.

Mission: Accomplished

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A warning: If you have a weak stomach, a delicate constitution, or still sleep with a nightlight on, please click [back]; these books are not for you.

Whenever anyone comes in to the IMC and asks me for a Stephen King book, I must tell them “Alas, we have none, you must wait until you get to the high school.” Then I tell them about The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding. Imagine London in the time of Jack the Ripper–when Jack is far, far from the worst thing out there. Thaniel is a wych-hunter like his father before him. He seeks out and stops the nasty things that live in the Old Quarter of London–things like Cradlejacks that steal newborn babies, things like Devil-boys, things like Rat Kings. On one hunt, Thaniel meets Alaizabel Cray, disheveled, possibly mad, but completely beautiful. Thaniel cares not that she is probably possessed and puts himself at great risk to try to help her.  When Alaizbel wakes up in the middle of the night looking and sounding twisted and old and calling herself “Thatch,” Thaniel suspects he might be in for more than he bargained for. And when she starts talking about a secret society called the Fraternity that’s bent on unleashing an ancient evil, Thaniel knows it!

The latest horror book that has just blown me away is Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. Several people told me to read it and that even thought it was 480+ pages, I would love it, breeze through it, and want a sequel (fortunately New Moon is already available). What an understatement! When Bella moves to Forks, Oregon to live with her father after her mother’s remarriage, she doubts she will find a friend in the small town where everyone knows each other. On her first day, she’s not only feeling lonely, but she is shocked and frightened by Edward Cullen, her lab partner, who gives her a look that could kill if there ever was one. When Bella asks about Edward’s family, a local Native America boy hints that they are vampires. It is not long before Bella becomes obsessed with Edward, and he with her. Edward admits that while the vampire part of him finds her irresistible in one way, the human part of him does in another and every moment he spends with her is a test of his will. It has been a long time since I read a book with so much tension in it–the kind of tension in an old-school horror movie where you just KNOW the killer is around every corner, and then he isn’t….And what beautiful writing. Definitely the best book I’ve read this school year…Here’s Stephanie Meyer’s site

Why is it that so many scary stories start with someone moving to an unfamiliar place? Fear of the unknown?  In The Dreaming by Queenie Chan twin sisters Amber and Jeanie are moving to Greenwich Private College where their Aunt is the headmistress. Their excitement about living at the prestigious boarding school is soon replaced by uneasiness, when their aunt tells them to pretend they aren’t twins because there have been some “rumors” about twins in the school’s past. Their uneasiness turns to dread when they meet the creepy vice-principal who seems to have it our for them, when they hear frightening stories of girls disappearing in the woods–never to return, and when the girls start sharing the same disturbing dreams. This manga has gripping pictures to match the story and ends on a cliff-hanger–volume two is coming soon. See when on Queenie Chan’s blog.

Another creepy graphic novel is Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things by Ted Naifeh. Courtney’s parents are up to their eyeballs in credit card debts and jump at the chance to move the family in with Uncle Aloysius who is getting on in years and needs looking after. Full of angst, Courtney hates her new mansion, her new school, and, well, pretty much life in general. Things start to get interesting when some “night things” appear in her room and she finds that Uncle Aloysius’ private study is full of books with cool spells to try (but sometimes the results are disastrous for Courtney). This book makes you laugh as well–like the part where Courtney captures a goblin with a Scottish accent and makes it do her bidding. Great, dark artwork complements the feel of the book very well. Check out more about Courtney at The Night Things Site.

DARE YOU TO READ THESE!

Mission: Accomplished 

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Did you know that a few Rebecca Caudill books are less than 100 pages? Here’s a short book that still has a lot to say: Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson. Lonnie Collins Motion’s life changed forever four years ago. He has had to call many places “home” since his parents died in a fire and he was separated from his sister–but none of them have felt like home. When he gets to Miss Edna’s house he assumes it will be just like all the others, ut it turns out to be different. And Ms. Marcus, his teacher, encourages him to share his thoughts and feelings by writing poems. We get to read his poems to find out about Lonnie’s life and how it may be changing for the better….

Naomi Solidad Leon Outlaw has a life that’s changing as well. She and her little brother Owen, who has some disabilities, have lived with Gram in Baby Beluga, an old silver trailer home, ever since their mother left them with Gram years ago. The three have a peaceful life in the town of Lemon Tree, and while they don’t have a lot of things, they share a lot of love. Then one day their mother, Skyla, surprises them by knocking at the door. At first Naomi is thrilled to see her mother and enjoys the attention and new clothes she gets. But then she begins to notice a few things about Skyla: she is uncomfortable with Owen because he is different; she “forgets” to attend student conferences, heading to Las Vegas with her boyfriend for a long weekend; she seems to be drinking again. So when Skyla suggests that only Naomi should come live with her and Clive to keep Clive’s daughter company, Naomi doesn’t want to go and she and Gram must come up with a plan to keep that from happening. Can they do it? Read Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan to find out.

ARRGGGHHHH! Did you know that September 19th was “Talk Like a Pirate Day?” If you missed it, this next book gives you the perfect opportunity to get caught up! Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson is full of swashbuckling adventures that rival those of Pirates of the Caribbean!

Here’s the book’s recipe for greatness:

• One part mistreated orphans with a leader named Peter en route to slavery on a faraway island
• One part terrible, greedy pirates like Black Stache and Mr. Grin
• One part increduble treasure hidden in an ordinary travel trunk
• One part sweet but sophisticated Molly, who is not what she seems
• Mix all of the above together in a greasy galley stewpot and let the roaring waves and splashing surf mix it up into a great prequel to Peter Pan
• Read and enjoy, mateys!

Mission: Accomplished

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