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Check out Sharzad's playlist for The Singer of All Songs by Kate Constable.
Click here to find The Singer of All Songs in the Library and find out why Sharzad selected these songs for her playlist.
Legend is a book that had a lot of hype surrounding it. So when I sat down to read I wondered if it would live up to all of the hype. Legend wasn’t legendary, but it was pretty good and it stands apart from other dystopian( books similar to The Hunger Games) novels that have come out in the past year. What makes Legend stand out? First - there's the font - it's gold- I thought that was really cool. I’ve read a LOT of books and none of them so far have had gold colored font. The chapters written from Day's perspective, the notorious teen criminal on the run from the Republic, are in gold. Then the chapters written by June, the genius future star of the Republic's security force, are in black. Another great element is the action in the book. Right from the beginning you're pulled into one of Day's daring missions to try and help his family. This mission goes terribly wrong when one of the Republic's security guards tries to stop Day and ends up losing his life. What makes matter worse is that it security guard was also June's brother. A brother, who was like a father to her, since their parents died a few years back. June is assigned to track down Day and bring him to justice for killing her brother. But once June and Day meet face to face it turns out perhaps avenging her brother's death isn't the real answer to her or the Republic's problems.
If you're interested in learning more about the author of Legend, Marie Lu, and her writing process check out Colleen's post here!
Reviewed by Renee, Teen Outreach Librarian
Back in the day when I was in middle school a movie came out called Dangerous Minds; which was about a teacher with unconventional approaches to teaching and how she reached her students. The movie also had a killer soundtrack featuring Gangsta's Paradise by Coolio ( I posted the music video at the bottom if you want a 90's flash back) . Dangerous Minds was based on a book by LouAnne Johnson called My Posse Don't Do Homework. Which brings me to Muchacho, LouAnne Johnson's most recent realistic fiction book.
I picked Muchacho up to try something different and I was sort of reluctant to start it, but I did eventually. I'm really glad I did because it was a pretty good book. Reading or listening to the book is like sitting down and having a conversation with the main character Eddie. Eddie is living in New Mexico and attends Bright Horizons alternative school. Eddie's future could go one of two ways; he finishes high school or he becomes a fully fledged juvenile delinquent, which some people have already pegged him as. Luckily- Eddie has supportive parents, teachers who inspire him and he also meets Lupe who makes he want to do more with his life than just finish high school. Eddie's story bounces around a bit focusing on different events or memories- part it really feels like Eddies story complete with the language and situations (drugs, crime etc) he and other people in his life sometimes find themselves involved in- but the message in the book while it's endearing seems more like it coming directly from the author. Find out what that message is and how Eddie's choices change his future in Muchacho.
Posted by Renee, Teen Outreach Librarian
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
by Ransom Riggs
At first look at the novel Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, you can't help but being drawn in to reading the book. I've seen the cover a ton of times, but it wasn't until I picked it up to read it that I realized that the the creepy cover photo of the young girl actually shows her levitating! When you flip through the book you see more creepy photos, like these:
All of which are real vintage photos that the author collected to tell his story. The story of Miss Peregrine's Home of Peculiar Children centers on sixteen year old Jacob. At the beginning of the novel he finds his grandfather dead. Jacob was close to his grandfather; he grew up with his grandfather's fantastic stories of the orphanage where he grew up as an orphan of the war. The orphanage was a place for children with special abilities like invisibility, super strength, and the ability to defy gravity. The trauma of finding his grandfather dead causes Jacob to have vivid nightmares and for his parents to question his mental state. Jacob desperately wants to know the truth about his grandfather, especially his childhood. He suggests a trip to Wales with his father to the small island where Jacob's grandfather grew up living at the orphanage. It is on this island that Jacob discovers the truth about his grandfather and much more.
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is a good read, especially for someone who wants a to read a fantasy with a touch of horror. Reading along with the creepy vintage photos makes every turn of the page a surprise. This novel would be great for anyone who is a fan of X-Men, Harry Potter, The Magicians, and even Alice in Wonderland.
It is interesting to note that Tim Burton is in talks with 20th Century Fox to create the movie based on the book, for Miss Peregrine's Home to Peculiar Children. (Click here for the article on Deadline.) Also, check out the really well-done book trailer below:
posted by Colleen, Teen Services Librarian
Not only do do we post reviews by you, but we also enthusiastically accept any art that you create and we will post it to the Teen Blog. Whether it's drawings, photography, or even instructions for creating a cool craft or a recipe (click here for an example of a craft Haley previously submitted). You can turn in your work to the Fiction/AV/Teen desk on the second floor. Once you turn in the work, though, we cannot guarantee it's return. Please make a copy of your work, if necessary, and turn in the copy to us. Also, we can not guarantee all work will be posted. Check out our most recent submission below:
Drawings by Shivani:
What was your favorite book of 2011? Click here to visit Teenreads.com and vote for your favorite books of 2011 in their annual Teen Choice Book of the Year vote, and click here to check out their long list of titles to choose from.
There have also been a ton of other "Best of 2011" lists put out this month. Check some of them out below:
posted by Colleen, Teen Services Librarian
Last Updated On December 8, 2008
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